News Broadcasting
Star Chinese Channel to debut SPTI’s Game Show Format
MUMBAI: Singapore cable TV audiences will soon be able to enjoy Sony Pictures Television International’s (SPTI) unscripted game show format Blackjack Bowling on Star Chinese Channel, a popular entertainment channel in Taiwan.
Called Lucky Star and hosted by well-known TV personality Hu Gua, the game show’s premiere is on the back of Star Chinese Channel’s launch on StarHub on 2 October, 2006, and marks the first broadcast of the game show outside Taiwan.
The channel will broadcast 130 episodes of the first season of Lucky Star in Singapore. When the channel first launched Lucky Star in Taiwan in June 2005, it registered an audience of 6.6 million, and a 31-percent reach in viewership in the first three months. Since then, it has consistently been ranked among the top three most watched game shows on pay TV channels in Taiwan.
The success of the first season led Star to license 212 episodes in the second season.
Blackjack Bowling is the only show of its kind that combines two of the world’s favorite pastimes – blackjack and bowling. Just as the two simple elements of the roulette wheel and hangman were combined to create Wheel Of Fortune, SPTI united two activities that are popular throughout the world. Blackjack Bowling’s format is flexible and can be played in either a 30-minute or 60-minute format.
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.
