News Broadcasting
Murdoch sued in US over fall in Gemstar share value
MUMBAI: News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch and elder son Lachlan are being sued by shareholders in TV guide company Gemstar over the $30 billion fall in its value in the past two years.
News Corp, which owns 42 per cent of Gemstar, and the Murdochs, who sit on the US company’s board, stand accused of helping defraud investors by “causing Gemstar to engage in unlawful conduct.” The lawsuit claims Gemstar failed to issue reports showing the falling value of the business and threats to its major asset, patents for a system to record television programmes, the thisislondon.co.uk website has reported.
At a time when investors are scrutinizing US companies’ accounting statements for numbers perceived as false or misleading, a judge’s determination that Gemstar’s patents haven’t been infringed once again calls into question Gemstar’s revenue recognition policies. Earlier this year, the company disclosed that it had recorded more than $100 million in licensing revenue from Scientific-Atlanta since 1999, even though Scientific-Atlanta had refused to pay up and then sued Gemstar in federal court to get a ruling that it wasn’t infringing on Gemstar’s patents.
News Corp has had to write off about $4 billion of its investment in Gemstar and is expected to write off another $1billion when it reports results later this month, says thisislondon.co.uk.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
