ITV

Tag: Prasar Bharati

  • DD’s programme acquisition spends over Rs 108 crore for 2015-16

    DD’s programme acquisition spends over Rs 108 crore for 2015-16

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan, which is now working on a plan to auction prim time slots, spent over Rs 108.5 crore in acquiring programmes in 2015-16. The pubcaster had spent just over Rs 71 crore in 2014-15 and a little above Rs 96.52 crore in 2013-14.

    Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that its board had advised DD to proceed with an alternative policy by opening-up prime slots for sale in its 127th meeting on 17 June 2015.

    Doordarshan sources said it was anticipating higher side of revenues from sale of slots. Accordingly, DD proposed a slot sale policy, so that genuine external and creative professionals could mount their programmes on DD Channels through slot purchase. In this scheme DD would stop financing production through “Pay Out” modes and instead have revenue assurance in the form of a slot fee.

    The policy envisages that producers are made stake holders in the scheme. They would invest in the content and recover the same from the market through sale of associated commercial time. In such a situation, market forces would ensure that high quality standards were maintained for the content mounted.

    Sale of slots could provide a platform to DD to partner with the best content developers for improved viewership and financial health. 

  • Govt denies any AIR or DD stations non-functional; no new programmes for growth of DD in view of Freedish

    Govt denies any AIR or DD stations non-functional; no new programmes for growth of DD in view of Freedish

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has denied that any of its All India Radio or Doordarshan channels are non-functional.

    Parliament was informed by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore that Doordarshan has 67 kendra and All India Radio has 416 Stations including low capacity 100 Watt FM Relay Transmitters. 

    As part of the continuing scheme of 11th Plan and 12th Plan, 86 new AIR Stations have been approved to be set up in various parts of the country particularly remote/backward/rural areas. These include low capacity 100 Watt FM Relay Transmitters.

    In addition, 64 AIR transmitters have been approved for up gradation under 12th Plan including continuing schemes of the 11th Plan.

    While there is no approved scheme to setup new Doordarshan Kendra in any part of country including remote/ backward/ rural areas of the country, the Minister said that the project of upgradation of existing low power transmitter at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir to 5KW high power transmitter has been approved as part of continuing scheme of 11th Plan. 

    There are 228 high power and 810 low power TV transmitters in the country including those located in backward / tribal and remote areas of the country.
    He said there was no proposal to set up new transmitters except in border areas in view of multichannel TV coverage provided through Doordarshan’s free to air Freedish.

  • Govt denies any AIR or DD stations non-functional; no new programmes for growth of DD in view of Freedish

    Govt denies any AIR or DD stations non-functional; no new programmes for growth of DD in view of Freedish

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has denied that any of its All India Radio or Doordarshan channels are non-functional.

    Parliament was informed by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore that Doordarshan has 67 kendra and All India Radio has 416 Stations including low capacity 100 Watt FM Relay Transmitters. 

    As part of the continuing scheme of 11th Plan and 12th Plan, 86 new AIR Stations have been approved to be set up in various parts of the country particularly remote/backward/rural areas. These include low capacity 100 Watt FM Relay Transmitters.

    In addition, 64 AIR transmitters have been approved for up gradation under 12th Plan including continuing schemes of the 11th Plan.

    While there is no approved scheme to setup new Doordarshan Kendra in any part of country including remote/ backward/ rural areas of the country, the Minister said that the project of upgradation of existing low power transmitter at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir to 5KW high power transmitter has been approved as part of continuing scheme of 11th Plan. 

    There are 228 high power and 810 low power TV transmitters in the country including those located in backward / tribal and remote areas of the country.
    He said there was no proposal to set up new transmitters except in border areas in view of multichannel TV coverage provided through Doordarshan’s free to air Freedish.

