News Broadcasting
Country specific seminars to form major highlight of Frames 2004
MUMBAI: Star TV CEO Michelle Guthrie could well be the star attraction at the fourth edition of Frames, that gets underway in Mumbai on 15 March this year.
Guthrie will deliver an extensive presentation on 17 March on the topic Building a Valuable Television Industry – The Global experience. as well as be part of a roundtable on lessons learnt from the Asia Pacific pay television markets. The Federation of Indian Chambers, Commerce & Industry’s (Ficci) convention for the entertainment industry will be held, as in earlier years, at the Renaissance Convention centre in Powai in suburban Mumbai.
In an attempt to foster better co-operation in the fields of film and other forms of entertainment between India and other countries, three country specific sessions have been designed.
These involve the UK, Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Doing Business With the UK will speakers such as Pathe Pictures’ Mike Runagali and UK Film Council’s international department head Clare Wise. Despite the fact that India and the UK have been doing business for years, films form a meagre portion of this business. The panel will cover different aspects related to film such as raising finance, legal issues, distribution setups and marketing strategies.
The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) will conduct a session on lessons learnt from the Asia Pacific pay television markets. Casbaa’s CEO Simon Twiston Davies will chair the session. The speakers include Celestial Pictures’ CEO William Pfeiffer, CNBC Asia Pacific’s CEO Alexander Brown, Star TV CEO Michelle Guthrie.
The session Doing Business With Australia will be hosted by Filmandcasting Temple’s Anupam Sharma. On the domestic front, there will be a session with policy makers on 15 March. This will feature representatives from the governments of ten states including Maharshtra, Goa, Punjab and Karnataka.
In addition to all this activity, Ernst & Young will present its report on the status of our entertainment industry in the inaugural session. It will look at the consolidation taking place as well as the qualitative aspects of the different segments. E&Y conducted an Internet survey asking key industry people to dwell on the crucial issues and challenges they face as well as gains made. The firm also conducted interviews with officials from the I&B Ministry on what the government is doing in terms of policies.
While Ernst & Young’s report will have a segment on FM radio, Frames will not have a session dedicated to the medium. News and sports broadcasters are also absent from the seminar list.
The three days will have the three major themes of India Outbound, Making It Possible and Vision 2020. Future Perfect? respectively. One of the keynote speakers on 16 March is Walt Disney Intl’s president Andy Bird. Nielsen media research Intl’s chairman and CEO Robert Mc Cann will talk about the role research plays in today’s media world. The Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India’s (Trai) chairman Pradip Baijal will deliver a special address the same day.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
