1864-Article Text-3675-1-10-20201206

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION BROADCASTING: CHANGES IN VISUAL PJAEE, 17 (6) (2020)
PRESENTATION OF ODIA REGIONAL NEWS CHANNELS IN INDIA
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION BROADCASTING:

CHANGES IN VISUAL PRESENTATION OF ODIA REGIONAL NEWS
CHANNELS IN INDIA
Dr. Fakira Mohan Nahak
Associate Professor, University Institute of Media Studies, Chandigarh University, Gharuan,

Mohali, Punjab. PIN-140413, India
Dr. Fakira Mohan Nahak -- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION

BROADCASTING: CHANGES IN VISUAL PRESENTATION OF ODIA REGIONAL
NEWS CHANNELS IN INDIA -- Palarch’s Journal Of Archaeology Of
Egypt/Egyptology 17(6). ISSN 1567-214x
Keywords: Broadcast Technology, Technological Evolution, Regional Television, Visual
Presentation
ABSTRACT:
Change is the unchangeable law of nature. This notion is applicable for all the developing
fields of the universe. When we think of advancements in television broadcast technology, it
is a kind of evolution that is taking place continuously in a progressive pace. The days of
terrestrial transmission and linear video editing are obsolete now. Broadcasters do not solely
depend on DSNG Vans or Outdoor Broadcasting vans to cover a live event. The digital
revolution and developments in mobile internet as well as OTT (Over the Top) applications
have made the live broadcasting process easy. Inaccessible remote areas have become
accessible only after the invention of these mobile technologies. Similarly in visual editing
technology has seen tremendous changes in last two decades. With the move from liner
editing to digital non-linear editing the editing process has seen the sea change. This has
helped the television industry to grow exponentially. Not only this, the user friendly
technology has helped the TV professionals in making them multi-tasking. In this study the
researcher has tried to observe the progress of television broadcasting in last two decades.
Used discussion method and talked to different senior broadcasters to know the progress. To
make the study more focused the researcher has taken Odia regional television channels as
the area of study. It was found that the technological advancement has not only helped the
broadcaster but also the receiver or the viewer in making and accessing quality content. It has
helped to bring significant change in the visual presentation of the television channels.
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I. INTRODUCTION
Advancement in science and technology has led to a significant change in
different aspects of television program production, process of transmission,
content generation, style of presentation and access to television in India
and across the world. Terrestrial transmission was the only way to access
television in India is now on the verge of extinction. As per the BARC
(Broadcast Audience Research Council) India report of 2017, in 2005 the
mode of television distribution through terrestrial transmission was 50%
and rest 50% was on cable and satellite transmission whereas due to digital
revolution the figures are 2% and 98% respectively in 2017. Similarly, the
number of channels has increased significantly over the years in India.
While it was only 130+ in 2005, the number has gone up to 800+ in 2018.
This exponential rise in the number of channels signifies the importance of
television in our lives. This growth is not confined to broadcasting in any
particular language. Rather it is observed in almost all regional languages.
Within last two decades the numbers of TV households and viewers across
the country have seen parabolic growth. In 2004 there were 83 million
households having television connection where as in 2017 it is 183 million
simultaneously the viewers’ base has reached 780 million in India (BARC,
2018). This change in all aspects also prompted different television
channels to go for technical innovation and creative content presentation.
Similar is the case with Odia television broadcasting. Prior to 2002, DD 6
was the only channel in Odisha provided by the public broadcaster
Doordarshan. The launch of ETV Odia in January 2002 and its tremendous
success and public acceptance paved way for the mushrooming number of
channels in Odisha. In 2018, the people of Odisha have the luxury to watch
20 channels to satiate their ever-changing viewing pattern.
TELEVISION IN ODISHA: A PEEP INTO THE PAST
The beginning of television in Odisha means the entry of Doordarshan in
the state. So thehistory of television in Odisha is about four decades old.
Base Production Centre (BPC) Office was started in September, 1973 at
Cuttack. That was the golden lettered day in the television history of
Odisha. That was the beginning of the new era with the entry of
Doordarshan into Odisha. Later in the next year in 1974 August, an UDK or
the Upagraha Doordarshan Kendra was established at Cuttack. The main
objective of the UDK was just to become the part of India’s first historic
television experiment SITE i.e. Satellite Instructional Television
Experiment. From 1st August 1975 to 31st July 1976, the SITE came into
existence in the state (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, 2008). The
people of Odisha experienced the beauty of television and exposed to the
audio-visual medium on small screen for the first time. Since then the
journey of Odia television channels is truly amazing. Starting from quality
content to effective presentation, broadcasting technology to interactive
medium everything has undergone a significant change in Television
broadcasting. The monochrome days became a matter of past with the
launch of colour television during the 9th Asian Games in 1982. The low
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power transmitter (LPT) became operational in 1982 at Bhubaneswar and in

