BROADCASTERS MEET TO SETTLE ISSUES

Indian broadcasters and TV software producers met last week in Mumbai in an effort to revive efforts to set up an association which would look after the broadcasting industry's interests. The industry has had an Indian Broadcasters' Association for the past couple of years. It has, however, been almost defunct.

UTV co-promoter Ronnie Screwvala and Star TV India CEO R. Basu called the meeting, though it was Basu who chaired. Among those who attended include Sony Entertainment's marketing head Rajesh Pant, Zee TV's Sainath Iyer, UTV's Ronnie Screwvala and Zarire Screwvala, production house Plus Channel boss Amit Khanna, Cinevista co-promoter Sunil Mehta, Sri Adhikari Brothers' Markand Adhikari and TV Today's Krishnan. The key issue at the meeting was outstandings that TV channels and software producers have with advertisers and ad agencies. Some channels are believed to have payments outstanding for six to eight months. Television producers, who have been supplying software to state-owned broadcaster DD, have also been hit in the past couple of years by advertisers who have refused to pay up. The Indian ad market has been stagnant for the most part of the past year and has shown little sign of revival even this year.

The view at the meeting was that if there were unity amongst broadcasters and producers, problems such as outstandings from clients could be tackled. The meeting was an effort to get that unity started. Broadcasters have for long attempted to set up a body along the lines of the Indian Newspaper Society, which would stand up for its members in case one of them was financially hit by a bad client. This apart, an attempt was also made to come to a consensus on common issues that needed tackling. Another meeting is to be held in the next couple of months.