20 years of creadibility

“Creadibility has many faces…” is what NDTV use the tagline for its channel. And I think yes credibility has many faces and one of its faces is NDTV. This is what I feel at the 20th anniversary of NDTV (New Delhi TeleVision) which was founded in 1988 and is India’s largest private television production house.
For last 20 years, it have felt the news and presented the news in the manner in which it should be। Be it Babri demolition or Kargil war, Godhra riot or Aarushi murder case, it has always tried to show the truth, without being biased.

NDTV is the outcome of Radhika Roy’s dream which she fulfilled with the support of Pranoy Roy. NDTV started in 1988 as a television production house with two journalists--Radhika's former colleagues--three producers and a finance person. "It was a lean, mean, Indian team," laughs Prannoy. They began lobbying for a slot on the state broadcaster, Doordarshan, and their persistence paid off. NDTV debuted with The World This Week, an international news program.
Afterwards NDTV's coverage of Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall was pathbreaking in Indian television reporting and gave it brand recognition. And later on they inked a five year contract with Star news channel. It was proved as the biggest moment for NDTV.

But at the end of contract, Star wants to renew it but don’t want to give Pranoy the full control on editorial। So Pranoy with his team walked off।

In April 2003, Indian media takes a new birth with NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India going on the air. Now it is having its own 24 hrs news channel in both the major language i.e. English and hindi.

NDTV’s team is supposed to be the best, that’s why the experience such perfection in their work. Besides Pranoy, Barkha Dutt, Vinod Dua, Vikram Chandra, Nagma Saraf, Vishnu Som are among the top media person backs the NDTV. Rajdeep Sardesai and Karan Thapar wre also among the NDTV’s editorial strength till some time ago.
For me, NDTV is not merely a news channel whose work is to give the news but it is the name upon every Indian can bank upon. It is simply a name that spells credibility. For any nautanki or tamasha like stuff you can have many options but when there is question of Khabar, I only believe NDTV. Hat’s off to NDTV.

Trivia

• NDTV is the only Indian channel which broadcasts in Pakistan.
• The red dot in NDTV logo, suggested by Radhika Roy, depicts a Bindi.
• It is India's oldest private production house which has produced a news program.
  
• The signature tune of NDTV 24x7 has been composed by David Lowe and the tune for NDTV India has been composed by A.R. Rahman.

झारखण्ड; Hope for the Best

‘Ho’ (a phrase used for Jharkhand in SRK starring Chak de India), is no more the identity of Jharkhand. Nor it is known as Land of forest, rich in minerals, year’s old prosperous culture and future industrial hub. But now ‘Functional anarchy,’ ‘Governance breakdown,’ ‘Corruption’, ‘Political instability,’ and ‘Naxalism,’ is what Jharkhand all about.
First of all, Happy Statehood Day to all who belong to Jharkhand. Today, on 15th November our Jharkhand has completed its eight year after it has been carved out from Bihar in 2000. But if I’ve to point out a single reason for which I can proud of being Jharkhandi, then it should be none other than but to belong to ‘Dhoni’s village’ sorry Dhoni’s state.
MSD is the single reason for what we have our heads up otherwise there is no need to feel proud on our state.
Joy SenGupta, a journalist with Khaleez Times, Dubai, finds no reason to return to a state which had not fulfilled its any promise. There is no scope of employment opportunities or development. In fact even after eight years, the state has failed to solve the Chiria Mines problem, which acts as blockage for Arcelor Mittals proposed investment.
The case studies of other proposals are no different. Out of 100+ MoU’s (memorandum of Understanding) signed by Govt. of Jharkhand, with companies including Mittal, Jindal, Essar, Tata and likewise big brand, but only 4-6 projects have been worked out.
In eight years of small history, Jharkhand has witnessed six governments and four Chief Ministers. When the state govt. seems making it stable and executing their development plan, if they have any, then there is change of government.
When Jharkhand had been created, four out of 18 districts were naxal affected but within eight years, 24 out of 24 districts have been naxal affected. Now Naxals have marked their presence even in the state headquarter. It had created such an environment where everyone lives with fear.
Now its turn for ‘corruption,’ the word that has been dissolved in our culture. That’s why it is often said in our context that ‘bhrastachar ab ban gaya hai sistachar.’ The condition in the state is so pathetic that many times the ministers of state government were framed under the corruption charges.
So, it is the brief description of what Jharkhand has gained in its eight years. The times in which journalists and philosophers have pen down hundred of similar articles, concerning the present and for making a sound future of the state. And this year too I’m doing the same thing just with a magic sentence “Hope for the Best.”

