Impact takes a look at what media professionals had to say regarding I&B Ministry’s order to shut down NDTV for a day due to its objectionable coverage of the Pathankot terror attacks. Also, Monica Tata, COO, BTVi, talks about steering the channel and the #OpinionsThatCount campaign.
MED IA FRATERNITY UP IN ARMS OVE R I&B MINISTRY’S ORDER TO SHUT DOWN NDTV INDIA FOR A DAY
A big talking point this week is the Information & Broadcasting Ministry’s decision to penalize NDTV for its objectionable coverage of the Pathankot terror attacks, ordering it to shut its Hindi news channel, NDTV India, for a day on November 9. The government felt that NDTV had compromised national security and risked the country’s strategic assets by airing the counter-terror operations undertaken by the security forces.
Responding to this, NDTV put out a statement on its website saying, “The order of the MIB has been received. It is shocking that NDTV has been singled out in this manner. Every channel and newspaper had similar coverage.
In fact, NDTV’s coverage was particularly balanced. After the dark days of the Emergency when the Press was fettered, it is extraordinary that NDTV is being proceeded against in this manner.” Expectedly, the media fraternity was up in arms about the penalty order. The Editors Guild of India put out a statement condemning it. “The decision to take the channel off-air for a day is a direct violation of the freedom of media, and therefore the citizens of India, and amounts to a harsh censorship imposed by the government, reminiscent of the Emergency… Imposing a ban without resorting to judicial intervention or oversight violates the fundamental principles of freedom and justice,” it said. Media professionals have come out strongly in support of NDTV Paresh Nath, Owner, Delhi Press, said that punishment handed out by the I&B Ministry was way beyond their purview, and that such punishment can only be given by a court of law after a trial. Expressing his faith in the Indian Constitution, he said, “Article 19 (1)(A) will protect NDTV. They should immediately approach the Supreme Court.” Vinod Sharma, Political Editor at Hindustan Times, raised the point that the information in question was also aired by other channels but no action has been taken against them. “The Government is bringing issues like exercise of journalistic freedom in focus by banning NDTV,” Sharma said. Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor, Caravan, said, “There has been far worse coverage of Kashmir by Times Now and Zee News. I don’t see the Government acting on that.”
BTVi’S CONTENT STRATEGY WILL CONTINUE ITS FOCUS ON INFLUENCERS: MONICA TATA
Monica Tata, COO, BTVi, talks to us about steering the channel, the #OpinionsThatCount campaign and the partnership with Reuters.
What are the insights behind the #OpinionsThatCount campaign and objective of the new positioning?
This campaign represents the channel’s strong stand focusing on influencing the think-tank of our country, the trend-setters and key drivers of our economy. Through this campaign, BTVi continues to reach out to the recognized authorities in their fields, as their thoughts and opinions matter to the millions who follow them.
Give us an idea of the marketing spends allocated for it and also overall marketing of the new entity BTVi.
We have a reasonably high impact campaign planned out which will be covered on our own Network, Digital, Social Media, Print, Trade and Outdoor.
Does the Bloomberg legacy or hangover come in the way of your work?
No it does not. The strength of the channel is defined by the content and the editorial edge, which has been our core and we will continue to deliver most credible business news.
Tell us about your recent partnership with Reuters…
Together with Reuters, we are confident of strengthening our leadership position further by delivering more value to our increasingly sophisticated business audience through great business news content on a real-time basis. As the information consumption pattern changes rapidly, BTVi is expanding into the digital universe to reach even larger audiences. After many years of bringing Indian viewers content on business, the stock markets and the economy, BTVi is ushering in new content offerings for the business news space in India. With the partnership with Reuters, BTVi has access to coverage of global events like the US Election and Davos. We will also showcase some special feature shows relevant to the Indian audience such as Meet the Entrepreneur, Wheels of the World, among others.
What does BTVi offer advertisers that other business news channels don’t?
It’s not about comparing with others, what we as a platform have to offer to our clients is not only the influencer and the decision-maker audiences, but brand solutions that will help build their brand and company value.
What are your priorities in the long and short term?
With the launch of our new campaign, we have been able to crystallize our channel’s brand identity. Our content strategy will continue its focus on influencers and will also provide global outlook for businesses. BTVi will develop new show formats with prime focus on connecting directly with influencers.
