ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Content Code: MIB places self-regulation guidelines before Court

    Content Code: MIB places self-regulation guidelines before Court

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting today placed before the Delhi High Court a Self Regulatory Guidelines for the Broadcasting Sector (2008) that proposes a two-tier regulatory set-up to be run entirely by broadcasters, with the key being adherence to the Certification Rules of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995.

    The contentious issue of Content Auditor has been dealt with extensively in the Guidelines, giving the industry the powers they wanted, by removing the clause in the earlier Code that said that the Auditors would have to report issues of non-compliance to the government.

    Now, the Auditors would report violations to the Chief Editor and it would be his responsibility finally on what goes on air.

    The Guideline says that only cases in which the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) would take action – suo moto or on receiving a complaint – would be violations of the Certification Rules that have repercussions on the security or integrity of the country or contravene restrictions under the Theme 6 (Regulation & Community) or Theme 9 (General Restrictions) of the Certification Rules.

    Also, segment-wise Broadcast Consumer Complaint Committees would have to be set up, which would include separate committees for MSOs (multi-system operators), LCOs (local cable operators), the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Association for Radio Organisations of India, Community Radio Forum and the Prasar Bharati.

    The BCCCs would have wide-ranging powers, including directions to channels not to telecast programmes or advertisement, “pending discussion”; to edit the advertisement or programme, and order any punitive action “in accordance with the constitution of the BCCC of the relevant segments of the industry”.

    While the First Tier would ensure self-regulation at the BSP level, the Second Tier would be the domain of the industry as a whole.The BCCCs would play their role there, again a new concept ushered in by the Guidelines.

    “At both the tiers, it will be the industry that would regulate itself, which was their demand and so what more can one ask for?” said an MIB official, without wanting to be identified.

    A copy of the Guidelines is exclusively with indiantelevision.com.

    The first tier would be at the Broadcast Service Provider (BSP) level, where each such BSP would have to have its “own internal mechanism to comply with the Rules, for which it may appoint one or more Content Auditor of requisite qualification and experience”.

    Each channel would have to provide details of its Content Auditor/s on its website and channel for information of the public, and the information would have to be notified to the MIB.

    It says: “For the purpose of ensuring compliance, each BSP may develop its own internal guidelines and procedures. However, each BSP shall consult its Content Auditor/s for assigning appropriate categorisation as per the Rules in respect of each programme / advertisement.

    “The Chief Editor of the channel, by whatever designation he is known in the channel shall be responsible for the final decision to accept or modify the guidance given by the Content Auditor”, and shall be “finally responsible for self-regulation and ensure compliance with the Rules”.

    Another new aspect in the Guidelines is to deal with Live and interactive programmes.

    In these, the government felt, that participants’ words or ideas or gestures cannot be edited out, so the Chief Editor would have to satisfy himself that adequate briefing have been given to the participants about the certification norms and indemnify the BSP against any deliberate violations by them.

    An important new aspect that had been a demand of the industry, especially the news channels, has been taken care of, wherein the Guidelines says that while the Content Auditor would bring to the notice of the Chief Editor any violation of the Rules, “The ultimate decision of such a matter shall be the responsibility of the Chief Editor.”

    The second tier would be at the Industry Level, at which the “Central Government or the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India would appoint industry-segment level organisations to set up their respective Broadcast Consumers Complaint Committees, who would have to deal with and respond to complaints within specific time limits.”

    It is here that the MSOs and LCOs have been empowered for the first time to set up their own BCCCs to deal with programme content complaints from subscribers.

    The list of other industry-segments that would have to set up their own BCCCs include the IBF, NBA, Association of Radio Operators of India, Community Radio Forum and Prasar Bharati.

    The Introduction to the Guidelines says: “These Guidelines set out principles… and ethical practices which shall guide the BSPs on offering programming services…” and also says that “These Guidelines have been drafted to introduce greater specificity …and minimse scope for subjective decision by the regulatory authorities or the BSPs.”

    Since the Guidelines are self-regulatory, which has been a consistent industry demand, the onus, the government says, would be on the BSP when forming a view on the acceptability of any programme.

