MxMIndia

Tag: news channels

  • None of the channels were technically lying in their claims of being numero uno, they were just looking at TG cuts that suited them, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    The Façade of Being #1

     

     

     

     

    Shailesh KapoorBy Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Last week, news channel ratings were released after a long hiatus. What followed was bizarre, to say the least. Within a few hours, multiple channels had staked their claim for the no. 1 position. Between Hindi and English news genres itself, I read mailers and trade stories from at least seven channels claiming to be #1.

     

    The communication was not restricted to the trade. Channels went on air with their claims. You may have already seen Arnab Goswami’s self-congratulatory video from the day, in which he takes digs at competition while he finishes his 10,000 steps for the day, addressing Living Media as “Tak waalon” repeatedly.

     

    That video is funny at one level, but sad at another. The return of news ratings should have been an industry moment. A positive step towards better times ahead, where advertisers can make more informed choices. Instead, it was reduced to a game of one-upmanship. Other channels were not as shrill as Goswami. But the ideas were similar, nonetheless.

     

    This is all perception play, of course. None of the channels were technically “lying”. They were just looking at TG cuts that suited them. You can play with gender, age, NCCS and markets, and there are at least 120+ possible ‘reasonable’ combinations to choose from. In English News, where the reach is limited, it is quite possible that almost every channel will find itself being ranked #1 in at least one of these combinations.

     

    I often wonder how these trade campaigns make any sense. Surely, the advertisers know better by now. They have access to the same data. The senior planners are seasoned enough to see through this trickery of numbers. And yet, the mailers, the stories and the on-air coverage only gets more visible each year. It’s perhaps a case of channels doing this just to build the morale of the editorial and the sales teams. It’s that Arnab-type brouhaha that they may be going for, inside their respective offices, even when the cameras are not recording.

     

    This time, so many trade publications carried press releases on news ratings as they were. In an emailer from one of the websites, there were three stories, next to each other, from three different channels, all claiming to be #1. I have a theory that if you send some incomprehensible gobbledygook in the form of a press release, some of our trade websites will still carry it.

     

    The onus, in this case, should lie with BARC India. I find their advisories on usage of ratings data for sales and marketing to be loose and non-committal. BARC India could, and perhaps rightly, argue that which TG a channel selects is not their business. But in a genre that has come out of a ratings blackout that went on for a year and a half, BARC India can surely play a more active role in maintaining sanity.

     

    Because, by now, we should know that our news channels couldn’t care less about sanity.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is Founder and CEO, Ormax Media. He writes on MxMIndia every Friday. His views here are personal

     

    Editor’s Note: As a policy, MxMIndia has not published any news around the rankings of any news channels since the day of release on March 17, 2022. We will wait for data release for at least four weeks before doing that. However, we do carry advertising mailers and banner ads of news channels. While we appreciate that as a responsible media platform, we are liable for ALL content we serve, all entities advertising with us are governed by the laws of the land and the advertising is subject to scrutiny by the Advertising Standards Council of India and the respective trade bodies. In the specific case of television ratings, the industry-owned body BARC also has a clear policy on how the data can be used in promotional communication.

     

  • A fun question, but it’s not that we’ve not had a pause in the Budget speech in recent years. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 1 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | Given that Budget speeches are so critical for the fortunes of news channels, do you think there should be a short ‘strategic timeout’ between Part A and B of the speech to allow for ads?

    Bhaskar DasA fun question, but it’s not that we’ve not had a pause in the Budget speech in recent years. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 1 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

     

    Q. Given that the Budget speech is so critical for the fortunes of news channels, do you think the news channels must make a representation to the FM asking for a short ‘strategic timeout’ between Part A and B of the speech to allow for ads?

     

    A. I don’t think any news channel is so desperate to make such frivolous request, specially for a serious subject like the Union Budget, unless wishes are horses, as they say.

  • Aaj Tak garnered maximum ROI for the Lalit Modi story, followed by India TV within the Hindi news genre (HSM, CS 15+). Times Now secured ROI three times that of genre average (All India 1 Mn+, CS 25+ Males AB), as per analysis conducted by the S Group, the analytical research arm of TAM Media Research

    TAMWatch: Aaj Tak, Times Now gain much on Lalit Modi story

    By A Correspondent

     

    The focus of all news channels has shifted to the ‘Vyapam Scam’ while the ‘Lalit Modi Immigration Case’ (or ‘LalitGate’) has witnessed a sudden drop in coverage. It would be interesting to see if the ‘Vyapam Scam’ turns out to be the next big thing for news channels in terms of viewership. Aaj Tak garnered maximum ROI for this story, followed by India TV within Hindi News Genre. (HSM, CS 15+). Times Now devoted the maximum time to ‘LalitGate’, that too with the ROI three times that of genre average (All India 1 Mn+, CS 25+ Males AB). The coverage of ‘Lalitgate’ on Times Now was highest among all the news channels. This emerged from the analysis conducted by the S Group, the analytical research arm of TAM Media Research.

