It was only at the end of last night’s Big 5@10 that the viewer found something worth paying attention to in the so-called debate between Tarek Fatah and Shehzad Poonawalla.

Poonawalla – Congress Secretary (Maharashtra) – and Fatah – self-styled reformer – had not let each other talk without hurling insults at each other for 15 straight minutes, when CNN News18 anchor Bhupendra Chaubey decided it was time to end the segment.

He was about to state the reason why he had decided to host Fatah and Poonawalla on his primetime show.

Chaubey: The reason why we were having this debate was to figure out…

Fatah: To figure out how the TRPs would go up. What else? Why would you want to talk to me…

This was perhaps the most reasoned statement to have come out of Fatah in his entire stint on television news in India. Fatah is on target when he explains his presence on primetime panels: the entertainment that he and others of his ilk provide is an eyeball-grabber that news programming has milked for TRPs for so long that it’s now boring to even remark on.

Indeed, primetime is not about news or reasoned opinions and discussions. It is about entertaining the audience with drawing-room discussions and incessant tu-tu-main-main between people of opposing views. In most cases, these people are either party spokespersons or have their allegiance to a particular political party. Consequently, the idea is not to hammer out cohesive points of view, but to show (or beat) the other person down.

Sure, there are exceptions, like recently with TV news’ reporting on Sasikala Vs OPS. But, by and large, the format is to get people on opposite ends of the political spectrum together and get them to fight. For such a format, the participants need only dabble in base generalisations and ascribe random motives to each other. So you had Poonawalla labelling Fatah an “ISI agent” last night even as Fatah stated that Poonawalla gets directions from Chota Shakeel. Both were unable to put out a single, logical argument in their favour because the “debate” quickly descended into third-rate, personal barbs. Sample this:

Poonawalla: Tu visa le kar aya hai mere desh main [you came here on visa]

Fatah: Tu Muhammad Bin Qasim ke saath aya hai [you came with Muhammad Bin Qasim]

Note the use of the word “tu” instead of milder (more respectful) terms like “aap” or “tum” in a formal discussion such as this, between two people who aren’t exactly friends.

To be fair, Chaubey and gang on CNN News18 aren’t the only ones to pass off tamashas as primetime news. Former Times Now Editor Arnab Goswami had mastered the art of dishing out episode after episode with rants and arguments that viralled faster than cat videos. So much so that it inspired catchy mash-ups like “never ever” and “dented and painted”. Much of Times Now’s primetime offerings have thrived on some form of verbal violence or bullying.

At the other, less-sophisticated end of the spectrum are channels like News 24, IBN7 and ABP that promote thugs like Swami Om Ji. In one of IBN7’s news offerings, Om ji and self-proclaimed astrologer Deepa Sharma got into a slap fight. The segment was reported on by almost every media organisation and achieved what all TV news channels vie for: TRPs and clicks.

Coming back to Chaubey and co, Poonawalla has alleged that Fatah hit him during the recording of the show in a video that he put up on Twitter. Fatah is not seen hitting Poonawalla at any point when the show was on air. Towards the end of the programme, though, Chaubey got up from his chair and came between the two of them seemingly in an attempt to stop a physical fight from ensuing. But how long till we see TV news allow or even egg an actual fight on live television just for the eyeballs? Surely, the natural progression from constant name-calling and verbal spats will be towards actual physical fights.

TV news is evidently at a point of no return. We’ve seen that with the Sheena Bora case, the JNU row, controversies around Salman Khan and Abu Azmi. We’ve sensed it while watching Aaj Tak, NDTV, Times Now, ABP News, and the list could go on. Rating points will remain the undisputed king and news, the loser. Under the circumstances, Chaubey feeling sad at yesterday’s events seems a little disingenuous. Aren’t we reaping the seeds we have sown?

Update: The story has been corrected to state that the slap fight between Om Ji and Deepa Kumar had occurred on IBN7 and not News24

The author can be contacted at manisha.pande1110@gmail.com and on Twitter @MnshaP