IBN - The Bottleneck Is Always At The Top

On the face of it the following two tweets from members of CNN-IBN looks innocuous and routine programme information. One from Ruchira Singh, who handles the Social Media accounts for them and one from Rajdeep Sardesai:

A closer re-look based on other information that is now coming out of the TV18 group tells a deeper story. Why on I-Day would a news channel just leave a good part of the day with recorded programmes of Bollywood songs? That too some of it in the prime-time category!  There seems to be a deep churning of sorts within the group. Their CEO, Dilip Venkatraman, has reportedly quit last week and internal sources have been leaking stories of massive retrenchment at the group, fashionably styled as “restructuring”. Here’s what The Hindu reported on August 16 (excerpts):

“Highly-placed channel sources, all of whom insisted on being anonymous, have told The Hindu that the network will ‘cut costs and human-resources by around 30 percent in each department’. There was no confirmation of the figure till late on Thursday evening, with authorized officials refusing to comment. Insiders said it was ‘almost certain’ that contracts of over 150 employees in IBN 7, and over 200 employees in CNN-IBN, would be terminated. A knowledgeable source said, “For a story, a reporter, cameraperson, equipment, a vehicle, a driver has to be deployed. Costs in each of these categories – staffing, production, and infrastructure – will be cut.” It is learnt that senior editorial staffers in key divisions like sports, entertainment and research may face the axe”.

A business sustains itself on a proper revenue model and survives on earning some profits for its stake-holders. In financial terms a 1000-day test is applied for loans and funds for a company to break-even and earn profits. Considering the IBN group was launched in 2005 (although their CNBC channel was launched earlier) it has been 8 years as the group kept absorbing poor financial returns backed by more and more investments in times of trouble. More inflow of funds may keep a business from folding up but not necessarily ensure profits. In such scenarios it is usually the frontline and smaller earners who pay the price.

Remember when Jet Airways sacked some 1900 of its employees overnight? They had to take them back due to protests by the employees and major coverage to the protests. In contrast the retrenchment at IBN is neither going to be covered by their peers in media and will be reported frugally in the print media. It has always been the case that when companies run into trouble the ones to be sacked most easily are the lower level or frontline employees. In the case of Big Bazar when they faced financial problems the first ones to be sacked were the check-out counter employees and even the bagging-boys at the counter. Actually, these employees are the least expensive in the organisation. The top guys who collectively draw a package almost equivalent to hundreds of the lower level employees usually get to stay.   

The problem is not unique to the IBN7 group. Other channels too are facing the music. NDTV, which has been in the red for many years, retrenched many employees sometime back. The first problem is lack of programming itself and the second is lack of a proper revenue model. While claiming to be national channels the IBN or NDTV are nothing more than local Delhi channels. Their programming is centred merely around Delhi and about politics. When the season is on they throw in Cricket and a regular dose of Bollywood. The rest of the country hardly exists. For a national channel low viewership is a serious problem. When the Assam riots were on, Rajdeep Sardesai famously said “tyranny of distance” as the reason for not covering the story on time.

If one adds up all the “news” content of any TV channel the actual content would not amount to more than one hour of news. The same news gets recycled for the rest of the 23 hours since they like to believe a 24X7 channel is the only competitive route. For an international channel like CNN, which was the first as a 24-hour cable channel, the reporting starts from around the globe. For Indian viewers, it usually starts from Hong Kong or Singapore, then to London, to New York and then to their main studios. Thus there is a world-coverage of news and important events. Even so, CNN itself has been sliding in ratings in the US too. In contrast the Indian news channels which call themselves “national” don’t even get viewership from all across India. English channels like CNN-IBN, NDTV or Times Now are not aired in many B-category cities. Most of these cities have local language channels or in the North they have the Hindi channels providing service. And where the business channels are concerned they really don’t have much news to offer. Whatever share prices or business information they scroll at the bottom of the screen is what most viewers watch them for. That scrolling part is now being done on all news channels so specialised business channels also make little sense.