     

     

    Both Hindi and English news channels covered the Lalit Modi case extensively till July 1, post which there has been a shift of focus. Before that, news channels have made sure to gain viewership from the same.

     

    Both Aaj Tak and Times Now would be hoping to carry the momentum into ‘Vyapam Scam’. As on July 8, both these channels were leading in terms of coverage. We will have to wait for the next week’s TAM data, to see who the winner in ‘Vyapam Scam’ battle is.

  • It’s clear that not many lessons have been learnt from the past, and that the news channels are busy making the same goof ups. It’s back to alarm-raising and hysteria

    Anil Thakraney: Hysterical news channels

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    On Wednesday noon I got a serious jolt. Was in the middle of some work, and during the quick lunch break I switched on the TV to check if there was any khabar on the heavy downpour in Mumbai. What I saw instead made the food plate drop out of my hands. All the news channels were going ballistic over the discovery of a ‘suspicious looking’ object inside a Lokhandwala Complex (Mumbai) mall. Even as the police was busy sussing that mysterious object, it was being freely referred to as a ‘suspected bomb threat’. In fact, close-up shots of the damn thing were being flashed.

     

    Totally panicked, I frantically got onto the phone to alert family members who live in the vicinity (and am sure many people did ditto), and then rushed back to the television set. Suddenly, instead of the bomb threat, all the news channels were hectically ‘breaking news’ on the Indian cricket team’s selection for the up-coming Sri Lanka ODI series! And I was like: Arre, bomb ka kya hua, behenji?

     

    I had to strain my eyes to read the fast moving ticker. Which, very quietly, indicated that it was only a false alarm. Meanwhile, of course, many weak hearted sods (like me) had to endure a great deal of stress. Now this is worrying. It’s clear that not many lessons have been learnt from the past, and that the news channels are busy making the same goof ups. It’s back to alarm-raising and hysteria. (Also, I later discovered this led to intense rumour mongering all over the city.)

     

    Guys and gals, it’s simple, really. No ‘God Particle’ science, see? Maybe we should hold the news till some sort of an official statement is made by the cops? Maybe the media needs to let the investigators do the initial work in peace, that of determining what the ‘suspicious looking’ object is? So that people don’t needlessly panic. And most importantly, the same old disturbing question: What public service is being served by such ultra hurried, speculative reporting? Correct, the answer is none.

     

    Frankly, I really don’t know if and when we’ll get our act together on terror coverage. I guess our news channels simply cannot resist going live at the very first hint of terror. In which case, there’s no hope at all. Keep your pace maker on stand-by.

     

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    PS: Hahaha. Really enjoyed this series of comic strips on the advertising life. Hit this link only if you belong to the crazy world of advertising, because only then you’ll be able connect with these situations. Yep, we ad buggers have lived each one of these moments! Awesome stuff.

     

    Link: http://theawesomeworld.tumblr.com/archive

     

  • It has been clear to the protectors of both cricket and Indian society from year one that the IPL was BAD NEWS. The very fact that so many people were interested was proof enough

    [MJR] News TV declares IPL root of most evils

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The Indian Premier League has now been declared responsible for all India’s problems. This has been unequivocally stated on our TV news channels, and is thus now the incontrovertible truth. This cricket tournament has destroyed our sense of morality, taken us down a road of sex, drugs, violence and betting, not to mention completely killed cricket. These evils, so far unknown and unseen in Indian society, will soon become widespread.

     

    Look at what the IPL has done:

    Item: Made a film star fight with a security guard (violence).

    Item: Made a cricketer molest a woman (sex).

    Item: Made two players go to a rave party (drugs).

    Item: Made five players work out spot-fixing deals with bookies (betting).

    Item: Made players restrict matches to 20 overs a side and then made this version popular with – shudder – cheerleaders (killing cricket).

     

    Against all these charges, the IPL does not stand a chance. It has been clear to the protectors of both cricket and Indian society from year one that the IPL was BAD NEWS. The very fact that so many people were interested was proof enough. And then, all those film stars, starlets, dancing girls, rich people, money, parties – my word, what is the world coming to?

     

    Each year, the IPL, our TV channels have found, has gotten bigger and thus by conclusion it has become worse.

     

    Just look, for instance, what it has done to Shah Rukh Khan: Forced him to fight with a security guard and with Mumbai Cricket Association officials. This is unacceptable behaviour and absolutely no way for film stars to behave. It is one thing to run over people, help gangsters bomb the city or beat up your wife (or even wives). For these crimes, if you’re unlucky, you will get a few newspaper editorials and maybe even go to jail but you will just be seen as a lovable rogue. But fighting with a security guard? That is the end of civilisation as we know it.

     

    It is hard to know what to do to save India after this. No doubt, the TV channels will tell us. A beginning has been made by former cricketers Kirti Azad and Bishen Singh Bedi, who have apparently gone on a hunger strike to save India from the IPL. The TV channels do not appear to have given this hunger strike the 24-hour coverage they granted to Anna Hazare’s hunger strike. But they do assiduously cover the cricket part of the IPL in their sports programmes. Come on, now, the whole country watches the IPL!

