Tuesday, October 04, 2005

From ToI to NDTV

The moves from print to telly continue unabated. The latest, according to a Bihari birdy, is a man known to be part of the core editorial team.

No names till we get independent confirmation as usual, but the gentlemen in question was heavily involved with ToI's op-ed (?) offerings.

Jokes apart, I think ToI's lost a great writer.

He is going to NDTV -- a channel in dire need of editorial direction. Ever since the big man has left to form his own channel, the PYTs at ND are all at sea.

It brings to mind the famous question asked by a newbie pyt send to cover a crime story -- she asked the suspect how he felt after committing murder.

Things like that normally didn't happen at ND because people like the big man, but especially the big man, would often tell reporters what the story was in a language that they understood:

1. go there
2. check if your mike is working
3. ask the following questions
4. come back to THIS office WITH the tape and try not to leave the cameraman behind this time

It is hope the edit man from ToI will plug the editorial hole left behind by the big man.

He is reportedly serving his last few days with Team Toy

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There has been a request for me to be far more explicit ... so here goes nothing ... fuck ... $#% ` ... *^&#$@ ....

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k and kars ... please do keep in mind that k doesn't always drive sober ... which means a straight drive starts to feel like an infinite turning radius ...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking of PYTs, have you guys heard the apocryphal story of how a great, glorious trailblazing female reporter at ND was punked by her colleagues?

Apparently, they told her one day that Ram Manohar Lohia was holding a press briefing at the Press Club and it was the story of the year, etc.,etc. Off trooped our lady to the Press Club, and on reaching there asked one and all where Ram Manohar Lohia was holding his press conference. I'm sure even the peons must have had a laugh riot (for the record this was in the late 90s, after the Willingdon Hospital had been duly renamed after Ram Manohar Lohia years ago).

Anonymous said...

NDTV desperately needs a rudder. In every bulletin of theirs I find something amiss. A few days ago when 11 students were killed in police firing in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. Totally clueless about the happenings there, NDTV used visuals from protests in Shillong (held around a month ago) in their story about the Garo Hills killings. The Garos and the Khasis are on the opposite sides in the dispute. The PYTs of Delhi of course will never be aware of the difference and they believe that the viewers are also equally cognitively challenged.

The Ram Monohar Lohia episode is one of the legends of neo journalism.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

K said...

Indeed, if AB leaves, ToI would have lost one of their best writers. I wonder if AB is TV stuff tho?

Anonymous said...

whoz leaving?? Bur-man is leaving??!!! i don't blv this ....

talking of pulling fast ones, I remember once we sent a News Editor (that was his desig) on a wild goose chase telling him that Bank of America is taking over the RBI !! ahahhhahahaa ... will never forget that day in my life ...

Anonymous said...

shucks, it's true .... just spoke to the horse ...

K said...

I had it confirmed earlier in the morning. Thanks Snakey for keeping us Mumbaikars in the Delhi-loco-journo loop.

Anonymous said...

i told wertti last night. he's in shock. it's a personal loss for him .. in fact the story makes for a post ... see you on the main page.

Anonymous said...

one of their best writers? ha ha. more like floating in a sea of mediocrity.

Anonymous said...

Indian English News channels are terrible they just want to take sides and report mostly anti hinduism,If anyone follows hinduism they show India as still backward.These English News channels are nothing but bunch of people who are craving for westernization of India thru there mass campaign designs in Media.These people dont follow their culture and are ashamed to see fellow citizens following their Hindu culture.
What more to say about these NDTV,CNN-IBN,Times Now,Headlines today people who are ashamed of their ancestors (Our Culture).