
The comedy shows have become the next favorite programs after the ‘horrible’ crime capsules and the ‘terrific’ horror special shows for most of the news channels.
You can find these shows frequently on the 24×7 news channels in India. They repeatedly claim that they are the real journalists who are the pillars of the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. This is because they have the equipments to show ‘visuals’ of any incident to the people.
Now, one segment of the ‘fourth pillar’ has become the victim of the TRP race in India. Great journalists of one time, who happen to be the editorial heads of different channels’ are now saying that the channels are bound to present the programs the people actually want.
This is nothing but baseless and third grade logic if they want to do real journalism and the best logic if they want to do business and earn big bucks in the name of journalism. The race for TRP has made the management of the news channels ready to do anything. The new series of the comedy shows on the ‘popular’ news channels is the recent example.
It seems the advertisement and marketing department is ruling over the editorial departments in most of the news channels in India. The serious issues of the society and country have been wiped off from the news bulletins and the programs and the programs related to celebrities’ wedding could take ample time easily.
Now you will ask why I went for the headline that is not looking logical, as Raju Srivastava is not a journalist. I know he is not a journalist but a comic actor by profession. At the same time, I want to say that he is doing the job successfully the group of news channel journalists failed to deliver. He is making the TRP high by handling 1/2-an hour show repeating three times in a day on a news channel and other channels too.
Ajtak, Star, Zee and other news channels have all started daily comedy shows. Raju Srivastava, the reigning king of mimicry and comedy, is featured, not once but thrice during 24 hrs on Aaj Tak
Zee News had given the chance to Raju Srivastava on the eve of New Year 2006 to present Zara Hat Ke Zara Bach Ke’ and ‘Hila Ke Rakh De’ all day long on 31 Dec.
Now, News channels such as NDTV Sabsey Politically Incorrect Kaun, STAR News Raju And Party and Aaj Tak Aisi Ki Taisi have adopted the laughter line and Raju Srivastava has successfully made the TRPs high of these shows.
There is no need for Rajdeep Sardesai and Pranab Roy to appear on the screen to make the TRPs high for their respective news channels. Th 1/2-an hour highlight shows of programs such as ‘Indian Idol’, ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ and other ’sas-bahu soaps’ can do what the group of journalist can not do.
Here is another solution... call Raju Srivastava or any other comic actor or Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant to handle the program any time.
They would make the TRP high without much effort because you are targeting the wrong class of viewers and becoming the channels of that class only. Here is a suggestion from my side for these channels ... just remove the word ‘journalist’ from your profession please...you are not doing what the job demands...





Comments
right Pratyush,,,
Indian fourth pillar of democracy (electronic media)is standing on mimicry and baseless script, but somehow it is good because will at least less encountered with anchor like Deepak Chourasia, who even don’t know how to pronounce HINDI alpha bates
pratyush don’t U feel that these practices are nothing but the name game, and Raju Srivastava is
a hot cake now a days.
See.., Whatever the way of presentation is, Showcases are to be changed in due course of time.
Recent trends r of jokes Machines, so News channels are doing the same, presenting them as true journalists.
It is just like giving one hand taking the other. Channels r giving journalistic opportunities to
comedians to play with, and get high TRP in return. So, whats wrong in this!! afterall, they are getting what they are paying for, what happened...if the serious issues of the society and country have been wiped off. What happened..
if it degrades the moral of Journalism.
Raju shrivastav is one of the most humorous comedians I have ever come across. Every stand up comic makes u laugh, but Raju’s jokes r more than humorous..but I dont think that he should be given so much of exposure that all the channels are offering him..... He is getting the stature of journalist in news channels now. This is nothing but a poor luck of Indian electronic media. Good story...
Only electronic media is not the fourth pillar of the democracy Rahul, this is mere a small segment of that pillar in fact. Thanks for the comment and I appreciate your views on Deepak Chourasia :-)
Good Comment Nitesh, best part of your comment is ”Channels r giving journalistic opportunities to
comedians to play with, and get high TRP in return”. Keep the good comments placing here.
You are right Vedika, this is nothing but hard luck of one of the strong medium of mass communication that is being degraded without getting mature status.
OMG...! what a gimmick.....! ull be looking Raju as News reader...n Rakhi Sawant doing some sting-operations .... :-P
no doubt...he is a gud comedian, but as vedika says dis is Indian electronic-media’s ill-fate...
if we talk abt indian electronic media,den i tell u how they keep commercializing news... jus stretchering a single one news like a rubber band, for hours.
Zee news, Aaj tak, etc have started their own epsodes of news like ’SANSANI’, etc dat is just a commercialization of news....unluckily...one day wz watchin some similar kinda shows on Zee News, they were showin some ’Inderjaal’ thingy n some saints performing ’Hut Yog’ ...one simple question: what actually they want to portray (with this rubbish stuff)???
though, i knod dat they r airing such silly programs coz people r demanding these things n also to increase there viewrship....but media is supposed to stop us go astray...isnt it??
Great comment on news channels..keep it up.