News Broadcasting
Pay broadcasters meet on pricing issue
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Today could well be the day that the public have a clear inkling of just what will be their payout if they wish to opt for all the pay channels that are available in a post conditional access rollout scenario. And if initial indications are anything to go by, the total monthly tab will almost certainly cross the “magic” figure of Rs 200 that information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has been harping upon.
Representatives of pay broadcasters from Star India, Sony Entertainment Television India and even Zee Telefilms are meeting at 1:30 pm at the ESPN Star Sports offices in Delhi to discuss a common strategy on the pricing issue. The broadcasters hope to have it ready before they head in for their scheduled meeting at the I&B ministry at 3 pm. One pay broadcaster executive on condition of anonymity said he expected something to evolve today.
Today’s all-broadcaster meeting follows confabulations that Star and Sony had yesterday over the same matter. It is reliably learnt that Star had drawn up an initial pricing plan on Monday. CEO Peter Mukerjea and COO Sameer Nair were holed up all day yesterday at the Star offices in Worli, fine-tuning the package.
As far as the price is concerned, whether Star, Sony or Zee, indications are that the total package for each pay bouquet will cost in the Rs 50-55 range, while if a la carte rates are added up it will come to about Rs 70. And the cost of a Star Plus or SET? Around Rs 15, say industry watchers.
Stay tuned for further developments.
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.
