News Broadcasting
Casbaa gets a strong lineup for convention
MUMBAI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) has unveiled its conference program for the Casbaa Convention 2006 in Hong Kong, tagged From Bandwidth to Brandwidth.
The event takes place from 24-27 October 2006.
The event will focus on Focussing on maximising the value of newly-available communications bandwidth via sophisticated brand development and innovative marketing. The speakers are US DTH platform chairman and founder Charlie Ergen, multi-national pay-TV platform operator Liberty Global CEO Michael Fries, Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom chairman Ho-Chen Tan, GroupM Global CEO Irwin Gotlieb, UK regulator Ofcom’s chief policy partner Kip Meek, HD Vision Studios president, Randall Dark, Indonesia Minister of State for information and communications Indonesia, Sofyan Djalil and Hunan Satellite president Wei Wen Bin.
Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez says, “Annually, this is the most important gathering for our industry in Asia. While the market is rightly dazzled by the promise of the new technologies, our most urgent task is to identify new business models and the most creative content as we develop a better understanding of what is achievable within the diverse Asian marketplace. That’s the theme for Casbaa 2006.”
The event will feature dedicated sessions on South Asia (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and a look at the key emerging markets of Indonesia and Vietnam, along with special forums on IPTV, mobile video and HDTV. There will also be a special session on Japan.
Casbaa also announced details of the Casbaa TV Advertising Awards 2006, which this year are supported by a month-long ad campaign targeted at creative directors and scheduled to run on more than 20 regional pay-TV channels.
Casbaa director of events Kevin Jennings says, “We believe that our campaign, developed with a worldwide agency partner to promote the Awards, will attract a record number of amazing entries to this year’s competition.”
“The Casbaa TV Awards 2006 have been designed to highlight that marrying creative options with the power of television remains the most inventive of advertising mediums as the industry moves beyond traditional ad placement into on-line integration, program sponsorship, ad-funded content production and off-air events and promotions.”
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.
