ITV

Tag: Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi

  • DD revenues Rs 5860 million till January 2006

    DD revenues Rs 5860 million till January 2006

    NEW DELHI: Indian TV pubcaster Doordarshan has earned revenues of Rs 5857.4 million up to 31 January 2006 as compared to Rs 6652.7 million in 2004-05 and Rs 5302.3 million in 2003-04, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House) recently.

    Dasmunshi further said litigation with TV producers, who owe DD money (some of them have been blacklisted too), has not affected the quality of programmes telecast by them. Doordarshan considers their proposals again after their repayment plan of outstanding dues is approved.

    Dasmunshi also pointed out that Prasar Bharati, managing DD and All India Radio, cannot be compared with other private channels. It is a public service broadcaster not motivated solely by commercial considerations, he stressed.

    Still, the figures do seem on the lower side considering the fact that three high profile cricket series (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa) were aired exclusively on DD last year. When I&B ministry officials’ attention was drawn to this fact, they admitted that the Rs 5860 million only partly includes cricket revenue. The officials clarified that some part of the cricket billing do not surface in the figure given up to 31 January. All those will figure later when the financial year ends on 31 March.

    8,465 DTH boxes installed free

    Meanwhile, Doordarshan has so far installed 8,465 DTH units free of cost for demonstration purposes in villages in the states of Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, North-East region, Rajasthan
    and Uttaranchal.

    The government has permitted Doordarshan to raise the number of TV channels in its subscription-free DTH bouquet from 33 to 50, Dasmunshi said.

    Prasar Bharati has started examining the technical and commercial feasibility to further expand the capacity of its DTH platform to cover 100 channels.

  • India examining new techs like mobile b’cast:I&B minister

    India examining new techs like mobile b’cast:I&B minister

    NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi today said that India is examining opportunities being thrown up by newer technologies like mobile broadcasting.

    Inaugurating the 12th International Conference & Exhibition on terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, organized by BES, the minister said, We are closely examining the opportunities offered by technology such as mobile
    broadcasting.

    According to Dasmunshi, broadcasting is revolutionizing the world as it heads towards being a global village. Information is power, and India stands today in the forefront of the world economic forum, he added.

    I&B secretary SK Arora, who presided over the inaugural function, was of the opinion that since the opening up of the broadcast sector to private participation 15 years ago, India has come a long way and the change is phenomenal.

    He added, We are in the midst of an era of convergence today, where the thin line between telecommunications and broadcasting is gradually fading.

    A total of 65 companies, representing 300 broadcast equipment manufacturers and solution providers from 25 countries across the globe, are participating in Broadcast Engineering Society Expo 2006.

    Over the last 12 years, BES Expo has been providing a platform to showcase the latest broadcast equipment and emerging technologies in India.

    Highlighting the importance of the theme of the conference `Broadcast Trends: Reaching the Unreached, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said that content should reach the masses in an unbiased manner.

    Making a strong case for availability of content to all the people, which has its antecedents pubcaster Doordarshan constantly fighting for telecast rights to popular and money-spinning games like cricket, Sarma said, There is an urgent need for a regulator to regulate the content.

    Referring to the ever increasing preference for DTH services in the country by the masses, Sarma said the total number of subscribers of Doordarshans (subscription-free) DTH service has reached five million.

    Delivering the welcome address, BES president NS Ganesan informed that this years expo will have a live demo of emerging technologies like TV on mobile based on digital multimedia broadcasting and digital video
    broadcasting-handheld.

    Chairman of Korean Broadcasting Commission Sung Dai Noh was the other guest of honour today, while the keynote address was delivered by James Andrew Butler Sr., director of Public Broadcasting Service of the US.

    More than 40,000 visitors and delegates from various broadcast houses, educational institutions, and satellite channel operators are expected to attend this years event.

  • Cable TV digitisation: Government looks at Trai suggestions

    Cable TV digitisation: Government looks at Trai suggestions

    MUMBAI: The Union government is examining the recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on digitalisation of cable television, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

    This year in September, Trai had given its recommendations on digitalisation of cable television for framing a national plan from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2010, I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi informed the lower house of parliament in a written reply.