    The industry demand for watershed timing has been accepted and made progressive, from 8 pm onwards, under the assumption that from that time of the day “parents are expected to share the responsibility of what their children are permitted to watch on TV”.

  • F1 returns to the BBC

    F1 returns to the BBC

    MUMBAI: Formula One Administration Limited and BBC Sport has announced the return of Formula One (F1) to BBC Television.

    The five-year deal will run from 2009 to 2013 and includes exclusive rights to TV, radio, full broadband and mobile.

    BBC Sport director of sport rights Dominic Coles said, “The biggest motorsporting event in the world is returning home after 12 years.

    “We were delighted when Bernie Ecclestone approached us about the return of F1 to the BBC. F1 is a crown jewel of sports broadcasting, so to bring the rights back to their traditional home from 2009 is tremendously exciting.

    “Fans will be able to enjoy uninterrupted, state-of-the-art and innovative coverage from BBC Sport, across all of our TV, radio and new media platforms, for the first time since 1996.”

    Bernie Ecclestone said, “I am delighted to conclude this new deal with the BBC. It is an exciting time in Formula 1 and the BBC has some innovative new ideas to consolidate and expand our UK fan base.”

  • CNN-IBN to scrutinise Indian airports in weeklong series

    CNN-IBN to scrutinise Indian airports in weeklong series

    NEW DELHI: CNN-IBN will launch its weeklong programme State of India’s Airports from 24 March, based on interviews of users – both commuters and pilots – of the largest and even some smaller airports, building an industry perspective into a public issue.

    The public interviews will be validated by a special CNN IBN-AC Nielsen survey to determine the Airport Satisfaction Index of regular airport users to identify the key areas of improvement and their level of satisfaction with Indian airports.

    The biggest and the best – the newly inaugurated, state-of-the-art Hyderabad airport – will be showcased alongside smaller ones, like Kochi, Coimbatore, Amritsar and Gwalior, which lie in shambles, officials from the channel revealed.

    One important question to be probed is why cities with killing air traffic, Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, still have only one airport, and also, how is the privatisation attempt working out against claims like “You Awaiting a World Class Airport” seen in hoardings on the entry point of Delhi’s airports.

    While issues of civic amenities, hygiene, ease of getting luggage back and public utilities at the airports would be gauged from the people in general in the interview format, those of technicalities such as runway conditions, bird hit frequency, near-miss collisions, night landing will be understood from pilots and technical staff.

    “While India possesses the fastest growing aviation market in the world, with the number of passengers growing exponentially, the adequate infrastructure to support this growth is still lagging,” says a statement from the channel.

    The series will culminate with a special one-hour show on 29 March at 8 pm (repeat Sunday, 23 March at 12 pm) that will provide an in-depth look at some of the upcoming, “world-class” airports from around the country!

    “A massive project to expand, revamp and in some cases even build entirely new alternative airports in India’s biggest cities is presently in progress,” said top officials at the channel.

    While renovation work in Delhi and Mumbai is still underway, the new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad are ready and in the case of the latter, been recently inaugurated.

    “CNN-IBN’s State of Indian Airports will not only look at these four big cities but also lay focus on some of the country’s smaller airports.”

    The weeklong newswheel stories will be substantiated by a nationwide poll conducted by AC Nielsen that will assess factors like the facilities available, user satisfaction, connectivity, quality of infrastructure, the pros and cons of privatisations

    “State of Indian Airports is intended to depict the public’s dissatisfaction with the current state of most airports in the country, their inability to cope with the increasing passenger traffic, show successful examples of smaller airports and raise debates on issues like why bigger cities cannot have multiple airports,” the channel says.

    “State of Indian Airports brings viewers a close glimpse of the real condition of some of India’s airports, both big and small. The poll results on the country’s best and worst airports will further validate the need to upgrade these epicentres of India’s booming aviation industry,” maintains CNN-IBN & IBN7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

  • BBC’s teen brand Switch launches new content

    BBC’s teen brand Switch launches new content

    MUMBAI: BBC’s teen brand BBC Switch has announced a raft of new content aimed at 12 to 17-year-olds, across TV and online at bbc.co.uk/switch.

