A STITCH IN TIME'S' SAVES THINE
Oh yes… the churning’s begun.
We have had a lot of comments about Times of India’s imminent Goa edition. While on the one hand our English language dailies will finally try to pull up their socks, they would also be wondering whether they’d be able to do it fast enough before Times of India yanks their long Johns down.
Which newspaper’s circulation will the media giant eat into? The Herald or The Navhind Times? Will TOI’s entry inviriogate The Navhind Times? Something like what it did to Hindustan Times in Delhi, when TOI caught the Rajdhani Express its head quarters in Bombay to New Delhi terminus.
One thing’s for sure the group of Filipinos presently bossing around in the Herald surely aren’t giving the newspaper or its sister channel the ‘fillip’ they were supposed to. And the only weapons in Raul’s arsenal right now is a seemingly reluctant Tombat and Raul’s new planeload of Filipino loves.
Gomantak Times, they are a poor third at the moment and the readership pie they are guarding is probably too small for the TOI to sink its teeth into.
This too is a great time for English language journalists in Goa with their stocks soaring quite a bit. The entry of the TOI has considerably infused salary packets here. A word of caution for em though. This season of spring isn’t a natural phenomenon. This isn’t the spring of the meadows or the forests. You re right in the middle of a well manicured bania garden, where a well-paid gardener strolls around regularly with pruning scissors the moment he finds something unwieldy. So think well before you jump.
Guys, here’s a list of guys who have made or are likely to have made the switch to TOI. Guys whose names have been mentioned are free to write back with clarifications in case they do not concur with the input here. If readers have any other name that fits the bill, write in
Herald
Vijay D’Souza
Julian Dcosta
Guilherme Almeida
Suraj Nandrekar
(Could leave Herald staggering with a completely devastating blow to its team. You could probably see Raul covering press conferences and lectures before their recruit new reporters. Ashwin will probably be delivering the same lectures and press confereces that Raul’s covering)
Gomantak Times
Paul Fernandes
Preetu Nair
Andrew
Thapa
Times of India gets one good reporter in Paul fernandes to cover environment and culture heritage, which are just so suited to the Times Of India cause they are so heart rending and at the same time don’t hurt anyone in particular. Thapa’s the seniormost sub on the GT gesk, we guess… Preetu and Andrew are probably a set of young legs to do some running around for TOI. GT would need to haul ass.
Navhind Times
Joaquim Fernandes
Agnelo Periera
Perhaps the only two guys who are good enough in The Navhind Times. And the fact that TOI has not advertised for ass-lickers, most of the TNT journos will stay put.
We have had a lot of comments about Times of India’s imminent Goa edition. While on the one hand our English language dailies will finally try to pull up their socks, they would also be wondering whether they’d be able to do it fast enough before Times of India yanks their long Johns down.
Which newspaper’s circulation will the media giant eat into? The Herald or The Navhind Times? Will TOI’s entry inviriogate The Navhind Times? Something like what it did to Hindustan Times in Delhi, when TOI caught the Rajdhani Express its head quarters in Bombay to New Delhi terminus.
One thing’s for sure the group of Filipinos presently bossing around in the Herald surely aren’t giving the newspaper or its sister channel the ‘fillip’ they were supposed to. And the only weapons in Raul’s arsenal right now is a seemingly reluctant Tombat and Raul’s new planeload of Filipino loves.
Gomantak Times, they are a poor third at the moment and the readership pie they are guarding is probably too small for the TOI to sink its teeth into.
This too is a great time for English language journalists in Goa with their stocks soaring quite a bit. The entry of the TOI has considerably infused salary packets here. A word of caution for em though. This season of spring isn’t a natural phenomenon. This isn’t the spring of the meadows or the forests. You re right in the middle of a well manicured bania garden, where a well-paid gardener strolls around regularly with pruning scissors the moment he finds something unwieldy. So think well before you jump.
Guys, here’s a list of guys who have made or are likely to have made the switch to TOI. Guys whose names have been mentioned are free to write back with clarifications in case they do not concur with the input here. If readers have any other name that fits the bill, write in
Herald
Vijay D’Souza
Julian Dcosta
Guilherme Almeida
Suraj Nandrekar
(Could leave Herald staggering with a completely devastating blow to its team. You could probably see Raul covering press conferences and lectures before their recruit new reporters. Ashwin will probably be delivering the same lectures and press confereces that Raul’s covering)
Gomantak Times
Paul Fernandes
Preetu Nair
Andrew
Thapa
Times of India gets one good reporter in Paul fernandes to cover environment and culture heritage, which are just so suited to the Times Of India cause they are so heart rending and at the same time don’t hurt anyone in particular. Thapa’s the seniormost sub on the GT gesk, we guess… Preetu and Andrew are probably a set of young legs to do some running around for TOI. GT would need to haul ass.
