News Broadcasting
Four companies in the fray to buy BBC Broadcast
MUMBAI: The BBC has announced the shortlist of bidders for the sale of BBC Broadcast. The sale is subject to the final approval of the BBC Governors and Executive Board and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
The four companies that have been selected to enter the final stage are Apax Partners, Exponent Private Equity, Macquarie Group and Thomson/Technicolor. The decision was reached after an extensive evaluation of bids from both financial and industry buyers was undertaken. BBC Broadcast is involved in among other things designing the look, feel of channels.
The BBC will now enter into detailed negotiations with the four companies to determine the right partner for the BBC in delivering future services, whilst also offering the best possible opportunities for BBC Broadcast staff. BBC COO and executive board project sponsor John Smith said, “These shortlisted companies have not only demonstrated an appreciation of the value of BBC Broadcast, but also impressed us with their future growth plans and how they will work in partnership with the BBC in the coming years.”
BBC director business development Peter Phillips who is leading the sale said, “We have had serious interest from a wide range of private equity and trade buyers. The high standard of world-class creative, operational and technical services offered by BBC Broadcast, coupled with a talented management team, makes this a very attractive acquisition. We have continued support and commitment from BBC Broadcast’s board and are on track to complete the sale by the end of the summer, subject to approvals.
“We are in regular dialogue with the Unions and have been consulting with them since the sale commenced at the beginning of the year.” BBC Broadcast is an expert in the distribution and promotion of multimedia content and it offers a comprehensive range of services to playout, publish, promote and provide media access for content across all media, from television to mobile phones.
The sale follows on from the Corporation’s internal review of its commercial businesses. The review team concluded that, whilst the services provided by BBC Broadcast are vital to the BBC, they did not necessarily need to remain owned by the BBC. The BBC believes that the combination of a new commercial owner and a partnership approach with that new owner will mean that the BBC can continue the strong relationship it has built up with BBC Broadcast.
The BBC states that a new owner will provide the business with opportunities for growth which are not available whilst it is owned by the BBC, but with the stability of an on-going contract in place with the BBC.
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.
