News Broadcasting
Zee Music gets into reality realm with ‘Item Bomb’
MUMBAI: The announcement has finally come. The ‘new n’ improved’ Zee Music, which has given indications to this effect for a while now, is launching a new “and different” reality show.
As the title suggests, Item Bomb is a search for a girl to perform in what is ubiquitous to “masala” Hindi films — the “item number”.
The effort is touted as India’s first such hunt, which will give a platform to a young girl to perform opposite Sanjay Dutt in the forthcoming movie Musafir.
While the channel has been hinting at a big reality show for a while now, the big hoopla launch of [V]’s Disco Star – a joint venture of Star’s music arm and Subhash Ghai promoted production house Mukta Arts – might well have triggered the announcement.
The channel has joined hands with Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Gupta’s production house White Feather Films for the hunt to discover a ravishing, hot girl. Just like the hunt, even the results are likely to be out soon what with Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy starrer Musafir, scheduled to hit theatres in October. The movie has been directed by Sanjay Gupta and presented by Sanjay Dutt.
Item Bomb will be simultaneously telecast on both Zee Music as well as Zee Cinema. The promo’s for the talent hunt are currently being shot by Gupta himself.
“This concept has been specially created by Zee Music to hunt for a vivacious talent for Bollywood. Zee Music will go across four cities in India – Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore and two International destinations – London and Dubai, which are two strong markets for the Zee Network. Zee Music’s association with Musafir is providing a tailor made platform for all the aspiring youngsters. The winner of Item bomb will get a chance to be cast opposite Sanjay Dutt in an item number, ” offered Zee Music’s business head Yogesh Radhakrishnan.
Dutt was quoted in a company release as saying, “I am glad that my company White Feather Films has tied up with Zee Music. They both are dynamic and with Item Bomb they will rock.” Whilst Gupta offered, “We are thrilled and excited to associate with Zee Music – The Sound of India, and we are sure to discover a perfect 10, who will be able to pair with the rock star of Bollywood, and our very own Sanjay Dutt.”
An interesting promotions campaign that the channel has embarked on is the launch of an audio CD titled “Item Bomb Blast”. A joint venture between Zee Music and T Series, the CD will comprise sixteen ‘item number’ Aaisa Jadoo (Khakee), Sajna Ve (Chameli), Ishq Samundar (Kaante), Kambakth Ishq (Pyar Tune Kya Kiya), Khallas (Company) and the Musafir’s new item number song.
” We have been closely associated with Zee Music and this association will definitely help us in providing some scintillating music to music lovers,” offered T-Series owner Bhushan Kumar.
With the flagship channel Zee’s talent hunt Cinestar Ki Khoj having reached its penultimate stage, the music arm will be having a live example to learn from.
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.
