Event Coverage
“The news industry is fighting amongst itself”: Rajat Sharma
NOIDA: He is one of the most well known faces of the Indian media industry. Rajat Sharma, the host of popular talk show, Aap Ki Adalat, has added responsibilities on his shoulders. He is not only the chairman and editor in chief of India TV, but also represents the industry as the new president of the News Broadcasters Association as well as the vice president of strategic affairs of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
Sharma, who was addressing the 7th Indian News Television Summit 2014 organised by indiantelevision.com as a keynote speaker highlighted the evolution of the news industry as well as listed the three biggest challenges that lie ahead.
He began by saying that three years ago the news channel industry was very different from what it is today. “There has been a change in perception in the way news is seen,” Sharma said adding that news no longer is considered to be negative.
Substantiating the evolution in terms of changing perception, Sharma gave the example of the 26/11 terror attack when reporters did 24X7 reportage and were blamed for aiding the terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan. “News channels also suffered commercial losses during the attacks as ad breaks were restricted,” he informed. According to Sharma, while news channels earlier were perceived as being a platform that telecasted frivolous events to garner eyeballs, things today have changed. “News is back,” he announced.
He pointed out that the space has seen drastic changes. “The society has evolved and the media has played a great role in it especially during events like the Lokpal Bill, the Delhi gang rape and the tirade against corruption,” he said.
“Today even if Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan want to promote their films or emerging sports like Kabaddi wants to garner attention, news channels have a role to play in that as well,” he opined.
Sharma while praising the social commitments of the news industry said that the space as a whole is not healthy. “The biggest problem for the industry is its revenue model,” he said while pointing out that though this year the balance sheets of the industry looks good due to elections, but, as a whole, the model is not sustainable.
Listing the three main challenges for the genre, Sharma said that carriage fee was the biggest concern. “A few years ago, people expected news channels to be a loss making property since carriage fees were high and when broadcasters spoke to the multi system operators (MSOs) they said it was a problem of demand and supply. When digitisation kickstarted, we thought that consumers will get better quality channels and carriage fees will disappear. For the MSOs, it is the carriage fee from the news channels that helps them sustain, since they pay the GEC’s huge sums for getting their programming on their platform,” he said.
He informed that the industry had 20-25 meetings with the previous TRAI chairman to discuss the issue of carriage fees. While it was expected that digitisation would bring down carriage fees, something unexpected happened. Two days before the former TRAI chairman could retire he signed the ad cap. “When we were trying to improve the content and trying to solve one issue we were burdened with another one.”
“Ad cap ensured we received 50 per cent less advertising. Death was certain now for the news channels,” he added.
While the then Union Minister Ambika Soni said she will look into the matter, the broadcasters decided to fight the case in TDSAT. “News channels have managed to get a stay and therefore are surviving,” he said while giving the example of the newspaper industry, which has no such restriction. “We want the same for the broadcasting industry,” he opined.
He also mentioned that the industry needs a better rating system and the TAM currency will be replaced by BARC India, which is an incorruptible agency. “Therefore today the biggest challenge for the industry is the ad cap, the rating system and carriage fees,” he informed.
In his closing remarks he said the whole industry including the IBF and the NBA should work together to resolve these issues. “The news industry as a whole cannot fight the MSOs as we are fighting amongst ourselves. While, we come together during a board room meeting, once we are out there will be one or two who would go against the same,” he lamented.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
