Carnatic TV channel

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 03 Nov 2006, 02:50

I read about this mentioned by someone at Carnatica. It is a good idea.

How easy or difficult would it be to start a TV channel for Carnatic Music? Does South India have the numbers to sustain such a channel over the long term? Can it be economically viable (at least to break-even)? Will it find harassment from political circles to give a linguistic tint to programmes etc?

Can it be more viable if its made a common channel for HM and CM, and perhaps classical dance too? I feel with the literally hundreds of channels in the country, we sorely lack a channel for CM.

To start with, the broadcasting reach can be confined to the main cities like Madras, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Mysore, Cochin etc instead of being a national or interanational channel. I dont think costs for this will be forbidding at the outset.

If its started as a not-for-profit entity, I think various concessions can be availed to run it on a shoestring budget. There are always a lot of interested folks to volunteer and contribute content!

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 03 Nov 2006, 06:29

it will cost an earth. instead time slots can be taken from existing channels and programmes run on sponsors atleast initially.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Nov 2006, 07:27

Here in the United States, Public Television broadcasts educational and fine arts programs of quality with sponsorship, membership dollars and by charity drives. Not an easy task, but it is has survived. It is a struggle and the free from commercials status is hard to maintain. A mere mention of the (commercial)sponsors is not enough any more to get funding. As a result, we have mini commercials (tastefully done, of course), and I do not know how it is going to be in the future. Of course, volunteers are vital in such an operation...

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 03 Nov 2006, 21:10

The SBS in Australia is a fine example of a high quality TV channel that also shows comercials: www.sbs.com.au

I am surprised this model has not been replicated elsewhere. Or has it? This could be a good way to run a quality channel without depending on handouts from govt (e.g. BBC in UK charges a TV licence to support itself!) or constant pleadings to viewers (e.g. PBS in the US).

We can start with a 12-hour channel, then increase it to a 24/7 one.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 05 Nov 2006, 09:53

From June 11 2006: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/06/11/sto ... 220500.htm

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 Nov 2006, 07:54

I hear that Kerala TV offers a better fare when it comes to CM. Is it true? How about Andhra and Karnataka? Of course, in the capitol of CM activity, TV does not seem to offer much at all, from what I gather...

Radhakrishnan · Post by **Radhakrishnan** » 09 Nov 2006, 09:19

arasi wrote:I hear that Kerala TV offers a better fare when it comes to CM.

Yes,it is comparatively better.There used to be regular lec dems and even concerts from swaralaya, surya, kuthira mAlika music festivals.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 09 Nov 2006, 12:42

Right, DD Malayalam is where all the current CM action is happening, though Podhigai (DD-Tamil) brings up some old programs now and then. I dont know about the others.

One cool concert I saw/listened to on DD-Malayalam about 10days back was that of a young muslim malayali lady singing an all muslim songs concert (I think the language was Arabic or Urdu) which was fully carnatic (i.e no light songs / devotional stuff). The highlight was an expansive karaharapriya kirtana modelled after Pakkala Nilabadi replete with wonderful swaraprastara and and stuff. I would have recorded it had my VCR not played truant.