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DD News sheds old skin |
| Although it may still lack the expertise of Aaj Tak,
the credibility of NDTV and the gloss of Star News, five-month old
DD News has done parent Prasar Bharati proud with not just increasing
revenues, but also with climbing credibility. |
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| "We have stuck to the basics," maintains additional director general (News) Sanjiv Datta. "We believe in giving out information rather than speculating." | ||||||||||||||||
 So,
DD News has consciously stayed away from the controversial exit polls
that satellite news channels have been indulging in; although it has
given in to a psephologist show Vote Ganit, hosted by Naveen
Swaroop Naini, who is the only addition to the DD News team specifically
for the Lok Sabha elections.
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| The advantage of being DD News in a crowded news channel
arena? The reach, undoubtedly. The disadvantage? Well, there are certain
systems and protocol to be followed, sometimes causing a 'delayed
reaction' on the channel. Does being a channel close to the government give it better access to those in power and out? "Not really," asserts Datta. "Anyone who's available to us for interviews and comment is also available to the private channels." |
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Edging ahead But the humungous reach and the inherent advantage of having a huge backup of infrastructure as well as an army of regional offices and staff has worked to DD News' advantage in these elections. And DD News has definitely worked it well. Instead of looking like a government mouthpiece that both supporters and critics feared it would turn into, the channel has carved its own space since its launch late November last year. Credibility has been established, and a happy Datta today says that DD News is being slowly, if reluctantly, acknowledged as a competent player in the news channel space. With camera units in over 48 locations countrywide, election coverage on the channel is looking good. Although veteran observers can detect a slight Aaj Tak hangover- Aaj Tak on the first polling day opened nine windows from various centres on the screen; DD News went ahead and opened up 18 windows, again a first for DD news. |
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| The best indicator of DD News' success, apart from the TAM ratings which Datta dismisses as selective perception, is the fact that advertisers, including premium brands, are returning to the channel. "These are the advertisers who deserted DD earlier but are now coming back. Obviously, an advertiser won't come unless he gets value for his money." | ||||||||||||||||
| Home made goodies
taste best? So, 'Bharosa Bharat Ka', DD News' tagline, has struck home. The advertiser has faith in the channel. What about the viewer? "Credibility of a channel is vis-a-vis the viewer," says Datta. DD for the first time has produced election related programming in house, whereas in earlier years, it was NDTV or Aaj Tak or other private production houses which did the work for the pubcaster. "We are now sending out the message that we are capable of delivering quality programmes in house. We now have to build on our inherent strength." |
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| Which is why, building on confidence born of efficient election programming, DD News has slowly decided to cut down on its sponsored programme slots, which were sold to private production houses like BAG Films. While Datta says no particular target for phasing out these programmes has been set, the clutch of five - six shows (including the popular Rozana and Ankhon Dekhi) produced privately are likely to cease naturally when their 26-week contract expires. | ||||||||||||||||
| Prasar Bharati introduced a revised rate card for DD News, with approximately a 20 per cent hike for packages and a whopping 66 per cent increase in spot buy rates from 1 April, but because deals are being signed in bulk and the whole channel is being marketed, the effective buying rate for DD news at times hovers around Rs 1,500-Rs1,700 per 10 seconds for bulk buyers. | ||||||||||||||||
Hence, DD News is striking back, with an eye on making and marketing programmes in house, which will yield much better revenue for the channel. DD News has sold its total election package till 13 May for over Rs 30 million so far, with big names like Dabur, Airtel, Asian Paints having already bought election related packages. According to Prasar Bharati marketing head Vijayalaxmi Chhabra, DD has managed to sell the spots for four to five times the normal rates for the period between 1 April and 13 May. Considering that the channel clocked a turnover of Rs 100 million in the fiscal just ended, the election revenue (based on revised package and spot buy rates, effective 1 April) seems good enough to give a big boost to its 2005 revenues. |
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The line up The DD News team, led by Datta, and buffered by fresh recruits like Chaurasia has sewn together a competent mix of programming for the elections, including Janadesh 2004, Kaante Ki Takkar, Note Garam, Chunavi Jor Garam, apart from the regular news bulletins. Chunavi Paheli, a contest based show and Khatti Meethi Baatein, a programme on election sidelights have been running on the channel. The channel is one of the few to have good archival footage of several past elections, but Chaurasia says programming has been designed in such a way that DD News is not relying over much on the archives as on live footage. |
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| While the channel has attempted to restrict the FCT of normal packages to avoid ad clutter during election time, it had also considered scrapping the double ticker scroll, but retained it after strong advertiser demand. Among the prominent corporates who have bought airtime on DD News are Asian Paints, Indian Oil and Dabur, apart from Electrolux, Mahindra and Oriental Insurance. Airtel, MDH and Jeevanjor are the other names who are part of the DD News election package sponsors. These sponsors have come on board particularly for the elections and are not part of the yearly packages. | ||||||||||||||||
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The homework began early In early February this year, the channel was given a face lift, with a slightly modified logo, new graphics, montage and several brand new shows. The only bilingual news channel now, DD News also introduced a half hour 'dynamic wheel’ with news on the hour every hour in Hindi, interspersed with English news bulletins every half hour. The Headline News are now repeated in the middle, which ensures that no headline news is more than 15 minutes away. The new programme schedule was drawn up with ‘flexibility’ as the core word. |
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Poaching helps, too? A few Aaj Tak hands, including Deepak Chaurasia have crossed over to DD News in the last few months. The infusion of fresh blood has helped the channel, bringing with it a new look and crisper styles. Among the prodigals, who had quit Aaj Tak with Chaurasia have been lured back to Aaj Tak - Kartikey Sharma and Rahul Chowdhry. |
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But DD News hit back in a limited way at Aaj Tak by weaning away three anchors, including two ladies, from the Hindi news channel's English sibling Headlines Today recently. According to sources in DD News, all these three anchors, are bilingual and would be used extensively for English and Hindi programming on DD News. Yet, even in places like Mumbai, DD News continues to be shortstaffed. "In Mumbai, we have to make do with just four people, while the rest are all trainees. That is why we have to take the help of agencies and outside feeds sometimes," says Chaurasia. |
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Despite shortcomings and minor gaffes, life's proceeding on course at DD News, and the mood continues to be upbeat.The channel has shed its old tag of being bureaucracy's baby and is learning the wily tactics known to private broadcasters to stay afloat commercially and creatively. By fighting the poll fight shoulder to shoulder with the rest of them, DD News has survived the first major crisis of its young life.
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