MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Do creative folk have to show reckless driving to demonstrate power and zip in a car, asks Anil Thakraney

    Debrief: Maruti Swift: More reckless driving

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Shots of rash, reckless driving in adverts give me the frights. Most car makers do this (as also movie makers), and then some idiots go ahead and emulate the stunts on the streets, leading to tragic results. Therefore there’s no point really in singling out Maruti Swift for such irresponsible advertising.

     

    In addition, Maruti has named the brand Swift, and therefore it gets very tempting for them to show high speed because the car has to live up to its name. Also, this particular brand targets young India. And so they have to show youngsters speeding, and this is a lethal combination. One recent study has indicated that a majority of the road accidents in Mumbai involve those in the age group of 21 to 30 years (Maruti Swift’s desired segment).

     

    The commercial itself is pretty stupid, nothing to report on that. Basically, lads and ladettes going crazy in their Swift. The question all creative people must ask themselves is this: To demonstrate power and zip in a car, do we literally have to show reckless driving? Isn’t it possible to achieve this by using the power of lateral thinking? I would urge my pals in the ad world as well as their clients to chew on this. Because we must never forget that you can buy a driving licence in India for a few hundred bucks. And then take some lives for free.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Thoughtless stuff.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Tata Steel's former Head of Communications killed himself without leaving a suicide note, therefore no one can be certain of the real reason behind his death, notes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Deshpande: The truth died with him

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Let me state upfront that whatever we journalists/columnists write on Charudatta Deshpande’s suicide is speculative in nature, and I don’t do speculation, not even in the stockmarket, leave alone journalism. This is because Tata Steel’s former Head of Communications killed himself without leaving a suicide note, therefore no one can be certain of the real reason behind his death.

     

    What is instead being bandied around is, yes, speculation. There are theories floating about the alleged leak of confidential information about the company to a trade press journal, and the subsequent persecution of Deshpande by his colleagues at Tata. There are allegations of phone tapping, the executive being ‘bullied’ into signing bonds/ documents, etc. All hearsay stuff. The Tata group has launched an internal enquiry, so we’ll have to wait for the findings. Though if the enquiry is being conducted by the group itself, one has to wonder how objective it shall be. An independent enquiry would have been befitting.

     

    That said, let’s assume for a moment that Deshpande was indeed being harassed, and that indeed was the reason behind the suicide. One thing bothers me about this situation: Deshpande was a tough journalist before he shifted to corporate communications. His former colleague at The Indian Post, Salil Tripathi, has this to say about the man (courtesy: Mint): “We knew Charu was a tough man, a reporter who had covered crime, politics, and business, and was not one to get intimidated easily. Those of us who knew him-for years or months-knew that beneath his calmness, there was a cool mind which figured out what was going on.” For someone of such a background and temperament to wilt under organizational pressure does sound a bit strange to me. And for a person who’s been a professional journalist to not leave behind a revealing note? Had age and PR mellowed the man? Like I said, we don’t know and we’ll never know.

     

    I have only one clear opinion in this matter: Politics and power play happens in the corporate world all the time, and it can sometimes get very dirty. If you are at the receiving end of it, you have just two choices: Deal with it. Or hand in your resignation letter. And if the organization has crossed the line of politics and has begun illegally tormenting you, then blow the whistle. File a police complaint. Or call a press conference. But self-murder? Ermm, that doesn’t make any sense to me in this case. And the sad truth is, Deshpande’s death will always remain a mystery. Alas.

     

    PS: Speaking of suicide at workplace, Misery Bear’s predicament reminds me of my own terrible days in the ad agency client servicing department. No, my phone wasn’t tapped nor was I being forced to sign dodgy documents. I was simply unable to suck up to the clients. And yes, the nearest watering hole proved to be a life saver. 🙂

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • While Mint and Hindu cover media closely, we need more mainstream newspapers to keep an eye and comment on media as well, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Time for mainstream press to comment on media

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    There are a few things we need to learn from the British media and one of them is for our newspapers to start clearly identifying their political leanings. This seems more and more necessary in the politically aware and digitally alert India, with the middle classes taking a tiny bit more interest in proceedings than before. As India develops further, it will follow a more or less established pattern of development and surely it cannot hurt the media to think ahead of the curve. I suppose one should include television news in this as well, seeing how influential television has become. There is plenty of confusion as to which side of the political spectrum various news channels and newspapers fall with ample accusations flying around.

