Convergence of print and web media - A discussion

Adiya Sinha, Sudarshan, K. Srinivasan

All India Radio, Chennai broadcast a discussion programme on 9th December 2010 on the topic "Print and Web".  Mr Aditya Sinha, Editor in Chief of New Indian Express and K. Srinivasan, Chairman of Prime Point Foundation participated in the discussion.  

In this programme, both discussed about the convergence of print and web media.  

The programme was produced by Mr Sudarshan of All India Radio.

Please listen to the audio (13 minutes) by clicking the 'play' button. The streaming of the audio will be comfortable in broadband connections.  If streaming is not smooth, you may also download the audio (12 mb) by right clicking this link and saving the file in mp3 format to your desktop.

This audio may also be listened from the following link.

http://www.podbazaar.com/permalink/144115188075857533

Read More

All India Radio trains their producers to attract youth

K. Srinivasan addressing
the participants

Staff Training Institute of Prasar Bharathi, Bhubaneshwar organised a five-day workshop for the producers of All India Radio (AIR), drawn from various states.  The workshop was held at the studios of All India Radio, Chennai.  The focus of the workshop was to discuss the strategies of packaging programmes for youth, to attract more youth towards AIR.  The course was designed and conducted by Ms Rashmi Pradhan, Deputy Director of the Institute.

While, all the private broadcasters focus mostly on entertainment and sensationalism, AIR has been silently producing and broadcasting many useful and innovative programmes for the benefit of all sections of the society.  Presently, we talk about tele-conferencing in the broadcast media.  I know personally well, way back in 1978 or 1979, All India Radio, Chennai organised an innovative live discussion programme simultaneously with the people on ship, plane and ground, using the then available technology. At that time, all the media appreciated the efforts of AIR and Dr Sridhar, then young producer  of AIR for this innovative  programme. 
As public broadcaster, they have large infrastructure, skills, technology, etc.  But very unfortunately, due to various reasons, they are not able to compete with the private broadcasters and have lost leadership  over the decade.  They need to re-package their excellent programmes, to reach the young audience. 
With this background, the five-day workshop organised by Prasar Bharathi is significant to train their producers to re-orient themselves and to compete with the new generation broadcasters.  
I was invited to talk on 3rd December 2010,  on the theme, "internet radio and podcasting".  In my talk, i was focussing on the current trend in the internet growth and how AIR can make use of the internet through streaming and also through archiving their programmes.  
If All India Radio management changes their century old mindset and adopt the  policy of using the modern technologies properly, they can give a run for the private broadcasters.  With more than 80 years of broadcasting experience, AIR can do wonders.  

Please watch the photo stream.

Read More

Communicating with the past employees - Corporation Bank way

Retired officers of
 Corporation Bank @Chennai

If any organisation feels proud about their current status, it is mainly because of the hundreds of faceless past employees.  Unlike the new-generation companies, the employees in public sector serve the organisations for long years and they retire after serving a minimum of 25 to 30 years.  Rarely, the managements of public sector organisations, including public sector banks realise the contriutions made by thousands of such faceless people, who were responsible for taking their organisation to the present level.  

I am an ex-senior official of Corporation Bank.  After serving nearly 25 years, I took voluntary retirement in 1998, to start my own on communication agency and media venture.  Last week, i was pleasantly surprised to receive a nicely worded letter from Mr Basti Narayan Shenoy, General Manager of Corporation Bank, Zonal Office at Chennai inviting me for a Diwali get-together on 6th November 2010 evening in the bank premises.  I also understood, he had invited other retired officials  for this get-together.  

The letter from Mr Shenoy said, "Every time we do well and our bank dons another feather in its cap, our thoughts veer around to you all, who have toiled so tirelessly and relentlessly to build a strong foundation and edifice of our bank.  Whatever the bank is now is in no small measure due to your contribution. ........"

When I received this letter, though I was rejoicing over the nice gesture shown by the Zonal Manager and his team, i could not resist going back in my memory lane to the bitter experiences, I suffered, when I left the bank in 1998.

