Harjap Singh Aujla

A decade ago no one could imagine that Punjabi TV programs will ever be produced in a viable way within the United States. At one time Zee-Alpha-Punjabi was the only Punjabi TV channel available in America. But in 2007, a brave enterprising lady Penny Kaur Sandhu picked up the courage to launch an indigenous Punjabi channel on her own. Soon, a well connected socially and religiously committed soul Sardar Rabinder Singh Bhamra came as a God sent benefactor on the scene to get Penny the much needed logistic, community and financial support. Thus “Jus Punjabi” television channel saw the light of the day in New York area. Initially it was at best a rag tag TV channel. But the unflinching determination of its founder and a persistent visionary Penny Sandhu paid huge dividends and several local programs were conceived and produced in its own studios located in Long Island area of Queens Boro of New York city. Today this channel is a leader in the field of indigenous Punjabi TV production and transmission in North America.

In 2009, when PTC Punjabi was launched in America on DirecTV platform, it expressed its determination of producing some of its programs locally too. But it took more than a year to assemble just a solitary talk show studio in Manhattan Borough of New York city. After initial hiccups, from January 2011, its outdoor production, a news magazine show “NRI WORLD” started becoming a runaway hit in India, Canada and the United States. Demands came from all over India to repeatedly air about less than a dozen of such programs hosted by Sumandeep Kaur. But in June of 2011, all of a sudden, Sumandeep Kaur parted ways with the New York affiliate of PTC Punjabi and started looking for better opportunities elsewhere in the television industry.

Penny Sandhu, with whom Sumandeep Kaur had worked earlier in “Jus Punjabi”, prior to her joining the PTC affiliate in New York, all along knew her merit and worth. In January of 2012, Sumandeep Kaur jumped on the bandwagon of “Jus Punjabi”, where she is the programming manager now and is serving the channel to the best of her acumen and capabilities. The stamp of professional and innovative genius of Penny Sandhu and Sumandeep Kaur can be easily seen in some of the shows of “Jus Punjabi”. Some of the commercials with Penny Sandhu’s vision and Sumandeep Kaur’s input are already creating a pleasant impact.

Since April 9th 2012, Penny came up with a brand new program called “The Morning Hour” on the pattern of some American early hour shows. Hosted jointly by Sumandeep Kaur and another brilliant broadcaster Madhvi Gupta at 9:00am Eastern Time, this show has started making waves from its very first episode. It has several attractive segments including news, views, health, fitness, make-up, entertainment and fashion segments. It is a high speed magazine show. In spite of its odd time, those who watch it are getting hooked to it. Madhvi Gupta used to work in marketing, but her partial switch to actual broadcasting has met with great success. Her exclusive program “Restaurant Review” is one of the eagerly watched shows.  

“Jus Punjabi” was the first Punjabi channel in America to undertake live video production and transmission of important events of the community in America. The annual landmark event “Sikh Day Parade in New York” has been covered live by the “Jus Punjabi” team almost every year for the past four years. “PTC Punjabi”, a new entrant into the field, undertook its own parallel live broadcast in April of 2011. Both channels put their best foot forward. “Jus Punjabi” had a large contingent of broadcasters led by Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba and Penny Sandhu was directing her team from the outdoor broadcasting van hired especially for the live telecast. Rabinder Singh Bhamra very ably assisted Lamba as the alternate anchor. “PTC Punjabi” team was led by Sumandeep Kaur. Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba was armed with a vast knowledge of Sikh history and Gurbani and he displayed mastery over Standard Punjabi. PTC’s lead anchor Sumandeep Kaur’s assets included her charisma, energy, poise and elocution. In the end both channels ended up with honors even. The viewers in India, the Middle East and Australia saw it live on PTC Punjabi. In PTC Punjabi’s repeat broadcast, the New Delhi head office of PTC also chipped in to enhance the impact of the marathon event with the state of the art technical gadgetry and manpower at its disposal. A third channel “Day and Night News” of Chandigarh also recorded a two hour capsule for a time delayed use. Thus the “Sikh Day Parade 2011” has become the most recorded and covered live event in the USA.

After this mega event, PTC Punjabi successfully undertook two more live and time delayed Sikh Nagar Kirtan and Gurdwara religious celebration events during the same year. “Jus Punjabi” ventured away from New York also and admirably covered one Sikh Parade from Yuba City California three years ago. People in California and elsewhere still remember this landmark event.

Jus Punjabi has several live programs daily, which include “Jus Galbaat”, “Khidi Dupehar” and “Mudda”. Out of these “Jus Galbaat” is the most intellectual in nature. PTC Punjabi has also started approximately half an hour per day of indigenous production in its studios in New York City and Toronto (Ontario). A few years ago even Alpha-etc-Punjabi was toying with the idea of producing a few Punjabi programs in America too. What happened to its plans is anybody’s guess? PTC has been looking for new full time anchors and their efforts are paying off.

The Sikh Day Parade of 2012 was also covered by several internet and Dish Network channels. Both leading Dish Network channels, the PTC Punjabi and Jus Punjabi made live relays. This time Jus Punjabi opted primarily for a single anchor system. But PTC repeated last year’s format with a female lead anchor in Gurmeet Sodhi and three side anchors to assist her. But in Irvinder Singh Ahluwalia (Walia) PTC imported a new commentator anchor from India and that made all the difference. His excellent knowledge of history and complete mastery over oratory was unmatched.

Two more Chandigarh based channels, the Sada Channel led by Gurmel Singh Sidhu (Sidhu Damdami) and “Day and Night News” led by Kanwar Sandhu, have expressed their intention to be re-launched in North America. Both channels were available in America in 2011. Sada Channel went off the air in February of 2011 and “Day and Night News” went off the air in October 2011. When will they be back in America is still a question mark? 

The numbers of Punjabis is increasing in North America and so is the prosperity of those who came in this part of the world years ago. This emerging scenario is the harbinger of great things to happen in the field of Punjabi art and culture in America and Canada.