What's up in 18Land?

Recent high-level changes at CNBC-TV18 have made it rather clear that the channel has decided to become completely and totally market-focussed. Completely markets driven without an iota of anything else. I find this slightly surprising, since they are already the leading markets channel, particularly since I guess day traders relate to them. Their corporate coverage was never half bad, in fact it is very good much of the time. Policy coverage, particularly in telecom is excellent, but the sidelining of senior folks is slightly puzzling to say the least, and some occasionally watchable features are on the chopping block is sources are to be believed. I don't know whether, as some speculate, another channel is on the way for corporate news. I mean, despite whatever I might have said about them, CNBC-TV18 is the best of the lot. I don't know whether this markets focus is because of the impending launch of ET-TV - which if ET is any indication will just be one large 'suggested editorial content' pad for Private Treaties clients. Oh and by the way, one broker friend was laughing about how Private Treaties made a lot of buys at insane valuations during the peak, particularly in online companies with slightly dubious business-models which may turn out to be a waste of newsprint in a couple of years. Quite a cost considering that the Times Group is estimated to spend over Rs 1,000 crores on newsprint in 2008. That could buy you 200 Lok Sabha MP's.