September 20, 2008

Interview with NDTV-Hindu



This evening, the NDTV-Hindu crew came home to do a shoot for their tech show titled 'Byte it'. It's the soon-to-be-launched TV channel in which NDTV has a 51% stake and The Hindu holds the rest 49%. It was originally named Metronation Chennai but I think its new name 'NDTV Hindu' is far better as it draws upon the strength of two well entrenched brand names. I'm told it will be a Chennai centric channel with content being on the lines of NDTV GoodTimes, Profit & News combined.

We fixed the interview time at 4PM but I came in 45 minutes late, making the crew wait. Got stuck in the previous training and as luck would have it, traffic had to get real bad. After profuse apologies and locking away my pesky kids inside the room, we began the shoot.

One of the episodes was on writing for the web with an intention of making money and the other one was on the browser shoot-out with focus on Google Chrome. We nailed it after a few retakes.

Few interesting observations. Those focus lights were absolutely blinding. The first few seconds were actually painful and my eyes began to well up. It took a while before I could get used to the sheer brightness. If that wasn't enough, the lights were producing a lot of heat and worse, the fans had to be switched off to cut down on ambient noise. I began to sweat almost instantly and had to wipe the sweat every few minutes.

TU Dinesh is the host and the producer of the show and it was heartening to see him again. Just a few years ago, I first met him as a student when I went to guest lecture at the Madras Christian College. He stood out from the crowd then with his enthusiasm. From a student to a trainee at Indian Interacts to his current role at NDTV-Hindu, that's quite an appreciable climb.

I'm told that the new Channel is aiming for a pre-Diwali release. Will get to know the date and time of this episode's telecast as we get closer towards the launch.

And oh, the next time, I should clean up my book shelf. Didn't realize it was this messy.

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November 20, 2007

Cycle of Change : Video Coverage on CNN IBN

Two weeks ago, CNN IBN covered the cycling movement in Bangalore and Chennai as part of its Citizen Journalist program. The team came over to Chennai for a day long shoot. The first part of the program has already been aired. Rohini Mohan, the brain behind this series, sent us the web version of the video.

In Chennai, me and a group of folks are on to a 'Cycle to Work Day' program where we encourage corporate companies to encourage some of their employees to cycle at least once a month to office. In Bangalore, there's a team that encourages cycling in general called 'Cycling Maadi' (meaning Let's Cycle).

CNN IBN wants to track these small citizen driven movements over four weeks. This would require us to document our efforts and the progress on handycams by us. Yup, no professional videographers. It's us and our cameras.

I already played truant. I was supposed to send in my second piece tonight but missed the deadline thanks to a week long trip away from home. Now that I'm back, I hope to quickly catchup. Will let you know how it turns up.

Meanwhile, here's the first episode of the video.


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November 01, 2007

Being a Citizen Journalist on CNN IBN

CNN IBN is going to launch a new program called 'Be The Change', a program that aims to highlight initiatives taken up by citizens. They got to know about this small initiative that a small bunch of us have taken on promoting cycling to work amongst corporates, especially IT companies.

I have been cycling to work the past 8 years (On and off. Mostly On)and totally enjoy it. I remember when I worked at Tidel Park, one of the swankiest tech parks in the city, most would vie to drive big cars while a few bunch of us would cycle to work. We were the mavericks and loved the idea of being different. I would cycle from Virugambakkam to Taramani, a distance of 24 kms. Two Way.

A couple of days ago, Rohini Mohan of CNN IBN flew in from Delhi to shoot. The program follows the citizen journalism mode...which means that instead of a professional reporter covering the story, it is us who host the program. We also had to think of the script of the program and in what sequence we had to shoot them. I had never done such stuff before and it was interesting putting on the cap that professional broadcast journos do.

I had with me, Venkatesh Chandrasekaran, Head of Research & Development,Automotive at Satyam Computers. He is also the founder of Schools for India project and the brain behind the ICR on ECR annual cycling race from Chennai to Pondicherry. He is an avid cycling enthusiast and often cycles to work.



All of us got together at my home at around 9:30 a.m. We started shooting around my neighbourhood


They fixed a cordless mix onto me and made me talk about my experiences while I was cycling. I loved this part. Seen here is Satheesh, the official camerman from CNN IBN. This guy is amazingly professional and tried out various angles. This shot was taken by me when we were moving.


Seen here is Satheesh and Rohini tying the camera stand to the cycle handlebar.


Now, with the camera fixed to my cycle, Sathees does one final check. I was made to cycle around and talk into the camera. You should have seen the kind of attention it generated around the crowd.


The camera on Venky's cycle.


You know you are a total geek (or a very busy head of dept) when you can't resist checking mails between shoots.

