News Broadcasting
New TV channel to focus on Middle America
LOS ANGELES: The America Channel is planning to launch a new cable channel aimed at showing real American life between the East and West coasts is planned for launch next year.
The 24-hour channel will focus on “real reality and real storytelling” about the nation and its people. The channel will seek an investment of around $65 million – that experts say is well below the $100 million to $125 million that non-fiction networks typically need to raise.
An nj.com report has quoted The America Channel chairman and CEO Doron Gorshein as saying that Middle America has fantastic stories to tell and the channel will attempt to do so.
“The channel is aimed at filling a void created by television’s tendency to focus on life in New York and Los Angeles. This kind of content is not there and our market research indicates a clear cut gap,” Gorshein, who as a Turner Broadcasting executive had responsibility for CNN’s international licensing.
Among the planned series are American Stories highlighting the achievements of ordinary people; Campus Report with students documenting college life; and Faces of America focusing on the nation’s social, cultural and ethnic diversity. Another programme America from Afar will examine what foreign media are reporting about American leaders, events and people.
The America Channel conducted a survey and the following were the findings: of the 600 cable and satellite subscribers surveyed nationally, 58 per cent said TV doesn’t reflect the real America and 63 per cent said they would like to know more about people’s everyday lives. Nearly half, 47 per cent, said it is difficult to find TV content “that really speaks to me,”.
The nj.com report states that America Channel expects to be available to between 3 million and 6 million cable subscribers at launch and eventually reach more than 50 million homes. By comparison, channels such as CNN, A&E and Fox News Channel each reach 80 million or more US households.
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.
