ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Times Now to launch Twenty20 cricket special series

    MUMBAI: Times Now is set to launch a Twenty20 cricket special series ‘T20-Fast and Furious’ from 15 September at 7:30 pm.

    Hosted by Sunder Iyer, the show will offer viewers highlights and interesting insights into the daily matches over the tournament period.

    Sunder Iyer said, “The show aims to provide cricket fans a prelude to the look, feel and flavour that is all set to dominate the attention of the cricket crazy nation… giving them a thorough insight on how the teams stack up going into the prized tournament.”

  • News as trivial pursuit

    News as trivial pursuit

    We have been rising to majestic heights in our indignation over the proposed Broadcast Bill. Control us? The mature, responsible, credible Indian media? Curtail our freedom? Nonsense! And then we are outed by the police. A fake ‘sting operation’ by Live India (née Janmat) TV ‘exposed’ Delhi schoolteacher Uma Khurana supplying schoolgirls for prostitution. A lynch mob attacked Uma and the police clapped her in jail. The drama was dutifully recorded by the media. Uma was swiftly sacked. A week later, we hear that she had been framed.

     

    How shocking, said the media, but it’s an exception. We still don’t need your content code, thanks, we know what’s best. Keep your blipping Broadcast Bill away from us.

     

    However, voluntary self-regulation is tricky. Maybe the Press Council of India should be expanded to include TV and radio and given some teeth – dentures would do – to effectively regulate the media. For as a mortified media professional I have to admit that this scam is not an isolated example of the media’s bad behaviour. Our determined move from news as information to news as entertainment has blurred both our vision and the once inviolable line between reality and drama. Now we offer gossip, titillation, trivia and unreal aspirations as news, brushing aside boring issues of social concern, trampling sensitivities, infringing privacy, tossing aside ethics and humanity in our effort to be the hottest honey-trap available.

     

    Media as a trivial pursuit erodes public trust
    _______________****__________________

    Take some big stories of the recent past: Uma is framed, ex-model Gitanjali is re-discovered as a beggar, athlete Santhi Sounderajan apparently attempts suicide, freed Sanjay Dutt goes to Vaishno Devi, freed Salman Khan goes home, and MPs and journalists continue to pick bones with Ronen Sen’s ‘headless chicken’. Meanwhile, floods claim almost 700 lives and affect millions in Bihar, and displace over 70 lakh in Assam; farmers continue to kill themselves in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. We gave them short, customary coverage like brief, dutiful visits to elderly aunts, and returned quickly to our riveting game of trivial pursuits.

     

    Unfortunately, the freedoms we enjoy are for our role in educating and informing our audience, for helping them make informed choices that sustain democracy. Media as a trivial pursuit erodes public trust.

     

    We urgently need self-regulation by a representative body like the Press Council to get back to being a responsible and ethical media
    _____****_____

    And Live India’s scam is not even journalism, it is a criminal act of misrepresentation, using media as a weapon for personal vendetta, fabricating footage to wilfully defame and destroy a victim and incite violence. It doesn’t merit another debate on sting operations, this was not one. It needs to be dealt with as a crime.

     

    But the other examples represent bad journalism. Former model Geetanjali Nagpal is spotted begging in Delhi. Instantly, she is headline news, portrayed as a drug addict. The media rips the last vestige of dignity off the unfortunate woman, invading her privacy, sensationalising, offering details of her private life, presenting speculation as fact. She turns out to be mentally ill, not an addict. We cannot look beyond gossip value, cannot discuss larger issues of mental health, social security or homelessness. (We have an estimated 18 million street kids, plus possibly as many adults as street dwellers, but they aren’t sexy enough.)

     

    Santhi Sounderajan’s attempted suicide is gossip, too. Headlined as ‘Tainted athlete’ or ‘Sex-test failed athlete’ Santhi’s identity as an excellent sportsperson is erased by that of a curiosity of unspecified gender. After her failed gender test robbed her of her silver medal at the Asian Games last year, our media had shown no sensitivity. Even now, we don’t go beyond the curiosity factor to look at the third sex’s lack of rights and opportunities.

     

    Ronen Sen’s fowl story illustrates irresponsible journalism again. Getting your source into trouble for the sake of a delicious quote harms the atmosphere of trust and openness essential for constructive journalism. And then, larger issues of strategic partnership were obfuscated as we lost our head over a chicken. It didn’t help citizens to take informed decisions on the nuclear issue. Such frivolous frenzy reduces democratic decision-making to taking sides based on ignorance and muscle-flexing. Besides, it showed an embarrassing ignorance of English idiom. ‘Running around like a headless chicken’ means thoughtless rushing about; it doesn’t imply you’re a chicken. Like ‘as cool as a cucumber’ doesn’t accuse you of being a cucumber.

