MxMIndia

Tag: A N Chorrea

  • Winter's here, and it's not just your colleague's runny nose saying so. A N Chorrea lists 'cold signals' that the media sends out

    The Anchor: 7 telltale signs in the media that winter’s arrived

    By A N Chorrea

     

    #1 At least three newspapers have a human interest story on the Tibetans/whosover selling woolens on the footpaths/roads (one of the headlines would read: ‘The Tibetans who came in for the cold’ or some such).

     

    #2 Some good, but many tackily done ads for winterwear start appearing on all channels.

     

    #3 Cold cream ads start appearing on television.

    #4 Reporters and the met department bring out their winter stats to figure which is the coldest day in x years (at least one headline of an English paper would say: Brrrrrrrr!)

     

    #5 Studio guests and panelists on various nightly shows on News TV will start wearing fancy jackets and scarves. In warmer climes, viewers wonder why this heavyduty layering.

     

    #6 At least once in the next few months, the Sunday papers have winter recipes or at least celebrating the seasonal stuff. And this exists across the country – not just the north or the cooler spots. Undhiyu in Gujarat, Gajar ka Halwa in the north. Yummmm!

    And finally:

     

    #7 Flights in various parts of the country are delayed due to fog and this naturally makes for top news on channels and the papers.

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior media-watcher writing under a pseudonym

     

  • Not quite the end of the world, but Dec 19 means the advent of figures and data and head-scratching for number crunchers. TAM time approaches!

    The Anchor: 4 reasons why it’s the last Wednesday many of us can have fun

    By A N Chorrea

     

    Chill, next Wednesday is December 19 and all those theories about the world plunging into darkness etc can be reserved for the 21st.

     

    So why is this the last Wednesday for fun?

     

    #1 Note the date next Wednesday: December 19. That’s when TAM ratings will come alive once again.

     

    #2 This article ought to have appeared yesterday. Folks, last night was your last Tuesday night of fun… don’t expect similar luxuries to happen again

     

    #3 Not just Wednesday, you may as well tell the family that the weekend of Dec 22-23 will be spent crunching numbers, and analyzing data for the last two-odd months

     

    #4 It’s not the last Wednesday of fun for broadcasters, media agencies and the folk at TAM, but also the entire ecosystem. Beat journalists who have to interpret stories. PR agencies who will need to figure new talking points for their TV clients. Advertising agencies who may be required to work overtime to capture mailers and magazine ads. Even IT and admin departments as they’ll need to ensure the machines are working fine and the printer toners are refilled. Accounts department to reimburse the late night food and taxi bills… phew!

     

    Surely, there’s someone out there at the Mumbai headquarters of TAM Media Research laughing out loud: Yeh TAM TAM ki baat hai! Meanwhile, enjoy the next six days!

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • A N Chorrea wanders around to write on how 24×7 News television would cover Babri Masjid demolition if it were to happen today

    The Anchor: How 24×7 TV would cover Babri Masjid demolition today

    By A N Chorrea

     

    The attempt is not to make light of what happened at the Babri Masjid structure on December 6, 1992 and what happened before and after the incident. But given the way 24×7 news is on television these days, the mind wonders what the coverage would’ve been like if the event had occurred 20 years hence and often wanders :

     

    So in the style of a a stand-up act, here we go with eight of the several news channels we have beaming to the country:

    Times Now: Arnab Goswami has a 24-hour coverage of the event and a floating 24-member panel. People from across the world are connected and he says for the first time “our” channel is bringing such live footage… cecause India wants to know. Before the discussion starts, Arnab talks for some seven minutes on the incident and tell us how “our” channel is the only channel with six cameras at the place of action. Among the panelists: Lord Meghnad Desai, Shobhaa De, Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Suhel Seth, Mohandas Pai

     

    NDTV 24×7: The channel’s most bankable faces are on the job. Barkha Dutt embeds herself in special helicopter with P Chidambaram (yes, we know he’s no longer Home Minister, but still has a say in most matters) and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Get ready for the inside dope as a makeshift studio is made with the structure as the backdrop. Among the panelists: Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Brinda Karat, Ramchandra Guha, Mani Shankar Aiyer, Swapan Dasgupta