     

    The current brouhaha in the Times of India stable over the article about Narendra  Modi’s daring rescue of Gujaratis from Uttarakhand, followed by a demolition of the article in an opinion piece followed by a half-baked explanation and digs at desk-bound columnists in a blog by the original writer… In any other world, the newspaper would (and should?) have offered some explanation to its readers about what was going on. In this instance, a “we cover everything” excuse sounds more like a cover up!

     

    For instance, the Times has every right to be pro-BJP if it wants but if its reporters are going to act like publicity agents for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, then someone should please inform its senior editors and opinion writers. This will help to not confuse the reader, if nothing else. It’s bad enough that she or he has to negotiate between which bit of printed glamour gossip is PR masquerading as news without adding this political confusion to the equation. I suppose the fact that Chetan Bhagat is a best-selling writer justifies his getting edit page space in TOI, but why not stick his columns in some children’s section given the depth of his thoughts?

     

    **

     

    More Indian newspapers might also pick up on The Guardian’s idea of having a media page. Yes, Mint does it and The Hindu covers the media closely. Websites like The Hoot, Newslaundry.com and this one also track media happenings. But we need more mainstream newspapers to keep an eye and comment on media as well.

     

    Monday’s Guardian has a critique of the re-launch of Rupert Murdoch’s News International as News UK. It also has a very funny account of how scriptwriters are treated by the BBC as well as a feature on an internet TV service. The Reader’s Editor talked about the newspaper’s run-in with a government department. This provides a fair overall coverage to the reader about media events – all of which affect the reader, lest we forget.

     

    **

     

    I will not bother to mention that art, the performing arts and literature get space and prominence in British newspapers. Having heard variously insulting and demeaning descriptions of the average Indian for years from marketing departments in several news organisations I now accept that Indians cannot think beyond Bollywood and the rubbish it churns out week after week!

     

    **

     

    I take back my complaints about the Indian media being obsessed with pictures of children with chocolate and ice-cream inelegantly smeared all over their faces mistakenly thinking that this is cute. Must know acknowledge that this misconception is global as this picture on the front page of The Times, London demonstrates.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. She is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. She can be reached via Twitter at @ranjona. The views here are her own

     

  • Like the Radia tapes revealed in India, there is some behaviour by media houses and journalists which is unacceptable, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Lessons from the Murdoch saga for journalists

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Rupert Murdoch had been heard on tape supporting his journalists under investigation in Britain and raging that the allegations of corruption have been blown out of proportion. News Corp did promise to cooperate with the official investigation after the phone-hacking scandal blew up a couple of years ago, leading to the closure of News of the World. Since then, senior editorial staff members – like Rebekah Brooks – have been jailed and face various charges in the on-going case.

     

    On the tapes, Murdoch speaks up for his journalists and feels that the police have been incompetent in the probe. The humility which he showed during his questioning by Members of Parliament is evidently gone, replaced by the arrogance he is known for. He also, intriguingly, elliptically refers to his son Lachlan as his successor, where earlier that mantle appeared to have been handed to James.

     

    The Murdoch saga is far from over and even if it now flies under the radar there are implications for media houses and journalists everywhere. Like the Radia tapes revealed in India, there is some behaviour by media houses and journalists which is unacceptable. Even if such behaviour is condoned and ignored – or especially if it is condoned and ignored – serious damage is done to the institution.

     

    (For more on Murdoch: http://www.channel4.com/news/murdoch-rupert-tape-police-the-sun-journalists)

    In Britain, the Leveson report into press ethics and the judge’s suggestions about a regulatory have hit a stone wall. In India, the Radia tapes have been quickly forgotten. Unfortunately, this reflects very badly on the media itself given that we all pay the price by every transgression by one of ours.

     

    Tragically, the chairman of the Press Council of India’s early blustering has been exposed as Shakespearean sound and fury: signifying nothing. The rest of us are happy to carry on as long as that monthly pay cheque comes in.

     

    **

     

    The story behind the suicide of former journalist Charudatta Deshpande is distressing and frightening. Deshpande, who recently quit as head of Corporate Communications at Tata Steel. Deshpande had been blamed apparently for a story on Tata Steel that appeared in Forbes magazine. He has practically placed under house arrest in Jamshedpur and threatened. He told friends about a “mafia” within Tata Steel.

