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Tag: Supriya Sahu

  • FreeDish creates record, sells 11 slots for Rs 851 million

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan’s FreeDish earned a record Rs 851 million in the 36th e-auction, auctioning eleven slots including three news channels.

    For the first time, the reserve price for general entertainment channels was Rs 80 million but the reserve price for news and current affairs channels was reduced to Rs 65 million.

    Doordarshan netted Rs 67 million as the highest for one of the news channels through the auction of the news channels, DD Director-General Supriya Sahu informed indiantelevision.com.

    Among the eight general entertainment channels, the highest bid received was for Rs 84 million.

    The channels that have successfully bid for a slot on FreeDish this time round include News18 India, Zee Hindustan, Zee News, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Rishtey, B4U Music, Housefull Movies and Bhojpuri Cinema.

    With the completion of MPEG4 trials, the total strength of the platform will go up to 104, expectedly the end of July. Earlier this year, Parliament was informed FreeDish had got approval to increase this capacity to 250 channels and DD sources had told indiantelevision.co that will happen in the third quarter of 2018.

    In line with the ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’, DD has implemented Indian CAS (iCAS) on DD FreeDish Platform. iCAS (which is an initiative of the central government) was introduced in the auction held last month. The introduction of iCAS will provide enhanced viewing experience.

    DD officials said the existing viewers will continue to get 80 SDTV channels and 32 radio channels, but will have to obtain iCAS-enabled authorized set-top boxes for accessing all new channels.

    Although Free Dish will remain free-to-air with no monthly or periodic fee, the viewers will be required to register with DD FreeDish on getting the new STB from Doordarshan authorized STB dealers.

    DD officials said implementation of iCAS and authorisation of STB original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by Doordarshan will give a major thrust to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’. At present, a majority of STBs are imported. However, the introduction of iCAS will help in standardization of STBs and encourage quality STB manufacturing in India.

    Also read

    FreeDish: English news channel among two come aboard (Updated)

    FreeDish auction on 4 July, different reserve prices for GEC and news

     

     

  • Doordarshan in talks with Disney for kiddy content in evening slots

    MUMBAI: Doordarshan, which is gearing up to launch a kiddy channel as part of its bouquet, is said to be in talks with Disney for content aimed at youngsters in evening time-slots, according to a senior executive of the pubcaster.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Doordarshan DG Supriya Sahu, while asserting the organisation is planning a kids’ channel, confirmed that there’s a plan afoot to open a time-slot for such programming. “Some work is already on with Disney for the kids content,” she said, but hastily added, “It is (still) early to talk about it right now and an announcement would be made once things are finalized on this front.”

    This time-slot on a DD channel is being created, probably, to test waters and see the appetite for kids content before the launch of a full-fledged kids channel as part of its over 30-channel bouquet. Disney India could not be contacted for comments.

    According to earlier media reports, which quoted Sahu, India’s national broadcaster had drawn up a blueprint for FTA kids channel early 2017 made up of largely original and country-focused programming. She had said that the kids channel was part of pubcaster’s plans to launch FTA sports and kids channel for mainly viewers of DD FreeDish, a satellite-based service comprising DD and private FTA TV channels.

    However, some independent observers opined that DD wading into the kids’ content area is also part of the government’s plans to showcase programming that would reflect the Indian culture in a better fashion compared to mostly foreign content consumed by Indian children presently.

    At present, kids’ content available in India is from the stable of foreign players such as Nickelodeon, Turner, Disney, Discovery and lately Sony Pictures Network apart from some TV channels from India media companies such as Sun TV.

    ALSO READ:

    Doordarshan D-G Supriya Sahu says studying tie-ups & models as kids channel launch nearing

    DD’s kids channel could partner private players, launch this year

  • Doordarshan in talks with US co as it plans varsity leagues via PPP

    MUMBAI: Doordarshan, inspired by the spectacular success of private broadcasters, is preparing to enter into the sports business with three different sports leagues in basketball, kabaddi and football. 

    Sports sponsorship in India grew 19.33 per cent in 2016 to touch Rs 6,400 crore, according to a report titled Sporting Nation in the Making IV, jointly published by GroupM ESP, and SportzPower, a sports business news company.

