KUALA LUMPUR: Producers of programmes for national broadcast station Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) can look forward to higher payment rates from April next year.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the new rates would be increased by up to 60 per cent, depending on the categories.
“The current payment rates to producers which was fixed in 1986 have not been reviewed for the past 33 years.
“After hearing the woes beleaguering local artistes, the ministry through the Malaysia Information Department has proposed a review on the payment rates as one effort to boost the local creative industry.
“I have received a letter from the Finance Ministry which has agreed to new payment rates as proposed by my ministry,” he said.
Producers of telefilm and drama series programmes, he said, would enjoy an increase of between 20 per cent and 60 per cent, and between 30 per cent and 60 per cent respectively in payment rates.
He added that payment rates for producers of documentary/magazine programmes had been increased by between 10 per cent and 30 per cent. As for producers of animation series programmes, the payment rates had been increased to 30 per cent.
The new rate, he said, only applied to new programmes.
He said the pitching process would commence in January.
“The imposition of the new rates is subject to the quality of programmes pitched to RTM.
“In addition, each programme produced must go through the approval process and standards agreed by RTM and the respective (production) companies.”
The ministry, he said, would be adding more programmes in other categories such as extreme gameshows, musical entertainment series as well as capsules/trailers/promos.