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Journalism of Courage
Theres an increase in the number of Punjabi channels on Indian television,as Punjabis across the world tune in for more
There’s a speed post from the land of butter chicken and tikka sahabs. Ever since Big CBS Spark started airing in the state,with Jerry Springer chatting away in chaste Punjabi and Americas Next Top Models flashing their assets,the hot-blooded Punjabi male has been a happy man. At least according to the Television Audience Measurement report on Spark channel, says Samir Verma,regional head for the channel. While Verma gives the update with confidence,viewers on the Punjabi Portal website attack the channel for its crass Punjabi translation,loud voice-overs and poor choice of programming. This is not our culture,this is not Punjab, they lash out. In his defence,Verma says the channel was demand-driven and launched after an exhaustive year-long research in the region. Its a hit in the interiors of Punjab, adds Verma. Nonetheless,a month old,Spark is a new addition to the burgeoning presence of Punjabi channels on the small screen. To counter it,Get Punjabi has now made a foray into the Indian territory. Post the success of Punjabi TV in the US and Canada,GEE Info Media Pvt Ltd has returned to its roots in Punjab with Get Punjabi. As compared to Spark,the channels strength is local content,talent and production. If Spark is about action-packed shows like Hawaii Five-O (Veer Hawaii De),Americas Next Top Model (Amreeka Di Next Top Model),Masked Warriors an international wrestling format (Zabardast Kushti),Get Punjabi is for the ladies,with desi Punjabi family dramas like Dil Diya Gallan Dil Hee Jaane,Agg De Kallierey,Chadheya Chann Samundron Paar and comedy series Jhalleyan Da Tabbar. Not only this,Get Punjabi has roped in Balaji Telefilms first Punjabi production,Kinna Sohna Tainu Rabb Ne Banaaya. The only contention: These are still not available on all DTH services, points out TV anchor and MC Bobby Sandhu.
Zee Punjabi too is back in action with season two of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- Sur Punjab De,which will go on air from March 2 with host Parminder,and will be judged by Jaspinder Narula,Bally Sagoo and Juggy D. Unfortunately,Narula is not too happy with the auditions. There is no Bollywood material, she laments. Another drawback is that its the only flagship programme that the channel hosts apart from Gurbani and news. MH1 continues to tug along with regional chartbusters and the occasional average Awaaz Punjab Di. The only channel to actually make a mark in the fiction segment so far is ETC. Its show Sade Pind Rab Vasda has a huge fan following on Facebook. Udaari too has some substance as it throws the spotlight on women of substance and it has started live Gurbani by students from Gurdwara Baru Sahib,Himachal Pradesh. The channels drama series Kach Diyan Wangan was a success with the ladies. In the non-fiction section,except for DD Jalandhar,PTC ruled the roost with its reality,non-fiction genre and a new music channel,Chak De.
When we look at the market,its not just Punjab alone, says Ravi Arora, ETC Business Head,who reasons the dynamics and reasons for the rise in Punjabi channels. The bandwidth covers Punjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh,Chandigarh and the overseas NRI base,hence the flurry of activity, explains Arora. According to him,these are rich territories with a strong youth base,great infrastructure of technicians,actors,production houses,dish network and high disposable incomes. People are willing to spend and this is what the major players see, adds Arora,pointing to the entry of biggies like Reliance and CBS into the Punjabi channel market. Manish Vasisht,Executive Director/CEO,GEE Info Media Pvt Ltd focuses on NRI Punjabis. Punjabi community is one of the most visible South-Asian community outside India and most prominent in the US,Canada and UK,so more the channels catering to them,the merrier it is, says Vasisht.
The revival of Punjabi cinema too has benefited television. As a result there is demand for Punjabi music. The viewer in Punjab is addicted to the latest Punjabi music, says Rajiee M Shinde,COO,PTC Network. The market is getting saturated and television networks are now diversifying into the region as at some point we are expected to give people content in their language too, notes Pramod Kaul,Business Head,Zee.
Time to press P for Punjabi.
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