     

    The company also tried to spread the word that Deshpande had died of a heart attack to cover up his suicide, using its PR network. Deshpande’s case has been brought into the public domain and the Mumbai Press Club, for instance, has taken up the matter with the Tatas. K Ramkumar, an executive director with ICICI bank has also gone public on the appalling way Deshpande was treated.

     

    Along with all the other problems with such a case, there is cause here perhaps for business journalists to consider how they portray certain companies and add to their public myths. The essence of journalism has to be disbelief. But instead, we fall for some popular line and perpetuate ideas about corporations and their leaders happily ignoring their shortcomings. It’s not only about succumbing to marketing pressure either. Even worse, I think it’s about access and that glorious feeling of rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty. But whatever the reasons, the effects are disastrous.

     

    One only hopes that some justice can be found for Charudatta.

     

    **

     

    One of the joys of being in London is reading the Big Issue, the magazine set up in “1991 to provide homeless and vulnerably housed people with the opportunity to earn a legitimate income”. The magazine costs pounds 2.50 and the vendor gets pounds 1.25 for every copy sold. The reader gets a well-conceived magazine with the required mix of news, features and opinion. Politics, art, culture, cinema, music, popular culture, sport and human interest are all covered.

     

    A lesson of some sort here, not to make a big issue of it…

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. She is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. She can be reached via Twitter at @ranjona. The views here are her own

     

     

     

  • Soon television channels will have to move towards taking a holistic brand view, than a content view, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Lest we forget… television is a ‘service’ industry

    Shailesh Kapoor

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The latest phase of ad cap has come into play from July 2013, limiting inventory to 20 minutes per hour for news and 16 minutes for GECs. Come October 1, 12 minutes may be a reality. Discussions and debates on ad cap over the last few weeks lead to a larger point, which we hardly give our due attention to. That television channels are not products but services. In effect, watching a television channel is closer to visiting a restaurant than using a shampoo. You may not be paying per viewing session (at least not explicitly), but the principle still holds.

     

    Those in the service industry, such as hospitality, retail and food, among others, will appreciate that the norms and parameters that apply to service businesses are sharply distinct from those that apply to the product businesses.

     

    Yet, most of the media talk about television is only about content. It boils down to programmes, their cast and crew, and the program ratings. But if we were to detach the product part of the business and look at everything else, we may stumble upon some critical parameters that can shape the way a television channel brand is perceived, consumed and advocated.

     

    Take for instance the breaks themselves. The break duration, length, timing of the break point and packaging (e.g. the countdown clocks) are service parameters. A long break is, in many ways, the equivalent of a restaurant taking unduly long to bring your food to your table. Yet, these are parameters we have only peripherally worried about, till TRAI stepped in.

     

    Similarly, we hear a lot about “picture quality” in consumer research. It is that abstract notion which can be borne out of a mix of production budgets, bandwidth and creative execution. The diagnostics of negative feedback on this aspect generally ends up being technical and theoretical in nature, and hence, un-actionable.

     

    Then, there is a critical service parameter that applies to practically all service businesses: On Time. Television schedules, especially on movie channels and repeats on entertainment channels, are often violated by upto 15-20 minutes. In the era of EPG, and growing viewer education on how to best use the medium, this is simply a case of poor service.

     

    Of course, there’s the channel packaging, particularly relevant to the news genre, where viewers may have to endure multiple tickers to watch their daily dose of news. Even on entertainment channels, screen space being covered by programme promotions is increasingly becoming an irritant for the purist viewers, and it’s a matter of time before more viewers begin to articulate the same. TRAI has tried to step in here too, but ad cap is understandably taking more attention for now.

     

    The list of service parameters will be longer, if one was to sit down and make it. At some stage – and that stage is not too far away – television channels will have to move towards taking a holistic brand view, than a content view. And when they do that, they will have to acknowledge that customer service (viewer service in this case, though advertiser service can also be argued to be important) cannot be an unconscious activity. Especially in genres where the product (content) is not too differentiated (and there are many such genres), service quality can create real differentiation and lead to higher subscription revenues, as we slowly but surely move into a true addressable environment where a la carte or smaller channel packages will be real options for the consumers.

     

    Two bad services back-to-back in tennis are called a ‘double fault’. It costs the player a point, often the game, sometimes the set and the match. Broadcasters may rather have aces up their sleeves instead.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • Laptops on while crucial meetings are on is a malaise afflicting 80% broadcasters today in varying degrees, rues Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: What’s Infecting Our TV Industry? Laptops!