1985 a high-power transmitter (HPT) started working at Cuttack.
The Television News presentation and broadcasting in Odia is not older
than 30 years. The first regional Odia news bulletin in television was started
on 1st July1988. The Regional Language Satellite Service (RLSS) was
started on Gandhi Jayanti of 1993. But the transmission centre was at Delhi.
The Earth Station of Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar started up-linking
Oriya Satellite Service from 15thAugust, 1994 as DD-6.This channel
became a 24 x 7 channel on Utkal Divas on 1st April of 2001 (Prasar
Bharati, n.d.)
ETV Odia was the first private satellite channel of the state which came into
existence in 2002. This channel was of infotainment in nature and carried
fiction, non-fiction, News bulletins and current affairs programmes. The
success story of ETV Odia inspired the launch of OTV, in 2006. It was the
second private satellite channel in Odia language transmission. In the
beginning it was also an infotainment channel. But later it became a 24x7
News channel. Prior to becoming a satellite channel, OTV was a cable
channel in the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack only (Chatterjee,
2015).
The success saga of OTV added fillip to the lunch of multiple channels in
the state. Below mentioned are the list of channels which have started their
operation in the state after 2006.
1. Naxatra News (24x7 News Channel)
2. Sarthak TV/Zee Sarthak (GEC)
3. Taranga TV (GEC)
4. Taranga Music (Music Channel)
5. MBC TV (Infotainment Channel)
6. Kamyaab TV (Infotainment Channel)
7. Lakshya TV (GEC)
8. Kanak TV (24x7 News Channel)
9. Prarthana TV (Devotional Programme Channel)
10. STV Samachar (2011 to 2013)
11. Zee Kalinga News/ Zee Odisha(24x7 News Channel)
12. Focus Odisha TV (24x7 News Channel)
13. News World Odisha (24x7 News Channel)
14. ETV News Odia (24x7 News Channel)
15. News18 Odia (24x7 News Channel)
16. ColorsOdia (GEC)
17. Alankar TV (GEC)
18. Prameya News7 (24x7 News Channel)
19. Kalinga TV (24x7 News Channel)
20. Mu Odisha TV (GEC)
The television viewership in the state has gone up significantly. Initially
these channels were dependent on cable operators for the distribution. But
the DTH technology saved these channels. Most of the General
Entertainment Channels (GEC) and infotainment channels produce their
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content in the state itself. But at the same time there is a trend of dubbing
popular programmes from other regional and Hindi channels into Odia and
telecast those. Innovative programmes having people participation has
helped different channels gaining viewership.
ETV ODIA: BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA
Mr. Ramoji Rao, a media baron from Andhra Pradesh after his indelible
impression and tremendous success of Eenadu Newspaper launched a
television network, which is popularly known as ETV Network. Being one
of the towering personalities of south Indian cinema, Mr. Rao made a
calculated shift from cinema to television just to cater the need of the hour,
changing demands of communication. On 27th August 1995, ETV-Telugu
took its birth. This was the first television channel of ETV-Network. In the
beginning it was basically an entertainment channel. After few days ETV-
Telugu launched its first regional news bulletin. This was popularly known
as ‘Andhravaani’ (Voice of Andhra Pradesh). After some days, ETV
launched its new bulletin covering the national and international news with
the brand name of “ETV News”. In the subsequent years this bulletin title
was adopted by other channels of the network. After the brilliant success of
ETV Telugu a number of channels were launched in subsequent years.
Chronologically after ETV-Telugu the Bangla regional channel ETV
Bangla was launched followed by ETV Marathi, then ETV Kannada and
further ETV Urdu. ETV-2 was launched as the dedicated news channel in
Telugu.
Similarly ETV Odia, ETV Gujarati, ETV Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, ETV
Madhya Pradesh/Chattishgarh, ETV Rajasthan and ETV Bihar/Jharkhand
were the part of the 12 regional channels of the Network.
27th January 2002 is a red-letter day for the people of Odisha as ETV
(Eenadu Television) Odia, the first private satellite channel of the state was
launched by Mr. Ramoji Rao, the chairman of ETV Network. ETV Odia
was one of the six regional channels that were launched on the same date.
The tagline of the channel “ETV- Ama TV” became an instant hit and
generated a positive vibe among the people of Odisha and Odia speaking
people living in different parts of the globe. ETV Odia was started as a 24 x
7 infotainment channel. Out of 24 hours, news and current affairs
programmes comprised of only 5 and half hours. Those bulletins are
“Aamari Odisha”, a regional bulletin at 7.00 am, ETV National bulletin at
7.30 am and at 9.00 am a special analytical bulletin named “Khas Khabar”.
Similarly, at 1.00pm another ETV National bulletin was there. The prime-
time slots comprised of ETV Mahanagar, the city bulletin at
6.00pm,“Aamari Odisha”, the regional bulletinat 7.00pm and at 9.00pm
ETV National bulletin. The current affairs bulletin “Charchare” was
scheduled at 11.05 PM.
PARADIGM SHIFT IN BROADCASTING
The launching of ETV Odia brought a phenomenal change in broadcasting
in Odia language. The visual quality, the language and style of presentation,
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use of creative graphics captivated the viewers of Odisha. It was a visual

