Friday, December 29, 2006

KSR quits Andhra Jyothy, more to follow



Kommineni Srinivasa Rao is said to be quitting Andhra Jyothy. Arguably the ablest bureau chief in AP media, KSR has been a cornerstone of the newspaper ever since its resuscitation in 2002 by Vemuri Radhakrishna. The man who captained the paper’s Political and General bureaus (in a way City too) is said to be joining Chowdhary’s soon-to-be launched NTV.

In the backdrop of a handful of channels and newspapers planned for launch in the first half of 2007, KSR’s move would prove to be the beginning of a major shake-up in the Telugu media.

Andhra Jyothi is on the verge of declaring 5-lakh circulation, a remarkable feat for a newspaper that was revived just four years ago and considering the fact that Ramoji’s Eenadu is the only Telugu paper to have scaled the 500K mark in AP’s history. KSR’s exit at a time when the newspaper is growing by leaps and bounds is bound to jolt the management.

And the ace reporter would not go alone! We learn more would follow him, including some big guns. (Good news, Eenadu!)

Hailed as “a walking mine of information”, KSR boasts of an enviable track record – 25 years of work experience at Eenadu and one-time Man Friday of Ramoji. KSR, a bulldozer of man, never minces words and was known for being outspoken and assertive even when working in the regimented Eenadu.

Surprisingly, there are no obvious reasons for KSR’s exit. He is both respected and feared at Andhra Jyothi (his signature on a press release is considered as a “must” order by reporters, even when he scribbles his initials absent-mindedly!)

Salaries & new slant: AJ journos guess that NTV must have offered hefty salary to KSR. Possible. Andhra Jyothy, the only newspaper that can boast of being an ‘editorial success’, unlike the marketing successes of Eenadu and English dailies in AP, is a bad pay master. Many journalists work for a pittance of Rs 2000 – 3000 per month! Aware of the growing resentment over the woefully low salaries, Vemuri did promise hikes, but seems to be in no hurry to act on it.

In recent months, AJ staff is also taken aback by the sudden love the paper has developed for the YSR-led Congress government. In the absence of any explanation from the top, they smell a rat in this bonhomie. Amidst the hushed talk that other seniors would also quit, the staff is in a quandary and that’s an alarm signal for Vemuri.
Please write to us at: vikram.apmedia@gmail.com

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is the advantage with growing media. Journalists from all walks can enjoy quality salaries. Plainly speaking people are for money. So nothing wrong in changing loyalties. Infact in media the term loyalty has got no meaning. KSR's quit is a big jolt for Andhra Jyothi. But it is not any occasion for Eenadu management to cheerup. Reliable sources say... a big gun from ETV-2,manages many programes single handedly is on his way. Likewise some influential heads in Eenadu are making all attempts to leave for wealthy shores. So jolt for Jyothi. Sunami soon for Eenadu.

Anonymous said...

Surprise.
Keep up your good work Vikram.
Happy new Year.

Anonymous said...

But, I am sure, it will be knee jerk reaction to AJ. Becasue they will survive and touch the much coveted "5" mark as long as Ramachandra Murthy is there.

Anonymous said...

Indeed KSR is a good hand, and he leaving AJ is a loss to Vemuri Radhakrishna and gain to Narendra Chowdary

GOOD LUCK TO MR KOMMINENI IN HIS NEW INNINGS

Anonymous said...

Why Kommineni?
Narendra Chowdhary has already recruited Ramanujan and Satyanarayana for his channel. Of late there has been pressure from his caste group to bring someone in senior position. These caste heads are worried about others' domination over the channel.
Talk in NTV: Natendra Chowdary offered stake to Md.Ali Shabbir.

Anonymous said...

Good Story. But don't praise a person beyond a point.

After all he is also an individual and dont create any larger than life images.

It paints an unprofessional mark on your blog which is running in a professional way so far.

Anonymous said...

Vikram, Isn't it a fact that KSR asked Chandrababu for Rajyasabha?
Ramana

Vikram said...

Why KSR after having SR & IS? --- a point to be probed. Is that a purely professional decision or response to allegations that an "Agraharam" is in the making at NTV? Anyone who knows chowdhary's side of the story please tell us.

Anonymous said...

KSR sir,

I wish you all the best. We all know that you have fire in your belly and carry all the traits of a best jounralist. Please don't take any sides. Go by the facts setting aside caste equations, political ideology and the regional feeling. You would be a big hit in the electronic media, where morons try to give political analysis. All the best
Gumpulo Govindaiah
Eenadu
Somajiguda
Hyderabad

Anonymous said...

KSR can be a very good journalist. But he is not fit for electronic media. He is not effective on tv. His selections of bosses is also not very good. He must be unhappy because Radhakrishna became pro-Cong overnight. But his new choice is no better. What freedom can he expect from a smalltime land grabber? I feel he will go back to print in no time.

Anonymous said...

