MAM

Is your kid watching too much TV?

Published

22 years ago

February 25, 2004

Television viewing among children in India is growing strong, a fact that underlines the ambitious plans by several broadcasters to launch kids’ channels this year. But it is not just children’s channels that the young latch on to. As kids’ viewing habits go from bad to worse, indiantelevision.com talks to experts and parents to check if a middle path can be chosen.

“Our Bablu doesn’t eat food unless we switch on MTV,” wails Bablu’s mother. “Tina watches television all day. I think I am going to cut off the cable connection next year,” complains Tina’s mother.

Parents complain daily about the growing impact of TV on their children.

Kids wake up to TV flashing news, come home from school to watch Jerry bashing up Tom or check out another child thrusting his pelvis in a kids’ talent show. More often then not, the kids eat and sleep to saas and bahu spewing venom on TV.

With long hours at school, tuition’s and ever increasing loads of homework threatening to take over a child’s life, TV is the only recreational activity available and accessible to child. So if a kid is watching more TV than he ideally should, whose fault is it? Lets take a look at the guilty corner…

The parents:

How many times do you come home and reach for the remote? How many times do you switch on the TV so that your child leaves you alone or doesn’t make a fuss while eating.

Swati Salunkhe, director of Growth Centre, which specialises in psychological counseling of young children, says, “Working parents don’t have enough time to interact with their children. When both husband and wife come tired and late, who will have the patience to read out a story or play Scrabble? Most families can’t even afford to enroll their children for swimming, tennis or karate classes or take them bowling.”

Even as they complain about television, parents themselves are completely addicted to it. “Parents are so engrossed in watching TV that they don’t even think what kind of affect a soap opera might have on a child’s mind. And anyway, its is not as if the child learns to switch on the TV set while he is in his mothers womb. Obviously, the parents teach the kid,” comments Salunkhe.

Salunkhe laments that divorces, marriages, love affairs and extramarital affairs shown so frequently at prime family viewing time have made children casual about human relations. Religious channels can increase bias about certain communities. Soaps about black magic, obsessive and compulsive disorders makes them believe that these things are normal. Most of the characters try to get what they want either by hook or crook and that’s the moral the kids imbibe. Too much exposure to bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, cartoons beating up each other, has also desensitized them to violence and aggression.

“Coupled with parent negligence, exposure to such programmes can be detrimental to a child’s personality. Children’s entertainment too is mainly based fantasy or magic based. While the children’s programmes in the past like Vikram Aur Vetaal, Dada Dadi Ki Kahani and Potli Baba Ki, had a fantasy element, they did imparted some learning. Unfortunately such programmes are no longer made. If not juvenile programmes, children have to make do with entertainment meant for adults. What we lack seriously is healthy entertainment for children,” Salunkhe surmises.

The channels

Lack of meaningful programming aside, the ill effects of television has on the kids health that parents need to take into account.

While poor eyesight and obesity are some of the problems that children these days suffer because of TV, longer exposure to cathode rays from TV also is supposed to affect the right brain.

Since an average Indian child watches TV for at least two hours a day, it leaves very little time to do creative or interactive work.

Kids product aside, even the ads for adult brands now target the kids. The young minds often fail to understand the true value of the products. It is because of such misleading ads that skimpy tops, trendy clothes, ultra slim physique has become a necessity.

TV has made most children smarter but not necessarily intelligent. For example, they can SMS but they don’t know the logic behind it.

Children these days have extremely small attention spans. Since television commercial breaks occur every 12 minutes, research shows that they can’t concentrate beyond 12-15 minutes on an average.

One cannot expect the television to shoulder the responsibility as it is a commercial medium and will continue to function as long as the method is effective. The onus lies completely on the parents. If the consumption stops even the production will too.

So what can the parent do? Cutting off the cable connection is not the solution. In fact, it will only make the child feel inferior to others. He might feel left out from discussions about TV and make him feel more curious about TV programmes.

Here is what experts recommend:

Parents can make television time a learning experience by asking them to enumerate the ads shown during the last commercial break.

Kids should be given small tasks like drawing so that they don’t just stare at the television. Parents have to have a hawks eye over what the kid is watching. If a kid is watching an offensive music video, don’t just ask him to switch channels. Tell him why he has to switch the channel.

Don’t just tell him that television is not good for him. Ask him to explain what he thinks is great about watching television. Let him understand what’s good and bad for him.

Encourage him to questions. May be when he does question you about a TV mom wear make up to bed, you can help in differentiate between real life and a television act.

Don’t be engrossed in the TV yourself.

Point out inconsistencies in reality while you are watching TV. Parents need to make the kids aware about the fantasy element in serials like Shaktimaan, Karishma Ka Karishma. They could take the kid to TV shooting and point out how things are shot.

Most glamour and lifestyle shown on TV makes children think that earning money is simple. Let them see what kind of hard work goes into making a TV serial.

Parents should ask the child what he has learnt from the programme just watched. Whenever possible, the parents should instill right thoughts so that he doesn’t take anything at face value and is encouraged to think and differentiate between right and wrong.

Fix a time to watch TV. Try and not tune in to TV as soon as you enter home or any time other than the schedule.

Plan what programmes you can watch along with your child in that hour. It could be news, cartoons or soaps, all the family should watch it together.

If there is an episode about TV villain kidnapping a child and asking for a ransom of Rs 100 crore, take the opportunity to help kid understand the difference between hundred, thousand, lakh and crore.

In short, take control over the small box before it starts ruling you…

Brands

Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.