treat for the people of Odisha. The impact of the various programmes and
news bulletins and above all the tagline “ETV-Ama TV (Our Television)
was so strong that it resulted in an exponential rise in the sale of TV sets in
the state.Leaving behind the traditional analogue transmission technology,
ETV Odia adopted the digital production and transmission from the very
beginning. In 2002 itself, ETV started using the Non-linear video editing in
the news room. Contents produced in the news desk were directly sent to
the PCR (Production Control Room) using servers. The PCR used ON AIR
Play out servers for broadcasting the final content.
ETV Odia provided a right podium for a bunch of young, vibrant,
enthusiastic media professional to hone their skillset, make them experts in
all categories associated with content development, news production, news
presentation and transmission. Prior to ETV Odia, the television industry in
the country was using different personnel for different assignments like
Anchor for anchoring, Copy Editor for copy editing, Voice over artist for
voice over recording, visual editors for visual editing, CG (Character
Generation) operators for CG operation or sting client operation, TP (Tele
Prompter) operators for TP operation and Reporter for reporting. But ETV
managed to create a new breed of journalists who were multi-tasking for
news room operation and running the television channel. The Copy Editor
had to do copy editing, Voice over recording, visual editing, CG operation,
TP operation and even reporting. This not only helped the journalist make
himself multitasking but also made the team efficient. Absence of any
person never hampered the performance of the news desk. This was the first
journalist driven channel where almost all responsibilities were shouldered
by pure journalists.
ETV ODIA AND THE MILESTONES
Election means ETV. It was the slogan then. The people of Odisha got the
privilege to watch the complete election analysis in their language with all
graphical presentation of the three-tier panchayat election in 2002. Later in
2004, the detailed coverage of General Election in Odia was a great
success. For the first time the channel used the online 3D graphics software
VIZRT for election analysis and presentation. The overall coverage of all
assembly elections, municipal elections and panchayat elections by ETV
Odia was more professional, authentic, informative and intriguing.
The most significant part of election result presentation by ETV was its
unique way of operation. It had a huge “Result Updating Team (RUT)”
which included reporters and informers at every counting booth along with
a centralized data processing centre. The data processing unit used to
receive the input directly from the counting booths and update the result on
the screen without any delay. This result updating system made ETV
synonymous with election results and brought accolades to the channel and
the network.
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During 2009 general election ETV Odia did one experiment with fibre optic
cables. At different import points of the state capital it made live points.
Those points were connected to the local VSAT centre and through that the
channel got the live signals even without having multiple DSNG vans or
DNG kits.
THE ELECTION EXPRESS: A WATERSHED MOMENT
ETV Odia was the first channel in India to conceive the idea of “Election
Express” prior to the 2004 General Elections. Two four-wheelers designed
as “Election Express” moved each district of the state of Odisha. Mr. Sisir
Bhattamishra, a senior reporter of the channel along with a camera crew
travelled for 42 days and 14,000 Kilometres covering all 147 Assembly
constituencies spread over 30 districts. The team covered the entire state
reporting the poll preparedness of different political parties, local problems,
election issues and people’s sentiment and even it highlighted the art and
culture of the visiting locality. Starting from the coastal plains of Odisha to
the high mountain terrains of Koraput, everything was captured in an
artistic way and presented to the viewers in the form of a travelogue. It set
the right momentum for elections in the state. The programme was well
appreciated by the viewers and critics and its success inspired other
channels of the ETV network to follow the same model in their respective
state elections. Even other Odia television channels followed the best
practices of ETV Odia and started same style of shows in subsequent years.
NDTV started its election express in 2006. In later stage other channels of
Odisha like Naxatra News, MBC TV, STV Samachar opted for such
experiments. During the Panchayat election of 2012 MBC TV went for the
travelogue presentation as “Ama Panchayat”. STV Samachar did
“Panchayat Passenger”. Here the channel used the DSNG (Digital Satellite
News Gathering) vehicle for live broadcasting from the ground. The
reporters travelled the entire state and did live from each location.
Now Election Express has become a genre of programme in election
coverage. TV-9 network, India Today Group which is having the most
popular Aajtak channel have also used Election Express to cover General
and State Assembly elections (India Today, 2018).Interestingly the oldest
cable and satellite television network CNN also used Election Express to
cover the Presidential election of USA in November 2004 (CNN, 2005).
The channel continues using Election Express in all subsequent Presidential
elections of 2008, 2012 and 2016.This not only helps the channel in content
generation but also in brand building and revenue generation (CNN, 2019).
Recently BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has experimented in
a different way. It used the train as Election Express to cover general
elections in India.
As Aeron Davis (2010) analyses in his book “Political Communication and
Social Theory”, the global issues which confront the journalism, media and
democracy. The changing trends in media strategies keeping in view the
global political system is worth observation.8 Election Express is a concept,
which is widely accepted and a best example of political communication.
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A TRYST WITH JAGANNATH CULTURE

