News Broadcasting
Parleys on to find way out of cricket telecast impasse
NEW DELHI: The high stakes poker game around the telecast of the historic cricket series between India and Pakistan looks to be entering the end game stage. That was not evident to most viewers in Mumbai and Pune and 40 per cent of Delhi though, who could do nothing but gnash their teeth in frustration as they had to rely on the news channels for some glimpses of the action on the field today as India faced the Pakistan A team.
In the capital meanwhile, Ten Sports CEO Chris McDonald met regulator chief Pradip Baijal today afternoon. The Indian government, which has taken on the role of “facilitator” in the imbroglio, is scheduled to meet with Ten Sports executives later this evening in an attempt to hammer out a solution to the vexed cricket telecast issue.
One of the options, according to government officials, that Ten Sports would be offered is simulcast on the satellite sports channel and on Doordarshan’s national terrestrial network. The hook being that Ten gets to keep whatever ad revenues DD manages to garner out of the telecast (or it let Ten sell the event?).
Under this formula, DD won’t pay Ten any money but offer the platform and also allow Ten’s logo to go during the broadcast.
The other option is to make available to DD the feeds of the cricket matches on a deferred basis. But, here, the time of deferment would be crucial as in one-dayers even six overs makes a lot of difference. Under this formula, DD would have to pay some money based on mutually arrived at agreements.
Though Ten Sports officials could not be immediately reached for their reactions, it is also learnt that the government has advised DD to be flexible if Ten agrees, in the first place, to consider a compromise formula.
The government feels that non-telecast of the matches on DD of a series, which has been “largely facilitated by the government”, may lead to law and order problems. However, the government also acknowledges Ten’s contention that DD signals would be stolen or pirated by those cable ops that have not signed up with the Dubai-based broadcaster.
Meanwhile, Ten conveyed to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) its apprehensions on cable operators stealing signals if DD is provided a feed and also dwelt on other issues during a visit that was termed a “courtesy call” by Baijal’s office.
Keep tuned in for more on the cricket soap opera.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