    The pubcaster is already in parleys with a US-based company, Doordarshan D-G Supriya Sahu said. The league, to be unveiled in couple of months, will be played amongst students from the university/college levels across the nation. Non-cricket leagues saw franchise revenue growing 4.97 per cent from Rs 201.2 crore in 2015 to Rs 211.2 crore in 2016.

    The main idea is to bolster a public-private partnership (PPP) to lay a platform for the multi-billion dollar university level sports – beginning with the three sports and later expanded to other sports. The matches will be aired on all Doordarshan channels including DD Sports and will be promoted across the mediums such as radio and outdoor publicity. 

    DD Sports, she said, was in the process of reforming the content, and rebranding it to make it relevant for its target audience. Sports leagues are major content differentiators in the genre. 

    In 2012, NDTV had ideated similar sports league with a university-level cricket league in partnership with Association of Indian Universities and the ministry of human resource development and BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India). The league was aimed at encouraging cricket at the university level but didn’t last beyond the first season.

    Apart from Indian Premier League, there are at present five major sports leagues played across India — Indian Super League, Hockey India League, Pro Kabaddi League, Premier Badminton League and International Premier Tennis League. 

    Also Read:

    58% watched DD English news as per 4-wk average, pubcasters’ overhaul under way

    Doordarshan D-G Supriya Sahu says studying tie-ups & models as kids channel launch nearing

  • Doordarshan D-G Supriya Sahu says studying tie-ups & models as kids channel launch nearing

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan is actively working on an exclusive channel for entertainment for the young ones, and is currently preparing a detailed note in this connection.

    Doordarshan director-general Supriya Sahu said the pubcaster had earlier in the year sent a concept note to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which had now asked it to work out details.

    Consequently, Sahu told indiantelevision.com that the pubcaster was presently studying possible partnerships and various models, apart from studying the availability of content. She said that she was confident that this would “materialise soon”.

    Sahu also pointed out that the direct-to-home platform of Doordarshan, FreeDish, had all kinds of programming but nothing for the kids. It was therefore considered important to launch such a channel.

    In fact, she said the issue had also been discussed at FICCI Frames in March this year. It was pointed out that kids’ channels in India were roughly about three per cent of the total number of channels with limited Indian content. Programming for children for television is a responsible job; sensible children’s programming has the objective of making youngsters imbibe a sense of responsibility and morality.

    To strengthen the kids’ content industry and bring about sustainability, stability and growth to the artist community and other stakeholders in the industry, there was consensus that India needs a Free-to-Air Terrestrial Kids Channel. There was general agreement that, since Doordarshan is the only channel to have such a wide reach, it is the only capable broadcast channel to make kids content available on a wide scale nationally.

    Sahu had given the example of a Doordarshan team which travelled extensively to villages to talk to people. Almost every house had a connection of FreeDish except for one. Sahu was told by the elders in the house that this was because there was no channel for kids. “So, it makes not only a good business sense for DD to launch a kids channel but also important from the Indian context,” Sahu had said.

    She had said that at DD, they were working hard to create a dedicated Content Think Tank of experienced personalities to rope in the best content and mentor progression. Earlier in 2015, the wishlist of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry included a plea to the pubcaster to launch DD Kids.

  • Sahu to lead resources & distribution-hit Doordarshan news channels’ repositioning

    MUMBAI: DD India, the Indian pubcaster Doordarshan’s international channel, is prepared to become an English news channel. The bilingual DD News could soon air only Hindi news, PTI reported. However, the Sanskrit programming on DD News would continue.

    The idea and decision of repositioning DD’s key channels were made after Prasar Bharati board’s brainstorming meeting, sources told PTI. The discussion on the two channels was initiated by Prasar chairperson A Surya Prakash.

    After the meeting, the board directed that the channels need to be repositioned soon, and asked Doordarshan director-general Supriya Sahu, and other top officials to work in this regard.

    Owing to paucity of resources, while DD India has struggled to grow up to the level of a leading global channel, DD News has had its own issues. It is a type of hybrid channel, which delivered news in English as well Hindi.

