MxMIndia

Tag: Republic TV

  • “Republic TV takes its cue from its boss, Arnab Goswami and he is the chief perpetrator of allegations and lies. It is not possible to soft-soap this”, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Murky journey over India’s TRP fraud gets filthy

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The battle over Television Rating Points (TRPs) continues its murky journey into the filth of the fight for revenue. There is also the additional drama of the fight between Republic TV and the Mumbai Police.

    After the Mumbai Police unearthed a scam where channels bribed people to pretend that they watched their channels and thus rig their ratings, and arrested six people, the Broadcasting Audience Research Council has suspended all ratings. The biggest “catch” for the Mumbai Police has been the Republic Network.

    BARC, an industry body which handles ratings, is also upset with Republic Network for leaking a confidential communication to “fabricate facts”. Much like Republic Network does in its regular day job, one might argue.

    https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/barc-charges-republic-tv-with-misrepresenting- private-communication/article32890924.ece

    Where does the media stand on this? Why isn’t the media up in arms against the Mumbai Police for infringing on the Constitutional rights of a free press? Why indeed.

    For my part, I do not consider Republic Network a journalistic enterprise or exercise by any stretch of the imagination. It is certainly a media enterprise. But as far as journalism goes, it is a propaganda channel for the BJP and a largescale purveyor of lies and hatred. One can only feel sorry for any actual journalists who joined it or work there to make a living.

    And it’s not just the BJP and Narendra Modi propaganda that is the problem with Republic TV. The despicable assault that it made on people, especially the actress Rhea Chakraborty, in order to make a massive melodrama out of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput is reason enough to question the channel’s credentials.

    Journalists, no matter how superior we consider ourselves, also operate under some rules. Putting forward wild theories and unsubstantiated allegations as fact is not journalism. There is a price to be paid for spreading lies and hatred. Perhaps this is it. And as BARC’s objections to Republic TV suggests, telling lies or manipulating and hiding facts is perhaps an essential element of the Republic Network’s modus operandi.

    The channel takes its cue from its boss, Arnab Goswami and he is the chief perpetrator of allegations and lies. It is not possible to soft-soap this. There are innumerable examples of bad journalism available and sadly, for now, most of them come from Indian television. But Goswami is undoubtedly the standard bearer for how not to be a journalist, although he was one many years ago. I can barely even remember the times when I praised his work in these columns! From his last days at Times Now to his life at Republic TV, there has been a downward spiral to the obnoxious behaviour of his channel now.

    Having run from court to court, Republic Network has now decided to sue the Mumbai Police Commissioner for ₹200 crore. They are well within their rights, but Republic Network’s role in this TRP scam has affected all of Indian television.

    https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/arnab-goswami-and-republic-to-sue- mumbai-police-commissioner-param-bir-singh-for-rs-200-crore-over-trp-scam- case/articleshow/78753585.cms

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    Meanwhile, journalists continue to be targeted by the state for speaking out against discrimination and incompetence. No crores being spent to save them by their employers or the media community either. That sort of money is only for privileged propagandists and purveyors of hate.

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    The Editors Guild of India, under fire in the past six years for its cowardly inability to criticize in any strong terms the actions of the Narendra Modi government and any BJP government, has seen a remarkable and interesting change in leadership. The Guild has managed to make itself part of the trend of propaganda “journalists” who are only upset by what India’s opposition parties do and have to be goaded into the mildest, mealy-mouthed objections to a series of substantial attacks on journalists by the government.

    In its first election ever, well-known BJP propagandists were substantially defeated. One can only hope for a stronger stance and hopefully courage from this so-called representative body.

    https://thewire.in/media/editors-guild-of-india-elections-seema-mustafa-sanjay-kapoor-shekhar- gupta-smita-prakash

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    As further proof of government interference in the media is the latest “clarification” on FDI in the digital media space. Paranjoy Guha-Thakarta analyses and explains what’s going on.

    https://www.newsclick.in/govt-plans-to-target-digital-news-media%3F

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. Her views here are personal

     

  • Not even the worst yellow, gutter, ambulance-chasing, tabloid journalism of the past can compare to what these television channels do, writes Ranjona Banerji

    One More Nail in Journalism’s Coffin

    Cartoon by Hemant Morparia in Mumbai Mirror, September 2020. Republished with the permission of the artist-commentator

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Several leading film production houses have filed a suit in the Delhi High Court against the television channel Times Now and its two “star” faces, Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar and propaganda channel Republic TV and its star Arnab Goswami, as well as one Pradeep Bhandari also with that channel.

