Website Critique – indiantelevision.com

FIRST IMPRESSION

The first impression on looking at the website indiantelevision.com is clutter. This is because:

• windows are open in all different directions
• a consistent feature in flash
• banner ads appearing on articles
• the font and font sizes being inconsistent throughout
• no three main colours on website
• use of grey for font in many cases
• the sites basic focus being unclear
• a lot of ads on the top fold of the page
• the site not following the rule of thirds
• no equal spacing between alphabets
• a marqui in red on the top fold of the main page attracting a lot of attention

When compared with the webby award winner for best practices website — www.coca-cola.com we find that though the coca cola website uses flash and one has to go two clicks in to find the actual website, however, it leads the way for the user by making the content clear using a flash movie. The central focus of the site indian television.com is very unclear, though it says ‘Your open stop source for everything related to Indian television.’ However, only one good thing about the site is the white background.

CONTENT

The basic content of the website indiantelevision.com is very unclear. According to me, it appears to be a news site with a commercial focus. When looking at the top fold of the page what appears are ads and only a small tv screen covering top stories. The basic content of the site doesn’t draw the user in because:

• it appears confusing with all the banner ads
• the content of the website is essentially flash
• though links like ‘home,’ ‘editorial,’ and ‘bulletin board’ have drop downs that link to news listings, the central focus is banner ads running in all different directions
• the site follows web 2.0 rules and includes a Google search box
• has email/newsletter box for the audience to interact with the content of the website
• there’s no blogging aspect to the website and no place to post comment
• the website doesn’t uses tagging or delicious aspects to make it interactive

When compared with webby award winning site for best news website– the nytimes.com, we find the news aspect is consistent throughout the website. Though nytimes uses interactive content for on the top fold of the page, it doesn’t take away the reader’s attention.

WRITING

 

The website covers news from the Indian television industry. The main news covered as top stories doesn’t appear to be closely knit together because:

• Snippets of news on the main page have sentences that approx. have 13-15 words, however, they are often separated by punctuation marks.
• One idea per sentence doesn’t seem to be consistent.
• The narrative doesn’t flow easily and it doesn’t make comprehension easy.
• The news stories have no sub headers
• The paragraphs are too long.
• There are only a couple of links per write up and some links are phrases

Compared with the webby award winning website for best writing– www.howstuffswork.com, this website doesn’t offer tightly written articles. The formatting is faulty and there are no clear paragraphs or short sentences. There are no bold leads for the news stories. The news is scattered all over the website without any clear category, except for ‘media, advertising, and marketing watch.’ The website doesn’t follow Jakob’s ‘F structure’ for it’s writeups.

NAVIGATION

The main navigation on the grey bar takes time to load and some of the pages don’t open. Therefore, navigation from the page isn’t seamless because:

• the main navigation page links to search listings
• this might lead users away from the webpage
• the sub-navigation appears below the banner ads and also links to search listings
• it isn’t very easy for users to pick the right link
• one click in to the website leads away from the main website to other search listings and therefore, it isn’t good user experience
• each time one clicks on a link it opens up in a new page and doesn’t have a backbutton to go back to homepage

When compared with the webby award winning website apple.com for navigation and structure we find that the site falls short in terms of user experience. The pages are slow to load and a new user would be tempted to leave the website even before they browse through it. The website offers a main navigation and more than one sub-navigations that makes it confusing and cluttered.

Criticism of the website

The first thoughts on looking at the website is noise. There are all sorts of windows in different directions. However, one featture that is consistent overall is the use of flash.  The banners on the top fold of the page attract a lot of attention and there’s not much by way of content on the top fold as well.  The good things about the website are a white background with a TV like screen that says top stories.  However,  sections like ‘Media, Marketing, and Advertising watch’ and ‘News Release’ come way down on the page.  When clicking one of the news releases it links to a page, which has unequal spacing.  The site doesn’t have three main colors and it has quite a few different colors.  Font is grey when it ideally should be black. The site is a news site but it is very commercially driven. As far as navigation is concerned, there is a drop-down and links. The leads are not bold.

If we consider web 2.0 it has a google search box. Though there’s no section for posting comments on the website. However, there’s an option for sending emails. Visitors can connect with the content of the website.

However, navigation links away from the website. There’s no back button. One of the links is a PDF file which doesn’t open.

Overall, the user experience of this website is poor and there’s a lot of empty space on both sides. The only web 2.0 feature available is the google search box.

Channel 4 takeover

Channel 4 is being eyed for takeover by German group RTL, it has been reported.

RTL, which owns channel Five, is said to have asked investment bank JP Morgan to look at a possible takeover bid for Channel 4 as the UK broadcaster faces a funding crisis, according to the Sunday Times.

