News Broadcasting
Sahara in Rs 1.5 billion expansion plan; to bid for Abu Dhabi series
MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd is planning to raise Rs 1.5 billion to meet its expansion plans. The company is also likely to bid for the cricket telecast rights for the two-match India-Pakistan Friendship Series to be held in Abu Dhabi.
The board of directors will meet tomorrow (5 April) to decide on these issues. “Sahara One is looking at getting an enabling clause to raise Rs 1.5 billion. Among other things on the agenda is the approval to bid for the cricket rights,” said a source close to the company.
Sahara’s media and entertainment business has been valued by Ernst & Young at Rs 7 billion, sources said. The company had appointed the consulting firm to conduct the valuation exercise.
Sahara One Media and Entertainment is in talks to rope in investors. Recently, Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (publishers of Times of India and the Group is 74 per cent stakeholder in Times Now news channel) picked up six per cent stake for Rs 378 million in the company (Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that Bennett, Coleman would buy stake in Sahara One).
NRI businessman C Sivasankaran is in talks to put in around Rs 1.2 billion for a minority stake into Sahara One. “He is sitting on the fence,” said the source. Having sold Aircel for $1.08 billion to Malaysia’s Maxis Communications, he is flush with funds. His first media investment was in ETC Networks where he held 40 per cent stake. He went on diluting equity and exited from the company which was later acquired by Zee Telefilms.
Sahara is launching a music channel, adding up to a bouquet of general entertainment and movie channels. Sahara Group also owns a string of news channels.
Sahara has already experimented with cricket telecast of the India-England series on its Hindi general entertainment channel. Using the event, Sahara One has encrypted and expanded the reach of the channel.
For the Indo-Pak Friendship Series, the contract for ground rights has been bagged by PDM International, a Percept Holdings company, from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a bid of $ 3.61 million. Incidentally, Percept has a management contract to handle Sahara’s entertainment business.
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.
