Author: Ramesh Babu
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: May 7, 2002
God's very own country soon is going
to be the scene of a channel war in the name of God. While the church is
launching a Malayalam TV channel, the Muslim community will have one of
its own. The church's channel, Jeevan, will be on air in two months and
the Muslim League-supported India Vision is in its final stages.
A Hindu charitable outfit, Matha
Amruthanandha-mai, is also said to be rooting for a channel for itself
though a spokesman denies it. Though the Marxists have burnt a good amount
of money in their Kairali channel, the newcomers are unfazed. "There is
still a lot of potential to be tapped," remarked a Jeevan executive.
While viewers are happy that they
will soon get more value for their cable money, a section of the intelligentsia
is not happy.
"In Gujarat we are suffering from
mixing politics with religion," a leading Left thinker pointed out. "Today
they start channels in the name of religion and tomorrow there will be
even caste-based TV. Such channels could vitiate the fragile communal fabric."
But officials of Jeevan and India
Vision dismiss such criticism, saying the new channels are "commercial
organisations and not religious bodies." Though both swear that religion
will not play any role in their channels, the intelligentsia sees it as
an eyewash.
"Since both are spending crores
of rupees how can you say they will be above religion?" a writer said.
What type of progrmmes will they
dish out? "Our TV will focus on information and education without ignoring
entertainment. But entertainment will not compromise on moral values,"
Thrissur Bishop and chairman of Jeevan TV Mar Jacob Thomakuzhi said.
Agreed another official of the India
Vision: "MTV-type 'Grind' or Fashion TV bare-all programmes will not find
any place."
They argue that such fears are unfounded.
"The two communities own more than half of Kerala's educational institutions
where all are equal."
The two communities have indeed
floated public limited companies. Jeeven Telecasting Corporation Ltd has
6,000 shareholders with an initial investment of Rs 25 crore. Producers
and programmers are open to the new channels. "We never experienced any
interference."
