Doordarshan set to auction prime time slots

Doordarshan is set to take on the might of commercial television networks as it prepares to procure content through auction of its prime time slots by the end of this financial year. Based on a revenue-sharing model, the move is expected to attract ma-jor production houses to the national broadcaster.

Through the “slot sale policy” the national broadcaster hopes to attract professional production houses in lieu of a share of the revenue earned from them.

Sources said a proposal seeking a new approach towards acquiring programmes was cleared by the Prasar Bharati board at a meeting on November 5 last year. The proposal had been pending for several years.

With the largest terrestrial reach across the country there have been attempts by Prasar Bharati to revitalise Doordarshan’s content. The auction of slots is expected to be undertaken in a phased manner, with prime time and Sunday slots likely to be put up for sale first, sources added.

Sources stated that revenue would be generated through advertisement time as well as guarantee money pledged by the producer of the programme. While the producer would be able to recover his costs from half of the advertisement time, Doordarshan would earn from half the advertisement time and annual guarantee money, sources stated. It was felt that this policy would help Doordarshan as it would not have to spend large amounts to acquire programmes while also ensuring that the producer maintained high quality because his earning would be linked to the revenue the programme generates, sources added.

Over the past few years programmes acquired by commissioning, wherein the national broadcaster pays for content creation, have not given good results.