    The case is about “irresponsible reporting” in the context of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the damage done to the film industry with constant derogatory references to it.

    https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/top-bollywood-filmmakers-go-to-delhi-high-court-against- irresponsible-reporting-by-certain-media-houses-2308968

     

    Actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been extensively vilified by several television channels and was jailed as a result of this malicious campaign against her, in the same Rajput coverage, has filed a case against her neighbour for lying to these television channels. Her lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, has also mentioned legal action against media outlets which went after Chakraborty.

    https://scroll.in/latest/975624/sushant-singh-rajput-case-rhea-chakraborty-files-complaint- against-neighbour-for-misleading-probe#:~:text=Actor%20Rhea%20Chakraborty%20has%20filed,Hindustan%20Times%20reporte d%20on%20Monday.&text=Chakraborty%20in%20her%20complaint%20to,statement%20was%2 0%E2%80%9Cutterly%20false%E2%80%9D.

    https://www.theprevalentindia.com/legal-action-will-be-taken-against-media-house-who-tried-to- spoil-rheas-image-says-lawyer-satish-maneshinde/

    In any other universe, except that of Indian television, I would have sided with the channels. But most of them and all of them at some point or the other, have no or very little association with journalism as it is understood. Not even the worst yellow, gutter, ambulance-chasing, tabloid journalism of the past can compare to what these television channels do.

    And thus, this bit of petulant outrage from Shivshankar of Times Now on Twitter, in response to the film industry case, is nothing short of hilarious: “Cases against journalists of Times Now that have only sought justice for those who are wronged are a bad precedent. The mighty may think they can weaken the resolve of the fearless but they are wrong.”

    The problem starts with the third word of the tweet and just escalates from there. Neither Shivshankar nor Kumar are journalists now, whatever they may or may not have been earlier. They are rabble rousers who are into amateur dramatics. Justice is not the domain of the media in the same sense that it is for investigative agencies and courts. The media’s role is to ask questions, yes, and that begins with those in power. Times Now only questions governments which are not made up of the leading party of the Central government. So that’s its first massive failure. And the very question of this imaginary “justice” in the face of all evidence, not all of which journalists have access to whatever they may claim, is also up in the air.

    And much worse was the deliberate targeting of a young woman to get increased viewership every night. On what basis was Chakraborty made their scapegoat other than some accusations by Rajput’s estranged parents and a vindictive actress who had no connection with Rajput at all? Where was this great “justice” then? And what is “fearless” about attacking Chakraborty? That was nothing but the basest instincts of misogyny and patriarchy.

    Is there anyone that these television channels have not blamed for the death of Rajput, except perhaps themselves? Maybe they should have promoted his movies better, without taking any money from him, and thus made his life happier and richer?

    As for Republic TV and Goswami, what else would anyone expect of them? From the time the channel launched it has been a BJP propaganda medium and Goswami has revelled in the role, gaining more and more supporters as he shouted into cameras year after year. Shivshankar is but a poor imitation of his master and Kumar of course was trained by Goswami.

    It is possible that nothing will come of this case. It is possible that behind the scenes negotiations will happen furiously. But it is also true that Times Now, when Goswami worked there, had a 100 crore defamation case slapped on it by Justice PB Sawant. Because the channel used his photograph in a provident fund scam case involving another judge, PK Samanta. Sawant asked for an apology, did not get that, Goswami ducked reconciliation meetings and so Sawant filed a case. Sawant was assigned the damages, the Supreme Court refused to stay the damages and Goswami apologised.

