In these recessionary times, a 24-hour news channel from an already overstretched Doordarshan stable can only be a recipe for disaster. But caretaker information and broadcasting minister Pramod Mahajan couldn't care less. For it isn't commercial profit that the bjp leader is after. Never mind his protestations to the contrary, what he is aiming for is a pliable, if not viable, platform to promote his party's electoral cause. Hence the haste to get the new satellite channel off the ground.
According to Prasar Bharati CEO Rajeeva Ratna Shah, the Independence Day soft launch of Mahajan's pet project marked the beginning of a dry run that will culminate in the advent of a full-fledged official news channel in two to three weeks. In time, perhaps, for the first round of voting.
One member of the Prasar Bharati Board,writer Rajendra Yadav,has openly questioned the timing of the launch. Mahajan insists he has no intention of misusing the official electronic media ahead of the polls. The decision on the channel was taken well before the government fell. The idea is to meet the competition from private news channels head-on, he says.
Programme commissions have begun pouring on software producers and journalists. The question is: where will the funds come from? Through ad revenue and parliamentary grants, say Mandi House sources. But neither is going to be easy to tap. Ratings for news shows are much lower than they are for movies, serials and live sports. Recent surveys indicate that while top-rated shows on satellite channels often hover around the 10-mark, Star News scores well under 1 trp (Television Rating Point). Will advertisers bite the news channel bait?
Some Board members are straining to be heard above the din of the debate which has now been joined by the Congress and the cpm. B.G. Verghese, a long-time votary of electronic media autonomy and vocal Prasar Bharati member, believes that despite being hamstrung by an incomplete Act of Parliament, the Board can,and will,play the role assigned to it. We've set up an internal mechanism to ensure fair, unbiased coverage of the elections, he says.
The Board held a special meeting this week and passed a resolution affirming its autonomy. We want, says space scientist U.R. Rao, a member of the Board, to dispel the impression that DD is succumbing to political interference.
So it seems does the irrepressible Mahajan. But not for the same reason. He can't afford to run foul of the Election Commission. Certainly not while the poll process is on. That, say Mandi House insiders, is why the channel's launch has been low-key. The Commission, which hasn't received a formal complaint yet, is also the reason why Mahajan has, on the face of it, distanced himself from the functioning of the channel. But that's a thinly-disguised ploy. The Prasar Bharati CEO is an additional secretary to the I&B ministry, DD's additional director-general (news) Deepak Sandhu is an Indian Information Service officer and Sanjay Nigam, consultant to the news channel, is a ministry appointee. To expect the trio to function independently is like seeking snowfall in a desert.
While those in charge of Prasar Bharati's day-to-day affairs are accountable to the I&B ministry, the Board's independent members are part-time functionaries, too busy with other pursuits to be able to rectify DD's ways. So, it would be surprising if there's any convergence between what they want DD to be and what Mahajan and his aides turn it into. What's more, even the internal complaints mechanism is flawed: Harish Awasthi, director-general (news), All India Radio, who has been entrusted with the job of acting upon complaints against DD news, is also directly under the minister.
So, no matter what the channel's opponents say, Shah, Sandhu and Nigam are going full-steam ahead with their ambitious plans. Over Rs 25 crore have been invested to acquire state-of-the-art technology and upgrade the Central Production Centre at Siri Fort, where the DD newsroom will now shift from Akashvani Bhavan. A host of journalists and producers have been roped in to deliver shows for the channel. TV Today has been commissioned to produce DD's coverage of the poll results.
But, as usual, Doordarshan's own staffers have been left out in the cold. A 24-hour news channel that relies on outsiders can never click, predicts a DD newsroom man. So, expect a lot of soundbites and fury as DD ventures into a realm where professionalism has never been its forte.
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