News Broadcasting
BBC’s Asian Network to cover Bollywood
MUMBAI: BBC’s radio station Asian Network will launch on 16 June its flagship weekend Bollywood show, Love Bollywood.
Passionate and irreverent in style, Saturday’s four-hour show will focus on the latest Bollywood releases and star interviews, and Sunday’s four-hour show will bring you the industry hits – classic and new – that shape the world’s biggest film industry.
This new show will be completely interactive and listeners will take centre stage in its production.
Sheetal Parmar who is the show’s producer says, “Love Bollywood is an in-depth look at Bollywood films, the stars and the industry, but for the first time, it’ll be predominantly about the audience and their experience of it.
“Many British Asians have been brought up with Bollywood and it’s a part of their cultural make-up whether they like it or not! The audience will decide what we discuss and listen to through message boards, phone-ins and an exclusive ‘rant line’.
“It’ll give back to them what they want and more – for example industry-related issues like new media moguls who are diversifying the cultural background of Bollywood, which means we’re seeing more gutsy and culturally challenging films. It’s ambitious and bold, and very exciting to be able to produce something like this.”
Bollywood “it boys” Raj and Pablo will be presenting on Saturday, whilst Asian Network and Zee TV’s Murtz will present on Sunday with BBC Radio 1’s Rajini Vaidynathan.
Raj and Pablo, who currently present Film Café, say: “We are over the moon to be presenting the BBC’s Love Bollywood. One of the most exciting and innovative things about our new show is that not only are we going to be interacting with the movie makers, stars, producers and directors but also the listeners. We’ll also be part of a new exciting and dynamic team and all four of us will get the opportunity to present with each other.”
Vaidynathan says, “People might think it’s a bit odd me doing this with a background from News, but anyone who knows me will know I’m mad about Bollywood, just like most British Asians who’ve been brought up on a diet of Bollywood films. I’m really happy to be involved with something so different, and to be able to indulge in a guilty pleasure.”
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.
