News Broadcasting
News Corp, Liberty Media exploring DirecTV bid
COLORADO: Media conglomerates Liberty Media and News Corp are exploring the possibility of jointly acquiring top U.S. satellite TV service DirecTV. Liberty owns an 18 per cent stake in News Corp.
Liberty Media’s CEO Robert Bennett has been quoted in a Reuters report saying that News Corp would be the preferred partner. Rupert Murdoch has been trying for quite a while now to get his hands on DirecTV as this would give News Corp the missing piece of a global satellite network. It would be financially advantageous for the two parties to proceed together as opposed to launching separate bids.
Earlier this year, the proposed merger between Echostar and Hughes fell through. This was because the US anti-trust officials felt that consumers in rural areas without access to cable TV would have no choice but to subscribe to the merged group’s services.
The federal communications commission (FFC) had voted unanimously to oppose the merger. The merger would have created the largest pay TV service. The FCC should not have a problem if General Motors is favourable towards the joint bid as News Corp does not have a strong presence in the US satellite market.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