The juggernaut of ETV Odia’s popularity became unstoppable due to the
live telecast of the world famous Rathayatra of Lord Jagannath from Puri.
ETV Odia was the first private Odia satellite channel to do so. It has
significant contribution in popularizing the Jagannath culture to the people
of the world.Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is synonymous with
Odia culture. The art, culture, literature, sculpture, language and performing
art of about 45 million people of Odisha is highly influenced by Jagannath
culture (Mohanty, 2010). The term Jagannath is enough to unify the Odia
diaspora across the globe. It is the driving force for Odias in India and
overseas. That is the reason why in most of the countries of the world you
will find a Jagannath temple or celebration of Rathyatra.
At the time of live telecast, the channel used online graphics to present
additional information to the viewers regarding the Rathayatra. The channel
also tried to present the global presence of Lord Jagannath by collecting
information, visuals and bytes of people from different parts of the world.
Programmes like “Desha Videshare Jagannath” (Lord Jagannath in the
inland and overseas), “DariapariJagannath” (Overseas Jagannath) helped
the channel to get rave reviews from the viewers. While preparing the
content for these programmes, the editorial team contacted the delegates of
The Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA), The Jagannath Society of
Americas(JSA), Odia Society of Japan and different Kalinga cultural
societies by Odias in various parts of the country.
The Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA), incorporated in 1981 in
Tennessee celebrates Rathyatra every year (The Odisha Society of the
Americas, n.d.). Similarly the Jagannath Society of Americas (JSA)has
been organising Rathyatra in Nashville. Odiasalong with other compatriots
living in USA celebrate Rathyatra with all enthusiasm and spirit in
Huntsville, Alabama, Ohio, Cincinnati, New Jersey, Huston, and Chicago
etc (Jagannath Society Of The Americas, n.d.).
This celebration was first aired as a well-planned and well-executed
programme by ETV Odia. Similarly, the Odia society of Japan and most of
the Kalinga cultural societies by Odias in different parts of the country
every year make arrangements for Jagannath Rathyatra. All these activities
of Odias living outside of Odisha were first came to public domain through
ETV Odia.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has been
engaged in popularising Jagannath culture throughout the world since more
than half a century. The founder of the society AC Bhakti Vedanta Swamy
Sreela Parbhupada took Lord Jagannath to the people of western world by
organising Rathyatra. ISKCON organises Rathyatra in almost 108 cities all
over the world. Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Mexico,
Melbourne, Santiago, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Atlanta, London, Moscow,
New York, Sydney, Berlin, Perth, Mombasa, Lima, Madrid, Budapest,
Oslo, Dhaka, Dhamrai, Auckland, Dublin, Manchester, Copenhagen and a
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lot more cities have got the opportunity to pull the chariots of Lord
Jagannath in their home town (ISKCON News, 2007). Very often ISKCON
was criticised by people for celebrating Rathyatra beyond its stipulated
date. The Rathyatra they organise across the world first came to the viewers
of Odisha through ETV Odia.
ETV Odia aired a series of programmes on Lord Jagannath and the
Jagannath culture and tried to highlight its impact on the spiritual
consciousness of western people. The people of the world came to know the
interesting devotional story of Julian Parker, an American citizen from Los
Angeles 13in one of the episodes (Siliconindia, 2006). As there is
restriction over the entry of foreigners into the Jagannath temple at Puri,
Julian has built a Jagannath temple in Kuansh village of Bhadrak district.
He has renamed himself as Jahnava Nitai Das. But he never felt
marginalised in his mission (Horback&Rothery-Jackson, 2007). When
people from different cultures accept Jagannath culture while maintaining
their individual cultural identity, it is nothing but a perfect example of
cross-cultural communication or inter-cultural communication. Every
individual possesses multiple identities and cultural and relational identities
are essential to Identity Management Theory-IMT.
ETV Odia also produced a series covering different Jagannath temples and
Rathyatra of the states of West Bengal and Gujarat where Jagannath cult is
equally popular. ETV Gujarati and ETV Odia also did the live telecast of
the famous Rathyatra of theJagadeesh temple of Ahmedabad.
A series titled “Jeevan Jagannath” was very much popular among the
viewers. The multiple attacks on the Jagannath temple in the past by
outsiders was perfectly presented in the form of a programme titled “Kene
gheni jauchha Jagannathnku?” (Where are you taking Lord Jagannath?).
For presenting history and mythology of Lord Jagannath, the channel did a
break through experiment in visual presentation. It was too creative,
convenient and within the budget. With the help of renowned artists and
painters of the state, most of the stories were depicted on the canvas. Then
the same was recorded in the camera with various camera angles and
compositions. Everything was then used on the editing table and a fine
story was presented with narration. It was highly appreciated by mass and
class. At that time this was one of the most creative ways of visual
communication. Now this experiment is frequently visible on channels like
“EPIC” and “History”.
The trend of popularising Jagannath culture continued in Odia television
channels and now all channels of the state go for live broadcasting of
Rathyatra, BahudaYatra, SunaBesha, AdharaPana and NeeladriBije. This
phenomenon also prompted the management of Odisha Television Ltd to go
for a 24x7 spiritual channel “Prarthana” in Odia language.
According to (Kumar, 2017) asserts, ‘This is evidently an elitist and
patronizing view of what culture is and what the masses are susceptible to.
A more balanced approach to the popular forms of various cultures would
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make for a more realistic evaluation of the relationship between the mass
media and popular culture.’
OTHER INDELIBLE MARKS
ETV Odia was the pioneer in using mobile internet for news gathering. The
management of the channel sent Mr. Nilambar Rath, the then News
Coordinator to the Hong Kong station of CNN in 2004 for professional
training. As per Nilambar Rath, “The use of mobile internet for news
gathering was a CNN model at that time, which was first adopted by ETV
Odia as DNG (Digital News Gathering). The new technology eased the
effort of reporters to send the gathered news through the mobile phone
connecting to the desktop or laptop by using the mobile data. As the
network speed was not that high, it could not help in live broadcasting.
Basically, reporters used to transfer photographs or small video files of
small size and shorter duration using their mobile data. This technology was
later used by other TV channels of the ETV Network and other networks of
the country.”
The developmental stories and in-depth reporting on various social issues,
naxal menace and communal violence in Kandhamal district along with
coverage of all district level music, folk dance and cultural festivals made
the channel a household name in the state. People were happy to find their
voice heard. Programmes like “Dasa Sahara Dashahara” (Ten cityDussera)
in 2007tried to connect people from 10 different cities of the state in a
single programme. This type of experimentation and gimmick in visual
presentation made ETV Odia unique and helped the channel carve a niche
for itself. As the time slot for news was less in the channel, the news desk
designed some small capsules on health, education, special report, political
satire, walk the talk, weekly reports etc. in different bulletins. The genres of
these small capsules took half an hour programme slots in other TV
channels of the state in later point in time. The channel used both real and
virtual sets for visual presentation. The backdrops were designed as per the
requirement of the content and subject. All news and current-affairs content
were presented in the live bulletin form. The percentage of content aired in
capsule form was minimal.
The journey of ETV Odia ended abruptly in the year 2014. After the general
elections of 2014 the channel stopped its news broadcasting. The
entertainment part of the channel continued for several months as complete
GEC (general entertainment channel) and re-launched as “ColorsOdia” in
2014.
THE PARABOLIC GROWTH OF OTV
OTV or Odisha TV is the first channel of the Odisha Television Network. It
was conceptualized and executed by Ms. Jagi Mangat Panda. OTV is the
first private cable television channel of Odisha. On 17th April 1997 in twin
cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack it was launched. Later on 2nd December
2006 OTV was re-launched as a satellite channel. By that time ETV Odia
was the most viewed channel of Odisha. OTV gradually carved its own
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niche and created its viewers base with well-designed programmes and
constant efforts of all the stakeholders. After launching of General
Entertainment Channel Tarang TV, OTV gradually shifted to become the
state’s first 24x7 News channel. At present, it tops the TRP chart and is the
most viewed Odia News channel. It has become easier for the channel to
reach every nook and corner of the state with the help of its parent
organisation Ortel communication.
OTV had its own challenges in the initial days of launching as a satellite
channel. There was lack of basic infrastructural support for broadcasting,
trained manpower and updated technology. The content was average. But in
due course of time, the channel made technological improvements and
through innovative programming, it garnered highest TRP. It has seen a
parabolic growth in its viewership. The presence of other potential channels
over the years could hardly make any impact on the channel as far as
retaining the viewer base is concerned and it continues to top the rating
chart uninterruptedly for the last 6 to 7years.
OTV’S IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATION
The “Pratidin” bulletin of OTV is the oldest news bulletin continuing since
its cable days. It has a sizable viewership as far as regional news bulletin is
concerned. The channel has so many unique shows which helped it gaining
the viewership across all genres. “Great Odisha Political Circus” is one of
the popular programmes of the channel based on political satire. A
dedicated show on candid camera “News Fuse” has become synonymous
with OTV and undoubtedly the show brought maximum laurels for the
channel. It is the highest rated non-fiction programme of the state. The
scripting, anchor’s unique presentation, back ground music and editing
made the programme special and different from others. The programme
also involved the viewers to contribute visuals through social media. The
immense popularity of the show compelled other channels to have their
own such programmes but none of them could sustain and had to go off air
abruptly.
In these years, the channel has developed its studio and other broadcasting
facilities to a greater height. The channel has made various successful
experiments in programming. Programmes like “Travel Odisha”
(Travelogue show), Tasty Tasty (Foodies show), Taste of Odisha (Foodies
travelogue show), Gapsap (celebrity talk show) made the channel more
popular. The channel’s flagship programme “Apana Eka Nuahanti” (You
are not alone) based on the sufferings of different individuals and assistance
provided to them by the administration and government with the
intervention of the channel is a great success as far as development
reporting is concerned. In due course of time the first devotional
programme channel- Prarthana TV and Music Channel-Tarang Music have
joined to the bouquet of the Odisha Television Network.
As per Rasmus Kleis Nielsen and Richard Sambrook(2016), ‘Television
news providers need to overcome these barriers to be able to deal with
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change, including the continued erosion of traditional television viewing

