The infotainment menu in India just got newsier and more interesting

Incredible India has a great deal of TRP appeal. Stories about the country as the jewel in the crown, the land of maharajas and snake charmers, where doe-eyed beauties dance in temples and fakirs cheerfully doss on beds of nails have always been a hit on TV.

But with infotainment channels increasingly taking a fresh look at contemporary India, the offerings are more varied. Popular channels like Discovery, National Geographic Channel and Fox History and Entertainment are going beyond the cliché. The focus is on topicality, whether it is the first anniversary of the November 26 terror attacks on Mumbai or the fury of the monsoon. Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager, India, of Discovery Networks stresses, “Infotainment channels are about showing facts. The whole business revolves around being relevant and timely. Just like we’ve shown documentaries about 9/11 and the Bali bombings, we’re going to broadcast Surviving Mumbai, which puts together survivor accounts from 26/11. We’re also going to air a documentary about Rajmata Gayatri Devi, in view of her recent demise.”

Similarly, National Geographic too will be airing Inside Mumbai Terror Attacks.In the past, the channel aired Mumbai Mega Floods, an examination of the massive floods that paralysed the city on July 26, 2005. “The timeliness of our content is very important. During the monsoon, people look back to that fateful day when Mumbai came to a stand-still and wonder whether there’s going to be a repeat this year. So we chose to air the relevant documentary during that season,” says Sudha Sadhanand, vice president of programming, National Geographic Channel and Fox History and Entertainment.

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