Friday, June 30 2006 11:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma, who is credited with an aggressive strategy on TV rights and giving a commercial orientation to the running of Doordarshan and All-India Radio, feels the Government needs to adopt a 'middle path approach' on operational and editorial matters in the running of the public broadcaster.

Sarma, who demits office today, feels that Prasar Bharati will become a financially-viable entity in the next three years, not dependent on Government finances to meet expenses.

In an interview to sources , Sarma denied perceptions that the public broadcaster was a mouthpiece of the party in power.

"Well, all this talk is highly exaggerated. Being a public broadcaster, one is supposed to be carrying forward the message of the Government as well as various schemes meant for social welfare," he said.

However, Sarma said the public broadcaster should be granted greater autonomy in operational matters.

"There are certain areas where one requires more freedom. These are on the visit of employees abroad, their promotions, their benefits," he said.

Sarma has kicked off various initiatives which have see Prasar Bharati cut down its dependence on Government for meeting expenditure, which is to the tune of roughly Rs 1,800 crore annually.

"I see enormous future for Prasar Bharati. The potentialities for revenues are enormous without sacrificing our role as a public broadcaster. We have taken a number of initiatives that are aimed at enhancing resources from the existing set-up," he said, adding the public broadcaster could be self-sufficient in the next three years.

The slew of new initiatives and cricket telecast saw the cash-strapped public broadcaster realise its highest-ever revenues as they crossed the Rs 1,000-crore mark to close 2005-06 at Rs 1,230 crore at a growth of 48 per cent.

In-house marketing of properties, revenues from cricket telecast and increased media campaigns from government departments were among the initiatives behind the growth in numbers. Sarma said introduction of blockbuster Hindi films on DD National network and narrow casting programming strategy were major initiatives.

Sarma said one of the big opportunities for Prasar Bharati was through scrolling of local advertisements.

"We have around 600 low-power transmitters and 300 high-power transmitters. Through each of these, we can run scrolls which will have local advertising," h esaid.

"I have supplied requisite equipment at every place and now they a going to start. We have as much as Rs 100 crore sitting in this area," he said.

Prasar Bharati has also decided to charge annually a nominal carriage fee of Rs one crore from the channels on its free-to-air (for subscribers) DTH platform DD Direct Plus channels.

"Around four of the 19 private channels have already paid and we feel that once all of them give the money, it will be a self-sustaining model, not requiring investments from our side," Sarma said.