News Broadcasting
ETC board okays share-swap ratio for merger
MUMBAI: The boards of ETC Networks Ltd and Econnect India Ltd (EIL) have approved the share swap ratio for the merger of the two companies in their board meetings held on 2 January 2004, ETC informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Earlier, in a meeting held on 15 December 2003, the Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) board had approved the merger of ETC Networks with another ZTL subsidiary Econnect India Ltd (EIL).
Under the approved share swap arrangement, the ETC shareholders will be entitled to three Econnect equity shares of Rs 10 each fully paid up against every ETC equity share of Rs 10 each fully paid up held by them.
However, to rationalise the resultant share capital of the merged entity EIL, the share capital of EIL will be re-organised by consolidating three shares of Rs 10 each fully paid up into one equity share of Rs 10 each fully paid up.
This means that once the amalgamation and capital restructuring of ETC and EIL are completed, the shareholders of ETC would be issued and allotted one Econnect equity share of Rs 10 each fully paid up for every equity share of Rs 10 each fully paid up held by them, that is, in the ratio of 1:1.
The name of the merged entity would then be changed to ETC Networks Ltd. The merger process is expected to be completed within a period of four-five months.
The proposed merger is subject to the approval of shareholders of the company and the Hon’ble High Courts of Judicature at Bombay and Delhi.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
