सुधीर चौधरी सबसे महंगे टीवी पत्रकार बने, सालाना पंद्रह करोड़ रुपये प्लस जीएसटी, देखें कांट्रैक्ट लेटर!

DD न्यूज़ पर सुधीर चौधरी का नया शो, प्रसार भारती बोर्ड ने दी मंजूरी

नई दिल्ली: प्रसार भारती बोर्ड ने प्रसिद्ध न्यूज़ एंकर सुधीर चौधरी और M/s ESSPRIT Productions Pvt Ltd को DD न्यूज़ पर एक घंटे का विशेष शो बनाने की मंजूरी दे दी है। यह शो सप्ताह में 5 दिन प्रसारित होगा, जिससे सालभर में कुल 260 एपिसोड होंगे। इस प्रोजेक्ट पर 15 करोड़ रुपये प्रति वर्ष + जीएसटी खर्च किया जाएगा, जिसमें हर साल 10% की वृद्धि होगी।

प्रतिस्पर्धा में बढ़त के लिए लिया गया फैसला

DD न्यूज़ को न्यूज़ मार्केट में प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक बढ़त दिलाने के उद्देश्य से यह निर्णय लिया गया है। चूंकि प्रमुख न्यूज़ एंकर और प्रोडक्शन कंपनियां पारंपरिक टेंडर प्रक्रिया में भाग नहीं लेतीं, इसलिए नामांकन आधार पर यह चयन किया गया।

सुधीर चौधरी के चयन की प्रक्रिया

प्रसार भारती बोर्ड के सदस्य अशोक टंडन की अध्यक्षता में गठित खोज और चयन समिति ने विभिन्न एंकरों के TRP रिकॉर्ड, विश्वसनीयता और सोशल मीडिया उपस्थिति का आकलन करने के बाद सुधीर चौधरी को इस शो के लिए उपयुक्त माना।

अनुमोदन प्रक्रिया और लागत पर सहमति

DD न्यूज़ द्वारा प्रदान किए जाने वाले संसाधनों (जैसे स्टूडियो, हार्डवेयर, न्यूज़ एजेंसी सेवाएं आदि) को ध्यान में रखते हुए, वार्ता समिति ने प्रोडक्शन कंपनी से कई दौर की बातचीत की।

शुरुआत में, CBC द्वारा 2012 में स्वीकृत दरों के अनुसार, इस तरह के शो की अनुमानित लागत 28.60 करोड़ रुपये प्रति वर्ष + टैक्स हो सकती थी। लेकिन वार्ता के बाद 15 करोड़ रुपये प्रति वर्ष + जीएसटी पर सहमति बनी, जो इस सीमा के भीतर है।

अनुबंध की महत्वपूर्ण शर्तें

• भुगतान प्रक्रिया: DD न्यूज़, प्रोडक्शन कंपनी को मासिक भुगतान करेगा और अग्रिम राशि का समायोजन किया जाएगा।

• समाप्ति शर्तें: अनुबंध किसी भी पक्ष द्वारा 6 महीने के नोटिस पर समाप्त किया जा सकता है, लेकिन इसमें 3 महीने की अनिवार्य नोटिस अवधि होगी।

• बुद्धिजीवी संपदा (IP) अधिकार: इस शो की कॉपीराइट और अन्य बौद्धिक संपदा अधिकार DD न्यूज़ के पास होंगे, लेकिन प्रोडक्शन कंपनी को मार्केटिंग और प्रमोशन के लिए सीमित अधिकार मिलेंगे।

• यात्रा और सुविधाएं: यदि चैनल के अनुरोध पर सुधीर चौधरी को यात्रा करनी पड़ेगी, तो उन्हें बिजनेस क्लास टिकट और फाइव-स्टार होटल की सुविधा दी जाएगी।

प्रसार भारती बोर्ड से अंतिम मंजूरी

इस प्रस्ताव को DD न्यूज़ की अनुशंसा पर प्रबंधन समिति (MC) की 244वीं बैठक में अनुमोदित किया गया, जिसके बाद इसे प्रसार भारती बोर्ड के समक्ष अंतिम मंजूरी के लिए प्रस्तुत किया गया।