Normally, Corporation Bank used to be in the habit of harassing the officials, when they put up their papers in the middle of their service.  Though, I had contributed substantially for the image building of the bank, I decided to quit the bank under normal scheme of VRS, for starting my own communication and media outfit.  

Then only, I could see the real ugly face of their HR.  After suffering harassment, i had to leave the institution, which I served nearly 25 years, with heavy heart. (I will write about the harassment story separately in  the next posting). Though Corporation Bank used to be No 1 in the business, with the support of their staff members, they never used to connect with their past employees.

When I was talking over phone with Mr T R Bhat, former Chairman of Corporation Bank Officers Organisation, he also recalled an incident when a retired General Manger of the Bank (retired after  40 years of service) wanted to meet the then Chairman Mr J M Garg, to invite him for the Foundation Day of the retired Officers Association, the Chairman of the bank did not even give him the appointment.  

Such 'unfriendly and indifferent' attitude of the top management always sends a strong feeling among the present  employees that they are being used as  'business tools', rather than 'human being'.

When the Bank was celebrating the 100th year, sadly, none of the past employees were invited for the grand celebrations held by the bank at different centres, though they had the complete database.  The Bank had spent huge amount for providing 'gold coins' to their current employees.  In a Bank with  nearly 13,000 employees, the retired and past surviving employees with dedicated services of more than 25 or 30 years would be hardly 500 persons  across the country.  

When they spend crores of rupees on the lavish celebrations to project themselves, an invitation costing Rs.10/- would have enormously and emotionally increased the conectivity and goodwill of the past employees and their family members with the bank.  Even a small  parker pen with inscription of the great moment in the history of the bank, would have been a life long memory and recognition for those, who built the organisation stone by stone and brick by brick.  

For the past 12 years, I was suffering in silence about the poor and ugly HR face of Corporation Bank Management.  The get-together on 6th November, gave me mental comfort for my 12 year old hurt feelings.  

As a Communication professional, I feel that past employees can still support the organistion through their wisdom and experience, without much expectations.  What they need is only 'emotional connectivity'.   
Normally, good things flow from 'top to bottom'.  In this case, Chennai Zone has made a good beginning.  Hope this will escalate  from 'bottom to top'. Head Office of the Bank and other Zones will start the 'emotional connectivity' with past employees.  

Hope Mr Ramnath Pradeep, the new Chairman, will give new dimension to the HR policies of the Bank and connect with the past employees, for betterment of the bank. This will send a strong message both internally and externally. 

Please see the photo show.

Read More

Podcasting - an alternate media: A session by a journalist group 'Sigaram'

K. Srinivasan making
presentation on Podcasting

Around 50 journalists from print and broadcast media have joined together at Chennai (India) to form an informal group 'Sigaram' (meaning 'Peak' in English).  Through Sigaram,  they want to create awareness about the positive development  journalism and also to update the skills of journalists to suit the modern requirements.  Sigaram was formed three months back.  Mr Jana (Jaya TV), Mr Anantha Padmanabhan (Kalaignar TV), Mr Veda Sridhar (Freelancer) and few others have taken initiative to create this forum. Every month, they invite one expert to share the views and to enhance their skills. 

The organisers invited me to address their members on 24th October 2010 on "Podcasting - An alternate media".  In the session spanning over two hours, I focussed on the following:

1.  Though freedom of press and expression is being talked i high pitch, in reality, freedom of expression in main line media is more market driven and for fear of losing advertisement and market, mainline media owners do not allow their journalists full freedom.  I also quoted some examples of some instances, which were not reported by any mainline media, but got circulated only in social media.  This phenomenon has created more importance to social media and citizen journalism.

2.  I also focussed on the emergence of podcast as a powerful supplementary and alternate media to mainline media.  I also quoted and screened some of the podcasts, which were picked by mainline media. 

3.  I also explained how a podcast could be created and uploaded using simple tools, without any expenditure.

The programme was held in Jayagopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya, Anna Nagar. 

