Doordarshan In Wrong

Summary

This Times of India editorial argues that an avoidable dispute has arisen over Doordarshan’s refusal to share advertising revenue from its live telecast of the Reliance World Cup of Cricket. The organising committee claims that Doordarshan should pay nine per cent of the Rs 40 crore it expects to earn from advertisements, while Doordarshan and the government maintain that its revenues are transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India rather than treated as commercial profits.

The article criticises Doordarshan director-general Bhaskar Ghosh’s claim that the issue must be decided by higher authorities because Doordarshan is an attached government office. It contends that the organising committee’s letter, sent in July, gave Doordarshan sufficient time to formulate a policy, and concludes that the broadcaster’s failure to do so reflects poor foresight. The second rendered page contains only an unrelated advertisement fragment and no further article text.

Key points

• The article describes the revenue-sharing dispute surrounding Doordarshan’s telecast of the Reliance World Cup of Cricket.
• The organising committee seeks nine per cent of Doordarshan’s expected Rs 40 crore advertising revenue.
• Doordarshan argues that its revenues enter the Consolidated Fund of the Government of India and therefore are not commercial profit.
• Director-general Bhaskar Ghosh says the issue is a matter of policy for higher authorities because Doordarshan is an attached government office.
• The article argues that Doordarshan had ample notice and time to decide its policy before the event.
• It presents the dispute as an example of bureaucratic delay and institutional lack of foresight.