News Broadcasting
ABP’s Punjabi foray on hold, for now
MUMBAI: Everyone is feeling the pinch of the bad economic conditions in the country and news channels seem to be hit hard by it.
According to sources, the Punjabi news channel that MCCS was planning to launch has been postponed to sometime in end-2013, due to the difficult phase that the industry is going through Although no date was fixed, sources had told indiantelevision.com, that it would be sometime in September or October.
“News media is going through difficult and painful times and we are waiting for things to settle down,” says a source from the organisation. ABP already has a foothold in Hindi (ABP News), Marathi (ABP Majha) and Bengali (ABP Ananda).
The news network had decided to expand into regional languages or Tier II cities as it felt it had saturated the potential in the metros. It had identified Punjabi as the first of the languages that it would launch. Sources in MCCS say that the company is reaping good profits and the delay is due to the overall financial conditions of the genre and the fact that it was still waiting to be granted an uplink license from the ministry of information and broadcasting.
Recently, Network 18 laid off more than 350 employees and Bloomberg slashed its rolls by 30 as well. Tough times are peeling off the skin from the news sector.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
