News Broadcasting
NDTV to showcase Essar’s online lottery draws
MUMBAI: Looks like Prannoy Roy is taking a leaf out of Subhash Chandra’s book! Fortune, the recently launched online lottery brand in India has announced that it will telecast live the weekly draws of the Fortune Lotto on NDTV India, the Hindi news channel from Roy’s stable.
The online lottery brand Fortune, of Essar Teleholdings in association with Computer Aided Information and Research Services Private Limited (CAIRS) is the sole distributor and marketing agent for the online lottery organised and promoted by Nagaland.
The results of the inaugural Fortune Lotto game will be telecast on 24 May at 10 pm from a studio in Kohima, Nagaland by NDTV India throughout the country. The draw will be aired every Saturday at 10 pm on NDTV India to announce the weekly results of the Fortune Lotto game.
Six winning numbers for the week’s Fortune Lotto game, in addition to a bonus ball (named the Fortune Ball) will be picked through India’s only Venus Lotto drawing machine. The Venus Lotto machine has been specially imported by Fortune from Editec, Fortune’s technology partner.
Commenting on the choice of NDTV India as the channel for its draws, Essar Teleholdings Vikash Saraf CEO said: “Fortune and NDTV India start out on a common aim to be the best in their respective domains. The perfect match between our consumer profiles and NDTV India’s audience makes this an ideal platform to address our target audience. The reach and popularity of the channel will enable our players to find out the winning numbers, and with a prize structure that makes people more likely to win than any other lottery in India, that is an important service”.
CAIRS officially launched its online lottery with the launch of Fortune at Kohima, Nagaland in December. Fortune plans to roll out with over 10,000 terminals in the next 12 to 18 months with the channel profile including department and grocery stores, ice cream parlors, book stores, restaurants and entertainment centres among others.
Apart from increased footfalls in their establishments, which the Fortune brand campaign will drive, the retailers gain by way of lucrative volume increases, trade commission as well as an improved shop ambience, which will be created by the innovative Fortune branding.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