Any deal could reportedly cost RTL as much as £500 million and would come four years after previous merger talks between the two broadcasters hit the rocks.

Channel 4 is suffering from a funding gap and has previously warned that it would run out of money by 2012 if a solution is not secured.

The channel is State-owned, but it is funded by advertising, which has been hit severely amid the wider economic troubles.

Its advertising revenues are also set to come under pressure when the switch to digital broadcasting is completed and multi-channel TV begins to eats into its audience.

Regulator Ofcom recently estimated that Channel 4 could need extra funding of up to 100 million by 2012 to deliver its existing remit. The watchdog is considering options, such as handing over some of BBC’s annual licence fee to Channel 4.

It has also been mooted by the regulator that one funding source for Channel 4 could be for it to take control of some or all of BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm.

But a bid from RTL would ease Channel 4′s funding troubles and would fulfil RTL’s long-held ambition to expand further in the UK.
It already owns more than 40 TV channels in 10 countries and has recently been rumoured to be interested in buying ailing rival ITV.

RTL was not immediately available for comment.

 

Big Brother broadcaster Channel 4 is being eyed for takeover by Germany group RTL, it was reported today.

RTL, which owns channel Five, is said to have asked investment bank JP Morgan to look at a possible takeover bid for Channel 4 as the UK broadcaster faces a funding crisis, according to the Sunday Times.

Any deal could reportedly cost RTL as much as £500 million and would come four years after previous merger talks between the two broadcasters hit the rocks.

Channel 4 is suffering from a funding gap and has previously warned that it would run out of money by 2012 if a solution is not secured.

The channel is State-owned, but it is funded by advertising, which has been hit severely amid the wider economic troubles.

Its advertising revenues are also set to come under pressure when the switch to digital broadcasting is completed and multi-channel TV begins to eats into its audience.

Regulator Ofcom recently estimated that Channel 4 could need extra funding of up to £100 million by 2012 to deliver its existing remit.

The watchdog is considering options, such as handing over some of BBC’s annual licence fee to Channel 4.

It has also been mooted by the regulator that one funding source for Channel 4 could be for it to take control of some or all of BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm.

But a bid from RTL would ease Channel 4′s funding troubles and would fulfil RTL’s long-held ambition to expand further in the UK.

It already owns more than 40 TV channels in 10 countries and has recently been rumoured to be interested in buying ailing rival ITV.

RTL was not immediately available for comment.

This is where it finally becomes real. Twenty five years of cosy broadcasting relationships between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are at an end and the only certainty is that after a flurry of activity nothing will be the same again.

Yesterday, the BBC presented a series of proposals aimed at “boosting” the revenues of commercial broadcasters, offering a bit of iPlayer technology here, a bit of help with regional news-gathering there, and a quiet word to Channel 4 that it might help it to launch a few magazines, too.

Apparently, all this might be worth £120 million a year one day, but outside the BBC nobody believed such predictions. No wonder Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, presenting the proposals with Mark Thompson, the Director-General, looked so uncomfortable. It was not the portrait of Lord Reith looking sternly at him from the wall of the BBC council chamber, but surely the growing realisation that the much-hyped plan was failing.

For the first time, the BBC faces the prospect of losing a limb: either some of the licence fee will be lopped off for Channel 4 or – in a surreal twist – its commercial arm, Worldwide, will be merged into a “4 Worldwide”.

Surrealist art makes sense only after the artistic movements that have gone on before it are considered. Similarly, the notion that Reith’s Radio Times, or the exploitiation of BBC programmes in DVD form or internationally, should be handled by a new company seems bizarre, until the background is taken into account.

First, Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, has concluded that all high-quality programming is apparently disappearing from our screens at a terrifying rate (never mind that a satellite channel can air a provocative, harrowing, but well-judged programme about assisted suicide). Then it has to be accepted that Channel 4 is right when it says it is going to go bust, and that is has to preserve its exact mix of expensive, not always high rating programming to survive (when it failed to diversify succesfully in its first 25 years).

All this makes it imperative to protect Channel 4, and indeed the nation, from an apparently scary future in which there is only one viable state-owned broadcaster (ie the BBC). But this is not the time for counter-arguments: barring a miracle, Ofcom and ministers seem to have decided that Channel 4 must be saved.

The inevitable conclusion – and here at least those in charge have got this right – is that it is outrageous to take BBC licence fee cash. Nor does Channel 4 deserve any other public money in these straitened times.

So, finally, what’s left is BBC Worldwide being injected into an enlarged Channel 4, with the BBC given a minority stake as a consolation. A bit of this idea even makes sense: bringing the UK TV channels, BBC magazines, and some of the controversially acquired Lonely Planet – might sit well in a bigger Channel 4. That bundle alone would contribute over £30 million a year.

