News Broadcasting
Pratidin Time clarifies that News Time Assam is recepient of MIB ban for a day
MUMBAI: Guwahahti-based Yash TV Entertainment has clarified that its channel Pratidin Time is not the one which has been asked to go off the air on 9 November by the information & Broadcasting ministry (MIB) for gross violations of the content code.
Indiantelevision.com received an email message from Pratidin Time general manager Gaurav Goswami saying that “both channels are running successful on air as can be seen on the MIB list. But it is News Time Assam which has met with the MIB disapproval.”
The facts now: Yash TV Entertainment is a part of the Pratidin group founder Jayanta Baruah and his family, which own Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin, Sadin, a weekly tabloid and a women’s monthly magazine Nandini.
News Time Assam is actually owned by the Kolkata-based Brand Value Communications but is run by the Guwahati-based UB Photo Group. The channel’s content producer Utpal Baruah told The Hindustan Times that the channel would be switched off on 9 November. “The channel has not being doing well. Hopefully, the free publicity will help us bring in investors,” he told the newspaper.
Utpal Baruah clarified that the Pratidin group had acquired the assets of News Time Assam last year, which later went on to launch its own channel Pratidin Time. However, the channel licence continued to be with Brand Value Communications, which later leased it to him.
Baruah additionally told The Hindustan Times that while the channel had been hauled up for three violations one of the violations was under the watch of the Pratidin group and the I&B punishment relates to that period.
An Assam based media observer clarified that “the confusion has arisen because Pratidin Time had on its Twitter and Wikipedia pages announced that News Time Assam was being renamed as Pratidiin Time. When the deal did not go through, corrections were not issued to all concerned, hence the misunderstanding that it was Pratidin Time which was being given correctional punishment by the MIB.”
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.