     

    CNN-IBN: A dismayed Rajdeep Sardesai and Bhupendra Chaubey evaluate the impact on the society and polity. In between the discussion, he keeps asking for calm in the country… being the unofficial conscience-keeper of news television. A discussion follows on how the media treated the coverage. Among the panelists: Yogendra Yadav, Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Swapan Dasgupta, Ramchandra Guha, Mani Shankar Aiyer

     

    Headlines Today: Rahul Kanwal leads the discussion, enraged. The panel goes on about whether the event could’ve been avoided. The discussion takes a break with Kanwal’s exclusive interview with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief.

     

    Aaj Tak: The channel airs an interview with one of the actors of a movie it is associated with. Later, a discussion follows on the issue with a large panel: Uma Bharati, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mahesh Bhatt and the UP Chief Minister.

     

    ABP News: Deepak Chauraisa leads the discussion, and as always give you a feeling that he’s on top of the news… he knew it all. Tough questions asked with panelists: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Mani Shankar Aiyer and the UP Chief Secretary and the Collector of the Area.

     

    IndiaTV: High decibel relay of story. There are interviews with people who have bought bricks from far and wide. Plus an exclusive telephonic interview with the person who was the first to go up the structure

     

     

    DD News: The President is travelling to the North East for the first time and there is a four-minute report on the event, followed by the release of a postage stamp of well-known actor Rajesh Khanna. Before the news is summed, the anchor tells us about what happened at Ayodhya. Not surprisingly, in the two minutes we get more information of what the status is on the ground than most of the private news channels.

     

    AN Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • A N Chorrea on 5 international soaps Indian general entertainment channels and look at acquiring and adapting

    The Anchor: After acquiring ’24’, 5 international soaps Indian GECs must adapt

    By A N Chorrea

     

    Okay, so Colors and Anil Kapoor are bringing us the mega-serial ’24’. Here’s a list of other serials that we think should be adapted for Indian conditions:

     

    Big Bang Theory:

    It’s geeky, there’s some physics thrown in, but, heck, it’s funny. Very. Question is who will play the role of John Parsons as Sheldon Cooper.

     

    Castle:

    We like our ACP Pradyuman and CID and we’ve had our Karamchand, but nothing to beat a comedy drama like Castle. Question is who will play Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion)… someone like Navin Nischol of the new age?

     

    Grey’s Anatomy:

    Okay, it’s not that we’ve not a soap based in a hospital (remember Sanjeevani in the good ol’ days?), but surely we could do a classic on docs, nurses, patients and interns.

     

    Glee:

    This one is the easiest to replicate, methinks. The musical comedy-and-much-melodrama series can be much fun in a song-and-dance crazy nation. And replicated in not just Hindi, but various Indian languages!

     

    Friends:

    Okay, okay, this is not really a ‘current’ television series and we’ve tried doing similar things in the past, but possibly the time is right now to have an easy sitcom like Friends… how about tracking the life and loves of  six friends in Bandra. What men?

     

    AN Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • We are sure it won’t ever happen, but hypothetically, if it did, these are the 10 faces A N Chorrea writes he would like to see in the house

    The Anchor: 10 News TV faces one would like to see in the Bigg Boss house (and why)

    By A N Chorrea

     

    We now know the 15 people holed up in the Bigg Boss house. Of course only two or three of them will last all the days, as we will see an elimination almost every week.

     

    But what if there was one with just news television anchors, here’s a quick list of those we would like to see on the show (in alphabetical order of first names):

     

    1. Abhigyan Prakash

    Ever since I attended a star-studded birthday party of his in Mumbai a few years back, I have been majorly impressed by the man. His channel is not the #1 and he is not projected as the face of the channel, but he’s one who could well last out the 80-odd days.

     

    2. Arnab Goswami

    Arnab Goswami is a must-see face of Indian news television. Though we think he’ll either be quiet all the time (and not want to make a fool of himself). He will also want to be evicted early so that he can be back on the tube soonest. After all, India wants to know!