and the continuing rise of online video and digital media. The wider
television industry needs to overcome them to face its biggest battle, which
is yet to come.’ OTV is a pioneer in venturing into the digital platform. It
has a dedicated website and mobile application.
II. NEW PLAYERS IN MARKET
After 2009 general elections, the people of Odisha got the opportunity to
watch two more channels. Naxatra News was launched with a big bang.
The basic characteristic of the channel in its initial days was the dynamic
screen. Its colour composition and ever-changing screen with creative
graphics attracted the viewers. The channel is the first one to use the WASP
3D software for online graphics presentation. It failed to meet people’s
expectation because of not so impressive content. In the same year Kamyab
TV was launched as a news channel by a group of journalists taking
financial support from an entrepreneur.The peculiarity of the channel was
that, the team tried to present things in an innovative way with minimum
investment. The team tried to use photographs and visuals from internet and
present on the television. With this initial experimentation the channel
could not make a lasting impression on the viewers.
Eastern Media Ltd, the largest media conglomerate of Odisha launched its
TV channel as Kanak TV on 4thOctober 2009. As the group has a huge base
in the state with the largest circulated daily The Sambad, it was expected
the channel to impress the viewers. Being innovative, the channel started a
programme named “GitaregitareSambad” (News in songs). The idea was
to deliver the news in the form of song and music. Undoubtedly the concept
was unique, but it appeared insane to inform the viewers about the death of
people in accident, any natural disaster or any unexpected calamity through
singing. Though it was acceptable for presenting soft stories and stories of
human interest in the form of song and music,the programme and channel
received severe criticism from different quarters of the society and finally it
had to off air the content. Lack of proper content planning and content
management became a hindrance for the channel. The channel didn’t have
the modern infrastructure and the online graphics software used was not up
to date. To meet the viewer’s expectation, the channel management re-
launched the channel in 2015 in the name of “Kanak News” with a new
team. This time the channel used the online graphics software WASP 3D,
made some new quality content, designed the FPC (Fixed Point Chart) in an
innovative way and changed the presentation style. This garnered good
result for the channel and ultimately the Kanak News climbed up in the
ladder and reached number 3 in the TRP list.
STV SAMACHAR: THE FLIP-FLOP STORY
The Seashore securities limited launched its 24x7 satellite television
channel “STV Samachar” on March 18, 2011. The company outsourced the
channel installation process to Delhi based media consultant company
“Media Guru”. That might be the reason of its world class broadcasting set
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up. The channel was the first one in the state to use high-end equipment,
broadcasting technology with a professional set up. Technical experts from
Czech Republic, USA came to Odisha to train up the editorial and technical
team of the channel. The channel was the pioneer in Newsroom automation.
It used the HARRIS automation. The video editing gateways, the play out
servers, the editorial desk work station and the teleprompter all were
interconnected. The channel was the first one to install profession
newsroom management system by using “OCTOPUS”. The software was
not compatible with Odia fonts as it was never used in Odia language. So, it
was the collective effort of the editorial team of STV Samachar, the
technical support team of OCTOPUS and the support team of language
software “AKRUTI” to make the software compatible with Odia fonts.
Now majority of the channels of the state are using OCTOPUS for
newsroom management.
The STV Samachar was truly the pioneer as far as using high end
technologies are concerned. The channel had the facility of BARCO video-
wall in its studio which was only available in the national channels like
NDTV and CNN IBN by that time. The video wall was equipped with the
touch screen technology. “Mimosa” software was used for touch screen
operation and use of pre-designed graphics. The well-developed two studios
with adjacent compatible PCR (Production Control Room), Virtual setup
made it easy for smooth operation of the channel. All PCRs were equipped
with sophisticated equipment like KAHUNA 2ME switcher (Vision Mixer)
which can give HD output and STUDDER digital audio console. The
switcher had the facility of recording instant audio and video, Alfa
generation, Ultra slow motion, 60 internal aux and 15 external aux.
Similarly, the digital audio console had 54 inputs with a facility of setting
up the good audio control.
The channel was equally innovative in its programmes. “News Junction”
was one of the unique programmes of the channel which was completely
based on the location reporter’s PTC(Piece to Camera). Programmes like
Bhinna Pruthivi (A Different World) which was a human-interest news
magazine, Special report, Dunia Dus Minute (world in 10 minutes) and
Khabar Bharat (News India) as speed news bulletins, extensive live
coverage and newsroom interaction helped the channel in gaining
popularity with in a very small span of time. Despite of having world class
technologies and equipment and a group of skilled media professionals, the
channel had to die an untimely death and go off air on 15th June 2013
because of the miss-management and lack of farsightedness of the owner of
the channel. The case of STV Samachar emphasizes the necessity and role
of proper media management to run a channel.
In the same year of 2011, MBC TV was launched as an infotainment
channel. Majority of its content was daily soap operas and serials. But the
channel has used news as a tool to get popularity. Though it didn’t have
sophisticated equipment like STV Samachar, but the look and feel and lay
out of the screen was eye candy. Like the typical infotainment channels, the
channel got good viewership and audience support because of the
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entertainment content. Though the channel went through a strained phase in

