An unwelcome change!!... Why?!!!

It is sometimes funny but annoying most of the times to see how news on television has changed in recent years. People may blame it on Fox channel for writing foreword to this debacle, but I am really not interested in finding the guilty.

When I was kid, my uncle used to insist that I listen to news every day. I never found it entertaining but he kept on pestering me with questions on current affairs and consequently, I had to read news papers, watch and listen news on television and radio. What started as an activity carried out completely due to external perssure slowly started to become addictive and enjoyable. I started to enjoy reading and listening to news and knowing current affairs.

I remember eagerly waiting for news on Doordarshan. My whole family used to sit together and watch news thrice a day. At 7 pm in Kannada, at 8 pm in Hindi and at 8:30 pm in English. All on the one and the only Doordarshan.

During those days, news reading meant reading a written document in a dignified manner. This perception of news changed for me when we got connection from cable operator and hence, got access to BBC, CNN etc. Initially, when I heard about 24 hour news channels, I was kind of amused and sarcastic about it. I wondered, how can you keep listening to the same stuff for the whole day, which for me was just 15-30 min material. Why would a TV channel do such a thing? Moreover, who on earth would like to watch the same news repeatedly for the whole day? I got all my answers when I finally got to watch BBC on my TV. I accepted the change in the way news was delivered to our homes. I embraced it with at most love and appreciation.

Now, let’s come to the present day. This morning I woke up and started browsing through the channels. There are uncountable numbers of news channels on the air. One news channel was busy forecasting daily horoscopes of different sun signs. News presenters in some other channel were scratching their head over the goodies date 09/09/09 at 09:09:09 is going to bring to this world while another channel was completely going paranoid if the world is going to come to an end, for the same reason. Thankfully, we have passed that hour and the world is as steady as ever. I pray for peace of mind for that news channel folks. While some news channels still stuck to, now what can comfortably called traditional, morning news, few channels were busy analysing last episode of a TV reality show.

I am sure we’re laughing and teasing news channel for bringing up stuff like that. I am no different. But what made me wonder is the question, “Have I been fair when I criticize these news channels?”

I explained in the beginning how my perception of news got changed when I started watching BBC, CNN etc. Now, why is it not possible for me to accept the change that is happening now? Am I among one of those who think everything that comes from West is holy and the home-grown is simply pathetic and hopeless? I am not sure.

Another thing that worries me is the question, “Have I become too old fashioned to accept change?” In this fast paced times where 30years means retirement age, today's trend becomes dated for tomorrow, I can’t rule out this possibility. However, I prefer to say a firm “No” to this question because I feel the need for change in many aspects of our society as a whole and more improtant than that I am in no mood to make fun of myself.

Or maybe there is a completely new line of argument altogether for this discussion. News channels have changed. These channels are no more, and perhaps shouldn’t, deliver the kind of no non-sense news of earlier Doordarshan. News channels of recent days are a sort of complete packages. I might be not interested in horoscopes and stuff but someone else might be. Date 09/09/09 might not mean anything other than interesting figures to me but someone living next door might want to know a little more about divine interventions or devil’s play on this interesting date. Someone who is following a reality show might have missed the last episode and want to know quick summary of it.

These channels, don’t know for good or bad, have assumed a greater role than just information delivery channels. They’re catering to the needs of variety of audience. We can’t blame them for that. News channels didn’t start for us. They started with variety of audiences at the back of their mind. We just have to find out what we want to watch. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense to keep watching what we call complete non-sense and crib about it.

However, I still strongly feel that news channels bringing news like “Aliens are stealing our cows in Bihar” doesn’t deserve any excuse whatsoever.