AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON THE OPPORTUNITIES IN VISUAL MEDIA & THE NEED TO UP SKILL ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

The Indian Media Industry has reached Rs. 1.5 trillion in 2017 with a growth of 13% over previous years (FICCI, 2018). It was indeed expected to reach Rs. 1.66 trillion by 2017 from its Rs. 82,000 Crores in 2012 with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.2 %, foresees media experts in their analysis (KPMG, 2013). It is expected to reach Rs. 2 trillion by 2020 at CAGR of 11.6%, with a wide scope for digital advertising till 2020. The growth in TV industry is 11.2% and film grew with 27% in 2017 (FICCI, 2018). This clearly indicates the significant progress in the TV & film industry, which has job opportunities for young aspirants having employable skills. The media industry irrespective of the medium has matured technologically by digitizing, yet identifying the skilled professional from the academic institution for visual media is laborious and unfavorable. The recruiters mostly rely on the references from those in the industry than institutions offering media programmes on one hand; as a flip of the coin, it has been demanding to the institutions to get campus placement. The emptiness appears to exist between the visual media industry and the majority of the UGC recognised institutions. The age-old syllabus and theoretical pedagogy have been one of the primary hindrances to up skill in teaching concepts, theories, and imbibing practicality particularly in visual media subjects. The academic privations in facets like resources, infrastructures, laboratories, broadcasting audio and video equipments, systems, software's and applications and most importantly the facilitator who transforms a learner to a media professional with employable skills to suit industry, has barricaded the entry of a student to the industry. It is been observed, the students opt for desk jobs in news channels and print publication or get in the Public Relation & Communication stream rather than trying for avenues in creative, technical and management areas. Few academicians at institutions agree to the existing lacking and opine that the authorities at the education board and the Ministry of Higher Education at both the State level and Central level have critically failed to recognise media studies as a professional course to the extent it deserves, causing limitation in evolving an institution offering professional programmes in media studies. The study focuses on assessing the employable skills imparted to learners and the professional skills the learner should possess during the course and suggest effective recommendations with regard to television industry profiles.