And the award for the best news channel in India goes to

*drum roll*

DD News!

20 years ago, the advent of private news channels in India mesmerized us

Overnight, urban India forgot DD News

There were two differentiating factors these new channels offered

First, the way they presented news, the production value, and of-course some rising bright reporters

Two, how they sensationalized and packaged the news

The latter was more crucial for success

News on its own is raw bland information, it lacks appeal to attract masses unless it is about cricket or politics

Instead, cover news that entertains and then opinionate to create the magic that sells

By 2008 news in India directly competed with primetime soap operas

Recall the Arushi case or Prince, the boy who was trapped in a tube well

Every news became a breaking news

These channels never covered news of significance (big projects, social issues, North East)

Well, deploying resources was an expense

Why deploy 50 reporters across India?

Instead, why not deploy 50 resources in Mumbai

Focus and build a sensational product that everyone wants to consume

It makes business sense

DD News wins, not because of its reporting standards but because it is the only “News” channel we have in India