News Broadcasting
Star needs to look at regional strategy: Guthrie
NEW DELHI: Some regulatory stumbling blocks in India and China notwithstanding, Rupert Murdochs pan-Asian venture, Star, will push deeper into local territories.
The Hong Kong-based Star Group, which is expected to close the FY 2006 in June with a higher revenue pegged at $ 548 million, also thinks that its time a regional strategy is devised for the lucrative Indian market.
In an interview to Hong Kong media research firm Media Partners Asia (MPA), Star Group CEO Michelle Guthrie said the company needed to seriously think about a regional strategy in India we are looking at strategies based around our existing content.
But, according to Guthrie, Stars a bit wary about the lack of advertising in the regional markets (in India) as pricing power is limited and the overall pie remains small.
Were still constrained by the fact that TV ad spend (in India) is only 0.20 per cent of GDP, she explained.
Still, on the positive side, Guthrie feels that the Indian economy continues to grow and the ad market is gradually expanding with a lot of new categories coming on board like telecommunications and finance, which have started to become serious spenders on TV.
During Q1 FY 2006 ending September, Stars turnover grew by 22 per cent year-on-year (YoY), driven primarily by advertising revenue at Star Plus (currently airing a new season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indias version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire), higher subscription revenues from new channels in India and international distribution of several bouquet channels.
Though Guthrie feels its still a long way to go, she admitted Star One in India is starting to work,challenging rivals like Zee TV and Sony in terms of audience share and Star Gold was gaining strength in India with the shifting of Hindi movies from Plus to Gold, resulting in re-branding of the channel as a destination for premium Hindi film. Of course, this has come after investments have been made.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