  • DD Freedish confirms MPEG-4 next month, NDTV says no decision on going FTA on any of its channels

    DD Freedish confirms MPEG-4 next month, NDTV says no decision on going FTA on any of its channels

    New Delhi: Even as two pay channels – Aajtak and Big Magic – have come on Doordarshan Freedish as free-to-air channel, possibilities have opened up for more channels coming on the platform even as it prepares to complete its migratiom to MPEG-4 next month. A Prasar Bharati source confirmed that the switch-over to MPEG-4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    Claiming that the Broadcast Audience Ratings Council (BARC) ratings had shown the importance of Freedish in reaching out to rural India, the source said that Aajtak and Big Magic which are pay channels are being run as FTA and have been accommodated in the current MPEG-2.

    Meanwhile, NDTV denied any decision on turning FTA and coming on Freedish next month. An NDTV source said that any such decision, if taken, would be communicated through the media. A senior official who did not want to be named also confirmed that no decision had been taken yet on any of the NDTV bouquet channels going free to air, since this kind of decision could only be taken at the management and board levels.

    Doordarshan sources also said that as all the 64 slots under MPEG-2 had been filled, there was no question of any other channel coming on. In any case, he said any channel which decided to come on the platform had to bid in the auctions that are held from time to time. All the slots under MPEG-2 were filled, the next auction date had not been finalized, the sources confirmed.

    Freedish is adopting the conditional access system designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Freedish will become encrypted but will remain free to air. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Freedish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Freedish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorized dealers.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

  • DD Freedish confirms MPEG-4 next month, NDTV says no decision on going FTA on any of its channels

    DD Freedish confirms MPEG-4 next month, NDTV says no decision on going FTA on any of its channels

    New Delhi: Even as two pay channels – Aajtak and Big Magic – have come on Doordarshan Freedish as free-to-air channel, possibilities have opened up for more channels coming on the platform even as it prepares to complete its migratiom to MPEG-4 next month. A Prasar Bharati source confirmed that the switch-over to MPEG-4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    Claiming that the Broadcast Audience Ratings Council (BARC) ratings had shown the importance of Freedish in reaching out to rural India, the source said that Aajtak and Big Magic which are pay channels are being run as FTA and have been accommodated in the current MPEG-2.

    Meanwhile, NDTV denied any decision on turning FTA and coming on Freedish next month. An NDTV source said that any such decision, if taken, would be communicated through the media. A senior official who did not want to be named also confirmed that no decision had been taken yet on any of the NDTV bouquet channels going free to air, since this kind of decision could only be taken at the management and board levels.

    Doordarshan sources also said that as all the 64 slots under MPEG-2 had been filled, there was no question of any other channel coming on. In any case, he said any channel which decided to come on the platform had to bid in the auctions that are held from time to time. All the slots under MPEG-2 were filled, the next auction date had not been finalized, the sources confirmed.

    Freedish is adopting the conditional access system designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Freedish will become encrypted but will remain free to air. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Freedish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Freedish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorized dealers.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

  • Prasar Bharati’s grants-in-aid gets substantial increase, first-time separate allocation for strengthening broadcast services

    Prasar Bharati’s grants-in-aid gets substantial increase, first-time separate allocation for strengthening broadcast services

    NEW DELHI: The grants-in-aid for Prasar Bharati have gone up again for the third time over the last few years from the revised estimates of Rs 2708.29 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 3056.86 for 2016-17.

    In addition, there is a grant-in-aid of Rs 52 crore to Doordarshan’s Kisan Channel, which is double that of aid last year.

    In addition, there is an investment of Rs 200 crore in the pubcaster, which is the same as last year. Though the previous government had stopped investments in the pubcaster, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had re-introduced this in 2015-16 after a gap of two years. 

    An explanatory note says the grants-in-aid is being provided to cover the gap in resources of Prasar Bharati in meeting its revenue expenditure.

    The grant in aid for Prasar Bharati in 2015-16 was Rs 2824.55 crore for 2015-16, apart from the grant-in-aid of Rs 26.26 crore in the revised estimates (as against the budgetary allocation of Rs 45 crore) on Kisan Channel.

    Expenditure on salaries of Prasar Bharati has fallen on the shoulders of the Government since all Prasar Bharati employees who were in employment as on 5 October, 2007 have been given deemed deputation status.

