OUR IRRITATING INDIAN NEWS CHANNELS

These days I am frustrated and irritated with our crappy news channels.



I noticed, most of the time the ads appear at the same time in all these channels. Initially I thought it was coincidence. No, these guys are all ganged up to so. I am now convinced that this is a cruel and planned strategy to force ads down our unwilling throats.



They also telecast same of their usual rotten ‘news and analysis’ content, meaningless discussions and debates at the same time. Again, these are also kind of their strategy.



However, there is already a law subscribing volume of advertising per hour of programming. The Cable Television Network Rules,1994, clearly say that not more than 12 minutes (20%) of advertisement for every one hour of programming is acceptable. Rule 7 (11) states: “No programme shall carry advertisements exceeding 12 minutes per hour, which may include up to 10 minutes per hour of commercial advertisements, and up to 2 minutes per hour of a channel’s self-promotional programmes.”



Who care, analysis says that volumes of ads are more than that of news stories or bulletins. Some channels, 60% of prime time slots went to ads, the rest to news.

I have suggestions – When the ads come, take your eyes off the screen and read good books or newspaper or listen to your wife what she had to say during the news time. Don’t worry. The ads last a good 10 minutes these days. That’s enough time to do lot of other things