Can Sircar turn around Prasar Bharati?

Can Sircar turn around Prasar Bharati? Business Standard Report

Can Sircar turn around Prasar Bharati?

Prasar Bharati has fewer advertisers and a dearth of original programming

Surajeet Das Gupta & Sounak Mitra / New Delhi October 24, 2012, 0:48 IST

In his imposing office just a stone’s throw away from Parliament House, Jawhar Sircar has two large LCD TV sets mounted on the wall. On one, he keeps a close tab on his own Doordarshan channels and, on the other, he scans competing private players. His desk is strewn with files, press clippings and a note undertaking a financial analysis of all broadcasters, a majority of whom are also in the red. Sircar, who has just got Rabindranath Tagore’s works translated into Italian, points to one of the LCD TVs: “Look at the background of the Doordarshan newsroom, it looks as good and professional as any other private channel now,” he says with pride.

Sircar, an IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre and now the CEO of Prasar Bharati, took over the reins in February and is, of course, not content with just making superficial changes. He is determined revamp the public broadcaster — which has recently been hit by frequent changes in the top slot, as well as financial scams — so that it can get back viewership, as well as advertisers who seem to have forsaken it for aggressive private channels.

PRASAR BHARATI: QUICK FACTS

Prasar Bharati operates 37 TV channels (Doordarshan) and262 radio stations (AIR)  It reaches 150 million homes through Doordarshan Annual operational expenses are Rs 2,000 crore  Annual earning is Rs 1400 crore to Rs 1500 crore Employees – Sanctioned 48,022 (AIR: 26,322, Doordarshan: 21,700) Filled-up positions: 33,800 (AIR: 17,853, DD: 15,947) Vacancies: 14,222 (AIR: 8,469, DD: 5,753) No recruitment for the past 16 years. Govt likely to give nod for filling up 3,452 critical posts soon

GOVT’S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Spectrum fee waived: Rs 12,000 crore Govt to pay salary for all its employees Govt to take care of augmentation costs

NEW PLANS

Prasar Bharati to take care of software costs (about Rs 300 crore annually), maintenance and marketing Expects to increase revenue from advertisements, especially government campaigns, monetising centres by renting out space for ATMs and billboards and selling airtime slots at DD

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