NEW DELHI: Doordarshan, which is now working on a plan to auction prim time slots, spent over Rs 108.5 crore in acquiring programmes in 2015-16. The pubcaster had spent just over Rs 71 crore in 2014-15 and a little above Rs 96.52 crore in 2013-14.

Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that its board had advised DD to proceed with an alternative policy by opening-up prime slots for sale in its 127th meeting on 17 June 2015.

Doordarshan sources said it was anticipating higher side of revenues from sale of slots. Accordingly, DD proposed a slot sale policy, so that genuine external and creative professionals could mount their programmes on DD Channels through slot purchase. In this scheme DD would stop financing production through “Pay Out” modes and instead have revenue assurance in the form of a slot fee.

The policy envisages that producers are made stake holders in the scheme. They would invest in the content and recover the same from the market through sale of associated commercial time. In such a situation, market forces would ensure that high quality standards were maintained for the content mounted.

Sale of slots could provide a platform to DD to partner with the best content developers for improved viewership and financial health.