News channels in India

Most viewers of Indian news channels are fed up with style of their reporting where it seems that all of these channels decide for story of the day as if there is no other story. News items, panel discussions, special reports and even fast 100 news stories all roam around the same stale news story. The sole aim of news channels is to compete in TRP ratings. Viewers at times do not have any interest in some of selected stories of the day. Surprisingly, the style of reporting by print media is totally different with so many wide ranging news stories covering different aspects.

Private news channels are otherwise also by and large biased in reporting. Since most Indian news channels have lost credibility and attraction of viewers, it is for Union Ministry for Information and Broadcast to effectively promote Doordarshan by requiring all private news channels to compulsorily telecast main news bulletins of morning and evening telecast by Doordarshan respectively. Likewise, some selected important events of national importance telecast live by Doordarshan should also be telecast simultaneously by all private TV news channels.

Already there is a law whereby all cable TV and Dish TV operators are bound to compulsorily telecast all the 25 Doordarshan channels apart from Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV. It should also be compulsory for all cable and Dish TV operators to place all the Doordarshan channels, Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV in starting numbers. For example DD National and DD Bharti should be numbered at first and second place amongst entertaining channels, while DD News, Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV at first, second and third place amongst news channels.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal,

Delhi.