NEW DELHI: Shape up, or ship out. This is the message that Prasar Bharati is giving out to private producers of programmes who have made hay for long while the Doordarshan sun shone.
Pointing out that from now on, DD would be insisting on a programme notching a certain amount of TRP if it wants to continue being on the DD platform, Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma told indiantelevision today, ” We are likely to insist on serials and other entertainment programmes getting between 6-8 TRP between the 10th and 13th episode. If that does not happen, such programmes will be phased out.”
The payment for programmes would also be made around the 10th episode once the TRPs start coming. The copyright, unlike in the past as in the case of mega serials like BR Chopra’s Mahabharata and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, would now be DD’s.
If this sounds like a bit far-fetched, then hang on. Prasar Bharati is getting savvy and is in no mood to tolerate any nonsense from private producers, a la private satellite channels who have stringent agreements with outside programme producers.
In a landmark decision taken during the course of a two-day board meet ended yesterday, India’s pubcaster, managing the affairs of Doordarshan and All India Radio, has also decided that those producers who owe money to DD and have gone to the court seeking legal redressal would not be allowed to use the DD platform unless they mend their ways.
The deadline for this is 15 August, according to Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma, who said, “If the defaulters (four of them) don’t come around and submit a repayment plan, DD will not allow them to make programmes even on the basis of advance payment.”
Sarma said all noted producers would be welcome but defaulters will be excluded from it. In fact, the Prasar Bharati heard four major defaulters -Sunil Mehta, Dheeraj Kumar of Creative Eye, Ramanand Sagar and Sanjay Khan’s Numero Uno— and the board finally “rejected” their claims, Sarma added.
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL, once a leading defaulter, has cleared the principle amount, he added. At one time, Bachchan had even agreed to do public service messages for free on DD in lieu against another portion of the outstanding due to the pubcaster.
Prasar Bharati board has also decided to give life insurance cover to its employees in the strife-torn Jammu & Kashmir state. Recently kashmiri miltants had attached the AIR facility there.
Tag: Sanjay Khan’s
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Prasar Bharati outlines strict guidelines for programmes on DD
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Sanjay Khan’s ‘1857 Kranti’ shifts to prime time
MUMBAI: Sanjay Khan’s mega serials -1857 Kranti is soon to be shifted to Sunday prime time on Doordarshan.
The two serials from the Numero Uno International Limited (NUIL) stable, are now being simulcast in Telugu and Malayalam language channels of DD apart from the regular Hindi language telecast on DDI.
Come 6 April, 1857 Kranti on DDI will be telecast at 9:30 pm instead of 11:00 am. The producers are optimistic that the new time slot would give a huge boost to the viewership, catapulting it to the top slot, as was the case of previous successful shows as Jai Hanuman and Tipu Sultan, states an official release.
1857 Kranti , portrays the advent of the British as traders and how they used their deceitful tactics to rule the Indians. It captures the golden era in the Indian freedom struggle when the foundation of communal harmony was laid down by the Indians who proved to the world that the basis of a nation is not religion, but culture, language and love for one’s motherland.
Maharathi Karna, on the other hand, is a portrayal of the Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Karna and throws light on the life of this unsung hero, adding a new perspective to this epic tale.
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Sanjay Khan churns out fresh mytho, historical for DD
Big money riding on shows launching this month