Thakur
Banned
- Joined
- 30 Aug 2013
- Messages
- 14,856
- Reaction score
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MUMBAI: Think Goa and what comes to mind
is idyllic surroundings but never the frenzied
pace of a news channel. However, the reality is
that there are not one but five news channels
in the tiny state whose area measures just
3,702 km.
Of the five, only one manages to call the shots
i.e. Prudent Media, which is based out of
Panjim and owned by powerful business
conglomerate, Fomento. Having started
operations in 2007, the news channel has
already made it to being the market leader,
according to media planners.
Prudent Media has an experienced editor in
Pramod Acharya, who has been with the group
for five years. In his 11 years of journalism,
Acharya has worked with India’s premier news
channel CNN-IBN, prior to which he was with
local dailies Sunaparant and Rastramath. Other
anchors include Suyash Gavnekar and Priyanka
Prabhu Chodnekar who host news bulletins in
English and Konkani.
The channel has a 60-strong team including 10
journalists based outside Goa who are
stringers. Many of the journalists double as
video journalists. Six news bulletins are
telecast every day and the channel uses
Panasonic 102 and PD 170 cameras to capture
news imagery for the same. Some of Prudent
Media’s signature shows are Head On and The
Debate . In Head On, the host takes on the
guest, usually a local politician, with some
hard questions. The Debate , as suggested by
the name, is in a debate format. Among other
shows are Sattagraha, Gajali, Hello Career,
Simply Sport, Lokshay Hai Hai, Just Imagine
and Counter Point.
Through a barter system with CNN IBN,
Prudent Media gets footage of national and
international issues from the former in return
for local news feeds. Currently, the channel is
available on two multi system operators (MSOs)
- Future Digital Infotainment and Indusind
Media and Communications Limited as well as
eight to 10 smaller cable operators. The state
has an interesting phenomenon of duopoly
system, where viewers subscribe to both DTH
and local cable operators. In the beach belt
where tourism flourishes, hoteliers mostly
subscribe to DTH.
While Goa has a population of 14-15 lakh,
according to Prudent Media editor Pramod
Acharya, the channel has a viewership of 7-9
lakh. “This is based on half yearly surveys our
channel conducts,” he says. In terms of
advertisers, both local and national brands are
on-board the channel in a ratio of around
70:30, respectively. Among national brands,
Amul is a recent entrant. According to highly
placed industry sources, the ad rates for a 10
second slot could vary from anything between
to Rs 300 to Rs 800.
In terms of digital presence, Prudent Media
has an Android app which when launched on
15 August last year witnessed over 1,000
downloads in 48 hours. As of now, the
channel’s Facebook page has 16,036 likes,
while it has 2,303 followers on Twitter. The
channel website offers live streaming of shows
to audiences in India and abroad.
While Prudent Media in particular and the
news industry in Goa in general are still far
from their regional counterparts, once
digitisation kicks in, this nascent industry may
well start getting its due recognition.
is idyllic surroundings but never the frenzied
pace of a news channel. However, the reality is
that there are not one but five news channels
in the tiny state whose area measures just
3,702 km.
Of the five, only one manages to call the shots
i.e. Prudent Media, which is based out of
Panjim and owned by powerful business
conglomerate, Fomento. Having started
operations in 2007, the news channel has
already made it to being the market leader,
according to media planners.
Prudent Media has an experienced editor in
Pramod Acharya, who has been with the group
for five years. In his 11 years of journalism,
Acharya has worked with India’s premier news
channel CNN-IBN, prior to which he was with
local dailies Sunaparant and Rastramath. Other
anchors include Suyash Gavnekar and Priyanka
Prabhu Chodnekar who host news bulletins in
English and Konkani.
The channel has a 60-strong team including 10
journalists based outside Goa who are
stringers. Many of the journalists double as
video journalists. Six news bulletins are
telecast every day and the channel uses
Panasonic 102 and PD 170 cameras to capture
news imagery for the same. Some of Prudent
Media’s signature shows are Head On and The
Debate . In Head On, the host takes on the
guest, usually a local politician, with some
hard questions. The Debate , as suggested by
the name, is in a debate format. Among other
shows are Sattagraha, Gajali, Hello Career,
Simply Sport, Lokshay Hai Hai, Just Imagine
and Counter Point.
Through a barter system with CNN IBN,
Prudent Media gets footage of national and
international issues from the former in return
for local news feeds. Currently, the channel is
available on two multi system operators (MSOs)
- Future Digital Infotainment and Indusind
Media and Communications Limited as well as
eight to 10 smaller cable operators. The state
has an interesting phenomenon of duopoly
system, where viewers subscribe to both DTH
and local cable operators. In the beach belt
where tourism flourishes, hoteliers mostly
subscribe to DTH.
While Goa has a population of 14-15 lakh,
according to Prudent Media editor Pramod
Acharya, the channel has a viewership of 7-9
lakh. “This is based on half yearly surveys our
channel conducts,” he says. In terms of
advertisers, both local and national brands are
on-board the channel in a ratio of around
70:30, respectively. Among national brands,
Amul is a recent entrant. According to highly
placed industry sources, the ad rates for a 10
second slot could vary from anything between
to Rs 300 to Rs 800.
In terms of digital presence, Prudent Media
has an Android app which when launched on
15 August last year witnessed over 1,000
downloads in 48 hours. As of now, the
channel’s Facebook page has 16,036 likes,
while it has 2,303 followers on Twitter. The
channel website offers live streaming of shows
to audiences in India and abroad.
While Prudent Media in particular and the
news industry in Goa in general are still far
from their regional counterparts, once
digitisation kicks in, this nascent industry may
well start getting its due recognition.