Media’s love for Aliens

I use to have newspaper as the first thing in the morning. Today is no exception. But as soon as I go through a leading newspaper, which claims itself as “Akhbaar nahi Aandolan,” I was distressed. Have a look at its lead story and I’m sure u will also get a big surprise: “Aliens kar sakte hain Himesh ko kidnap.” What rubbish it is, then I read it again to verify if I had mistaken, but there’s no change. Shit kya yeh lead news hai? I cried. Most interestingly, the news of abduction comes from the most un-credible source of Indian media (a TV channel that use to show such nonsense every time).
Oops… Himesh is likely to be abducted by the Aliens. According to Kewatmal Extra Terrestrial Research Center, the alien is having profound attachment with the ultrasonic frequencies. And with its nasal Surrurrrrrr, this singing sensation somehow managed to cater the likes of the Aliens.
Once I was asked by a Big 92.7 RJ that if I have to send any voice in the universe for the aliens, what will be my choice. That was a equally strange and comic question for me that time. But I answered Himesh so that the extra terrestrials also enjoy the ‘pathetic shor.’ Si, I’m pleased to know that they are really enjoying it and suppose to depute Himesh as their brand ambassador on the earth.
I’m not here to comment on this particular research but am really worried by the way it has been covered by media. Does this news carry more importance than Wall Street collapse or chaos in Orissa? The answer is simply big NO… and nor this news is going to increase the readership of the news paper, but I’m sure about one thing that it will prove the childishness of the newspaper industry once again.
With regard to its credibility, newspapers are believed to be the classic medium of mass communication, but shall this news justify the reliability that the mass have in it. Nowadays Indian media industry is suffering from a unique type of disease, which keeps the bulls’ eye on the ‘bhoot, bhabisya, and dusri duniya.’
On the occasion of Durga Puja, I will pray the God to give some sense of ‘sadbudhi’ to the media world. So that there will be more news than gossips. Only then any media house will claim to bring revolution.

“Youth star’s born here…”

Jharkhand is all set to script a new chapter of youth world, courtesy the pool of youths, which are hitting a new landmark everyday.
Be it Ranchi Rambo Mahendra Singh Dhoni or IT wizard Vineet kumar, the state born youths constructing a brand new picture of Jharkhand in the international arena.
‘Miracles don’t happen in fortnight’. This proverb is exactly fit in Jharkhand’s context. Just three years back, Mahi came in limelight and echoed his presence in the cricketing pitch. Match by match, his success touches a new milestone. Though, the Last year’s victory in Twenty-20 world cup adds a sweet flavor in this regard. Dhoni is supposed to be the biggest star of small place.
Ranchi born Vineet Kumar is another one leading this way. Being MD of an anti-hacking company, his actions aimed to confiscate the problems of hacking. As he said, he wants to bring ‘Inquilaab’ (revolution) in the field of hacking. Vineet is also the smallest MD in the world whose big efforts are enough to fascinate Software tycoon Bill Gates.
Vineet believe that Jharkhand has an immense talent. Youths are coming to the forefront in every field. However government support and proper utilization of the talents is the need of hour, he added.
Jamshedpur based Abhinav Kumar is also zeal to Lead Jharkhand. Renowned by some International fellowship and awards, Abhinav is titled as the ‘Second Indian Ramanujam’, by Haward University. In 1998, Abhinav came in focus by securing first position in IIT. However with full scholarship he preferred MIT. Presently he is teaching not less than 15 research papers of Mathematics in premium institutes like Haward and MIT.
Even the glamour field, witnesses the appeal of state’s youth. After Tanushree Dutta, ‘Jab Bollywood Met’ Imtiaz Ali, the young director from Jamshedpur, it’s all a new era begins. With ‘Socha Na Tha’ and ‘Jab We Met’, he creates a totally new picture of the state. Other than Imtiaz, Indian Idol contestant Puja, Chang and Abhishek are the fresh singing sensation of the country.
Joint Secretary of Delhi university student union, Khusboo Sharma also belongs to Jharkhand. In addition to all such real stars, Gargi Agarwal adds some more sweetness in this stuff. Done her management from IIM Ahamadabad, Gargi has rejected job proposals worth millions and turned back to her native land. She has stepped forward to open elementary concept school in Jharkhand in order to bring education uprising here.
Hailing from Jamshedpur, Antra Pandey is invited as the assistant professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. Earlier she was Research Scientist with ISRO. It’s all a new state is rising, whether in Knowledge map or in glamour field, Jharkhandi’s has shown their potentiality. Besides the traditional sports, hockey and archery, state’s supremacy in cricket ground is just a wonderful illustrative example.