News Broadcasting
Universal Music, BBC Worldwide unlock the doors to broadcast archive
MUMBAI: In a deal struck with BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, Universal Music has exclusively licensed the rights to exploit content relating to its portfolio of artists from the corporation’s extensive archive of TV and radio content. In addition, Universal will work with BBC Worldwide to identify archive material which could create new broadcast programming opportunities in the UK and overseas.
The archive covers the entire history of rock and pop, as well as including hundreds of hours of classical music. Universal and BBC Worldwide are identifying programme material relating to artists in the Universal stable – including U2, Elton John, The Who, Cream, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Sting, Bee Gees, The Police, ABBA, and The Cure – which can be used to create a wide range of product for global release.
Under the terms of the licence, BBC archive material of Universal artists could be used to produce, in conjunction with the artists, a wide range of commercial products, including albums, DVDs and downloads. The first music to be used from the BBC archive under the new deal is the 27 tracks included on Universal’s Top 10 Cream retrospective I Feel Free – Ultimate Cream. The deal is unique in its potential to deliver both commercial value and public service benefit to the BBC. Material from both the BBC and Universal’s archives becomes available, creating a pool of distinctive audiovisual content that the BBC can draw upon to create new music-related programming for broadcast in the UK, and for BBC Worldwide to exploit internationally.
The arrangement is expected to reward both BBC Worldwide and Universal Music with further strategic benefits, as both companies work together to maximise the value of the unique BBC archive, and deepen the relationship between the broadcaster and the music industry going forward. The deal is the first of its kind between BBC Worldwide and a key music industry partner, and is part of the company’s strategy to work with the music industry in deriving greater value from the wealth of music-related material in the corporation’s archive.
Universal Music chairman Lucian Grainge said, “The BBC archive offers a wealth of material that will be of interest to fans of our strong portfolio of heritage and new music artists. I am delighted to have led the way for the music industry in working with the BBC to unlock this valuable resource.” BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “The BBC has always worked closely with the music industry to showcase talent and bring the latest new music to its audiences. This arrangement with Universal is not only a good example of the BBC and BBC Worldwide commitment to partnering with the commercial sector, but also builds on the public value of the assets we have.”
The BBC television archive, which encompasses over 500 million feet of film, or 400,000 hours of video, from the 1930s to the present day, includes a wide range of footage relevant to Universal Music’s portfolio of artists.
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.