Mr.KSR!
I wish you all the best. Sir, now you can't get away with phrases such as "sources said" and “according to highly placed officials,” but you have to show them on screen. No probs, you can run the show very well.
Udham Singh
Hyderabad

Anonymous said...

hai,
all the best Mr.ksr
i dont think that this new and sudden development is a big jolt to andhrajyothy...because there are many other pillors in andhrajyothy... they are
1...Mr.vemuri radhakrishna is a M.D. who himself worked as a buarea chief earlier than ksr, first pillor
2...Mr.k.Ramachandramurthy,editor is second pillor
3...k.srinivas,asst.editor...third pillor
4.murali...asst.editor..fourth pillor..........
this list continues...........

Anonymous said...

All the heads in AJ are mediocre, so are their teams. It is only surviving in the absence of reliable and credible media that can quench the thirst of Telugu readers. KSR is also not -Turum Khan-, he has been elevated in Eenadu as part of their game plan. He seems to be -Ramudu Manchi Baludu- type of guy, but is not only -Kamma- but also -Nikamma-. Mr. Vikram, Don't praise people and don’t make this blog as -Bhajana Sangham-.

What is the criterion to brand a scribe as successful..? It should be judged basing on his writings. What is KSR's contribution to AJ or for that matter for Eenadu? Can you show a single piece of writing that can form basis for adjudging him with a successful journo? NO, not a single piece... Basically he is good as -Pairavikar- and -Bekar- journalist.

AJ has many mediocre faces including KR. He has good PR. He knows well how to be promoted as -Medhavi-. He has two faces as -Telanganaite- and -Andhraite-. He has two faces as -Sadbrahmin- and -Pro- Dalit-. He has anti- journo bosses like K. Srinivas, Vasanta Laxmi and Jagan. Only Murali is sensible man in KR's team.

Every person in KR's team has his own interests. KS using AJ to promote himself as a big figure in literature and projecting himself as messiah of Telangana and Dalitism.

Vasanta LaXmi, as everybody knows, is maverick and sadistic woman with -pseudo- human rights- face. She sucks from the spines of people around her. So, nobody last long in her -Magazine World-.

When coming to Jagan, he is only instrument in -politician turned event manager- wife. His wife flies frequently to US as a freelance journo. Hen- pecked husband is here to write by-line articles on her -Amrita tulya- name.

Only person in KR's team who don't know to sell AJ is Murali.

All the people using AJ to meet their own ends. KSR is prominent among the list. So, He is unfit for your praising, Mr. Vikram. It may lead to credibility problem to your blog if you project -Demons- as -Gods-.

Happy New Year. Take care.

Bye

- Sneha

Anonymous said...

I have yet to see a good story in the so called KSR's history.
It is time for AP journos to have a look at the kind of people who are heading these newspapers and channels as owners and bosses.
The fellows who made money during their regimes' greener days , are now taking the ill gotten monies out and they take similar elements as the heads for these directionless outfits. Beware friends and probe them more.

Anonymous said...

Re comment by Sneha. What he/she said is almost true. Everybody has his or her own agenda in AJ. The proprieter made it a vehicle of peddling influence and earning a good money. He boasted of all achievements in the last three years, except of selling himself to YSR overnihght. The paper wrote lot of lies. It once wrote that the electric bike manufacturer Cynosure is a fraud. But the bikes with brand name Yash are running on our roads. What does the paper say? It once published names and photos of biggies who are opportunistic who were once faourites of TD government and later switched sides to benefit from the Congress governemnt. But when Mr Vemuri adds his name to the list?

Anonymous said...

Sneha, great..... Good analysis. I worked with "Vampire's Empire" AKA Magazine Desk of AJ. Really she is sadist. She not only sucks but also crushes colleagues. I dont know J-gun as hen pecked, but he always roams around blood-sucker licking her shoes. They both hurls cruel jokes on colleagues. That is the reason for my parting company with AJ.

- Gumnami

Anonymous said...

I, atleast have to disagree with one allegation of Sneha about KSR. I don’t know much about him though I met him couple of times, it is utterly wrong to say that he has no pen power. Mr. M Nageswara Rao (known as MNR in Eenadu) told us that Mr. KSR was the only reporter from Eenadu who was allowed to cover the then President of America, Mr. Bill Clinton’s visit to Hitech city (I think we all remember it for long long time. Yes! It was US president’s visit). KSR alone filed eight stories for Eenadu on the day (four or five of them were published on first page), we were told by MNR. Even the author was wrong to quote that his English language was poor. Have you written with first hand information? Check it friend. And, ask him how to be a successful reporter. U will be stunned to know that with simple yet affective ways, with Indian context, he explains (forget all those success stories of foreign journos) to be an effective reporter.

Anonymous said...

Great analysis Sneha! That is the reality. These are the people who talk big and think that they needn't follow what they say,(up to the fools who want to follow what they say) I'm saying this becoz i worked with most of them. You've rightly assessed them

Anonymous said...

ooooooohhhhhh......there is a lot in the print media, which should be truthful otherwise.

