6 Responses to “Indian news channels come together to form association”

1. G Vishwanath on July 31st, 2007 3:16 am

   So Indian news channels have come together to form an association?

   Here are some requests from a harried and frustrated TV viewer which I am sure will be dismissed with contempt.

   1)Please come to an agreement and reserve a staggered 20 minute slot at least once a day for a newscast, that should be your main newscast of the day, and kept free from commercial breaks. Is this asking for too much? You have more than 23 hours left over for the “news with nuisance” telecasts.

   2)If you can’t do even this much, please consider only “strip” ads that appear at the bottom of the screen and scroll from left to right during this twenty minute break. Do not interrupt a news reader who tantalizingly gives only a hint of something “juicy” and interesting to follow after the break. Currently, some channels show ads and the news continues as text messages that scroll at the bottom of the screen. Can you consider reversing this ? Is this also asking for too much?

   3)If you are not willing to do even this, as a final gesture of mercy please schedule your advertisements so that all of you are not simultaneously telecasting ads at precisely the same time. I have noticed that all of you have ganged up to do so. I thought I was being clever by keeping all my news channels on consecutive channel numbers for ease of switching to the next when the ads come on. Imagine my frustration when I notice that you have been even smarter and have cleverly synchronised your telecasts so that ads appear on all of them at the same time. I initially thought it was just a coincidence. I am now convinced that this is a cruel and planned strategy to force ads down our unwilling throats.

   Whatever happened to the good old days when we could sit down to watch the news on TV in one uninterrupted viewing session? All the ads either preceded the telecast or succeeded it.

   No wonder, I am watching less and less TV these days and spending more and more time on the internet. I have no desire to reduce myself to a pair of anonymous eye-balls that these news channels are eager to grab.

   I have contempt for commerical FM radio, polluted as it is by crass commercials and immature and juvenile jockey talk. I now listen to Worldspace Satellite radio, internet radio or podcasts. The day is not far off when commercial TV will get the same treatment from me. I will leave it to be watched by the illiterate masses. The educated elite will give up TV viewing and switch to DVD viewing, and internet TV where you have the power of choice and are not reduced to being an idiotic couch potato with a pair of credulous eye balls offered on hire to advertising sharks.

   Till internet TV takes off, I recommend my present strategy to all of you who agree with me.
   Keep a good book, or newspaper or magazine in your lap.
   Watch the news or any programme that you fancy on the TV. When the ads come on, take your eyes off the screen and read what is in your lap. Don’t worry. The ads last a good 10 minutes these days. That’s enough time to do a significant amount of reading. You wont be too uncomfortable dividing your attention between the two. The software guys will call it “Multitasking”.

   Sorry for this rant.
   Just had to let off steam and your blog came in handy.

   Regards
   G Vishwanath
   Bangalore

2. pranav on July 31st, 2007 9:06 pm

   No wonder, I am watching less and less TV these days and spending more and more time on the internet. I have no desire to reduce myself to a pair of anonymous eye-balls that these news channels are eager to grab.
   

   Give it a couple of more years and things are going to get way much worse (or better,depending on how you look at it)- as the Internet penetration increases, people are going to switch to the Internet. After all, it gives you the ability to browse and read what you want, when you want. You arent at the mercy of the moronic News channels and the melodramatically deranged saas-bahu soaps any more.

   At least thats how in the US now

3. Adil on August 2nd, 2007 3:22 am

   Vishwanath: I suppose you have NO IDEA what year you are living in? You are requesting for something which is unrealistic! Who will pay the reporters if every mom and pop knew the 20 minutes of newscasting without any ads?

   Maybe take some time to think and do research before humiliating yourself!

4. kamla bhatt on August 2nd, 2007 8:51 am

   It would be fantastic to see some really good news-related programs on TV…As a child I remember my father listening to the 8 am news on his radio and how at 9 pm at night he would wind the day with his nightly radio news. Sometimes I feel we got better news reporting under a government run AIR!I suppose that is what Vishwanath is alluding to when he says give me 20 minutes of solid news reporting. I don’t think that is too much to ask. If I sit through a news program what I see is news about a bus strike in New Delhi or, about some scandal with a federal minister or the rains in Bombay or Sanjay Dutt being transferred from Arthur Road Jail to Thane. What about headline news? News that matters? What are the big economic and social policies and developments?

   I don’t know if it is ad dollars that is driving the content or content that is driving ad dollars in this business.

   kamla bhatt

5. pranav on August 2nd, 2007 9:41 am

   Kamla..I couldnt agree more. When there were just a couple of channels on the TV, news shows were really worthy of watching..

   i still remember how I used to be glued to the TV on friday nights for watching prannoy roy’s ‘world this week’…
   Alas, those were the days…

   Now, its more sensationalism as opposed to true journalism..And ohh..dont forget those catchy titles they tend to give to the stories - “kaatil kaun”, “yauwan ka dosh’ and crap like that. It all escalated since Rajat Sharma’s news channel came around..
   I read a very interesting story on this a while back.I’ll try to get my hands on it if I can.

6. G Vishwanath on August 3rd, 2007 1:18 am

   Thank you Adil for your feedback.

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   Your comment.
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   My response
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   Vishwanath: I suppose you have NO IDEA what year you are living in?
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   Adil, I am well aware of the year I am living in now and also recall with nostalgia the years I used to live in.
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   You are requesting for something which is unrealistic!
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   No, I don’t agree. My suggestion to have a 20 minute clean slot is practical, possible, desirable and beneficial.
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   Who will pay the reporters if every mom and pop knew the 20 minutes of newscasting without any ads?
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   Who paid the reporters in the good old days?
   Let us have less reporters , less channels and more of good news content.
   If Doordarshan could do it why not all these big names in the media business today?
   They just don’t want to do it.

   I pay Rs 1200/- Rupees every month for my internet connection.
   I pay Rs 150 every month to Worldspace Satellite radio for ad free broadcasts.
   I pay Rupees 30 to for every DVD I that rent from my cable wallah.

   I would gladly pay Rs 250 every month to any channel that can give me ad free news content.

   I am not taking it any more.
   I am now spending more time on the Internet.
   I enjoy a good blog more than the stuff being dished out on TV.
   I have enjoyed reading this blog, commenting on it, getting bashed by you and typing this response!
   You are of course welcome to stay glued to these channels and lap up all those ads!
   To each his own.
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   —————————-
   Maybe take some time to think and do research before humiliating yourself!
   ————————–
   What’s your problem if I choose to “humiliate” myself?
   Have I sought to humiliate you or any one else?
   Some time must be taken to think, but I suggest you do the thinking. I have no second thoughts on this issue.
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   With best wishes
   G Vishwanath
   Bangalore,