It‘s looking beyond its own living room. The Prasar Bharati, the holding company of DD and AIR, is looking at having non-Doordarshan channels and also the facility to transmit data in its package of digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) which will be experimented as a pilot project in Bangalore later this year.
The five-channel DTT project has been successfully tested in other metros like Delhi and Mumbai with the formal service likely to be launched in the Capital in about a couple of months time.
"In Bangalore, where we will be experimenting the DTT project with a 10-channel package we may look at including non-DD channels too as part of the package," DD director-general S.Y. Quraishi told indiantelevision.com yesterday.

Though Quraishi was quick to point out that the non-DD channels may not necessarily mean the direct competitors of DD (like Star, Zee and Sony), he admitted, "We may have some other channels as part of the Bangalore DTT project."

He also added the Bangalore project will also test whether data can be transmitted over the DTT network as value-added services which have the potential of generating additional revenue for the Prasar Bharati.

At the moment, the Prasar Bharati is negotiating with companies like the Mahendra Nahata-promoted HFCL for manufacturing of set-top boxes which will be necessary to access DD‘s digital transmission.

"Once when the set-top boxes are started to be manufactured in large numbers in the country, then their prices too will fall (to as low as Rs 1,200-1,500) which will enable viewers to go in for digital terrestrialial services," the DG said.

Doordarshan‘s run of bad luck continues where sporting events are concerned. The latest is that India‘s pubcaster has been served out of Wimbledon, the tennis extravaganza which is currently going on in England.
Doordarshan director-general S.Y. Quraishi admitted to indiantelevision.com, "We won‘t be airing, deferred or otherwise, any Wimbledon matches this year as negotiations have failed." However, he refused to comment any further on the Wimbledon issue.
The failure to secure Wimbeldon telecast rights, even on a terrestrial basis, comes close on the heels of DD having to do with a six-hour delayed telecast of the FIFA World Cup soccer matches and tough negotiations for the terrestrial rights of the ICC-organised cricket matches, the satellite rights of which have been bought for six years by Sony Entertainment.

Until last year, DD used to telecast matches live from the semi-finals onward. "We were negotiating with the Wimbledon authorities, but the price which had been quoted was on the higher side of Rs 50 million," another senior official of DD pointed out, hinting that the telecast rights fee proved to be too high for DD.

The DD official also pointed out that another stumbling block in securing the telecast rights of Wimbledon was their understanding that ESPN-Star Sports had secured both the satellite and terrestrial TV rights of Wimbledon for the region which had blocked out DD‘s plea that it was a terrestrial broadcaster.

However, the DD official could not say whether they would like to negotiate with ESPN-Star Sports for semi-final matches onwards. "We have not thought on these lines," the official added.

An ESPN-Star Sports spokesperson clarified on the rights issue saying that, "we only have the exclusive satellite TV telecast rights for Wimbledon. The terrestrial rights are not with us. If anyone wants to buy those, they can approach either the rights holder or the marketing agent or the Wimbledon authorities."

The increasing frequency with which India‘s pubcaster DD is being left out of business of sports telecasts has got the goat of Doordarshan director general SY Quraishi. Speaking to indiantelevision.com he said that the Prasar Bharati - overseeing the work of DD and All India Radio - was persevering with its proposal to the Indian government to bring in a law mandating that the telecast rights of any important event - and specially those where India has an interest - be awarded to DD.
The Prasar Bharati had moved the government on this front last month. And its hopes are high that things will get kickstarted during the next Parliamentary session. "If all goes well, we may see something happening on this front during the monsoon session of Parliament," Quraishi said.
If the Indian government decides to bring in a law which makes it mandatory for the telecast rights of important global events to be necessarily given to DD also apart from any other broadcaster beaming into India, then certain amendments have to be made in the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act. And if it manages to push the amendment through, it will be a fait accompli for the pubcaster.

A private broadcaster quipped in lighter vein, "Only a DD can show DDgiri." Touche!!!

Doordarshan has entered into an agreement with France-based Canal France International (CFI) to telecast 26 French films on DD Metro beginning 5 July at 11 pm..

Pointing out that this was another step towards Indo-French cultural cooperation, DD director-general S Y Quraishi told a press conference in Delhi today: "We have entered into an MoU with CFI to telecast French films on DD which will be sub-titled in English and some of them will be dubbed in English too."