    The freedom of press does not include making mistakes and then refusing to acknowledge and apologise for them. The case against media credibility gets built up by channels like Times Now and Republic TV – and the rest including India Today, Aaj Tak, CNN-News18 and the rest when it comes to Rajput and Chakraborty – and journalists who actually fulfil their mandate have to deal with public anger and distrust.

    The damage that these channels have done to journalism is dangerous. I do not know a single journalist who agrees with the vilification of Chakraborty and the frenzied coverage and finger-pointing done by these channels after Rajput’s death.

    One more nail in journalism’s coffin.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes for MxMIndia every Tuesday and Friday. Her views here are personal. She can be reached via Twitter at @ranjona

     

  • #1 yet again, the Republic Media Network MD & editor-in-chief in a freewheeling chat with Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Arnab Goswami Unplugged

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    For the second consecutive week, Republic Bharat has been the numero uno Hindi news channel as per data provided by BARC. In Week 33 – which is August 15 to 21, 2020, Republic Bharat is ahead of all other Hindi news channels in terms of weekly impressions in the overall, rural and urban segments as per info on the BARC website (see chart below).

     

    Source: BARC India. Week 33: Aug 15-21, 2020. HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals

    The Republic business team also furnished us with data which highlights its performance given some slicing of demographics and we’ve requested BARC to ratify it. If and when we get the approval, we will carry it here.

     

     

    While the reason for this red hot interview was the success of Republic Bharat in the ratings roster and hence the emergence of Republic as the #1 news network in these two key languages, when you are chatting with an Arnab Goswami, you can’t not stray into issues like his journalism, the noise factor on his shows, charges of his BJP bias, etc etc.

     

    So did we do an Arnab on Arnab? No, we didn’t. We let him speak. We didn’t interject. No change in body language to put him on the defensive. This interview was done in a flash. We had to set up the Zoom call in less than five minutes. So we weren’t armed with specific instances when he has stretched himself on telly. So if were to judge it ourselves, yes, we could’ve have been tougher on him. Grilled him.

     

    But, then, we aren’t Arnab Goswami. MxMIndia editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari interviewed him the way he normally conducts other interviews. Asked him the relevant questions, joked around a bit.

     

    It’s not an Arnab on Arnab. It’s an MxM with Arnab. And Arnab let Pradyuman speak. Ha ha. Watch. Enjoy. Like.

     

    If you’d like to share this others, you can share this link. Or if you want to only share the Youtube link, please take this: http://bit.ly/mxmwitharnab

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • When political ideology enters other fields of public discourse and begins to influence the opinions there, we certainly have a reason to worry, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Death by On-Air Investigation

    Image taken from advertising mailer sent out by Republic TV

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    I have started watching Republic TV over the last week or two, after a gap of a few years. The bizarre on-air investigation being carried out by the channel and its owner-editor, who is also its only primetime anchor, Arnab Goswami, under the title ‘Sushant Singh Rajput death probe’ has befuddled me. There have been many cases of irresponsible media coverage of celebrity news over the year, but here, the issue is larger, and the moral standing murkier.

    The “investigation” started fine about three weeks ago. Kangana Ranaut chose to give an interview to Goswami, and he’s a fine interviewer on most days. She was shooting from the hip and he played along. But since then, the channel’s coverage of the topic has progressively degenerated. It’s as if the Ranaut interview gave Goswami the idea that there’s a big story in this, and you can run the entire channel on it for at least 4-6 weeks.

    The week after the interview featured persistent attacks by Goswami on senior producers and directors of the Hindi film industry. Using the edgy material Ranaut had armed him with, Goswami went about questioning the people she mentioned, with little headway, during that week. There was also an interview with Shatrughan Sinha, where the seasoned actor-cum-politician didn’t say much despite Goswami’s persistence, rightly pointing out that he doesn’t have the details.

    It’s over the last two weeks that Goswami’s investigation has become increasingly brazen. He’s sidelined his earlier nepotism narrative and has now taken up a “murder, not suicide” theory that he’s relentlessly pushing, two hours every night for two weeks and counting. Last night, he even said that if people thought this is a media trial, he’s like to inform them that he wanted to be a lawyer but couldn’t, but he may as well appear in a black robe one day on his show. Yes, he said that!

