DD Free Dish Model Causes Mounting Losses At Doordarshan
Most private broadcasters now earn anywhere between Rs 50 crore and Rs 210 crore per channel in advertising revenues due to the high reach obtained via DD-Direct while relegating DD channels to the category of unwatched channels
Doordarshan channel, saw its losses mounting to an estimated Rs 800 crore during 2016-17 (April-March), according to a source close to the development.
The reason behind these mounting losses, said the source can be attributed to the fact that while private operators pay a paltry sum of Rs 6 crore - Rs 8 crore rupees for their presence on the Freedish platform, the model dictates that they do not have to share advertising revenue with the platform at all. What's more, increasingly, viewership has shifted to these private channels, with DD left in the lurch.
"Doordarshan had caused itself a great harm by promoting private channels which moved the entire viewership base to these channels, in effect causing loss of hundreds of crores to Doordarshan by virtue of fall in its ratings and consequently advertising revenues," the source said on conditions of anonymity.
Most private broadcasters now earn anywhere between Rs 50 crore and Rs 210 crore per channel in advertising revenues due to the high reach obtained via DD-Direct while relegating DD channels to the category of unwatched channels, the source said.