NEW DELHI: In a pioneering move, Doordarshan today became the first Indian television channel to introduce an online payment gateway for advertisers that will ensure greater efficiency and transparency.
Under the system, each advertiser dealing with Doordarshan will have its own page through which it will not only be able to know its status of payments but also make these payments.
Although set up in collaboration with the State Bank of India, the system permits advertisers to transfer the payments through their own banks using the gateway.
Doordarshan automated its commercial operations for DD National channel in the Phase-I in January this year. The process for DD's other channels is under implementation. The move has helped integrate various steps involved in executing commercials from booking to scheduling and billing.
However, the last step of payment receipt is still manual. Doordarshan has integrated the payment gateway and with its traffic and billing system would facilitate all clients and agencies to make online payment by directly going to Doordarshan’s portal from the place of their convenience at any time of the day.
The new system was inaugurated today by Prasar Bharati member (finance) Rajeev Singh in the presence of DD director general C Lalrosanga, Engineer-in-Chief CBS Maurya, ADG (CRD) Mukesh Sharma, ADG (commercial & sales) Inderjeet Kaur, ADG Deepa Chandra, ADG PA Naidu, and DDG (commercial) CK Jain, who also explained the system along with State Bank of India main branch chief manager (e-banking) DN Sharma.
Jain said the first phase would cover Delhi and Mumbai, whereas the second phase will cover other centres. It will also facilitate an Online Deal and Release Order Booking System (ODROBS).
Sharma said the multi-operating payment system could be used for sending payments from other banks as well. Each ad agency would have a name and password to log on through the DD portal and then go on with checking status or making payments. This facilitates collection of fees from ad agencies and is completely automated with options of NEFT, RTGS, and draft with provision for updating etc.
Doordarshan has so far been facing huge problem of reconciling its accounts because of entire manual operations, which leave a lot of agencies and clients dissatisfied. This has also resulted in several disputes and also in arbitrations with agencies.
It was pointed out on the occasion that Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar has also been emphasising on use of IT in both Doordarshan and AIR for bringing efficiency into the system.
