Habits die hard

If we accept the premise that in India viewers have favorite shows and not channel loyalties, this could cost Zee dear. As creatures of habit, we like the same fare day in day out (hence the popularity of daily soap operas the world over), but as a matter of habit we demand variety too.

Prime time Sony courts variety with a staple of hardy faithfuls. It has dailies such as Movers and Shakers, Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, musical shows (Boogie Woogie, Star Yaar Kalakaar) and select serials: comedies, thrillers, real life dramas, dramas… Zee has all of this too: but its evenings offer less variety.

STAR Plus tends to favour the Sony formula. It is closer to the old fashioned concept of an omnibus channel (offering a bit of everything). Unlike Zee or Sony, it has news and current affairs thrown in too. The problem for STAR Plus it that it has a past. For too long it was associated in our minds with the Bold and the Beautiful, ergo, an English entertainment channel. Efforts to be bilingual, to be transcultural, to offer Indian and foreign programmes, have confused viewers. Now it’s looking to be only Indian-Hinglish. The transition will take time: it’s a question of habit, remember?

DD1 has become solely associated with mythologicals and movies. Viewership figures support this association: highly-rated programmes are one or the other. DD1 offers much more but you’d be hard put to say what. DD1’s got so badly branded, when in doubt, it introduces more mythologicals, instead of branching out.

DD Metro became such a creature of habit, it couldn’t change. Recently, we’ve glimpsed many new shows on the channel. Still, to think of DD Metro is to think of oldies such as Sea Hawks, Hindustani, Raja aur Rancho, Shriman Shrimati, and Superhit Muqabala.

Of course variety may not always be the spice of success. Channel [V] has variety in such abundance it could export some to MTV: travel, fashion, game shows, dare show, debates, etc…. Channel [V] began as a music channel for the youth; now it is trying to become a youth channel with music. And MTV appears set to become the old desi Channel [V]. B’Gosh. So: do you want more from a music channel than music? If yes, then [V] is for victory. Otherwise, its MTV. Enjoy.

The two-year old saga called Prasar Bharati continues. In boardroom manoeuvres, two part-timers, Romila Thapar and Rajendra Yadav have been retired, as per the Prasar B.Act. The I&B Minister has publicly spoken of the need for credibility, transparency. He did so again n The Big Fight (STAR News) which also featured Jaipal Reddy who had enacted Prasar B. and former CEO, S.S.Gill. From all available evidence the following appears clear: credibility, transparency are still the far pavilions; the selection of the first Prasar B.Board was not solely based on members suitability for the job just as the removal of Thapar and Yadav is not solely based on their “utility” or non-utility, to quote Mr.Jaitely. Everyone is playing politics. Pity is two wrongs never made a right.

The political ideology of the Board members has dogged Prasar Bharati throughout. It’s silly really: what separates human beings from other creatures is that we think, we hold beliefs, we have ideologies. Every one has them. In this case what has to be established, is a correlation between thought and action: did Board members political ideology influence decisions — good or bad — taken by them (if they took any)? The jury is out on that one.

The Minister has appointed a committee to suggest corrective measures for Prasar Bharati. One member, Shunu Sen, has just submitted a report on ways to improve DD’s marketing skills. Will that be acted upon? Will it be co-opted by the new committee? Committees, reports, recos, bills — no scarcity of them: Joshi Committee, Vardhan Committee, Mahalik Committee, Nitish Sengupta Committee, ATCI report, Broadcast Bill and two more committees Mr.Gill says he appointed. However, their implementation record is a bit like the Indian cricket team’s test match record abroad: poor.