News Broadcasting
TCL, Thomson announce merger; will create TV-DVD behemoth
MUMBAI: French electronics major Thomson SA and TCL International Holdings Limited, the leading multimedia consumer electronic products manufacturer in China, today announced the signing of a binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture company TCL-Thomson Electronics.
The merger of the two groups will create the world’s biggest television maker. According to a joint statement issued by the two companies, annual shipment is expected to reach 18 million units after merger. TCL-Thomson will have leading market presence in Asia, Europe and North America and cost-efficient industrial presence near all major consumer markets, the statement says. The joint venture is two-thirds owned by TCL and one-third by Thomson.
The marriage between TCL, with its leading position in the China market, and Thomson, a major player in North America and Europe, will achieve significant revenue and operational synergies, the statement says.
The new company will be principally engaged in the development, manufacturing and distribution of a full range of television and DVD products. It will adopt a multi-brand strategy, using differing brands to penetrate different markets.
The TCL brand will be the key brand used in the Asian and emerging markets, while the Thomson brand will be the major brand in Europe, and the RCA brand in North America. Other brands of the parents will also be promoted in response to market needs.
The new company will have an extensive sales network offering full coverage in China via 20,000 sales outlets, and in North America and Europe via major retailers
TCL is slated take over the venture within 18 months, Thomson said. That deal would involve a share swap that would make Thomson the largest shareholder of the Chinese company, which currently has a market value of $1 billion, Reuters reports.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
