News Broadcasting
IBF not to allow non-broadcasters on board
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has barred airtime sellers and production houses from becoming board members in the association. They will also not be allowed to become primary members, but will be allowed to function as associate members.
The resolution to this effect was passed by the IBF at its latest extra ordinary general meeting held last Wednesday. The board of directors will now be restricted to broadcasting companies.
One person who would have been directly affected by the ruling is Harish Thawani, chairman, Nimbus Communication, but he resigned much before the proposal to change the membership norms was put forth. When contacted, Thawani said he resigned because he was not able to devote any time as he was constantly travelling. Queried on the new ruling, Thawani said it was up to the IBF to make its own decisions.
The decision is seen as a firm move by the IBF to focus on major issues faced by the broadcasters. Recently, it had taken a strong stance to protect the broadcasters’ interests against default of payment by advertising agencies.
Explaining the move, an IBF board member said when the body was formed, airtime sales agents were an intrinsic part of the negotiating process, especially as regards dealings with national broadcaster Doordarshan. This had more or less fizzled out and so changes were required which reflected the current status of the industry.
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.
