News Broadcasting
Ad campaign urges cable trade to pay service tax
MUMBAI: The directorate general of service tax and the local central excise office has issued an advertisement in all publications today, urging cable operators to pay the five per cent service tax in the interest of the nation and “for their own good”.
Meanwhile, business daily reports indicate that there is a strong probability that the Centre may increase service taxes from five to eight per cent in Budget 2003-4.
The department, in its ad, says that those who provide taxable services have to be mandatorily registered with the jurisdictional central excise department and pay the service tax on the amount realised for the services rendered.
The ad says that service tax is recoverable from the customers of the service providers – the TV viewers in this case. It claims that the tax procedure has been simplified to ensure that there is no harrassment to the service provider.
Cable operators can register by filing the simple ST-1 form which can be downloaded from the website www.cbec.gov.in. The tax has to be paid in authorised banks by the 25th day of the following month. Individual service providers, partnership firms, proprietorship firms can pay tax on quarterly basis by 25 January, April, July and October.
Half yearly returns can be filed by 25 April for the half year ending March and 25 October for the half year ending September.
It is important to note that the service tax is payable only on the amount received by the service provider for the services rendered.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had earlier demanded that the MSOs and the cable operators must disclose the details of the previous three years’ entertainment tax, service tax, income tax collected and paid by them. Somaiya has alleged that cable operators and MSOs don’t give receipts to consumers. He says less than 400 cable operators in Mumbai were registered with the service tax department which falls under the preview of the Excise department.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