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Conference room. Set for an important meeting that may have a decisive impact on the future of the channel, and by extension, on the future of everyone who works for it. About two dozen team members from various functions have been called to attend to a research presentation. Around the time of the meeting, they begin to saunter in one by one. There is chatter while they take their seats and wait for their big boss to join us.

     

    In those five minutes, machines are flipped open, one after the other. Some are finishing “urgent” work, while some are checking emails and replying to pending ones. Productive use of time, I wonder. Of course, preparing yourself mentally for a meeting, even if you are just an audience, is supposed to be an old-school thought. There are still others in the room who are on their laptops, but you can see that they are trying to figure out what exactly to do with them. It’s just a medical condition. They have been surgically attached to their machines.

     

    Then the big boss arrives. Sure enough, he/ she comes without a laptop, with full attention and interest in a meeting that he understands the importance of, more than anyone else. As we get set to start, I’m certain that the laptops will be ‘lid-shut’, either out of interest or because of protocol.

     

    Curiously enough, that doesn’t quite happen. Only a handful (mostly the senior lot) keep their laptops aside and bring their full presence to the meeting. Others continue to “multi-task”. For the next two hours! The nature of the tasks has shifted too. Many are now using the laptops for note-taking. What they have taken note of, I’m not quite sure though.

     

    The big boss is not concerned, it seems. He is into the subject material, engaging in discussions that don’t need any technology to support them. He may as well let the geeks carry on.

     

    Then the big boss asks his team for some data or clarification in the meeting. Confusion erupts. At least 2-3 team members dig into their laptops trying to give him the answer. There is an undercurrent of who-comes-first. But it is more of the I-know-how-to-use-the-laptop-better-than-you kind. At the end of this thrilling race, the big boss has still not got the real answer he’s looking for. He sighs politely, and decides to move on.

     

    This is the story of 80% broadcasters today, in varying degrees. It is also the story of many B-schools, I’m told, where students attend lectures with their machines “on them” all the time.

     

    Having started my career in times when laptops were nearly unheard of and an internet connection was available on one shared machine for almost 200 people (which too shall remain mostly unoccupied, as many didn’t know what to do with it besides checking Hotmail), it is natural that I find this phenomenon deeply disturbing.

     

    However, what concerns me a lot more is the weak foundation being built for the younger lot. Evidently, the laptop culture (especially prevalent in non-creative functions) does not put a premium on the importance of having an uncluttered mind to aid stimulating discussions. It also does not promote teamwork, given the inherently personal nature of the device in question.

     

    In the old days, when we had a meeting, we’d “prepare” for it. We will read the relevant emails and documents, carry the necessary print-outs to the meeting, even keep our thoughts ready. Today, the laptop substitutes for all that.

     

    My respect goes to the 20% companies who have managed to stay away from this epidemic. I’m not sure if they planned for it or their culture just ensured they were kept safe. But either way, they have a big advantage to protect!

     

    Others may do well to take a deep look at their meeting protocols. It’s never too late.

     

    PS: The mobile phone is another problem of epidemic proportions. But that’s for another day, another post.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • Bollywood may not admit it, but the dance revolution started by television has impacted it too. Viewers are looking at dance steps with a critical eye, expecting the next level, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: 2008-2013: The Great Indian Dance Revolution

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Three dance reality shows are currently vying for viewer attention on the weekends. Last week, Zee TV aired ABCD – Any Body (sic) Can Dance, India’s answer to Step Up. Backed by some innovative promotions featuring the channel’s homegrown stars, the film scored higher than biggies like Race 2 on the (much-maligned) rating charts.

     

    Circa 2008. India almost didn’t know what dance was about. It was a fancy Western idea restricted to the upper echelons of the society, such as the celebrities in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, or a boring old-fashioned tradition of the Indian classical form. Bollywood had been using dance liberally for years. But unlike some of the other Bollywood inspirations, most famously the hairstyles, filmi dance didn’t make it to the mainstream.

     

    But we are a country of celebrations. Wedding functions often involve girl gangs performing to Bollywood hits. And as we got more liberal (relatively, of course), wedding dances became an important expression of an Indian woman’s desire to be free.

     

    The stage was, therefore, set in 2008-09, when two television shows, none boasting of big budgets or high profile launches, brought in a revolution. Nachle Ve With Saroj Khan has arguably been the most under-rated show on Indian television if you look at its social impact vis-à-vis its media buzz. The show made “learning dance” legitimate, even cool. Simple, middle class girls and boys would watch this incredibly deglamorized show to prepare for their next wedding sangeet performance. There was nothing inaccessible here. It was as mass as ‘infotainment’ could get.