Why not sneha or someone like start blogs and set membership fee so that interested readers pay and read the articles....

anyway, i am in no way connected to any media, but reading this blog is givnig me a feeling that "every's one's back has a scratch or stain" feeling.

bye, all, HOPE SENSITIVITIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EARNING 3000/- PER MONTH WORKING AROUND 72 HOURS A WEEK ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION BY BOTH THE POLITICIANS, MEDIA BOSSES, AND JOURNALISTS.....

At last, dont sell lies....because they hurt once we realize.........

happy new year :) bye...

Anonymous said...

now we can expect something newsy output from n channel. heard two subeditors from zee telugu, one entertainment man from maa tv joined narendra chowdhary channel. with ksr at the helm, the news coverage and presentation in the channel may get something above average.
ksr : take the lead not only in the bureau but also in the desk. because you know what happened in vissa tv under the able guidance of satyanarayana and prajanaayakudu ramanujam

Anonymous said...

kommineni gurinchi medialo evariki theliyadu. manchi journalist. manchigaa raasthaadu. aj velugulaku kaaranam ksr kudaa ante athishayokthi kaadu. ayana n channel lo join avadam manchide. maa vissa anubham tho paapam narendra chowdhari anukunnaam. ippudu hammayya anukunnam narendra chowdhary ippudaina melukovaali. raathraanthaa somajiguda pressclublo thaagi bayatikivachchi eenaadu building nu chuusthtuuu raamojini bandabuthulu tidithu marunaadu 1 gantalaku vachchee editornu pettukuni thappu cheshaavu. editorgaa panichesthuu asamardhathaku 'memo' thisukunna vyakthikaa nuvvu paggaalu andhisthunnavu
thasmth jaagrattaa.
villu, villee n channel nu marketing chesukuntaaru.
meluko

Anonymous said...

Sneha, your comments stirred hornet's nest. It is right time for AJ bosses to introspect themselves. Not only Murali, dear Sneha, there are few more good and hard working journos are there behind its success. Allam Narayana, D. Srinivas Reddy and V. Srinivas burned their sweat to lit Andhra Jyothi to its real lights. In AJ bureau also there are nice gentlemen with optimum level of integrity. Vasireddy and M. Sudhakar are first among them. The guy with lowest credibility in the bureau, Mr. Kancharla Yadagiri Reddy, is going out with KSR. He is acting on KSR's behalf to collect and distribute bribed money. KYR recently built a palatial bungalow with his 10% share of booty..... Imagine what is KSR's fortune. Sneha, your comments on Vasanta seem exaggerated. Unlike Jagan, she is good at heart. It is not fair to tie them together. In fact Vasanta is also Mrs. Jagan's victim. As first woman editor in Telugu, we should proud of Vasanta.

---Geetha Pasupuleti

Anonymous said...

sneha,
your analysis is unprofessional and enethical. you are being sadistic in your observations about jagan and vasantha. you are not deserved to be a journalist.

ch.sathyanarayana

Anonymous said...

Dear Sneha,
Your comments about KR Murthy are not correct. Tell one occassion, where he behaved as sadbrahmin. Taking birth in a brahmin family is not his sin. You should know that he brought a good team to andhra jyothy and because of that it is succesful today. Murali, K. Srinivas, V. Srinivas, Krishna Rao(Delhi), Jagan, Vasantha Lakshmi,Allam Naraina are part of his team. Try to judge people by their work but not by just impressions. What is wrong when someone is hen-pecked? After all, in all these years, we heard about pati-vratas. We should congratulate jagan for his affection towards his wife

Rajashekhar

Anonymous said...

Dear Sneha,
Your opinion on Jagan is completely unfounded. Do you know what is Jagan? He is only intellectual in entire KR's team. He is not only successful in his career as journalist, management depends completely on him for its liaison with national and international media related persons. His wife, though not having any responsibility to promote AJ, she whole-heartedly supporting to the paper through her own firm The D-Media. She has good relationship with Vasanta. Don’t propagate your misconceptions.- Raghav

Anonymous said...

We differ with Rajashekar and GEETA’s postings.

Taking birth as Brahmin is not sin, but partial with one particular caste in this 21-century digital era is nasty and it is decreasing the credibility of KR MURTHY.

It’s not just Impression, we are eyewitness years together and we are very much aware of KR Murthy core team. As you listed Murali, K. Srinivas, V. Srinivas, Krishna Rao(Delhi), Jagan, Vasantha Lakshmi,Allam Naraina as his team, we are not saying anything on Murali, Allam Naraina… but check up others credibility.

Every name in the list engaged to fulfill their own interests and they are using AJ as a tool. There is no exception to K.Srinivas, V.Srinivas, Jagan, Vasatha. And you can one more name, T.Kumar, Feature Editors. He is selling AJ space in the name of Spl. Pages. So, don’t claim that KR Murthy is honest and sincere. He is very much partial and guarding his team to meet his personnel intrestes.

Anonymous said...

stop this bloody topic. Vasantha is a good magazine editor in telugu journalism. What is the wrong if Jagan being a hen pecked. sneha is also same catagery. I know very well that.