between because of mismanagement, it continues to entertain and inform
the viewers as an infotainment channel.
III. NATIONAL PLAYERS IN ODISHA
The widening horizons of television market in Odisha encouraged the
national players like Zee Media Corporation to venture into it. On 27th
January 2014 it launched its Odia infotainment channel “Zee Kalinga”.
Initially more focus was on the entertainment content. But its news got
more popularity than entertainment programmes. Particularly the prime-
time debate show “Satyara Samna” (Facing the truth) was one of the
popular shows of its time. Keeping in mind the idea of separating the news
from entertainment, the Zee media acquired “Sarthak TV”, the most
popular entertainment channel of the state and rechristened it as “Zee
Sarthak”.So, ultimately Zee Kalinga became a 24 x 7 news channel and was
renamed as “Zee Kalinga News”. But the news channel failed to compete
with the market leaders and had to shift its transmission and operation base
from Bhubaneswar to its national headquarters Noida. The operational
issues and lack of innovation in content and presentation became the
biggest bottleneck. After the 2018 Assembly elections in five states, on 13th
December 2018,the channel management once again changed the name of
the channel from Zee Kalinga News to Zee Odisha with the hope of making
it more contemporary.
Focus Odishais another news channel which was launched on 1st January
2014. The channel couldn’t impress the viewers because of its poor
presentation. Most of the time the Audio-Visual medium didn’t have the
visuals and the screen was full of texts. This was the common practice for
quite a long time. It failed to compete in the market. Finally, the channel
was taken over and re-launched as News World Odisha. The newly built
team is trying hard through some innovative programmes to attract the
eyeballs. The channel has to go a long distance to reap a rich dividend as far
as viewership and sustainability is concerned.
PRAMEYA NEWS7, THE TRENDSETTER
After spending almost three years for preparation before the formal
launching, Prameya News7 entered into the Odisha media market with a
bang towards the end of the year 2014.on16th December. The channel
captured the eye balls of the viewers from the very beginning through
creativity and innovation in content preparation and presentation. The
channel got overnight success because of the various experiments in content
presentation by the content team. The channel was high on investigative
journalism. It came to limelight by airing an investigative report on ‘Sarathi
Baba’, a self-proclaimed God-man on 04th August 2015. As the story was of
human interest, it intrigued the viewers and the channel continued the live
coverage with impeccable presentation and involved the public to get their
first-hand reactions about the God-man. This brought the channel closer to
the people. The experimentation on public participation continued and as a
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result the channel got an exponential growth in its ranking. From 32 it

directly reached 150. Keeping in view the popularity of the issue, channels
like Zee Kalinga News and Kanak News also jumped into the race. All got
similar success for those two/three weeks. But after the issue was over all
slipped downpresented in Table-1).
TG2 CS 15+ YRS

