Web channels deal a blow to cable news

Hyderabad: With technological advancement and increasing influence of social media, the web channels in the old city are moulding public opinion, which hitherto had been the preserve of local Urdu channels. It is rumoured that some influential businessmen and politicians are behind the sprouting of web channels.

Earlier viewers were glued to the local channels for getting information about what was happening in their surroundings, but they are now readily getting updates on social media networking websites like Facebook, Whatsapp, Youtube and Twitter. Youth with cameras and smart phones are sharing live information online within minutes.

Not only experienced journalists but some of the educated youth, looking for instant fame, now run web channels and reach the scene within no time. Besides reporting on crime, these ‘reporters’ help people get to know about the political and cultural activities in different parts of old city. Some of the channels have offices with infrastructure and team of ‘reporters’ gathering news.

IND Today, Sharp news, Real Channel, KBN, DTN News, SM News, Choice News, CNI News, BBN News, Hi-tech News, Key News, DW News, Sach News, Crime Today, Barq News, Star Telangana, Flash News, A to Z, NTtv, Rose News, Telangana Sky News, 7H, S9TV, Star9 Tv, V1, BTS and SS are some of the channels which now dominate the web-space with their informative approach.

"I can say that with growing importance of social media, the significance of cable broadcasted news channels lost their sheen. With one of the important cable channels in Old City, the Ruby channel losing the legal battle, I started Real channel and social media helped us to reach to masses. By taking up public issues we achieved the significant market penetration in the Old City,'' said Sharif Abdul Rahim Yamani, chairman Real Channel.

Mohammed Fareed Siddiqui is another journalist who discontinued working for a news agency and started his own web channel. "Earlier it was also a great challenge for me to start a news channel in the old city but web channel services have become a good platform for penmen,'' said Md Fareed Siddiqui, who runs A99 web-channel.

Md Sharfuddin is the proud owner of the web channel Sach News. He had always wanted to run a news channel. Starting the channel was like realising his dream, and he has more than 1 lakh subscribers. "With sincere hard work we were able to achieve what others were not able to achieve in a short period of time,” he said.

However, journalists working for satellite news channels rue the declining importance of credible news after advent of the web channels, which is being fed to the viewers. It is being alleged that web channels employ youth who are not enough qualified to handle the coverage of news and end up demeaning the profession.

“The old city in the recent years saw an unprecedented growth in this kind of activity, which sometimes crosses the boundaries of journalistic ethics and end up favouring influential entities, be it government or private. The authenticity of the news being spread remains questionable,” says M M Khan, an employee of familiar Telugu channel.