Last week’s coverage of the Assam bomb blasts had something new and something very old. Something very old: constant interruptus, the television disorder afflicting anchors who invite someone to speak but never allow them to. As in:

Vikram Chandra (The Big Fight): Jayanti Natarajan, why is the Centre, so slow to act in Maharashtra?

Natarajan: I don’t agree with the framing of your question, there were three different cases...

Chandra: Alright, let’s take an audience poll on how many of you think the Centre was slow? Everyone.

Natarajan: That’s because you did not let me finish my sentence...

On CNN-IBN with Rajdeep Sardesai, Montek S.Ahluwalia on the financial crisis: Although the (Sensex) investment is relatively small, we are concerned about...

Rajdeep Sardesai: Rajeev Chandrashekhar do you agree?

Rajeev Chandrashekhar: Yes, yes...

Ahluwalia: Can I finish my sentence?

Something new: While NDTV announced up to 18 blasts in Assam (officially there were 11), CNN-IBN was the only channel to stay with the official figures of blasts and deaths and refuse to speculate. Positive change. Also, Times Now hid the badly injured or the dead instead of giving them Page 3 type coverage. Good Times.

Something unchanged: speculation. Within an hour of the blasts, the channels had named Harkut, HUJI, Indian Mujahideen, Ulfa trained in Assam, Ulfa trained in Bangladesh by Bangladesh military intelligence and probably vice versa as the perpetrators without any evidence.

Onto more serious matters: are channels saving rupees by telecasting the same film, week in and out? Every weekend/week sees Malamaal Weekly on Sahara One and Guru on Max.

... contd.