Uncle M goes away...

When Uncle M went in to meet the Nuclear Deal Maker - Grandfather M a.k.a Manmohan, he 'politely' requested the Prime Minister to increase FDI across all forms of media to 49 per cent. That would be TV news, print news, DTH, radio et al. Uncle M argued that it was a necessity to do such a thing, and if implemented money would flow into all forms of media across the country strengthening media in the country, and positively impacting salaries.
Grandfather M passively listened and then spoke, for once, "Mr Murdoch for you it might be a necessity, but for me it is a compulsion not to." Well, so much for rising salaries! This battle between certain media houses in the country on both sides of the FDI battle is not over yet. The argument given that foreign money will dilute the 'integrity' of the news is a fallacious one. After all, hasn't news already started to plumb the depths of depravity already. How much lower can we go?
Now, Uncle M travelled from Delhi to Pune where he met up with Abhijit Pawar, whose Sakaal Times might be floundering, but he is definiately launching a Marathi news channel, Shaam TV. Now, Uncle M is supposedly making an investment into this channel - getting a 26% stake for around $15-20 million. Uncle M might also buy into a few other regional groups - but nothing concrete when it comes to bigger groups - even though the offhand remark on this blog that he might look at BCCL has supposedly become the gospel truth according to some stories. Uncle M met them, he ain't buying them out - he can't - FDI norms prevent that.
After Pune, Uncle M travelled to Mumbai where a comprehensive review of all Star India businesses was made - even Channel V. Uncle M is surprised that Star India has not been able to tranlate Channel V's success across the rest of Asis into anything concrete in India. Heck, the one channel that INX is rising on is their music channel 9Xm - even though they are paying ridiculous carriage fees for that. I'll even contend that Channel V has some decent shows even, but somehow loves it to MTV when it comes to the hype.
Anyway, this is not the last you have heard of Uncle M. Even though election year compulsions may not allow Grandfather M to allow 49% FDI, Uncle M also met the opposition. He is expected to fight for 49% again.
Plus, while MDA's trip to Delhi last month to meet the Prime Minister and Mrs G was covered, what wasn't covered was his visit the very next day where he supped with Murli Deora. Amar Singh was supposedly not happy about this but given the man's penchant for using the speakerphone, this line was overheard by a journalist recently, "Arre Murliji, hum toh yahin chahte hai ki ek saath khana khaye."
Oh well...

The Uncle has landed

OK, since Uncle Rupert is in India after many years the rumour mills have gone into overdrive. Here is just a sampling of what we have heard, and what I believe will be the likelihood of the rumour coming through. Again, these are just rumours and my opinions, so let's not think I'm puppetting someone else here, OK?

- Uncle M will launch an Indian edition of the Asian WSJ
This is a rather strong rumour, remember Uncle M bought the WSJ after the WSJ-HT Media deal for Mint. But, I really do like Mint and I think that it is a nice product (even if it is a bit thin on news per se), so I wouldn't want this to happen, but you know Uncle M... he wants control. Therefore, there is also a possibility according to one rumour that HT Media will spin off Mint into a JV with Uncle M. Hmmm....

- Uncle M wants to launch a facsimilie edition of the London Times (aka 'The Times' - you know the real deal)
Erm, very likely but while JC and AA Gill are regular columnists in the paper, which I like, would you buy it? I mean facsimilie editions telling you how white yobs are beating and stabbing people across the UK?

- Uncle M wants to bring 'The Sun' brand to India
If the Daily Mail can come in why can't The Sun. I say don't bring it without the Page 3 girls. No really, Murdoch invented Page 3 and his Page 3 is a lot frikkin nicer than the paid-for spots in Indian papers. Do note that, the link while work safe initially, does get a bit steamy if you click through.

- Murdoch will buy the Indian Express.
Unlikely, because why would someone want to buy the Express. They don't even own much of their land anymore.

- And the big one, will Uncle M dump Aveek Sarkar?
The fact that the ABP Group is in trouble is as open a secret as Business Standard's problems. BusinessWorld had around 50 edit pages in its last issue, The Telegraph is a small regional daily and ToI is gradually eating into its readership, and BCCL is already eating up the adverts, thanks to their sales staff. Small localised Bengla papers are killing the motherbrand as well. Star News wants to grow, Uday Shankar has done a great job, they want to get into more news ventures - English and Business news is what we have heard.
This rumour is strengthened by the fact that Aveek Sarkar happens to be far from India while Uncle M and his hot wife visit the country. But, if not ABP than whom? The man whose airline is on the verge of collapsing while Carlsberg steals away the market and his F1 Team strengthen their hold at the bottom of the grid? Nope. Even VJM won't try to enter into a relationship with the 'Real' Uncle. So whom... Read on...

- Here is the super-duper wild one - Uncle M will tie-up with BCCL...
You know, it really is too wild...
BUT....
I have not been smoking and you know, ten years ago if you told me that I could fit eight gigs of memory into something the size of my fingernail in a decade I would have thought that you were on some really strong LSD. This is highly unlikely, given how BCCL has fought FDI tooth and nail. But who else gives you the reach? The presence? The marketing muscle? The management bandwidth? The journalists? Nobody else. And as we have said, Uncle M is the most powerful man in the world, so raising money should not be a problem, because BCCL will cost a bomb, but I would never say never.

Grouses...

ESPN-Star certainly seems to have one with the BCCI (whose website redirects to TicketPro India, the world's most powerful board does not have a website yet!), their coverage of all things BCCI almost invariably is critical of the world's favourite cricket board, home of illicitly rich men and coke snorting playboys. Have you seen Sportscenter India lately? Almost every cricket story involving the BCCI is so heavily editorialised, it is not funny. I know that ESPN-Star isn't quite what you would call a 'news' channel but Sportscenter is a news show. It is not a daily highlight reel, at least the Indian edition isn't.
Technically are sports channels allowed to broadcast 'news'? I mean with the 26 per cent rule and all? FM Radio still can't broadcast any sort of news. Then again, with news channels essentially being General Entertainment Channels, who knows what is what?