NEW DELHI: Doordarshan will share 50 per cent of the revenue that it earns from the simulcast of the epic ?Ramayan? with Zee TV.

As in the case of Satyamev Jayate, a talk show that highlighted social issues, Doordarshan will do the marketing of Ramayan on its own, a source in Doordarshan told indiantelevision.com.

The simulcasting of these high pitched programmes is expected to provide bonus earnings to the public broadcaster, which has failed since 2007-08 to meet revenue targets by big margins. In 2011-12, Doordarshan?s earnings from commercial sales totalled Rs 7.94 billion against the target of Rs 12 billion.

The production of Ramayan serial by Meenakshi Sagar of Sagar Arts has been commissioned by Zee TV. Meenakshi is the granddaughter of Ramanand Sagar, the producer of the original Ramayan in the late 1980s telecast on Doordarshan.

Doordarshan also had a windfall this year in the form of MTV?s Coke Studio, which is being telecast both on MTV and Doodarshan. The eight-part Coke Studio started on MTV on 17 June and on Doordarshan on 7 July and are telecast on Saturdays at 7 pm on MTV and on Doordarshan on Saturdays at 8.30 pm.

Though Doordarshan has to share revenues of Satyamev Jayate and Ramayan with the private channels, Coke Studio was given to Doordarshan free of charge. ?DD was, in fact, paid for carrying the Coke brand. We also did not have to share any of the commercial revenues that we earned from the marketing of Coke Studio,? the Doordarshan source said.

DD will decide any future offers of simulcast on a case-to-case basis keeping the larger public interest in view, the source added.

In the case of Ramayan, Doordarshan felt that millions of young people needed to see the epic since the 1987 telecast of the Ramanand Sagar?s serial was seen by the older generation. The Ramayan serial on Imagine TV (then the channel was owned by NDTV and called NDTV Imagine) was not accessible to all since it was on satellite TV. Since Doordarshan is available to a majority of viewers terrestrially, it was felt that the simulcast will prove successful.

MUMBAI: Taking a cue from Star Plus, Zee TV is now gearing up to offer original content in the Sunday morning slot.

Starting 12 August, Zee TV will air mythological - Ramayan every Sunday at 11 am.

Ramayan, produced by Sagar Arts, will directly compete with Star Plus? Lakhon Mein Ek, which is being launched on 5 August in the same time slot.

Zee TV wants to reach out to the young viewers who had not watched the Ramanand Sagar-produced Ramayan aired decades ago. It also aims to foster family viewing of television programmes.

Interestingly, this is for the fourth time that Ramayan will be aired on television and second time on Zee TV. After its epic run on DD, Zee TV tried with a remake of Ramayan with BR Chopra. However that did not work well with the audiences then.

Later, in 2008, Imagine TV (then NDTV imagine) was launched with Ramayan as one of its flagship primetime properties.

Ramayan and Lakhon Mein Ek will be the only original shows to air in the Sunday morning slots on Hindi GECs. Lakhon Mein Ek will replace Aamir Khan?s Satyamev Jayate, which highlighted social issues ranging from corrupt doctors to female foeticide. The last episode of Satyamev Jayate was aired on 29 July.

Earlier, Colors had launched All Is Well with Dr. Ahluwalia for Sundays but had failed to attract viewers. This programme was aired at 12.30 pm every Sunday.

Zee TV head-fiction programming Sukesh Motwani said, "As a story, Ramayan is timeless and will never lose its relevance. It is rich in the core values, ideals and principles that form the crux of the Indian culture and upbringing."

"We have roped in the only team in India truly equipped for the task, the Sagars. Ramanandji (Sagar) did it brilliantly once. Moti ji and Minakshi, who have inherited Ramayan as a part of their core DNA, are all set to recreate the classic," Motwani added.

It is learnt that Colors will launch a mythological programme based on Goddess Durga, which is also being produced by Sagar Arts. However, the launch date and time slot is not known.

Jai Jai Jai Bajrangbali (Sahara One) and Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev (Life OK) are the other mythological shows currently running on Hindi GECs.

MUMBAI: Zee TV is gearing up to launch its latest fiction property Rab Se Sona Ishq on 16 July at 8 pm slot.

The channel is shifting Hitler Didi that used to air at this slot to 8.30 pm, while pulling the plug on its long running show Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli.

Yahaan Main? will go off-air on 14 July.

Rab Se?will compete with slot leader Balika Vadhu (Colors), Star Plus? Iss Pyar Ko Kya Nam Du and Sony Entertainment Television?s Byaah Hamari Bahu Ka.

Rab Se Sona Isshq is story of Saahiba (played by Ekta Kaul), who deserted by the man of her dreams on the day of their wedding, follows her heart and chases him across continents. Her journey of hope rests on her conviction that their love is real and will last forever.

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Zee TV to launch ?Rab Se Sona Ishq? on 16 July