News Broadcasting
‘Taken’ draws lukewarm response for Star Movies
MUMBAI: At least eight million viewers in South East Asia and Taiwan followed Steven Spielberg’s epic saga Taken on Star Movies. In India, however, the show has singularly failed to capture the imagination of the viewer thus far.
TAM data for the six metros SEC AB 4+ for the first two episodes which aired on 12 and 19 October at 9 pm, paint a gloomy picture. The series drew a TVR of just 0.13 and 0.22. The only good news is that slightly more people watched the second episode. So there is still hope for the broadcaster that the science fiction themed show will pick up as it goes along.
It would appear as though a Star Movies multimedia campaign which worked so well for the Academy Awards and for the Made In iIndia band which aired in the same time slot as Taken has failed for once. There were hoardings in the days leading up to the premiere. Some of the most innovative and invigorating television spots on the channel involved Taken. They had given the impression that the only thing one could expect was the unexpected.
Making things worse is the fact that HBO which repeated Top Gun and Universal Soldier The Return for the umpteenth time got higher ratings of 0.19 and 0.35 respectively.
As mentioned earlier, the story for the rest of Asia was very different. Peoplemeter viewing data indicates that the first TV series ever shown on Star Movies, registered two million viewers in Mega Manila. In Taiwan, over 5.5 million people were willingly abducted by the series and over one million Taiwanese fans were tuning in each week.
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.
