THINKING NAARADAA TV AGAIN

‘Shish, now that you have proved yourself with TKS – ThattuKada Shish, for the uninitiated – now I seem to be having more confidence in you.’

I said one day, as we were sitting in TKS enjoying his dosas.

‘So?’ Shish asked.

‘So, I am wondering why not go ahead with our old idea of Naradaa TV?’

‘It is OK. But you see, I should be given some powers to decide the programs and hiring of everyone – like staff and producers and actors, anchors etc.’

‘It is OK, I will give you a free hand. The only condition is all that you want to do should be within the broad framework of our overall policy.’ I said.

‘I didn’t understand that. What overall policy? We have so far no policy.’ Shish asked.

‘Well let us make a policy then.’ I said. ‘We must have a control on the content.’

‘Control? Who will control?’

‘Shish, we have to definitely control what should be telecast and more importantly what should not be telecast.’

‘And only the other day you were talking about democracy!’

‘Democracy has nothing to do with it.’

‘But democracy should have everything to do with it.’

‘You see, we want to have a new channel. We want to give news to the people. And news should be factual. There should not be any factual errors in the news.’

‘factual errors means?’

‘For example – if there is some big theft somewhere, we want the channel to say that there was a theft and the police is investigating. We don’t want the channel to say that so and so is under suspicion or to say that certain Mr. A was found loitering there, etc.’

‘Oh, but if every channel has got such a policy, how can we be better than other channel? How do we get a better TRP? We have to present the news in a sensational manner”

‘No. sensation and analysis etc. you leave to other channels?’

‘What about debates?’

‘Debates are good. Only if people can understand what the panelists are speaking. So, the anchor should allow only one person to talk at time.’

‘Then how can it be a debate? There should be some shouting match. Panelists should outshout each other.’

‘Ok. But we must have some restraints.’

‘Suppose, in my TKS, I prepare a fish curry. Now, if I make that fish curry without salt, chillies and spices how will anyone eat it? But we want people watching our channel, no? We need advertisements, no? Unless there are viewers, how will we get advertisements?’

‘Advertisements? My goodness! We should avoid advertisements like plague. People are watching advertisements not for knowing what is available where. They have no choice. If they have to watch the program, they have to watch the ads also.’

‘How about some family serials?’

‘You mean, family breaking serials? No, Shish….. In NA, there are only happy families. We don’t want to change that. And the advertisements and serials! What a combination! Are you watching serials to see advertisements or vice versa?