[Reader-list] Mediaah.com newsletter for Monday, January 17, 2005

Mon Jan 17 13:53:15 IST 2005

What a relief, Mediaah! is back. Atits peak the media-crit blog was
getting as many as 10,000 hits a day. Hats off to Pradyuman
Maheshwari!

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Subject: Mediaah.com newsletter for Monday, January 17, 2005

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Welcome to Mediaah.com's newsletter for Monday, January 17, 2005

Mediaah.com: The Media's Media

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Unsubscribing advice at the end of this mail. Feedback may be
addressed to: mail at mediaah.com.
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***
Headlines and perspectives for today, Monday, January 17, 2005

Battle for Business channels
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/battle-for-business-channels.html

Monday Memo: Why is Mediaah! back?
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/monday-memo-why-is-mediaah-back.html

May a thousand Guhas bloom!
(including full text of Vineet Jain letter dated Dec 8)
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/may-thousand-guhas-bloom.html

BCCI verdict in favour of Zee?
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/bcci-verdict-in-favour-of-zee.html

Mediaah! Relaunch Blast
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/mediaah-relaunch-blast.html

Mediaah! Movements
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/mediaah-movements.html

Links of the Day
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/links-of-day.html

Menu for tomorrow/day-after
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/tomorrow.html

Mediaah! closed on R-Day
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/mediaah-closed-on-r-day.html

***

Battle for Business channels

No, we aren't going to repeat whatever Shuchi Bansal has already
stated in her report in Business Standard. We'll reserve our verdict
on NDTV Profit until we see enough of it, but, very briefly, we're
going to be cautious in our welcoming of both channels.

Let's examine the situation a little closely. CNBC-TV 18 is the market
leader, but even though it takes pains to position itself as a
business channel, it's better known for its stockmarket coverage.

The channel has excellent reportage of corporate affairs, advertising
and marketing and the personal finance industry, but it's the trading
hour that has made it the channel of choice in the biz fraternity.

For other coverage, parallels can be drawn to the status an Economic
Times has with The Times of
India. While the industry would like the biz dailies to cover its
events for purposes of record, investors and its constituents, the
glamour and reach of the general press is greater. That is the reason
why even though CNBC existed, PR agents would still woo the
general-interest channels because of their wider impact.

In the case of the English channels, CNBC-TV18 scored highly in the
ratings game – especially with highend consumers for the amount of
time spent on the channel. These figures, tomtommed majorly by CEO
Haresh Chawla and his folks, saw NDTV worried as not being the most
popular and high profile English news channel wasn't enough. A
specialised player was way ahead thanks to its programming mix during
the day.

NDTV was quick to add a business band through the stocktrading hour,
but it wasn't easy to get
viewers off the habit of watching the ticker on CNBC-TV18. The latter
ironed out its various problems – like airing of the quotes during
commercial breaks and ensuring that its editorial act is perfected and
broadbased to including stuff like commodities. CNBC also realised
that it needs to add on Hindi programming if it needs to target
cowbelt viewers who aren't too comfy with English commentary and
interviews that pepper its peakhour coverage.

However, are there enough viewers for a standalone Hindi channel? Do
conservative Hindi viewers prefer watching biz news in English as the
better analysts – esp those with FIIs in Mumbai – will be more fluent
in English than Hindi?

As for NDTV Profit, we are sure it will give CNBC-TV18 a good run for
its money, but with the business band going off, won't the numbers of
the primary 24x7 channel suffer?

Meanwhile, Zee Business is currently available on the DTH platform and
has inconsequential reach. We don't think it's part of Pradeep Guha's
mandate (since news will continue to be under biradar Laxmi Goel), but
we hope that better foresight happens at the Zee HQ on what the
channel should be.

On Times of India's proposed business channel, given that the group
has drained out much of its
excess revenues earned from print on Zoom, Messrs Vineet Jain, Arun
Arora & Co are now earnestly
seeking a partner for the channel. We would think they should look at
aligning with the existing
players – CNBC-TV 18 or NDTV Profit --- as the combo of either and Eco
Times will be unbeatable.

See also:
NDTV looks to Profit at CNBC TV18's expense, IndianTelevision
http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k5/jan/jan132.htm

***

Monday Memo: Why is Mediaah! back?

A lot of people have been wondering why Mediaah! is back. And how is
it that I've managed to do that. Well, because it needed to. Some even
called to check if I had quit my job, and if all was ok. I said yes,
tired of telling the nth person that there was no definite reason for
reviving Mediaah.