    The first programme to launch in late March/early April on BBC Two will be The Surgery. The remaining content will launch on BBC Two in May.

    New teen talk show The Surgery will be a series of 15-minute programmes linked to BBC Radio 1’s The Surgery, giving British teenagers a voice. The show, hosted by new signing Jeff Leach, will deal with an assortment of topical issues facing teens such as dating, family, social networking, ASBOs, fashion, drinking and drugs, body image, celebs, politics and more.

    Each week, Jeff will have an open and challenging discussion with the teen studio audience, with weekly contributions from teens across the UK. The Surgery will also have a dedicated section on bbc.co.uk/switch, which offers expert advice and practical information.

    Class of 2008 is an observational documentary series that follows six up-and-coming young talented people in London on their creative journeys as they strive to establish themselves as successes in their fields of fashion, music, design, acting, DJing and entrepreneurship.

    The eight-episode series will follow the group and their ups and downs as they try to land record deals, modelling contracts, acting roles, show fashion collections and launch club nights.

    Revealed will be a journalism series of current affairs programmes that give an authentic depiction of the teenage world in the UK today. The show, presented by young journalists Charlotte Ashton and Anthony Baxter, will inform and lead viewers on a journey to make sense of a variety of subjects such as teen alienation, gangs, family life, sex, school and more.

    Kyle XY is a teen drama from the US which will air for the first time on UK terrestrial TV. The show tells the story of a unique teenage boy Kyle, played by Matt Dallas, who has a mysterious past and the family that takes him in.

    Launched in October 2007, BBC Switch is the BBC’s teen service delivering content to 12 to 17-year-olds across multiple platforms, TV, Radio 1 and online.

  • Alan Johnston awarded on anniversary of his kidnap

    Alan Johnston awarded on anniversary of his kidnap

    MUMBAI: BBC correspondent Alan Johnston was given an award by BBC World Service for his outstanding contribution to the international broadcaster.

    The award coincided with the first anniversary of Alan’s kidnap in Gaza. He spent 114 days in captivity and was released on Wednesday 4 July last year.

    The award was presented by BBC television documentary presenter Michael Palin in Central London at a ceremony to celebrate excellence, innovation and creativity in BBC World Service.

    BBC World Service director Nigel Chapman said, “Alan Johnston has worked across the range of BBC World Service output, both as an editor and a correspondent. He is a skilled all-round journalist with a talent for words; he has never shied away from the toughest assignments. His passport has stamps in it from Tashkent, Kabul and many parts of the Middle East.

    “He has extraordinary personal qualities. After his release from captivity in Gaza, he was calm and focused enough to report his own story in an unforgettable way. He later wrote a memorable and beautifully crafted essay for our programme, From Our Own Correspondent. His reporting is always of the highest class.”

  • Marcus Arthur is BBC Worldwide MD global brands

    Marcus Arthur is BBC Worldwide MD global brands

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has promoted Marcus Arthur to its board, appointing him as MD of global brands.

    Currently BBC Magazines (London) MD Arthur will report directly to BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith. In his new role, which is effective from 31 March, Arthur will continue to lead on the strategy, implementation and development of all BBC Worldwide’s “passion sites,” including radiotimes.com, bbcgoodfood.com and topgear.com.

    He will also assume management responsibility for both the Top Gear brand, one of BBC Worldwide’s most important and fast-growing properties, and Lonely Planet, the leading travel information group which BBC Worldwide acquired in October 2007.

    BBC Worldwide non-executive chairman Etienne de Villiers says, “As BBC Worldwide continues to build its position as a major global media company, it is vital to establish and nurture our key brands across all platforms.

    “Marcus’s appointment to the Board gives two of BBC Worldwide’s success stories a forceful and dynamic champion, paving the way for continued growth and development.”

    Smith says, “Marcus’s strategic insight, ability to cut through complex situations and proven team leadership skills will be invaluable as we build our top brands globally. He has already done a tremendous job leading the roll-out of our passion sites and will, I know, be a huge asset to our board.”

