News Broadcasting
BBC to air 400th episode of ‘Talking Movies’
MUMBAI: BBC World has announced that its film based show Talking Movies looks back over more than seven years of news, views and interviews this week to celebrate its 400th episode.
The distinguished cinema correspondent Tom Brook hosts the show which began in 1999 and has been praised for its fresh approach to film by actors including Michael Caine and Russell Crowe and directors such as Baz Luhrmann. With reviews, in-depth interviews, and behind-the-scenes reports, Talking Movies is regularly filmed from New York with specials from Hollywood and the Cannes, Sundance and Toronto international film festivals. Tom is currently celebrating his 22 year of reporting on the US film industry for the BBC, and has attended every Academy Awards ceremony during this time.
The BBC says tha Talking Movies has interviewed most of the big names in modern cinema. In this special anniversary episode, the Talking Movies team trawls its archives for some classic interviews featuring Michael Caine; Woody Allen; Julia Roberts; Terry Gilliam; Woody Harrelson; Lauren Bacall; Holly Hunter; Dame Judi Dench; Mike Figgis; Robert Redford; George Clooney; and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Brook says, “We try to be different from mainstream movies shows. We take a serious, independently-minded journalistic approach in our coverage that sets us apart from our competitors. Our reports have ranged from examining the role of the movie publicist to taking an in-depth look at the Indian film industry. I’m very proud of our programme. I am blessed with a dedicated team of talented picture editors, shooters and reporters who have enabled me to present each episode of Talking Movies since we began in January 1999.”
BBC says that the show has earned respect from key industry players and has a growing number of fans around the globe. As well as endorsements from celebrities such as Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman and top Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, the team regularly receives emails from viewers in countries as far apart as Ghana, India, Israel, New Zealand and Singapore. It also has its own webpage at bbcworld.com/talkingmovies where viewers can watch the programme online.
This special anniversary edition will transmit on BBC World from 8 November at 4 pm, 9 November at 9 pm and 10 November at 2 pm.
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.
