Special Drive Tasks

Vigilance Wing
of
Prasar Bharati
 Commonly
Observed
Irregularities in
All India Radio
 Favoritism
•While booking talent for In-House Programmes,
some talents are given more bookings than the
rules permit : As per rule an artist is to be booked
after a gap of three months. Only in special case
close booking with prior approval may be allowed.
• Bookings to Casuals : More than Six per month
or 72 in a year. The guidelines on this have been
In-house circulated several times by DG, AIR. It has been
Programmes observed by the Vigilance Wing in several cases
that bookings more than the prescribed limit are
given. Resulting in disciplinary action against the
offenders.
Circular No. 15/3/2017-P-6 dated 03.10.2019 of DG,AIR.
 -Non-adherence to the rate card:
• In bookings for In-house programmes, the
fee paid to talent is more than the fee
prescribed in the Fee Structure.

-Arbitrariness in payments to different

talent for same work:
In-house • In bookings for In-house programmes, for
Programmes same work, different rates are paid to
different persons and not as per Fee
Structure.
 -Under-utilization of available resources/
infrastructure and No Justification with
reference to work load
•For In-house programmes, instead of
making use of services of announcers,
producers etc, outsiders are booked
unnecessarily without justification. For
In-house instance an announcer is put for scheduling
Programmes the songs for one day, another day his/her
duty is shown for sorting the request letters
etc. But, for programme production,
production assistants are booked.
 Fake/ ghost/Fictitious booking of artists
and Bogus payments
•The talent actually does not perform duty
but entries are made in the Log Book and
payment is made. In a few cases of AIR
Station of North Eastern Zone it has been
observed that some fake contracts were
In-house prepared and payments were also made.
Programmes The programmes were never broadcast and
have no mention in the Log Book also.
 -Payments of individual artists made to
unauthorized broker/leader:
•As per rules each talent has to be paid separately
except graded music parties. The leader of a music
party can be paid on behalf of other members of
his party only if the party is duly auditioned and
graded and the Index Card has the names,
In-house signatures etc. of all members of the party.
Members can not be changed without re-audition
Programmes or approval of Competent Authority.
•For booking of Ungraded Music Parties, the
payment has to be made individually. At many
places violation of the rule is observed.
 Violation of Booking procedure
•Talent is booked without following
set procedure prescribed in AIR
Manual chapter no. VII, section IV
In-house related to Talent Booking . Contract
Programmes is not issued in advance, acceptance
is not received. Columns in Proposal
Contd..
and Contract Register are kept blank,
giving scope for manipulation.
 -Booking of relatives:
•Close relatives are booked in violation of rules.
As per AIR Manual only those relatives can be
booked who are graded music or drama artists
and they should get lesser bookings than
In-house others. AIR Manual 7.4.32 (i) and (ii)
Programmes
-Multitasking:
Contd.. • Same person is booked for different duties
like announcer, production assistant, script
writer etc.
 Resorting to unwarranted outsourcing

In house staff is available even then

outsourcing is done. viz commentators are
booked from outside whereas, several
Programmes staff members are on the panel of
Acquired approved commentators. Services of in
(not in-house) house resources need to be utilized first.
Contd.
 Revenue Sharing Mode Progammes

While accepting the programmes from private

producers it is not ensured that producer of
the programme also markets the programme
Programmes and earn revenue. To cause undue gain to the
Acquired producer, the already earned revenue
committed by Government Clients to AIR is
(not in-house)
diverted to these RSM programmes and is
Contd.
shared with the producer.
 Improper contract terms/No Contracts
Commercials are broadcast without
signing of contracts with the advertisers.
There are instances where on the basis of
Release Order only commercials have
been aired and later client declined to
Revenue make the payment and in the absence of
Operations any agreement no action can be taken
against the defaulters.
 Authority Letter not received
If the commercials are released through a
Canvasser or an advertising agency whether
Registered or Accredited, it is mandatory to
either have authority letter from the actual
advertiser or the actual advertiser should sign on
Revenue the contract. It ensures that the client is aware of
the advertising rates and other terms &
Operations conditions for broadcast of commercial.
As per AIR Manual Chapter XV point 15.6.12 (ii) & (iii)
and schedule “B” of Terms and Conditions number 24
of the contract.
 Allowing excess duration and excess spots
Commercials are broadcast for higher duration
while they are charged for lesser duration.
Instances have been reported from some stations
in Kerala like Manjeri where excess duration was
allowed than the actual bookings. In a case of
Revenue Adbur, spots were broadcast from different
stations in the country even after the broadcast
Operations period was over. Resulting in huge loss to the
organisation.
 Undue credit facilities
For broadcast of commercials advance
payment has to be received from all clients
except Accredited Agencies and Govt.
Departments. Cases have been found in
different CBS Centers like Jaipur, Bhopal,
Revenue Chandigarh etc. even at stations also where the
Operations payment was not received in advance. Thereby
giving undue credit facility and causing loss to
the organisation.
AIR Manual 15.5.6 and 15.6.23
 -Outstanding dues:
•Government Clients regularly
broadcast commercials. After raising of
bills no effort is made to ensure or
monitor receipt of payment. Payments
Revenue running into crores at many stations
Operations are outstanding causing huge loss to
government exchequer. Efforts should
be made to realise the outstanding.
 Improper Screening
Screening of spots/jingles or sponsored
programmes is not done as per the set
guidelines. Each station is supposed to have a
committee for screening the spots.
Commercials should be broadcast only after
due approval of the screening committee. A
Revenue proper register should be maintained with
Operations proper entry of the commercial spot/jingle. It
should be signed by all the members of the
Contd.
committee. Like spots on Chit Funds were aired
in Kerala which was against the AIR,
Commercial Code.
 Bills not raised in time
It has been observed that once
commercials are broadcast bills are not
raised in time by CBS Centers. As the bills
Revenue are prepared late, the payments are also
received late causing loss to the
Operations organisation. Sometimes, this delay is also
Contd.
due to non sending of contracts
immediately by the stations to their
respective CBS Center.
 -Production charges not taken:
•Commercials are produced by
the staff but production charges
are not taken from the clients.
Revenue -Private Work by Staff:
Operations •Staff does private work like Master
Contd. of Ceremony (MC), Voice Over and
technical help which is against rules.
Commonly Observed
Irregularities in
Doordarshan
 -Cartel formation/favoritism in
selection of films and rights
holders:
•Film applicants acquire rights of flop films
from film producers and then offer these
Films films to Doordarshan. Doordarshan then
selects most of the films from these
Related applicants. These applicants show their
Activity names to be different but in reality are owned
by a very few persons who have formed a
cartel.
 -Favoritism in gradation of films
(the basis for royalty payments):
• The grading committee is influenced
to give more marks to the film resulting
Films in more royalty.
Related -Disputed ownership of films’ rights:
•The person who claims royalty in fact
Activity does not have rights over the films.
 Favoritism

