News you can refuse

It seems like eons since my dose of daily affairs came from the idiot box. A reflection on those days when my grandpa religiously switched the Onida on at the strike of 8.30 pm to hear that distinctive Doordarshan tune gives me goosebumps. Not that the news readers of yore made a lasting impression on my then impressionable mind, but the fact that it seemed like a fair charter of the day's proceedings minus excessive melodrama. The inclusions may have had an eulogic tilt towards the men in the PMO but then the 30 odd minutes didnt seem too judgemental on the happenings. Take2 and I find myself accessible to so many channels beaming news that I run out of my fingers that I ususally put to use for the purpose of counting. Business suits may well be the order of the day for the anchors but the smile they wear these days seems more a matter of satire than attire. And do they talk glib, one may be forgiven for believing that she was actually listening to a JAM session than a statement of the day's press. "Scoop" seems to have undervalued to such an extent that discovering the visiting head of state's undergarment colour falls under that category. The good man ( and woman ) is now surrounded by other good men ( and women ) who analyse our PM's body language to the extent that you may well be in the position to find out if he suffers from rheumatism or tooth ache. The pitch of the voice betrays such emotion at the exclusion of Saurav from the team like a real bomb had just been dropped, not by the selectors but by the Pak army. Then, there is the phenomenon of "exclusivity". A 5 line chat with Hrithik on what he feels after becoming a pa is exclusive only to 7 channels. And if you are courageous enough to be privy to the scrolls running on top , bottom and every inch of the TV screen where the reader doesnt figure, you may be pleasantly surprised to know that 80 percent of people think that they will die of heart failure while the rest just dont think. So, pick up your phone and decide where you belong. These programmes do cater to people like me who boast of an IQ lesser than his weight. News and associated analysis leave no doubt in you about the propriety of a particular item on the ledger. What with all the expert talk, why do I need to flex my top floor to judge something. Freedom of speech and expression has rarely been put to use so effectively before. So much so, that I find myself speechless at the glut of piffle that unfolds itself. They conduct stings and run amok with the slightest discovery of malpractice. The associate engineer on the electricity board taking 10k bucks for a new connection does rank along side Monica gate if the great samaritans are to be believed. Inane is the best I can describe these programmes and "best" refers not to my description but their excesses. I have decided not to skip these numbers on my remote only when I feel the need of a sleeping pill. The TV media is dead. Long love the TV media.