News Broadcasting
Zee News sting into graft in judiciary incenses Chief Justice who orders CBI probe
MUMBAI: Zee News might not be shining on the TRP ratings charts but it is certainly shining in terms of high impact news operations.
If Zee News began December with the busting of a currency notes scam in Nashik in western India’s Maharashtra state, it has ended January on an equally high news note.
An expose it did on falling judicial standards where it managed to get arrest warrants issued against against the President and Chief Justice of India for a paltry bribe of Rs 10,000 each has led to the Supreme Court ordering the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the allegations.
Zee News Mumbai correspondent Vijay Shekhar was the man behind the sting operation that allegedly exposed the “crumbling law and order standards in the Ahmedabad”. Shekhar had a chance meeting with some people in Mumbai who alleged they were issued false arrest warrants by Ahmedabad Courts on the instigation of a business rival.
Taking a cue from the meeting, he approached a couple of lawyers at Ahemedabad to file a false case against four high profile people from Delhi. With just Rs 40, 000 (@ Rs 10,000 per person) Sekhar was able to manage arrest warrants against the President of India and Chief Justice of India, among others.
Money exchanged hands and Sekhar was assured that the magistrate would do the needful. The “arrest warrants” issued by a metropolitan magistrate in Ahmedabad were not handed over to the police in Delhi, but to the Zee News correspondent.
A shocked Chief Justice on Wednesday directed the Gujarat High Court to immediately take action. According to a report filed by news agency Press Trust of India, the Apex Court had earlier issued notices to the Centre, the state of Gujarat, registrar general of Gujarat High Court, the “erring” Metropolitan Magistrate Brahmbhatt and Suresh Jethalal Sanghvi, who purportedly filed a false complaint “and on that basis the warrants”.
The bench comprising Chief Justice VN Khare, Justice SB Sinha and Justice S Kapadia has asked the CBI to submit its report by 6 February, the next date of hearing.
The court also issued notices to three advocates — Iqbal Kataa, Narender Chaudhary and Harish Bhawaniwala — who acted as middlemen between the complainant and the magistrate.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
