News Broadcasting
Bollywood makes its mark on South African TV
MUMBAI: After the news of US cable outfits offering Bollywood video-on-demand, comes the news that our filmi fare is eagerly lapped up in springbok country too.
Bollywood on 3″, a new slot on SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) commercial channel SABC 3 has gone into the second season of airing Bollywood movies on prime time every weekend.
SABC Regional Manager, Laurence Michelle
SABC regional manager Laurence Michelle, speaking to Indiantelevision.com said, “The Indian diaspora in SA is fairly influential, two things that we follow very closely about India are – the Indian cricket team and Bollywood.”
Here in Mumbai to attend the 2nd India International Film Convention, the exhibition floor of which has been taken up completely by the South African delegation, Laurence in an address to the audience stated, “The South African national broadcaster, SABC through its commercial TV Channel SABC 3 prides itself in its strategy of being locally rooted and globally connected. We aspire to our commitment of being bold trendsetters in broadcasting and offer our viewers appointment viewing. In line with these strategies, Bollywood was recognised as a product that has impacted greatly on Western culture for example, London’s channel 4 has a successful Bollywood slot, then there is the successfulKumars.”
Continuing he said, “The International success of the Bollywood phenomenon prompted the channel to associate itself with the global Bollywood brand and we decided to offer our viewers something completely different on a Saturday night. Bollywood affords viewers around the world an appetite of movies that offer pure escapist value. It takes viewers into a world away from our ordinary daily lives and offers us 2-3 hours of pure fun, glamour and entertainment.”
Talking about how successful Bollywood was in drawing viewership, Laurence told the audience,”The first season of Bollywood on 3 increased viewership in the slot by 30 per cent in the LSM 8-10 audiences, 110 per cent in all adults; 20 per cent in Afrikaans-speaking audiences and 670 per cent in the most popular recent Bollywood titles like Devdas, Baghban, Munnabhai MBBS, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Dil Se. Apart from the overwhelming positive response received from audiences across the board, the media supported the venture incredibly well and continues to do so.”
“This is, of course, great news for you all” added Laurence speaking to the gathering of film producers.
“We have recently launched the second season of Bollywood on 3 and the audience response after the first 3 movies has yet again reflected a phenomenal increase in viewership. We experienced a 30 per cent increase in LSM 8-10, 110 per cent in English-speaking adults and a 770 per cent increase in Indian audiences.” he informed.
“At SABC we are looking forward to working closely with India,” concluded Laurence.
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.
