The best part:
The magazine stood times. Vikatan become an icon in the Taminadu magazine industry. They played their role well by accepting the change in times and it all reflected in pricing, cover design, it's language and content.
They succeeded in every sister magazines they established targeting women, kids, crime report lovers and Religious minded. The evening daily they published for Chennai was a flop. Hey, mistakes happen.
New Trends
They came up with a novel idea of ''special sections'' in Vikatan and then slowly turns that special section to a magazine. It worked well. This is nothing but ''Cross Advertising'' which is a hot technique nowadays which vikatan practised with ease.
Tamilnadu lacks a truly business magazine in its native language. There are some like ''valarthozhil'' but their language is not simple and aimed at big heads. Vikatan has come out with ''Nanayam'' vikatan section in all its weeklies, biweeklies and fortnight magazines. But they are still fishing around the market for its response. It's time to launch it as a separate edition.
They are the only one to encourage Young wing of its reporters and offer a full fledged training.
Technology Savy
They went on to Web and their format in web is still the best I have ever seen. Now they realised the potential of making money and doing that too. It's amazing.
They went on to produce serials and game shows on TV. They are creepy again but Hits by Tamil Woman Standards. Time to think of some new formats on prime time.
Success(ion)
Most of the businesses suffer since it was not transitioned properly to the next
generation when the leader is not identified by the existing one. Take Amabani's, Birla's.
Vikatan realised this and identified the next leader to take the group in charge. Way to go! Baby!
Are they biased?
Any magazine who writes editorial should not be biased or favour to one section. That's my view.
You should have the guts to say ''Wrong'' if it is wrong and ''Right'' if it is right. Otherwise please don't write it.
You beat around the bush to praise somebody and find some suggestion at the good wills rather than encouraging; whom you don't patronise. When there are times to say they are wrong, you go mute because they are your favourite.
Ok. Let me list how they are biased.
1) Vikatan wrote series about the usage and misuse of water in the name of creating awareness in Aa.Vee's and Ju.Vee's. Time came to test their commitment, when the govt asked the people to implement ''Rain water harvesting''. A magazine with good intention should have tried to encourage the masses by sharing the benefits and atleat a cover story on the success of ''Virudhunagar Tank'' which was implemented by the locals way before the govt scheme and how they got benefitted. The govt enforced it by all means; otherwise people were not ready to do it. They tried to cheat all ways saying, we don't get corporation water so if you want, disconnect the water connection. Then the govt said, look we will disconnect electricity. That worked magic and all did. Result: The water table levels raised in all cities.
What vikatan did, wrote an editorial asking the govt doctor to deliver a baby without any pain on the people. Is it possible to deliver a baby without pain?
2) Everyone knows how plastic is non-biodegradable and how it chokes the fertile land.
When the ban came on plastic bags, if they have real concern, they should have wrote articles on good and bad plastics and how to minimize the damage and where all we can avoid plastics or create awareness how to collect them as separate garbage atleast in the villages.
What Vikatan did, went on to week-after-week print campaigns on how ''Plastic is good'' for people! Hey, We are concerned. Yeah for PLASTICS.
3)They wrote editorial on hitting ''Serving Biriyani for the suffering Weavers''. They chose to forget the ''Kanchi Thotti'' idea of their favourites. Instead they reported on a bit news of ''Buy Cotton and Support'' of Jayalalitha's which she also took to their ADMK organization meetings and sold it.
They quick enough cashed the idea for ''Aval vikatan'' by encouraging their readers for a photo opp in their magazine. Ok. Why not? If Jaya uses ''Magalir Mattum'' days of Aval, Vikatan group can use others.
You don't have to praise the thought of the CM, rather hit on some psychofancy acts.
4)Now came another opportunity in the form of ''No use of 12 ministers in centre'' cry. Ju.Vee wanted to create a report card in favour.
Alas, they couldn't find anything. But they cannot let Pa.Chidambaram walk the shame with 0 rating.
So they give reasons like ''Egg'' was cheaper by 10 paise due to FM's intervention.
Infosians got pay hike due to FM's act. What the heck is that? Software engineers are getting hike because of FM and that's a great boon to Indian economy and the billion population is happy about it. You hear strikes for wage hike everywhere, PSU's are getting disinvested, selling PSU's, soaring gas prices. Who bothers?
Thankyou Ju.Vee for the information that 99% of Indian population are Software Engineers.
5) And came Sedhusamudram project, MK is using all tactics to steal the light from Vaiko. But they went on to hit Jaya that she is making politics.
To satisfy the crime report readers, they wrote enough on the ecological damage it will cause. On the other hand, they write editorial in the No1. weekly of India about 135 years dream of Tamilian and ask to stay away from politics.
Yes! I do
Now you might have come to a conslusion, that I am pro Jaya and biased. Gotcha!
Sorry pal, The issue matters not the people. The concerns should be genuine.
It's should not be like advicing somebody ''Drinking is bad habit, but beer can be excused'' because you drink only beer. Better stop writing editorials.
I still buy that magazine and reads cover to cover. Hope the new leadership eliminates these biased views.
