News Broadcasting
Sony network channels off Siti in Delhi
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The switch-offs have started. Even as the World Cup cricket draws nearer, a face off has developed between Sony Entertainment TV and Zee Group multi-system operator (MSO) Siti Cable. Zee’s cable arm has switched off, since yesterday, the channels of One Alliance on all its networks in Delhi and is threatening that the black-out may spread to other parts of the country too, against what Siti says is Sony’s “arm-twisting”.
“Siti Cable is not carrying Sony bouquet channels in Delhi region (which also includes neighbouring towns like Noida and Faridabad) on its networks because of the arms twisting methods being adopted by Sony,” a senior executive of Siti Cable told indiantelevision.com today morning.
Though the Siti Cable executive did not divulge much details of the face-off with Sony, it was pointed out that Sony recently started demanding not only a hike in the subscription money, but also the subscriber base “without sitting across the table for a proper discussion.”
Sony and Siti Cable, it is learnt from the industry, have an agreement in place for Delhi, signed about four months back, which runs till 31 December.
SET distribution head Shantonu Aditya hit out against Siti’s claims saying: “They haven’t paid us for dues pending since March. Is collecting genuine outstandings arm-twisting?” Aditya says that when the issue had come up for discussions with Siti, the MSO had put forward a proposal to pay the dues in instalments. Queried as to why SET had not cracked on collections during the ICC Champions Trophy in September, Aditya responded: “It was an error of judgment on our part in trusting them and agreeing to their offer (of payments in instalments).”
Aditya says the problem is not just one of outstandings. There is also the issue of underdeclaration. Taking the example of Faridabad city, he says Siti is declaring only 3,000 subscribers. This is unacceptable, he asserts.
Yesterday’s development in Delhi was waiting to happen, it seems. A few days back Sony had switched off some Siti operators in Delhi on alleged non-payment of dues and then switched them on again.
In most parts of Delhi, except the Sony channels, the other bouquet channels had gone missing much before yesterday from those networks which are directly or indirectly affiliated to Siti Cable.
Though Sony has a justifiable claim to ask for an increase in the subscriber base (which currently stands at between 65,000-70,000) from Siti in Delhi, what seems to have irked the latter is the “inadequacy on the part of Sony to properly articulate its demands” and that too before an existing agreement has come to an end.
Keep tuned in for more updates on a new season of face-offs.
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.
