Harbaldeep Singh is a happy man. His patience and hard work seem to have paid off as he awaits the launch of the new TV Show, ‘What’s Up’, which he conceived with his partner Dr.Sudarshan Chatterjee, scheduled to hit the airwaves on Sunday, Feb 2 ( on Pax 68 from 9 AM-10 AM).

“It’s going to be a show like no other,” he tells us. “The need for a show that caters to the multi ethnic communities in the area has never been more. We have Indian shows, various Asian and Spanish shows but none that brings together all these communities. No existing company supports the American ethos in its entirety. At PTI we are all set to meet this compatibility challenge of integrating different ethnic groups, at the same time attracting mainstream American TV viewers with this weekly one hour show. Our Chairman and Founder Dr. Sudarshan Chatterjee and I put this whole idea into motion.

We’ll have news, interviews, movie reviews, snazzy car news, recipes and more! But our main focus is the viewer. Ours will be an interactive TV show where the viewer can, by the click of the mouse of his/her computer decide what program to have on ‘What’s Up’. We will take every suggestion and remark into consideration while planning our shows!”

Harbal, an engineer by training moved to the US about six years ago. His passion, he says has always been the entertainment industry and the media. Having worked as a software professional for ten years, and after completing his diploma in film making from BFVF (Boston Film and Video Foundation), Harbal took the giant leap by changing gears and conceptualizing a revolutionary idea.

“We have developed a new concept, our company’s name says it all, PTI Media Network, where PTI stands for Publication, Television and Internet. Publishing and the television medium are merging with the internet in these revolutionary times and this synergy is fast becoming an all encompassing business medium. We will take advantage of this budding resource and bring the fruits of our labor to our viewers and our clients.” Apart from ‘What’s Up’, PTI will also publish a weekly newspaper in print and maintain an interactive website. The newspaper ’Ethnic American Times’ promises Harbal, will provide the readers with world news, news about the community and essays on socially relevant issues. “Our team comprises some very motivated people, we all love a challenge and are enthusiastic about taking this endeavor out into the whole world one day.” The team includes Dr. Sudarshan Chatterjee (Chairman and Founder),Mr. Shailesh Baid (President, Event Management), Ms. Vimi Verma and Mr. Ravi Pattisam among others.

Harbal has written, acted in and directed various plays that have been featured in community shows in the area and he has also played the lead role in a locally produced English film, Perceive. He was also the assistant cinematographer for the Independent film ’Comedy of Shadows’ that was shot in Boston.

“My experience in the media is a great asset, I believe that I can carry through this show, I feel I can sense the pulse of the people and can deliver them the entertainment that they have craved all along. And Dr. Chatterjee has even penned a novel and is no stranger to the print world.” He says earnestly.

“We are so excited about this show, we are waiting to see the response of our first viewers. Last August at the IAGB Indian independence day program at the Hatch Shell, we conducted a survey by polling hundreds of people and got a rare glimpse into the entertainment needs of the community as a whole. We then planned and executed the show idea around that. It helped to know that Sunday mornings are a popular time for folks to sit around and watch their favorite TV show. Which we hope, we will be someday soon.” Beams Harbal.

“Song countdowns, dance competitions, legal advice, recipe help and even a doctor’s segment will be aired. Our Chief editor, area Cardiologist Dr. Sudarshan Chatterjee will provide the latest information on healthcare and medicine and medical needs of mainstream Americans and Ethnic Americans.”

The show will be aired from 9 am -10 am on Sundays on PAX 68, and it will be hosted by Shveta Sinha, winner of last year's Miss India New England pageant.

Harbal, who lives in Andover with his wife Rajni and three year old daughter Tanya, says that their support and understanding has been a great blessing in his life. “I work at all hours, sometimes late into the night and into the early hours. I’m fortunate to have a partner who understands and supports my conviction.”

As we prepare to leave, Harbal is joined by another enthusiastic team member, Joe Grayton who is the advertising manager of PTI. “I am very excited too and optimistic about this project. We are certain this will be a turning point in the entertainment scene in New England and beyond.” He says.

We meet the PTI team again at the IAGB Republic day function at The Burlington High School on Jan 25th. People throng the PTI booth, some go in front of the camera to take advantage of a rare opportunity to be on TV, some curious folk talk to the team about the show. The evening ends with a raffle drawn in favor of Dr. Aruna Sachdev who wins a DVD player, courtesy PTI Media Network.
Harbal looks tired but triumphant at the end of the evening." The response has been tremendous. We will not disappoint our viewers and that is a promise." We caught Dr. Chatterjee at the booth and he said " Our idea to bring communities together bore fruition when we developed this media company covering ethnic communities in the East Coast." Lokvani wishes PTI network and its partners success in their endeavor.

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