    The total budget of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been raised to Rs 4083.63 crore, which is a small raise in comparison to Rs 3711.11 crore for 2015-16, though the revised estimates for the year show an expenditure of Rs 3588.58 crore. 

    A major effort this year was to reduce the number of heads under which allocations have been made over the years. For example, there are no separate allocation for film certification or Press Information Services as in previous years.

    Interestingly, there is a separate allocation of Rs 30.83 crore for strengthening of broadcasting services, which includes Rs 28.83 on information and publicity and the balance on building and machinery. This provides for Electronic Media Monitoring Centre, contribution to the Asian Institute of Broadcasting Development, Community Radio movement in India, Digitalisation, Building and Machinery and private FM Radio Stations.

    The allocation under ‘Secretariat – Social services’ has been cut down to Rs 70.32 crore as against the budgetary allocation of Rs 235.23 crore in 2015-16 as the revised estimates show an expenditure of just Rs 91.44 crore. The explanatory note says that from 2016-17, this covers the expenditure under Non-Plan activities only which includes provision for Main Secretariat and Principal Accounts office.

    The allocation for the film sector has been raised to Rs 268.53 crore and covers art and culture, information and publicity, which takes the maximum share of Rs 213.64 crore. Subjects under this head include the National Film Heritage Mission, anti-piracy measures, promotion of Indian cinema overseas, production of films and documentaries, and setting up a centre of excellence for animation, gaming and visual effects. The explanatory note adds that Secretariat – Social services also covers expenses on development of community radio, and development support to the north-east as well as Jammu and Kashmir and ‘other identified areas.’

    Thus, there is an allocation of Rs 33.31 crore for Mass Communications, which covers (a) Indian Institute of Mass Communication, an autonomous body, which imparts training in mass media and conducts courses in journalism, and (b) New Media Wing, which collects basic information on subjects of media interest for providing assistance to the Ministry and to its Media Units, Indian Missions abroad and newspapers and media agencies.

    There is another provision of Rs 491.78 crore, which includes expenditure (a) Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity – for planning and executing publicity campaigns through advertising and other printed materials, as well as through Radio and Televisions, exhibitions and other outdoor publicity media; (b) Press Information Bureau – which serves as a link between the Government and the Press and attends to the publicity and public relations requirements of various Ministries/Departments, including grants to Press Council of India, a statutory organisations seeking to preserve press; (c) Field Publicity – covering expenditure of Directorate of Field Publicity and its district level field units engaged in inter-personal developmental communications through films shows, live media programmes, photo displays and seminars; (d) Song and Drama Division – for creating awareness amongst the masses, particularly in rural areas, about various activities of national developments of units spread all over the country; (e) Publications – for publishing priced books, journals and other printed material in English, Hindi and regional languages on a wide variety of subjects and ‘Employment News/Rozgar Samachar;’ (f) Information Wing Plan Schemes – for training, international media programme, Policy related studies etc.; and (g) Photo Division.

    For the seventh year in a row, the government has not announced any investment in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

    There is a marginal increase in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 80 crore against Rs 75 crore last year.

  • Prasar Bharati’s grants-in-aid gets substantial increase, first-time separate allocation for strengthening broadcast services

    Prasar Bharati’s grants-in-aid gets substantial increase, first-time separate allocation for strengthening broadcast services

    NEW DELHI: The grants-in-aid for Prasar Bharati have gone up again for the third time over the last few years from the revised estimates of Rs 2708.29 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 3056.86 for 2016-17.

    In addition, there is a grant-in-aid of Rs 52 crore to Doordarshan’s Kisan Channel, which is double that of aid last year.

    In addition, there is an investment of Rs 200 crore in the pubcaster, which is the same as last year. Though the previous government had stopped investments in the pubcaster, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had re-introduced this in 2015-16 after a gap of two years. 

    An explanatory note says the grants-in-aid is being provided to cover the gap in resources of Prasar Bharati in meeting its revenue expenditure.

