Authors

Two big news events dominated headlines over the last couple of days. Like a bolt from the blue, the truce and sense of collaboration between the warring Ambani brothers on Sunday, followed the very next day by the most insipid and boring presser by the Prime Minister, his first in four years. Sandeep Bamzai takes stock.

Sandeep Bamzai May 26, 2010 9:10 AM

This week Sandeep Bamzai seeks to unravel the telecom tangle that 3G and 2G auctions have turned out to be. One of those involved is Telecom Minister A Raja, who’s taped conversations with a lobbyist rocked the nation. However, majority of the media, which usually relentlessly pursues such scams seems to have turned a blind eye to the development the investigation was not taken to its logical culmination, says Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai May 19, 2010 8:00 AM

That news television is a bruising business is a gross understatement. Many are still coming to grips with the harsh lessons taught by the vagaries of the meltdown. Quite a few media companies filed their results for financial year ending March 31, 2010 last week. Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the performance of NDTV and CNBC.

Sandeep Bamzai May 13, 2010 8:53 AM

Five straight weeks of high density news and guess what, each and every week has been dominated by a woman. Each woman, hot button, and top of mind in the media and in turn, the political mindspace. This week, Sandeep Bamzai writes about some women who having been hogging news space, and not necessarily for the right reasons.

Sandeep Bamzai May 5, 2010 8:38 AM

Now that the can of worms has been thrown open for the world to see and examine, the BCCI chooses to distance itself from the IPL. But the hoi polloi are not willing to buy this argument. Even if they were to accept that Lalit Modi was a flamboyant crook, they reckon that the BCCI is equally guilty, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 28, 2010 8:33 AM

After Shashi Tharoor’s exit, now all guns are trained on IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi. Does Modi have something left in the tank? Modi’s benefactor Pawar may have turned against him because he reckons he too might be singed by this IPL heat, but KK Modi’s scion has many powerful backers. Will Modi take the fall or will he be able to pull off another Houdini act? Monday will tell us, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 21, 2010 8:40 AM

This one has all the juice. Expect more. And with allegations of Lalit Modi cooking up this broth to trump Rendezvous’ Kochi IPL team bid for Ahmedabad gaining currency, be prepared for more dirt. Rendezvous has already reacted by calling Modi a drug peddler… so, watch out, many blind curves ahead, says Sandeep Bamzai as he goes deep into the Modi-Tharoor-Kochi IPL controversy.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 14, 2010 8:54 AM

I am confused, my mind is in a whirl, says Sandeep Bamzai as he wonders whether anyone can make more sense of the Ayesha-Shoaib-Sania triangle. A failed, under-the-scanner Pakistani cricketer is marrying a failed Indian tennis player. Wedged between them is a Hyderabadi woman, who claims she is Shoaib’s first wife and all she wants is an honourable divorce.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 7, 2010 8:46 AM

Delhi as a metro is not big on graffiti. But lately, one sees its scrawl and the legend inscribed is worrying – Pro rich, anti poor, CWG sucks. The Commonwealth Games are barely 190 days away, but work on the stadiums is yet to be completed. Plus the Capital is a dug out zone with construction material strewn around and burdened by an inflating Games budget. Sandeep Bamzai wonders why most of the media is silent on such an important issue.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 31, 2010 8:39 AM

Over the last couple of days, the IPL auction has emerged as the hot button subject. Sandeep Bamzai does the math and says that the stiff entry cost is the biggest impediment in the grandiose designs of the new team owners of Pune and Kochi teams. Despite the pie having been made more lucrative by Lalit Modi, there isn’t enough on the table to take away for the newbies. But the early birds have definitely got the worm.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 24, 2010 8:30 AM

This week, Sandeep Bamzai delves into the murky world of telecom licencing. He cites the peculiar case of CBI investigating the role of the country’s number one lobbyist in the award of a Unified Access Services telecom license to Unitech in 2007-08. But the rabbit hole goes far deeper than first thought.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 17, 2010 8:49 AM

Safedi ki chamkar where Rin and Tide are slugging it out isn't the only battle zone these days. There is another joust in the media firmament where an ongoing glove fest has everyone riveted. And this has nothing to do with iski shirt meri shirt se zyada safed kyun hai? This one is about an entrenched player and a newbie, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 10, 2010 7:48 AM

Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the most relevant news covered by Headlines Today in recent times to stress that if the bulwark of a news channel remains news, then this long and arduous road of perseverance will pay off. The process of distillation at Headlines Today has been slow and capital intensive, but one can safely say that it is bearing fruition finally.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 3, 2010 7:11 AM

Dang, media is once again in the news. Yup, the newswallahs are very much in the news again. Targeted in the crosshairs, they are once again everyone's favourite whipping boys. Sadly, their role has been thrown into stark relief again. And it does not make for happy reading, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 24, 2010 7:21 AM

Friday after Friday, the fate of stars and their bankrollers – the producers and bulge bracket distributors – is decided on the Box Office across the world. After ‘Chak De’, ‘My Name is Khan’ is Shah Rukh Khan’s greatest acting performance. Week one and week two will determine its fate and future course. B Town is merciless, replete with crabs, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 17, 2010 7:10 AM

Even as some of the epicures on telly go on their culinary journeys, they open a window of opportunity in some of us. A window, which allows our taste buds to take over and wander in the hallways of foodland, notes Sandeep Bamzai as he undertakes a culinary journey on Indian television.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 10, 2010 6:52 AM

Lots of curious things go on in the media. There is a new twist to an old tale every single day. The reported demerger move of Air India and India and the subsequent denial issued saw its fair share of drama, which was further heightened when there were also accusations of a rip off of the media report. Sandeep Bamzai gives the details.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 3, 2010 7:23 AM

Since 26/11, many searching questions have been asked of our news telly wallahs. In fact, they have failed several rounds of catechism. Against this backdrop, Ram Gopal Varma is readying to release ‘Rann’. ‘Rann’s main protagonist Amitabh Bachchan speaks about the movie and news television in general to Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 28, 2010 7:24 AM

The malleability and ductility of select regional media lent itself to jumpstarting a wave of indignation against two business houses in Andhra Pradesh on the basis of a four-month old web post. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai goes deeper into the developments unfolding in the tinderbox that is Andhra Pradesh today.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 14, 2010 7:13 AM

Comeuppance, just desserts, call it what you will. Karan Thapar was on the other side of the fence recently as he was put on the dock by Mani Shankar Aiyar. The man famed for conducting verbal assaults on his guests had been finally found tongue tied, diffident and hapless, remarks veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 6, 2010 8:12 AM

This week veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the method and genius of Aamir Khan, the actor, producer and director. Though part of Bollywood’s Khan brigade, Aamir has set himself apart with his choice of films and his perfectionist attitude.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 30, 2009 8:44 AM

In a nation where food prices have just about everyone teetering on the ropes, to first ‘bribe’ foreign delegations and then get an unlimited financial commitment from the Union Government to host the Games is a criminal waste of time, money and effort. Fiscal deficit be damned, the nation’s prestige is at stake after all. And media needs to target the real meaty issues in its crosshairs. Issues that affect you and me, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 23, 2009 8:03 AM

This entire Telangana affair is most baffling. Why should the Government of India act in such a hasty manner by making an arbitrary announcement? If the people’s verdict was against K Chandrshekhar Rao and Telangana Rashtriya Samiti, how did Banquo’s ghost return so quickly to haunt the UPA Government, wonders veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 16, 2009 7:54 AM

This week, veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes an indepth look at the 2010 Commonwealth Games preparations and the various controversies surrounding it.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 9, 2009 8:09 AM

It is over a year now since 26/11 happened and a year later, the news channels haven’t seemed to learn much about giving coverage to such events, observes veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai. He is confident that as in the past, India will overcome 26/11 as well and will be better and smarter at fighting terror.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 2, 2009 7:44 AM

AB Bardhan’s forthrightness during a recent interview with Karan Thapar regarding the demise of the Left and its afflictions impressed Sandeep Bamzai no end as the veteran journalist analyses what ails the Left in India, or for that matter, even the once strong BJP.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 25, 2009 7:44 AM

The Crest Edition from the Times of India Group seems like a good idea. The question is whether it is sustainable or merely a passing fad and fancy? I am saying this because Bennett, always known for innovation, has attempted such things in the past as well, writes veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 18, 2009 7:57 AM

It’s been a rollercoaster week ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, as veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at some baffling news coverage and incongruous suggestions doled out by a section of the Indian press.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 11, 2009 8:11 AM

Is Hindi cinema a cash burn? Or does it pay in spades when the movie makes its tryst with the Box Office? Is there a section of the Hindi film industry and old style trade papers who want to continue burnishing the myth that Hindi movies aren’t doing well? Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai attempts to answer these posers and more as he looks at the winds of change in Bollywood.

