M A I N   N E W S

DD to take on ‘KBC’
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 12— Doordarshan is looking forward to taking on Star TV’s “Kaun Banega Crorepati “(KBC) with its new line of innovative programmes to be launched on DD(Metro) in collaboration with Australia’s Channel Nine.

As a start, Doordarshan has decided to extend its ‘golden hours’ slot by another hour to 10 pm and is hoping to completely overhaul its choice of programmes by the middle of November. This, Mr Rajeev Ratna Shah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Doordarshan, felt would bring back the advertisement revenue to it.

Interestingly, the hour-long extension coincides on weekdays with the telecast of KBC on Star TV, which has taken away a substantial chunk of viewership from other channels.

However, Ms Ravina Raj Kohli, Chief Executive Officer of HFCL - Nine India ,who has linked up with Australian media magnate Mr Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine, denied that the aim of the extension was linked to the Star TV game show. She said that her company was of the view that KBC could not be countered with another game show, but some other good programmes.

Ms Kohli added that it was not necessary that one game show had to be matched by another. It was more necessary to have innovative programming.The HFCL Group Chairman,Mr Mahendra Nahata, also addressed the press meeting.

Mr Shah also announced that the additional ‘golden hour’ slot would commence from October 16 and the entire three-hour programme would be repeated the next morning from 9 am to 12 noon on DD II. He said the aim was to have family programmes from 12 noon to 3.30 pm, children’s programmes till 6 pm, and sports and young adult programmes till 7 pm.

The children’s hour will be slotted anew by November 14, Bal Divas, he added.

Mr Shah said DD II was now available terrestrial and via satellite (PAS 4 and INSAT 2B) and in both analogue and digital mode. Thus, while 30 per cent of the TV homes were linked to cable and satellite TV, DD II was available to 45 per cent of TV households within the country.

The terrestrial beam of DD II was being increased to 45 high-powered transmitters and 65 low-powered transmitters. Thus,it would soon reach 81 major cities terrestrially. He announced that digital receivers had been given to all 44 head-ends in Mumbai.

Mr Nahata said Mr Packer’s Channel Nine had put in $ 238 million into the Indian company. But he emphasised that the entire management and programming was Indian. He said the HFCL (Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited) had entered television production primarily in view of the convergence of technologies taking place the world over.

Anupam kher to host ‘sawaal Dus Crore Ka’

NEW DELHI, Oct 12 (PTI)— Versatile actor Anupam Kher will be crossing swords with Amitabh Bachchan in the arena of popularity chart by anchoring Zee tv’s “Sawaal Dus Crore Ka”— a counter to “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, being telecast by star Plus.

Commenting on his choice, Kher said ,“As a host, my responsibility is 10 times more and on two levels. The money is 10 times greater. However, I am approaching this as a common man and want to reach out to the common man. I want to relate to people as the Anupam Kher that I am,” a press note from Zee TV quoted him as having said.

The show director gajendra singh said as Kher was related with the common man in a human way, it was decided to have him as the host.