Seen from the Sidewings...
By Richie Lasrado
Resident Editor, Daijiworld.com, Mangalore
Pics by Vivek Pinto and Sujay Bendur
It was no easy mission to handle a task of an intended four-hour-long live coverage of the proceedings at the airport. The aspects of high security in view of the VIPs' presence, the distance from one venue to the other, frequent physical movement from one end to the other of the terminal, logistics for the equipment, setting up of the workstation - it was all a great challenge.
Welcome arch near the aiport entrance
We had sought the airport authorities' clearance days ahead. In between our team had also visited the airport to study the requirements, facilities available etc. Airport director M R Vasudeva was extremely cooperative. So was the security head Appachu. To avoid the late-hour rush, we cleared ourselves through the security three hours ahead of the function.
Airport director M R Vasudeva with the Daijiworld Live Newscast Team - Praveen Tauro, Richie Lasrado, Viju Mangalore, Vitori Karkal and Sujay Bendur
We got into the exclusively allotted space for our workstation on top. It was a vantage point with direct view of the aircraft taxiing towards the arrival lounge available. But there were some shortfalls, which were overcome with the extremely helpful gestures on the part of the security staff and the electrical and other maintenance staff. Electrical contractor Laxman made available an electrical point for us at the most difficult corner.
A section of Daijiworld's workstation
The very fact that the proceedings would be shown live through instant text and pictures to the whole world through the Internet seemed to have enthused and spurred everyone. Our makeshift studio invited curious stares and gazes from passers-by and also from the airport, airline and security staff.
Although the appointed time to begin the newscast was 5 pm IST, with everything in place well ahead of the schedule by 4 pm, the team did not have anything else to do than start the action. It only needed a green signal from the team leader. And, here we go, we said, about 40 minutes in advance.
At the venue of the function about two hundred metres away from the other end of the terminal building, it was more pleasant a surprise to see the audience present in good strength having assembled in time, besides a few VIPs, public figures and community leaders.
Once union civil aviation minister Praful Patel landed by a special aircraft, the function began without wasting any time. Every detail of protocol and other aspects was properly handled. The execution of event management by Lion Kripa Alva's Utsav team deserves praise.
The charming, competent compere of the evening Malini Hebbar
The time management of the function was well looked after by Toastmaster Malini Hebbar of the English Department, St Agnes College, who did the compering in both English and Kannada remarkably well. She did not hesitate to remind the netas about the value of time and need to suppress the urge to harangue the audience at any available opportunity.
The speaker who impressed everyone, in spite of speaking right in the end and longer than expected, was none other than the suave, polished union civil aviation minister Praful Patel. With a clear diction, he had facts and statistics flowing out without let or hindrance. The way he rattled out over a dozen names of well-known places of Karnataka may have created envious admiration in our own state's leaders.
The only jarring note about the function was that it got over long after the inaugural flight had landed and the passengers remained tantalizingly holed up inside the aircraft until the netas came to welcome them.
It was a rare occasion for the most people assembled to see the operation of four different airlines - Alliance Air, Jet Air, Deccan AViation and Air India Express on a single runway on a single day in Mangalore
The readers have read the rest of the story already in our reports.
The entire eight-hour operation, forgoing intake of even water, was great fun, nevertheless. The unprecedented visitor load of over 100,000 at a time for a few hours was the only dampener. But, on the positive side, it was only a reassurance of quality readership support to our portal.
The most startling fact was that although we announced that the telecast would begin at 5 pm IST, the portal visitor load-related jamming experienced right from 4 pm only proved that our readers had started surfing it much earlier, with all eagerness and with bated breath.
Maybe a precaution for us to be better prepared the next time. Until then, keep surfing in any case...
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