News Broadcasting
‘U’ certificate only for music videos: I&B ministry
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: What the I&B minister proposes, the I&B ministry is left with the onerous task of disposing. I&B minister RS Prasad’s recent comments to the media that all TV channels, barring news channels, would have to air programmes that can be certified or has been certified ‘U’ (fit for people under 18) by the Censor Board, looks likely to be given a not-so quiet burial.
Indiantelevision.com has learnt that the I&B ministry next week is all set back track on the ‘U’ certificate “controversy” raised by Prasad. The government will allay the fears of movie channels that they too, would have to obtain a ‘U’ certificate for the films they air, say government sources.
According to a government source, “We are not into being moral police. The ‘U’ certificate would have to be obtained only for (Indian) music videos as per the Cinematographic Act.”
Regarding Indian movies, the government source clarified that such films are anyway subjected to Indian Censor Board certification which are also valid when they are also valid when they are aired on television channels.
Queried about the rules that apply to English films, the source said foreign films are subject to the certification and rules of their respective countries.
Referring to English movie channels like Zee MGM, HBO, Star Movies and Hallmark, the government source said, “We hope that the English channels would keep Indian sensibilities and sensitivities in mind when airing movies.” Basically the line that Prasad has more than once gone on record as stating: That channels should exercise self-regulation.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
