News Broadcasting
DD shows may come on MTNL, BSNL broadband service
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Corporation is attempting to keep up with the times and distribution of DD — and maybe even All India Radio — programmes via a broadband service is one such option on a barter basis where actual cash transactions are eliminated.
While DD programmes on the BSNL broadband network are likely to start off with 35 cities as BSNL has operations in more cities than MTNL, which runs telephony networks in Mumbai and Delhi.
The Corporation has joined hands with yet-to-be-fully corporatised telecom giants Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Ltd. (MTNL) which have a telecom network across the country and are laying fibre optics to delivery of other value added services apart from just telephony and Internet.
Since all the three concerned, Prasar Bharati, MTNL and BSNL, still function as quasi government organisations, the idea is to go in for a barter system where in exchange of content supplied by DD for the telecom companies’ broadband and cable services, airtime will be given to the two organisations on various DD channels.
Reiterating that a memorandum of agreement had been signed by Prasar Bharati with BSNL and MTNL some time back, sources in both BSNL and MTNL indicated that initially DD programmes would be carried on the optic fibre cable network being laid by the two telecom giants.
Core groups have been formed in Prasar Bharati, MTNL and BSNL for this purpose and the groups will look into the aspect of having more synergies between the content providers and carriers.
Both MTNL and BSNL are looking at having other private satellite channels too to hop on to their OFC networks so that the bouquet is attractive enough not only for viewers, but also advertisers.
Though an OFC network will have a lot of bandwidth for carrying a huge amount of content, both data and otherwise, initially Prasar Bharati would like to have five channels on such a network. These channels are likely to be DD National, DD Metro, DD Sports, a regional channel depending on the area of the network, and, possibly, DD Bharti, the art,culture and kids’ channel.
While MTNL is likely to start its broadband service early next year, BSNL will take a slightly longer time to commission its services.
Meanwhile, BSNL has invited EOIs (expressions of intent) from private companies to run its proposed cable TV services in 84 cities across the country, including Delhi’s satellite towns of Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. BSNL proposes to run these services on franchisee model for its 34 million wiring customers through its OFC network.
Earlier also, Prasar Bharati had been in talks with organisations like MTNL, BSNL and the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, India’s international telecom carrier, for starting a KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) television service. These talks did not yield much result considering the amount of investment that would have been needed for a DTH service in India.
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.
