Despite stitching up one of the biggest media deals in recent times, TV18’s Raghav Bahl is among four media persons who have crashed out of the Indian Express list of the 100 most powerful people in the year of the lord 2012.
N. Ram, the former editor-in-chief of The Hindu (No. 73 in last year’s list) finds himself in the doghouse having remitted office recently, as does Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami (No. 90), who had edged out NDTV’s Barkha Dutt in the 2011 ranking. Also out is Sun TV boss Kalanidhi Maran (No. 38).
One media figure makes a lateral entry: the new press council chairman, Justice Markandey Katju.
The number of media people in the Express list of India’s most powerful continues to drop. There are seven media people in the 2012 power list, as opposed to 11 in 2009, 12 in 2010, and 10 in 2011.
As in the past, the list contains a bit of trivia.
#No. 67, Samir Jain and Vineet Jain, The Times of India group: “The elder brother is an ardent follower of a Bombay-based guruji, whom he calls ‘bhagwaan’.”
# No. 69, Sanjay Gupta and Mahendra Mohan Gupta, Dainik Jagran: “Sanjay loves watching Hollywood films while M.M. Gupta likes Hindi film songs of the sixties.”
# No. 71, Shobhana Bhartia, Hindustan Times: “She is a fitness freak.”
# No. 72, Uday Shankar, Star India: “He enjoys cooking Indian food. He loves experimenting so much that he never repeats a dish.”
# No. 73, Arun Shourie: “The prolific writer’s next book is an ‘expanded’ edition of Falling over backwards, which he had written in 2006, arguing against the reservation policy and judicial populism.”
# No. 80, Aveek Sarkar, Ananda Bazaar Patrika group: “He is passionate about art and has a large collection of works from the Bengal school of art and the Raj era.”
# No. 83, Justice Markandey Katju, press council chairman: “It’s not just Urdu poet Ghalib whom Katju likes, he is equally fond of Sanskrit poet Kalidas.”
As in previous years, Indian Express does not reveal how the list was arrived at or who the jury members were, although it asks readers to write to the jury (ie100@expressindia.com) “if you disagree with our jury”.
The tabloid supplement carrying the 2012 list has been “presented” by Central Park, a developer, and Campus shoes. The lead sponsor like last year is IRB infrastructure developers.
Among the advertisers is Nobel Hygiene which makes adult diapers.
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2011 list: Arnab Goswami edges out Barkha Dutt
2010 list: Arun Shourie more powerful than media pros
2009 list: 11 habits of highly successful media people
IJR 
I am not surprised that these two socialist blabber-mouths have crashed out of the list.
But I was definitely surprised to see them in the initial so-called power list.
That people like Arnab and N Ram can wield power in a 5000 year civilisation like India must be a joke on all Indians.
I am shocked.
A lot of people will take a sigh of relief for this. Unfortunately, they have been replaced by similar lots. Not excited by the names replacing them. Markandey Katju is a name that some people in Bihar would like to stay away from.
Muktidooth Majid from Muktidooth media, Dacca, Bangladesh appreciating you.