     

    Then came Dance India Dance (DID), which brought fancy foreign words like Hip Hop, Popping & Locking and Slow Motion to Indian parlance. DID gave wings to the aspirations of a small-town India, which was enthralled seeing three average-looking judges encourage young talent from across the country.

     

    I’m not sure if someone has exact statistic on the increase in the number of dance academies in India over the last five years, but some crude estimates peg it at 400 percent.  In researches, we now hear mothers and daughters dancing together to Bollywood songs at their homes, and for some curious reason, “in front of the mirror.”

     

    Bollywood may not admit it, but the dance revolution started by television has impacted it too. For one, the quality of commercial dancing has gone up several notches. But even more importantly, viewers today are looking at dance steps with a critical eye, comparing them to what they have seen on TV, expecting the next level. It’s a win-win-win, as the viewers, the TV industry and Bollywood have got into an effortlessly symbiotic relationship here.

     

    Yet, we have certainly not seen it all when it comes to dance. ABCD came almost three decades after Mithun Chakraborty’s Disco Dancer and Dance Dance. It remains the only dance-based film in our contemporary cinema. ABCD 2 or EFGH (Every Friend Goes Hip-Hopping) should not be a bad idea. And DID is still discovering new pastures, with its superbly executed Supermoms show that’s doing very well currently.

     

    So be prepared for more, because the Dance Revolution is well and truly here. All it took was five years!

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • If the ratings system is going to influence the size of advertising revenue that it does, it has to be credible in absolute terms, writes Shailesh Kapoor.

    Shailesh Kapoor: If You Had To Choose: Bad Ratings or No Ratings?

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s been an eventful week for the television industry, the unfolding of which has been nothing short of a taut Hollywood thriller that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat. The backstory started with NDTV’s lawsuit against TAM last year, but the real action began last week when a top broadcaster (MSM) decided to hit TAM where it hurts the most, by simply pulling the plug. Times Television and a few others have followed suit. And the second act has not even started.

     

    There have been many points and counterpoints, both from the broadcasting and advertising fraternity. BARC’s ratings design is not going to see the light of the day before 2014, and hence, there is a sizeable time window to handle.

     

    The real question that should define the framework for this debate is: “Are the current ratings credible?” For me, the question is that and only that. Credibility is not graded. Here, there is no concept of “mostly credible”, “more credible than others” or “perhaps credible”. If the ratings system is going to influence the size of advertising revenue that it does, it has to be credible in absolute terms.

     

    Anyone who follows ratings closely (many people) and understands statistics (only a handful) will agree that the current ratings system has error margins which lack statistical robustness the moment you begin to look at markets or segments which are narrow, e.g. C&S 25+ SEC A Males in 5 metros. The error margins could be as high as 30% in such segment, which means that a rating from 2.1 to 3.9 may in reality represent the same viewership, i.e., 3.0%. Now imagine doing the same for C&S 25+ SEC A Males in Bengaluru. The error margins would cross 100%.

     

    In a way, TAM may have shot itself in the foot by reporting such data and allowing it to be analyzed. This attitude towards error margins could definitely not have been a result of ignorance, given the company’s rich heritage. But it seems to be a result of over-confidence, even arrogance, resulting out of being a monopolistic player in the television currency research space.

     

    Understandably, you cannot install more meters because your business model prohibits the same.But is that a justification to report data that could statistically be a result of pure chance, than a reflection of reality?

     

    The television industry has perhaps been guilty of going soft on the issue in the past, taking tough stands only on occasions that suit their business. Over a decade, I’ve been hearing the fig-leaf argument, i.e., “in the absence of anything else, TAM at least gives an indication”. Now that’s a compromise on the principle of credibility. That argument should have never been admissible in the first place.

     

    What’s the solution, then? It’s surprisingly simple. TAM should define an “error margin” or “confidence level” at which it will report data, e.g. maximum error of 10%. It should communicate the same to the entire industry, and then report only the data that clears this filter. If this means that certain markets and audience segments cannot be analyzed, then so be it. Some channels, especially English channels, may find the results irrelevant because they won’t be able to look at certain desired TG cuts, but it’s better not to look at error-laden data in any case.

