News Broadcasting
UP cable ops continue strike
NEW DELHI: Wholl blink first in the state of Uttar Pradesh? The cable operators, who are on the warpath blacking out cable services in some parts of the state, or the government that has termed the strike illegal?
Even as indications are on that smaller cities like Azamgarh and Bijnaur might also join in the agitation, comes news that the cable ops have appealed to the prime minister for intervention in the matter.
Despite strong-arm tactics being used by the state government, the agitation of the cable operators today spread to cities like Varanasi, Allahabad and Gorakhpur.
The reason for the cable ops of Uttar Pradesh to go on an indefinite strike from Friday is the imposition of a high 30 per cent entertainment tax by the state government.
Agency reports from Lucknow stated that UP Cable TV Udyog Sangh president Rajendra Singh stuck to his guns, saying the operators would pay only Rs 10 per connection and not the 30 per cent tax imposed by the government.
”We only agreed to pay Rs 10 per connection and not 30 per cent on the highest monthly rent of the consumer,” Singh was quoted by the United News of India as saying.
The cable operators are adamant to continue with their protest against the ”irrational” entertainment tax policy, but the state government remains rigid and has already termed the strike illegal, announcing strict action against the striking operators.
According to cable operators union leader Singh, operators charge rates on the basis of the income group of the subscriber that varies from Rs 100 to Rs 250. But the state governments entertainment tax department had served notices calculating tax on the basis of ‘highest rate’, he added.
This is not the first time that the cable ops of the state had to resort to a strike , putting cable subscribers to much inconvenience. Earlier this year, the operators had gone on a flash strike, paralysing cable services in almost the whole of Uttar Pradesh, including large areas of Ghaziabd that is on the outskirts of Delhi.
After a few days of protests, the then government, headed by Mayawati, had asked the agitating cable ops to withdraw their stir and promised to look into the matter.
This time round, the state government, under the chief ministership of Samajwadi partys Mulayam Singh, till now has maintained its stridency.
Uttar Pradeshs principal secretary (taxes and registration) Naresh Dayal had told mediapersons in Lucknow yesterday that the government would not concede to the demands of the operators. Claiming that 30 per cent tax on cable network was enforced in 1995, agencies quoted him as saying that a government survey proved that the operators in Lucknow were evading Rs 20,00,000 per month by showing less numbers of connections. ”How can they protest when the cinema industry in the state is paying 60 per cent as tax”, he had questioned.
The cable ops had stopped beaming all private satellite entertainment and news channels from 9 pm on Friday in Lucknow, the state capital, protesting the levy of entertainment tax.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
