Tuesday, January 22, 2008

NDTV, the acquainted newcomer

It has not been very long, not long enough to be out of my memory, when after every news hour on Star News, one of the best news channels of that time, we used to see two parallel, glowing lines, moving to write NDTV, and then the Star sign followed with the usual 'this is star and you are watching star news' etc. Then suddenly in April '04, Star News started looking different, as the contract of Star with the NDTV was over and NDTV had left Star to start its own news channel.

This was the start of NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India, the English and Hindi news channels of the NDTV group. And then NDTV started Profit, another channel that gave business news. That was all NDTV was expected to do. But last year, in September, NDTV came into something new. It joined hands with the UB group (of Vijay Mallya) and started a lifestyle channel called NDTV Good Times. The channel is not very attrcating though, still there are some things worth watching like the 'Lounge' presnted by actor-director Rajat Kapoor.

And this time, NDTV did something not-that-unexpected, but in an incredible style. It started NDTV Imagine, an entertainment channel, expected, but the programs it brought with it made all the difference. In this era of reality shows, a reality show called 'Say Shaava Shaava' was fine. But it started 'Ramayan' too. The super super popular show of its time, the dharm and sanskriti show that used to hold the Indian masses 20 years ago, was re-launched by the same people (the Sagars) in an altogether new look. This was something that holds the capacity to bring NDTV Imagine in majority of homes, especially in rural and town areas. In fact I think Ramayan will be able to get audiences from everywhere, at least in the start. And it seems Ramayan will be able to find many of its viewers coming from the regular saas-bahu audiences, thus harming the Star.

Anyways, I just hope the competition gets tougher and we get better, good quality programs.

Amen.

5 comments:

Sumeet Pareek said...

Hey I don't remember star being the news channel of choice ever.. It always used to be doordarshan..

And by the way, where do get to watch TV..?? Do they telecast NDTV Imagine in vellore...???

Harshit Gupta said...

@sumeet
Dude, u r a born spiritualist/philosopher, so no doubts on ur choice of DD. and regarding the NDTV imagine, I don't know whether its there in Vellore. I saw it when I was home.
Anyways thanks for ur comments.
By the way, I am very disappointed with the DD news after I last saw it. DD too is running towards less news and more drama now.

Sumeet Pareek said...

hey.. hey.. careful man..

spiritualist - philosopher - DD

do not quite connect..

Also you overlooked the use of tense in ma comment. I meant DD was the choice when it came to news, back in the pre-NDTV days (thats past for you)

Are they really opting drama these days on DD.. That will be a must watch for me :-P

Harshit Gupta said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Harshit Gupta said...

haan yaar, recently at home I saw on DD news. There was more of background music than the news on a story, that too from om shanti om.