Sandeep Bamzai Oct 28, 2009 8:10 AM

Why did the soap queen go off the boil so suddenly? Once Ekta Kapoor crossed the Rubicon with Star, it proved to be her bugbear. Now, with ‘Betaab Dil Ki Tamanna’ and ‘Pyar Ka Bandhan’ comes her litmus test as an original content generator, and for a gasping Sony as well. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes an indepth look at Balaji Telefilms’ fortunes.

Sandeep Bamzai Oct 21, 2009 8:28 AM

This week, veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes an indepth look at the increasingly becoming murky NELP round 8. And the Director General Hydrocarbons’ recent comments to the media have not helped things further.

Sandeep Bamzai Oct 14, 2009 8:48 AM

Anyone who has been a parent will abhor watching the distasteful antics of Rakhi Sawant and Co in ‘Pati, Patni aur Woh’. It is truly inhuman to see toddlers being maltreated in the manner that they are. No parent will allow the kind of nonsense that these small ‘bezuban’ children are being subjected to, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Oct 7, 2009 8:06 AM

This week, veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the scourge of piracy and how the industry and lawmakers are taking affirmative action to curb it. However, piracy is not just simply selling illegal audio and video products, but a more deep-rooted conspiracy, and the involvement of officials from big companies further complicates things.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 30, 2009 6:57 AM

With top Government machinery in overdrive and in camera briefings to top editors almost daily in the Rajdhani over the weekend, the media community in the Capital is abuzz. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai analyses the media coverage and Government handling of the Chinese incursions into Indian territory.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 23, 2009 7:44 AM

Media runs on trust. The reader or viewer believes what he sees or reads and treats it like gospel. Media has to be responsible at all times in what it puts out. The increasing clutter in media and its resultant competitive edge is proving a damper, for it means that people take short cuts, observes veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 16, 2009 8:16 AM

Cerebral and erudite, Amitabh Bachchan is considered by many as the greatest living actor to come out of India. In an industry dominated by the Khans, the name Bachchan represents a mystique and charisma that is enduring. In an exclusive conversation with veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai, Bachchan speaks about his journey in films, Hindi Cinema, and return to the small screen in Color’s ‘Bigg Boss 3’.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 15, 2009 8:07 AM

With an overdose of so many new Bollywood releases all bunched up, the earnings potential of many of these releases will be impacted. On several Fridays going forward, there are two and even three big releases slated for simulcast. The audience will obviously sift the wheat from the chaff, it will give a thumbs up to what it thinks connotes the best entertainment, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 10, 2009 9:09 AM

There is need a broadcast regulator to create a system of checks and balances for what is still a nascent industry. Self regulation will not work. But let us do this systematically and in a cogent manner. The onus is on Ambika Soni to bring about this transformation. Delink broadcasting from TRAI and create a separate authority, a sensible authority aware of the industry’s needs and moves, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Sep 2, 2009 8:37 AM

While several of the Hindi news channels try desperately to out do one another with the strangest and weirdest stories, new vistas are now being explored by English news telly as well. Not exactly the ‘Ichadari Saanp’ variety, but close, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Aug 27, 2009 8:27 AM

How is the Ambani sequel different from its 2005 avatar? The biggest difference this time is the virtual paralysis that has gripped the Mukesh Ambani camp. While the Anil Ambani camp is busy ratcheting up the volume to very high levels, Reliance Industries is keeping mum, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Aug 19, 2009 9:11 AM

Ever so slowly, American studios and networks are grabbing larger swathes of Indian media and entertainment space. While it is still difficult to get a large toehold in the news business due to FDI restrictions and caps, it has been relatively smooth sailing for the big boys to establish a rock solid presence in the entertainment space, analyses veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Aug 12, 2009 8:49 AM

This week, veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai catches up with Siddhartha Basu of Big Synergy to know more about the non-fiction shows and fiction projects from Big Synergy. There are no less than five big-ticket non-fiction shows from its stable currently on air on various channels – ‘Sach Ka Saamna’, ‘Dus Ka Dum’, ‘India’s Got Talent’, ‘Aap ki Kachehri’, and ‘Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo’.