Yet, the rest is nonsense. Why should anybody other than the BBC run BBC channels abroad, or sell BBC DVDs or BBC progammes internationally? The BBC should be allowed to exploit its programme rights. And it is harsh treatment for an organisation that has been well run by John Smith, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, to see it dismembered and handed to Channel 4, with its dysfunctional board and where its entire strategy for the past three years has been based on begging for cash.

But this is not the way the argument is going. Perhaps the only solution is for RTL, the owner of Five, or perhaps Sky, to make an offer for Channel 4, promising to respect its culture through a regulatory agreement with Ofcom. An offer of more than £500 million would turn heads, but one suspects that even then, nobody in government wants to listen.

One wonders, then, what happened to the good old-fashioned British muddle. Why not give Channel 4 free spectrum (it pays for some), if it is that important, some bits of BBC Worldwide, and insist on serious cost savings at an organisation where executives are paid too much compared with their BBC peers. This might get to a £50 million package quickly, leaving the BBC relatively unmolested, and leaving Channel 4 to reapply in two years’ time if it needs more.

— Michael Grade, over at ITV, ought to be delighted. While the BBC and Channel 4 fight, he can get away with being let off all sorts of regulatory obligations with nobody noticing. After all, if it is so important that Channel 4 be propped up, it ought to be the case that ITV should be allowed as much commercial freedom as possible.

There is no need for three state-influenced broadcasters. All that matters to ITV is that Channel 4 continues with its formula: if it became fully commercial, it would inevitably steal viewers, and hence advertising, from Grade’s network.

And while everybody is so distracted, he can go further: why has it taken so long for ITV to find a friendly long-term investor? When the economy recovers, yesterday’s 39p a share will look good value.

Developing nations not happy with UN climate change decision—Background

World leaders led by President-elect Barack Obama may be needed to help agree even a modest U.N. climate treaty in 2009 after a rift deepened between rich and poor nations over funds and new goals to cut emissions.

About 190 nations aim to work out a new treaty by mid-December 2009 but two weeks of preparatory talks in Poland ended on Saturday with developing nations accusing the rich of doing too little to help them cope with impacts such as droughts, floods, disease and rising seas.

“Poznan achieved what it was supposed to but it ended on a rather grim note,” Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, told Reuters after countries including Brazil and India faulted the rich for a lack of generosity.

“It’s a worrying sign that people are taking up positions for a hard negotiation,” he said of the sour closing session.

The Poznan talks, attended by environment ministers to review progress halfway through a two-year push for a new treaty, showed that more than half the work remained to be done.

Gordon Brown takes a hardline on terror talks– Background

Prime Minister Mr Gordon Brown took a hard line today while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, reports the BBC. He emphasized that it is a time for action and not words. The PM revealed a £6m ($8.9m) deal with Pakistan to fight terrorism in the country.

The PM also mentioned plans of the British police to question the sole surviving terrorist Ajmal Ahmed Qasab about the recent attrocities at the Mumbai attack.

Government sources said questioning the soul surviving terrorist Ajmal Ahmed Qasab wasn’t just triggered due to the death of one British national at the attacks.

Infact, it would also help Scotland Yard to track down other terrorist organisations responsible for the attack.

However, the Pakistani President Asif Zardari hasn’t yet given any guarantees when asked about the attempts of the UK police to track down terrorist organisations in the country.

Sources say that Asif Zardari confirmed they are cooperating with Mumbai to track down terrorists.

Earlier he said, “Terrorism and extremism is a common problem which requires collaborative efforts. Problems are not specific to one country.”

Pakistan also mentioned that they would respond when the Indian government shared more details about the attack. Pakistan blamed the Indian government of invading it’s airspace.

The pressure from the international community to clamp down on terrorism has led Prime Minister Gordon Brown to undertake a trip to India and Afghanistan.

The tour happened in the wake of atrocities in the province of Helmand, where the four royal marines were killed in an incident involving a child bomber.

This insured that Afghanistan should also take a long hard look at it’s borders.

According to the BBC, Mr Brown said: “Our aim must be to work together to do everything in our power to cut off terrorism, so I have proposed to President Zardari a new UK-Pakistan pact against terror.”

History

The tension between the two neighbouring countries has been a long standing one based on religion, history and other political reasons.

The name Pakistan was derived from an idea suggested by a Pakistani student who emphasized on having a separate homeland for the muslim majority in the north western frontier province.

The name Pakistan consists of P for Punjab, A for the Afghanis of the north-west frontier, K for Kashmir, S for Sind and Tan denoting Baluchistan. It also means pure in Urdu.

