News Broadcasting
Content distribution revisited
CANNES: “In India, we produce so much content and it is up on the web in the next three and a half minutes,” began IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi. He was speaking at a panel on ‘Access is the new ownership: A new look at content distribution’, on day two of MIPCOM.
Moderated by Superhuman founder Louisa Heinrich, the session focussed on changing audience expectations and how consumers ought to get what they want to watch, where they want to watch, instead of what content distributors want to show.
“We need to ensure that quality content is produced and is also made available cross country,” Gandhi reinforced.
Describing India’s internet story as ‘spinning faster than the globe’ Gandhi substantiated his statement with statistics. “India has 150 million internet users and ranks number three worldwide. 75 per cent of the population using internet is below the age of 15. Almost 86 per cent of Indian web users visit a social networking site, of which 80 million are on Facebook.”
“That apart, there are 220 million mobile devices sold every year. There are 700 million mobile phone users and 40 million are 3G subscribers. India boasts of seven million tablets and 0.5 million are sold per month. Also, there are 50 million smart phones and three million sold every month,” he said.
India is the second most important market for internet giants, Gandhi said, adding: “Consumption of video has shot up in India, with more and more people hooking on to YouTube to watch videos.”
Gandhi further informed the audience that the rollout of the national telecom policy would target 175 million broadband users by 2017, up from the current 15 million. “100 hours of content is being uploaded to YouTube every minute. Also, the good news is that the data access charges will come down by 70 per cent.”
Coming to IndiaCast, he said it is looking at ways to handle traditional media. “We are getting shackled by the traditional platform. We are losing out on opportunities. The traditional platforms have ring-fenced content rights. There are longer contracts and limited flexibility.
So while the traditional platform is growing, it is also getting expensive and has capacity constraint. Content needs to travel. We need to exploit our rights to ensure that the content is made available everywhere,” said he.
Gandhi foresees a five-fold increase in data consumption in the switch from 2G to 3G and another five times with that to 4G. “There will be a three times growth in the YouTube revenue in the next two years and two million paying mobile TV subscribers in the next two years. The number of people watching YouTube has already crossed 50 million and the channel is now looking at ways to monetize it,” he said.
Asked about the role of the broadcaster in social media, Gandhi said: “Well, the key issue is to have a 360 degree marketing campaign and social media is one such platform. As a content distribution company, we need to analyse what people are saying about available content. We need to be innovative, be aware of what is happening in the markets, and also keep experimenting with windowing and stop playing safe.”
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. AICC’s Praveen Chakravarty weighs ‘Power Sharing vs Principles’, while former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joins the fray. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