     

    This may understandably result in much lesser “data” in the system, but less data of good quality should win over more data of bad quality any day. Of course, in doing this, TAM will have to admit that their error margins have been rather abysmal in the past. But the taste of a humble pie is not that bad, is it?

     

    Yes, a ratings-less system will create confusion. But if I had to do the ranking, I’d say: Good Ratings > No Ratings > Bad Ratings. For those suggesting Bad Ratings > No Ratings, a masterclass in statistics is highly recommended.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • In a decade from now, the star news anchor woud acquire cult or superhero status, writes Shailesh Kapoor. To borrow from cinema, he may evoke reactions like: Do your job honestly, nahin toh Arnab aajaayega.

    Shailesh Kapoor: Arnab Goswami: The Superhero We Need

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    I have to admit that my only serious weekdays appointment viewing these days is Arnab Goswami’s Newshour on Times Now. Earlier this week, I watched more than 90 minutes of one such Newshour show entirely focusing on the IPL spot-fixing scam. As I surfed out at the end of the show and started watching news programming on some other English channels, the contrast was unmistakable. It was like walking straight out of a rock concert into a classical musical one. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and I had to raise the volume considerably, probably because I had kept it at a lower level for the last 90 minutes!

     

    I felt a similar contrast when I watched Iron Man 3 and Aashiqui 2 back-to-back about five weeks ago. The worlds of the two films had nothing in common. But you can like both, as I did. But in the case of Newshour, there are reasons to like the show more than most other prime time options on English news channels; reasons that get adequately amplified when a story of “national interest” gathers momentum for about a week or two, like the current IPL controversy.

     

    In his opening remarks at a recent event, Arnab Goswami candidly admitted: “I tend to forget that I’m an anchor. I have assumed the role of an analyst much too often.” This contrasting approach to anchoring is what makes him stand out, both in a good way and a bad way. Almost all Newshour debates start with Arnab’s position being defined loud and clear. The show, then, is about him playing the captain of one of the teams in a debate competition, who has been given the advantage of moderating the debate too.

     

    In classical journalism, such as approach, evidently biased as it is, may have no space. But we don’t live in a classical world, do we? We live in a world of scams and bad governance, where newspapers and news channelsoffer little to cheer about anyway. As a result, television news today has gone beyond being an information source to delivering more inclusive benefits, like that of becoming the voice of the ‘common man’, who has been watching one scam after the other unfold, with a sense of helplessness and cynicism.

     

    As many of us watch the champions of scams and bad governance being grilled on Newshour every night, we feel a certain sense of empowerment. There’s someone asking the tough questions. There’s someone who has the gall to talk them condescendingly, even insultingly at times. After all, they deserve all the insult they can, if how our mind justifies it.

     

    I have always wondered why certain guests, especially those from Pakistan, even agree to feature as guests on Arnab’s show, given the consistent track record of being spoken down to. Perhaps because they want to better their Newshour performance from last time? Alas, they never succeed!

     

    I don’t have the slightest doubt in my mind that a decade from now, Arnab Goswami would have acquired a cult, near superhero status in Indian media, when his reputation of a feared anchor would have spread itself wide and across in the inner corridors of power. To borrow from cinema, he may evoke reactions like: Do your job honestly, nahin toh Arnab aajaayega. Or: Zulm mitaaneko ek maseeha nikalta hai, jisey log Arnab kehte hain.

     

    This iconic status, which is well on its way of getting formed already, may not meet the gold standard of “good journalism”, but most superheroes are flawed and therefore interesting, right? But once you get used to liking them, you like them unconditionally.

     

    Yes, it may take you a while to like Arnab Goswami and his show. Newshour is acquired taste. But then, so is India!

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • 1992. 2000. 2008. Give or take a couple of years, and the next big GEC revolution is set to happen anytime 2014 onwards, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: The Next GEC revolution is round the corner

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Since the start of the Hindi GEC genre in 1992 with the arrival of Zee TV, there have been two distinct events that can be termed “revolutionary”, in that they changed the dynamics of the genre significantly, impacting all stakeholders – broadcasters, advertisers and viewers – in turn.

     

    The first such revolution came in 2000, with the launch of Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus, shortly followed by Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki – daily serials that made their way to primetime, with a distinctly different visual and narrative treatment than what had been seen before. This revolution had “risk” written all over it, tales of which are now are a part of industry folklore.

