News Broadcasting
Madras HC restrains BCCI from awarding telecast rights till 17 February
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Madras High Court today passed an injunction restraining the Indian cricket board from awarding television telecast rights to any broadcaster or party till the next date of hearing on 17 February.
The court’s observations came on a petition filed yesterday by Zee Telefilms contending that cancellation of the bidding process by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amounted to breach of its fundamental rights under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.
The court’s observations today also means that the BCCI would find it hard to negotiate with any broadcaster, including Indian pubcaster Doordarshan, on the rights for the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket home series beginning early March.
Along with the Zee petition, ESPN Star Sports too moved an application some time back in the Supreme Court seeking legal protection against BCCI awarding cricket rights to anybody else without considering ESS’ bid too.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had dismissed Zee’s petition but suggested that a lower court could take up such cases under Article 226.
Zee’s scrip reacted positively to the court’s verdict today, moving up by two per cent to Rs 154.75 at the time of filing this report.
In case the Madras high court case drags, the board could revisit an earlier proposal it had been considering, which envisaged producing the cricket matches itself, buying time on a channel for telecast like producers of sponsored serials on Doordarshan do and then market the commerical time itself.
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.
