News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati sees monsoon session govt nod for CATV Act amendment on sports rights
The increasing frequency with which India’s pubcaster DD is being left out of business of sports telecasts has got the goat of Doordarshan director general SY Quraishi. Speaking to indiantelevision.com he said that the Prasar Bharati – overseeing the work of DD and All India Radio – was persevering with its proposal to the Indian government to bring in a law mandating that the telecast rights of any important event – and specially those where India has an interest – be awarded to DD.
The Prasar Bharati had moved the government on this front last month. And its hopes are high that things will get kickstarted during the next Parliamentary session. “If all goes well, we may see something happening on this front during the monsoon session of Parliament,” Quraishi said.
If the Indian government decides to bring in a law which makes it mandatory for the telecast rights of important global events to be necessarily given to DD also apart from any other broadcaster beaming into India, then certain amendments have to be made in the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act. And if it manages to push the amendment through, it will be a fait accompli for the pubcaster.
A private broadcaster quipped in lighter vein, “Only a DD can show DDgiri.” Touche!!!
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
