Prasar Bharti revenue up 48 per cent

Shimla, Apr 14 (UNI) The Prasar Bharti's revenue has recorded a jump 48.89 per cent during 2005-06 as compared to last year with a total revenue of Rs 1,238 crore, an official spokesman said today.

Last year the national broadcaster's revenue was Rs 831.47 crore, which was an increase of 48.89 per cent.

The spokesman said Shimla AIR and DD had also registered over 50 per cent growth during the same period with a combined revenue of Rs 56 lakh as against a paltry Rs 27.20 lakh last year.

While AIR achieved a revenue growth of Rs 40 lakh in 2005-06 as compared to 26 lakh last year, DD's revenue was up to 16 lakh as against Rs 1.20 lakh, he said.

He attributed the all-round improvement in its performance to increased focus on in-house marketing of properties, successful execution of media campaigns, rationalisation of rate cards to suit the changing market conditions and strategic shift from sponsored programmes to self-financing scheme, besides screening of blockbuster Hindi feature films on DD national and marketing them in house.

The spokesman claimed that DD had staged an impressive comeback in the urban dominated cable and satellite households with 20 per cent share across the TC channels.

AIR's too had recorded an increase in its audience with Vividh Bharti doing particularly well beyond the metro areas, he said.

He said this year Prasar Bharti would see an expansion of its DTH Service and DD Direct Plus service and the number of its TV Channels would increase from the present 33 to 51 channels, while the radio channels would rise to 20 from the present 12.

The private FM channels have mopped record revenue of more than Rs 40 crore during the year, he added.

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