News Broadcasting
IBF says no to TRAI legal challenge; sets up subcommittee
NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has dropped the idea of going head to head and legally challenging the newly appointed broadcasting regulator the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on its directive freezing cable TV rates. Instead it has decided to take a softer line – that of approaching it to “explain the ground realities of the industry.”
A senior member of the IBF confirmed to indiantelevision.com today that a member had floated the idea of legally challenging the TRAI. But after reading the finer print of the TRAI Act, the path of confrontation was abandoned.
“Instead of going the legal way, we, as an industry, should work with the regulator and if there is some confusion, then we should seek clarifications in a civil manner,” the IBF member stressed.
Towards this end, the IBF, at its board meeting today, decided to form a sub-committee to go into the issues raised by TRAI in its consultation paper and has also sought time from the regulator.
The sub-committee would be headed by Zee Telefilms vice-chairman Jawahar Goel and includes ESPN India head R C Venkateish, Ten Sports India MD Sharmista Rijhwani and Sahara TV president Mahesh Prasad.
According to a draft of a letter that is to be sent to TRAI, the IBF secretary-general has said that the Foundation “should be given a fair chance to present our views and explain the ground realities of the industry.”
Referring to the 15 January, 2004, TRAI notification announcing a ceiling on charges payable by subscribers, MSOs and cable operators, the IBF has contended, “This order was issued without consultation with the broadcasting industry and, hence, this order has created utter confusion in the industry. Further, TRAI’s notification included non-CAS areas which were free of these problems so far.”
IBF sources said members did bring up valid points that point towards confusion. For example, would the TRAI order on price freeze mean that a free to air channel cannot convert into a pay service? Till the time, TRAI comes out with a final view on various issues, would the order also mean that no new pay channel can be launched?
Sometime back, the government, through a notification, had mandated TRAI as the regulator for the broadcast and cable services. It could do this on account of an amendment that had been carried out in the TRAI Act last year. Subsequently earlier this month, TRAI came out with an order freezing the cable TV rates as on 26 December and issued a consultation paper.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