    While many earlier expected that DD India would be ranked with the best of channels, its impact was affected by a combination of factors, including poor distribution and a resource crunch. At the meeting, it was decided that DD India will now be seen in a new form — as an English news and current affairs channel catering to both, domestic and international audience.

    The Prasar board members also came to the conclusion that DD News would be made a Hindi news channel. It was felt that viewership was affected since Hindi and English news bulletins alternate on the channel.

  • DD ad budget crosses Rs 33 million at fag end of 2016-17

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has released an additional Rs 216,000 for advertising and publicity taking the total revised estimate to Rs 33.796 million, just as the financial year 2016-17 coming to a close.

    In an order of 30 March 2017, DD Directorate General approved the release of Rs 38.8 million for 71 units against a total demand of over Rs 57.6 million.

    Intially allocated Rs 47.58 million for the year for advertising and publicity, the field unit had surrendered a sum of Rs 14 million earlier.

    However, the additional sum was given to meet exigency expenses.

    The amount was given against the non-plan and Internal and Extra-budgetary Resources of Prasar Bharati.

    Earlier, stressing that revenue generation is not the main objective of Prasar Bharati, the Parliament was told that the pubcaster is generating its revenue through Internal Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) to meet its operating expenses.

    Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in reply to a question that the government was providing 100 per cent salary support to Prasar Bharati, apart from plan grant for creation of capital assets and content development.

  • DD’s kids channel could partner private players, launch this year

    MUMBAI: Building its channel bouquet. That’s what pubcaster Doordarshan which operates more than 37 channels is doing. Come later this year, and DD will launch a free to air channel (FTA) targeted at toddlers. This was confirmed to indiantelevision.com by its director general Supriya Sahu.

    After GEC, kids is the third most expansive genre in terms of viewership and market potential, hence. Amongst the kids players in the space include: Disney and its clutch of channels, Viacom18, Zee Network, Cartoon Network, Sun TV etc.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision, Sahu says: “There is a gap in our FTA bouquet on FreeDish of kids and we are working with the ministry of information and broadcasting and Prasar Bharati to plug it. As a public service broadcaster we would we doing injustice to children we don’t come out with a kids specific channel. Soon, this year we should be finalizing its launch. The idea is that we should keep in place a very lean and efficient structure so we don’t pump in a lot of money. Perhaps we should share resources with the private sector which is already having the content. Perhaps share the revenue appears to me to be the best way to go about it.”

    What’s making Sahu even more bullish is the way Indian kids are taking to hand held devices like tablets and smart phones. And DD is riding this wave with its DVB-T2 dongles which allow the reception of DD’s TV channels on phones and tablets without any data costs. Says she: “We have already done this in 19 places, digitized our analog transmitter. There is a huge opportunity that kids content will also be available on any smart phone and its is free of data charge and there will be downloading as well. By 2018, we will be making it available in 44 places. So simultaneously when we are working on the kids content, will work on its distribution also.”

    Sahu is clearly not kidding.

  • DD b’cast partner of CMS Vataran filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan today decided to become the broadcast partner for the 9th CMS VATAVARAN Environment & Wildlife International Film Festival and Forum later this year.

    This follows a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for Media Studies for the bi-annual festival to be held from 2 to 6 November 2017 in New Delhi.

    The festival and forum addresses contemporary environment and wildlife issues through the medium of films, forums, workshops, field visits, food festival, nature bazaar, etc.

    The 9th edition will once again delve into the issues of climate change and water, under the theme:‘Conservation4Water’.

    Films entering the film festival will compete for 22 awards in Indian section and 21 awards in International section.

    DD Director General Supriya Sahu said “Doordarshan has contributed significantly towards the acceleration of socio-economic change, promotion of national integration and stimulation of scientific temper in the country. Being a Public Service Broadcaster, we are mandated to carry messages on preservation of environment and ecological balance. With wide number of channels and regional network, Doordarshan has an extensive reach and coverage and to promote conservation awareness, we will support and collaborate with the festival in November 2017 in all possible ways and all the Award winning environment films will be telecast by Doordarshan”.

