GOOD NEWS!
News bulletins never had it so good on Indian television

News programmes have suddenly become hot property and are vying for attention with other popular programmes which hitherto had a monopoly in the charts. This startling transition has happened because of the growing popularity of Star News (English and Hindi), Aaj Tak (Hindi) and to a lesser extent, Zee News. These programmes have revolutioned the concept of news presentation on Indian television. The strong point of all these bulletins is their topicality, objectivity, slick editing and high-quality visuals, all of which had been a casulaty in the hands of Doordarshan which had monopolised newscast on Indian television for too long.

DD had turned Samachar / The News into a dowdy exercise. It lacked topicality and relevence. All controversial issues were pushed under the carpet. Viewers were lulled into sleep with irrelevent footage of ministers and other powerful individuals inaugurating exhibitions and cutting ribbons at inane functions. DD's sense of timing has always been absurd. Remember the assasination of Mrs Indira Gandhi? DD had reported it hours after all the international channels had! Objectivity had been the first casualty as news was invariably slanted to suit the party in power. All voices of dissent were conveniently throttled, compelling the audience to take DD bulletins with a pinch of salt. Newsreaders invariably appeared like they were reading an obituary even while reporting on a sporting event, thanks to DD's rigid regulations. To make matters worse they were subjected to a more rigid dress code.

It was only when news was liberated from the confines of the DD news room that it gained in objectivity and credibility. The man responsible for this was Pranoy Roy. Through his News Tonight. Roy, with his slick and intelligent election specials and World This Week, had carved a niche for himself as an outstanding, dependable presenter. So it wasn't long before television viewers took to his News Tonight on Doordarshan in a big way. Soon Aaj Tak (Hindi), produced by India Today's television wing, TV Today, and presented eddectively by the late S. P. Singh, followed on DD Metro and became an instant success.

News Tonight had excellent on-the-spot reporting with pertinent visuals. But then, it was too good for Doordarshan to handle. Not one to tolerate any sort of efficiency and objectivity for long, DD quickly got into the act and began making life difficult for Roy, and News Tonight moved over to Star Plus in a new avtaar, Star News.

Star News produced by Roy's New Delhi Television (NDTV) has, in a matter of months, become the most popular news programme on television. Maybe it lacks the reach it had as News Tonight on DD, but it has become a must for the upmarket segment which has access to satellite television. It's a fairly large segment in metro cities. No wonder this segment totally ignores DD's unimaginatively presented newscast, except perhaps in New Delhi, where it seems to be still watched.

Interestingly, Star News is the most successful Indian programme on Star Plus. Along with Star News On Sunday, it has managed to cultivate a niche audience in urban areas where satellite television is accessible. Because of its growing TRP the programme with which the multinational company Deawoo is associated has been attracting premium advertisements. And is today the highest revenue-earner for STAR in India. Equally popular is the Hindi edition of Star News presented by Mrinal Pandey, though it hasen't really got the mileage Pronoy Roy's association has given Star News in English. The morning edition of Star News entitled Good Morning India leads with a morning viewership of 11 per cent, which is considerably ahead of the TRP commanded by the morning news segments telecast by DD 2 (5 per cent) and Zee (5 per cent). Extremely well-packaged, Star News is a blend of hard political news and soft stories of popular interest.

Zee news rates a fairly close third after Star News and Aaj Tak. At one point the Zee bulletin had acquired the reputation of being politically coloured, in favour of BJP, especially with the entry of Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi as its programming head. Sainath Iyer deniesit as a mere canard meant to defame the channel. Zee News' major disadvantage is that it clashes directly with the more popular Aaj Tak, which is credited with a "mature political outlook", both happening at the 10 pm slot.

According to Rajiv Berry, Media Executive, Ogilvy and Mather, "Star News gets the maximum commercials followed by Aaj Tak and Zee News. While Star News gets a lot of corporate and premium ads, Zee News gets a mix of premium and fast moving consumer product ads." Asha Sharma, media planner, Sistas Saatchi and Saatchi seconds his view. "In terms of image Star News stands out. So I would opt Star News for premium products. But in terms of reach Aaj Tak rates higher. It's my first choice for mass products," says she.

In recent times, however, like it happened in the case of Indian Airlines when faced with competition from private airlines, competition from Zee News and Star News has forced DD to change its format and shed some of its inhibitions. A striking example was the recent riot in Mumbai which was extensively covered by DD giving voice to conflicting views. Nevertheless, Aaj Tak and Zee's Hinglish bulletin have carved a niche for themselves.

As a media analyst put it, "People have always been hungry for news and information. But because they couldn't look beyond the staid, slanted News on DD, they continue to depend on newspapers and news magazines. But, now with the "privatisation" of newscast, things are looking up and people have a choice." Which has led to advertisers showing greater interest in news-based programmes.

As of today, in terms of ad revenue, Star News and Aaj Tak are in a comfortable position, though the latter has a slight advantage because of its greater reach through DD Metro, which attracts more consumer ads.

The competition is expected to reach a fever pitch in the months to come. The winner in this of course is the discerning viewer. Today he has a wide choice. He has Samachar at 8.30 pm, STAR News at 9.00 pm, BBC Hindi news on Home TV at 9.30 pm, Aaj Tak on Metro at 10 pm and Zee News also at 10.00 pm. Basavraj, director programing, Star plus, says "With people becoming more and more news oriented, more news programmes are bound to evolve and the best will survive."