     

    Leading you through an exciting maze of trivia and gossip, the media confuses your priorities. So when a lowly constable hugs Sanjay Dutt he is instantly suspended, but no action is initiated against the policemen and politicians accused in the Bombay riots even after 14 years.

     

    We are losing our grip. We urgently need self-regulation by a representative body like the Press Council to get back to being a responsible and ethical media. We cannot protect our own freedoms unless we protect the freedoms and rights of others.

     

    (The Author is Editor, The Little Magazine. She can be reached at sen@littlemag.com)

     

    This article was first published in DNA (Daily News & Analysis) on 11 September 2007.

     

    (The views expressed here are those of the author and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to the same)

  • BBC Films head David Thompson calls it quits

        
    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that BBC Films head David Thompson will be leaving to set up a new independent production company.

    His new company will focus on film and television drama and will launch in 2008 with a first look deal with BBC Fiction. Thompson will also continue to executive produce for BBC Films, a slate of existing projects from development through to completion over the coming years.

    Thompson leaves his current role in four weeks. BBC Fiction controller Jane Tranter says, “After an amazing 32 years at the BBC, ten years of those as head of films, David Thompson leaves BBC Films with an impressive slate of international and domestic successes and a truly awesome contribution to the film and drama creative community in the UK.

    “However, despite leaving the corporation to set up his new venture I am delighted the BBC will continue to benefit not only from his unrivalled years of expertise and experience, but from his infamous tenacity, impeccable taste and sharp wit,” she said.

    BBC creative director Alan Yentob says, “Under David Thompson, BBC Films has been responsible for some remarkable British movies and television drama and has consolidated his position at the forefront of British independent filmmaking working in partnership with all the major studios – with BBC Films gathering acclaim internationally.”

    Thompson said, “I feel really privileged to have had the chance to work for BBC Films for many years and the opportunity to work with such an amazing array of talent both new and established. I am delighted that my new arrangement with the BBC will enable me to build on these relationships in the years to come. I have also been lucky enough to work with a brilliant team at BBC Films to whom I am greatly indebted. I am particularly proud of the current slate of films in development and production which is our strongest to date. The experience of running BBC Films for a long time – both the creative and the commercial side – gives me confidence in this new venture!”

    Thompson has executive produced films like Iris, Billy Elliot, Dirty Pretty Things and Notes On A Scandal. The current film slate – the majority developed by BBC films – includes Revolutionary Road starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet; The Other Boleyn Girl starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana; and The Edge Of Love starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys.

    The slate also includes the recently released Eastern Promises starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts directed by David Cronenberg. It looks at the Russian mafia.

  • BBC Sport to broadcast Super Bowl

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that BBC Sport will broadcast the Super Bowl live, over the next two years, having signed an exclusive free-to-air deal with the NFL.

    The two-year deal will also include free-to-air highlights of the NFL London game on 28 October 2007 between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium, plus any other NFL London games that may be scheduled for next year.

    Super Bowl XLII will be broadcast live from Arizona on 3 February 2008 and Super Bowl XLIII will be broadcast live from Tampa, Florida in 2009.

    BBCSport’s Philip Bernie said, “The Super Bowl is one of the world’s great sporting events and we are delighted that, after many years of covering it on BBC Radio 5 Live, we are now also going to be showing it on BBC Television.

    “The Super Bowl always attracts great interest and we are really looking forward to providing a new showcase for this huge occasion.”

    NFL UK MD Alistair Kirkwood says, “We are thrilled to be announcing a partnership with the BBC. This represents a major landmark in the growth of our sport in the UK and will help us to establish the NFL as a significant part of the sporting landscape here. The BBC’s reputation in the presentation of televised sport is unrivalled and we are very excited about working closely with them.”

    In February 2007, Super Bowl XLI reached an estimated worldwide audience of nearly one billion in more than 220 countries as the Indianapolis Colts overcame the Chicago Bears in Miami.

    As well as being one of the biggest events in world sport, the Super Bowl is renowned for its spectacular entertainment line-up, featuring performances in recent years by the Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Prince, U2, Sting and Beyonce Knowles.

  • CNN wins award at IBC for digital newsgathering

    MUMBAI: The International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) in Amsterdam recently honoured CNN’s digital newsgathering operations with two of its IBC Innovation awards, including a ‘Judges’ Prize’ for the top innovation of the past year.

    CNN’s digital newsgathering also won for Content Creation, an award that cited the network’s use of such an innovation for its coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in July 2006.

    CNN Intl MD Tony Maddox says, “This is an amazing tribute to CNN’s often unsung heroes – our technical and satellite crews – whose ingenuity and tenacity in getting the job done shines through everyday at CNN,” said , managing director for .

    In presenting the awards, IBC judges recognised CNN for opening a new chapter in the use of technology in newsgathering through the use of lightweight kits that combine cameras, editing tools and advanced satellite and Internet communications technology into a laptop-based system. This suite of new technologies enable journalists to employ immediate live and video FTP submissions, real-time content monitoring, editing and voice communication from anywhere in the field.

