Jammu, August 1: Indian Cine and Television Artists today strongly supported the agitation launched by various organisations associated with creation of television programmes against the recent commissioning guidelines framed by Prasar Bharti.
In a press conference held here today, prominent artists associated with films and television said that guidelines were aimed at creating a situation where only Mumbai based private production houses and producers are benefitted at the cost of producers and production houses based in Jammu and Kashmir State, thus defeating the very purpose for which Kashir Channel was launched by Doordarshan i.e. promotion of regional talent in every aspect of programming.
The speakers also denounced the recent circular issued by Doordarshan for procuring programmes under acquisition mode. They said the main purpose for announcing this scheme was to bypass the process of commissioning of programmes. They said that while the budget announced for commissioning of programmes, mainly aimed at giving undue advantage to Mumbai based private production houses and producers, was Rs 5.00 lakh per episode, the budget for programmes to be acquired through acquisition category was between Rs 25,000/- to Rs 50,000/- only. This would only result in a situation where producers would offer their old, low quality programmes for acquisition, thus further reducing the already dwindling viewership of Kashir Channel, they said.
The speakers alleged that all this was being done by Doordarshan under a conspiracy to malign and bring a bad name to a once vibrant Kashir Channel. They further said that DD1, which was once known for its quality programmes like Bharat Ek Khoj, Mirza Ghalib and Buniyaad, that remain unsurpassed even today, also has been following the same route of repeat telecast of old programmes that has brought down its TRP ratings to the lowest ebb. Replicating this sad and disastrous route for DD Kashir will only result in further degradation of the channel, the speakers emphasised.
Further, as all producers and production houses will be compelled to offer only old programmes under the Acquisition Scheme due to the abysmally low budget, it would result in discrimination against artists, anchors, narrators, dubbing artists and others associated with programme production, who has already reached starvation levels due to no work for the past 6 years.
The speakers demanded immediate intervention of authorities at the highest level of the government in the ministry as also bureaucracy to redress the genuine demands of the artists. They also urged the State Government to raise the issue with the Central Government so as to mitigate the sufferings of the artists.
The Press Conference was addressed by well known film actor and winner of this year’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Mushtaq Kak, well known film and television actor Tanveer Dar and renowned actor and director Pankaj Khajuria and others.
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