Navhind Times
Joaquim Fernandes
Agnelo Periera
Perhaps the only two guys who are good enough in The Navhind Times. And the fact that TOI has not advertised for ass-lickers, most of the TNT journos will stay put.
posted by Pen Pricks at
15:57
12 Comments:
Readership of english dailies in Goa is extremely low. TOI will aim to expand the market and cultivate new readership among children, youth and non-goan residents, as the collective readership of NT, H and GT is very low at present. Synergies with Radio Mirchi will make them a formidable advertising option for local advertisers. You're right about NT pulling up its socks. H will continue to maintain its character and survive till a generation of loyal christao readers fade into oblivion. GT is by far the most superior of the 3 "can we call them english?" dailies. As for journalists who jump for big salaries, best of luck. Only hope they don't get trapped in a high salary dependancy for want of an option to move out to later.
What is Herald offering Vijay D’Souza
Julian Dcosta, Guilherme Almeida and
Suraj Nandrekar to keep them back?
Money? Designations? Or has Raul taken to massaging their egos with liberal doses of Goan asmita and some holy water from the archbishop?
ANONYMOUS IMPACT
A few days ago I had, via a comment, highlighted the fact that Herald had stopped publishing a sentence, "*Responsible under PRB Act" accompanying the editor's name.
Herald stopped it upon Robin's easing out. Now it's back.
And that folks, has been an ANONYMOUS IMPACT.
(Hey, atleast I'm claiming credit anonymously, unlike our 'IMPACT' obsessed media!)
The media in goa has been hiding the full name of this S.S. Kadam. He is the guy responsible in obtaining the residency certificate for Manyata a.k.a. Mrs. Sanjay Dutt. (The firearms bandit... now declared innocent)
Why is the name of this Kadam, being withheld?
Journo Joaquim Gracias has the guts to file a complaint in this case, which makes a mockery of the law. I salute Joaquim!
Anon 1:
"till a generation of loyal christao readers fade into oblivion"
It takes about 50 yrs for a generation to fade.
With due respect to you isn't that a bit far in the future?
Look at the Roman Empire, mighty for centuries, but then gone. History stands testimony to the kingdoms that have risen and gone to the dust. In recent times we can look at Enron and Arthur Andersen. People who used to work for them had an air of superiority and even those who didn't would be held up in awe. Enron & AA are fallen into the abyss of oblivion.
Dunno about Ashwin Tombat's religious beliefs, but his name doesn't sound like 'cristao'. People's religious beliefs as far as media is concerned hasn't really bothered me, but since you bring it up, I thought I'll respond. I wonder whether any of the 'cristao's' in politics would be familiar with The 10 Commandments. Or have they, for the sake of greed, power, pleasure and convenience, now been reduced to The 10 Suggestions. Tell be about the crumbs and CCOC these guys throw. Forget 'cristao', haven't politicians and their hatchetmen in the media reduced stealing to an art form?
In my lifetime TOI, H, N, GT could all go the Enron way. Statistics doesn't paint a very bright picture for them. Perhaps they might last a few centuries; then again they might not.
As long as the media is dependent on advertisements from the unscruplous, the credibility of news is questionable.
Times of India team squanders
opportunity to erase a local rag
The Times of India team in Goa squandered an opportunity to wipe off a local rag by failing to cripple the reporting section of the Herald.The self proclaimed largest selling English daily faced an awkward situation with three reporters--Vijay D'Souza, Guilherme Almeida and Julian D'Costa threatening to call it quits. Caught unawares, the Herald management led by the rarely visible General Manager, Manjunath went into hectic and extensive concilliatory proceedings with the rebel reporters.
The rebel team had initially refused any concessions but soon retreated after their entry into ToI appeared vague. Apparently the national newspaper refused to put any mutually agreed terms and conditions on paper, fearing reports that some journos would use their higher remuneration letters as a bargaining chip for higher stakes with their current employers. Julian, for instance recently used a similar letter given by TNT to push for a raise in Herald. Similar to what Melvyn Mesquita did in GT not very long ago. However, TOI which according to Wikipedia has the widest circulation among all English-language broadsheets in India, neglected using some knack in preventing the rebel team from waving white flags in the line of sight of St Tome Road. The ToI's faux pas on not being clear on how much leeway it can allow has made other local journos eager to make the switch apprehensive of the newspaper's tactics. But none of the English newspaper managements can afford to be complacent as the ToI sooner or later will come out with a refurbished toppling plan
The looming threat of ToI ‘s debut in Goa had even ruffled the feathers of some top editorial honchos in Herald. Deputy News Editor, Joel Afonso who discreetly used his rapport with Herald's Margao reporter Guilherme Almeida to gain a foothold in ToI without having to answer the mandatory recruitment test was spotted sporting a long sleeves shirt at one of the selection hideouts. Guilherme who enjoys a quid pro quo relationship with Joel in Herald would eventually pull some strings with Raju Nayak, the ToI's Goa bureau chief to bail out Joel in case a crisis, possibly even a collapse, arose. The ToI recruitment test, although reportedly only a formality, stringently tests not only a journalist's editing skills but also his grasp on general knowledge .Fearing that answering the test would make the top brass of ToI Goa cynical about how he earned his credentials as DNE, Joel decided to try nepotism for a change in the vain hope that nobody else would know. Joel also played Mata Hari on the fringe while the ToI drama was being enacted. To show the management that he was instrumental in salvaging the newspaper's sinking ship, Joel secretly telephoned Manjunath to report how the Editor Ashwin Tombat was battling the inferno
The only stooges who refused to abandon ship by plotting any clandestine moves were News Editor Sergio Caldeira and Sports Editor, Francis Ribeiro. Sergio is still numbering the days how long Herald will stay afloat. Choppy, who-- like his master the MD-- mistakenly believes he can challenge the might of Bennet and Coleman's broadsheet by multiplying the sports pages has been goading Herald's foot soldiers to stay back and guard Raul's crumbling fort. The reprieve is only temporary. That is, until Derek De Sa reworks a conquering strategy.