    In its recommendations, Trai had suggested introducing digital service in all cities with a population of more than one million by 2010, rationalisation of import and domestic duties by 2006 and use of entertainment tax for a consumer education programme during 2006-2010, informed Munshi. Trai is examining the recommendations presently, he said.

    To another query, he informed the house that pubcaster Prasar Bharti has set up two high power transmitters at Barmer and Jaisalmer for terrestrial coverage. He also said the government was making provisions for expanding terrestrial coverage in border areas.
     

  • Government open to more TRP measurement agencies: Dasmunshi

    Government open to more TRP measurement agencies: Dasmunshi

    NEW DELHI: After having played the third umpire in the cricket telecast issue vis-?-vis Indian pubcaster, the government is now stirring up the ratings issue by saying today it’s open to the idea of allowing other players also to get into the act of measuring viewership and viewing patterns in Indian TV homes.

    Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi told Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) today that when TRP started in 2000 only TAM, which has an arrangement with an American company, came forward with some credibility.

    But his ministry was now open to the idea of ensuring more coverage and allowing more sample surveys to make TRPs a complete exercise, Press Trust of India quoted the minister as having said in Parliament.

    Allaying fears of members that TAM had commercial interest as also the private TV companies, which at times “manipulate” data to get large chunk of an estimated Rs 50 billion advertisement revenue, Dasmunshi said DD’s terrestrial network had the highest rating and its commercial revenue was continuously going up.

    “We are not suffering in advertisement. We are also incurring profit,” he said, but admitted that in terms of satellite and cable TV networking DD News was lagging behind some of the private channels.

    In this context, the minister announced that a major upgradation and technology improvement programme was underway to ensure that the quality of DD reception at homes was as good as its competitors.

  • Dasmunshi replaces Jaipal Reddy as I&B minister

    Dasmunshi replaces Jaipal Reddy as I&B minister

    MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The long awaited cabinet reshuffle has thrown up a surprise as far as the information and broadcasting portfolio is concerned. The man whos got affected the maximum is information and broadcasting minister S. Jaipal Reddy.

    While Reddy was today moved out of information and broadcasting ministry and given the charge of urban development, he has been replaced by Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi.

    New I&B minister Dasmunshi also retains the parliamentary affairs portfolio which he got as additional charge after the exit of Ghulam Nabi Azad a fortnight ago. Water Resources, till now held by Dasmunshi,however moves to heavy industry and public enterprises minister Santosh Mohan Deb as an additional charge.

    Dasmunshi, a career politician, also heads Indian football’s official body All India Football Federation (AIFF), which recently signed a telecast deal for domestic football with Zee Sports for an undisclosed amount.

    Reddy, meanwhile, has been given charge of urban development while retaining the portfolio of culture minister.

    Dasmunshi, a Congress Party loyalist, unlike Reddy (who has moved around a bit amongst political parties), contested from Raiganj West Bengal and won the parliamentary seat.

    Though Reddy was dignified when the news broke, he did admit to a journalist in the evening that there was a soft campaign in the Congress Party against him.

    Speaking to a TV channel, a seemingly upset Reddy responded by defending his record in the I&B ministry. “There has never been a flurry of activity in policy making (in the I&B ministry) in the last 58 years as there was in the last one year,” he was quoted by ndtv.com as saying

    In the meanwhile, the Prime Minister retained the foreign ministry portfolio that had become headless after minister Natwar Singh was shunted out in the aftermath of the UN-sponsored Volcker report.
     