    Jury chairman for the conference Mike Lumley says, “This is exactly the sort of project that deserves recognition. A major broadcaster had a clear idea of what it wanted to achieve and brought together a team of technical partners to make it happen. In a particularly strong field of entries this year, it was never going to be easy to pick a Judges’ Prize, but this is a most worthy winner.”

    For coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, CNN’s anchors broadcast mainly from various locations in the region using conventional uplink dishes allowing correspondents file live reports in remote areas using portable transmission gear they fit into backpacks. At the height of coverage, CNN had deployed about 90 journalists with programmes such as Anderson Cooper 360°, American Morning, The Situation Room, Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer and This Week at War all originating from the region. The result of this innovative approach took the story directly to the viewers from multiple angles as it unfolded.

  • Court seeks guidelines on stings, status of Broadcast Bill

    NEW DELHI: Pointing out that it was the responsibility of the Government to act if any television channel concocted a sting operation, the Delhi High Court today sought to know the provisions drawn up in this regard.

    The Court also wanted to know the status of the Broadcasting Bill, on which discussions had been going on for some time. The ministry was asked to file its reply by 17 September. 

    Hearing a public interest litigation by social worker Rahul Verma seeking to regulate sting operations by TV channels, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna noted: “There have been discussions regarding the bill. The Minister (for Information and Broadcasting) has said that the government is bringing the bill. What has come out so far?” 

    Referring to the recent report of the fake sting operation by Live India channel, the court said: “If the sting is concocted, it is your responsibility to take action. Some kind of restriction has to be there. It is not about an individual case but about broader policy.” 

    The court made a reference to the “sting operation” purportedly showing government schoolteacher Uma Khurana as running a prostitution racket, though the police found it to be a fake report. 

    The telecast of the sting by Live India last month triggered mob violence in and around the school in central Delhi where Khurana taught mathematics. She was soon arrested and sacked from the job. However, Khurana was released on bail earlier this week as no evidence was found against her.

    The Centre today informed the Court that the I&B ministry had issued a show cause notice yesterday to ‘Live India’ channel to respond within three days as to why action against it should not be taken for irresponsible reporting in the fake sting operation involving the school teacher. Not satisfied by that reply, the Court asked, ”Under which provision of the law you have issued the show cause notice. If offence is committed, you have to register a case and start criminal proceedings.”

    The Court had in fact taken suo motu notice of the case on 7 September and had issued notice to the Government and the Police. Interestingly, the police has in its reply told the court that it has not given a clean chit to the teacher. The police had arrested reporter Prakash Singh and his associate Rashmi Singh after booking him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy.

    The fake sting reports have come at a time when broadcasters are opposing the ministry’s proposal in the bill to bring in a Content Code to regulate news and current affairs content.

  • IBN 7 to air special series for Ganesh Chaturthi

    MUMBAI: To celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi IBN 7 has lined up an 11-day long series ‘Ganpati Bappa Moriya’ beginning from 15 September. The series will feature daily aarti at the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai along with daily half-hour evening specials at 7:30 pm.

    Besides IBN 7 will bring live the daily morning aarti from the Siddhivinayak temple in a special 10-minute segment at 5 am with repeats at 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 am.

    As a part of the celebration the channel will feature issues like the history of the festival, special Ganpati pandals and events and how they are funded, how the famous life-size Ganesha idols are made and other aspects of the festivities with special focus on Mumbai. The series will also deal with environmental issues and noise pollution, how celebrities celebrate the occasion, a look at the tallest Ganpati’s across the country and the differences and similarities between the way Indian families observe Ganesh Chaturthi in India and abroad – highlighting the global extent of the festival.

    The series will conclude with a one-hour long special show on 25 September which is the day of Ganpati Visarjan. The one-hour show to be reported by celebrity anchors from various Visarjan spots will look at the special traffic arrangements made to accommodate thousands of people taking to the streets and celebrity.

    IBN 7 managing editor Ashutosh said, “Ganesh Chaturthi is without a doubt one of the biggest festivals to be celebrated in India. Our special programming line-up will bring the viewers every aspect of the festival – from the daily aarti to the behind-the-scenes arrangements that go into making this such a grand celebration.”

  • BBC launches season asking ‘Why Democracy?’ globally

    MUMBAI: The Why Democracy? season is a multimedia event – exploring the state of democracy in the world today – with the BBC at its heart.

    From next month, the season will run globally on TV, radio and online, on over 40 broadcasters, in over 200 countries and territories – a potential audience of 300 million people.

    In the UK, BBC Two, BBC Four, BBC World, BBC Parliament, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service will all run programming dedicated to the idea of democracy.

