| B.A.G
Films managing director Anurradha Prasad has the singular distinction of being
involved in both serious news and fiction production for television. That puts
her in a vantage position, giving her a bird's eye view of a wide spectrum of
television content. In this year end piece written exclusively for Indiantelevision.com,
she talks about the sad twist in the news reporting business, the emergence of
reality and game shows and how 2006 will see the emergence of a new kind of fiction.
Read on: While
the Year 2005 clearly belonged to reality and game shows, it also belonged to
programs like Siddhanth and Rihhaee - which had a strong social
message. The difference: the so called reality shows were propped up and injected
with moolah and marketing by the channels right from their inception, the other
genre of programs died untimely deaths mainly due to sheer neglect and a lack
of interest. We
can take the analogy of a poor student who is asked to top the class but has no
books, not even a decent tuition. All programming usually is based on trends,
which are wholly market driven and, as per its demand, a particular trend is created.
 There
have actually been two trends of news reporting in 2005,
sensationalism and sting operations. However
neither of these two have anything to do with journalism.
The news reporting is taking its cue from the soap channels.
So we have exclusive breaking news like XYZ is sleeping
with somebody or film actress is involved in the flesh trade,
which neither helps the population nor the country.
More
fiction is making its way into news with the end game being: generate TRPs.
As anything sensational is always lapped up by the public and such news trends
have enjoyed high viewership in 2005. An alarming aspect of this trend is that
it is corrupting the audience's mind and making us intellectually bankrupt
as more serious areas of reporting like analysis and research are being given
short shrift. In
a way the reality shows succeeded, not on their programming merits but more
due to the lack of alternative programming on television. These shows had
more credibility in them as they were endorsed by credible and popular icons,
for example, Mr Amithabh Bachchan in KBC. The audiences always desired
a change from their daily soap grind where sometimes the script goes over board
with dead characters coming back or the serial taking a 20 years leap; but if
you want to have some kind of entertainment you have to watch that as there is
no other choice!! Year
2005 has had a major impact on the audience. The year has increased the expectations
of the viewer who will now demand different kind of programs. Hence, 2006 will
be the year of groping. Based
on viewer expectation for something different, I expect the year to really kick
start the reality and game show genre as what is being shown today is only the
tip of the iceberg. I expect Year 2006 to witness the emergence of bigger game
shows with king sized budgets. And these shows will also rule the year with
audiences continuing to stay glued to them. However, there's a note of caution
here as reality shows are already showing some signs of fatigue. The
need today is to look at "INDIAN TELEVISION", with its own identity.
Ours is still a country of storytellers, hence this rich tradition no matter how
much bastardised, will never die out. Therefore, in 2006 we will also see the
birth or evolution of fiction of a very "different type", radically
different from what is being offered for the last five years.
 And,
this alternate or telling of the NEW STORY of new characters
will evolve in a big way in 2006. At least, a beginning
will be made and it is this that we must focus on along
with reality TV, which will perhaps be only the cherry on
the cake, but never the cake itself.
The
coming year will also see greater corporatisation of TV production houses.
The era of "I, Me, Myself" will be over and the time of "BIG
HEART, WITH BIG IDEAS" will emerge. This will only happen, when creative,
production, finances, infrastructure and operations will work in synergy and together
work towards a common goal of creating a landmark product. This
will also mean hiring of young minds as members of the think-tank by production
houses. These will be buttressed by the experienced ones. The producers will have
to be aware and sensitive to the young India, which will form the majority of
their audience universe. This will not only put a final stamp on season-based
programming but will compel producers to think innovatively and also come up with
innovative production design. On
the news front, audience relatibility, giving them the feeling that they have
a platform where their issues are discussed or voiced will hold the key. The GANGULY-
CHAPPELL scrap is of no consequence to people at large, but KAMAL NATH'S STAND
AT THE WTO, concerns our farmers, hence us. It is when these issues will be taken
and addressed in a manner that the lay man is able to understand and identify
with, will only TV journalism find an idiom and the respect and credibility, which
its print counterparts have. Click
here for Yearender 2005 Archives
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