    Arthur says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for me and all the many people committed to delivering on BBC Worldwide’s ambitious growth strategy. In addition to my continued leadership of BBC Worldwide’s passion sites, I look forward to working with Adam Waddell and his team as we underline Top Gear’s position as the world’s leading motoring media brand.

    “I’m also delighted to be steering the Lonely Planet business in the next phase of its growth and working closely with Judy Slatyer, Lonely Planet’s CEO, to identify even more synergies.”

  • BBC launches College of Comedy

    BBC launches College of Comedy

    MUMBAI: Britain’s comedy writers are backing a new “BBC College of Comedy.” The scheme, which launches today (12 March), will take six writers and train them over a year by attaching them to sitcoms and sketch shows, giving each a mentor for original work, and running a series of masterclasses in all aspects of comedy writing.

    Among those endorsing the scheme are Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, Bill Dare, Jeremy Dyson, Andy Hamilton, Armando Iannucci, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Paul Mayhew-Archer, David Mitchell and Robert Webb, Susan Nickson, Simon Nye, Ian Brown, James Hendrie and Ian Pattison.

    The scheme, which has financial support from BBC Worldwide, is designed for people who have already begun their careers, and can demonstrate some achievement, such as broadcast material, a script commission or performance of their work.

    Applicants are being invited to submit the first ten pages of a half-hour script, or six sketches by the closing date of 14 April. Twelve writers will be interviewed, and the successful six announced on 16 May. They will then be matched with productions, and guaranteed a script commission.

    They will also be given a mentor for original work, which will be showcased when the scheme ends in March 2009. There will be two residential workshops during the year, with sessions from leading writers, producers and directors.

    The scheme is being run by Micheál Jacob, formerly the BBC’s creative head of mainstream comedy and executive producer of My Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and The Smoking Room. He will combine running the college with developing and executive producing programmes.

    Jacob says, “We hope to find people who are going to make our team-written shows better, and also writers with original voices who can develop their own shows. We also hope that people will like the BBC enough to bring us their work in the future.”

    The scheme is the brainchild of BBC’s head of comedy, Mark Freeland.

    He added, “I’m really excited about the launch of the scheme. I hope that we can find creative writing talent from many places, unearthing origin and diverse comedy voices.”

  • CNN-IBN series takes on finance minister’s ‘pre-poll gimmick’

    CNN-IBN series takes on finance minister’s ‘pre-poll gimmick’

    NEW DELHI: CNN-IBN is going to start a politico-economic series to take on the UPA government in general and the finance minister in particular with The Sixty Thousand Crore Loan Waiver, throughout this week.

    In the series, CNN-IBN is going to evaluate “the possible merits, if any, of this so-called panacea to the rising farmer suicides,” a statement from the channel says.

    Throughout the week, CNN-IBN’s flagship news bulletin, India at 9, will bring stories from across the country that look at the state of farmers from some of the worst-affected areas, including how banks are grappling and how political parties are politicising the entire situation in their favour.

    “The series is aimed at unearthing the real impact of the Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver on those it is supposed to help. It sheds light on the plight and state of farmers across the country, for whom nothing really changes,” says CNN-IBN and IBN7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

    The channel believes that the farm loan waiver is expected to benefit thirty million small and medium farmers, but in fact the figure is nothing like it.

    The channel statement says that the waiver is in fact only applicable to loans taken from established and recognised banks for less than 2.5 hectares of land.

    “However, a majority of the affected farmers either own more than 2.5-hectares of land and/or borrowed money from private moneylenders,” it adds.

    Therefore, this means that they are exempted from the waiver and that in reality it is just a pre-poll political gimmick.

    The series takes viewers through places like Bundelkhand, Vidarbha, Telengana, Haryana and even the finance minster’s constituency of Shivganga in Tamil Nadu to showcase ground realities that have been overlooked by the government’s otherwise impressive grant.

    “Could it be a political carrot dangling before farmers to gain momentum before the upcoming elections? CNN-IBN finds out,” says the statement.

