DD invites CAG castigation over selection of films

New Delhi, June 1 (UNI) Doordarshan's ''preference'' for Dilwale Dulhania Le jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and three other films has earned it the castigation of the CAG.

The public broadcaster paid the highest royalty of Rs 20 lakh, much more than the prescribed rate, for the films, which also include Mohabbatein, Hamdil De Chuke Sanam and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam, the CAG said in its latest report.

The high royalty was given categorising the three to nine year old films under the highest grade meant for current films which are required to be less than two year old.

The exemption to categorise these films under A-premier was accorded (October 2004) by the empowered committee of the Prasar Bharati on the ground that the films were meant to be festival bonanza to elevate viewership and also for revenue enhancement.

However, the CAG Report said, the Audit noted that the upgradation of the categories of only the above five films was discriminatrory as there were other films of similar vintage which had been telecast during October-December 2004 and which had generated more revenue than the above films.

These films were Khoobsoorat, Chachi420, Kurukshetra, Fiza and Kismat. The categories of these films were not upgraded and they had been paid royalty as per the prescribed royalty structure.

The Member(Finanace) Prasar Bharati in her capoacity as a memebr of the empowered cxommittee was also of the view that the justification for higher royalty should be determined in the context of higher revenue generation, the CAG report said.

The Audit further noted that the empowered committee was competent to deviate from the prescribed royalty rate structure only in exceptional circumstances.

The Doordarshan had been showing feature films on Friday and Saturday on its National Network on sponsership basis on minimum guarantee terms through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and other private parties.

However, since September 2003, it has started marketing the films in-house by acquiring these on royalty basis.

UNI