    Central to the season are ten documentaries, made by filmmakers from around the world, taking a wide-ranging and in-depth look at the nature of democracy. Subjects include US torture in Afghanistan, the election of a class monitor in a Chinese primary school, Che Guevara and the Danish cartoons controversy.

    Why Democracy? has teamed up with Metro Newspapers worldwide, and The Observer in the UK, to ask national leaders, celebrities and everyday people to answer ten questions about democracy. Their answers will appear online, in the press and in a series of short films. The same questions will be part of a global opinion poll.

    And people all over the world can join in the discussion on the web. A global film premiere on MySpace.com will launch the online debate. whydemocracy.net will host discussion forums, chat rooms, educational resources and interviews with key figures who have had a direct hand in shaping democracy.

    The ten films in the season include:

    Please Vote For Me: Weijun Chen’s comic but profound film charts the election of the class monitor in a Chinese school. At first all goes well, but soon the manipulation and dirty tricks start, posing the question of whether democracy could ever exist without them.

    Looking For The Revolution: Here Rodrigo Vazquez travels to Bolivia to see whether the idea of a revolution started by Che Guevara 40 years ago is still alive today. Evo Morales seems to be trying to keep revolution on the agenda, but others wonder whether it can ever actually happen.

    Taxi To The Dark Side: Dilawar, a young Afghani taxi driver, was arrested and tortured to death by United States forces in Bagram. Oscar-nominated director Alex Gibney provides a forensic account of how such abuses became possible, and finds a trail leading to the door of the White House.

    Bloody Cartoons: Life and livelihood were at stake when a small Danish newspaper chose to print a selection of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Karsten Kjaer looks at the events that followed and travels the world to question the protesters and explore their motivations. Could the Muhammad cartoons have affected the future of free speech?

  • Make discussion on Broadcast Bill more inclusive: IFJ

    NEW DELHI: The International Federation of Journalists has urged the Indian government to hold more inclusive consultations and recognise the legitimate interests of journalists in the process of the proposed Broadcast Services Regulation Bill and the Content Code.

    This was stated in a memorandum submitted with the endorsement of the National Union of Journalists (India) an IFJ affiliate, and two local unions from Mumbai and Delhi.

    “We understand that the most recent draft of the Broadcast Bill that has been circulated for public debate is the fourth in a decade”, said IFJ Asia Pacific Director Jacqueline Park. “That its future is still uncertain, speaks of a failure of consensus-building around the purported aims of broadcast law reform”.

    The IFJ has been advised by affiliates and other like-minded organisations in India that the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill in its most recent version is not dissimilar to a draft that was introduced, discussed and abandoned last year. The only respect in which the current legislative proposals differ from those of 2006 is in the introduction of a set of “guidelines” for broadcasters, or a “content code”.

    “While we can appreciate a regulatory regime that seeks to curtail cross-media ownership and ensure that the broadcast spectrum is preserved as a public resource, we do not see the utility of regulating content,” said Park.

    The IFJ has learnt through its affiliates that the Indian Penal Code as it now exists is adequate to deal with instances of gross abuse of media autonomy. Competent legal opinion has held that there is no basis for the prior restraint of the right to free speech, since the punitive powers available are sufficient to sanction all offences post facto.

    “In the circumstances,” said Park, “the purpose of broadcast law reform should be little less than to give effect to the historic judgment of the Indian Supreme Court, that the airwaves are a public resource, which should be allocated in accordance with a broad definition of public interest.”

    The IFJ, in consultation with affiliated unions and other civil society groups, would like to urge the Indian government to broaden its consultations and to explicitly grant the demand of the professional community of journalists, to be heard in the process of broadcast law reform.

  • IBN 7’s ‘Zindagi Live’ launches a microsite

    MUMBAI: IBN 7’s recently launched talk show Zindagi Live has launched a microsite on IBNLive.com. The microsite will also have a blog section of the anchor Richa Anirudh who will write about what viewers can expect in future episodes and the audience response.

    The microsite features show schedule, streaming videos of episodes of Zindagi Live and offers a platform for viewers to share their experiences with the channel.

    Viewers can log in and submit their detail as well as their story. Besides, viewers can also send e-mails with their personal accounts that they would like to share on the show at zindagilive@ibnlive.com.

    On the microsite, one can also have a sneak peek into subjects to be discussed in forthcoming episode and a list of all the topics to be discussed in future shows. Those interested in being a part of the show’s interactive audience can also sign up at the microsite.

    Besides the show is also accessible to its viewers via mobile and landline. They can SMS their feedback and suggestions to the shortcode.

    “At IBN 7 it is our constant endeavour to provide interesting new programming and Zindagi Live is one such perfect example. The property promises to be unlike any other talk show on Hindi news television and is bound to attract great response from both the viewers and the advertising fraternity alike,” said CNN-IBN and IBN 7 national sales head Sanjay Dua.