News Broadcasting
Discovery to spend $65m. on series meant for HDTV
MUMBAI: Looking ahead to the future, Discovery channel is all set to spend $65 million over the next five years on Atlas HD, an ambitious series of 30 two-hour, documentary specials on countries created specifically for high definition television. The first episode on India is scheduled to air on Discovery and its HD service in 2005.
GIANT MONSTERS: Jeff Corwin’s new special on Animal Planet.
This is all part of Discovery founder chairman John Hendricks’ plan to give his network a much higher profile. Hendricks has already started America’s first 24-hour HDTV subscription service, which provides a variety of Discovery programming in high definition for $8 a month.
Discovery, which is valued by the Wall Street Journal at between $10 billion and $20 billion, has seen earnings expanding 20 per cent annually and views fast-growing markets like India, China and Mexico as key ingredients of its growth recipe, according to information provided by the company.
It also includes a growing roster of fledgling, niche networks available on digital cable. Discovery has also flagged off a chain of 154 retail stores.
Over the next five years, Hendricks plans to spend nearly $1 billion on new, original programming, part of a bid to make the channels more regular viewing destinations than channel-surfing rest stops. He also intends to relaunch the digital channel Discovery Civilization as Discovery Times next month , the result of a $100 million partnership with the New York Times that will feature the newspaper’s reporters and columnists in shows that examine issues of the day.
Hendricks will soon announce an agreement to produce, air and release feature-length documentaries by major directors such as Michael Apted, Barbara Kopple and DA Pennebaker as well as start airing a news-oriented documentary on Discovery each month.
Company officials say the challenge before Discovery right now is to get viewers to think that it is more than a nature channel. Viewership has slowly but steadily dropped over the past year, and though its costly, one-time productions, like Blue Planet and James Cameron’s Bismarck, continue to draw millions of viewers, the channel has always had trouble holding an audience from one show to the next.
One issue that Discovery doesn’t worry too much about is ratings. Total audiences should keep growing is the bottom line. It is with just such growth that Discovery has recently been able to sell big advertisers like Procter & Gamble, General Motors and Taco Bell on the kind of multichannel deals previously reserved for big players like Viacom, News Corp. and Disney. “We’ve got all the elements in place, and I think we’re ahead of the game,” Hendricks is quoted as saying.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
