News Broadcasting
Next stop Asia for NBC Universal?
MUMBAI: The birth Wednesday of a new media-entertainment titan NBC Universal that rivals the likes of Time Warner and News Corp offers possibilities that Asia might well see competition to Star TV on different fronts, including new channels.
With brands such as television networks NBC, Telemundo, USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel, Bravo, Trio, CNBC, and MSNBC (jointly owned with Microsoft); Universal Pictures film studio; television production studios and interests in theme parks, there are many possibilities that open up.
Indiantelevision.com put the poser to president and CEO, CNBC Asia Pacific Alexander “Sandy” Brown of what Asia could expect from the creation of the media behemoth and he said that while “there is no direct implication today” but there would be no waiting around on the issue. Using the synergies that the new entity brings on board to “significantly drive up toplines” would be an ‘A’ priority activity, avers Brown.
Brown would offer no timelines on when and how the action plan would be set forth except to assert that there was a great deal of urgency behind the effort.
The key synergies will come from the 4,000 strong film library that is available to NBC Universal added to the 40,000 television show archive, Brown said. The third link in the revenue chain would be provided by the theme park business with one already up and running in Osaka, Japan and a second sceduled to start operations in 2007 in Shanghai, China.
Questioned as to whether there was now scope for channels like Bravo, Trio, or Sci-Fi Channel launch in Asia, Brown, while not ruling it out, said another possibility was that the TV content that was available could also be mixed and matched to create wholly new channels customised to suit Asian preferences.
Giving some sense of the scale of the revenue ramp up that was possible, Brown pointed to NBC’s annual revenues from international business being in the “low 100s of millions of dollars” compared to Vivendi Universal’s $ 2.5 billion. The merger “gives NBC a whole new opportunity,” Brown said, adding that the fact that the network major was principally advertising driven while Universal was fees (subscription and ticket receipts) driven meant that the two complemented each other well.
Queried as to whether he would have an expanded role in the new dispensation, Brown said it was too early to tell as these decisions were still to be firmed up. “I will continue to focus my energies on CNBC Asia,” he said, of his near term scope of activity.
Asked about any initiatives or deals that CNBC had entered into in the last year, Brown said, “We launched a co-production initiative with Shanghai Media Group in April 2003 which has been very succesful.”
Another initiative that has happened on Brown’s watch is the launch of the MGM channel in three new territories – Hong Kong, Indonesia and Macau. MGM is available in India on the Zee Turner distribution platform co-branded as Zee MGM. Brown said two more announcements regarding MGM distribution deals would be made in the near future.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
