News Broadcasting
DD News relaunch costs pegged at Rs 1.3 billion
NEW DELHI: Hectic preparations are on in Mandi House, the headquarters for India’s pubcaster Doordarshan, to get the logistics in order for the re-launch of DD News that, as per an estimate, is likely to cost the Corporation Rs 1.31 billion.
Out of this, approximately Rs 100 million has been earmarked for the media budget and pre-launch publicity.
Since the news channel is being relaunched in place of DD Metro, the entertainment channel, which has little staff, the Corporation has justified requirement of manpower, both technical and editorial. “The little staff that DD metro has will be relocated to DD News. However, this would hardly meet the requirement of the news channel,” an official letter from Prasar Bharati to the information and broadcasting states.
According to an official estimate, fixed costs that would entail one-time acquisition would amount to Rs 167.5 million. This would include cost of news automation Rs 100 million, post-production facilities like video suites and graphics Rs 50 million.
Operational cost for satphones has been estimated to be Rs 13.2 million and optic fibre connectivity between Doordarshan Kendra, Central Production center and Parliament would cost Rs 14 million. Additional manpower costs, which would include hiring/transferring 10 reporters, 24 producers, 28 cameramen, 24 news editors, news anchors and graphic artiste, totals up to Rs. 40.368 million. Added to this would be the manpower cost for those on contract that totals up to about Rs 60 million.
Though a major portion of the content on DD News this time would be produced in-house, Prasar Bharati, in its estimates, has kept around Rs 200 million for co-productions and acquisition of programmes off the shelf.
In an earlier estimate, Prasar Bharati had said Rs 200 million would be needed for the media budget, including pre-launch publicity. But this has been slashed down to Rs 100 million now.
Justifying the fixed and recurring costs involved in running a news channel, Prasar Bharati, in a recent letter to the I&B ministry, had said, “DD had earlier run a news channel. The failure of the earlier news channel was mainly on two counts. First, was the over dependence on commissioning on which an amount of Rs. 940 million was spent without adding to in-house capability. This time we do not want to repeat the mistake and we wish to keep commissioning out.”
Prasar Bharati wanted annually an additional Rs 1.3 billion for the news channel, but the finance ministry has approved about Rs 1.15 billion.
Still, the ball is in the government’s court. The government has okayed the additional funding for the November launch, but the disbursal has not come through yet.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
