NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has recovered a sum of Rs 3.63 billion during financial year 2012-13 from producers and agencies that had been pending as arrears for several years.

Information and Broadcasting ministry sources told Indiantelevision.com that a total of Rs 18.241 billion was recoverable from producers/agencies during 2011-12 of which Rs 10.8 billion was recovered as commercial revenue.

The outstanding amount thus was Rs 7.45 billion as on 31 March last year, which included Rs 5.74 billion pending with 86 defaulting producers/agencies against whom the pubcaster had initiated arbitration/legal proceedings. The balance sum was therefore Rs 1.69 billion.
 
In addition, a sum of Rs 514 million had been received from defaulting producers and agencies as interim award during the legal/arbitration proceedings.Doordarshan did business of Rs 14.94 billion with producers and agencies during 2011-12, while Rs 3.3 billion was due for the year 2010-11.

Doordarshan has also clarified that full revenue of total business (accrued) during a financial year cannot be realized within that year because DD provides credit facility to accredited agencies for sixty to 75 days according to industry norms and Prasar Bharati policy.
 
Doordarshan charges simple interest at 14.5 per cent per annum on the component that remains outstanding after the expiry of credit period.Thus, the ministry sources said there can never be a nil balance against any agency or producer doing rolling business with Doordarshan.

There will be a possibility of rolling outstanding amount of more than Rs two billion depending upon the business accrued in that particular period.

Meanwhile, ministry sources said that Doordarshan has given up as old or dead dues amounting to Rs 496.7 million from 174 agencies or production houses as on 31 March, 2011.

NEW DELHI: A separate 24-hour news channel on All India Radio is under final stages of consideration by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Confirming this, I & B Secretary Uday Kumar Varma also said that the Ministry was considering a proposal from Prasar Bharati to bifurcate the DD News channels into separate Hindi and English news channels.

At a meeting with heads of various Punjab-based media units in Amritsar yesterday, Varma had said: "The Centre is exploring various aspects and technicalities involved in launching a 24-hour news channel on AIR."

Varma reviewed the existing status of AIR and Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) transmission in border areas and discussed the progress of digitalisation of AIR and DDK.

He directed the DD authorities to explore the possibility of introducing a toll free number on which viewers cutting across national borders could directly voice their opinion.

Reacting to media reports on monopoly by certain private cable TV operators, Varma said the matter have already been referred to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Earlier this year, DD News Director General S M Khan told indiantelevision.com that he was confident of achieving this target of July. For separate English and Hindi news channels.

He had said that the pubcaster had conducted a survey which showed that viewers favoured separate channels for the two languages.

He was also confident that even after bifurcation both DD Samachar and DD News will continue to get adequate advertisement support.

Khan said that the two channels would pool news and work in unison with each other. Some new programmes were being devised as both channels would now get more available time.

DD News saw a change in news presentation with new presenters and a lighter format from the beginning of this year.

NEW DELHI: Even as Prasar Bharati is claimed to be an autonomous body, Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari today made it clear that the government cannot be expected to maintain "an arm?s length" when it foots the bills for the pubcaster.

The minister was responding to criticism by Prasar Bharati Board chairperson Mrinal Pande who spoke of ?intricate circles of bureaucratic power? surrounding the institution.

Both were speaking at the inaugural session of a meeting of a recently-constituted Expert Committee to review PB?s functioning headed by the Prime Minister?s advisor on Public Information Infrastructure Sam Pitroda.

Tewari said the key issue was whether India needed a public broadcaster, and its relationship with the government.

"Two-thirds of the I and B ministry?s budget ? Rs 18.85 billion out of Rs 28 billion ? goes to Prasar Bharati. I am the recruiting authority, the disciplinary authority, the sanctioning authority. Yet, I am supposed to have arm?s length. I am not God," he It needs to be noted here that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had in December stated that the government should further strengthen the arm?s length relationship between the public broadcaster Prasar Bharti and the central government.

While submitting its recommendations on "Issues related to entry of government or government entities into the business of broadcasting and/or distribution of TV channels" Trai had said that measures should ensure functional independence and autonomy of Prasar Bharti.

The option was to follow the ?Comptroller and Auditor General-Finance Ministry? model if the vote was in favour of having a public service broadcaster, the minister said. "If you want to take it out of the government?s ambit, PB can be directly accountable to Parliament. This will then allow me to have another full spectrum communication agency which puts the government?s viewpoint in the public space. Communication is a part of the development remit."

Tewari emphasised that for any change to be ?sustainable?, reforms had to be ?incremental and gradual? so that it could deal with the resistance within the system. But Mr Pitroda said he believed in ?disruptive approach and generational change?. "If it is not disruptive, it is not worth doing."

Earlier, Pande had rejected the proposition of remaking AIR and DD as government departments as ?rubbish?.

She asked the Expert Committee to focus on programming issues, where the problem was a ?dual control system?, with the government retaining ?final regulatory powers? on a range of issues. "Committed professionals and innovative artistes are replaced by grim men and women behind desks who tell us not how change can happen, but why it must not."

She also highlighted the ?systemic mis-alignments? in the ?hastily crafted? PB Act 2000, where the government picks the top three members of the PB executive, even though the Board is supposed to be supervising and managing the corporation?s affairs. Much to its ?embarrassment?, the Board learnt of certain PB-related issues from the next day?s newspapers, she added. She spoke of met hardware needs that were not being met.

NEW DELHI: Doordarshan is to telecast an hour-long film documentary on 21 and 22 March to mark the centenary year of Bihar.

?Bihar Shatak?, produced by Doordarshan late last year which marked the centenary year of the state, will be telecast on DD National at 9 am on both days to mark Bihar Divas.

The film showcases the journey of Bihar from ancient to contemporary times. It documents how Bihar has a legacy of 3000 years and was once a synonym of India when religion, politics, social change, economy, culture, education and knowledge were prospering in ancient Bihar. The film presents a bird?s eye view of all that makes Bihar unique.

It proceeds to show how political exigencies over the years eclipsed it into backwardness. Mostly in the news for wrong reasons in the past few decades, it was pushed into oblivion but could not be obliterated. The film shows how resurgence has begun, despite all odds and how people are shedding their age old complacency, redefining the people?s identity of Bihar. The film documents the struggle of a frontrunner becoming a non- performer, trying to become a forerunner once again.

It takes the viewers on a stupendous journey of change and development sweeping Bihar. Bihar has recorded an impressive growth of 11.95 per cent - the highest amongst all States during the 11th Plan. Regaining its lost status considerably today, the film highlights how its growth story is poised to bring back Bihar on the centre stage.
 
The film has been shot extensively from Bodhgaya to Buxar and from Nirmali to Nalanda. Cross sections of people have also been interviewed to reveal the diverse ethos of Bihar, which is propelling it towards its place in the Sun once again.

The film gives hope to the common man of Bihar who are marginalised. To the upscale Bihar lovers, the film provides a visual treat into this culturally rich state.