Guest Column: India ranks 5th in the number of TV channels
As far as news channels are concerned, differentiating between truth and falsehood is essential, says Joginder Singh, former CBI Director

Out of the 228 countries listed, only 97 have ten and more channels, the rest of the 131 countries in the world have 9 or less than 9 TV channels. 8 countries have no channels or they link up to other countries. 10 countries have no TV channels. The top five countries in the number of TV Channels are as under;
Russia 7,306
China 3,240
European Union 2,700
United States 2,218
India with 1,400 TV channels ranks 5th in the world.
This figure is an estimate as the picture at least in our country keeps changing with new additions or subtractions.
An unofficial global figure of approximately 15,000 TV channels - including local, national, international & IPTV has been passed around.
The job of the 24-hour channels is arduous, in spite of the fact that nobody watches any TV channel, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week or 30 days in a month.
TV channels are of various varieties and have various categories in India. Some are religious channels, others are music or movie or news or entertainment of both the local and national flavours. The idea behind all the channels is to make money or at least break even and be self sufficient, like the rest of the business in the country. The only difference is that they have to learn, whereas the Government-run channels, continue running at the cost of the tax payers, whether he is watching anything or not.
Nobody in his right senses would find fault with the TV media in making money, as they have to pay attractive salaries to retain the best quality staff. Moreover, like film stars, the TV artists or presenters, have a limited saleability life span. Whether in the Government-run TV or other media, the interests of the stakeholders or common man are secondary. Criticism of the Government policies or functionaries is a strict ‘no-no’. Once I went to such a channel and said that there is over centralisation of all purchases, right from a pencil, papers to the costliest items. The producer came to me and said, “We will have to remove any traces of criticism, as we do not want to annoy the powers that be.” I protested saying that what I said was based on facts and figures and gave him the details of the delay in various projects and schemes for such policies. I was never invited again and the line I had taken was dropped. I ran into the gentleman after his retirement and he himself admitted that he was acting on the general policy laid down. I reminded him, that if what I had said was a lie, it would bring me odium. If what I said was correct, then it cannot be concealed, from the people, as other TV channels do not have to depend on any subsidy from the Government. I reminded him that when Lord Jesus Christ was ordered to be crucified, for saying that He was Son of God, one of the judges was against it. He said, “If it was a lie, then whatever he has said, will disappear and if what He said was the Truth, it will live forever.”
This is equally applicable to the visual media, which has a more difficult job, as it has to produce or show a video of what has happened and not end with simple reporting. The need to fill airtime – and particularly the need to be seen to be live – means that in the heat of the moment questionable judgments can be made. But it should not take away our thinking power and we should be able to judge and differentiate between the truth and falsehood. In the quest of being the first, all TV channels start with "breaking news", whether there is news or not. Nobody says that TV channels are perfect. Like human beings, everything is ‘perfectly imperfect’ and it is up to each one to see a TV channel of our likes or avoid for our dislikes.
The author is former CBI Director.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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