     

    The second revolution came eight years later, in 2008, with the launch of Colors. This was a revolution borne out of consumer dissatisfaction. The same Kyunkiis and Kahaanis, which had sparked off a paradigm change in 2000, were now considered hackneyed, and the consumer was starving for something new. But all she was getting was more of the same, barring an odd Jassi. Left with no options, she continued to watch what was being dished out, resulting in decent ratings for content that consumers positively hated at that point of time.

     

    Finally, with the arrival of Colors, the much-needed alternative was there. Serials went out of palatial homes into the heartland of our vast country. Reality television made its presence felt like never before. Movies were finally being shown with sane amounts of break advertising. Colors offered all that was missing, opening up a new world for the GEC viewers. Other channels too followed suit, and reinvented themselves, moving away from the much-abused K-serials. Ironically, the channel that started it all, Star Plus, managed to make the transition beautifully in 2010.

     

    1992. 2000. 2008. Get the eight-year pattern? Give or take a couple of years, and the next big GEC revolution is set to happen anytime 2014 onwards.

     

    But it’s not just this eight-year math that I base my forecast on. There are substantive, almost telltale, signs that we are ready for the next big change in the Hindi GEC space. Here are three such signs:

     

    1. Declining interest in existing content: There is a perceptible decline in interest in fiction content at the consumer’s end, especially in the bigger metros. This loss of interest is not with the genre, but with specific shows that they watch. A sense of sameness has come in, not so much in terms of stories but their treatment. Everything drags, is a common perception. Like 2008, this may not mean an immediate drop in ratings, but the dissatisfaction is fast growing.

     

    2. Viability of big-ticket fiction: With digitization, broadcasters seem more equipped and confident to invest in big-ticket fiction. Initially, these may come as clutter-breakers or differentiators, such as 24 on Colors and Amitabh Bachchan’s recently-announced fiction show on Sony. But if the idea works, big-ticket fiction can become staple prime-time diet, not just the “other” option, bringing with them fresh talent and treatment.

     

    3. Changing mood of the nation: There has been a visible change in the mood of the country over the last few years. We are way past the economic liberalization phase, that we now take for granted. The angst generated by governance issues, such as inflation, poor infrastructure and corruption, has been in the forefront in recent times. In a way, we may be in a new, digitally-packaged version of the 70s, when the ‘angry young man’ emerged as an iconic prototype. The equivalent today can be even more layered and interesting.

     

    The question, hence, is not whether we will see a GEC revolution soon or not. The questions are, how soon will it happen, and who will benefit from it the most. The answer, if anyone had a definitive one, would be worth a million dollars.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • IPL is cricket-based primetime entertainment controversies are like tabloid gossip which people consume for voyeuristic pleasure and purely as entertainment, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: IPL: Credibility vs. Viewership

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The last week has been an infamous one for the Indian Premier League (IPL), and from what it seems, we have certainly not seen the end of the controversy the league finds itself in. Newspapers and news channels have prominently covered what obviously qualifies as news of great “national interest”.

     

    There is a strong sense of deja vu here. In 2010, Lalit Modi was ousted from his position as the IPL Commissioner in the week leading upto the finals. I remember how several “experts”, including cricketers themselves, were busy debating the issue on various news channels, even as Chennai Super Kings were playing Mumbai Indians in the all-important match. Wonder which viewers was a news show such as this targeting!

     

    Any issue with legal ramifications needs to be handled by the investigative and legal machinery available for the same. But the part that interests me here is how the media has handled this situation.

     

    The most interesting, even amusing, side of the media’s take on the spot-fixing controversy is an axiom most journalists seem to be operating out of, that “If IPL loses its credibility, it will lose its viewership.” However axiomatic this may sound, it is simply not true. And if you miss this point, you are missing the larger IPL story altogether.

     

    IPL is cricket-based primetime entertainment. I find this description of the tournament not only appropriate, but also encouraging. It feeds right back into the material instincts of the young, ambitious India that we all talk about. As Veeru from Sholay famously said: “Iss story mein emotional hai, drama hai, tragedy hai.” It is as real as any reality show can get, complete with its twists like spot-fixing.

     

    Does the viewer care about these controversies? Of course he does. It is fodder for office and college canteen talk, after all. But does the viewer have a strong position on it? Not necessarily. For many, these controversies are like tabloid gossip, which you consume for voyeuristic pleasure, purely as entertainment. To say that the average Indian cricket viewer is deeply troubled by this is a mile away from the truth. The average Indian cricket viewer is an “average Indian” first. He has enough else to care and worry about.

