News Broadcasting
CNN’s ‘Task’ Group to organise eco-tourism event
MUMBAI: On 7 December 2007, international and Indian personalities in the fields of eco-tourism and conservation will come together at Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism in New Delhi to discuss ways to develop sustainable eco-tourism in India. Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism has been organized by CNN’s Task group (Tourism Advertising Solutions and Knowledge), recently launched by CNN’s advertising division.
For the uninitiated, Eco Tourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local population.
Participating in the event will be the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), Government of India and supported by PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association). The conference aims to stimulate discussions on a timely topic – tourism and related issues – and will seek to provide insight and learnings, based on successful models and best practices, both in India and globally.
Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism will draw on the expertise of some of people who work in the field of sustainable tourism growth. These include Climate Change expert Prof. Ian Swingland; policy advisor Lisa Choegyal; International zoo expert Bernard Harrison; Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels, Hiran Cookay; herpetologist, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Madras Snake Park, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Romulus Whittaker and renowned travel journalist and author, Yeoh Siew Hoon.
Representing the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will be the Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni, Secretary S Bannerjee and Joint Secretary Leela Nandan.
Turner International India VP, ad sales India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “With the rapid growth of the Indian Tourism industry over the last few years, this is the right time to plan future strategies that will balance tourism growth and environment conservation. The Task Group has brought together an experienced panel to debate, discuss and deliberate on effective solutions, necessary to successfully implement eco tourism and sustainable tourism in India.”
Leveraging the expertise of the panellists, the forum will dwell on how responsible and strategic tourism initiatives will offer benefits to future generations. Some of the key sessions on the agenda include a case study on a country that has implemented a successful ecotourism model; eco labelling and the importance of marketing and a peek into the evolved, ecologically sensitive traveller of tomorrow. A white paper will be formulated from the deliberations and policy discussions of the conference that will then be shared with the Ministry of Tourism for implementation.
The Task Group is a fully complimentary client service comprising a team of external experts working closely with CNN, who focus on building partnerships with clients to create impactful solutions for their tourism strategies. The Group offers clients best of breed advice, information and intelligence to significantly enhance their nation and brand building efforts. The Group is the first service of its kind in the international television marketplace.
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.
