According to available information, DD surpassed its revenue target of Rs 800 crore by an additional Rs 27 crore in the last financial year, with revenues from movies being the biggest chunk.
Watching Bollywood blockbusters like Gangs of Wasseypur, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Lootera on Doordarshan may have come as a surprise to many. For the country's premier government-owned channel isn't actually known to slot (relatively) new movies during prime time slots.
But, having seen a massive jump in its revenue due to these movies as well as reclaiming loyalties of its lost audience, DD has decided to go the whole hog.
According to available information, DD surpassed its revenue target of Rs 800 crore by an additional Rs 27 crore in the last financial year, with revenues from movies being the biggest chunk.
More importantly, DD's viewership also went up by 73 per cent from June-October last year to October-May this year.
To build on its gains, DD is also amending its decade-old archaic, film procurement guidelines to ease the process of procuring films, which is likely to put up fixed slabs for royalties received by the producers, based on the films' grade.
DNA had earlier reported that an internal vigilance report of DD had indicted the public broadcaster for encouraging cartelisation of film producers which provided films to DD, and creating a monopolistic situation.
Official data available with DNA shows that revenue earned by DD through films shot up by a whopping 110 per cent from June last year to April this year.
The total revenue earned earned June last year to May this year equals Rs 34.60 crore, while the net profit earned from films this year equals Rs 27.56 crore.
Supriya Sahu, director general of DD, told DNA that her focus was on telecasting wholesome and entertaining films on DD network which are thorough box office hits and also ensuring meaningful films. "First, we analysed the data and looked at audience research. It emerged that all TV viewership peaks at 9pm. In order to capitalise on this we rescheduled the telecast of our films at 9pm instead of 10pm.Next was we streamlining the procedure and roping in reputed production houses to get blockbusters from them. This paid off, both in terms of increasing viewership and revenues,"she said.
"The current film procurement guidelines are convulated and cumbersome.There is a scrutinising committee and a shortlisting committee looking at the films before they are forwarded to the gradation committee which will grade the films based on which the producers'royalties would be decided. The system has huge discretion which is not good for a transparent selection. ,"a senior official said, adding that the amended guidelines should be able to lay down a contemporary template for quick procurement of meaningful films.
DD has also floated an expression of interest (EOI) for inviting different production companies to explore ways of film procurement for the different channels of DD. DD channels would require around 800 films annually for telecast. The public broadcaster is also in the process of procuring English and regional films air telecast in DD's Arun Prabha (yet to be launched) channel and other regional channels, respectively. The EOI has also sought proposals to 60 children's films.
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