देखना है कि प्रसार भारती के इस कदम से DD न्यूज़ की ब्रांड वैल्यू, व्यूअरशिप और प्रभाव कितना बढ़ता है।

देखें कांट्रैक्ट लेटर के कुछ अंश-

RASAR BHARATI BOARD AGENDA FOR ENGAGEMENT OF M/S ESSPRIT PRODUCTION PVT LTD AND LEADING NEWS ANCHOR SHRI SUDHIR CHAUDHARY TO PRODUCE ONE-HOUR DURATION EXCLUSIVE SHOW FROM DD NEWS

1. What is being proposed?

1.1The Board is requested to consider and approve the proposal as contained herein by passing the following Resolution:

   ​“RESOLVED that the approval of the Board is hereby accorded to/ for engagement of M/s ESSPRIT Productions Pvt Ltd and leading news anchor Shri Sudhir Chaudhary on nomination basis under Rule 194 (Clause (iii) and (iv) of GFR 2017, to produce one-hour duration exclusive show from DD News (to air on 5 days a week) at a cost of Rs. 15 crore per annum plus GST, which will be subject to escalation at the rate of 10% every year”.

   ​“FURTHER RESOLVED that the approval of the Board is hereby accorded on exemptions in Content Sourcing Policy-2024 in the Programme Production and Broadcasting Agreement signed between Prasar Bharati and M/s ESSPRIT Productions Pvt Ltd as approved by the Management Committee in its 244th meeting, and that a separate marketing and sales agreement may be signed between the two parties in light of Clause 8 of the Programme Production and Broadcasting Agreement pertaining to Intellectual Property”.

2. Why is it being proposed?

2.1 PB Board in its 188th meeting approved the engagement of two leading news anchors and a production agency on nomination basis at CBC approved rates for producing exclusive shows from DD News. This was in light of the need for a strategic leap by DD News in the competitive news landscape after its recent revamping, while ensuring cost effectiveness with quality output. Accordingly, as leading market players may not participate in the regular NIA-based process and tendering formalities, a Search-and-Selection Committee chaired by Shri Ashok Tandon, Member, PBB took into account the proven credibility, TRP track records and strong social media presence and identified one anchor for the time being viz. Shri Sudhir Chaudhary..

2.2 To decide on the remuneration & terms of engagement with the production agency, a Negotiation Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri L. Madhu Nag, ADG, NSD AIR was approved by MC in its 239th meeting. However, Shri L Madhu Nag expressed his inability to chair the Negotiation Committee due to him not being in touch with TV news production for over a decade. Accordingly, the Negotiation Committee was reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Ved Prakash, ADG, TMSO which was approved by MC in its 244th meeting.

2.3 The reconstituted Negotiation Committee met on five occasions between 6th-20th Feb 2025 and held negotiations with the production company M/s ESSPRIT Productions Private Limited represented by Shri Sudhir Chaudhary. After a series of deliberations on the cost of production to be incurred by Prasar Bharati by way of providing infrastructure like hardware, studio utilization cost, space, furniture, news agency charges and other miscellaneous expenses, both parties agreed on the cost of producing one-hour duration exclusive shows to be aired on 5 days a week on DD News (total 260 shows in a year) at Rs. 15.00 crore per annum plus GST, which was within the figure of Rs. 28.60 crore plus tax for producing one hour programme of 260 shows a year as per CBC approved rates dated 24.5.2012.

2.4. Meanwhile, the draft Programme Production and Broadcasting Agreement (referred as the ‘instant agreement’ hereinafter) was submitted for vetting by Legal Section, PBS which flagged that certain clauses of the Agreement were at variance with the provisions of Content Sourcing Policy-2024, and that these variances needed approval of the Management Committee. Accordingly, the MC in its 244th meeting approved the said exemptions as under:

i) Clause 7.7 of the instant agreement reg. payment of monthly fee by DD News to the Production Company and adjustment of advance payment vis-a-vis Clause 2.6(a) of CSP-2024 which allows for the payment in tranches and adjustment of advance in the end.

