News Broadcasting
RBNL to seek shareholder approval for delisting
MUMBAI: As the stock markets closed today, those in the trade saw the Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) shares go down from the opening of Rs 52.35 to Rs 49.05 at close. The stock was dragged down by the news that the Anil Ambani group company had got board approval to delist from the stock exchanges.
It is to be noted that the ADA group which had a 72 per cent shareholding in RBNL earlier but has since reportedly taken that up to 75 per cent will now have to buy out another 15 per cent of floating stock from the public in order to meet the 90 per cent promoter holding requirement set by Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for complete delisting. Estimates are that the tab for buying up the full public shareholding for the ADA group will be in the region of Rs 100 crore.
RBNL is involved in various media segments which includes: Radio (92.7 Big FM), television broadcasting (Big CBS, Big Magic, Big RTL Thrill), outdoor (Big OOH), Experiential marketing and production (Big Production). Its radio business is among the front runners in the country and proftable, while its television vertical is yet to make a substantial impact in the broadcasting firmament, though it accounts for about 30 per cent of its revenues.
“The management of RBNL wants to re-structure the company,” says a financial analyst. “And it’s easier for the company to do so if it is not in the public domain; you can avoid following many listing guidelines; you don’t need shareholder and SEBI and stock exchange permissions to make changes if it delists and goes private once again.”
RBNL officials refused to make any comments. But a perusal of the company’s latest quarter financials on a consolidated basis shows that it is continuing to make losses though they are being shaved year on year and quarter on quarter. In Q1 to June 2013, it generated total revenues of Rs 61.13 crore and a net loss of Rs 15.76 crore as against a revenue of Rs 65 crore and a loss of Rs 24.15 crore in the previous preceding quarter. In its previous full financial year to March 2013, its revenues were at Rs 233.53 crore with losses at Rs 91 odd crore.
As per the board meeting held yesterday, the company will now seek approval of its shareholders through a postal ballot in terms of the SEBI delisting regulations.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
