News Broadcasting
Hungama TV to Launch Vir, the Story of A Robot Kid on November 9th
MUMBAI: In line with its new look and proposition of Hungama Machaya Kya, Hungama TV will premiere a brand new series, VIR: The Robot Boy. A weekly animated comedy/adventure series set in the desi heartland of India. The channelhas associated with Maya Digital to bring this show weekly starting November 9th, 2013 at 11.30 am.
Vir is a heartwarming story of a robot with human like qualities and a unique blend of emotions and superhuman abilities. The series follows his humorous escapades as he manages to save the day with his quick thinking and a wide array of robotic abilities, along with his closest friends – Chulbul the pet Donkey, 8 year old Imli and Gintu, his magical Djinn. Vir is naughty yet intelligent, funny yet compassionate, playful yet helpful and street smart yet has a golden heart, all of which define the kids of today.
“We recently launched a fresh new look for Hungama TV, which embodies the spirit of friendly mischief and spontaneous laughter which is our core proposition for the channel. VIR: The Robot Boy truly celebrates the spirit of childhood and personifies what the channel represents. We are confident that kids will develop a great affinity to the local narrative, humour and situations that Vir and his friends find themselves in” said Devika Prabhu, Director, Programming, Kids Network, Disney UTV.
According to Ketan Mehta, CMD, Maya Digital Studios,times are changing for the Indian animation industry. “We already have Indian animated shows on air which has become immensely popular. With Vir, we are expanding more. The channels, till now, were basically thriving on recycling of American or Japanese shows. But slowly, they are opening up to the idea of home-grown shows. To penetrate the Indian market, it is important to come up with Indian content that is relatable to the audience,” he says.
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.