Weeks
Genre Channel 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
News OTV 145 201 174 234 171 146 157
News FOCUS ODISHA 27 33 52 47 36 37 46
News Z Kalinga 38 40 134 111 72 52 84
News Kanak News 23 39 85 86 78 46 86
News PRAMEYA NEWS 7 36 32 150 140 79 43 67
News Naxatra News 2 3 5 5 5 3 2
News ETV News Oriya 22 24 26 28 39 35 34
News Kalinga TV 11 22 34 38 37 46 65
Table-1: The comparative TRP of 7 weeks of Odia News Channels in 2015. (Source: TAM)
On the other hand, the craze created by the Prameya News7 channel left an
indelible mark in the minds of the viewers. So, they continued gluing to the
channel and the channel maintained an impressive rating then after. Very
often it tops the TRP list in the ATSV (average time spend by Viewer)
category. Keeping in view the changing trends in viewer base, the channel
has also launched its digital wing as well as OTT (Over-The-Top)
application for the internet users.
Odisha All 15+
Odiya News
WK 16
ATSV Share%
Channel GRAT% GRAT'000 Share% Cov'000
(Min) Rank
Odisha TV 94.2 16,204 41.4 7,576 22.3 1
News7 55 9,454 24.1 4,762 23.3 2
Kanak News 28.1 4,830 12.3 4,751 11.8 3
News18 Odia 19.9 3,420 8.7 3,739 12.5 4
Zee Kalinga
14.6 2,515 6.4 3,761 8.5 5
News
Kalinga TV 11.2 1,932 4.9 3,899 7.1 6
News World
4.7 813 2.1 1,688 7.4 7
Odisha
Table-2: The TRP of Odia News channels for the week-16 of 2018. (Source: BARC)
The table-2 clearly indicates the popularity of Prameya News7. It is at
Number 2 in terms of viewership and in terms of ATSV, it is the number
one in the given week. This rating changes every week.
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In April 2015, another 24x7 Odia News channel was launched as Kalinga
TV. It is a unit of KIIT group of institutions and runs under Kalinga Media
Entertainment Private Limited. The channel is well equipped with modern
technology and news room automation. Though it has some unique creative
programmes, but the TRP is not so impressive. The channel has the
distinction of launching the first exclusive tribal bulletin of the state titled
“Santali Khabar” to cater the needs of the sizable tribal population. The web
portal of the channel is quite impressive and can bring some traffic to the
platform.
NEWS18 ODIA: OLD IN NEW PACK
On 4th May 2015 under the banner of ETV once again a 24x7 Odia news
channel was launched as ETV News Odia. It failed to generate the same
momentum among the viewers that was set by the original ETV Odia in
2002. The lack of preparedness and proper planning and coordination was
evident during the initial days of the channel. Though the newly formed
team gradually came up to speed after few months, but the operational
issues were hardly addressed as majority of the content was made at
Bhubaneswar and the transmission was from Hyderabad. The channel used
the “INEWS” software of AVID for its news and rundown management as
part of newsroom automation. The channel could not make a long-lasting
impression. The brand of the channel got changed and it was renamed as
News18 Odia on 21st December 2017.
As part of News18 network, one of the largest news networks of the
country, the channel adopted some innovative techniques in its news
presentation. It is the pioneer in using ZIFI technology for live broadcasting
from the remote parts of the state like the tribal dominated hilly terrains of
Malkangiri, Koraput and Kandhamal district. ZIFI is a live broadcasting
technique using a special application and internet connection in the mobile
phone. The reporter can connect to the central server at the news centre and
go live for any event. The content can directly be used in the PCR
(production control room) and the live feed can be recorded in the Feed
Room for further use and archival purpose says the Editor (Output) of the
channel Mr. Mayadhar Pradhan. The quality of transmission is directly
proportional to the internet signal strength of the mobile user (reporter) on
ground zero. At present News18 Odia is the only channel in the state to use
this technology.
IV. RENAISSANCE IN TECHNOLOGY AND VISUAL
PRESENTATION
The popularity of television is evident from its rising number of viewers
and channels. The technological advancement in television influences the
consumer or the viewer. As Marshall McLuhan advocates that the medium
is the message that means ‘the form of medium embeds itself in any
message it would transmit or convey, creating a symbiotic relationship by
which the medium influences how the message is perceived’. For McLuhan
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it was the medium that shaped and controlled ‘the scale and form of human
association and action’.
Gone are the days of analogue transmission when the panel producer used
to rush to the PCR carrying a tray containing the printout of the rundown
and number of video cassettes equal to that of the stories mentioned in the
rundown. Each cassette had to be arranged as per the rundown and played
from 2 different VTR (Video Tape Recorders). But with the introduction of
Non-linear editing and digitisation of content, the transmission process
became easier and hence the life of panel producer. In the initial days ETV
Odia was using raw AVI (uncompressed) format for transmission of
programming content and MPEG-2 for news broadcasting. But now-a-days
the channels are using MPEG-4 and Mov. format for transmission. The
video quality and standard has changed to a greater extent. While News18
Odia is using ZIFI technology for live broadcasting, channels like Kanak
News and Prameya News7 are using Skype for live reporting.
There is also significant change in terms of devices used for video
recording. Initially analogue cameras and camcorders were used for
shooting the content. Most of the cameras were using video tapes like
Eumatic, Beta, and DVC Pro. In some cameras additional recorders (VTR)
were used for recording the content. But the channels gradually shifted
from using analogue camera to digital cameras after 2005. By 2010 most of
the channels changed their camera base to digital ones. Now almost all the
channels go for Standard Definition video (SD) and High Definition video
(HD). Content are recorded in 2K. Channels in Odisha are yet to adopt 4K.
Video editing has also undergone a phenomenal change over the years. In
the initial days, channels were using software like Edit, Edit station,
Mainactor sequencer and Mainconcept for video editing. Then the video
editors started using Avid, DPS velocity and Adobe Premier. At present
most of the channels use FCP Pro for video editing.
Newsroom interaction has become a norm now-a-days in all the news
channels of Odisha as it reduces the cost of content generation and works as
a cheap filler or time-killer. Most of these channels use touch screen video
walls or displays to make the presentation more lively and interactive. The
rich graphical presentation helps in breaking the monotony as well. All the
channels are adopting innovation and creativity in the constant pursuit of
excellence.
V. CONCLUSION
According to Glenn Hallbrooks (2018), ‘the survival of the television

