MAYHEM IN AMERICA: A MADE FOR TV ATTACK
Horrific. Ghastly. Dastardly. Inhuman. Unbelievable. Catastrophic. Deadly.
Some 62 of Star Plus‘ shows figure in The Top 100 Intam ratings chart for the week ended 2 September 2001. 19 shows each of Zee TV and Sony Entertainment go to make up the rest of the chart for Hindi entertainment channels.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi tops the charts with a TRP of 10.49, with Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki follows with a rating of 9.7 and Khullja Sim Sim was ninth with a TRP of 4.63 rating. Other Star Plus shows which completely dominate The Top 20 are: Kangan, SSSHHH...Kohi Hai..., Sanskruti, Kalash, Kaahin Kissi Roz, Shagun, Son Pari, and Kora Kagaz.
Sony Entertainment‘s KKusum is the highest non-Star Plus programme, occupying the twenty-first spot with a TRP of 3.48. Zee TV‘s Koshish Ek Aasha is at the 22nd spot. Some 10 of Zee TV‘s new shows lead by Kohi Apna Sa (55), Justujoo (63), Kohi Apna Sa (66), Razzmatazz (75), Mujhe Dor Koi Khinche (76), Gharana (77), Baazi Kiski (81), Gharana (82), and Shri 420 (100) figure in the list.
Sony Entertainment shows such as CID (42), Heena (48) Aahat (52), Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye (57), Milan (59), Mahabharat (80), Kahin Diyaa Jale Kahin Jiyaa (83), Boogie Woogie (84), Choodiyan (91) are some of the Sony shows in the Top 100.
Today was the day after as national broadcaster Doordarshan‘s Metro channel turned the clock back a year after HFCL Nine Broadcasting took up the three-hour prime time band on the channe
It was at 10:00 pm yesterday Nine Gold signed off on a quiet note on DD, a year after HFCL Nine bought the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm prime time slot for a massive Rs 1210 million. Nine Gold CEO Ravina Raj Kohli has been quoted as saying the real value of the band was actually not more than Rs 300 million.
Channel Nine Gold launched on the national broadcaster‘s Metro channel on 8 September 2000. However, with this slot becoming a hot property friction soon arose with the mandarins at DD who couldn‘t seem to come to terms with the new operational culture that had set in. By June, 2001 the only thing that was clear was that the contract between Channel Nine Gold and Doordarshan had hit a dead end and was living on borrowed time.
Kohli had said at the time that the serials on air would complete their runs. This has happened in part only. Weekly series like Piyaa Bina, Kavita and Zindagi Milke Betayange have had their run. Among the other serial are Mooch Nahi Toh Kuch Nahi, Choonch Ladi Re Chooch Ladi and the Archana Puran Singh-produced Samne Wali Khidki.
Three daily soap-sagas Jannat, Maan, and Kabhi Sautan Kabhi Saheli have ended without any conclusion. Asked what would happen to these shows, an official spokesperson for Nine Gold said: "We are in talks with Star and Sony but nothing has been decided yet."
Kabhi Sautan Kabhi Saheli, which aired from 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm, was the last show to air on DD Metro under the Nine Gold banner. At the end of the show credits of the Nine Gold‘s staff associated with programming, their business associates as well as in-house personnel scrolled down across the screen.
Meanwhile, DD is going it alone on the programming front (after its call for bids from private broadcasters met with a pathetic response. For the present, the 7-10 pm band will be filled with old re-runs. Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, whose producer recently won back the rights to the serial, will be the biggest serial in the new (old) line-up. The telecast will mark the comeback of the first sitcom on Indian television that made its debut on DD 14 years ago.
DD is also airing The Big Picture and re-runs of other series which were extremely popular series in the early 80‘s like Nukkad and Udaan.
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The attack on Manhattan‘s World Trade Centre Tower I and II and the Pentagon was timed to get maximum viewing audiences globally. 9 am in New York means it was about 6 am on the west coast, late night in Australia, early evening in India and late evening in south east Asia.
In India, most local networks tuned into foreign news telecasts and switched off their scheduled telecasts.
Clearly, the intention was to shock audiences and shame the United States in front of global audiences. And possibly force the US‘ hand into reacting.
The pressure is going to be immense from the world to react. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has already announced that the democracies of the world will have to unite to fight global terrorism.
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