‘Kashmir Business’ our TV is fast losing originality

Nissar Bhat

This time around it was no less a person than chief minister Mehbooba Mufti slamming the national electronic news channels for “negative portrayal of Kashmir.”

The strong views that the chief minister expressed against the electronic media in the country, though indisputable, would change the things for better seems highly improbable.

With apparently no code of conduct being applied on them, “negative news” on almost all the matters— Kashmir not the alone — has become forte with a large section of electronic news media in the country. One of the reasons for it could be the cutthroat competition in the news channels that vie with each other to beam out “selling” content to the viewers.

Much less the news channels, the unappeasable appetite for TRP arguably has robbed even the entertainment TV of its originality. In the current times, Bollywood gossips and below-standard entertainment shows (largely addressed to a small elite class of the country) gulp down the primetime on almost every TV channel with programmes historically significant, politically informative, morally edifying, culturally essential and aesthetically refreshing fast going off the air.

The trend indeed is dangerous particularly for our children. In the face of little compulsory program standard adherence by the electronic media, our children are exposed not only to violence, wittingly or unwittingly glorified on the TV screens, but also to a content not apt for their wholesome nourishment. It seems the on-screen media has by and large ignored its primary responsibility to ensure that TV programs reflect community standards.

Countries economically and scientifically far advanced than we are, strictly ensure TV content separation so that the children get programmes that help shape their development. Children of the modern age spend at least three to four hours a day watching television. Certain studies conducted in the United States showed that children there spend at least three hours a day watching television. That is the reason that Congress determined that “broadcast television stations – both commercial and non-commercial – have an obligation to offer educational and informational children’s programming. In addition, television licensees, cable operators and satellite providers in the United States must limit the amount of commercials aired during children’s programs.”

The Congress made rules in America mandate providing parents and other members of the public with more information about educational television programming. This information helps parents guide their children’s television viewing.

Similarly, under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) is responsible for making standards for children’s programming on commercial free-to-air television. All commercial television licensees are required to broadcast 130 hours of material classified as preschool (P) and 260 hours of material classified as children’s (C) each year. The content of programs and advertising broadcast during the designated children’s viewing times when C and P material is broadcast are strictly regulated.

But our on-screen dissemination has been indiscriminate least bothered about content separation. In our part of the world, TV has perhaps stopped serving the educational and informational needs of the children.

Children’s watching the TV programmes meant for adults can prove dangerous. With TV serials mostly featuring concepts like divorce, crime, family feuds, love failures, murders, crimes, etc, watching such programmes by the children can have an unhealthy impact on their mind. Such content besides distracting them from their studies can force them to do undesirable things, which could create disturbance in child’s life and make his or her life stressful.

Now, coming to the reportage on Kashmir, little said better it is. Kashmir is a bitten place. When you have nothing else to do, you can sink your teeth into it. You can simply do ‘Kashmir business’— an open subject which you could discuss, denounce, disgrace, dishonour, disrespect and discredit.

There is none to stop you. You could hold, mould and fold this “business”— Kashmir business— the way you like, the way it suits you and gets you TRP.

Kashmir is such an irresistible temptation for the media centres in the country that they cannot help their obsession with exploring every “untoward” thing in Kashmir.

The chief minister was right in pointing to the union health minister that: “You will not be knowing about 23-year-old Athar Aamir from Devipora Mattan who bagged second position in CSE-2015, daughter of a deceased auto rickshaw driver from Hutmurah-Mattan who secured scholarship in London school for being a creative artist, and a girl from Baramulla who became the youngest pilot of the country, because electronic media in Delhi is not interested in it as by highlighting these positive developments, they won’t get a chance to humiliate and abuse Kashmiris.”

All that we can plead is that allow us to be in peace and be peaceful. Raking controversies, tarnishing our image, projecting us in a way that we are not actually, is a disservice to the nation as a whole.