    It’s amusing at one level but dangerously immoral at another. If I make a list of people he has “accused” in some form or the other over the last three weeks, it will probably be a number around 15. In the middle of a pandemic, mental health is a serious concern as it is, and if any of those “accused” are affected because of how they are being projected (many other channels are simply trying to ape Goswami’s investigation, making it a wider concern), who will be held responsible?

    The other danger is of influencing the opinion of the lawmakers. Can a narrative being fed to the general population day in, day out not influence the police, the government and the judiciary at all? That’s a utopian situation, but we have seen before that reality is different.

    If the general audience builds an opinion of their own, however specious it is, and finds an organic way of channeling it to others, it’s within the democratic framework and hence should be accepted, even if one disagrees with the discourse and its general intellectual level. But Goswami is using mainstream media to peddle a narrative that has no legal standing right now. He keeps saying “I am only asking questions”, but he goes on to provide answers to them too, invariably every time he asks one.

    There’s also clear political polarisation at play here. How an entertainment industry news item became fodder for politics is beyond my comprehension, but it has happened, and unmistakably so. When political ideology enters other fields of public discourse and begins to influence the opinions there, we certainly have a reason to worry.

    Over the next few weeks, Goswami and his clones would have milked this topic dry and moved on. They will then find another story. And with each such on-air inquest, they will keep making the moral compass more and more irrelevant, under one broad defense: That the nation wants to know.

     

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

     

     

  • The MPC noted that such acts of violence have no place in a democracy

    Mumbai Press Club condemns attack on Arnab Goswami

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Mumbai Press Club has condemned the attack in Mumbai by two persons on Republic TV founder, Arnab Goswami, and his wife when they were returning home. The Club noted that such acts of violence have no place in a democracy and that it is opposed to any attempt to bully or pressure the functioning of a free press.

     

    It has called upon the Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police to speedily investigate the matter and bring to light the entire facts of the case, including charges by Goswami that Congress workers are involved. However, it clarifies that the statement has no bearing on the (editorial) stands taken by Republic TV or Goswami.

     

     

  • The statement has been issued given “false and malafide claims about the exact ownership of the consolidated network”

    Republic Media drops ‘Asianet’ from company name. Issues statement on Arnab Goswami’s 82% ownership

    By A Correspondent

     

    No, Republic TV is not owned by Rajeev Chandrasekhar or the BJP. Now this has been underscored by Editor-in-Chief, Founder and Managing Director Arnab Goswami several times, but there are still some/many people who don’t buy that. It’s perhaps got to do with the nature of Goswami’s editorial aggression.

     

    Agreed there are stories and issues that he raises against some BJP folks (like the UP CM or the Karnataka CM), but many regular trackers of the channel say this his ire is hardly ever directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah. But this report is not to talk of the Republic TV’s editorial positioning or its challenges. And, yes, we do know that it has been up there on the ratings roster, so the fact of the matter is that there are enough takers for Republic TV’s journalism.

     

    We also know that Goswami is not the only television journalist who is most often belligerent against the political and moral opponents of the BJP regime. But given his stature and being the leader of the pack, he attracts all the attention and which is why perhaps a Kunal Kamra directed his ire at the Republic TV founder and not the others. Or so we believe.

     

    Meanwhile, we note that the holding company of Republic TV – ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd – has dropped the Asianet from its name. Asianet, as we know, is the media company promoted by BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

     

    So here’s the relevant part of the statement, that we publish as is:

     

    “At the time of the launch of the English Channel Republic TV, Mr Arnab Goswami though his personal investment and family structures entirely controlled by him, had around 84 % of shareholder equity through his promoter entity in ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd.

     

    “After the initial capital raise to fund the launch of the English Channel, Mr Arnab Goswami raised further capital for expansion through a small equity raise, in February 2019, and since then continues to hold over 82 % of ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd. Further, his company of which he sole promoter, owns 99 % equity in the downstream digital entity that controls the digital assets of the network under the URL www.republicworld.com.