Sandeep Bamzai Aug 5, 2009 7:56 AM

The last few days have seen non-stop media blitz on the Ambani gas row. This time, the battle is different because it is not a straight fight between the two brothers over their family inheritance. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai analyses the latest Ambani versus Ambani saga.

Sandeep Bamzai Jul 29, 2009 8:05 AM

What is it about newspaper and magazine editors and owners that makes them go in for endless redesigns and relaunches? Why do we want to contemporarise and bring up to speed the design quotient without addressing the content side? Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai ponders on this in light of the recent design changes in Hindustan Times.

Sandeep Bamzai Jul 22, 2009 9:12 AM

The general entertainment space finally has a sense of competition. It is a competitive set with some element of creativity these days. Spanking new shows across the spectrum – fiction, pulp and reality – from all the competitors give viewers more options. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai gives a run down on the new shows across Hindi GECs and how they might impact the channels’ prospects.

Sandeep Bamzai Jul 15, 2009 9:07 AM

Good old fashioned puff jobs have been around for as long as the newspaper business has been around. The malaise may be deep, but just about everyone disregards it or simply turns a blind eye. Quid pro quo goes on endlessly. Is it time for such things to be reined in, wonders veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Jul 9, 2009 8:03 AM

In an extremely smart and savvy positioning play, ET Now is redefining the tenets of business television in India. Using the jagged edge of reportage, a la BBC, ET Now is going after CNBC-TV18. This week, veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes an indepth look at business channel ET Now and how it is set to give other business channels a run for their money.

Sandeep Bamzai Jul 1, 2009 8:32 AM

On Tuesday morning I saw the most incongruous story plastered on page 1 of the tabloid Mail Today. And what a news call it was. On a day when the entire country and media was seized by the failing monsoon and its import on India's struggling economy, Mail Today went with World Bank says global economy will shrink but not China and India's - India to grow faster than China by 2010.

Sandeep Bamzai Jun 24, 2009 7:49 AM

“Call it propaganda or plain wishful thinking. Or maybe it is a pie in the sky. Purportedly an investigation. The other day I stumbled upon a very lengthy, but strange story in Pakistan’s Daily Mail that highlighted the role of India’s external intel agency RAW in propping up Indian media...” writes veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai as he questions an international report that, amongst other allegations, called Zee TV a RAW-funded operation.

Sandeep Bamzai Jun 17, 2009 7:29 AM

A change in assigning Ministry portfolios can change the course not just for the nation, but for the world. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a closer look at what could happen at world trade talks, as Kamal Nath, whom he describes as PM Manmohan Singh’s go-to man, was replaced as India’s Commerce and Industry Minister in the recently completed Cabinet reshuffle.

Sandeep Bamzai Jun 10, 2009 7:32 AM

FM radio has to establish connect with the mind space of the listener. It has to have spark, for it has go beyond the apparent playing of music on the station. There has to be an identity, an individualistic identity that sets you apart from the rest of the clutter, observes veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai Jun 4, 2009 8:57 AM

Over the last fortnight or so, two big media entities and barons have entered India and a third one is reportedly on the verge of tying up with an Indian outfit and arriving in India shortly. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the implications of the launch of WSJ’s facsimile edition, Forbes magazine and the proposed Bloomberg entry in India.

Sandeep Bamzai May 27, 2009 9:06 AM

The exit polls were a fiasco. The pollsters, pundits, psephologists and analysts had no clue, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai, as he analyses the exit poll predictions on various channels and the real numbers that came forth post the counting.

Sandeep Bamzai May 20, 2009 8:32 AM

Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai is all praise for Arnab Goswami and his ‘Newshour’. The Times Now Editor-in-Chief has been able to bring to life the political debates over the finally tally for the major parties, and as per various projections, it is going to be a very close call, any which way one sees it.

Sandeep Bamzai May 13, 2009 9:34 AM

May 16 is around the corner. By the afternoon of May 16 a clearer picture on who is going to govern us for the next five years might not emerge. It might take a week. But a week, as they say, is too long in politics. If the BJP/NDA is in a position to form the government, then it remains to be seen whether it can pursue the agenda that Advani laid down at the Assocham AGM in 2008, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai.

