e4m Conclave 2009: Rajat Sharma signs off on an upbeat note

The exchange4media Conclave 2009 drew to a close on an even more enthusiastic note than it had begun. The afternoon sessions saw discussions on media accountability, a power-packed CEO Roundtable and India TV’s Rajat Sharma delivering the valedictory address.

The 3.45 pm session on whether accountability helps saw panellists make very short yet, relevant presentations. Expert after expert stressed that we should stop comparing accountability and measurement because they were two very different aspects and that accountability had nothing to do with the medium. People as measurability metric were a means and not an end.

The CEO Roundtable dwelled on ‘Coping with the slowdown: The right and the wrong way’. The Roundtable was chaired by Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City. The discussions centred on how accountability was about partnership and that even the least measurable medium could be accountable. A pertinent question that was raised was whether we were really facing a slowdown or was it just over-supply.

The valedictory address was delivered by Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, India TV, who said, “Crisis depends on whom you are dealing with, we in media need to understand this. We also need to understand that we are not people who are prisoners of this crisis, it is only those who are directly affiliated with the US that are affected. Since we are dealing with Indian people and economy, we are not affected as much. India by and large is not really affected by this crisis.”

He further informed that during this period of time India TV had grown 110 per cent in revenue, while in valuation it was Rs 1,000 crore.

Following this, a vote of thanks was given by Noor Fatima Warsia, Senior Assistant Editor, exchange4media.