     

    “All of Mr Arnab Goswami’s three legal and corporate entities are registered in India. His present controlling equity of 82% + makes him one of the largest individual shareholders in the Indian news media landscape and the first journalist to achieve this feat.

     

    “Therefore, Mr Arnab Goswami, the Editor in Chief of the Republic Media Network is the  sole promoter and Chairman of the Board of the Republic Media Network (RMN). This makes the Republic Media Network aside from being solely promoted, a career journalist owned network, which is unique in the context of Indian News Media ownership.”

     

    Well, there are other career journalists also who’ve promoted and run other media networks. But that’s a minor point and we aren’t going to be arguing that.

     

    We tried to find who owns the rest of the 18% of ARG Outlier and were told it was owned by high networth individuals (HNIs) and some funds. No names were disclosed, but we’ll find out. We’re sure there are some filings made somewhere.

     

    Having said that, we have no reason to believe that the statement are untrue or it’s a case of ‘jumla’, that word we heard from a senior BJP functionary first a few years back. In fact we confirmed the veractity with a couple of neutral media observers. But we would like to know (and publish) who the other 18 percenters are, because clearly the 82% owned by Goswami is entirely by way of monetary investments. It’s sweat equity and all the things that the Big Boss brings to the table. Hence knowing the source of monies that have come in the form of investments is vital. For, it’s not big for the nation wanting to know, but clearly (and surely), the Media Wants to Know!

     

  • While individual journalists showed remarkable courage across platforms and owners, the worst slip-sliding sycophancy came from the big names, writes Ranjona Banerji

    2019 saw Complete Polarisation of Indian Society

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Cries of “Media go back” or “Godi Media go back” have faced members of our tribe who have arrived to cover the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests across India. The media is often the brunt of anger and worse, during the course of its duties. Usually this anger comes from officials, authoritarian rulers, puppets of the state, political party functionaries or goons. Usually, when people protest against government atrocities, the media is seen as an ally. Someone to be relied on to help, spread the word, speak to power when power does not listen.

    For members of the public to turn on the media in their hour of need is nothing but tragic. For some sections of the Indian media, this is the sad note on which 2019 has ended. With them being called “Godi”, or to translate the idiom, “sitting in the lap of those in power”, with a rhyming twist on the prime minister’s surname.

    The end of 2019 is marked by the most complete polarisation of Indian society since the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid, since the 2014 majority government of Modi and friends and the 2019 majority government of Modi and Shah. The Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register between the three of these efforts of the Modi-Shah government have spilt India. But what have they done for the media?

    Funnily enough, and in spite of the “Godi media” or even “modia” chants by protestors, some sections of the media have been less supplicant to the powers that be than one might think. I was shocked to see that even Times Now, which usually competes with Republic TV, ANI and PIB as a government publicist, found itself compelled to correct the “spiritual” celebrity guru Sadhguru Vasudev on his “interpretations” of the CAA-NRC-NPR. This is so against the grain that many have shrugged it off without trying to analyse what just happened. I was doubly surprised because I was under the possibly false impression that Vasudev was the current patron “guru” of the Bennett Coleman group, having taken over from or ousted the earlier incumbent, Double Sri.

    It is another matter that so many sections of the media found it perfectly normal for the Prime Minister of India to recommend via a tweet the cud-chewing ruminations of Vasudev and then call them “lucid”, when even Times Now found about six errors within the first five minutes. And indeed, that Vasudev starts by saying he has not read the actual acts or proposals.

    But one cannot blame either Modi or Vasudev. Modi has gone largely unchallenged by most of the media since 2013. And even after the horrors of demonetisation and the subsequent collapse of the economy, of our various foreign affairs disasters, of the signal lack of governance in every sector, the media has remained compliant. Whatever little shoots of courage sprung up in the 2019 election campaign died out with the May 2019 return to power.

    It is matter of shame and amusement that for some sections of the media, the various parties which lost the general election are still held responsible for the state of India today. I still haven’t understood whether this comes from extreme love or total hatred.

    It is only between the Maharashtra elections and the students’ protests that we have seen signs of media courage.

