DD to reopen bidding for Metro slots?
(Posted on 19 June 2001, 10:30 pm)
A day after the industry's nyet to Prasar Bharati's efforts
to attract bidders for Doordarshan's Metro, a leading business
daily reported that the pubcaster was planning to offer the 7:00
PM to 10:00 PM prime time band without any minimum floor price.
However, sources in Delhi said that while DD officials were open
to the idea of a reduction in the base bid they were unlikely
to accept a zero sum situation.
Sources said an official announcement would be made in the
next two days, probably through advertisements in newspapers.
A possibility that has been thrown up is of DD producing and
marketing programmes on its own but this seems an impractical
option. What could happen is that DD reverts to the old system
where a particular time slot is thrown open either to producers
for bidding or a producer approaches the pubcaster with a programme
for a time slot on an air time barter basis. (Here the air time
sales are looked after by the producer and the rights to the programme
are also with him/her.)
Asked for HFCL-Nine Broadcasting's reaction in the light of
the the possible changed circumstances, an official spokesperson
said there was nothing further to add to the statement CEO Ravina
Raj Kohli had put out yesterday.
Partha Sinha, senior vice-president marketing, Zee Telefilms,
said: "We will have to make a fresh reassessment if the reports
are true but it's too soon to make a definitive comment."
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea said he would prefer to wait
for official word from Prasar Bharati. "At the moment it's all
too speculative," he said.
Markand Adhikari, vice-chairman and managing director, Sri
Adhikari Network Ltd, a DD content provider, said that he was
in favour of the half hour time slot air time barter system, rather
than larger time bands being blocked up by a single player, so
that everyone operates "under a level playing field."
Interestingly, senior Doordarshan officials are reported to
be against any re-negotiation with HFCL-Nine Broadcasting on the
issue of giving an extension to the existing contract.
The Kerry Packer-backed outfit had last year bagged the prime
time slot of 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM for Rs 1210 million. HFCL-Nine’s
annual contract ends in September for the 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM slot
and October for the 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM band. The minimum floor
price in the new bids for the three-hour prime time band were
put at RS 975 million.
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