News Broadcasting
SET Asia crowns 2002 UK sporting heroes
LONDON: Kam Aujla from Derby has been crowned Sony Entertainment Television (SET) Sports Personality of the Year for Tae Kwon Do, at a function held recently at the London Hilton, Park Lane.
The awards, now in their second year, were conceived to reward British Asians who have excelled in sport and are recognised at local and national levels for their contribution as exceptional athletes. The channel says the awards aspire to encourage more Asians to participate in sports, both at national and international levels.
Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was awarded the MGT International Sports Personality of the Year Award. Bend It Like Beckham star Ameet Chana played host for the evening, while guests included MAX brand ambassador Kapil Dev as well as cricketers Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan.
Amongst the prizes auctioned and raffled were tickets to the Cricket World Cup next year in South Africa, holidays abroad and signed cricket bats. The awards programme will be shown later this month on SET Asia, according to a release issued by the channel.
The other awardees included
Brent Council Festival of Lights Junior (under 18 Junior) Sports Personality of the Year Male – Gavin Heeroo from London for football
Madhus Brilliant Junior (Under 18) Sports Personality of the Year – Female – Aarti Thobhani from Leicester for Tae Kwon Do.
NHS Asian Tobacco Helpline Coach Of The Year – Tom John from Surrey for Badminton
Rural Press Outstanding Achievement Award – Abdul Ahmed from London for football
Sunrise Radio Up and coming Sports Personality of the Year – Tushar Patel from London for Wheelchair Racing
SET Asia 5-a-side Cup Winners Canaries from Preston.
SET Asia claims to be the first South Asian entertainment channel to launch on the UK digital satellite platform on 22 August 1999.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