     

    3. Ashutosh

    The man who knows most about the Anna Hazare movement is sure to engage everyone into some heated discussions on Bigg Boss… on politics and his views on what should be done for the country.

     

    4. Barkha Dutt

    News television’s first lady may have escaped the Radia controversy, but has been lying low ever since. The Bigg Boss role could well see her get back her lost equity.

     

    5. Deepak Chaurasia

    The most colourful editor on news television is also one of its most connected. He’s a necessary force to have around to keep the house in check.

     

    6. Mini Menon

    Okay, she’s not here because we needed one more lady to keep Barkha company. La Dutt is enough match for all the men. But she can possibly give the Bigg Boss house and show a slightly different, classy flavour.

     

    7. Rahul Kanwal

    As the TV Today network’s most visible face, he is a natural choice for the house, but we doubt if he’s going to want to miss on the news TV lights for too long.

     

    8. Rajdeep Sardesai

    As the seniormost member of the house, he’s going to ensure that everyone feels at home, but given all that’s happening in the political world, one doubts whether you want to see him holed up in for too long.

     

    9. Shrivardhan Trivedi

    The man who scares us all with Sansani on ABP News, but also the man who will add the necessary colour to the house given that he’s one of the more popular faces on news TV, so what if it’s essentially a group of editors around.

     

    10. Udayan Mukherjee

    There’s much too much happening in the market for business news TV’s Amitabh Bachchan to be out in Bigg Boss, but this is just a hypothetical list after all. Would be interesting though to see how well Udayan mingles with the rest of the gang.

     

     A N Chorrea is a senior industryperson who prefers to write under a pseudonym

     

  • A N Chorrea picks the 10 stars that made Zee TV a happening channel over the last two decades

    The Anchor: 10 all-time favourite ‘faces’ of Zee TV

    By A N Chorrea

     

    There have been many, many faces on Zee TV through these last 20 years. So it was a tough ask to pick just 10 faces of the channel… so you have a list that’s different from the one here, do inbox it to editor@mxmindia.com. Or just put it in the comments below. Meanwhile, check this list (in alphabetical order of their last names)…

     

    Mithun Chakraborty

    Mithun Chakraborty

    He obviously didn’t become such a huge star thanks to Zee, but as the endearing Grandmaster of Dance India Dance (and DID Li’l Masters), on the small screen, Mithunda has become bigger than you-know-who.

     

     

     

    Avinash Sachdev & Rubina Dilaik

    Avinash Sachdev and Rubina Dilaik

    As Dev and Radhika in Chhoti Babu and Chhoti Bahu 2, Avinash Sachdev and Rubina Dilaik are now household names whose screen lives are followed by lakhs of Indians on Zee.

     

     

     

     

    Annu Kapoor

    Annu Kapoor

    If Antakshari is not a popular music reality show on television these days, it’s because no one could do it better than Annu Kapoor, the constant factor on the Gajendra Singh-produced show. Kapoor is an accomplished star, but Antakshari made him a megastar.

     

     

     

    Prachi Desai and Ram Kapoor

    Prachi Desai and Ram Kapoor, Kasamh Se

    Yes, Prachi Desai got into the big league with Rockstar and Ram Kapoor is everywhere thanks to Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’s promos for Sony, but as Bani Dixit/Walia and Jai Walia respectively, Desai and Kapoor had already turned superstars for tele-viewers

     

     

     

    Sanjeev Kapoor – zeenews.com

    Sanjeev Kapoor

    Long before Masterchef entered Indian homes and long before we had 24×7 television channels devoted to food, Khana Khazana saw Sanjeev Kapoor get into the kitchens of nearly every Indian. Khana Khazana is now a full-fledged channel and even though Chef Kapoor runs his own Food Food channel, Zee’s got his Khazana on all the time!

     

     

    Mohan Kapur – Fotocorp

    Mohan Kapur

    He was rude but he was fun and also very entertaining. In the early days, it was the UTV-produced Saanp Seedi that saw Zee climb the ladder of popularity.