The whole shoot lasted for over 6 hours. All this for a mere 4 minutes of actual air time. Amazing. I was impressed by the passion and the eye for perfection that the CNN IBN crew had. By the time we finished around 4:00 pm, we were ravenously hungry and headed to Karaikudi restaurant for a sumptuous meal.

The program should air on CNN IBN during mid November. Will update you on the exact date and time.

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August 09, 2007

I'm on CNN IBN.



A few weeks back the CNN IBN team of Paras Tomar & Priya Krishnamurthy came over to Chennai as part of their Minus 30 show. They gave me a call saying that they'd like to cover me as part of the show and so, we met up at Cafe Mocha.

It was a fascinating experience. My part of the 4 minute video took nearly three hours of shooting and multiple retakes. I have seen Paras before and I think he is one of the most entertaining and creative anchors on TV.

The show is called Minus 30 and apparently that '30' stands for age. Oops. I'm pushing 34. I mildly pointed out the statistics and as long as they didn't seem to mind, I was fine with it. Like one of the crew said, I look under 30ish. That felt good.

Paras was a lot of fun. He kept innovating on the fly and I don't think he came prepared with any script. We would brainstorm between takes and he'd come up with wacky ways of getting the answers out.

The story ofcourse was on blogging. He went around Mocha, a hip cafe which was packed with youngsters and went around asking if anyone blogs. And embarrassingly enough, not a single soul did. Not good for Chennai's image of being the blog capital of India. Honestly, I don't think that's true any longer.

Anyways, the show was fun. I couldn't catch it on TV and missed it both the times it was on air because I was traveling. Thank goodness for web videos. IBNLive rocks in that angle.

There are three videos covering the entire Chennai episode of Minus 30. Here, Here and Here. I liked the coverage about Sudhish Kamat's making of That Four Letter Word and that pretty bartender who does awesome moves with the bottles.

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July 27, 2007

CNBC Panel Discussion on Digital Convergence



I'm in Delhi right now and was at the CNBC studio this evening to participate in the panel discussion on 'Catalyzing Convergence'.

My other panelists were
Vineet Taneja, Director of Multimedia, Nokia
Pradeep Gupta, Founder & CEO of CyberMedia
Alok Kejriwal, Founder & CEO of Mobile2Win

The show was wonderfully moderated by Abhimanyu Radhakrishnan, the host of CNN IBN's Tech 2.0 show. The topics discussed were trends in digital convergence, how mobile handset makers play a role in enabling convergence, other key growth drivers for convergence in India and why GPRS hasn't taken off big in India.

The show should be aired something this weekend on CNBC. Will need to check with Abhimanyu to get the exact timing.

Anyways, getting to the studio in Noida was like the Amazing Race. At Chennai, I got stuck in a huge traffic pileup at Kathipara junction and it was a frustrating feeling having to miss the flight. By the time I reached the airport, I just had 3 minutes to check in when I'm told the flight is delayed by two hours. I could have saved on all those bile secretion and lost fingernails.

If Chennai traffic was bad, Delhi traffic wasn't any better. After sufficient tension filled moments, I reached just in time. I even had to change my dress and shave at CNBC's office. I would have gotten late if I had to go to the hotel.

Anyways, at the make up room, I meet up with Abhimanyu, the anchor of the show. He was getting his make up done. The make-up guy thinks I'm also a CNBC anchor and proceeds to spend the next 15 minutes doing elaborate makeup. I must've got three layers of that goddamn foundation and powder, the most I've got in my entire life. I was looking like those aunties at marriage functions with heavy makeup. Reminded me of Rajini in 'Sivaji'.

Later in the evening, I got on the live show on Rainbow FM. Dhruva, a lawyer who moonlights as RJ, did a call in and we had a 5 minute conversation about podcasting. I have been on Radio before but this is the first time I'm on it live.

I'm starting early morning at 6:00 am to Bangalore to attend BarCampBangalore and eagerly looking forward to it.

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June 23, 2007

A Nice Article in The Hindu Explaining Proto.in

The Hindu has a fantastic write-up about Proto.in, a startup showcase event that a bunch of us at The Knowledge Foundation are organizing. Prince Frederick has done a good job in explaining what Proto is all about.

Yesterday, while at the Web 2.0 Event in Mumbai, I had a chance to meet up with many entrepreneurs and a few VCs and there were quite a few who wanted to know what the event is about. This is exactly the sort of article that I would want to forward to them. If you wanted to know about Proto, the article recommended reading.

Quoting a para from the article.

Start-ups from across the Asia-Pacific region have been invited to participate. It is based on the concept called 'elevator pitch'. "At Proto.in, you are in the same situation as when you run into Bill Gates on the elevator. Gates is squeezed for time and it is difficult to catch his attention once he gets out of the elevator. So, you can pitch your business idea at Gates only as long as both of you travel together on the elevator. At the most, you get a minute and a half with Gates. At Proto.in, you are definitely better off," says Anand.

