Incentive-based system for panel choosing DD content mulled

Aiming to improve the mechanism through which Doordarshan's national channel chooses its content, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is mulling an accountability and performance based system for the panel which selects the programmes.
According to present norms, the procurement for the national channel is done by a honorary panel, generally of five eminent experts from outside, who are only paid a relatively modest amount as sitting fee.
Lately, the ministry and the public broadcaster have been considering whether there is a need to change this mechanism and introduce a system under where incentives can be provided based on the performance of serials and programmes by this panel.

The system would be such that the members on the panel would also be accountable in case the performance of the programmes chosen by them is below par, officials said.
"It is being considered that a system should be put in place where performance of serials can be linked with incentives being provided to the panel that chooses them. In case the performance of programmes is good, there can be incentives and if not up to the mark then there should be accountability," Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said.
Officials, however, said that it has been some months now since the last time Doordarshan had procured programmes for its national channel.

Ever since it came to power, the NDA government has been trying to make Doordarshan the preferred choice of viewers. I&B Minister Arun Jaitley had in the past held a meeting where he had met several top producers and discussed how more top quality programmes could be brought to the viewers of Doordarshan.