The biggest crime of all is a lot of inaccurate news and fake news that is frequently aired by these channels. That and the propaganda-based programmes and debates which have taken a beating at the hands of Social Media. Some of these channels have built themselves around “personalities” alone and when these personalities get tainted by bogus programmes and comments the channel takes a beating too. It would be more honourable for a channel to sack editors and anchors tainted by such deeds than to sack lower level employees. Some of the people tainted by Radiagate still continue in their jobs as if nothing happened. It now appears that a channel will find it hard to survive merely on English news content as it definitely seems to reduce the reach. Some might decide to go bilingual which may be a better option. What is happening to the news channels is quite similar to the airline industry. Hundreds of air-hostess and cabin-crew training companies had come up all over the cities when the airline boom started. Except a few, almost all of them have now shut shops.

Rajdeep Sardesai may appear in promos with grand lines like “credibility over chaos” or “news over noise”. But advertisements don’t sell. I am not sure most viewers accept the credibility part. I am not sure most viewers accept even the news over noise part, considering CNN-IBN has one of the shrillest anchors in TV history. As for credibility, the group may have to first wonder what got them into “chaos” themselves and how to get out of it. They may sack hundreds of lower level employees but the chaos and noise doesn’t come from them. The bottle-neck is always at the top of the bottle, not the bottom.

     

The Union Of Hate-Filled Souls

The ‘Speech V Speech’ combat was the highlight of I-day. It’s a better way for a political combat. You can choose your winner of that combat but I’m sure people were clear on which one inspired hope and which one was defensive. There is something that MMS said that I would like to recall: “… for relations with Pakistan to improve, it is essential that they prevent the use of their territory and territory under their control for any anti-India activity”. This is a regular line contained in many statements from the Congress govt in the last 9 years. Nothing changes. That’s a different topic though. Pakistan is a separate State over which we don’t have control. The real question is: What about those indulging in anti-India activities right here on Indian soil? And there are many of them. They hate some Indians, they hate Hindu culture and they don’t think twice before behaving like traitors even when communicating with foreigners. When a bunch of MPs wrote to Barack Obama pleading not to give a visa to Narendra Modi they were branded #65Traitors on the Social Media. They deserve that tag because you do not take internal matters to a foreign Head of State or any foreigner.

There are have been other instances too when hate-filled Indians have behaved in this fashion. The ones to flaunt it recently are Nidhi Razdan of NDTV and Rajdeep Sardesai, both products of the same Tube-family. Their souls were united in a hate for one person on August 13. This is not a regular marriage, but a holy union of hate. Their souls united in union like a monstrous goat with two heads or a sea-monster with two heads drinking from the fountain of hatred. The two become one in a union of hate blessed by powers behind the scene that fuel their hatred.

Sometime back when a group from Wharton University invited Modi for a lecture to students there were petitions to the university to cancel the event. The university obliged the Commie anti-India activists. This time the invitation came from a higher power source. A group of British MPs (From both the Labour and Conservative parties) invited Modi to address the British Parliament on “The future of modern India”. I have defined what constitutes anti-India to me. Anyone who speaks ill of India or of Indians to foreign powers and bodies is anti-India (Apart from state enemies who want to destroy India or terrorists). The invitation is being championed by MPs Barry Gardiner and Stephen Pound. Naturally, the new hate-couple Nidhi and Rajdeep were alarmed and couldn’t wait to spew mindless hatred not just against NaMo but even the British MP Barry Gardiner on August 13. It first started with Nidhi in her crap show LRC. Watch the video (4.40 mins):

Nidhi not only spews mindless hatred against Modi, but even lampoons BarryG for no reason or rhyme. It should have been an honour for any Indian to be invited to address the UK Parliament but such is the mindless hatred that runs through the veins of some media morons that they end up lampooning India and India’s institutions badly. They seem drunk with some kind of anti-India poison. Here are some shocking excerpts from the short interview:

Nidhi refers to Modi as a controversial figure some 5-6 times in 4 minutes, a blot on human rights and badgers BarryG, leaving him hardly any moment to respond. She refers to the 2002 riots and claims there are still legal cases pending against Modi (and even Moral cases?) But what BarryG did manage to say was stunning.

