IS DD IN DANGER 
Stiff Challenge Ahead
Report by CNB                    Photos - K.M. VEERESH                      Date - 06th March  2003

When the reach and style of operation of private channels is taken in to consideration the Doordarshan may extinguish after a few years with poor advertisement revenue? DD is slowly receding because of poor programs churned out and poor returns earned by the serial producers.
 
When we take a look at the private channels like ETV and Udaya the commissioned programs are fixed above Rs.40000 per half an hour episode for the producers of television serials. From this half an hour depending upon the popularity the channel owners run advertisements at their whim and fancies and earn lakhs of rupees.
 
In the case of Doordarshan Bangalore the scene is different. Even for the television serials the bidding system has cropped up. At a time the 10 seconds in DD was sold at 8 to 10000 of rupees and now with the onslaught from private channels the 10 seconds are sold at a maximum of Rs.2500. What happen in this case is the poor return from 150 seconds of Free Commercial Time and more spending on program and telecast fee.
 
Take a look at the statistics – For the telecast of Doordarshan television serial of half an hour duration the minimum telecast fee to be remitted by mega television serial producers is Rs.10500. The 150 seconds of FCT gives them maximum of Rs.30000. The producer has to keep at least Rs.3000 per episode and from the remaining 16 to 17000 what quality of program he can churn out. If this is the case of mega television producers the general ones fate is entirely different after the bidding system introduced. The bidding for television serials in DD for afternoon slot has been fixed at Rs.20000. In the case of ‘Chandralekha’ the expenditure is more than earning and that’s how such a serial gets a gate pass.
 
With poor money there could be only poor quality of programs. All of them are found only Doordarshan. This is the reason for the thought that DD may slowly extinguish.
 
Privatization and Globalization zindabad. 

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