     

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    Having made it to the TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most important people, West Bengal chief minister is now planning to top the list and every other list which will ever be made. This is the link to her latest dramatic act – storming out of a CNN-IBN audience meeting in Kolkata, leaving even the formidable Sagorika Ghose, TV anchor and event host, at a loss for words. The CM was furious because the students in the audience were “CPM cadre and Maoists”. That is, they asked questions she didn’t like.

     

    The other link is to the reply written by the erring student.

     

    Enjoy.

     

     

    http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/259724/question-time-didi-watch-the-show-that-mamata-walked-out-of.html

     

    http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120520/jsp/frontpage/story_15509625.jsp#.T7nCA1In3Vq

     

     

  • The dust is beginning to settle on both the above issues. But am sure the next scandal is just round the corner. What’s the IPL without some offline tamasha?

    Anil Thakraney: On the great IPL scandals

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I had been traveling all of last week, but I kept track of the IPL shenanigans as and when I could. Since the news channels and the social media folks were busy discussing two sensational incidents of last week, allow me to add my two-bits. And I’ll cut to the chase, as always.

     

    Firstly, on the Shah Rukh Khan versus Wankhede security personnel battle. If SRK’s kids and their pals did not have passes to enter the stadium, the security guards had every reason to demand their immediate removal. Kids will be kids, and it’s highly likely that they would run onto the pitch. There have been allegations that the kids were ‘molested’. I think that’s utter crap. Had that been the case, garam khoon Mr SRK would not have settled for maa bahen ki gaalis, he would have dispatched a few souls to the nearby Bombay Hospital. Also, guards molesting kids on an open ground when the IPL office bearers and players are still at the venue is a preposterous idea to even imagine.

     

    Net net: King Khan’s fat ego (and maybe his booze-influenced head) got the better of him, and he lost control. Ergo, it’s correct that the MCA has banned him. Though given the star’s super heavy connections; that would soon be lifted. But, hats off to the security men who stood up to him. It’s very, very rare in a celeb and VIP obsessed India for lowly officials to take on a heavy weight. I think these guys should be bestowed with an honour.

     

    Next: The incident in Delhi where a drunken IPL player allegedly molested a lady inside her hotel room. That’s a criminal case, and we will have to leave the investigation to the local cops. No one has the right to pass any moral judgments. But Mallya Jr’s tweet was beyond disgusting. It not only denigrated the woman in question, his rant exposed the dude’s sick mindset towards women in general. If Dr Vijay Mallya is a good dad, he needs to send darling beta for counseling, ASAP. And he must also insist that the brat disconnects his twitter account. Junior is not just busy bringing disrepute to his family – he’s reflecting a very poor image of the entire UB group.

     

    It’s Sunday evening as I write this piece. The dust is beginning to settle on both the above issues. But am sure the next scandal is just round the corner. What’s the IPL without some offline tamasha? Aisa mauka aur kahaan milega, bhaiyya?

     

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    PS: “If You’re Not Pissing Someone Off, You’re Probably Not Innovating.” An interesting read from the Harvard Biz Review. On what innovation really means and how marketers must do things differently in order to make a real impact.

     

    Link: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/if_youre_not_pissing_someone_o.html

     

     

  • How does a media house reconcile between the principles of journalism and the need to make money?

    Join the MxMIndia Monday Debate: Are our papers and channels scared of taking on Big Biz?

    The Monday News Debate @MxMIndia

    The news media today is an exciting place – not just because of phenomenal growth but also because of all the questions that this growth throws up. The advent and massive expansion of television and now the explosion of the internet pose new challenges every day to traditional precepts and practices of journalism. The Radia tapes, the Murdoch revelations, the Anna Hazare movement all led to much discussion and even heat within and outside the media.

    Keeping this in mind, MxMIndia announces a new feature – a series of debates (and discussions) on issues which affect, concern or threaten the news media. Some of these will be by invitation but we also invite our readers to participate by suggesting issues that need taking up and contributing to the debates.

    We are starting out with the news media, but will in addition move to areas of marketing, advertising and the media later.

    Here’s how it will go. Each month, we will tackle one issue. So October will be Big Business and the News Media.

    It’s an old problem and one that never seems to go away: how does a media house reconcile between the principles of journalism and the need to make money? In today’s context of paid news and adspace-for-equity deals, is the media frightened to take on big business for fear of losing revenue? Are they not therefore, in the long run, depriving the reader of legitimate news which may well make a difference to their lives? We foresee an exciting discussion in the making. Did someone say slanging match?

     

    If you have a view on Big Business and the New Media, email us at editor@mxmindia.com with the subject line BBNM. On every Monday in the month of October, we’ll carry your views as well as those of commentators whom we invite to write.

     

    MxM News Debates will be coordinated by Ranjona Banerji, senior journalist and Contributing Editor, MxMIndia.