CHENNAI: Finding itself marginalised in time and space on most television channels in the State, the VCK is finally close to realising its five-year-old dream of launching a channel of its own. When it hits the airwaves on April 14, the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, Velicham TV would perhaps be the first Dalit channel in Tamil Nadu.
The 24x7 channel will initially have three news bulletins a day, said those behind the project. They added that it would highlight the issues faced by the oppressed and marginalised sections, including the Dalits.
“It is a channel for airing the views of the depressed sections of the society. At present, inequality prevails in the media where these sections have inadequate representation in programmes, content, etc. Though news items about the issues of the depressed classes are carried in the visual media, there is no equal opportunity for them,” VCK general secretary D Ravikumar told Express, explaining why the party wanted to have a separate channel in the already congested field.
This has been in the works at least since 2012, when party leader Thol Thirumavalavan asked his leaders and cadre to give him gold coins instead of regular gifts for this birthday so that the party can source the funds needed for launching its own channel. Thiruma then went around the State and also Puducherry collecting coins as funds to start the channel, but it took time in coming. The broadcasting guidelines issued by the Centre include a condition that the channel have a specific amount as corpus which adds to the cost of launching one.
The name Velicham signifies ‘light for change’, said one of the party office-bearers, who is in charge of the channel. “It is aimed at dispelling the darkness of casteism, communalism etc. It has been Thirumavalavan’s dream for over five years. 90 per cent of the works have been completed. Now final touches are being given to content. Though it is channel of the party, it won’t sing glories of the VCK leaders and will be a neutral entertainment channel with news bulletins.”
It has been a constant complaint among Dalit politicians and intellectuals that the community, despite being among the most depressed, seldom gets its issues covered by the media barring the patronising and condescending efforts to ‘give them space’. There are also studies that confirmed there are far less number of Dalits in newsrooms when compared to other castes.
In contrast, the United States has a rule which mandates that there should be opportunity for people of colour even in a television serial. “Such rules are not prevailing in India and many times, only one side of the view over issues pertaining to depressed classes gets aired,” Ravikumar lamented. There was once a channel that was closer to the party, before moving away to another nascent outfit.
PARTIES AND PAPERS
In the past, before the advent of visual media, parties such as DMK and Congress had their own newspapers, Murasoli and Navasakthi, respectively. For some time, the late writer Jayakanthan edited Jeyaperikai, which carried the views of Congress party
At the time of inception of the AIADMK in 1972, Thennagam, a daily run by senior leaders like KA Krishnasamy, became the official organ of the AIADMK. Later, former chief minister MG Ramachandran launched his own daily newspaper Anna, which remained the official organ of the AIADMK till his death in 1987. Now, Namadhu MGR is the official organ of the AIADMK. The Left parties have Janasakthi (CPI) and Theekathir (CPM)
Tv Channels run by outfits
DMK
Sun TV, Kalaignar TV and Kalaignar Seithigal
AIADMK
Jaya TV and Jaya Plus
Congress
Vasanth TV and Mega TV
PMK
Makkal TV
DMDK
Captain TV