Sakshi, Zee and CBC yet to get licenses

 

Sakshi TV , Zee Telugu 24 Gantalu, CBC News and Sitara News channel are yet to get Uplinking and Downlinking permissions as per the updated list of permitted channels given in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's website. The list is updated everymonth and the latest updation revealed this fact. Ofcourse, it doesnt mean that License is denied. It is a continuous process and may be obtained anytime before the launch.

 

Additions in this list include Vanitha TV of Rachana Broadcasting, Studio 1 and Studio N of Narne group and STAR Telugu. It is more than 3 months that ttv and iNews got their permissions.The license given to Satya TV lapses on 5th September 2008, ie, in less than a month. One has to see that the channel is operational within one year from the date of getting license. Two more extensions were given to Satya and at any cost it has to go on air before this September  5th, or has to forego the license. Raj Telugu and Maa News are the other channels which require an extension soon.

Chief Producers change channels

 

     Its now the turn of Executive / Chief Producers to change channels. Mr Jagadish from Maa to Asianet's Sitara, Mr. Akbar from NTV to Sakshi TV and Mr. Mahesh from Satya to TTV.The list doesnt end here.

 

    Mr. Vinay of NTV joined iNews. Earlier he was with ETV and later shifted to NTV. With this experience at NTV where he independently carried out the installation of the channel, he opted to join his old ETV friend Mr. Rajasekhar. Mr. Vinay's junior got an offer from Sakshi for a higher salary and this is said to be one of the reasons for his quitting Mr. Chowdary's NTV.

 

   On the other hand, Mr. Bharat Reddy of TV9  has decided to join Zee 24 Gantalu as its Executive Producer. He is close to Mr. Sailesh Reddy eversince they were in ETV. Though Mr. Bharat Reddy is comfortable in TV9 with the recent hike reaching Rs.40K , it is learnt that Mr. Sailesh offered him  50 percent extra.

 

   The only exception in the race is Mr. Sridhar who tried everywhere including TTV but had to stay put in TV5.

TV5 demands a BOND

 

To avoid staff from going out as and when they get a higher pay, TV5 has decided to ask for an undertaking from its staff.  Those who are joining the channel have to sign a bond to the effect that they will serve the organisation atleast for two years. In fact, Asianet has already been implementing this in an other form by taking staff on a 2 year contract basis. However, there is no mention about the periodical revision of salaries and hence those who wish to join are in a dilemma whether to accept the bond condition or not. Since one way bonds are legally invalid, journalists who have already signed such bonds are violating very casually.

Its Training time for Channels

Almost all the forthcoming channels are busy with their training plans. To see that their staff members are engaged until the equipment is in place ready for use, the bosses have decided to have training camps.

 

Sakshi TV is waitng for the premises to be ready, leave alone equipment. Those who have joined are also not able to sit in the office and hence were asked to come only when they are called. So, without doing anything, they are eligible for salary. However, there will be training from 18th as per the sources inside the channel. This is possible only if the premises is ready.

 

TTV has almost completed its recruitment and is now training the senior and district staff. The 3 day camp is being run at the Press Academy premises since the facilities at the Banjara Hills Road No.10 office are not sufficient. The staff are gearing up for their October launch and the programming work is going on a war footing.

 

iNews is also training its junior level staff while other arrangements are going on. The pattern of recruitment shows that 50 percent of the staff are freshers and the other 50 percent have experience. This must be either to avoid extra cost or to mould the freshers according to the needs of the company.

 

Zee 24 Gantalu is now processing the applications since the last date for receiving applications is over. Once the processing is over, there will be training for those who are freshers and are selected. The aim of the channel, as indicated in its advertisement, is that the average age of the staff will be around 30. this shows their idea of depending on youngsters.

 

CBC is continuing its training even though the managemnt has decided to postpone the launch of the channel. About 30 trainees are confident that the management will soon air the channel and are sailing with the existing senior staff. Some of them are anchors for the channel.

Satya TV still hopeful ?

Even after 4 years of its changing hands and 3 years after getting license, Satya TV is still able to attract journalists. Though there was a news that the channel has been closed permanently, the management seems to be confident and is still working out on the project. Those who have left the channel including seniors are pessimistic but the channel people are not accepting their defeat. On the other hand, they say taht the firmness of their resolve has increased.

Interestingly, one Mr. Satyanarayana, claiming himself to be the News Chief of Maa TV is said to have approached Mr. Gnaneshwar and convinced him that he would take care of the channel. If everything goes well, he is likely to head the channel (Satya TV). Its sheer coincidence that the channel's name and the proposed Head's name are the same.

Enquiries revealed that Mr. Satyanarayana was a student of Eenadu Journalism School and he joined Maa TV as a trainee sub editor. All of a sudden the new management of Maa TV wanted to show the world that any Tom, Dick and Harry can be made the Bureau Chief. And thus this Harry was made incharge of the reporting section. But they had to admit their mistake in no time and this man was again sent back and is now in the Desk. It is learnt that he has approached Mr. Kasani Gnaneshwar and requested him for Editor's post.

