NDTV or CNN-IBN..Who's eating the bigger pie?

Interestingly, browsing through the websites of both these media mammoths (one a dinosaur, another a humming bird, looking at the speed it is fluttering itself in the TV screens nowadays) I felt that the dinosaur is just loosing the sheen it carries along with it. Once upon a time there was the 8 o' clock news in Doordarshan which all of us swore to. News given by the national television was taken by all and sundry as the bible of information with no questions asked whatsoever.

Then a non descript half an hour news section and another programme which entertained us on a weekend by giving us an overview of the world in this national channel kissed goodbye the fuddy duddy Bheesma Pitamah and moved to create history.

The history being NDTV or New Delhi Television. The meteoric rise of the channel was unprecedented. The cable revolution in India picked up pace. Along with it ran NDTV 24x7. And what a marathon it ran. It kept all the small fry satallites revolving around while it cushioned itself in the minds of India as the most authentic source of tele journalism.

What days were those for NDTV. The deadly combo of journalists, each one a king or a queen in their respective genres....The salt and pepper bearded boss lavished in the curtains of NDTV, only to be seen occasionally...somewhat like a guest appearance on this extra popular news channel.

Period.

2005. One of the most recognized face of NDTV quits and with the pied piper follow many of the journos (small fry though then) to hibernate for about a year to come up with yet another minty fresh channel CNN-IBN. The outcast of NDTV start churning stories after stories, hugely popular shows and messages the common man could empathize with. The channel becomes a hit. From a no advertisements in the first few weeks to a humungous flurry of ads every 2 minutes shows how popular this channel is be - coming .

Now.

NDTV has great competition. One can see the pepper bearded man very regularly on almost every exclusive shows nowadays. Day might just be around that the man would be moving around street to interview the aam junta on some issue of public interest. Hope the time does not come.

CNN-IBN also has to tread a long way. To start is easy, to sustain; that's what will bring out the mickey in them. Nevertheless, they look promising.

Though who's eating the bigger pie is still a thing to be debated on.

Or thinking aloud, is it Headlines Today, Star, Times Now or rather Sahara that share the bigger pie?
Well....the day they do, i'll stop watching TV;)

Period!!!!