Worst counting day coverage on TV by NDTV

'And The Winner is'..

That's what NDTV had named their counting say continuous analysis program.
The winner is Dr. Manmohan Singh but the looser for sure is none other than NDTV.

I switched on the tv at 6 on counting day.
I wanted to get glued to NDTV. Cause the build up was just fantastic what with 'The Buck Stops Here' and '9 o'clock session by Dr. Pranav Roy'.

But I must say I am extremely disappointed with the way the program was run.
Free discussion with Vir / Shekhar Gupta along with the guests was a fine idea but that didn't happen..
It instead looked like some group discussion round of interview.
In fact it's such a treat watching and listening to Vir but most of the times he had to sit idle while the annoying Shekhar on the other hand kept interrupting the others' talks intermittently.
Vir being the gentleman that he is never did that. So kudos to him.

And the huge plasma screen that they had put up in that 'studio' showed terrains of India.. Chuck.. Can't stop laughing...
Whoever gave that ideas to these people.. What you wanted is a plain and simple map of India and not mountain ranges and greenery and bridges.. You could hardly see the hands / lotuses.. I am still laughing..
When one of the experts : Vikram / Pranav / Vishnu went to that screen and started saying something the others started talking among themselves.. There by negating whatever the screen guy was saying.. Hello.. Wasn't this supposed to be the best program to be aired in the last five years on the best English news channel in India...?
Just imagine this happening : Barkha gets a call in the middle of some discussion and she answers the call on air.. In front of camera.. And then tells everyone, on air, that she got a call from Varun Gandhi asking her and NDTV to publish news about her mom's win.. Amusing to say the least..
And where was viewers' involvement? No caller/ no sms...?
As for other programs, as always Arnab's was very close to reality and true to heart. Some brilliant discussions and very little chaos too.
But Rajdeep's program was simply perfect.
There were guests in these two programs too but it wasn't extremely chaotic like NDTV. It takes only a Rajdeep to bring the panel back to order and ALWAYS put the viewers' interests on a highest priority.
Hope things will change by next election.
Please let me know by writing in comments section if you experienced the same or how?

Guys, grow up...

Other day, my friend - 'AD' forwarded a mail which was titled as (withot any changes) :

Why times of india is so excited for OBAMA!!!Does OBAMA give it some money!!!!!

The purpose of this post will be greatly served if the guy who sent that email in the first place gets to read this.

So, this is what I have to say :

There can't be a better example of cynism and narrow mindedness if someone thinks TOI is being paid by Obama.

If Obama is getting this much of publicity and adulation from Indian media then the cynicists should tell themselves that probably he deserves it.

I don't work for TOI but come to think of it, what would one want to read on the front page of TOI when the world's most powerful and the oldest democracy witnesses shift of power (and that too a landmark one what with a African-American President) ? News and pictures of Obama and his wife or the same brickbatting about fuel price hike / rape / murder / dirty political games played by age old Indian politicians?

In fact we (every one who reads TOI on a daily basis) must be thankful to TOI for having brought the news with pictures of latest developments in Washington. Or else how are people in India (who don't have access to tv) supposed to get to know the glitter and admiration with which the people of a country which is one of the world's richest, welcomes the new president to his seat of power and to his official residence?

As for the oaths of Indian PM and President, is there anything different? They read out the pledge with the most boring tone and voice and forget about it and get on with regular life. I am disgusted with Indian politicians to say the least. None yes none of the current politicians speak on his / her own at a ceremony. They need a well prepared speech which they read out like a 3rd standard student would read out being afraid of punishment.

There are a lot of things to be learnt and understood by us Indians about America if we want to be like America (BTW our ex president wants us to be a developed country -like America -by 2020) because America is not just a country, but it is an idea.

One should have a big heart to appreciate the fact that smooth transition of power is a compulsory part of democracy in that country.

It has a proper procedure. I didn't know that in the US, as a part of democratic procedure, the ex-president is seen off at the helicopter by the newly elected one soon after the presidential luncheon after the inauguration. My GK has only grown after reading this in TOI and if someone thinks TOI has done a mistake by writing about Obama and the US then he wants us Indians to remain oblivious about the way democracy functions in the developed countries.

If there are people who want to discourage the media that brings news and views about the US then it's unfortunate and we need to grow up before we are called 3rd world country and India - chauvinists..