BG: If I can answer your question and if you will allow me the courtesy to, then it seems you have absolutely no respect for your own Supreme Court and the SC of India has looked at all those allegations on a number of occasions and absolved him completely … and then for you to be bringing them up on Indian TV is extraordinarily strange.

With more badgering and Nidhi talking over him stating India is a democracy and she is expected to bring up such issues (despite SC rulings) she tried to gleefully close the interview to which there was an even harsher response.

BG: You are very keen to talk over me rather than conduct an interview but if you think democracy is best served by not observing the views and judgement of your SC then I am most surprised. 

And Nidhi responds by arguing and drowning BG’s voice with: “We are a democracy that has the right to question our country’s SC and all the courts”…

Really? Who taught civics or law to this bimbo? You can question the SC or any Court in India? Hatred loses reason and logic. NDTV has never boasted of either. Their inspiration comes from “error of judgement”. And you can see why Nidhi swaggers nightly with her moronery. One can debate impact/repercussions of judgements, discuss it but no one is allowed to QUESTION a court in India. That surely amounts to contempt. But doormats like NDTV have encouraged a culture which makes their foolish anchors believe that their favourite political bosses are bigger than courts. Disrespecting our courts in a discussion with a foreigner is nothing short of an anti-India rant. It finally came to pass that a British MP had to teach manners to a spoilt, bitching woman. That you don’t “talk over” panellists or guests. You don’t badger your guests. You don’t indulge in such extreme hatred that you even ridicule the SC of the country. Nidhi not only offended a guest but offended most Indians who, regardless of terrible situations, take pride in their country and their institutions. Perhaps BG didn’t know she is the LARGER picture, not the SC.

I’ve said before that crooks and liars in the media are the greatest danger to India’s democracy. Nidhi talks about democracy. She’s a LIAR too. FACT: There is not a single case against Modi in any court in this country. Mere petitions by private people and vested interests do not amount to a case against any person. The SIT appointed by SC has dismissed such petitions as having no merit whatsoever. So she not only peddles lies but also peddles these to a foreigner. There’s an anti-India club in the media and everyone knows it. Nidhi also keeps getting sound advice from a known anti-Hindu editor. This same Priya Ramani once called Lord Rama a D*** on Twitter and disappeared for months from the forum. Now you know your media folks even better. Block all proud Indians is the advice. Nidhi seems to follow it. So does Rajdeep Sardesai. Take a look at his exchange with BarryG (5.00 mins):

RS more or less extended Nidhi’s rant but a little more subtly. He wants to know why the UK’s changed stance is different from the US. That’s half the story. For all the years RS has spent in the media he doesn’t seem to learn quickly. The UK and the US are like blood-brothers or blood-sisters. If the UK makes a move it more or less signals the sentiments of the US although it need not be the same here. And in keeping with his usual moronery RS asks BarryG if UK sees Modi as a potential future PM. Frankly, foreign politicians aren’t as stupid as our media folks to be answering such questions. It must have burned Rajdeep’s soul to once again hear the MP shower more praise on Modi, his governance, his transformation of Gujarat and stating that Modi is an important political figure in India. To Nidhi he had mentioned that “Modi is a now player on the world stage”. All this must be burning the souls of the hate-club. It’s only Rajdeep’s hatred for Modi nurtured over 11 years that makes him blind to these realities. Throughout his chat with BarryG tried his best to conceal his unhappiness and hatred. But it came out about an hour later when the interview was over.