ii) Clause 5.2 of the instant agreement (termination clause) which reads. “This Agreement may be terminated for convenience, without having to state any cause, by either party, by providing a 6 (six) months’ prior written notice or in accordance with Clause 14 below (Force Majeure). Provided that the terminating party shall be entitled to buy the 3 (three) months’ notice period out of the aforesaid 6 (six) months’ notice period and shall be required to mandatorily serve a notice period of 3 (three) months and may choose to pay the amount equivalent to 3 months’ notice period to the non-terminating Party” vis-a-vis one month notice period laid out in para 2.10.i of CSP-2024.

iii) Clause 3.6 of the instant agreement allowing display of wardrobe credits by the Production Company. The said clause reads as: “The episodes shall not without the prior written consent of the Channel contain any third party material or any visually identifiable references to any merchandise good, services or brands and the Production Company shall not enter into any arrangement with any third party for the placement of any brand, product or service in the episodes, or enter into any tie-up or sponsorship arrangement in this regard, except with the consent of the Channel. Provided however, nothing contained herein shall restrict the Production Company display of third party materials for provision of wardrobe credits for the episode/ Deliverable”.

iv) Clause 8 of the instant agreement on Intellectual Property to the Production Company for the purpose of marketing and sales / promotion. The clause reads as:

​8.1 The Production Company hereby exclusively assigns to the Channel, in perpetuity, the entire copyright, whether vested, contingent or to be invented in future, in all respect of modes of communication to public, all rights of action and all rights whatsoever, in and to the Deliverables, including broadcasting rights for the full period of copyright throughout the world, including all renewals, reversions, and extensions if any (“Intellectual Property”).

Provided that the Channel hereby grants to the Production Company, a worldwide, fully paid-up, royalty-free, non-sublicensable license to use the Intellectual Property for the term of the Agreement and any other related rights (including the right to create derivative works) in connection with this Agreement and other agreement pertaining to the marketing and sales of the Deliverable only proposed to be executed between the Parties, including for the promotion of the Deliverables.

8.2 The rights in the literary material viz, screenplay, script, dialogues, etc on which the Deliverables are based, including all the Production Company’s rights, titles, character IP and interest shall stand automatically transferred to the Channel at the time of delivery of the Deliverables, and shall be deemed to be an Intellectual Property for the purposes of this Agreement.

In light of the above clause on Intellectual Property, the 244th MC has approved negotiation & signing of a separate Marketing and Sales Agreement between both parties.

2.5  Further, approval of the 244th MC was obtained on Clause 4.6 of the Programme Production and Broadcasting Agreement, which reads as “In the event Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary is required to travel on the request of the Channel for the purposes of the production of the Deliverables pursuant to this Agreement, the Channel shall arrange business class tickets for such travel and for stay in a five-star hotel or equivalent (if the city does not have a five-star hotel), and all such arrangements shall be made by the Channel with the prior approval of the Production Company at its own costs. For abundant caution, it is clarified that the appropriate travel and accommodation arrangements of the other team members required to travel along with Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary, as per the designation of such team member shall also be made by the Channel, at its own costs.”

2.6 Additionally, approval of 244th MC was also obtained on Clause 7.3 of the instant agreement with the production company reg. Escalation of contract value, which reads as: “The said yearly contract value, i.e. the Fee, shall be subject to an escalation at the rate of 10% (ten percent) every year”

 

 

3. What does it entail?

3.1 The proposed engagement of M/s ESSPRIT Productions Private Limited and leading news anchor Shri Sudhir Chaudhary will entail expenditure of Rs. 15.00 crore per annum plus GST subject to an escalation rate of 10% every year. The agency will be expected to provide research, production and scripting support to the anchor for the one-hour duration exclusive show from DD News studios (to air on 5 days a week i.e. total 260 episodes a year). This amount of Rs. 15.00 crore per annum plus GST is within the cap of Rs. 28.60 crore plus tax for producing one hour programme of 260 shows a year as per CBC approved rates dated 24.5.2012.

3.2 The engagement is being proposed on nomination basis as per Rule 194 (Clause (iii) and (iv)) of GFR 2017. Subsequent to approval of the Management Committee on the proposal of DD News, the matter is placed before Prasar Bharati Board for approval (being the Competent Authority as per DFPR of Prasar Bharati).