Sandeep Bamzai May 8, 2009 8:22 AM

Intelligence agency stenography is a very dangerous game to play, particularly if you are in the media business, more so in print. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai cites two separate news articles – Salman Khan’s alleged telephonic conversations with an underworld gangster (in 2005) and arrest of a Pak Lashkar operative (in 2009) – that had appeared in Hindustan Times, to highlight this point.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 22, 2009 8:15 AM

India’s biggest media entity is all set to declare a loss for the first time in its long and illustrious history. It was unthinkable till even a year ago that the group which had established the media multiplier theorem could be on skid row. So, why have things come to such a sorry pass? Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> analyses.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 16, 2009 8:18 AM

One begins the new financial year with great trepidation. I know of many people who are still to get jobs after the Sakal debacle. Remember that the paper shut down abruptly on November 30 last year. It is a great pity for many solid careers that have gone into a tailspin due to ‘provincial town mindset meets big city reality’. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai </b>finds out why things came to such a sorry pass.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 8, 2009 7:58 AM

Making a case for an efficient nodal agency and system to fight white collar crime in India, veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> brings out the different treatment meted out to major Dalal Street player Nimesh Kampani and the disgraced Ramalinga Raju of Satyam Computers.

Sandeep Bamzai Apr 1, 2009 8:08 AM

Media has to play a responsible role. Yes, that is how media is viewed. Its very credibility revolves around its role as a responsible facilitator and disseminator of news and current affairs. No, this is not a sermon from the mount. This responsibility, which weighs down media, is also like a double-edged sword, warns <b>Sandeep Bamzai.</b>

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 25, 2009 8:08 AM

With pay cuts becoming a norm in media majors, including behemoth BCCL and NDTV, veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai </b>wonders whether we need another business channel. He also asks why media owners and promoters weren’t careful about costs during the boom years, instead of resorting to sudden, drastic measures.

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 17, 2009 8:02 AM

There has always been a big question mark over exit polls and pre-poll surveys. Not just their veracity, but more vitally, the role that they play in influencing the voter. The Press Council has put out guidelines for election coverage. But does the Press Council have punitive powers to look at all print media in the land, including wire services, asks veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai. </b>

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 12, 2009 7:42 AM

Show business is feeling the pinch. Big buyers are not coming forward to pick up marquee helmed produced, directed or starred titles. The gloom has set in because two or three biggies have turned turkey at the box office this year. The euphoria of December 2008 has dissipated very quickly, leading to a sense of emptiness in B-Town, says veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai. </b>

Sandeep Bamzai Mar 4, 2009 7:45 AM

Even as the world at large holds on to their jobs for dear life, The Times of India very strangely has been going rah-rah over the last few days. In column space terms, Tuesday’s Delhi edition of TOI had nine and a half pages of advertising solely from the Union and State Governments. With corporate sector advertising facing an acute crunch, who better than the Government to pump prime media company margins, states veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai. </b>

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 25, 2009 7:18 AM

Media now feeds off rumour and stories passed on by pressure groups. Industrial waste has been increasingly recycled into pink waste, laments veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai, stressing that one needs to take a call and put an end to this bazaar of speculation. If 26/11 was a watershed in telly reporting, then the vote on account bellicosity was yet another sad benchmark for the print journos.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 18, 2009 7:05 AM

Plagued by a sluggish economy, credit squeeze and spike in interest rates, Tata Motors is still looking ahead to launching its wonder car, Nano, in the first half of 2009. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the steps being taken by the auto major as it picks up the pieces and revives itself from the somnolescence of a brutal economic headwind.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 11, 2009 6:59 AM

Media censorship is back, laments veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai. He cites two recent incidents that have confounded industrywallahs over the last couple of weeks. The first involves Vir Sanghvi’s column ‘Pursuits’ being taken off Mint, the second involves NDTV’s legal action against a Holland-based Indian blogger.