    In addition, the series also lays focus on the growing migration of people from areas like the Azamgarh-Varanasi belt to the big cities in search of urban opportunities. For these former farmers, agriculture is no longer an option and jobs in metropolises seem more alluring.

    The Sixty Thousand Crore Loan Waiver is a series that looks into the reality of the Budget’s most-hyped provision and how everything is not what meets the eye!

  • BBC, NFTS work to put new documentary talent on TV

    BBC, NFTS work to put new documentary talent on TV

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC is awarding development deals to three National Film and Television School (NFTS) documentary filmmakers.

    The BBC and NFTS established the development deal to bring the inspiring new visions of young filmmakers to the screen. Now in its fourth year, it sees the brightest new documentary talent from the NFTS being fostered by the experience and expertise of the BBC.

    The new documentary filmmakers to benefit are Leon Dean, Luke Sewell and Ilian Metev. Their work impressed selection panelists Richard Klein, Krishan Arora (independents executive for BBC Vision), Charlotte Moore and Kate Beetham (executive producers, documentaries).

    The development deal provides funding for the graduates to work with independent production companies and BBC Factual executives to develop their ideas further.

    NFTS director Nik Powell said, “In the last few weeks, there have been three authored documentaries written, directed and often also produced and crewed by recent graduates of the NFTS in major BBC strands – Storyville and Wonderland. This demonstrates to us and the BBC just how successful this arrangement is.”

    The BBC‘s Krishan Arora says, “These deals will allow NFTS graduates to learn from experienced TV executives about developing documentaries for television, and to get a chance to put their ideas to the acid test of BBC commissioning. It‘s a highly competitive field but this ‘on-the-job‘ training will hopefully equip the students well for their future filmmaking careers.”

    NFTS head of the documentary division Dick Fontaine says, “These BBC deals are great for us, of course, but even more valuable is the weight the BBC is putting behind the series Wonderland, not only supporting new authored films but leading the audience to them.”

    Leon Dean says, “Being awarded a BBC development deal is a tremendous opportunity to build my skills as a filmmaker and work with the company responsible for some of the greatest documentaries. Thank you BBC!”

    Luke Sewell said, “I‘m over the moon to have been awarded a BBC Development Deal. It‘s such a fantastic opportunity for a graduate of the NFTS. I can‘t wait to get started with my project.”

    Ilian Metev was equally excited and had this to say about his award, “I am very grateful for the BBC‘s faith in my project and truly inspired to embark on this new journey.”

    Previous recipients include 2005 graduate Daniel Vernon whose film, The Man Who Loved Sherlock Holmes, was made under the deal and was broadcast by the BBC on Boxing Day in 2005.

    Daniel has continued to make ratings winning programmes for the BBC – most recently The Man Who Eats Badgers and Other Strange Tales from Bodmin Moor and The 92-Year-Old Danger Junkie, both shown earlier this year as part of BBC Two‘s Wonderland strand.

    Says Daniel, “The development deal was a really good start for me after graduating from the NFTS – it gave me a chance and the space to continue pursuing my own ideas.

    “Most importantly, it helped put me in touch with commissioning editors where I was able to directly pitch ideas. Following the two films for the Wonderland strand, we are now planning future projects.”

  • Where is the ‘News’?

    News is back,” said Anurradha Prasad at the launch of B.A.G Films and Media‘s Hindi news channel News24. Now does that simply indicate that news channels in India are currently devoid of “news” in its truest and purest form? A content analysis reveals something more…

    India‘s experience with TV remains unique. It is the only country in the world with more than three dozen 24-hour TV channels broadcasting programmes on news and current affairs, barely a quarter-century after the world‘s first 24-hour TV news channel (CNN or Cable News Network) came up in 1980. Till 1991, television viewers in India could view only the channels broadcast by Doordarshan. That landscape significantly changed with the invasion of private satellite news channels.

    Hindi news channels have been consistently accused of invariably having less news and more entertainment. Litres of ink and loads of paper have been spent, arguing that news channels are no longer part of the anti-establishment group as they carry only those stories that fetch them gold.