On the right is the tweet where Rajdeep who failed to get anything from BG calls him a backbencher. Nice! Both Nidhi and Rajdeep hold such contempt and hatred for anyone who supports Modi that they probably wallow in self-pity. When people lampoon them they whine and start playing “victim”. I hope before the UPA leaves they reward Nidhi with some Padma award as they did Rajdeep. In his hatred, Rajdeep even overlooks the fact that BarryG happens to be the “shadow” Minister for Environment in the UK Parliament. Hate destroys reason and logic. Like my tweet on the left says, I don’t care if Modi speaks in the UK or Germany or USA, but I am definitely glad that BG figuratively put Nidhi on his lap, spanked her blue and asked her to respect the law and the Supreme Court. A spanking well-deserved!

For over a decade these liars and hate-mongers in the MSM have tried to fool the Indian people with their anti-Modi campaign to protect their political bosses or funding. It’s all coming undone. A large number of Indians have realised the MSM is nothing but a bunch of hate-mongering liars and are waking up to the performance and leadership of Modi. In quite a similar fashion the world is waking up too. Japan and China woke up long back. The UK and EU did too and others may follow in time. The only ones still soaking and drinking from the fountain of hate, anti-India and anti-Hindu conduct will be the ones whose souls are permanently in a blissful union. 

I-Day: Mercury Rising, So Is Modi

Another I-Day around the corner! Let me start by again using a statement that I quote very often from former Gallup researcher Marcus Buckingham from his ground-breaking book co-written with Curt Coffman; First Break All The Rules: "What a leader does for followers is… turn anxiety into confidence. They’ve always done that throughout time and in every different society and situation. When leaders lead well, it’s because they’re able to rally people to a better future and make people spirited when they were previously anxious”. India is anxious; Indian govt is without a leader. Even Moses recently pointed out “anger is rising among youth” and poverty is just a “state of mind”.

People are tired of boring, mumbling and whining speeches. They don’t want to hear another one this I-Day. They are tired of political street gangs. They are tired of corruption and dynastic rule. They are looking for courage and leadership. In the absence of leadership people start drinking the sand from the mirage when they don’t find the oasis. But people can also tell the difference when they do see a true leader. One of the greatest gifts of leaders is to communicate and make people respond. Somewhat like a Rockstar.

Remember the SpiceGirls, the all-girl band from England? They had many hits in the late 1990s but their fall was as swift because when they went on stage in front of a live audience, people realised they couldn’t really sing. They were studio musicians. Some of our politicians are like that. Sometimes they are worse; they even goof up while reading from a piece of paper. But here’s a legend that had a very electrifying presence on stage. He could get the audience responding to da-das and doo-doos from his songs impromptu. He could arouse passions in the audience and get them chanting along. Watch (3.50 mins):

India is ‘under pressure’. The economy is under pressure. The rupee is under pressure. The loveable but mundane onion is under pressure. Indians are under pressure. They want opportunities and they want the country to move forward. They want leadership; they want a patriot who speaks their language and feels their hearts. That’s what they got when Narendra Modi made his appearance at a first major rally in Hyderabad. It was a Rockstar performance. His detractors didn’t have much to poke holes with. They were left gasping too, except for the usual lament. But unfortunately, the usual tags of communal, fascist, bigot, Nazi, Hitler, Yamraj, Bhasmasur didn’t follow that easily. People aren’t buying such stuff anymore. Modi, as usual, left something for his detractors to chew upon. And they fell for the bait hook, line and sinker. I tweeted about it and have included someone who fell for Modi’s trap:

 

So Modi’s permanent haters were quick to jump claiming he stole the “yes we can” line from Barack Obama. That’s just about all they could find. Pawan Khera, Sheila Dikshit’s assistant, claimed the crowd was too small for a Southern rally. BURN! BURN! Yeah! Over 1 lakh people is hardly a crowd in India, isn’t it? In a historic first, people also sacrificed a meal to hear a politician speak. Err… that would be Rs.5 which, according to a messiah, gets one a meal in Delhi. So let’s first see who cared to even hear Modi talking:

People in the stadium! People outside the stadium! People in private buildings! “People on the streets… Pray tomorrow - gets me higher… These are the days it never rains but it pours”. That’s what happened on Sunday, August 11 when NaMo rocked Hyderabad. People not only heard him from everywhere but they responded to him like they would respond to a Rockstar. John Lennon once said spiritual gurus are Popstars in India because of the crowds they attract who listen and follow them. In the modern era in India no politician has acquired that status except Narendra Modi. It’s not just his oratory but the fact that his words come from positive thinking and are filled with passion that draws people. His condemnation of political misdeeds by opponents is equally stinging and harsh. “Doob Maro, Doob Maro” he told the ruling party. There’s not much you can do when the people line up behind such a leader. You have to come up with something better than he did. Sure enough, someone came up with something better. Trust the Congress spokie to come up with this:

So if there is nothing that you can counter Modi’s speech with, just utter nonsense like RenukaC did with CNN-IBN. So everybody in the shoot-Modi business was trying to find something to run down a spectacular meeting and speech. And in such a situation can Rajdeep Sardesai be left behind? Of course, not! He too fell for the Modi-trap like Smita Prakash in the first tweet on top. He thought the “Yes we can” thing was very imitative and wanted some “desi” version. Funny! These slaves always like English Laloos and grovel for anything western but want “desi” when they think Modi has plagiarised Obama. SwapanD points out that when someone points to the moon, the idiot looks at the finger. Remember the scene from ‘Enter the Dragon’ where Bruce Lee gives some concentration lessons to a young kid? In my previous post I had mentioned the principle of ‘measure twice, cut once’. It’s an important principle, especially for those in the news business. Fact-check, double-check before shooting your hate-filled head off. But if one is committed to hate, then at some point reason and logic are sure to die a natural death in their life. None of them bothered.

Our media folks are so obsessed with Barack Obama that they can’t bother to check. They should, by now, be aware that Modi lays traps for them into which they gladly fall like a bunch of fools. Obama came to prominence during the Democratic Party’s national convention which nominated John Kerry as their presidential candidate in 2004. That was sometime in July 2004. He didn’t use the term “yes we can” until his campaign in 2008. People have traced the origins of the term to Swami Vivekananda. Modi is a big ‘bhakt’ of Swami Vivekananda. And he used the phrase “Gujarat can, Gujaratis will” in January 2004 during the Vibrant Gujarat festival. Here’s the video that Modi shared in a tweet (0.43 secs):

At the end of it Modi asks the crowd (in Gujarati) to chant the mantra loud enough so that it’s heard in UK and USA. Well, I guess that’s how Obama heard that chant. But the ignoramuses never heard Modi, they were busy cooking up stories against him and slandering him. They probably never even read any of Swami Vivekananda because he too wore saffron sometimes. Modi’s detractors and the media have lost the plot. It is now his supporters who are seeking his foreign-policy vision or his vision for Telengana/AP or offering him real criticism. You can find such articles on the web.

India is under pressure. Indians are under pressure. The people’s Mercury is rising through anger and frustration. Modi is rising too. They naturally want to chant a different tune, with a different leader. A nation thrives on self-esteem and aspirations. This has been consistently eroded by the current govt at the Centre. Rising prices, unemployment, nepotism, enemies at the gates, jawans being killed, terrorists being glorified, endless scams and corruption by the govt operators! There is a dangerous monotony to it.

At a time like this, at another I-Day celebration, hope is the only thing that floats. Only yesterday news reports confirmed British MPs have invited NaMo to address their parliament. The topic? “Future of modern India”! Commenting on it, British MP Stephen Pound said “Modi is now a player on the world stage”. If they realised their mistakes, the Indian politicians and media celebs would do well to politically combat Modi honourably and not with mindless hatred. The hour is still not too late. Like before, instead of listening to another shameful lament, another mumbling and incoherent speech listen to an inspiring speech that can lift people.  NaMo’s speech was long so not being reproduced here but you can listen to it on Youtube.

Happy Independence Day! 

Note: The first video in this post features the late Freddie Mercury (of the band “Queen”) at Wembley stadium, around 1986. The song: “Under Pressure” co-written with David Bowie.