News Broadcasting
Zees DID, Buddha get takers at Mipcom
MUMBAI: It’s time for broadcasters to take stock of business at the recently concluded Mipcom 2013 and Zee TV, it seems, has emerged a winner.
The formats were the highlights for Zee at Mipcom says Sunita Uchil
Not only is the channel’s Dance India Dance a topper in terms of ratings, the show featured prominently on buyers’ lists at the content festival.
“It is the only dance format show, which is home grown. The dance format was largely viewed by buyers who came to our booth with the prospect of using the concept,” says Zee global head syndication Sunita Uchil.
Apart from DID, Zee’s new series Buddha struck a chord with international buyers. “We had a lot of inquiries even for the new series, which has never been made,” says Uchil.
The historical series Jodha Akbar too found resonance among buyers. “Historicals are always popular. Last year, Jhansi ki Rani was the talking point for buyers and this year, it was Jodha Akbar. It is known and liked because of the images, characters and shots,” says Uchil.
It was a busy MIPCOM for Zee, which had close to 90 meetings during the four-day fest. “The formats were the highlights for us,” exults Uchil and adds: “So while there were takers for Dance India Dance from Japan, the Asia Pacific region and Europe; the historical series got preference from the Middle East and Africa region. And, there were takers for our drama scripts from the Latin American market.”
Additionally, the Zee booth had buyers looking for bulk purchase of drama series such as Pavitra Rishtaa, Punar Vivaah, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke and Badalte Rishton ki Daastan. “All these drama shows are a part of anybody’s buy. So when buyers consider us, they look at us with the bulk of our shows,” says Uchil.
Just how many deals has Zee cracked at Mipcom? “We are still talking to the buyers, but will soon close the deals,” says Uchil without really answering our question…
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
