News Broadcasting
BBC World to host golf tournament in partnership with Ministry of Tourism
MUMBAI: BBC World will be hosting the Spirit of Golf 2007 tournament on 20 January in New Delhi. This is the second time the channel has hosted the tournament.
The channel will host the event in association with the Ministry of Tourism, India. The event will see corporate and political leaders, and city socialites compete for the Spirit of Golf top honours. This year’s participants include: Mr. Lloyd Mathias, MD Motorola; Harinder Sikka, vice president -Sales & Marketing; Nicolas Piramel; Restaurateur; AD Singh and Mr. Robert Vadera.
Ministry of Tourism Joint Secretary Amitabh Kant who will also be participating says: “Golf is a unique tourism product and has huge opportunity in India. There is outstanding private infrastructure already available and golf tourism will form an integral part of the Incredible India campaign. We are happy to partner with BBC World’s Spirit of Golf 2007.”
Following the launch of BBC World’s first ever localised advertising campaign, What Affects the World, Affects You the Spirit of Golf initiative strives to take forward the channel’s commitment to its corporate business partners in India.
BBC World global director airtime sales Jonathan Howlett says, “Spirit of Golf is part of our endeavour to constantly develop and strengthen relationships with our customers and business partners. The tournament provides an opportunity for them to come together and interact in that special way that a game of golf provides. This year we are delighted to have the support of the Ministry of Tourism in building on the success of last year’s tournament.”
The prize sponsors for Spirit of Golf 2007 are Sri Lankan Airlines, ITC Welcome Group, Britain – The May Fair and ACP- Rail International. The event is being managed by TSM. The first prize is an all expenses paid five day vacation to the UK, while the runners-up will receive a two days three nights stay in a premium property from the ITC Welcome Group.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