Sandeep Bamzai Feb 4, 2009 7:15 AM

As the market tanked during the dark days of October last year, plumbing new depths almost daily, the fear factor overrode everything else. While P Chidambaram would try to assuage the investor community, the great bear of 2008, Shankar Sharma, would make a mockery of all that. But, should the oracle be believed, asks veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai. </b>

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 28, 2009 7:18 AM

This week veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai </b>comes out strongly against Pakistan’s shenanigans and dangerous trysts with the jehadis. With Home Minister P Chidambaram talking of an all links embargo on Pakistan, the time has come for all encompassing sanctions to be imposed. He adds that India has to convince the western world that not only is Pakistan a failed state, it is increasingly a rogue state.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 21, 2009 7:19 AM

Finally the much awaited shakeout in telly land has begun. Facing the pinch, NewsX is the first to capitulate, changing hands in an extremely cluttered environment. NDTV, too, is cutting costs an trimming the flab. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai </b>digs deep to find out about the NewsX acquisition and its implications.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 14, 2009 7:20 AM

Nobody could pinpoint the magnitude of the rot that had set in at Satyam. It ultimately took the promoter himself to accept that he had wilfully committed fraud – a first. Media has botched up the entire story and failed to act as a watchdog, says veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai. Media failed in its endeavour to play whistleblower.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 8, 2009 6:47 AM

What do you do about the new breed of journos? This crazy rat race to be the first with the news is killing the profession and the ethical standards that it stood for. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai hits out at this ‘paparazzi journalism’ and stresses that concoction and distortion of news is a dangerous trend that needs to be cauterised.

Sandeep Bamzai Jan 7, 2009 6:46 AM

Circa 2008 will be remembered for an amazing killer application, something that redefined frontiers in brand and franchise elasticity, a new performing flea in an age of whirligigs. It is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which redefined and re-established cricket with an unprecedented fan following. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> analyses The IPL success story and Lalit Modi’s significant role.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 31, 2008 6:41 AM

India has come a long way from being a backpacker’s paradise to a high value leisure tourism destination. However, the double whammy of global financial crisis and the Mumbai terror attacks have started taking a toll on India’s tourism industry. Campaigns like Incredible India notwithstanding, time now is to also look at the domestic traveler to drive growth, says veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai. </b>

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 24, 2008 6:29 AM

What drives two 43-year olds, asks veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai as he goes on to analyse the career graph, Bollywood quotient and success stories of two Khans of B Town – Aamir and Shah Rukh – as both end the year with two much-awaited releases – ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ and ‘Ghajini’.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 17, 2008 7:10 AM

As the curtain came down on super Monday, the value of every vote cast was once again thrown into stark relief. A win for local versus national issues was like a neon sign being held up in everyone’s face. Development had scored over inflation and terror. And the BJP faced this mind numbing reality, says veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai.</b>

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 10, 2008 6:24 AM

In all this clutter and cacophony on the telly over the Mumbai terror attacks, some images refuse to go away. The age of innocence is over. India is restive. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai urges television owners to show some sobriety while covering tragedies of such magnitude. It is time for a reality check. Clear the fog. Descend to Ground Zero.

Sandeep Bamzai Dec 3, 2008 6:35 AM

As the downturn impacts the Hindi film industry adversely, deals are being renegotiated at the speed of knots. Money is sparse and the days of big budget films seems to be over for the time being. Financiers and distributors seem to be conspicuous by their absence. Veteran journalist Sandeep Bamzai takes stock of Bollywood’s hit and misses and upcoming releases.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 26, 2008 6:42 AM

The domestic media and advertising economy is under the cosh. The gangbuster years are behind us and a serious reality check is now under way. And the looking glass is not showing a very happy image. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> takes an indepth look at the various facets of the downturn in the media economy and the implications.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 20, 2008 6:43 AM

Banquo’s ghost came back to haunt the readers of Delhi's English dailies last week and how. The day Obama won, both The Times of India and Hindustan Times in Delhi also ran stories proclaiming that they were the numero uno in the Capital. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> brings out the traditional fight for the No. 1 spot between the two leading dailies.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 12, 2008 6:12 AM

The wheel always comes full circle. No, this isn't a philosophical observation, but more of a reality check which embodies the old adage that there are no permanent enemies over the long term. Veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> takes a look at how PR, media and corporate houses indeed make strange bedfellows.

Sandeep Bamzai Nov 6, 2008 6:23 AM

As the DTH war in India sizzles further with the entry of new players, and each trying to better the other, exchange4media invites veteran journalist <b>Sandeep Bamzai</b> to take stock of the sector, and enumerate a few controversies of India’s DTH journey.

Sandeep Bamzai Oct 30, 2008 7:53 AM