•While booking talent for In-House

Programmes, Anchoring, Presentations,
Shows etc. some talents are given more
bookings than the rules permit.
In-house Bookings in any case should not exceed
Programmes more than 120 days in an year.
 -Non-adherence to the rate card:
• In bookings for In-house programmes, the
fee paid to talent is more than the fee
prescribed in the Fee Structure.

-Arbitrariness in payments to different

talent for same work:
In-house • In bookings for In-house programmes, for
Programmes same work, different rates are paid to
different persons and not as per Fee
Structure.
 -Under-utilization of available resources/
infrastructure and No Justification with
reference to work load:
•For In-house programmes, instead of
making use of services of staff outsiders are
booked unnecessarily without justification.
-Fake/ ghost/Fictitious booking of artists
In-house and Bogus payments:
Programmes •The talent actually does not perform duty
but entry made in the Log Book and
payment is made.
 -Payments of individual artists made to
unauthorized broker/leader:
•As per rules each talent has to be paid separately
except graded parties.
•For booking of Ungraded Parties, the payment for
all the members is made to a single person in
violation of rules. As per rules the leader of a party
In-house can be paid on behalf of other members of his
party only if the party is duly auditioned and
Programmes graded and the Index Card has the names,
signatures etc. of all members of the party.
Members can not be changed without re-audition
or approval of Competent Authority.
 -Violation of Booking procedure:
•Talent is booked without following procedure
prescribed in DDManual. Contract is not issued in
advance, acceptance is not received. Columns in
Proposal and Contract Register are kept blank.
-Multitasking:
In-house • Same person is booked for different duties like
Programmes announcer, production assistant, script writer etc.etc.

Contd..
-Fake Booking of Equipment:
Equipment is actually not booked but
payments made.
 -Fictitious hiring of locations,
costumes etc.
In-house -Unnecessary outsourcing of
Programmes
facilities even though
Contd.
equipments are available in-
house.
 -Selection of programmes in violation
of laid-down rules:
•The requisite documents as prescribed in the
offer notice are not received.
•Sometimes Public invitations are not invited.
-Private production houses, owned by
Programmes production staff/ their families/friends
Acquired getting business:
(not in-house) -Same producer is awarded contract for
a large number of programmes and
others are ignored.
 -Resorting to unwarranted outsourcing:
•In house staff is available even then
outsourcing is done.
-Revenue Sharing Mode Progammes:
• It is not ensured that producer of the
Programmes programme markets the programme and earn
Acquired revenue. To casue undue gain to the producer,
(not in-house) the already earned revenue committed by
Contd. Government Clients to DD is diverted to these
RSM programmes and is shared with the
producer.
 -Allowing excess duration and excess
spots:
•Commercials are broadcast for higher duration
while they are charged for lesser duration.
•Commercails are broadcast for more days and
numbers and charged for less.
•Wrong rates are charged for commercial spots
by showing
Revenue
-Undue credit facilities:
Operations •For broadcast of commercials advance payment
has to be received from all clients except
accredited agencies. Favours are granted by not
getting advance payments from clients.
 Outstanding dues
The commercials of several
Government clients continue to be
aired even after outstanding dues are
pending against them. It has been
Revenue observed that after raising the bills
Operations sincere efforts are not made to realise
the payments resulting in a huge
outstanding.
 -Improper Screening:
•Screening of commercials is not done

-Unauthorised deduction of TDS:

•Prasar Bharati is exempted from
Revenue payment of Income Tax. Even then
some stations allow clients to deduct
Operations
TDS. The refund of this TDS is not
Contd.
initiated by these stations causing loss.
Ministry of Finance Circular No. 18/2017
File No. 385/01/2015-IT(B)
 -Excess broadcast:
•Commercials are broadcast for
longer periods and numbers than
written in contract. The excess
broadcast is concealed and client is
Revenue not asked for payments. The fact
Operations can be known by comparing
Contd. production sheet with Contract

Register details.
 Sports events
Bidding to pay a guaranteed amount as
revenue to the right holder and then failing to
market the event and diverting untargeted
Programmes revenue committed by Government Clients to
these events to favour the right holder.
Acquired  Booking outside commentators even though
(not in-house)
approved staff commentators are available on
the pannel.
Thank you