News Broadcasting
NBC Agency signs multi-year contract with Teletrax
MUMBAI: NBC Affiliate Advertising and Promotion Services (AAPS), which is a part of The NBC Agency — the internal advertising agency for NBC Universal, has signed a long-term contract with Teletrax to electronically track network promotional material aired by US television stations. The announcement was made by the digital watermarking firm at NATPE 2005 — the annual conference of the National Association of Television Program Executives.
Teletrax – a subsidiary of Medialink Worldwide Incorporated, is the first and only global digital video monitoring and media asset management service.
The NBC Agency facilitates the promotional and advertising needs of all NBC Universal-owned television entities including NBC network entertainment, news, sports and corporate divisions, as well as its cable, Internet and syndicated properties. As part of an initiative to better serve its NBC-owned and affiliate stations, AAPS will employ Teletrax’s technology to help assess the effectiveness of its marketing efforts by tracking local television airings of network promotion spots in the top 100 US markets.
“We are excited to be partnering with Teletrax. To be able to track and value almost instantaneously the material we are sending out will make us even more effective on bigger, long-term projects. We expect Teletrax to help the stations and The NBC Agency increase their effectiveness in promoting the network,” said NBC AAPS vice president Scot Chastain.
“The NBC Agency has played an integral role in NBC’s enduring programming success, and Teletrax is excited to help it continue its record of achievement. We are pleased that the NBC Agency has joined other leading media organisations, among them NBC Universal Television Distribution and NBC News Channel, two other units of NBC Universal, in recognising Teletrax as an essential business management tool. With The NBC Agency’s addition to its roster of blue-chip clients, Teletrax has established the industry standard for the marketing and promotion community,” said Teletrax MD Andy Nobbs.
Launched in 2002 as a service developed by a joint venture between Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands and Medialink, Teletrax’s technology embeds an imperceptible and indelible digital watermark into video whenever it is edited, transmitted, broadcast or duplicated.
A global network of decoders or “detectors” which captures all occurrences of the embedded video being transmitted via satellite, cable or terrestrially and generates tracking reports for the content owners. Reports of individual broadcast airings are delivered online in near real-time to each client’s custom-designed portal or in data file transfers. Each client’s broadcast activity is updated dynamically, 24 hours a day, enabling clients to respond immediately to reported results such as changes in end-user preferences or detections of unauthorised use.
Teletrax maintains a proprietary network of detectors that monitor the television broadcasts of more than 700 television stations in the top 100 markets in the US, representing more than 85 per cent of all television households. Its international network comprises 12 monitoring stations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South and Central America, which monitor over 200 channels being broadcast from nearly 50 nations.
The NBC Agency joins a growing list of leading entertainment, news and media organisations that have contracted with Teletrax to track broadcast video content, either in the US exclusively or globally, which includes: BBC, Buena Vista Television, ABC Television Network, Tribune Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Distribution, NBC News Channel, Reuters Television, Medialink and Australian-based Media Review International.
A number of other entertainment, news and media companies are also currently testing the Teletrax service.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
