Play it again! - Article

Missed your favourite shows during Diwali? Well, here's a reason to rejoice... Many television channels are giving you a chance to catch up on the

A still from Sujata, one of the serials that'll be repeated

episodes you missed earlier.

Meanwhile, the situation between the producers of the serials and broadcasters isn't so pleasant. Most popular Hindi general entertainment channels have decided to re-run their serials and reality shows from November 10, today.

On November 2, entertainment channels had given an ultimatum to TV producers asking them to resolve all differences related to hiking the wages of daily wage workers by November 9. They had said that failing that, they'd force channels to stop running regular shows and switch to reruns.

A source from the TV industry, on condition of anonymity, says, 'Original weekend programmes were aired till November 9, and re-runs begin only from today, Monday. Broadcasters and producers will be meeting today. Things aren't all that clear, the issue will take time to get resolved.'

Albert Almeida, business head, Sony Entertainment Television, says, 'We broadcasters are just being dragged into the disagreement which is actually between the FWICE and the production houses. We are the affected party for we have a responsibility towards our viewers and advertisers. Any kind of delay in work will prove detrimental to the interests of both our advertisers and viewers. As a channel, we are not interested in airing the re-runs of the programs. But if the situation doesn't get better, we might have to. There is a global meltdown and we have heard of several cases of retrenchment. We haven't done that. We are not passing on the burden to our producers and federation workers. So our only request to the both the parties is to settle the matter as soon as possible. We had given a deadline of November 9, but since negotiations broke down, we as broadcasters had no option but to move into repeat mode from midnight, which is technically from November 10, today. Everything will be repeated, with the exception of Bigg Boss, which is a show that can't be stalled with the people in the house.' Producer Mukesh Bhatt only said, 'The situation is very volatile.'

But if the FWICE decides the wages of the workers, why do producers interfere and decide them on their own, as it has happened in some cases? 'I think it's just a misinterpretation of what actually happens. You can't have a standardised rate card to pay people wages here. There are non-fiction serials with a shorter life cycle and their employment terms are different from what's followed in fiction programmes with a longer life cycle. There are prime time regional programs too. This is what FWICE needs to understand,' he says.

Keertan Adyanthaya, executive vice president and general manager of Star Plus says, 'I don't know how long it will go on like this. We are now experimenting with recaps of episodes, 'omnibus episodes' (that's multiple episodes of a show put together). We cannot afford the hiked prices.'

Anand Sagar, creative director of Sagar Arts, says, 'How long can a channel run like this? I think only if all the three parties ' producers, workers and broadcasters ' sit together, can they solve the problem.' Dharmesh Tiwari, president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, says, 'Channels and producers are claiming that the market is in a bad condition and hence they are unable to afford the hiked wages. But let me tell you that our workers have not been paid for the last three years.'

Another producer, on the condition of anonymity, said, 'To think that production houses will give in to the unreasonable demands of the FWICE by hiking wages by 100 to 140 per cent is way too much. The repeats of my show were aired during Diwali week for three days, for the FWICE was not ready to speak to us. If the remuneration is raised by 150 per cent, we ought to get a corresponding amount from the broadcasters, which hasn't really happened. Considering the economic slowdown, such a demand is not feasible. There have been instances where people from the FWICE have come and bullied people at the sets, which means that the shoot is stalled for three hours.'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/TV_Buzz/Play_it_again_/articleshow/3691850.cms