As many other countries the greatest contributor to trends towards infotainment in India has been Murdoch. Murdoch was responsible for first music television channel in Indian language and the first successful adaptation of an international game show in India called Kaun banega cororepati? Other than this STAR has started the 24 hour news channel in Hindi. News Corporations extensive control of both programme content and delivery system had made a hugely powerful player in the Indian visual media Industry. Murdoch was able many others to understand the potential of media in world largest continent. Starting with Hollywood based programme and reorganized Indinaized programs. Although Murdoch business interest in India is wider than Indian television industry. STAR India will pump roughly $100 million into six Indian language channels. This implication has prepared for the media sector in a developing country where one-third of the population is illiterates. Sonwalker noted that newspaper aggressive pursuit of profits in the last decade and the adoption of a corporate culture that gives an over-riding primacy to marketing rather than editorial. It has led to news becoming a product that is no different from soap or toothpaste. It was the main impact of Murdochization in India’s transformed climate of media liberalization.
One of the key aspects related to the increase in the size and influence of the middle class. It has focused specifically on the media which has seen a dramatic shift in the last decade in their content. It projected middle-class values and concerns. Prominent sections of media have emerged as the vehicle for the articulation and voluble advocacy of middle-class interests (Appadurai 1996). But Murdochization effect on the Indian media has created, media house are profit-driven enterprises, with the focus on maximizing advertising revenues. The demise of the local language press even as there is an unmatched media boom in India. The regional operated press could not stand up to competition from global media, especially in the face of a systematic marginalization of the resources. The state of the regional operative media is perhaps reflective of the feelings of the minority population in different states of India. The entrance of global media operators in regional languages has badly affected to the traditional press culture. In past few years there was lot of traditional media houses, which was stand for the poor and needy has acquired by media capitalists like Murdoch.
India’s media industry, since the advent of satellite television, has become ratings driven. It functions to create profits for television companies, advertisers, and manufacturers. It is not geared to serving the development needs of the state or the educational needs of its citizens. Thus, in this country where according to various studies more than half the population hovers close to starvation and destitution, media narratives make no references to poor and lower middle class Indians who have all but been erased from public consciousness. Media narratives feature the rich and up-coming middle classes or the wealthy among Indian population.
The Murdochization effect badly affected even Indian news channels. News broadcast is veering towards increasing tabloidization .The news avoids all reference to harsh realities of urban and rural India, such as languishing agricultural growth across the country, and increasing pollution and lack of civic amenities in towns and cities and to give greater coverage to crime, celebrities, films and fashion. The lack of relevance to the real India, and a constant reiteration of India’s potential in media, has sparked a reappearance of nationalism. There is a new confidence among Indians in their country and they feel that India is a country to be reckoned with in the global arena. Media has created catch phrases like ‘Team India’ that refer to an all encompassing and singular Indian identity. But most of the time these captions has used for commercial purpose during the time of different events to promote the channel under the guideline of Corporate Social Responsibility