Around 30 Senior  journalists attended the programme.  
Mr Jana, President of Siigaram can be contacted at nellaijana@gmail.com. Please see the pictures.

Read More

India's global leadership in nuclear energy discussed in PSPR Forum

Dr M R Srinivasan, Former Chairman,
Atomic Energy Commission

Public Sector Public Relations Forum (PSPR Forum) organised a programme on 8th October 2010 at the newly inaugurated Anna Centenary Library at Chennai. Former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr M R Srinivasan spoke on the India's leadership in nuclear energy sector and the importance of nuclear energy in the development of the nation. Dr Srinivasan is also presently the member of Atomic Energy Commission. 

The programme was held in the newly built Anna Centenary Library, which was inaugurated last month.  This new-gen library houses more than 12 lakhs books and is the seocnd largest hi-tech library in Asia, next to Singapore.  

Public Sector PR Forum was launched in 1995, to bring together all the Communication professionals of the Public Sector organisations operating in Tamilnadu.  Over a period of 15 years, the Forum has contributed significantly to create communication awareness among the Public Sector organistions.  

The contributions made by the Advisor Mr Hariprasad (Chennai Port Trust),   President Mr S Ansar Shah (Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd) and the Secretary Mr Vaidyanathan (UCO Bank) in the growth of this Forum is highly significant.  Now that, both President and Secretary have retired from their services, the batons have now been handed over to a new team headed by Mr Vaidynathan (Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd).  Mr Daniel Chellappa (Atomic Energy Commission) will be the new Secretary and Mr Ravi (Tamilnadu Tourism Corporation) will be the Joint Secrertary.  We wish the new team a great success.  

Please watch the photographs of the event and the new-gen library.

Read More

National Media Conference 2010 - Valedictory Session

K.Srinivasan and Susan Koshy reporting live from Mt.Abu.


The Valedictory function commenced with a welcome dance by a young girl, Akankshya Mishra of Orissa.

The Valedictory Session on the topic "Media Action Plan for a New Social Order" has the following panelists on the dais to talk on it:

Guests of Honour -
S.S.Tripathy, President, All India Small Newspapers Association, Lucknow
Prof.Ujjwal K.Choudhary,Executive Director, School of Communication, Institute of Business and Media, Pune
Prof.Mufti Mohd Haroon Nadvi ji, President, Zamiat - Ulama Hind (Dist.Jalgaon), Jalgaon.

Presentation of Action Plan - B.K.Atam Prakash, National Coordinator, Media Wing, Mt.Abu

Coordinator - B.K.Dr.Savita, Sr.Rajyoga Teacher, Mt.Abu.

The panelists deliberated on the topic and the following media resolution and action plan is proposed:
- restore pre-independence India's media ethics and values in present day journalistic practice and profession.
- enhance media freedom by reverting to its pristine role of guiding and showing right path to human society.
- not treat media as reflector of ills of society
- strengthen and spread culture of development communication.
- discourage sensationalism in mass communication.
- extend media's support to social organisations which aim at integrity.
- support wider usage of cyber media for holistic development of the nation.
- live up to the expectations of Indian democracy, as fourth estate.

The event ends with a vote of thanks by B.K.Gangadhar, Jt.Editor, Om Shanti Media, Mt.Abu.

Read More

National Media Conference 2010 - Podcast Workshop : 190910

Susan Koshy reporting from Mt.Abu.


K.Srinivasan, Editor, PodUniversal, Chennai (www.poduniversal.com) held a workshop on the intricacies of podcasting.

B.K.Shikha coordinated the event.

After a theoretical session about podcasting, Srinivasan demonstrated a live podcasting. B.K.Binny, Manager, Public Relations & Mass Media, Global Hospital, Mt.Abu was invited to give an interview on Stress-free Living. Dr.Sanddhya of Pune was invited from the audience to interview Binny Ji. The interview was recorded in an MP3 recorder.

Kunal Panchal of Mumbai, from the audience did the editing of the recording under the guidance of Srinivasan, for uploading on youtube website.

Read More