Here's the photo that accompanied the article.


From left to right: (Me, Vicky, Vijay Anand, Ravi Shankar, Syed Razik, Aswin Anand & Jay)

Earlier, Red Herring, a prestigious biz magazine in the US & worldwide, had a wonderful coverage as well.

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June 01, 2007

'The Kiruba Show' on CNN IBN & CNBC

Vivin Mathew's story on bloggers & podcasters doing their own shows is now online. I never got to to see the video on TV because I was vacationing. Thank goodness for online videos.

(the video takes time to load. If you can't see the video, click here to watch the video on CNN IBN's website)



Here's the transcript of the video.

If you thought blogs are just about people's random thoughts and opinions and have no monetary value then think again. If your blog brings in a good number of page views, it can also bring in the money.

Bloggers like Kiruba Shankar are making waves in the world of multimedia blogging with shows like The Kiruba Show.
Kiruba who interviews CEO?s of tech companies on his show syndicates it to sites like podtech.com and indiainteracts.com which have thousands of dedicated readers from the tech community.

"Niche is definitely the way to go. For example, there's this site, wallstrip, which was recently sold to CBS for $5 million and that's a phenomenal amount of money for a six-month old site. That?s because the founders were very clear that they were going to be very focussed only on the stock and fiancial markets," Kiruba said.

If advertisers or potential buyers see that a blog has a dedicated readership and wide influence it becomes a buyout target.
So, while Indian blogs are still at a nascent stage, Kiruba feels they still have a long way to go.

"People have not yet realised the true advantages and potential of blogging. I think when people realise that they will do really well," Kiruba said.

As the India story continues and Internet-penetration increases, don?t be surprised if some Indian blogs are snapped up for millions of dollars.

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May 25, 2007

Sun Microsystems Founder is Today's CNBC Guest Editor-in-Chief

and he gets to call the shots at what's to be covered today. Obviously, lots of technology and with a clear leaning towards Open Source.... and blogging.

As you guessed it right, there is going to be coverage on the Indian blogosphere, its perceived power, its growth and where its headed. CNBC came home yesterday evening to do a short coverage where I got to voice my opinion. I was particularly critical and did not toe the usual evangelical approach.



That's Vivin Mathew, CNBC's senior correspondent (sitting), Sathish (Cameraman) and me (behind the lights). I met Vivin earlier at a private birthday bash and he is one guy who makes you feel comfortable and asks the right questions, a trait that's super important for an interviewer. Impressed, I immediately extended an invitation to him to take a workshop at the forthcoming PodWorks event. Should be super useful for video podcasters.

Vivin tells me that the story will be aired tonight at CNBC. Can't see it. Heading out to give a talk at TCS and then for a CouchSurfing Meetup. Besides, no set-top box for me, so no CNBC on home TV. I'm told the video will be online, though. Will link it up when it goes online.

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May 07, 2007

The Power of News Agencies

Here's a PR tip. The next time, someone from a news agency like Press Trust of India (PTI) or United News of India (UNI) calls you for an interview or newsbite, give them a lot of importance. Infact, give them the importance of a press conference. Because one news report by them can get covered by dozens of publications.

I'm talking from experience. Recently, Mr.Balakrishnan of PTI did an interview with me about Wiki search engines. I didn't know the real impact of a news agency until I saw that one particular article appear in The Hindu, ChennaiOnline, Rediff, ExpressIndia, Economic Times, Business Standard, IndiaTimes, Hindustan Times, Financial Express and DNA. That's the whos who of the Indian print. One helluva lot of coverage.

While that can be a good thing, it can be bad when you have given incorrect information. I inadvertently made a mistake in saying, "Wikimedia Foundation is planning an open search engine that thrives on the knowledge of users.". I should have instead said, "Wikia is planning an open search engine....". Wikimedia is a non-profit community initiative whereas Wikia is a for-profit venture. Big difference. It took me quite an effort to write to all these editors to make the change but in vain.

Like I said, next time pay a lot of importance to news agencies. I learnt it the hard way.

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April 11, 2007

Live TV Experiences

I was on a program called 'Bloggers Block' on Headlines Today channel tonight at 9:00 PM. It was a live telecast. Some fascinating experiences.

* I was informed that the OB van (outdoor broadcast unit) and the crew would come in to my house at 8:30 pm, half hour before the show to set up the unit.

* The time clicked to 8:45 and no sign of the van. I almost gave up when I got a call saying that the crew is having trouble with the cops for having parked the van on the road. This incident happened right outside my apartment. By the time I hurried downstairs, the problem had been sorted out. Relief. 12 minutes to go.

* We take the van to another side of the apartment but trees and electrical lines pose a problem. We finally open another gate to get the van inside. All this in a semi-panic mode. 8 minutes to go.

