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Journalism of Courage
In a move that is sure to bring cheer to the public service broadcaster camp and knock the smiles off private broadcasters, Prasar Bharati Corporation CEO K.S. Sarma, has requested the Centre to make them contribute to a fund similar to the Universal Service Obligation (USO) set up by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
‘‘The channels are having a good time because there are more TV sets than ever and that is because of the Government. Therefore, they have an obligation to pay the Government as they are gaining by 90 million TV sets being made available through the public broadcast. A certain percentage of revenue could be transferred to funds like the USO.’’ Sarma said the Centre in principle seems to have accepted his idea, an exercise is on to fix the size of the fund.
While the USO is already present i the license fee in the case of DoT — which, in turn is utilised for public services — in the case of Prasar Bharati, it will take some convincing to do.
In fact, making a strong presentation before the Standing Committee on Information and Technology, AIR gave a glimpse of the social responsibility it has to take on from time to time. AIR devotes more than 4000 hours for industrial workers programme, 2000 hours on environment campaigning, 6000 hours on programmes devoted to the new economic policy and some 2500 hours for petroleum conservation. ‘‘There is nobody in the country who is going to come forward saying that you are doing programmes for industrial workers and eradication of untouchability, we are going to fund you,’’ the AIR
Director-General said.
While such a move could enable the broadcaster from getting funds to broadcast socially relevant messages and programmes, will it let off its chase for revenues by airing non-socially-relevant commercials? Under criticism for chasing revenues rather than the cricket ball in the recent India-Pakistan series, DD/AIR have not been able to maintain their public-service image vis-a-vis the commercial pressure.
That the move is not likely to be welcomed by private channels is evident from what a Star official said. ‘‘The company as part of its corporate social responsibility carries public messages free of cost.
ZEE’s Jawahar Goel said this would be an unwelcome burden on the broadcasters who already are paying a huge service tax, import duty on broadcasting equipment and are being deprived of earning money from liquor commercials. ‘‘Prasar Bharati is already getting funds from taxpayers to render social service,’’ said Goel, pointing out the channel had nearly spent Rs 65 crore on the pulse polio campaign.
