Blockbusters set DD cash counters ringing
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 …read more