     

    Hence, the linkage between controversy, credibility and viewership begins to break. But from the high horse that many in the media seem to be on, it seems like the most obvious thing ever known to mankind.

     

    I can understand former cricketers and passionate old-time sports journalists getting worked up about the “entertainment” positioning of a cricket tournament. But why do other journalists and guests take a “cricket is a gentleman’s game” stance is not very clear to me. IPL is now in its sixth year. It has never pretended to be championing the gentleman’s-game positioning of the game. It has been unequivocal about its motives.

     

    There have been a few senior cricket journalists who have taken an exception of the idea of the league from way back in 2008. That’s a viewpoint and understandable. But what does not add up is the news channels approach of giving extensive coverage to the league through half-hour daily shows (with repeats), and then taking a moral view on cricket when a controversy erupts.

     

    When a normal political scam runs into 11 digits of monetary valuation, an IPL controversy involving a few million should actually be inside-page news. But let’s face it. Even the newspapers and news channels know that it is “popular”. In a way then, by giving it disproportionate coverage, they are endorsing the power of the IPL, even using it to their advantage. Talk about irony!

     

    Meanwhile, the viewer is getting all set to watch a final on Sunday.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • If the 10+2 cap comes into force, many channels will lose upto 60% of their commercial inventory. This itself should have been reason enough to approach the issue in a more inclusive manner, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Is the ad cap a blessing in disguise?

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    There has been enough written and spoken about TRAI playing corporate police and setting guidelines that define break durations and other promotional dos and don’ts that channels must adhere to.

     

    I find most of TRAI’s ideas fairly well-intentioned (though some, like not allowing entertainment channels to use on-screen promotions, border on unreasonable extremes). But their execution has a ring of policing, which is never a good idea in any industry, let alone one reeling under the pressure of slow policy-making and implementation over years.

     

    If the 10+2 cap comes into force, many channels will lose upto 60% of their commercial inventory. This itself should have been reason enough to approach the issue in a more inclusive manner. It takes no rocket science to discover that if an industry loses about half its saleable produce to a policy, it will react adversely. Hope we see the end of this policy tangle in months, than in years!

     

    But if I remove the baggage of TRAI and its ways from the discussion, I find great merit in the idea of ad cap. There is a mathematical proof that many have shared, including columnists on this website, whereby the linkage between reduction in inventory and increase in ad rates has been well-articulated.

     

    But my argument comes more in the capacity of being a voice of the consumer. It operates on the simple premise that any pro-consumer move works well for a business or an industry in the long run.

     

    In our researches back in 2008, certain genres had managed to create deep consumer disenchantment because of the poor viewing experience as a result of “too many ads”. Interestingly, over the last five years, this articulation has faded away. Complaint has given way to cynicism, where consumers have taken unreasonable ad time on television in their stride, using the remote as the potent weapon.

     

    What does this do? Many things, including:

    01. Movies (except premieres) are watched by segment. A 15-minute session on a running film is good enough.

    02. Prime time sees dual viewing (of two programmes on one TV set) in many households. There is a “main programme” and a “breakwalla programme”. Heavy viewers are experts on break-matching patterns today, e.g. “Uttaran aur Pyaar Ka Dard ka break hamesha clash hota hai”, said with great dejection, for it robs her of the opportunity to watch two serials in the price (time) of one.

    03. Regular news channel viewers have official break circumvention tips and tricks worked out. They know exactly when a news channel airs content and when it airs ads, so they can ask their wives for the remote at just the right time.

     

    None of these “viewing behaviour” attributes are healthy in nature. They are not based on the essential principal that good television should be engaging and involving. They tend to reduce television viewing to a juggling act, taking the focus away from the content to the actual process of watching it!

     

    A large part of this behaviour is captured in spot ratings dropping vis-à-vis content ratings. However, ratings can’t capture the “mental switch-off” that happens when an ad break starts, even if the channel is not changed. This “mental switch-off”, in turn, reflects as potential non-performance of the medium in the researches conducted by brands advertising on television, leading them to question if it is the best medium to effectively communicate their message after all. This is an argument other media sales executives, especially online and radio, have been using increasingly in the marketplace.

     

    In an environment that’s going to be increasingly subscription-led, it will be prudent to keep the viewer at the core of decision-making. Making them watch TV like they should, is a good starting point.

     

    If we see ad cap in some form in the near future, I have a feeling the broadcasting community will be secretly thanking TRAI a couple of years from now!

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor