TV Strike-Day 9

Indiantelevision.com Team

(18 November 2008 10:30 pm)

MUMBAI: The TV industry stalemate is going to another level. The FWICE and producers have been summoned by the Labour Commissioner to get their views. The Commissioner has called the workers and four producers' bodies for a hearing at 3 pm on 19 November.

"The labour commissioner had sent a notice to the workers and the four producers associations to meet at 3 pm tomorrow," says a representative of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

However, the chairperson of the producers core committee Mukesh Bhatt said, "We have not been informed about the meeting, nor did we get any such notice."

He said that the producers' association and workers federation will sit for a meeting on 20 November.

Certain TV broadcasting CEOs and TV producers are slated to meet tomorrow morning before the hearing.

What's complicating the matter, it is alleged, is that the FWICE has done some number crunching which has resulted in a figure of Rs 5 billion coming up as dues owed by producers to workers as arrears. Producers, say sources, have offered a 10-12 per cent hike in wages, but the FWICE is adamant in sticking to its 15 per cent increment demand.

Broadcasters in the meanwhile are reported to be under pressure to start airing fresh programming with the Advertising Agencies Association of India 10-day repeat-programming time limit drawing to a close on 19 November.

The Hindi GEC genre attracts close to Rs 24 billion in advertising annually and the segment has seen the launch of at least four new channels in the past 18 months.