Hey guys, there's no hidden agenda. I don't have CIA funding, RAW
hasn't asked me to do this job to taken on enemy nation. Nor has any
industrial body intending to get into the media or an existing
conglomerate like The Times of India or Hindustan Times asked me to do
it.

It's all clean and transparent. No strings attached. No conditions
apply. It's just that I believed that the Indian media needed a
neutral honest-to-god-and-everyone commentary that doesn't mind
mincing words.

Over the last year, I've been crazily busy with a new assignment that
I had taken up. And I couldn't have done justice to both. That I took
up the job was because I figured that there was no immediate sign of
monies to be made from Mediaah! and there existed a challenge to turn
around a brand that was down in the dumps. Also, I wasn't sure of how
the site would be perceived once I was part of a media entity. For
instance, if I were to write a negative about Newspaper X, could it be
because it's a rival?

So lemme give my reasons for reviving the site, in order that it lays
to rest once and for all doubts about why Mediaah! is suddenly/
mysteriously/ curiously getting back.

For one, I genuinely felt that it's important to have an independent
commentator on the media. Unfortunately, despite being off the scene
for nearly a year, no one got onto the act.

Two, I've kind of settled down in my job, can easily devote a few of
pre-dawn hours everyday that I would otherwise spend blogging and
mindlessly going through the hundreds of mails I get on RSS reader
inbox.

Three, there is some money to be made if the site is managed well, and
can continue to relive the role that it played last year (this one is
a bit of a toughie, since I'm not going to be working 24x7 on
Mediaah!)

Four, since I have some rupees flowing in from the regular job, I can
fund Mediaah! with some ease

Five, it was majorly addictive. I was suffering from withdrawl
symptoms ever since I shut shop. I still remember the day I heard
about Pradeep Guha joining Zee… wanted to launch it with the dhamaka
news the same day. Held back similarly several times over, but the
urge to revive was major

Six, the outpourings last year – from the various mails I received,
the presence of senior and junior media professionals at my 'kill'
party at the Mumbai Press Club, Shobhaa De's piece in Bombay Times and
various other mentions in the media convinced me that there was
genuine 'love' for the site.

What was most touching was the mail and call I received from Meenakshi
Madhvani when I shut the site and when I sent in the announcement last
week. Meenakshi is known to be brutally honest with her views and can
be pretty tough when it's needed. However, it was heartening to note
that she was extremely forthcoming in her praise for the effort and
felt that there is need for an independent voice even though she was
at the "receiving end once".

Okay, enough said. Monday Memo will happen every Monday, and will
comment on everything under the sun. Please be kind to Mediaah! for
the next week or two as we try and find our feet and rebuild contacts
(in the last year, people have changed, offices have moved etc etc).
Please don't expect immediate crackers from our end :-).

Monday Memo is written by me, Pradyuman Maheshwari. The views
expressed are my own and my employers, family and friends have nothing
to do with it. Feel strongly about what's said (or unsaid)? Write to
pm at mediaah.com or IM me at pradyumanm at hotmail.com

***

May a thousand Guhas bloom!

You must've read in exchange4media about the human chain that happened
last Wednesday (Jan 12) at the Times of India building in Mumbai to
bid farewell to Pradeep Guha. Virtually the entire Response team had
gathered (including the guys from BBC who are part of the magazine
jv). In the coming weeks, we may do a propah analysis of PG's stint at
the Times, but before that, for the benefit of non-Times readers,
here's the text of the mail that Vineet Jain, managing director of the
Times group, sent to all staff. This is dated Dec 8, 2004, the day the
news was formally transmitted to the world.

Here goes:

OFFICE ADVICE

Mr. Pradeep Guha has been with us for 29 years. The Company during
this period has grown from a production centric entity to a vibrant
market driving conglomerate. Mr. Guha played a key role in this
transition and built a strong Response team with excellent systems and
professionalism.

At a time when event marketing was unheard of, he put Femina beauty
contest on the world map — producing not one, but four Miss Worlds and
two Miss Universes in less than a decade. Filmfare Awards are a talk
of an entire nation, widely acknowledged as the Oscars of Bollywood..

It is with a heavy heart that we bid goodbye to Mr. Pradeep Guha. I,
on behalf of the entire Times family, take this opportunity to wish
Mr. Guha the very best in his future endeavour. "Let a thousand
flowers bloom," said Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung. I am confident that
with the kind of legacy that Mr. Guha has left behind, it will only
enable Response to let a thousand Guhas bloom.

