News Broadcasting
CAS may bring inventory pressure on FTA channels – TAM
MUMBAI: Conditional access could bring in inventory pressures for free to air channels if demand for their air-time explodes. This is the conclusion drawn by TAM in one of its recent surveys on the post CAS scenario.
Post CAS, says the study, viewership patterns are expected to start changing. Consequently, some of the 3000-odd brands currently advertising on television, and depending heavily on the four metros CAS will roll out in, will start changing their media plans.
Since some FTA channels are already running chockablock inventory levels, with a few having six to eight hours per day dedicated to breaks, a few shake ups are likely to ensue, says TAM. If in a post CAS scenario, advertisers try to buy more, these are a few expected results –
1. Some FTA channels might start bumping off spots. Hence schedule control will become key.
2. Another hypothesis is that they just might start increasing prices to control rising demands.
3. Another speculation is that demand may outstrip supply forcing the FTAs to turn down advertising.
All these results, says the TAM study, will depend on whether viewership patterns change after CAS, on whether the progression of CAS gets all the pay channels back in the reckoning (which depends on the price of the Set-Top Box) and on the significance of the four metros to the 3000-odd brands advertising on TV.
Analysing viewership trends between current FTA and pay channels, the study found that
Assuming that viewership occurs in a particular pattern, the study points out that viewership patterns govern advertisers in their media plan creation as they are chasing viewers. Consequently, the visibility (or GRPs) is really the demand which translates into a supply of inventory for the 3000 odd brands which TAM found had advertised on television in the month of May 2003.
This demand every month has been found to be between 60,000 to 70,000 Normalised GRPs, says TAM.
On an average, 200 minutes of Break Inventory, (the sum total of all time consumed between ad breaks – could have advertising besides the channel’s own promos, film trailers, social messages) got consumed per day during the last quarter of 2002, says TAM.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
