NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has recovered a sum of Rs 3.63 billion during financial year 2012-13 from producers and agencies that had been pending as arrears for several years.

Information and Broadcasting ministry sources told Indiantelevision.com that a total of Rs 18.241 billion was recoverable from producers/agencies during 2011-12 of which Rs 10.8 billion was recovered as commercial revenue.

The outstanding amount thus was Rs 7.45 billion as on 31 March last year, which included Rs 5.74 billion pending with 86 defaulting producers/agencies against whom the pubcaster had initiated arbitration/legal proceedings. The balance sum was therefore Rs 1.69 billion.
 
In addition, a sum of Rs 514 million had been received from defaulting producers and agencies as interim award during the legal/arbitration proceedings.Doordarshan did business of Rs 14.94 billion with producers and agencies during 2011-12, while Rs 3.3 billion was due for the year 2010-11.

Doordarshan has also clarified that full revenue of total business (accrued) during a financial year cannot be realized within that year because DD provides credit facility to accredited agencies for sixty to 75 days according to industry norms and Prasar Bharati policy.
 
Doordarshan charges simple interest at 14.5 per cent per annum on the component that remains outstanding after the expiry of credit period.Thus, the ministry sources said there can never be a nil balance against any agency or producer doing rolling business with Doordarshan.

There will be a possibility of rolling outstanding amount of more than Rs two billion depending upon the business accrued in that particular period.

Meanwhile, ministry sources said that Doordarshan has given up as old or dead dues amounting to Rs 496.7 million from 174 agencies or production houses as on 31 March, 2011.

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has been asked by the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry to examine whether central or state governments and their entities can enter the television broadcasting and distribution sectors.

Even as the Government has always held the view that central and state governments should not be allowed to enter this arena, the latest action appears to have been triggered by demands from the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments to set up their own television channels. The Ministry also admitted that it had received similar requests from other entities of the central government.

The issue of granting permission to state governments or its organs to run Cable TV Networks has been drawing attention of the ministry from time to time particularly with reference to the TRAI recommendations restricting such entities from entering into broadcasting and distribution activities.

The Ministry has therefore sought the views of TRAI regarding the entry in the broadcaster sector of central government ministries and departments / central government-owned companies / central government undertakings / joint venture of the central government and the private sector / central government funded entities; and state government departments/ state government-owned companies / state government undertakings / joint venture of the state government and the private sector / state government funded entities.

TRAI in its recommendations on ?Issues relating to entry of certain entities into Broadcasting and Distribution activities? dated 12 November 2008 was of the view that the state government and their organs may not be permitted to enter into broadcasting and distribution activities.

Under the policy guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of television channels, an applicant seeking permission to set up an uplinking hub / Teleport or uplink/downlink a TV Channel should be a company registered in India under the Companies Act 1956 irrespective of its management control.

The move assumes significance in view of significant growth in the broadcasting sector at a time when the number of TV channels and cable connections in India have grown exponentially.

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NEW DELHI: There is no proposal at present to permit community radio stations to broadcast news, even as the government has decided to permit FM radio stations in Phase III to carry All India Radio on ?as is where is? basis.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said that community radio stations are required to preserve all programmes broadcast by the CRS for three months from the date of broadcast, for purposes of monitoring.

Nothing should be included in the programmes that may amount to attack on religions or result in promoting communal disharmony.

Any violations of the Programme or Advertising Codes can suo moto be placed by the Ministry before the Inter-Ministerial Committee.