    Agrees IBN7 managing editor Ashutosh: “Over the last few years, the concept of news has changed. Even for those who used to watch political news, it is no longer a good proposition, as there are no charismatic leaders. The UPA government has not thrown up any leader worth following as news. Even the newspapers‘ political coverage has changed. All this has happened mainly because it is now all about eyeball chasing, and it is getting from bad to worse.”

    While speaking to indiantelevision.com earlier, Aaj Tak news director QW Naqvi had said: “Talking of the year 2007, I feel the audience has changed its choice and appeal. Issues like corruption don‘t appeal to viewers anymore. Maybe, people have accepted it as an integral part of our society. Therefore, an exposé featuring corruption doesn‘t interest the audience, to a large extent.”

    Undoubtedly there has been a paradigm shift of news. While many argue that news in itself has shifted its meaning, others ask who defines news. For some, naag-naagin shaadi (marriage of snakes) is just as important as a barbaric killing in Singur or Nandigarm.

    To further quote Naqvi: “No doubt, television news industry has grown at such a frantic pace that it has created certain pitfalls. All-out efforts in the past year were made to grab viewership. In this mad race, at times content was compromised and true journalism took a back seat. Compounding this malady, mushrooming news channels tended to water down the impact of many meaningful news reports.”

    Says Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS) managing editor Shazi Zaman, “Central to our selection of news is the impact it will have on people and the interest that people have in the story. The last few years have seen new viewers added, many of whom have non-traditional preferences. The changes in the content of news channels are a reflection of this shift.”

    In the last one or two years, it seemed Hindi news channels took a cue from the Hindi film fraternity. Whatever was hit in the news space was seen as a formula and followed thereafter.

    First came a wave of family drama, matrimonial discord, violence and divorce. Once it reached its fatigue, the audience got bored and the news content searched for a different formula.

    Then came ghost stories. News channels vied with each other for showing horror stories. While this content was very short lived, it was also alleged that some of the news reports were concocted.

    After ghost stories, came the Baba wave, followed by amazing videos. This was a completely new phenomenon. In these videos, channels showed people performing crazy feats. But finally this, too, seems to be nearing its end.

    Says Zaman, “Experimentation is the result of a desire to reach out to more and more people and to cater to as many tastes as possible. In 2007, news became more encompassing than ever before. Thus, it was no coincidence that the year of experimentation was also the year that saw genre expansion.”

    A study by the Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies (CMS) says that the three C‘s of cricket, cinema and crime lord over politics in Hindi news channels. The study shows that news channels have undergone a radical transformation, whereby news has not only changed in its definition and content, but also in the manner in which it is presented.

    Hindi news channels have seen a rise in comedy and reality show content, the emergence and establishment of trivia in news, and most significantly, the end of political news dominance.

    According to the CMS Media Lab, the time spent on political news in the year 2007 has come down by more than 50 per cent. Political news coverage by Hindi news channels has dipped from 23.1 per cent in 2005 to 10.09 per cent in 2007.

    On the other hand, sports, entertainment, crime and human interest news have managed to almost double up from 27.9 per cent in 2005 to 53.1 per cent in 2007. At the same time, agriculture, education, health and environment-related news have not seen any net change; their coverage has been as insignificant in 2007 as earlier.

    Ashutosh reverts, “Careful studies show that it is not sports coverage that has gone up, but cricket. There is hardly any non-cricket sports news. For the past two years, there have been so many controversies, and cricket news is being covered even for other reasons like Sourav being dropped, Rahul Dravid becoming the captain, the entire Chappell controversy. Secondly, in cricket India has been doing exceedingly well. So far as crime reporting is concerned, there is a lot of drama, and it is just right for television.”

    “Besides, the entertainment industry has grown tremendously, and they have realised the power of news channels. They are marketing their products through news channels, and all the big films have media partners,” he adds.

    News broadcasters also feel that serious stories without any element of drama have a short life in the Hindi news space.

    Naqvi points out that “Operation Kalank” (the Aaj Tak-Tehelka exposé on the connivance of state administration in sheltering and helping the riot accused in 2002) in a normal news environment would have shaken the foundation of governance in both Ahmedabad and Delhi.