Mr. Guha is handing over charge to Mr. Bhaskar Das, who will have
all-India responsibility for Response with immediate effect. Mr. Guha
has agreed to stay for a few weeks to facilitate a smooth transition.

Let's extend our support and best wishes to Mr. Das in his new assignment.

(signature)
Vineet Jain
8th December 2004

***

BCCI verdict in favour of Zee?

This comes to us from the stockmarket grapevine. Since we don't hold
any shares in Zee, and we aren't going to burn our fingers in any
media stock in the immediate future, we don't mind sharing it with
you. Apparently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India ruling on
awarding the cricket coverage contract is likely to go to Zee. Or so
believes a section of the investing community. We don't know if it's
true. We aren't sure if it will happen. But, like cricket which is a
game of glorious uncertainties, the business of covering cricket on TV
is also full of ifs and buts. Kuch bhi ho sakta hai!

***

Mediaah! Relaunch Blast

Since we've been away for a year, starting tomorrow, we're going to
give you extra special content on

each day of the revival week.

Here goes the menu:

January 18: Koffee with Karan take-off. Rapid Fire on the Media

January 19: The Worst of 2004 – Worst Newspaper, Worst Magazine, Worst
News TV Channel, Worst

Website, Worst SMS news provider, Worst News Media Brand of the Year
(no 'worst' award for blogs)

January 20: The Mediaah! Awards for 2004 – Best Newspaper, Best
Magazine, Best News TV Channel, Best

Website, Best SMS news provider, Best (Newsy) Blog

January 21: Best News Media Brand of the Year 2004 and above all,
Mediaahperson of the Year 2004.

***

Mediaah! Movements

If you know of people going places, please to let us know. Pl mention
your contact numbers (mobile ideally) so that we can call and confirm
the news with you. Just drop in a line, we will never ever reveal your
identity.

Sample of some of the kind of movements we we looking at:

Narendra Kusnur, assistant editor at Mid Day and perhaps the best (and
most prolific) music journalist in the country, is moving on to Warner
Music. Not as its PR chief, but he will be doing what he enjoys most –
tasting music and look at the repertoire the music company will offer
in the country.

Arunava Sinha is taking charge as exec producer at Indiatimes and his
position of Editor of ET Online is going to be taken by Sanjay
Sindhwani who was looking after the ET Brand.

Vikas Singh is being tipped to take over as Editor (Chennai) of The
Times of India.

Get the picture? Pl sending news of movements to: movements at mediaah.com.

***

Links of the Day

Industry bids farewell to Andre Nair, IndianTelevision.com, Exchange4media
http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/headlines/y2k5/jan/janmam41.htm

http://www.exchange4media.com/peoplemovement/movement_fullstory.asp?section_id=23&news_id=14727&tag=9

462&pict=1

Surya launches Kiran, Asianet also plans music channel, Exchange4media
http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/newfullstory.asp?section_id=6&news_id=14730&tag=9465&pict=4

Gill blames media for Rach's exit, Mid Day
http://ww1.mid-day.com/sports/national/2005/january/101630.htm

Pepsi puts off Beckham ad given tsunami, Agencyfaqs (Aditya Chatterjee)
http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2005/01/17/10645.html

Health ministry showcause to ITC and Stardust on tobacco surrogate
advtg,Exchange4media
http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/newfullstory.asp?section_id=1&news_id=14739&tag=9474&pict=13

***

Tomorrow:

** If the editor is away, who ought to step in? His/her deputy or the
brand manager? A look at what

happened at ET Delhi (plus Arun Arora's inter-office memo dated Dec 17)

** Guha's secretariat from Times set to join him at Zee

Day-after:

** Wassup on the Tata-Times mutually inconvenient embargo?

Plus: all the other news and analyses. And the juice that makes you
love and hate Mediaah!

***

Mediaah! closed on R-Day

Like we would do in the past, we inform you in advance whenever we are
going to take off so that you can plan your holiday accordingly. We'll
be closed on Wednesday, January 26 as it's Republic Day.

***

Links of newsletter sent on Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Khush Khabari, khush khabari!
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/khush-khabari-khush-khabari.html

Why is Mediaah! back?
http://mediaah.blogspot.com/2005/01/why-is-mediaah-back.html

**

Mediaah! is a personal and 'private viewing' website. Managed by
Shivani Maheshwari. Founder-editor:

Pradyuman Maheshwari.

You can find us on the Web at http://mediaah.blogspot.com. The site is
in Beta (test) mode. The

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