IVR too in the channel race ?

 

Mr. Inaganti Venkata Rao, known to many as I Venkatrao, is also said to be busy in planning a news channel. The promoters are NRIs as per the information available.His recent visit to the United States of America is also being refeered to establish this news. Some of the NRIs close to TDP have met him and urged him to start a newspaper to support Chandra Babu Naidu as per the sources. However, Mr. Venkat Rao convinced them that a channel would be cheaper, viable and also easier.The promoters convinced and gave him a go ahead signal.

 

Mr. Venkata Rao hails from Krishna District and he started his journalistic career as a proof reader in Andhra Patrika. Later he joined Andhra Jyothi in the reporting department and later became Bureau Chief and was Editor at the time of its closure. He was instrumental in getting some advertisements to see that the paper survive for some more time. However, the paper was closed down and he became the Chairman of Press Academy. Even after the end of his tenure, he was in the post for almost an extra year since no one was appointed. Later he started writing a column in Andhra Jyothi and appearing on the news channels to give his expert opinion on the latest political developments.

 

Mr. IVRs passion for Telugu Desam is never a secret. He wrote books on both NTR and Chandrababu Naidu. Interstingly, the names of the books are ... OKKADU and OKE OKKADU. The promoters have well thought of the requirement and confirmed IVRs appointment. However, the complete plan of action is yet to be finalised. 

Maa TV Reporters lose 'Staff' status

 

      The management of Maa TV seems to have decided to close down its news department. In a sudden move, the district reporters and cameramen who are on the payrolls have been summoned to Hyderabad and were asked to forego their employee status. All of them were asked to sign the papers saying that they are not the employees of the channel and are only freelancers working for it. With this, the emplyer-employee relationship ceases to exist between them and the management is empowered to remove all of them without assigning any reason.

   During the last two years, the number of news bulletins have been halved and almost all the senior staff left the channel. some of the vacancies have been filled up by less qualified and less experienced stuff from mana Telugu including its News Chief. 80 percent of the Reporters, Subeditors, Video editors and Cameramen left the channel during this period. This shows that the management is not interested in continuing the news bulletins.

  The present situation hints that their news channel doesnt come at all, despite the fact that they have a license.

AJ and CNN IBN to bring out a channel

 

Andhra Jyothi management has almost finalised the understanding with CNN IBN on starting a News Channel on 50:50 partnership basis. CNN has been searching for media partners in other states and it has even succeeded in three languages so far. Now it is the turn of Telugu. In fact, the management is said to be in touch with Rajdeep Sardesai  for more than 3 months and his column in Andhra Jyothi is also considered part of their close relations. With Andhra jyothi having a good network throughout the state, the investment may also come down considerably. Ther is every possibility of showing professionalism if this combination works out properly.

'Narne' not in a hurry

 

Narne group's proposed channels may get delayed due to some confusion. Earlier, they planned for an Entertainment Channel ( STUDIO 1 ) and a Telugu News Channel. They have even started recruitment also. But all of a sudden,  the plan of Telugu News Channel has been dropped and they have now decided to start an English News Channel ( STUDIO N ) involving huge investment, just to be different from other regional channels.

 

Mr. Narne Srinivasa Rao, promoter of this venture, is a business man and a close relative of Chandra Babu Naidu. He also owns Janmabhoomi Real Estates. This young entrepreneur roped in Mr. Sivaram Prasad and worked out this special idea of being a national level player. It is learnt that Mr. Kandula Ramesh, Associate Editor, TV5 who is equally good in english journalism was requested to join as Executive Editor but his close friends say that Mr. Ramesh is not willing to go.

 

But some of the close associates of Mr. Sivaram Prasad say that the work of telugu Channel is going on and it is kept secret. Some of the the staff members who have come out of TV5 are already involved in the work.It has to be seen whether Studio N is the name of their Telugu channel or the English channel.

News Presenters change channels

 

Now it is the turn of News Presenters to change channels. Ms. Lakshmi Priya from ETV2, Ms. Krishnaveni from TV5 and Ms. Deepa from TV9 and Mr. Srinivas from Gemini News joined Asianet's Sitara. Ms. Roja from TV5 joined iNews. While Ms. Pragathi from Maa TV joined NTV in the place of Ms. Naveena to host the daily programme Rachana, another presenter Ms. Pravalika ( Maa TV ) has opted for  TTV. Ms. Sireesha ( wife of Kareem ) has already visited TTV but the appointment is yet to be finalised. Ms. Sushumna, who was with Gemini Film News, 24 Frames and then in Gemini Main News is now taking care of Presenters' Dept in Saakshi TV.

TV5 excludes producers

 

TV5 too hiked its salaries. The general rate of hike is 30 percent. Though it is not on par with Sakshi and TV9, most of the staff members are convinced since there are no openings in other channels which can offer more. However, staff in the production department ( panel producers ) didnt get any hike. They were asked to sign agreement to the effect that they will work in the organisation for atleast 2 years. Only after getting the agreements signed, the management wants to hike their salaries.