In a continuation of its press-the-panic-button-react-in-a-kneejerk manner Zee TV has given veteran actor Anupam Kher marching orders from its game show Sawal Dus Crore Ka. The management is reportedly pointing fingers at Kher for the game show?s not so impressive ratings and has hence shown him the door. Replacing him is Hindi-belt actor Ashutosh Rana as the show?s co-host with actress Manisha Koirala.
Observers say the Zee programming and production team and senior management are behaving like a fish gasping for its last breath and flailing out in a bid to stay alive. But they should remember panic in a difficult situation never did anyone any good.
 

Despite consistent lobbying by a clutch of broadcasters right from Zee TV to Star TV to Prasar Bharati chief RR Shah, the government is not going to budge on the 20 per cent sectoral cap for broadcasters laid down in the DTH guidelines announced in early November.

This was announced by information & broadcasting (I&B) minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday. She told a local news agency that she had spoken to all the ministers who had aired their concerns and informed them that the clause had been inserted to prevent the emergence of vertical monopoloies.

She added that she had even spoken to senior BJP cabinet member and home minister L.K. Advani about the issue. With the government being firm on this issue broadcasters will have to resort to ingenious corporate restructuring to be able to put together a DTH platform. Or lobby even harder.

The acquisition of a 20 per cent equity stake in top notch production house Balaji Telefilms is just the first of many partnerships that the Kerry Packer- HFCL joint venture will be doing. In an interview to Business Standard Weekend, HFCL chairman Vinay Maloo revealed that the group was talking to at least five other production companies to take a 20-40 per cent equity stake."These matters are likely to be finalised in a few weeks from now," he said to the newspaper. "Our strategy is very clear. We want to ensure that we have the best content quality."

Additionally, Maloo said that his group was setting up a cinema division as well and would be producing movies with select directors. Part of that initiative has already started with the Director?s Cut series beginning on DD Metro wherein cinema makers are being called in to make movies for television.

Maloo added that he was also looking at launching a channel or putting together a DTH platform - in contrast to what his co-promoter Mahendra Nahata told indiantelevision.com (see earlier story HFCL offers set top box in November) - or broadband streaming over the Internet.

It was an ominous email sent out to staffers by CNN News group chairman Tom Johnson and president Phil Kent: expect aggressive changes in the news operations next year as the network plans the merger of Time Warner with AOL.One of the major changes involves putting each employee?s performance under a microscope.

"Expect a detailed and wide-ranging announcement early in the new year," read the e-mail. "In the coming weeks, we will consider the talents, skills and potential of each employee."

The two senior executives first praised the CNN news team?s election coverage, which sent its viewership soaring. "As you know, this is a time of change here at CNN," the email went on to say. "Aggressive programming changes. Aggressive changes in the way we gather the news and bring it to our viewers."

Apparently, the email has sent butterflies flitting about in CNN executives and journos stomachs. Who said restructuring was ever easy!!

Doesn?t it seem a lot like deja vu? The Convergence Bill may finally not make its way to Parliament in the Winter session which is on currently. The group of ministers which is studying the Fali Nariman Committee recommendations and draft has not been able to decide on several issues. For starters, even on a meeting which needs attendance from all its members. Law minister Arun Jaitley, who has had a major say in a lot of policy making and is likely to continue to have a say, played truant earlier this week when he failed to turn up at one of the meetings.

The draft is additionally being reviewed by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci). Further the GOM?s members are also supposed to give their consent to the various clauses. Following which it will be presented to Parliament and then to a select committee for a further review.

But there are many unresolved issuess like who will blow the convergence bugle - the ministries of information technology, broadcasting or telecom? Which ministry will be the guide for convergence? Which body will be the regulator, the ombudsman or watchdog? What time frame will be set aside for setting up the Watch dog?

Three-four years ago, similar issues had stalled the Broadcasting Bill. Wonder whether the current government is seeeking a repeat act for Convergence.