     

     

     

     

    Ankita Lokhande

    Ankita Lokhande

    It’s a complex story from the Balaji Telefilms stable, but Ankita Lokhande as Archana Manav Deshmukh in Pavitra Rishta has essayed an award-winning role.

     

     

     

     

    Navneet Nishan – Fotocorp

    Navneet Nishan

    Doordarshan had its star protagonists in the past, but Navneet Nishan in Raman Kumar’s Tara was a rock star in the serial which went on and on and on… on Zee.

     

     

     

     

    Rajat Sharma – indiatvnews. com

    Rajat Sharma

    We knew him as a journalist and editor, but it’s Aap Ki Adalat on Zee that made Rajat Sharma a household name and took him to where he’s today as Founder-Chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV.

     

     

     

    Nikki Aneja Walia

    Nikki Aneja Walia

    Her character of Dr Simran in Astitva – Ek Prem Kahani earned her the sobriquet of the Sridevi of the small screen. Although she has starred in several soaps thereafter, nothing to beat her in Astitva.

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • A N Chorrea list why every March is unforgettable and the one this year more so

    5 reasons why March is an unforgettable month

    By A N Chorrea

     

    It’s March 1. In the good old days on Radio Ceylon or Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, we would hear the song ‘Din Hai Suhana Aaj Pehli Tareekh Hai’. I am not much of a radio person now (especially after Radio One turned Hindi and knocked out all its star RJs), but I think I do see an ad with that playing somewhere.

     

    So here are my five reasons why March is an unforgettable month.

     

    1. It’s 30 days and some hours for the year-end. Targets aren’t complete this year. The newspapers say the market’s looking up. But where the sugar are the monies?

    2. It’s the month, when the appraisal process starts in most organisations… chances are it’s already done in the boss’s mind

    3. It’s the month where one needs to make all the tax-saving investments… but where’s the money in the bank?

    4. It’s the month where the kids have their exams. And even if your kids are too small or big or you have none, there are several all around.

    5. It’s the month this year where the Union Budget is going to be announced which is a huge distraction for many big spenders… there are just 31 days in the month and we are losing a few thanks to the holidays (and, yes, Holi too!) and now the Budget too.

     

     

    Here’s wishing you a happy March. Enjoy

     

  • Just a week to go for Christmas, A N Chorrea makes his wishlist for Santa

    Anchor: 6 wishes for Santa for the media biz

    By A N Chorrea

     

    1. Blow away Slowdown blues

    Will Santa please bring in some cheer to the world struck by slowdown. Don’t get fooled by the launch of the new channels and publications and all the executive movements in media and markeing. It appears the slowdown is for real. And we want Santa to blow it away.

     

    2. May we have a Clean election

    There’s going to be plenty of political action in the coming months, and we want Santa to ensure the media doesn’t play favourites by way of paid news.

     

    3. Need differentiated content on entertainment television

    A new GEC was launched yesterday. With content that was differentiated. Quite like the way Colors was when it was launched. But look at many of the GECs around. Switch channels on any evening, and you’ll find similar content across. Santaji, please help on this score.

     

    4. And Clean news too?

    News ought to be clean and not without any biases, but many of our news channels tend to exaggerate and sensationalise news. And if they are partisan, then don’t say it upfront. Santa, we don’t want the government to regulate content, but can you please give the erring channels a piece of your mind?

     

    5. A hands-off government please?!

    Dear Santa, please give a chillpill to Madame Ambika Soni. She (and her ministry and its various constituents) have been flexing their muscles way too much off late. She wants to regulate everything: our advertisements, the content on entertainment and news television, the way the business is conducted. Etc etc.

     

    6. Better talent needed

    Where is the talent in our industry? Are arms of the media attracting best talent to be able to match up with the talent amongst marketers? Dear Santa, this is tough for you to achieve, but if we are able to create that awakening in the way the media business is run, we could achieve results. The competition in the business has led to very reduced margins and as a result the business can’t really afford top quality talent.

     

    Do you have any more wishes for Santa? Mail them at editor@mxmindia.com with the subject ‘Dear Santa’ and we’ll feature them on MxMIndia