    However, I must make some distinctions here. Individual journalists across India have shown remarkable courage across platforms and owners. The worst slip-sliding sycophancy comes from the big names. They are unable to criticise without adding riders. And that is no longer a sign of “objectivity”; it is a sign of cowardice.

    English language newspapers like The Telegraph, The Hindu, increasingly The Deccan Herald, the Deccan Chronicle, Asian Age, Business Standard to some extent, remain at the forefront of challenging those in power, this praise comes with caveats for all. Some allow more variety on their opinion pages like LiveMint. The Indian Express has become a sore disappointment. The Times of India? Well, it depends on which part of the country it is based in. Hindustan Times, hmm. The international media has been strident in its criticism. When it comes to news channels, it is still NDTV which is seen as the sole reliable, non-publicity mouthpiece of the Modi-Shah government. Some like CNN News18 or India Today TV have their moments of freedom from government PR, but they are few and far between. The rest are largely sucker-uppers. When they change, you know Olympus has fallen!

    Websites like the Wire, Scroll, Quint, Catch, NewsMinute, and a whole bunch of local news sites from Kashmir to Kochi fill in where the mainstream media fails. And this remains the main media battleground, much as so many in print or TV refuse to accept it. All those who thought citizen journalism and blogs could bring them into the 21st century ought to have realised by now that there’s no substitute for fact-finding and groundwork. Which is why AltNews, Boom and all the other fact-checking websites remain the most trustworthy.

    The last shout out has to be all the young and brave reporters, deskies, producers who follow, report, track and edit the first drafts of history being made, in spite of the tremendous pressures from their seniors, their owners, the public. These are the only hope as long as they stay this way and learn this simple lesson: Those glamorous fence-sitters? History will not remember them well.

    On that note, Happy New Year and see you on the other side!

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. Her views here are personal

     

     

  • The network is also available to viewers in the MENA region, Canada and the UK

    Republic Media Network to be launched in US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Republic Media Network’s channels – Republic TV and  Republic Bharat will now be beamed to the United States through Dish and Sling TV, both online and TV platforms in the US.

     

    Said Priya Mukherjee, President – Distribution & International Revenue at Republic Media Network: “With strong programming and one of the widest news coverage from India, Republic TV and R Bharat have formed a special bond with viewers. Our US plans have been in the works for over a year and we don’t want to leave any stone unturned to deliver the best programming mix for our US viewers. With our compelling content, huge fondness and appreciation for the channel from the Indian diaspora internationally we will endeavour to build value through our partners for all the stakeholders.”

     

    For the US market, Republic will work with World View Media Network taking the association forward after the UK launch of R Bharat. Added Manish Vasisht, Director of World View Media Network Limited: “With the strong demand for Republic TV and R Bharat across the globe, we are excited about this association and look forward to creating one of the best user experience for English and Hindi news viewers based out of USA. We will use our international experience and expertise to grow the brand of Republic Media Network.”

     

    The network is also available to viewers in the MENA region, Canada and the UK.

     

     

  • The MxMIndia Mediaperson of the Year 2019 will be announced on December 20, 2019

    8 Days to Go!

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Yes, the day is drawing closer. Just eight months to go for the 2019 MxMIndia Mediaperson of the Year award. The selection process has been done. We have had five rounds of shortlisting and now are waiting to see if a new star emerges over the next few days.

     

    As MxMIndia readers are aware, over the last few years, the MxMIndia Mediaperson of the Year has earned the reputation of being one of the more credible barometers of the highest performer(s) in the fields of advertising, media and marketing in a calendar year.

     

    Last year’s winner of the accolade was Piyush Pandey on his rise and rise in the global creative world. In 2017, it was Arnab Goswami for the launch of Republic TV. In 2016, we had Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin and for 2015 it was the BARC India core team of Punit Goenka, Shashi Sinha and Partho Dasgupta.

     

    Any guesses on who it will be this year? Wait for it. 10.20am. Friday, December 20, 2019

     

  • The response to this new series of Q&As has been amazing. It of course all boils down to BD’s immense wisdom and popularity. Read on for Day 5 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das.

