News Broadcasting
Cine association panel meeting to decide action in Kher case
The Cine TV and Artistes Association (CTVAA) on Thursday weighed into the dispute between sacked former host Anupam Kher and Zee Telefilms over the suspension of the problem-plagued game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).
As Zee desperately tried damage control measures to deal with the snowballing ruckus surrounding the sacking of Kher and co-host Manisha Koirala from SDCK, it got an unexpected shot in the arm from the CTVAA. Association Secretary Dharmesh Tiwari categorically denied the CTVAA had anything to do with the statements attributed to committee member Raza Murad that letters had been sent to Zee and Ashutosh Rana, the man the rumour mill says will replace Kher, seeking an explanation from both parties.
Murad was quoted on Wednesday as having said that the CTVAA had sought a clarification from Zee following receipt of a complaint from Kher over the manner in which Kher’s services were terminated. Murad also said that Rana was asked to explain why he didn’t secure a no objection certificate from Kher before beginning negotiations with Zee.
Tiwari clarified that unless the committee met and debated any issue no one was authorised to issue statements. He admitted the CTVAA had received a complaint from Kher but said the committee was still to meet to take up the matter. The meeting would take place in the next two days, he assured indiantelevision.com.
Asked how Murad could have made statements if he had no authority, Tiwari said unless the CTVAA committee had a chance to get Murad’s version of the situation, he could not comment.
Meanwhile, Kher himself has left the matter to the courts and doesn’t propose to follow up on any further action other than what he has already initiated. When contacted, Kher said the matter will come up for hearing in the next few days and his lawyers would take it from there.
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.
