News Broadcasting
B.A.G Films to launch glamour channel in January, 2 more by mid-2008
NEW DELHI: B.A.G Films & Media Ltd. will launch its glamour channel E24 by January-end and the spirituality and lifestyle channels will be up by the middle of 2008.
This was disclosed by B.A.G Films MD Anurradha Prasad while stating that the Hindi news channel, News 24, would launch on 13 December, 5.30 pm onwards.
Indiantelevision.com had earlier reported that B.A.G Films would invest Rs 4 billion in its broadcast venture and the Hindi news channel would launch on 13 December.
News 24 is aimed at the “Young Adult.” Said Prasad, “Why another channel in this already cluttered Hindi news channel space? We feel that news has vanished from the channels. The youth particularly do not take any interest in the news channels. That’s why we decided on a new channel addressing that target group.”
The entire editorial guideline of the channel is based on reporting, analysing and presenting hardcore news for the youth. “There is no room for infotainment in our channel, since I have a hard news background. This is what we are going to restore in the Hindi TV news space,” said Prasad.
Asked about the differentiator between her channel and channels like IBN 7, which also thinks on similar lines, Prasad said that this would be finally decided by the viewers.
With regard to marketing research for positioning her channel, she said, “I consciously avoided research because my experience is that people get influenced by researches. I am sure that any research agency would ask me not to get into this cluttered market. We are in the content business, and content is a gut feeling. So we went with our gut feeling. But yes, on taking that decision, we did some focused research on what the target group would want to see.”
The channel will have a dedicated 30-minute programme daily focused on youth and the issues that concern them. They will also feature a programme on campus life and issues relating to coming of age, presenter of the campus programme Anjana Kashyap said. She added that there is a separate group of 30 reporters for the youth programming, which is distinct from the general news set-up.
Prasad said that the channel will be “hugely interactive” with a clear presence on the Internet and not just the use of the SMS system.
News 24 will use state-of-the-art technology for all editorial inputs from its 42 reporters, and 300 stringers across the country who will come on the Internet using FTP.
News 24 is adopting tapeless cameras making time-consuming physical delivery of tapes completely redundant. Moreover, the innovative IT News Gathering Technology will enable on-field journalists to upload/uplink recordings instantly, thus ensuring immediacy of news. The entire network is transparently connected across the 13 bureaus. The network has implemented a revolutionary digital archiving system that can store up to 5,000 hours of coverage with expandable memory.
The channel has tied up with Reliance Infocomm to gather news from wherever their own reporters or stringers are not present, giving them a much higher penetrating news gathering machinery, an official from the channel explained during a tour of the studio.
The channel will be seen in most states across north India but not in some of the southern states, which would happen in the second phase, a distribution official said.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
