News Broadcasting
BBC chairman Grade emphasises delivery of quality services at lowest price
MUMBAI: A few days ago a seminar on the subject of UK pubcaster The BBC’s licence fee took place. On the occasion BBC chairman Michael Grade pointed out that a proper balance needs to be struck between the public appetite for range and quality on the one hand, and on the other their efficient delivery at the lowest possible price.
“The new BBC Charter establishes new governance arrangements for the BBC, at the core of which lies a clear separation of the new Trust from the BBC executive. It places on the new Trust a clear responsibility to ensure that the licence fee is properly, effectively and efficiently used, and requires it to be fully accountable to those who pay it. We are already proceeding on that basis,” says Grade.
He adds that in its continuing focus on value for money, the BBC’s board of Governors continues to exert pressure on costs. “Any ways which are identified to decrease the cost of the licence fee or to improve what the BBC can offer, will be welcomed by the Board. The licence fee represents a deliberate intervention in the market. The value and benefits of that intervention are well understood, but the wider effects must always remain under scrutiny.”
He went on to state that what the BBC does affects other businesses. “All those with legitimate concerns about the market impact of the BBC should be reassured by the White Paper’s imposition of real and detailed duties on the new Trust. This is not the land of paper promises: the service licences, PVTs and other tools are there to do a job, and to do it transparently. I should also emphasise that our duty to represent the interests of the licence fee payers is not narrowly focussed on what the BBC provides. Our remit extends to safeguarding their interest in sustaining choice in the wider market.”
Grade says that the decision on the level of the licence fee is for the Government alone and it is a complex equation to consider, involving broadcasting aspirations, public appetites, public policy objectives, commercial impact and value for money.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
