My show’s blunt, it caused inconvenience for BJP govt: Nikhil Wagle on TV9 Marathi taking his show off-air

On Thursday evening, veteran Marathi journalist Nikhil Wagle announced on Twitter that his popular prime time show has been taken off air by TV9 Marathi. What was the explanation was given by the management? None, claimed Wagle. Within minutes, his tweets attracted reactions from journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai and Nidhi Razdan.

Wagle, a freelance journalist, had started hosting Sadetod – slotted at 9 pm – on TV9 Marathi from May 1. However, barely three months later, Wagle claimed, “Kal raat ko unhone mujhe kaha ki upar se order aaye hai ki aapka show band karna hai. I told him [Managing Editor Umesh Kumawat] –Mera contract hai tumhare company ke saath – both parties should give one month notice (Last night, I was told that the management has asked to stop my show. I told him [Kumawat] that I had a contract with the company both parties should give one month notice.)”

According to Wagle, so far there has been no written communication from the management. He said even though the contract of his show was offered by those in the top management of TV9 group, the local channel management had started creating trouble for the past month.

When asked what could be the reason for the management’s decision, Wagle told Newslaundry, “I did some sensitive shows on the farmers’ protest in Maharashtra. It has exposed the [state] government’s policies. Obviously, the people in the ruling party [BJP] were not happy with me.”

He pointed out that this could be a reason for taking his show off-air. “These BJP people are always touchy about my show. When Congress and NCP were in power, they were touchy about my show. Because mera show blunt hota hai, (my show is blunt),” Wagle said.

TV9 Marathi is part of the TV 9 group owned by the Associated Broadcasting Company Private Ltd, which is headquartered in Hyderabad.

The TV9 Marathi management told Newslaundry that Wagle’s show was not doing “as per expectations and the numbers were not good”. However, the veteran Marathi journalist believed otherwise. According to him, Sadetod had “definitely” made its place in amongst “the top five Marathi news shows”.

He believes that over the past decade he had built a loyal audience base. The former IBN Lokmat editor-in-chief had hosted the popular primetime show – Aajcha Sawal – at Lokmat and, “it was top of the charts,” said Wagle.

Meanwhile, the TV9 Marathi management in its official communication said they are “shocked to see his tweets”. Human Resources manager Ranjeet Kumar told Newslaundry, “We respect Nikhil ji as a senior journalist. It is shocking to see his tweet with misinformation.”

According to Kumar, the management had given him one month time to achieve certain parameters and Wagle had accepted it. “When he could not meet what he promised, the management has decided to change the time of his programme. Today in the name of oral and written communication, he wants to litigate for personal benefit,” Kumar said. He also termed Wagle’s tweets “unprofessional”.

Meanwhile, Wagle has said that if he doesn’t get any written response from the management by tomorrow, he will take “legal actions” against the channel.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @tweets_amit.