News Broadcasting
Eenadu TV no longer an associate; NW18 assigns voting rights to promoter
MUMBAI: In a pivotal move linked to the grand consolidation of India’s entertainment landscape, Eenadu TV is no longer an associate, as Network 18 has assigned its 24.5 per cent voting rights in the broadcaster to ETPL’s promoter and continues to retain its economic rights. The transaction, completed at 2:06 p.m. on 7 July, effectively ends ETPL’s status as an associate of the media conglomerate.
Network18 informed the Bombay stock exchange about this change via a regulatory filing.
The assignment of voting rights—mandated under a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order dated 27 August 2024—was part of the conditions for the greenlighting of the blockbuster merger between Viacom18 (now Studio18 Media Pvt Ltd) and Star India (now JioStar India Pvt Ltd).
Though stripped of control, Network18 retains full economic interest in the 24.5 per cent stake. The company said the promoter of ETPL has no ties to Network18’s promoter group, and the deal doesn’t qualify as a related-party transaction.
As of 31 March 2025, ETPL accounted for a hefty 32.61 per cent of Network18’s consolidated net worth. But despite the shift in status, the company claims there will be no hit to its balance sheet, thanks to a fair valuation mechanism under prevailing accounting standards.
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.
