News Broadcasting
James Murdoch meets cable ops; makes another pitch for easing of DTH terms
Even as the government is readying to formalise the implementation of the conditional access system (CAS), chairman of the Hong Kong-based Star Group Ltd, James Murdoch, met up with some cable operators in a five-star hotel in Delhi on 2 May. The agenda: CAS and under-declaration of cable households by most cable operators in the country.
According to one of the cable operators who attended the afternoon meeting with Murdoch: “We got a feeling that Mr Murdoch is not very happy with the impending introduction of CAS as he kept on stressing the fact most broadcasters lose (subscription) money in India because under-declaration is rampant.”
The informal meeting with Murdoch was attended by about five big independent and vocal cable operators of Delhi. Also present was Star India chief executive, Peter Mukerjea.
Both Murdoch and Mukerjea (who otherwise is Mumbai-based), along with some other senior executives of Star, had been camping in Delhi for the last three to four days. The two Ms of Star, reportedly, left the Capital on Thursday after some power meetings and parties held during the past few days, including a much-talked about party hosted by the former journalist-turned-TV-anchor-turned-politician, Rajya Sabha (upper house) Member of Parliament Rajeev Shukla.
A frequent visitor to India these days, Murdoch, according to industry sources, also took this chance to lobby hard for some relaxation in the policy guidelines involving KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) TV service.
But, point out senior government officials, a change in the existing DTH policy (which includes a 20 per cent cap on the shareholding of a media company in a DTH venture) is “highly unlikely at this juncture.”
On being asked the reason, explained an official: “How can the government bring about a change in the DTH policy at a time when a company has already applied for a DTH licence. Making changes would be unfair for the little known company which has sought a licence.”
Government officials have confirmed that Mumbai-based Space TV has applied for a DTH licence. Though the government is not clear, but industry sources insist that Space TV is fronting for Star Group which is natural since Star as a company cannot, and would not, apply for a DTH licence if it has to keep within the limitations of the various policy restrictions.
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.
