MUMBAI: It was just under a year ago that Star India announced it had acquired a majority stake in the Tamil regional language channel Vijay TV (9 August 2001). Now, nearly 10 months after the channel went digital with a whole new programming menu on 1 October, Star Vijay looks to have a show that can lead the challenge against Tamil titan Sun TV.

Just into its second week, Kathai Alla Nijam (KAN), Tamil TV‘s first "real" reality show, has caught the imagination of the viewer in Tamil Nadu, asserts Ajay Vidyasagar, general manager regional channels, Star India. Vidyasagar is confident that when the TAM ratings data is released next week, his contention will be borne out.

REALITY-STRUCK: Kathai Alla Nijam show host Lakshmi with orphan Abhi in a shot from yesterday‘s episode.

KAN is an episodic format live phone-in show with well-known film personality Lakshmi hosting. Produced by acclaimed film director K Balachandar‘s Min Bin Bangal Productions, the show, heavily research based, picks up from true-life incidents that have been reported in the press. Human interest stories are what the show tracks down as a follow up to what has appeared in the media and may have slipped out of the public conciousness, says Vidyasagar.

NEW DELHI: So you thought national broadcaster Doordarshan was a pushover? Data says otherwise. Between 9-11 pm in all TV homes on all days among viewers over 4 years of age, DD1 or National registered the highest TV rating points (TRPs) of 6.5 as well as audience share of 25.5, according to TAM data for the week ended 29 June, 2002. DD National was followed by Star Plus.
In cable and satellite homes, however, Star Plus and Sony commanded higher TRPs and audience share, while the share of DD1 in C&S homes was only 2.4.

NEW DELHI: If Doordarshan revenues are on the downswing, then blame it on those who owe DD money and the inadequacy of the current system to recover that money. As many as 45 agencies, including some advertising agencies, owe Doordarshan, the national broadcaster, a total of Rs 3,344.58 million.

Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj admitted this to the Lower House of the India Parliament (Lok Sabha) last week.

The minister further said that the CAG report is under examination by the ministry in consultation with Prasar Bharati, the autonomous body that oversees the functioning of DD and All India Radio.

The minister did not reveal whether the 45 errant agencies were still being allowed to produce programmes for DD whose total revenues revenues in the financial year 2001-02 ended March 31, 2002 stood at just Rs 6,152.1 million, slightly down from the previous year.

It had also been said that the Prasar Bharati is in the process of signing an MoU with the government that will facilitate release of funds from the government in two tranches.

Meanwhile, it has also come to light that DD1 is setting up more studio complexes in the country over the next two years.

And if there was any hope for the revival of the DD News channel, the optimists can take a break. Swaraj has now made it public in Parliament that "at present there is no proposal to start a news channel."

NEW DELHI: The Raghav Bahl-promoted Television Eighteen Ltd has recorded a net profit of Rs 15.25 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2002 as compared to Rs 11.25 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2001. The total income has increased from Rs 72.48 million in JQ-01 to Rs 78.07 million in JQ-02.

The Q1 operating profit has gone up to Rs 15.15 million from Rs.0.79 million on an year-on-year basis. The operating margin is up to 21.60 per cent from 1.27% Y-o-Y. The statement said that improved financial performance has been recorded despite the current quarter being seasonally the weakest quarter.

According to a statement issued today the Television Eighteen Group (TVEG) has posted sustained revenue and profitability growth over the last five quarters. The consolidated net profit for the quarter ended June 30, 2002 is at Rs 4.18 million as compared to a net loss of Rs 8.19 million in the quarter ended June 30, 2001. Revenue from Operations has increased from Rs 62.22 million in JQ-01 to Rs 70.13 million in JQ-02.

Following the company‘s board meeting earlier in the day, Raghav Bahl, Television Eighteen‘s Managing Director said: "The company‘s performance continues to improve - the operating margin has risen substantially as a result of growth in revenues and increased efficiency of operation. We expect this trend to continue in the coming quarters."

The financial performance has been measured for Television Eighteen Group on a consolidated basis. This includes TV 18 India and its subsidiary companies TV 18 Mauritius, Eighteen Entertainment India and E18.

According to TV 18, as investors were informed, the company made a provision for the bad debts of M/s Home Trade after the Q4 ‘02 results was declared in April. Accordingly, Q4 ‘02 results have been re-compiled.

MUMBAI:There was no prime time in Mumbai tonight. All across the city from 9 pm onwards, cable feeds went blank for an hour.

This followed a meeting by all MSOs in Mumbai this afternoon to deliberate on the delay in the implementation of CAS. At the meeting it was decided that the cable fraternity would join forces with their counterparts in Delhi and observe a one-hour blackout tonight to draw attention to the issue. The meeting decided that cable operators will black out television screens from 9 to 10 pm tonight. 
no decision is taken by the government on the issue tomorrow, the cable ops will resort to an indefinite blackout from 12 am on 24 July. The decision has been taken unanimously and will be supported by distributors owing allegiance to all MSOs in the city. In the capital, MSOs have adopted a similar strategy since last Friday, resorting to an hour long blackout every day to protest the delay in the implementation of CAS.