It’s not only Left versus Congress-Trinamool in West Bengal, but Chabbish Ghanta (24 hours) versus Star Ananda.
It’s not only Left versus Congress-Trinamool in West Bengal, but Chabbish Ghanta (24 hours) versus Star Ananda.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha election — Bengal goes to polls in the last three phases on April 30 and May 7 and 13 —- the leading language TV news channels are leaving no stone unturned to outdo each other in the race for television rating points (TRP).
From live interactions with leaders to analysis of every single constituency, their ploys to grab the eyeballs are the same, but the views they are presenting are diametrically opposite.
The most interesting aspect of this channel war is undoubtedly the selection of leaders for live interactions with the public.
Chabbish Ghanta kicked off the war last month by featuring chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in one such programme, shooting up its TRP. Within a week, Star Ananda fielded Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee in a similar live interaction with the public.
‘No pre-framed questions. Direct interaction of the public with Mamata Banerjee for the first time on Star Ananda’ was how the channel hyped up the programme.
Chabbish Ghanta hit back almost immediately, fielding state industry and commerce minister Nirupam Sen and Left Front chairman Biman Bose in two back-to-back live interactions aired within a span of seven days.
Not one to give up, Star Ananda fielded external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on April 11.
The competition was also visible in the selection of independent analysts for the programmes. While economist Dipankar Dasgupta, a staunch supporter of the West Bengal government’s industrialisation policy, is Chabbish Ghanta’s favourite, Abhirup Sarkar, an ardent critic of the policy, is a regular on Star Ananda.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}