    CMS DG P N Vasanti said “CMS VATAVARAN uses the medium of films to engage and widen the debate on complex environment and wildlife issues. With this partnership, award winning CMS VATAVARAN films, both national and international, can be shared to wider audiences of Doordarshan. We are glad to be signing this MOU and are looking forward to this partnership with Doordarshan in this conservation mandate”

  • Women to man DD on International Day

    NEW DELHI: In a unique initiative, women officers will be functioning as Operational heads in 33 Doordarshan Kendras in five zones across India to mark International Women’s Day.

    Interestingly, the Director General of Doordarshan presently is a senior woman Indian Administrative Service officer Supriya Sahu.

    All Doordarshan broadcast and engineering activities – transmission and recording – will be exclusively headed by women officers/staff.

    The DD Kendras and offices being covered are:

     
    (North Zone)
    (East Zone)
    (West Zone)
    1.    DDK Delhi
    1.    DDK Bhubaneshwar
    1.    DDK Bhopal
    2.    DD News
    2.    DDK Kolkatta
    2.    DDK Rajkot
    3.    CPC Delhi
    3.    DDK Patna
    3.    DDK Mumbai
    4.    DTH E/S Todapur
    4.    DMC Balasore
    4.    DDK Pune
    5.    DD Jaipur
    5.    DMC Burdhman
    5.    DDK Raipur
    6.    DDK Lucknow
    6.    DMC Rourkela
    6.    DDK Ahmadabad
    7.    HPT Pitampura
    7.    DMC Dhenkanal
     
    8.    DDK Shimla
    8.    DDK Ranchi
     
    9.    DDK Jallandhar
    9.    HPT Cuttack
     
     
    (South Zone)
    (North-East Zone)
     
    1.    DDK Chennai
    1.    DDK Guwahati
     
    2.    DDK Vijaywada
    2.    DDK Gangtok
     
    3.    DDK Hyderabad
    3.    DDK Shillong
     
    4.    DDK Bangalore
    4.    DDK Agartala
     
    5.    DDK Thiruvanathapuram
     
     
  • Pvt b’casters also to gain from new DTT model by Feb; Rs 320 cr budgeted

    Pvt b’casters also to gain from new DTT model by Feb; Rs 320 cr budgeted

    MUMBAI: Pubcaster Doordarshan is making strategic plans to expand its digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) service across India. The public broadcaster, which runs the service in 16 cities at present, will be expanding it to three more cities by March 2017. Plans are afoot to further expand DTT to 44 additional cities in two years. The pubcaster will invest around Rs 320 crore to achieve its targets by 2018.

    Doordarshan has, for this purpose, also tied up with Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIMA) to develop a relevant business model for the platform which it expects will be drafted by February 2017.

    The DTT service is an internet-free distribution service, through which consumers are able to receive television channels on the move or at home through television sets, tablets and smartphones with the use of a unique dongle and a DD application.

    Doordarshan director-general Supriya Sahu said that the business model would be ready by February. As reported by indiantelevision.com earlier, they might, Sahu added, share the capacity by auctioning channel slots to the private broadcasters, which could be a game-changer for the industry.

    As reported by indiantelevision.com earlier, a consultation paper on Digital Terrestrial Transmission by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has been pending finalisation. Meantime, Doordarshan on 23 December held a workshop with stakeholders to explore the potential of DTT services. Experts from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, various stakeholders including Content providers, private broadcasters, receiver manufactures, and officers at Doordarshan participated.

    DD, which presently has the exclusive domain over terrestrial broadcasting, ranks amongst the world’s largest terrestrial television networks. It has a network of 1412 analog transmitters that provide TV services through two national channels namely, DD National and DD News. In addition to this, the network also broadcast several regional TV channels over the terrestrial network in a time sharing mode to meet the local and regional needs of people in different parts of the country. All TV channels provided by DD are free-to-air.

    In its paper, TRAI had asked whether DTT broadcasting should be opened for participation by the private players, and which model or a combination thereof for DTT will be most suitable in Indian context.

    Also read

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/dtt-could-be-thrown-open-for-pvt-sector-companies-160606

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/dds-digital-terrestrial-transmission-meet-tomorrow-as-trai-paper-awaits-finalisation-161222

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/trai-extends-time-for-views-on-opening-up-dtt-to-private-players-160723