channels depends on solid, accurate reporting that isn't influenced by
outside sources, creative visual presentations, and credible TV personalities
who form long-lasting relationships with their audiences.’ All the channels
should keep an eye on the above points for its survival in the long run. Most
of the channels in Odisha are dependent on entertainment contents. The
genre of the programmes is designed in such a way that it seems more like
entertainment and human-interest stories than news. News channels are
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more focused on entertainment content, filmy presentation and going away

from reporting the core issues and news. Though television yet to penetrate
50% of the rural market, the content on television is more of urban centric.
Gone are the days when television was a Public Service where socially
purposive programs were given priority. Instead, it has become highly
commercial and what easily sells are being encouraged. What easily sell are
the 4S- Sex, Scandal, Sensationalism and Superstition. TV could well be
the ideal platform to educate the mass.
The previous decade has brought numerous changes in TV newscast
particularly in terms of technology. It is hard to determine what exactly the
viewer wants from the TV. Watching news bulletin in the evening is going
to become a matter of past very soon. This changed TV watching pattern of
the viewers has compelled the channels to change their priorities. Now they
are not just the broadcasters rather they are the service providers on various
platforms. Each channel has their dedicated websites and has social media
presence to reach to the viewers and know their sentiment. In this data
driven world, they are adopting digital platforms and use of social media for
promotion and publicity. The efficient use of social media helps the
channels in retaining their existing viewer base and attracting new viewers.
Telecom revolution will boost the Mass media throughout the country and
encourage the emergence of Multi Media. It will accelerate the process of
globalisation beyond imagination.
The last two decades of television broadcasting in Odisha has really seen a
renaissance in Odia language news presentation. The channels must
constantly evolve and use best-in-class technologies and keep renovating
and reinventing keeping in mind the pulse of the audience. The benefit of
using digital platforms must be maximised. In the name of competition,
unnecessary sensationalism of news must be ceased. The ethics of
journalism should be practised without any dilution. Change is the
unchangeable law of nature. So, with the rapid change in broadcasting
technology, taste of public and target of the market, the channels of Odisha
are also embracing the change with all grace. Adopting the art of adaptation
is the need of the hour.
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[2] Chatterjee, M. (2015).Television in Odisha. Retrieved from April 10, 2020,
http://osou.ac.in/
[3] CNN.(2005). CNN Election Express. Retrieved from March 2, 2020,
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/inthefield/bus.html
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March 2, 2020, https://promotion1.com/project/cnn-election-express-
yourself-tour/
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[5] Davis, A. (2010). Political Communication and Social Theory.Abingdon-

on-Thames: Routledge.
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[15] PrasarBharati. (n.d.).Profile. Bhubaneswar: Doordarshan Kendra. Retrieved
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION BROADCASTING: CHANGES IN VISUAL PJAEE, 17 (6) (2020)

PRESENTATION OF ODIA REGIONAL NEWS CHANNELS IN INDIA

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION BROADCASTING:

Associate Professor, University Institute of Media Studies, Chandigarh University, Gharuan,

Dr. Fakira Mohan Nahak -- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TELEVISION

power transmitter (LPT) became operational in 1982 at Bhubaneswar and in

use of creative graphics captivated the viewers of Odisha. It was a visual

A TRYST WITH JAGANNATH CULTURE

change, including the continued erosion of traditional television viewing

entertainment content. Though the channel went through a strained phase in

result the channel got an exponential growth in its ranking. From 32 it

TG2 CS 15+ YRS

According to Glenn Hallbrooks (2018), ‘the survival of the television

more focused on entertainment content, filmy presentation and going away

[5] Davis, A. (2010). Political Communication and Social Theory.Abingdon-

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