News Broadcasting
TRP Scam: 3 Republic TV employees get anticipatory bail
New Delhi: A sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to three Republic TV employees in connection with the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) scam, that came to light in October last year.
The three employees named Shivendu Mulherkar, Ranjit Walter, and Sivasubramaniyam Sundaram had filed their pleas before the court last year, according to their lawyer Vikram Kamath.
On Wednesday, the court allowed their anticipatory bail applications. According to their lawyer, the three accused had submitted before the court that they were not named in the FIR registered in the case initially and there was no ground against them (for arrest). Subsequently, a charge sheet was filed and they were named as accused. So, whatever material was there, it was before the court, and so, their custodial interrogation was not required, Kamath had argued.
In a 1800 page supplementary charge sheet filed in June, the Mumbai police had named the three as accused, along with senior journalist and Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami. Apart from him, the Mumbai Police had named four others from ARG Outlier Media– COO Priya Mukherjee, Shivendu Mulelkar, and Shiva Sundaram as accused in the case.
The alleged fake TRP scam came to light in October 2020 when rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group (HRG), alleging that certain television channels were allegedly rigging TRP numbers by bribing households where BARC bar-o-meters were installed to tune into a particular channel throughout the day. An FIR in the case was registered after former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh named the channel as being involved in the scam.
As many as 15 arrests have been made in the case, the most prominent being former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, who later got bail after furnishing a bond of Rs two lakh. The arrested people were charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.
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.
