News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide unveils slate for ATF
MUMBAI: From Sir David Attenborough to Jeremy Clarkson, Michael Palin to Jane Austen, Cinderella to Igglepiggle, UK pubcaster the BBC ‘s commercial arm BBC Worldwide goes to this year’s Asia Television Forum (ATF) in Singapore with a crop of natural history, factual, children’s, drama and lifestyle titles and a range of formats that will be available for local production.
BBC Worldwide’s natural history slate opens new chapters while drawing others to a close. Wild China, the BBC’s first ever co-production in China, offers insight into that country. Life in Cold Blood, which tells the epic story of reptiles and amphibians, completes Sir David Attenborough’s landmark overview of life on the planet.
In the drama catalogue, Mistresses stars Sarah Parish and Sharon Small. It follows the lives and loves of a group of 30-something girlfriends. Fairy Tales, whose cast includes James Nesbitt and Denise Van Outen, offers grown-up adaptations of four childhood classics – Cinderella, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Billy Goat’s Gruff and Rapunzel.
Andrew Davies, who had earlier adapted Bleak House and Pride and Prejudice for the pubcaster has now turned his hand to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, while the team behind Primeval present a re-imagining of Frankenstein and the team behind Hotel Babylon present The Whistleblowers, a new high-speed thriller.
From the BBC’s factual, lifestyle and history teams come Warriors. This is a show based on the lives of men such as Napoleon and Spartacus who shaped the world around them. Michael Palin’s New Europe sees the comedian and traveller continue his global odyssey, this time exploring the countries that are part of the so-called new Europe. The motoring magazine show Top Gear will also be showcased.
BBC Worldwide’s children’s catalogue includes In The Night Garden, a modern interpretation of a nursery rhyme picture book from Ragdoll, the creators of Teletubbies, and two new animation series: Animalia, based on the hugely popular books by Graeme Base, and Freefonix, an adventure series following three musical renegades.
New formats include Dance X, recently licensed to ABC in the US, which pits rival dance teams against each other. Find Me The Face is a reality show which follows two top talent scouts as they look to find the next big supermodel. On Fortune – Million Pound Giveaway, five philanthropists give away a million pounds of their own money to deserving members of the public. School’s Out is a quiz show which sends celebrities back to school and tests whether they are top or bottom of the class.
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.