    The grant in aid for Prasar Bharati in 2015-16 was Rs 2824.55 crore for 2015-16, apart from the grant-in-aid of Rs 26.26 crore in the revised estimates (as against the budgetary allocation of Rs 45 crore) on Kisan Channel.

    Expenditure on salaries of Prasar Bharati has fallen on the shoulders of the Government since all Prasar Bharati employees who were in employment as on 5 October, 2007 have been given deemed deputation status.

    The total budget of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been raised to Rs 4083.63 crore, which is a small raise in comparison to Rs 3711.11 crore for 2015-16, though the revised estimates for the year show an expenditure of Rs 3588.58 crore. 

    A major effort this year was to reduce the number of heads under which allocations have been made over the years. For example, there are no separate allocation for film certification or Press Information Services as in previous years.

    Interestingly, there is a separate allocation of Rs 30.83 crore for strengthening of broadcasting services, which includes Rs 28.83 on information and publicity and the balance on building and machinery. This provides for Electronic Media Monitoring Centre, contribution to the Asian Institute of Broadcasting Development, Community Radio movement in India, Digitalisation, Building and Machinery and private FM Radio Stations.

    The allocation under ‘Secretariat – Social services’ has been cut down to Rs 70.32 crore as against the budgetary allocation of Rs 235.23 crore in 2015-16 as the revised estimates show an expenditure of just Rs 91.44 crore. The explanatory note says that from 2016-17, this covers the expenditure under Non-Plan activities only which includes provision for Main Secretariat and Principal Accounts office.

    The allocation for the film sector has been raised to Rs 268.53 crore and covers art and culture, information and publicity, which takes the maximum share of Rs 213.64 crore. Subjects under this head include the National Film Heritage Mission, anti-piracy measures, promotion of Indian cinema overseas, production of films and documentaries, and setting up a centre of excellence for animation, gaming and visual effects. The explanatory note adds that Secretariat – Social services also covers expenses on development of community radio, and development support to the north-east as well as Jammu and Kashmir and ‘other identified areas.’

    Thus, there is an allocation of Rs 33.31 crore for Mass Communications, which covers (a) Indian Institute of Mass Communication, an autonomous body, which imparts training in mass media and conducts courses in journalism, and (b) New Media Wing, which collects basic information on subjects of media interest for providing assistance to the Ministry and to its Media Units, Indian Missions abroad and newspapers and media agencies.

    There is another provision of Rs 491.78 crore, which includes expenditure (a) Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity – for planning and executing publicity campaigns through advertising and other printed materials, as well as through Radio and Televisions, exhibitions and other outdoor publicity media; (b) Press Information Bureau – which serves as a link between the Government and the Press and attends to the publicity and public relations requirements of various Ministries/Departments, including grants to Press Council of India, a statutory organisations seeking to preserve press; (c) Field Publicity – covering expenditure of Directorate of Field Publicity and its district level field units engaged in inter-personal developmental communications through films shows, live media programmes, photo displays and seminars; (d) Song and Drama Division – for creating awareness amongst the masses, particularly in rural areas, about various activities of national developments of units spread all over the country; (e) Publications – for publishing priced books, journals and other printed material in English, Hindi and regional languages on a wide variety of subjects and ‘Employment News/Rozgar Samachar;’ (f) Information Wing Plan Schemes – for training, international media programme, Policy related studies etc.; and (g) Photo Division.

    For the seventh year in a row, the government has not announced any investment in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

    There is a marginal increase in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 80 crore against Rs 75 crore last year.

  • Ex-Infosys exec Shashi Shekhar joins as part-time member of Prasar Bharati

    Ex-Infosys exec Shashi Shekhar joins as part-time member of Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: Shashi Shekhar Vempathi, former Principal Architect of Infosys Technologies and now heading an online media company Niti Digital, was today formally welcomed into the Board of the pubcaster Prasar Bharati as a part-time member.

    Actress Kajol, whose name has also been shortlisted, could not be inducted as she is said to be overseas.

    “We welcome Kajol to Prasar Bharati family. Kajol is appointed as part-time member of Prasar Bharati board,” Prasar Bharati said in a statement earlier.

