It is an open secret that the media in Andhra Pradesh, especially electronic media, is virtually divided on political lines.
Except a few which are backing the ruling YSR Congress, most of the present television channels have taken pro-Telugu Desam Party stand.
These channels have been giving extensive coverage to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his programmes, while taking up a systematic campaign against YSRC president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government.
Especially, there are a couple of channels which have earned the notoriety of turning “yellow” for their blatant pro-TDP stand.
The anchors of these channels have virtually been adopting the style of Arnab Goswami of Republic TV – shouting down the guests who are invited to take part in debates on political issues and who question the TDP and support YSRC.
Highly placed sources said these anchors are regularly getting funding from a top leader of TDP – each at the rate of Rs 20 lakh per month.
Besides, these anchors, who are also heading the news bureaux of their respective channels, are said to be earning around Rs 2 lakh a day from their contributors filing various stories in the form of paid news.
Interestingly, these earnings do not get reflected in the revenues of the channels, but go directly into the pockets of these anchors and partly to those who mediate to fetch this money.
The TDP leader, too, show this monthly payment of Rs 20 lakh to the channel anchors in his company accounts under various heads so as to convert the black money into white.
This has come to light during a recent attempt by another political party to take over one of these channels. This channel management is learnt to have quoted a very high rate for selling it.
Apparently, the buyers came to know that the prime anchors of the channel are behind quoting such a high price, because they do not want the channel to be sold to the rival political party.
Reason is obvious: once the channel is sold out, he would not only lose his job, but also be deprived of hush money he had been getting all these days!