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Tag: Venkatesh Sherval

  • South Indian producers end stir against DD; but firm on demands

    MUMBAI: Independent producers associated to Doordarshan (DD) kendras in Bangalore, Tiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Chennai have finally ended their stir – but only after the pubcaster assured to look into their charter of demands, “at the earliest”.
    The producers began airing their shows on DD from 1 October.
    South Indian DD Producers’ Association spokesperson Shivanandan told indiantelevision.com, “Presently, we have resumed our shows on DD. But that doesn’t mean, we have given up on our demands. We are still pursuing the issue with top Prasar Bharati members.”
    The producers’ association has a string of meetings lined up with Prasar Bharati officials throughout this week. They are scheduled to meet the pubcaster’s chairman MV Kamath tomorrow, and its financial controller Sunderasan on 11 October, Shivanandan confirmed.
    The stir was called on 12 September by Banglore producers, who have bought airtime and are involved in marketing programmes on DD Bangalore. Later in the month, their counterparts in Thiruvanthapuram, Hyderabad and Chennai had joined the strike.
    “Prasar Bharati has asked for ’60-days time’ to respond to our issues, but we have insisted that they resolve it within 15 days,” Shivanandan said. Determined to leave no stone unturned, the association also met with Prasar Bharati marketing director Vijaya Chabbria and deputy directorate general N G Shrinivasan last week, Shivanandan revealed.
    DD Bangalore director Venkatesh Sherval confirmed that the producers’ strike had been called off. However, when asked if the producers’ demands would be settled amicably he said, “We have our own procedures. Presently, we have forwarded the charter of demands to our directorate. We will have to wait and see what happens next.” Sherval expects the issue to be sorted in “a month or two”.

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    South Indian producers intensify stir against DD

  • South Indian producers intensify stir against DD

    South Indian producers intensify stir against DD

    MUMBAI: Independent producers affiliated to Doordarshan (DD) kendras in Thiruvanthapuram, Hyderabad and Chennai are scheduled to join the stir started by the Bangalore producers – who have bought airtime and are involved in marketing programmes on Doordarshan (DD) Bangalore – ten days ago.

    While the Banglore producers stopped providing content to DD since 12 September, their counterparts in Thiruvanthapuram, Hyderabad and Chennai plan to join the strike from Thursday, Friday and next Monday respectively.

    The stir is being spearheaded by the South Indian DD Producers Association. According to the association’s spokesperson Shivanandan, a delegation had met the Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma last fortnight and given a charter of demands.

    Their demands were as follows:
    * Prasar Bharati should take a decision to sort out the issue of service tax. At present, Prasar Bharati is insisting that the producers should pay the same as most of the major clients have declined to pay the tax.

    * Prasar Bharati’s marketing division should stop selling slots on programmes that have already been allocated to the private independent producers. There have been cases wherein the Prasar Bharati marketing team has directly given special rates to major clients like Life Insurance Corporation of India for programmes that have been marketed by private producers.

    * Prasar Bharati and DD officials must smoothen the process of extensions for dailies and weeklies. The present system of three-month or six-month extensions, should be replaced by one-year extensions.

    * DD should allow all independent producers to ‘bank the seconds’ of programmes that aren’t doing too well on those programmes that are doing well.

    * Lastly, there should be clarity on DD-Metro turning into DD News.

    According to Shivanandan, Sarma has not concede to any of the five demands. Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Shivanandan said, “We have made up our mind to continue the stir indefinitely – till our demands are fulfilled. We are also trying to meet the central union minister of urban development Anant Kumar on Wednesday and the Karnataka CM SM Krishna on Thursday to discuss our demands.”

    Shivanandan was resolute that unless the government complies, they won’t air their shows on DD and not allow any other producer to do so.

    However, DD Bangalore director Venkatesh Sherval, said, “The present status is that the producers have discontinued their programmes. But we have not yet taken a decision regarding their demands.”

    In Mumbai, Universal Communications’ MD Padmakar Nandekar confirmed that he was part of the delegation that met Sarma and other officials earlier this month.

    “We feel that the issue should be sorted out amicably as it would be in the best interests of the national broadcaster and the independent producers who always supported DD,” Nandekar added, while claiming that he is heading to Tiruvanandapuram to address a meeting of the South Indian producers.