MUMBAI: Consumer body Mumbai Grahak Panchayat has called a meeting of all state-level consumer organisations and cable consumer organisations in Maharashtra on 18 August in Mumbai.
The purpose: to discuss various problems of cable service consumers face and to chalk out a common programmme to protect them from exploitation at different stages, an official release states.

MUMBAI: The Prasar Bharati has called for proposals from television producers for national broadcaster Doordarshan under the sponsored category for prime time, non-prime time and sub-national afternoon slots.

Proposals, along with pilot tape superscribed as "Proposal for National Network Slots Under Sponsored category: (Code SP/NNS/PH-IV)", should reach the controller of programmes (sponsored), directorate general: Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati, Doordarshan Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110 001 latest by 16 September 2002, 3 pm.

Details regarding the requirements and genres of programmes and sponsorship guidelines are available on the DD website: www.ddindia.net.

MUMBAI: It‘s early days no doubt. But the first week‘s TAM ratings of Sony Entertainment‘s matchmaking blockbuster show hosted by Bollywood screen siren Madhuri Dixit, Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai, has not brought too much cheer.

According to market research agency AC Nielsen‘s TAM ratings covering cable and satellite homes in the nine main cities, the very first episode on Monday (29 July) managed only 2.69 TRPs and debuted at 66 on the charts. The next day‘s episode saw a further dip to 1.39. The ratings fell further on Wednesday before picking up somewhat on Thursday and Friday.

SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta, was not so downbeat in his assessment however, and said that more time was needed to make a judgment on the show. Dasgupta said a parallel survey that they had commissioned AC Nielsen to do in the two main metros, which covered 500 respondents in Delhi and 500 in Mumbai, had thrown up more encouraging findings. The results of that survey had shown that 33 per cent of those sampled saw the shows and of those that did watch, 76 per cent said they intend to watch it the next week as well.

Will Madhuri manage to charm audiences over time?

The TAM data from the main metros, however, threw up a mixed bag. Kolkata had the highest ratings for the debut show at 4.52 while Mumbai had a 4.18 TRP. Delhi cold-shouldered the show from Day 1 with a 2.24 rating. All three cities saw a ratings dip in the following episodes.

For Sony, it is still the Balaji dependables Kkusum and Kutumb that are delivering the goods. And as regards K3H, it will have to do far better in the coming weeks if it is to justify the reported Rs 200 million + that has gone into its making.