Gill flays Mahajan8217;s remarks

NEW DELHI, JAN 30: Strongly defending Prasar Bharati against Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan's attack, former CEO Su...

NEW DELHI, JAN 30: Strongly defending Prasar Bharati against Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan8217;s attack, former CEO Surrindar Singh Gill said on Friday that DoorDarshan8217;s performance should be judged only after considering the facts.

quot;I challenge the minister to point out a single wrong decision taken by the Prasar Bharati board in its active phase before the August 29 ordinance,quot; Gill said reacting to Mahajan8217;s statement on Thursday that DD would first have to be seen to be marketed. quot;It8217;s all right for private operators to run down DD. But this is the Ministry8217;s own baby. Why is the minister running it down,quot; he asked.

Commenting on Mahajan8217;s remark on DD8217;s apparent decline in revenue and the Government8217;s budgetary support, Gill, citing DD advertisement bookings, said that DD revenues were actually rising. In 1995-96, the ad bookings were Rs 467 crore; in 1996-97, it went up to Rs 615 crore; in 1997-98, it was Rs 640 crore; and on the basis of current bookings for nine months,the revenue is going to be Rs 680 crore on a pro-rata basis, it is Rs 510 crore for 1998-99, Gill informed.

As for budgetary support to DD, Gill said it was Rs 952 crore for 1998-99, and not Rs 1,700 crore, quot;as the minister announcedquot;. Even accounting for 15 per cent commission, he said the total budgetary provision for DD is not more than Rs 274 crore. quot;And even this deficit can be overcome and DD can break even in three-four years, if proper policies are followed,quot; the Prasar Bharati CEO said.

As for Mahajan8217;s comments on too many mythologicals and the scrapping of the Saturday film 8211; which has led to a loss of Rs 70 lakh a week 8211; he said the minister should ask for an inquiry into these irregularities. quot;This was done in the inactive phase of Prasar Bharati, when the Ministry was in charge. I did not sanction a single mythological but after I left an extension was given to one mythological. Why was that done,quot; he asked.

He said DD was being marketed well and, in fact, of the 44 companies that hadstopped advertising, 33 had returned while he was in office. And, as for All India Radio8217;s revenue, he said he had made plans to launch 17 FM channels. quot;The minister needs to launch an inquiry into why no progress has been made on that front,quot;Gill said.