News Broadcasting
Sahara plans primetime facelift in 2004
MUMBAI: Malini Iyer may well have been merely the teaser that will herald a programming revamp at Sahara Manoranjan this year.
According to Sahara’s programming vice president Triptii Sharma, the channel is attempting a total revamp in the prime time slot, thereby encouraging habitual and long term viewing. “We are working towards the content which will coax the viewers to the channel for more. Currently we have a plan for this year and are working on big properties with lots of programme concepts which are in the pipeline,” she says.
Apart from the much talked about Bimal Mitra creation Sahib Biwi Gulam starring film actor Raveena Tandon, a period classic that will go on air in March-April, Sahara Manoranjan is experimenting with many more genres. Raat Hone Ko Hai weans the thriller specialist B P Singh from Sony to Sahara. This one is expected to launch latest by May. Also on the cards is an ‘experimental journal with filmstar Jackie Shroff’, a surprise package that could launch by mid 2004.
Cinevistaas, which earlier did the period series Draupadi for Sahara, is back with a romantic triangle, Saathiya – Pyar Ka Naya Ehsaas, scheduled again for Q1 2004-05. According to Sharma, two other shows in the offing are Aavishkar – Ek Rakshak, a science fiction show and Ruby Duby Hub Dub, a children’s adventure and a variety entertainment show. Also in the pipeline is Jaal Jadu Janardan, another show for kids.
Says Sharma, “We are also planning a comedy band with shows from reputed production houses, a film band, Hometheatre – a fantasy adventure, as well as a music-based game show.”
And of course, there is the Hema Malini starrer, Kamini Damini and a long talked about show with film legend Amitabh Bachchan that may also take off late this year.
As for the Sridevi starrer Malini Iyer, Sharma says the response has been ‘very positive’. Using an episodic theme, Sahara has tried to pitch the character Malini above Sridevi the star. “We have made news with Sridevi. Now, we want to create that dent,” she says. As for the 2003 big ticket showKarishma, the Miracles of Destiny that has not really changed the fate of the channel as expected, Sharma says the channel has made the essential changes in the story and the screenplay, among other changes. As for the future of the serial, Sharma says, “The show will go on till the mandatory completion of 260 episodes.” Sahara had last year announced that Karishma…. would have a definite run of 260 episodes and would not continue any show for the sake of TRPS.
Commenting on the innovative programming strategy that Sahara is toying with, Sharma says, “The idea is to bring in some path-breaking programmes that provide different fare. The basic focus is towards building a very strong prime time band.”
After the primary focus of building the primetime is met, Sharma says the channel will move towards bolstering the Sunday morning slot as well as the afternoons.
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.
