Creatively Crippled

All the private TV channels and FM stations offer lots of programmes with slick production quality - no doubt, but what they lack is versatility and variety! For instance, there is no USP between Jaya, Raj, Sun and Star in the types of programmes they give.

If for one day, they block out their logos, scramble signals and start feeding the signals from different frequency, am sure it will be tough to say which channel, as they all would be same.

On the other hand, much blasted DD and AIR's FM stations offer such a variety that these channels fail to deliver. Ofcourse, the production quality lacks, but then, we get to watch or listen fresh items.

Between Radio Mirchi and SUryan FM, it is always 'Unnai vida', 'Kannil unnai yetri', 'Manmatha raasa' ...so many times! But then take Rainbow FM, you have carnatic music, hindustani music, melodious instrumental in the peace of night, English Music - pop & rock, interviews with people from different walks of life, house-hold tips, ladies welfare, medical/legal/governmental dial-in programmes to name a few...

If you take DD, it has an hour of Quiz dial-in daily by Sumanth Raman. It's a hit among kids. And then, we used to have 'Ulavarum Olikathir' - a 15-30 minute recap of religious happenings across the state in past week. During festival times, we are not bombarded with some program or other where some cinema artist is involved, and shots from latest releases screened. Instead there are programs that capture the essence of festive spirit.

Day before yesterday, I saw a 30 minute play where a brat is creating problems in a colony by hismischiefs. The kid was so sweet, and he has a harassed grand father - Poornam Viswanathan. Fantastic simple hilarious play. Nothing as simple as this we get now-a-days!

Just look athe variety DD offers/offered- Multilingual films every sunday, deaf and dumb news, Chitramala - multilingual songs for 30 minutes every week, Rangoli, Mahabharat, Vayalum Vaazhvum (how many channels bother anything about farmers now-a-days??), Didi's comedy show, foreign movies on DD Metro every Friday night, Men and Matters, Wonder Balloon (we have a 24x7 wonder balloon channel these days - Splash Channel), Sports time, Quiz time, World This Week...am sure fellow bloggers can quote more!

We have so many channels these days but why do they lack such versatility and variety? Maybe we should consider branding them as Creatively Crippled