The partition of the subcontinent led to two major wars later one in 1965 and the other in 1971. This led to the creation of East Pakistan or Bangladesh as it is called now. An estimate of 1 million people died in the combat and several millions were left homeless as a result.

Therefore, Pakistan believes that Jammu and Kashmir should become a part of Pakistan because of it’s Muslim majority.

While India believes that the state belongs to the Indian subcontinent because during the accession of 1947 the Maharaja decided to join India.

The latest nuclear tests in both countries has triggered some protest.

How secure are we?

Security Personnel at one of London’s main universities, acknowledge there’s a five minute window before they can act on an attack mounted by terrorists.

Security Personnel at the University of Westminster are trained to dial one of the three emergency numbers, incase, they sense they need to stop someone and question.

However, in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on soft targets in Mumbai, it raises questions on if radios carried by security personnel in campus is enough to protect students at the face of unforseen danger.

Newman, the Security Personnel at the University of Westminster, Harrow campus commented, “ We carry normal radio and if someone looks suspicious we message the other security guys around the campus. We don’t carry rifles or any weapon whatsoever.”

When asked if it’s fair on little-equipped policeman to deal with sophisticated weapons like AK-47s and yet be expected to protect, Newman said, “ I don’t decide what to carry with me on duty. It depends on the situation one is in.”

Lapses in Security

Miscommunication or delay in commuting with the local police station can easily wreak havoc, as the Mumbai attacks were a testimony.

Mrs. M. Shah, a newsagent at the Northwick Park Tube Station, around the University of Westminster campus, complained, “I feel vulnerable all the time after the attacks. The alleyway down the road just seems too narrow if there’s an attack and if people need to run out fast.”

Security around Campus

Students around the university are divided about the issue of security in the campus; some believe that carrying a heavy gun can be very intimidating.

Wong Lee, a student at the same university opines, “ It can be very scary to see heavily armed men in your university campus. It feels like something is going to go wrong.”

Met Office opines

Met Police Officer Jayme Johnson feels that arming civilians would be a long stride in an effort to combat terrorism. He suggests safe neighbourhood teams to come into universities to give people a better idea of self  defense.

As the Met Police officer suggests, “It is popular belief that when you arm yourself people are more prone to raising arms against you.”

Thank God I’m a Country Boy

Singer, songwriter, humanitarian, space-travel enthusiast, and one with a passion for Colorado, Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. or popularly known as John Denver’s warm strings and earthy country lyrics is safely entrenched in our memory.

The prelude

Son of an air force pilot, John Denver began at the age of 11 with his grandma’s guitar. However, his music career took off when he was one of the 250 shortlisted for the Mitchell Trio.

The trio disbanded two years later, but he continued to mesmerize with hit singles like ‘Take Me Home Country Roads,’ ‘ Annie’s Song,’ ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy,’ and ‘Sunshine on my Shoulders,’ ‘Rocky Mountain High,’ and ‘Calypso.’

His lyrics were original and picked up with audiences not just in Colorado but also all over the world.

Accolades

Recently the citizens to offer accolades to the great singer introduced his single ‘Rocky Mountain High’ as the state song for Colorado.

A Sad End

However, a freak plane crash snatched him away at the rife age of 53, when the two-seater plane he was manning crashed into Monterey Bay.

Celebrity breakups may cost a million bucks but they also reveal a breed of men who seem to lose out on precious family life

In a recent article published by the Times, most men who are divorced in much-talked-about celebrity breakups lose out on the reality of family and some have even admitted to losing out on seeing their children often while most women chose to stay far away from their husbands. The divorces might be costly in terms of money but in some cases they are very costly in terms of relationships too…I delve deep into an endemic disease in celebrity marriages called divorce…

Jacqui Smith orders a ban on prostitution

Last week Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith revealed a proposal making it illegal for anyone to pay for sex with someone who is being controlled for somebody else’s benefit. Smith justified her proposal by saying that men should think twice before being involved with a prostitute. However, this raises questions about whether at all most women who are into prostitution are into it by force or is this whole issue about ‘forced sex’ being blown out of proportion by Ms. Smith. I explore the issue in detail in my report…

Art Spiegelman and the graphic novel

Art Spiegelman started his journey by flipping through mad magazines. The graphics in the magazines intrigued him and led to ‘Breakdown’ that won his the pulitzer for best graphic novel. One of Spiegelman’s best works is ‘Maus’ set in Nazi Germany, the story traces his father’s experience in Auschwitz where the Jews were mice and the Nazis cats. I scuttle through his works in this piece and also give a lowdown on graphic novels written around the world at this time…