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Which is a tougher question to answer – in any context: Why or How? And why?

    Bhaskar Das
    Bhaskar Das

    We hope you are enjoying the Q&As in Das ka Dum by Dr Bhaskar Das… just. The response to this new series of Q&As has been amazing. It of course all boils down to BD’s immense wisdom and popularity. Presenting Day 5 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another question, and another answer

    The link to yesterday’s column is: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/das-ka-dum-with-dr-bhaskar-das-if-you-could-relive-your-career-is-there-anything-that-you-would-like-to-redo-now-please-dont-give-a-politically-correct-answer/ And the links to the ones before that are in the last Q&A.

    To those who don’t know who Dr Bhaskar Das is: well, he’s the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and also a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

    Das ka Dum features on MxM – Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Presenting Day 5:

     

    Q. Which is a tougher question to answer – in any context: Why or How? And why?

     

    A. The quest for categorisation for a deterministic answer is quintessential. The world can’t anymore be ‘either-or’. We have to move from orness to andness. So sequentiality of why, how, what can be done depending on the context but they are fundamentally inter-connected queries for exploring answers to all unexplored areas.

  • Those who’ve had a chat with BD are familiar with his repartees and spiritual responses to down-to-earth issues and problems… Welcome to Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das… a Q&A like never before, Monday through Friday

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: If you could relive your career, is there anything that you would like to redo? ? Now please don’t give a politically correct answer

    Bhaskar Das

    We hope you are enjoying the Q&As in Das ka Dum by Dr Bhaskar Das… just. There are of course many who say that the column was a no-brainer. Those who’ve had a chat with BD are familiar with his repartees and spiritual responses to down-to-earth issues and problems.

     

    To those who’ve come in late, the link to yesterday’s column is: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/das-ka-dum-with-dr-bhaskar-das-with-so-many-people-losing-jobs-in-the-media-would-you-say-its-a-safe-place-for-people-to-take-up-as-a-career/

    And the link to the ones before that are in the last column.

     

    The questions will be answered by Dr Bhaskar Das, the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

     

    Das ka Dum will feature Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Enjoy Day 4.

     

    Q. If you had the opportunity to relive your professional career, is there one thing – or may be two or three – that you would like to redo? Now please don’t give a politically correct answer

            

    A. Why should I relive my professional career when I am so grateful that I could do my best what I was assigned to by God through earthly intermediaries. It may not be the best by material standards or by the expectations of a role model. But I didn’t aspire for them either. When one is in a trance of equanimity,  there is neither anything to seek, nor anything to achieve.

     

    This is not a politically correct answer. I don’t want to indulge in any etymological dissection of the word political but I feel it’s an oxymoron as when one is political , one can’t be correct.

     

     

    Editor: As we mentioned before, some of the words and phrases our dear BD uses could go over your head. So, purely in reader interest, we will link such words to the dictionary meaning. Now we don’t think etymological is a tough word, but perhaps equanimity might well be for some.

  • The award will be presented on Friday, December 20, 2019… wait for it

    2019 MxM Mediaperson of the Year: 4 months to go

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Yes, the day is drawing closer. Just four months to go for the 2019 MxMIndia Mediaperson of the Year award. The selection process is hotting up. We have had three rounds of shortlisting already, and now the final one will happen late November.

     

    As MxMIndia readers are aware, over the last few years, the MxMIndia Mediaperson of the Year has earned the reputation of being one of the more credible barometers of the highest performer(s) in the fields of advertising, media and marketing in a calendar year.

     

    Last year’s winner of the accolade was Piyush Pandey on his rise and rise in the global creative world. In 2017, it was Arnab Goswami for the launch of Republic TV. In 2016, we had Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin and for 2015 it was the BARC India core team of Punit Goenka, Shashi Sinha and Partho Dasgupta.

     

    So who do you think will it be this year? We don’t know, and, frankly, it’s too early to even attempt forecasting and guessing the winner of the title even though we are just four months away.

     

    Having said that, if you’d like us to consider any name, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com or even call or whatsapp us, if you have our coordinates.