According to Quraishi, the dubbing and subtitling will be done by CFI before the films are provided to DD which can also earn some revenue if the Indian pubcaster manages to market the films, which will certainly attract a niche audience, to advertisers.

Speaking on the occasion, French ambassador to India Bernard de Montferrand said: "France has been attempting to see how it can improve the knowledge about the country in India and films are one way of doing it. Moreover, since India produces so many films, some of them which in recent times have been shown in France too (like Lagaan and Monsoon Wedding), we hope through this arrangement with DD, we will benefit."

The present agreement is another step towards strengthening Indo-French commercial ties, what with this year‘s Cannes Film festival almost awash with the Indian flavour.

Meanwhile, DD has also signed an agreement with British broadcaster BBC to air AIDS-related shows on its regional networks.

3 July may not be its official birthday, but it marks a day when Star Plus was reborn and launched a gameshow that was to rewrite the script of Indian television - Kaun Banega Crorepati.

"9 Baj gaye kya?"

Two year‘s on, there is no KBC, but Star Plus continues to lord it over the TV landscape with the Balaji soaps Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki leading the charge.

KBC may be officially taking a sabbatical right now, but the channel that reaped the rich harvest of its success is celebrating the gameshow‘s birthday with a spate of new shows across genres.

The Tuesday prime time slot, vacated by Kamzor Kadii Kaun and Asoka The Series is now to be filled with Kehta Hai Dill a family serial that takes its inspiration from Picket Fences, beginning today. Neena Gupta, who enjoyed a cult following for her Saans on Star Plus will be back on the channel with Kyon Hota Hay Pyar on Thursdays at 8 pm, with a campus story on teenage romance and fun. Sonpari‘s success has spawned another kids‘ show on the channel, Shakalaka Boom Boom, a UTV production about a boy and his magic pencil that brings to life anything he draws with it.

Another UTV series Khichidi, that starts in September on Tuesdays at 8 pm will delve into the "deliciously wicked side of all human beings" and will look at the lighter side of mankind.

The channel has also lined up blockbusters to hook the film buff too with Dil Chahta Hai, Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, Ajnabee, Raaz and other movies lined up for the coming months.

"Catch me if you can" is the challenge that Star is throwing to its rivals.

(Star India has sent out a Power Point presentation toasting its two years of successful leadership in the Indian cable & satellite television sweepstakes. To go through the presentation click on the link alongside: Star‘s Toast to its second year of success!! It‘s a heavy file, so if you don‘t have a high bandwidth Internet connection, you will have to be patient!! Happy reading - Editor)

It‘s may be a great brand positioning statement they said. But in India its only cricket that everyone watches, they said. Well, the Fifa World Cup, which ended on Sunday (and left large swathes of the globe with a serious case of soccer hangover) has left its impact even on cricket-crazy India. Ratings data for the week ended 22 June (all C&S households) show that Ten Sports, which had the telecast rights for the soccer spectacle, has been able to make it to the top 100 programmes list.

Three quarterfinals of the game entered the top 100 shows, according to data released by TAM. The England vs Brazil match on 21 June ranked 54th in the top shows of the week among 4+ C&S audiences across the country, with a TVR of 3.05. The next day‘s quarterfinal matches also ensured a place for themselves in the top shows, ranked at 80 and 84th place. The match between Spain and Korea drew a TVR of 2.67 while the one between Senegal and Turkey drew a TVR of 2.66.

While ESPN Star had been insisting that cricket held sway even when the World Cup began, the latter half of the Fifa championship seems to have caught the fancy of viewers. Viewership for the World Cup in the week ended 8 June had shot up considerably in the metros, according to TAM. Reports had indicated that the Argentina versus England match recorded a rating of 3.3 as compared to the previous week‘s high of 1.45 TVR.

Select cities like Kolkata and Cochin reacted favourably to the soccer matches from day one. However, metros like Delhi and Mumbai caught on only after the last week.

Sunday‘s finals between Brazil and Germany, which saw the Samba Kings win their fifth World Cup, had a global television audience estimated to be 1.5 billion, the largest ever in history. What ratings the the match drew in India should make for interesting viewing. Especially considering that the same day saw the Indian cricket team put on a steller performance in defeating Sri Lanka in the Natwest tri-series currently on in England. The match was telecast on Star Sports.