Punjabi antenna
Ringing out the forgettable 2011
Randeep Wadehra

The year saw a new low for Punjabi TV news channels as meaningful discussions and analyses took a backseat to propaganda

A character in the Czech-born British dramatist Tom Stoppard’s Night & Day says, "No matter how imperfect things are, if you’ve got a free press, everything is correctable, and without it, everything is conceivable." Although the Constitution of India guarantees the freedom of press, this fact has not registered with private Punjabi news television channels.

Anshu Sahni continued to be a favourite

Owned by powerful vested interests, promotion of specific political personalities, groupings and agendas appears to have become the raison d'etre of their existence. Consequently, 2011 has witnessed the fall of Punjabi TV journalism to the level of pamphleteering. You just have to watch the news bulletins and talk shows to realise the manner in which political discourse has been turned into waffle — in the PTC news afternoon bulletin on December 13, Navjot Sidhu described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as "Pappu".

Rhetoric and invective have replaced objective, informed and well-reasoned discourse. Some of the participants in TV debates clearly appear out of depth vis-à-vis the issues being discussed. Worse, most channels suffer from a lack of seasoned and talented TV anchors capable of moderating discussions competently.

Zee Punjabi’s news-based talk show, Khabarsaar, tries to keep debates interesting and unbiased. DDJ’s Khas Khabar Ek Nazar remains the best news-based talk show, thanks largely to Jatinder Pannu’s pithy observations. He is the only Punjabi television news analyst who combines traditional wisdom with professional journalism. His imagery is so apt that even the most complex economic and political issues become intelligible to viewers. He is absolutely unbiased and fearless while calling a spade a shovel.

Many promising TV journalists kept a low profile in 2011. Davinder Pal Singh of the Lok Bani fame (PTC News) used to be quite incisive while interrogating local authorities in matters relating to citizens’ rights, civic amenities and development. However, the show has now become a promo for SAD-BJP politicians. Something that Zee Punjabi’s Sat Sri Akal Pradhanji is presently doing for Congress politicians in Punjab. Daljit Singh of PTC News is another intrepid journalist who was missed in 2011. Misha Bajwa Chaudhary of the Day & Night News created waves when she beat the mainstream channels in bringing to the Indian television the 2011 IIFA Awards function held in Toronto.

The year witnessed a slow, inexorable, decline of Punjabi television. Once upon a time Alpha Punjabi (now Zee Punjabi), ETC Punjabi and Doordarshan Jalandhar appeared to be robust platforms for Punjabi creativity and culture. Quality programmes comprising talk shows, road shows and stand-up comedies etc kept the eyeballs glued to the small screen. No more, alas!

Nonetheless, there were a few bright spots. Despite the constraints, DD Jalandhar/Punjabi remained the flagbearer of the old-world Punjabi culture with its documentaries on Punjab’s history, its various cultural traditions and personalities. Mukesh Gautam, who has worked with Zee Punjabi and PTC Punjabi, did come up with impressive programming on Punjabi music and culture — be it Sajda or Great Masters. Although the TV entertainment scene remained dismal, PTC Punjabi’s Preeto Top Ten anchored by the talented Anshu Sahni continued to be a favourite. Zee Punjabi’s Pindaan Vichchon Pind is another worthwhile culture-oriented programme. However, most of the reality shows were mediocre and forgettable.

Approximately a dozen Punjabi channels are being aired — mostly through cable operators. Most of them sell airtime for promos of music videos and movies; they hardly generate any content of their own. Obviously, they are focussed on quick and easy money. It would be overly optimistic to expect any meaningful programming from them. Will Punjabi television be able to reinvent itself and make a comeback in 2012? Fat chance; it would be a miracle if Renaissance visits the Punjabi infotainment scene in the foreseeable future.