News Broadcasting
DD National to air ‘matinee shows’ on Saturdays
MUMBAI: Doordarshan (DD) seems to be banking on the Bollywood formula to woo viewers during the afternoon slot on the last Saturday of the month. Starting 29 March, DD National has started airing a Hindi film in the 3-6 pm slot.
The film screened on 29 March was ace director Shekhar Kapoor’s Masoom starring Jugal Hansraj, Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah. Marketing concessionaire Reasonable Advertising, which markets BR TV’s Aap Beeti , bagged the mandate of putting together the package for the newly developed slot, including the selection of the movie.
The film shown last Saturday managed to rake in advertising moolah, despite the fact that the telecast coincided with the financial year end for several clients. Other clients who had spent heavily during the cricket World Cup also stayed away due to budgetary constraints. However, big guns Colgate, Bajaj Sevashram, Dabur and Parle Products were the major sponsors.
Regional vernacular movies are normally aired in the Saturday afternoon-evening slot and they get good advertising support from advertisers. DD’s primetime Hindi film slot is scheduled for evenings.
With this new experiment, DD is seeking to examine the possibility of expanding its viewer base in the afternoon slot.
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.