    “But the shelf life of this haunting exposé was hardly a few days. It did shake up the intelligentsia and society for a while, but it was not the topic of discussion in most drawing rooms after even a week. Not much changed either. Even though our channels kept the issue alive for a few days, the story did not really move forward. And this, I presume, is largely due to a variety of news being aired by a host of channels.”

    He says further that there was another good story on another channel, portraying a major scandal in UP. That exposé showed how police in UP has surpassed all levels of corruption. For as little as Rs 3,000, police officers were acting as contract killers and shooting down people in fake “encounters.” This was not an insignificant story. Rather, it was a crucial exposé showing the depths of corruption within the police force. Had this story appeared a few years ago, it would have made national headlines and would have been the talking point for a long time. But in today‘s circumstances, it vanished from the scene within days and could not even attract print media‘s attention.

    A few broadcasters also believe that in the last two years there has been a clutter in the Hindi news space with some addition to it, which subsequently had its toll on the quality and focus of the content.

    “This has to be attributed to the overcrowding in the TV news space, which has reduced the audience attention span. There are so many news items being dished out that your interest in something of importance vanishes swiftly. Rather, to retain audience interest many a time too many stories are being splashed, so that the audience doesn‘t move away,” added Naqvi.

    A general rundown of Tam‘s (television audience measurement) top five programmes on Hindi news channels cannot be hard to guess: wrestler Khali, stand-up comedian Raju Srivastav, Lord Ram have been a hot favourite with the Hindi news channels in the past few months.

    Star News‘ comedy capsules edited out from Star One‘s The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, which is hosted by an anchor in a virtual studio with good number of ad breaks, has figured highest in the top five programmes in the last few months as per the data provided by Tam.

    Cricket has been featured differently in Ye Cricket Kuch Kehta Hain (Aaj Tak), Nach Le Cricket (Aaj Tak), Disco Cricket (Star news) while Khali has seen a variety of presentations like Khali Ki Khalbali, Khali Karega Khatma and Khali Sae Bali. Gods blessed the news channels in shows like Zinda Hain Rawan, Sabko Mil Gaye Ram and Kaise Dekhe Ram.

    Star News claims that in the week 9 ending 1 March, 41 per cent of the content in its channel was news bulletin while the rest was religious, crime and cricket-centric stories. Religious stories were 8 per cent while sports reviews, comedies, business shows, crime and thriller were 7 per cent each. Cricket-based shows grabbed 10 per cent while film shows managed 1 per cent of the entire content pie.

    One of the senior editors of a Hindi news channel vehemently opposes the Tam rating system. He argues that content is mainly driven by the Tam ratings. Explaining further, he says that most of the time the editorial is forced to do stories which categorically caters to the places or states where the Tam Peoplemeters are placed.

    A man hit by a bull in the streets of Delhi will get more coverage and footage than five men killed in Darjeeling or Assam. The reason is only that peoplemeters are located in places of Delhi and not in the hill zones. For a Delhite, the former story is about the neighbouhood which compulsorily gets more hits in the peoplemeter.

    “The content is decided by the geographical placement of the peoplemeter to get spikes in the ratings chart. Hence, some parts of India (where peoplemeter is absent) and some stories are left untouched or given very little importance,” says the senior editor.

    Another complaint of the news broadcasters is the heavy distribution cost. Broadcasters say more than half of the outlay goes in the distribution cost, which cuts other costs like human resources. That is why a reporter cannot be placed in the interiors as it has its own costs. A virtual studio ultimately becomes the easy answer.

    Ashutosh says, “Distribution cost has gone up tremendously because of the clutter of channels. This is in fact affecting quality as a lot of money from a fixed budget goes into distribution, and channels have not learnt to be patient enough to give quality products. If only we could be patient, a lot of difference could come in.”

    All said and done, Hindi news content is still doubted of its news value. Instances like a sting operation on a Delhi school teacher gone horribly wrong by Live India have forced the Information and Broadcasting ministry to consider taking the editorial reigns in its hands by the Broadcast Bill. Until then it is a merry time for all.