* Meanwhile the camera men rush inside my home to set up the camera and the lighting. 5 minutes before going live, the camera man gets a call from the studio that they are not getting the live video feeds. Panic mode heightens. The crew does a bit of tinkering with the wires and things get ok. 3 minutes to go.

* I then quickly realize I hadn't changed my dress. Was still wearing a slightly crumpled tshirt. I must've created a record in shirt changing.

* I rush back and sit in the chair. One of the crew members plugs in a collar mic. He then plugs an ear piece into my ear from a walkie talkie kind of a device. This is where I get to hear the anchor. A guy in the studio did a voice test. It was too low. I say so. He turns up the volume real high. Nearly cracked my ear drum. I say so. He tones it down. Before I could say its ok, I can hear Zaka Jacob, the anchor start the program.

* My wife rushes out to my neighbours home with our digital camera to record the video from their TV. A paltry 128 MB memory card doesn't take you far. Just 5 minutes of video recording possible. That's hardly sufficient for a 30 minute program. She manages to take a few shots.

* There was a lot of hissing noise from the ear piece. Too late. I strain myself to hear the debate going on at the studio. Can't make out everything.

* Then suddenly the anchor goes like this, "Let's ask Kiruba who is from Chennai. Kiruba, what do you think about the issue?". Your mind desperately seeks to assimilate whatever little information you were able to decipher from their conversation. I pick up bits and pieces and I then proceed to answer what I felt was appropriate.

* On one occasion, when Zaka (the anchor) asked me a question, I heard it but didn't know it was directed at me. There was a few seconds of silence before I realised that the silence was there because I wasn't speaking. I then quickly proceeded to answer.

* I thought I spoke pretty ok. Ideas flew in smoothly and I managed to keep my answers to the point. I liked the way how I put my views across. Don't know what others felt. If you got to watch the program, I'd like to get your feedback.

* I don't think the topic deserved a 30 minutes program. It was a simple set guidelines for bloggers that was set. No rules. No censorship. Just guidelines.

* Try staring at a camera continuously for 30 minutes. That's what I did.

* Surprisingly, I didn't feel nervous. Sitting in a studio and having a conversation with an anchor is one thing but sitting in front of a camera and speaking to a person you can't see is another. Add buggy audio. And then add Live TV. But it was rather cool.

* Zaka Jacob did a good job in guiding the discussion.

* Overall a very fascinating experience. A big thanks to Sharavathy from the TV Today's Chennai office for putting me on the show.




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March 06, 2007

Never Underestimate the Power of Neighbourhood Newspapers


(Click image to enlarge)

OK, where else would a simple act of hospitality hit the main headlines !! It's easy to snicker at what appears to be an insignificant tabloid. But this incident has completely changed my perception of neighbourhood tabloids. The article carried my mobile number and I've had more people call me back than the coverage on both NDTV and CNN IBN combined.

No, I'm not talking about the reach. It'll be a just a blip on the readership radar of the big TV channels. But its the quick recognition. Folks at my apartment building, folks at my daughter's school, her friends' parents, even the grocery vendor recognized me on the photo and enquired what its all about.

Vadapalani Talk is a freely distributed four page tabloid consisting of neighbourhood news. It's estimated to reach 42,000 households in Vadapalani, Saligramam, Virugambakkam, Valasarawalkam, Chinmaya Nagar, Alwarthirunagar and Porur.

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January 29, 2007

ExtraBed on NDTV

NDTV is doing a story on ExtraBed.in and CouchSurfing.com and they had come home to do a shoot. Alaphia Zoyeb, the senior NDTV reporter had earlier traveled for over a month in Europe and she had witnessed first hand how travelers widely used the Internet to find out places to crash and the wonderful hospitality of folks.

The story will be telecast tomorrow today (30th Jan) at 7:00 PM IST. It'll appear in a program called 'Southern Edition' at 7:00 PM. Unfortunately, this program will only be viewable by folks in South India. I'll try to capture it on video and see if I can put it up on YouTube.

ExtraBed.in has already got more people enrolled in a month what CaniCrash.org couldn't in over a year from India. It's heartening to see so many people open their doors to help people.

In the true spirit of a community project, quite a few people have pitched in to help. Paras Shah has helped design the new logo for ExtraBed. There are a few more variations of the logos he has done. Satish has created an Orkut community for extrabedders. And there's even a Google group.

The only downside is the domain name isn't working thanks to pathetic service by Sify. All the domains that I have booked through them have been having problems. I only hope the the domain gets resolved by the time the news appears on TV. In case the domain www.ExtraBed.in doesn't work, try this http://extrabed.pbwiki.com .

Update: Sify has resolved the domain. Let's hope they keep it that way.

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