  • Prasad escapes Parliament grilling on Star News

    NEW DELHI: India’s defence ministry came to the defence of another government outfit, the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry – in a manner of speaking.
    As the Parliament’s Lower House (Lok Sabha) was adjourned for an hour in the forenoon over a controversial parliamentary committee report on defence issues, washing away the question hour for the day, I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad must have heaved a sigh of relief.
    The Opposition had planned to target the government during the Question Hour on another contentious issue of Rupert Murdoch’s Star allegedly flouting various regulations related to the media.
    Pandemonium prevailed in the Lok Sabha as the Opposition and the treasury bench members raised slogans and counter-slogans over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) issue, leading to the adjournment of the House till 12 noon.
    Had the Question Hour gone on schedule, Prasad would have had to face a barrage of questions from Opposition parliamentarians on the contentious Star and the conditional access (CAS) issues. Since the first question listed for the day on Star News was a starred one, Prasad would have had to give a verbal reply that could have made the whole thing tricky.
    Though Prasad had very ably defended the government’s stand on Star News, it’s alleged flouting of guidelines and implementation of CAS earlier in Rajya Sabha on 6 August, a direct assault on the government on Star in Lok Sabha could have evoked fireworks. More so, as a section of the media today reported — officially denied by parties concerned — that Star is tying up with Congress Party’s KK Birla-owned Hindustan Times Ltd. for Star News and also forays into the print medium.
    Meanwhile, as soon as the House assembled at 11 am, speaker Manohar Joshi allowed Congress chief whip Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi to speak on a notice seeking suspension of question hour as the dignity of the Lok Sabha had been lowered by a statement made in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) yesterday commenting upon the functioning of the PAC.
    “Only the Lok Sabha or its speaker had any right to comment upon the functioning of the PAC, whose chairman was appointed by the speaker,” Dasmunshi said. Further, the PAC had initially had members only from the Lower House and later on members from the Rajya Sabha were included only as associate members.
    As such, the PAC has remained and continued to be ”within the domain” of the Lok Sabha, he argued and demanded suspension of question hour to discuss the issue. The speaker was of the opinion that Dasmunshi had raised a pertinent point, but would not suspend question hour to discuss the issue, which could be raised during zero hour or some other occasion.
    Prasad may have got away lightly today, but the Opposition can still raise the issues related to his ministry.

  • Prasar Bharati extends soccer telecast deal with AIFF for another year for Rs 75 million

    Prasar Bharati extends soccer telecast deal with AIFF for another year for Rs 75 million

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has extended by a year an agreement to telecast all football matches held under the aegis of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for Rs 75 million.

    However, at the same time it has told AAFI and other sports bodies (except Board of Cricket Control in India) that in future all arrangements with Prasar Bharati for telecast of matches will done on a revenue sharing basis.

    Sometime last month, AAFI’s supremo politician Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had opened up talks with Star India for an agreement of telecast of matches on either Star Sports or ESPN.

    “We have extended by an year the agreement with AAFI for about Rs 7.5 crore (Rs 75 million), but in future we will only do deals where DD will provide the platform and the revenue will have to be shared (between DD and the various sports bodies),” Prasar Bharati chief executive KS Sarma told indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a monthly award ceremony (for best programme and graphic work) held in Delhi today. The awards have been introduced by DD recently to encourage in-house work.

    According to Sarma, the revenue sharing model will be implemented where all other sports bodies of India are concerned and these include some 16 of them like federations for basketball, table tennis, hockey and volleyball.

    The rationale behind doing this: DD is providing the sports bodies with a platform which has a huge reach and, hence, instead of DD paying for the telecast of the matches, the sports bodies should also share the revenue that accrues from telecast of such matches, Sarma explained.

    Dasmunshi, the AAFI strongman and a politician with enough clout, had opened up talks with Star for telecast of football matches on either ESPN or Star Sports and, according to industry sources, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled company was open to coughing up more money than Prasar Bharati.

    “We are aware that AAFI was talking to ESPN and Star Sports, but ultimately decided to stick with us,” Sarma admitted.

    Sarma also pointed out that “a notice of sorts has been issued” to news agencies like Press trust of India (PTI) and the United News of India (UNI) that Prasar Bharati will not pay for their services beyond a three-year contract that has been signed.

    Prasar Bharati has paid about Rs 116 million to both the news agencies to access their news feeds.

    Explaining the rationale behind this move, Sarma said, “Beyond 2006 we would like to use the feedbacks and news that DD (and All India Radio) correspopndents give.”

    Sarma also said that even at present about 70 per cent of the DD news constitutes of news feeds from its correspondents and this should be encouraged.