I agree with anonymous no 1. A famous saying tells us how a spider gets caught in the web of his own making. Hope that does not happen to our colleagues who have joined TOI for greener pastures, some of whom are our very dear friends. Thanks Penpricks, this post was an eye-opener for them too.
Anon 5:
"Cristao" is not meant to be seen as "good catholic". So also it needn't mean having Catholic editors. Rajan N. while at Herald maintained Herald's "cristao" brand personality. And Herald is clearly brand positioned as "cristao". This means the brand offering will have a strong mix of cristao cultural and social ingredients. This is very evident from the "cristao" stories, tiatr advertisements and cultural coverage...(the occasional ganesh supplements notwithstanding)
As regards the period for a generation to fade away, you're absolutely spot on when you point it could take decades or more.
Regards brand positioning, Herald has the strongest brand values, followed by NT. GT unfortunately, though it provides superior content quality comparatively, is a fuzzy brand.
As regards TOI, their strategy is unfolding as mentioned in my observations under Anon 1.
They will grow the market, and that will indeed benefit Herald and NT whose loyal local readership will stay and grow as well, although at a relatively smaller level.
Predatory pricing by TOI has commenced. For less than a rupee a day, annual subscriptions (starting May 08) are being offered at colleges, offices and residential colonies. A free travel bag is being thrown as well (great outdoor ambient strategy).
Soon TOI will advertise figures claiming higher readership, fastest growing numbers etc. to attract advertising revenue.
Their growth will also come from the ever increasing number of "non-goan" residents who prefer news sans local content or very little of it.
The good news is that the reading habit of english newspapers will increase. And that will benefit journalists and advertising agencies as well.
And as long as DAVP and Govt of Goa's "department/ministry/corporation" tenders, notices and Dir of Info's advertising support continues all will stay above water.
Happy reading!
"Times of India gets one good reporter in Paul fernandes to cover environment and culture heritage, which are just so suited to the Times Of India cause they are so heart rending and at the same time don’t hurt anyone in particular."
For evil to succeed, all it takes is for good people to do nothing.
Such kind of a newspaper is dangerous and unscuplous!
YOUR'S IS A PRO-HERALD SITE. I THINK A JOURNALIST HAS TO HAVE A CLEAN IMAGE. YOU ARE SAYING THAT SURAJ NANDREKAR IS FIT TO JOIN TIMES OF INDIA AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ON WHAT QUALIFICATION HE HAS BEEN RECRUITED BY TIMES. HE WAS SACKED BY GOMANTAK TIMES FOR HIS BAD REPORTING WHICH GOT THE NEWSPAPER INTO TROUBLE. APART FROM THAT, HE WAS ALSO QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE IN THE BABANI SHAIKH ASSAULT CASE. CAN U THROW MORE LIGHT ON THIS.
IT IS SURPRISING THAT RAMNATH PAI RAIKAR OF BJP-NAVHIND TIMES HAS NOT JOINED THE TIMES OF INDIA OR IS HE NOT BEEN SELECTED? WHEN THE NEWS OF TIMES OF INDIA LAUNCHING THE GOA EDITION STARTED, THE FIRST TO DECLARE THAT HE WILL JOIN THE TIMES OF INDIA WAS RAMNATH PAITA RAIKAR. WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE TIMES OF INDIA TEST HAS NOT BEEN KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. PLEASE ENLIGHTED THE READERS
its official now! Penpricks has joined ToI and *cough* signed the 3 year slavery bond *cough*...Thought only the uneducated adivasis signed bonds of slavery in lieu of cash advances... Wonder whats gonna happen to this blog now, since one of the clauses in the bond prohibits this!
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