The news does not seem too good. Today‘s speculative leak that DD News is to be shut will come as a shocker to many. Especially to the high-profile producers who were commissioned to produce shows for DD News, ranging from Nalini Singh, Rajat Sharma and Anuradha Prasad‘s BAG Films (along with husband Rajiv Shukla) to Harish Thawani‘s Nimbus Communications which provides six hours of business news to the channel daily.
Especially considering that the channel came up as a step child on 15 August 1999, and drifted around for a year. An agreement was signed with Modi Entertainment wherein it offered a minimum bank guarantee of Rs 48.1 million for every quarter until September 2005 for distributing boxes and collecting subscriptions from cable ops for DD News and DD Sports, which were both digitally encrypted. The deal was signed to increase the two channels‘ visibility in Indian homes.

But apparently that has not happened (reportedly, the agreement fell through), neither have advertisers or sponsors come on board. The result reportedly: the Prasar Bharati board has started discussing whether DD News is a candidate for euthanasia as it is bleeding with no signs of the haemorrhaging stopping.

Sources indicate the discussions are very preliminary, and no decisions have been taken. DD News currently gobbles up RS 300 million a year, a large chunk of which is doled out to private producers.

Earlier this year, DD had asked these producers to promote their programmes on DD News to create awareness for the service. Apparently, the circular met with a lukewarm response with the channel failing to generate enough viewer awareness.

Reports are that the Prasar Bharati finds DD News too expensive to maintain and that it will gradually be phased out over the next six months. Replacing it will be a new channel offering a mix of kids, arts and literature related show.

The board has also reportedly proposed that DD National will have 30 per cent of its programming devoted to news as a compensation for DD News blanking out.

The announcement of a reported closure comes at a time when news and current affairs channels have taken centre stage following the terrorist attacks in New York. Viewers have been increasingly surfing into news channels to get an update on the latest developments, be it on CNN, BBC or Star News or DD News.

Some 63 of Star Plus‘ shows figure in The Top 100 TAM ratings chart for the week ended 8 September 2001 for samples taken from the the two main metros Mumbai and Delhi. Twenty-seven shows of Sony Entertainment, nine Zee shows and one show (Haqeeqat) from the Sahara stable make up the rest of the chart for Hindi entertainment channels.

For Star Plus, the Balaji soaps Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki following close behind make up the top eight.

For Sony Entertainment, Kkusum has now firmly established itself as the top show though weekly action thriller serial CID came in higher at 17 on the ratings chart. However, if the Mumbai territory and Delhi territory are examined individually, Kkusum was the top notcher.

Zee TV‘s old war horses Close Up Antakshari, Mehndi Tere Naam Ki, Koshish Ek Aasha and Amanat continue to lead the Zee challenge. Of Zee‘s new shows, only Kohi Apna Sa (60) and Justujoo (95) figure in the combined list. However, in the Delhi sample, Chotti Maa (58) - the Hindi remake of the Tamil superhit serial Chiththi - comes in ahead of Kohi Apna Sa (59). Other new shows on the Delhi list are Shree 420 (75) and Baazi Kiski (83). If Delhi were to be taken as generally representative of the north then the number of Zee shows in the Top 100 (20) in the Delhi list appears to indicate that Zee has a much higher viewership in the north.

Another point to note is that the show Zee broadcasting CEO Sandeep Goyal had hoped would be the channel‘s driver - Aap Jo Bolein Haan to Haan, Aap JO Bolein Naa to Naa - is yet to open its account on the ratings chart.

Meanwhile, as a result of the fallout of the leak of the people meters lists in Mumbai and Chennai two weeks ago, both TAM Media, which releases the TAM ratings lists, and ORG Marg (INTAM lists) are in the process of completely revamping their panels.

While INTAM‘s Gautam Mitra calculates that the process will take five weeks or so TAM Media president LV Krishnan refused to set a time frame for the clean-up process other than to say it was being carried out in all urgency.

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Top 100 programmes across all C & S homes in Delhi

Top 100 programmes across all C & S homes in Mumbai

Top 100 programmes across all C & S homes in Mumbai & Delhi