MR SUHAN KARKAL, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE BREAD, YOU CAN AT LEAST HAVE CAKE!!!

Someone pass around the hat please. Dempo’s acquired kin have run out of money and are struggling to survive. We aren’t saying this. It's from the horse's mouth.
Haven’t you guys read The Navhind Times? Let us see when was it… Ok, the October 7 issue. “Goa channels find ‘huge’ cable operator fees unviable’…
Didn’t you read this story? No? Perhaps you should… once again and in new light. The Suhan Karkal who has been quoted innumerable times in the story is Srinivas Dempo’s brother-in-law, who started Goa365 a cable news outfit in partnership with a journo turned political dildo. Suhan also runs a successful pastry shop in Panjim. And why would you think The Navhind Times carry a story, that informs the readers about the impending penury of their owners?
Maybe it was a sense of right?
Maybe it was a notion that the story comes first.
Or maybe that Sinha is plumb tired of the Dempo’s, decided to let it rip.
But then we thought about it again… It's The Navhind Times we are talking about.
News here, is the stuff that finally comes out of advertising's rectum.
We bundled all our theories out of the fourth floor and started thinking anew.
Maybe Suhan Karkal just walked into the TNT office and dictated the press note to Sinha. We almost hitched on to this explanation, when one of the other pricks butted in saying, does Karkal really have to walk into the office if he needs to plant a story in The Navhind Times? ‘What Suhan probably did was dicuss the story with Big boss Srinivas over the breakfast table, while scraping marmalade on buttered toast. And by the time the next batch of toast popped from the toaster, some minion would have communicated to The Navhind publications general manager that Srinivas’s Suhan wants something published in the newspaper. SEE TO IT.’
POP We just sat stunned, while the prick went on about the story. This seemed most likely. We have no qualms in calling the story a plug. You can see through it as clearly as some of the lingerie they display in the Victoria’s Secret shows. And damn it, its not even lacy. Leaves nothing to your imagination. They have quoted the owner’s brother in-law Karkal about nine times. These quotes are then followed by quotes from Goanewsline owner Waman Prabhu, who we have featured earlier in the blog. This is followed by a quote from the director of Prudent media Sonia Kunkolkar. You need to see through this story again guys. Don't simply believe what we say. Think over it. But it's necessary that you guys see through 'news' before you swallow it like a pellet into your system.
The TV news scene in Goa is evolving into two camps. One the one hand are the two news channels Herald Cable News and Goanews who claim to have their own uplinking facilities and on the other are a host of illegal cable news bulletins including Goa365 (Karkal and Dhume), Goanewsline (Waman Prabhu, Mrs Prabhu, Shammy Prabhu, Paresh Prabhu and Waman prabhu’s mom too, we think), Prudent (Rajan Narayan bedding the Timblos and CM Digu the latter is unconfirmed), GoaPlus and In Goa who peddle news in form of CDs to cable operators who then slot them in on other channels, that are on air. What the newly formed Electric Media Association of Goa (started by these illegitimate news bulletin guys) is trying to do is wedge in a GOAN v/s NON-GOAN rift as leverage against the cable operators to obtain their end. Its very sad, but festering this Goan v/s Non Goan scar is the first thing these media houses try to do, when things comes to a crunch. This is exactly how The Navhind Times has tried to project the story, at the same time masking Karkal’s business interests under it.
If you guys are convinced that this horse-shit of a story is a plug, you can call the newspaper editor on these numbers and give him a hatful of what you have to say as a reader. Register your protest. Or you could listen to their side of the story if you want to.
Arun Sinha -- Editor, The Navhind Times -- 0832-6651123 (direct line)
The Navhind Times news desk -- 0832-6651119, 0832-6651120


http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=10075
Goa channels find ‘huge’ cable operator fees unviable
NT Staff Reporter
Panaji, Oct 6 Already struggling for survival, television cable news channels in Goa are now facing a demand for huge transmission fees from a group of cable operators. Faced with the new demand for huge fees, five of the cable news channels have formed an association called the Electronic Media Association of Goa. The association includes Goa 365, Goa Newsline, Prudent Media, Goa Plus and InGoa.
Speaking to `The Navhind Times’ today, the director of Goa 365, Mr Suhan Karkal said that a group of cable operators have formed a cartel and are demanding between Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh per month from each channel. Mr Karkal said the news channels earlier paid the cable operators a nominal amount to show their news bulletins and the agreement has been functioning well for the last three-four years.
But with the arrival of a satellite channel in Goa, the cable operators suddenly formed a group and started demanding Rs 2 lakh, sometimes more, from each channel.
Said Mr Karkal, “This is not viable for us. Even the advertisement revenues are not enough to meet our running costs. So paying this Rs 2 lakh transmission fee is not viable.”
Mr Karkal said the five cable news channels have now formed an association and have given a proposal to the operators. The channels are willing to pay Rs 75,000 every month on behalf of all channels.
Mr Karkal said the operators are demanding Rs 3 lakh from all channels and added that this sum is also not affordable. Besides, the operators want to have control over the content and the right to increase the fees every year, Mr Karkal said.
He also blamed the cable operators of “blacking out” their news bulletins even before negotiations could start. He said cable operators have already blacked out the news bulletins in parts of certain areas like Mapusa, Vasco, Margao, Ribandar, Divar, St Cruz and Taleigao. The cable news channels bring in live images to the viewer but instead of encouraging them, this group of operators is trying to “kill the nascent cable news industry in Goa,” Mr Karkal said.
He also said that “direct-to-home” (DTH) television is not the answer to the viewer because DTH television does not telecast local news and locals want news related to Goa. We are hoping that good sense will prevail on the operators, Mr Karkal said.
Mr Waman Prabhu of Goa Newsline also said the new rates of the operators are not affordable. “Our revenue is limited. In half an hour, how much can we get? People watch our news bulletins regularly but some operators have stopped telecasting the bulletins. We are still discussing with the operators and trying to find out ways. We are ready to make the payment but the amount should be reasonable.”
The General Manager of Prudent Media, Ms Sonia Kunkolkar also said the new demand from the cable operators is “beyond our reach.”
She said the news telecasts have stopped in some areas. “We want this problem to be solved. We have sent them two letters and are also discussing orally. We are willing to pay them something but not what they demand. Besides, they have to improve their services.”
Meanwhile, a representative of the cable operators from Mapusa, Mr Michael Carrasco defended his group saying they have hiked the rate by only 10 per cent from what the news channels are already paying. He said the news channels had agreed to the hike earlier but subsequently changed their minds.
He said the operators have centralised the distribution system by combining most of the networks and will now have one central control room. Mr Carrasco said the news channels are now paying the operators individually. Instead, the operators want the channels to pay one entity. “We want them to send one CD at one place and pay at one place. We have raised the amount slightly by about 10 per cent or so,” he said. Mr Carrasco also said the some of the channels have stopped sending their CDs for telecast and that it would not affect the operators but the news channels.
But a Panaji-based cable operator, Mr Rudresh Chodankar, who is not part of the group of seven cable operators who have demanded the hike, differed with Mr Carrasco. Mr Chodankar said the news channels give local news and should be encouraged.
He blamed the non-Goan channels for paying huge sums to the operators, who in turn are demanding the same kind of money from the local channels. Mr Chodankar said the amounts demanded are not feasible. “If they pay that amount, they will be wiped out,’’ he said.