    ”Shri @shashidigital appointed as part-time members of the Prasar Bharati board. Welcome the Prasar Bharati family!’” the statement added.

    Earlier, around eight names had been prepared and forwarded to the selection committee headed by vice president M Hamid Ansari. The committee also comprises Press Council of India chairman Justice (retd) C K Prasad and I&B secretary Sunil Arora.

    Ministry sources said several of the names were among those forwarded last time when four part-time members were chosen in October last year.

    In that meeting, the three-member committee had chosen former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s media advisor Ashok Tandon and noted Bhajan singer Anup Jalota, businessmen Sunil Alagh and Shashi Shekhar Vempati as members of the board of the public broadcaster.

    Under the Prasar Bharati Act, the pubcaster should have six-part time members on its Board, which is headed by its chairman.

  • Ex-Infosys exec Shashi Shekhar joins as part-time member of Prasar Bharati

    Ex-Infosys exec Shashi Shekhar joins as part-time member of Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: Shashi Shekhar Vempathi, former Principal Architect of Infosys Technologies and now heading an online media company Niti Digital, was today formally welcomed into the Board of the pubcaster Prasar Bharati as a part-time member.

    Actress Kajol, whose name has also been shortlisted, could not be inducted as she is said to be overseas.

    “We welcome Kajol to Prasar Bharati family. Kajol is appointed as part-time member of Prasar Bharati board,” Prasar Bharati said in a statement earlier.

    ”Shri @shashidigital appointed as part-time members of the Prasar Bharati board. Welcome the Prasar Bharati family!’” the statement added.

    Earlier, around eight names had been prepared and forwarded to the selection committee headed by vice president M Hamid Ansari. The committee also comprises Press Council of India chairman Justice (retd) C K Prasad and I&B secretary Sunil Arora.

    Ministry sources said several of the names were among those forwarded last time when four part-time members were chosen in October last year.

    In that meeting, the three-member committee had chosen former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s media advisor Ashok Tandon and noted Bhajan singer Anup Jalota, businessmen Sunil Alagh and Shashi Shekhar Vempati as members of the board of the public broadcaster.

    Under the Prasar Bharati Act, the pubcaster should have six-part time members on its Board, which is headed by its chairman.

  • DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    NEW DELHI: Even as the migration to MPEG 4 will commence from April, Prasar Bharati is making attempts to increase the capacity of television channels that can be carried by its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish under the existing MPEG 2.

    While declining to give the number of channels that it will gain in MPEG 2, a Prasar Bharati source confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the switch-over to MPEG4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    The source confirmed that the channels that bid successfully in the auction being held next week will be accommodated within MPEG 2.

    Meanwhile, the source denied any glitches in the transfer of DD Free Dish channels from INSAT 4B to GSAT 15 and said clear guidelines had been given to all channels on the steps they had to take in the regard and the Engineering section of Doordarshan was stepping in wherever needed. The source also said that it had been responding to calls from various channels in this connection.

    Asked why the ratings of some popular channels were falling on DD Free Dish, the source added that this was a question best answered by the channels.

    The official was reacting to a comment that even after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India had commenced including rural area ratings in its weekly reports, there had been no perceptible increase in the figures of DD viewership despite claims by the pubcaster that it has the largest viewership in the country.

    The source said the popularity of DD Free Dish could be gauged from the fact that Aaj Tak and Big Magic, which are pay channels, were being run as FTA on Free Dish.

    A DD source added that the viewership of Big Magic, which had earlier been on Free Dish but had left it early this year had seen a steep fall and the channel had decided to come back on the platform.

    DD Free Dish is adopting the conditional access system (CAS) designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Free Dish will become encrypted but will remain FTA. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Free Dish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Free Dish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorised dealers.
    DD Free Dish currently has 64 channels including its own channels and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. It also carries channels of All India Radio.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to the content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

    Doordarshan has for the first time made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels by fixing a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains the Rs 4.3 crore for its 26th e-auction slated for 15 February.

    This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    Reserved slot for regional language channel includes only Non-Hindi Channels (News or Non-News). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.