Rajdeep Sardesai, Managing Director, NDTV

News is not PR. Whether it is entertainment or advertising, each organization should have a lakshman rekha. If an advertiser's message becomes so great that your news becomes PR, it is unacceptable. If the advertiser can benefit you, welcome him. It need not be an antagonistic relationship

From Asst. Editor, City Editor through to Chief of News Service, Times of India, Mumbai to Managing Editor, NDTV, Rajdeep Sardesai is synonymous with hard news.

In this candid chat with Jasmeen Dugal, he speaks about the strategies that give NDTV the prominence it holds today, his views on the diminishing line between entertainment and news with the entry of customized programmes, the emerging categories of 'news you can use' and the trend of mixing content with the message.

Q. On the unique editorial proposition of NDTV… We try and represent quality; integrity; a complete commitment to news; focus on clarity; and an ability to rise above pressure. These are the core qualities that we try to transmit at NDTV.

Q. On the definition of news… It's very difficult to define news as such. Without meaning to sound pompous, I think we are in the business of nation building i.e. transmitting news from all over the country; coverage from Bihar or from the Northeast. And at some level we have to be conscious of our role in nation building.

News confirms trends. On another level, it holds the people in power accountable - it challenges those in power. At the same time, it reflects the aspiration, hopes and lives of Indians across the country, whether they are in Trivandrum, Guwhati or anywhere else.

Q. On the strategy behind introducing the 'breakout' concept… The 'breakout' concept is relevant because news should reflect not only what is happening at the global level, but also what is happening in my neighborhood. While nation building is taking place, localization is also very important. It's not been done yet because of technological adjustments. There's no date set but certainly, it will happen in the near future.

Q. On the emerging categories of news, or rather, 'news you can use' … We have a lot of 'news you can use' programmes on-air - we have 'Scope for Improvement' - a programme on how to do up your house and another one on cars, which tells you about the best cars in the market; we have programmes on food; we have doctorNDTV.

I would like to believe that we have done what no other news channel has done. Every other news channel has limited itself to news in terms of looking at what one politician has said about the other; news that doesn't really concern the people. There is a complete disconnection between the news that is shown on the channel and the news that people want. I would like to believe that 'news you can use' is actually building that connection.

Q. On viewers' reaction to 'news you can use' … If you look at the TRP, the programme on home design gets the maximum eyeballs. But it is a niche programme; therefore, it will never get mass audience. So whether it is 'Scope for improvement' or even the programme on doctors or cars, it gets a very niche audience - basically our dedicated viewers;' even doctorNDTV.com has a good set of viewers. We're happy that we could manage to break out of the mould of politics-obsessed news.

Q. On the diminishing line between news and entertainment with the entry of customized shows… It is one of the negatives. Somewhere down the line, the core competence of hard news does get diminished. But so long as you stick to the core values that I spoke of, I think it's possible to co-exist. There will be entertainment news, because there is a section of viewers who look forward to packaged news, but that does not mean our commitment to hard news will diminish in the long run.

There is a danger of entertainment corroding the whole notion of what constitutes hard news but as long as there is a strong commitment to news per se, I believe that we can achieve a balance between news and entertainment. I don't see hard news ever disappearing. America thought hard news was disappearing, and it almost did; come September 11 and America was back with hard news. So hard news will never really go away.

As long as channels and networks are committed to news as a process, I don't see entertainment destroying hard news

Q. On anchors becoming synonymous with channels… Well, if you've been with a channel for eight-nine years, there are viewers who have built up a loyalty to the channel. And also built up a certain loyalty to the anchors. But ultimately, any anchor in a profession like this needs an institution to back him up. If the anchor does not belong to an institution that is grounded in integrity, how can he reflect those values?

Q. On the trend of mixing content with the message There is a certain inevitability to it. There will be programmes where there will be this kind of mix. But there are certain benefits to it. If the advertiser can provide the finance to put together a programme that would otherwise not go on air, I benefit from it.

One has to know where to draw the Lakshman Rekha. I personally feel that whether it is entertainment or advertising, there is a Lakshman Rekha. If an advertiser's message becomes so great, that your news becomes PR, it is unacceptable. Both the advertiser and the newsperson should recognize that news is not PR.

The problem is that some newspapers have converted their news into PR. News is not PR. At the same time, let's not discount it completely. If a new restaurant opens, it might make news. Over moralistic also is of no use. So you have to take a call. Each organization has to draw the Lakshman Rekha. If you feel that your core values are being compromised, refuse the advertiser. If the advertiser can benefit you, welcome him. It need not be an antagonistic relationship between a newsperson and an advertiser.

Q. On the factors on which news follow-ups depends… We follow a story right from breaking it through to its logical conclusion. And we make sure our stories reflect the original values which I spoke to you about - quality, integrity, commitment, clarity and an ability to resist pressure. We follow up our stories right through to its logical conclusion irrespective of any kind of pressure.

Q. On the experience NDTV gives it's viewers... I would like to believe that we are allowing the Indian viewers an opportunity to live vicariously. We are bringing events to their home and allowing them to live the events, to actually feel those events. I think that is the only thing we can do - to let individuals be a part of the world around them; to actually experience the public life of nation building. These are the events that otherwise they would be remote and disconnected from.

Q. On the attributes leading to a sharp viewership increase… Quality. At the end of the day, in this profession, it boils down to quality, and with quality - credibility. On topical news, like a bomb blast, people will tune into the channel they trust. We are not going to break news claiming, 'x number of bomb blasts took place in Mumbai; people are jumping from balconies.' On this whole business of being first with the news, I think we have shown people that we are as quick as anyone else. I can give you numerous examples of stories that have been broken on our channels and have been picked up by newspapers and other news channels. A good example is the Telgi scam.

So where breaking news is concerned, out of ten news, Sahara may break two, I may break two, Zee and Aaj Tak may break two. I think that USP has gone. Now the USP of news channels in the future will be resting on one point - credibility. It is the core point on which viewers will take note.

There is also the fact that we offer a greater variety of programming than anyone else. There is no other Hindi channel that offers the kind of programming that we do. Whether it is doctorNDTV or the concept where we take viewers' emails and respond to them in 'We got mail,' or programmes like 'Muquabla' and 'Hum Log' - the studio-based interaction.

So, I think our sharp viewership increase can be attributed to our staying a step ahead with our programming and our USP - 'news you can trust.'

Q. On new programming initiatives at NDTV … We come up with new programmes all the time. We've just launched a new programme, which features politicians as puppets - there is a huge potential for satire. And we could later upgrade it to sportsmen and film stars. Tomorrow we could have Saurav Ganguly and Steve Waugh. At the moment, it is a political satire, prompting us to develop the ability to laugh at ourselves. It is the first attempt to build the equivalent of a political cartoon strip in a newspaper, on television. And I believe it will attract more viewers and make our news more accessible to them. Everybody wants at some level news where they can laugh at the news.

In the near future, we will be doing breakouts; the focus will also be on localization. There will be new programming initiatives on a regular basis.