The song ‘Dard-e-disco’ in the just-released Hindi film ‘Om Shanti Om’ has become India’s new anthem. No problem with that. It’s got a mellifluous Sufi influence. Has the timbre and tenor needed of a song that waxes eloquent on matters of the heart. But what gets my goat is the way the TV news channels are airing interviews with the cast and crew of Om Shanti Om and Saawariya ad infinitum. I have no issues with promos breaking the news segment for some comic relief, but advertorials disguised as editorials is definitely not on. If the general entertainment channels air similar-sounding reality shows at the same time, I am okay with that. After all, they could do with better viewership ratings (TRPs). But news channels should concentrate only on giving breaking news in the fastest and most accurate manner possible.
The worst happened only last week. While I was surfing the news channels for the latest in breaking news, all I saw was an enthusiastic Shah Rukh Khan talking about his film Om Shanti Om. What’s worse is that every news channel, be it NDTV, Aaj Tak or Times Now had the same SRK clad in the same t-shirt and sitting on the same sofa and talking the same shit. SRK has no issues with this ofcourse. After all, he’s preparing for an all-out fight to the finish with Saawariya. It’s revealing to know that a superstar like him gets the jitters from a big banner film. Shah Rukh Khan is even quoted saying, ‘My movie’s budget is equal to the publicity budget of Saawariya’. Ofcourse, it’s exaggerated but he conveys the competitive streak between the two filmmakers. Competition is fine, so long as it is healthy but what isn’t is the way news channels are giving up their sacrosanct editorial space for what is downright promotional stuff. Have things gone so out of hand that TV channels are airing the interview simultaneously for more TRPs? Is this a new form of overkill? Or is this a novel way to make money by the TV channels even before the film reaches the theatres? Call it what you will, but one thing is clear. The TV channels have just lost their nose for news in pursuit of material happiness. By airing the interview on the same subject with the same person at the same time, they are creating a visual blind spot. When a person views the same thing on every channel when he’s particularly looking for breaking news, he will simply switch off and get on the Internet for the dope.
The statistics point out the rot within. According to an industry survey, Hindi-language soaps and movies corner 40% of all TV ad revenue. No wonder, news channels are morphing into general entertainment channels to sustain themselves. But then, why call themselves a news channel? If this isn’t enough, there’s more bad news. According to reports, the total number of channels on air is set to hit 700 by 2009. This means, broadcasters will be forced to slash advertising rates and spend heavily on improving technology to ensure their channels are carried into homes, or face the prospect of being swallowed up by rivals.
This media trend is only going to worsen in the coming days. The pressure on advertising rates and the load on overburdened analog distribution systems is expected to benefit deep-pocketed broadcasters and edge out smaller and niche broadcasters. The upshot? Hapless viewers like you and me will be witness to many more OSO-like advertorials ad infinitum. But we don’t need to just grin and bear it. There is hope yet. We can always turn off the TV set and log on the Internet instead.
(This piece has appeared in my Media Watch column that runs in Agni every week)