Prasar Bharati set to finalise Rs 15-crore deal with anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for DD show: Report
New Delhi: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is on the verge of finalising a Rs 15-crore per year deal with news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for a one-hour show to be telecast on Doordarshan on weekday, The Indian Express reported on Friday.
A source familiar with the development stated that the deal is "certainly under consideration and will be signed soon," adding that the broadcaster frequently hires anchors for new shows. He pointed out that Rs 15 crore a year does not exceed the rates approved by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC).
The new show, which is expected to occupy a prime-time slot on DD News, is slated to air from May. According to a memo discussed at a recent meeting held at Prasar Bharati, the broadcaster has approved a contract to “ESSPRIT Productions Pvt Ltd, represented by Chaudhary, to produce one-hour duration exclusive show from DD News (to air five days a week) at Rs 15 crore per annum plus GST, which will be subject to escalation at the rate of 10% every year,” IE added.
A negotiation committee formed by Prasar Bharati reportedly held five meetings with Chaudhary’s company to finalise the production costs. According to a source, the Rs 15-crore deal is within the range of Rs 28.6 crore for producing one-hour programmes of 260 shows annually as per the CBC rates.
This move is seen as part of Prasar Bharati’s strategy to revitalise DD News in the competitive news market. In addition to Chaudhary’s show, several other new programmes are planned, marking a shift toward a more multimedia-driven content approach for Doordarshan, sources familiar with the developments at Prasar Bharati said.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
