News Broadcasting

DD, Mike Pandey launch a brave green series

Published

19 years ago

February 3, 2007

NEW DELHI: Three-time “Green Oscar” winner environmental filmmaker Mike Pandey says there is a great scope for a film like “Al Gore” which seems to have transformed the American environmental conscience leading up to massive pressure on the retrogressive Bush administration, but says Bollywood has not grown up and there is no money for that kind of endeavour.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com ahead of the launching his latest series for Doordarshan, “Earth Matters” in its second avatar, Pandey said: “I’d love to do that kind of a film, but where is the money? Bollywood still spends money only on crass commercial ventures and ignores real issues.”
Pandey added: “I still make these films though there is very little money in it.”The series will be telecast from February 4, and Director General LD Mandloi told indiantelevision.com: “We have paid Rs six lakh per episode, but the cost could have been higher for the filmmaker,” corroborating Pandey’s version.

Interestingly, he said, “This is the first time an environmental series is being made in India in Hindi.” The earlier series of the same title was in English.

Mandloi said: “We had received major appreciation for the first series and thus decided to do this new series. Unfortunately, everything nowadays is seen in terms of ‘marketability’, but as a public broadcaster have a different agenda.”

The second series will be of 26 episodes and shown every Sunday at 11 am on DD. Mandloi said that DD is committed to such environmental programmes, despite the fact that consciousness on such issues in the country is not as high as it is in the west.

He quoted fabled Hindi poet Muktibodh: the world must become much better and cleaner that it is today and for that we need a good sweeper.

Mandloi said that the last figures for DD viewership was 800 million (realistically put, around 350 million) and for this new venture, 321 AIR radio centres and 30 channels of DD would be pressed into service for a massive awareness campaign, and also that billboards would be put up at all DD and AIR stations.

The series – shown in snippets as a preview at the Indian Habitat Centre today – has captured a wide range of sensitive issues and veers right away from the rather puerile attempts to indulge in jargonistic poster-films that mark novice enterprises in the field. From the unseen Andamanese tribes and their lives – they actually seem straight out of Africa and make the audience feel they are seeing something foreign – to dances of Manipur and the relationship of such dances and rituals with the inherent lifestyle of the native people who live amidst nature, the series has some major surprises.

There are episodes also on other countries like places in Africa and Sri Lanka. Pandey said there is need for people across the share their experiences and help coexist. Pandey, addressing the media later, Pandey said that people in India should be aware of issue such as the ones he has filmed on. There is need for understanding and thatcomes from education.

He revealed that as a comparison, at a recent film festival on environment abroad each 40-minute film cost Rs 22 crore. That is the kind of investment people make abroad on such issues.

“We do not realise that our lives depend on just two insects: the butterfly and honeybee, which pollinate 87 per cent of the plants and give us the food and fruits we survive on. Long ago, education was taken away from us. The emphasis was on how to survive. But that has changed and now we need to take heed of how to keep the earth green.” This is the message that Pandey feels should go out to the Indian vernacular audience needs to see.

Pandey has also delved on issues like stem cell research and on our scientists and their IPR related progress.

Mandloi, however, said that the series will also be dubbed in English and shown across the country where Hindi is not understood and across various places in the world at a later date. Pandey said that these are archival series that can be played again and again and will ever remain important, though the making was extremely tough. On the impact of such films in India, Pandy gave one stark example, of how a film on destruction of the vulture population in India was seen by the Prime Minister and only then a decision was taken to stop production of a drug that had wiped out 87 million vultures in the country.

Related Topics:Al Gore Bollywood DD Green Oscar indiantelevision.com IPR LD Mandloi Mike Pandey

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News Broadcasting

Barc forensic audit in TRP row awaits as Twenty-Four probe gathers pace

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

KERALA: A forensic audit commissioned by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has emerged as the centrepiece of the government’s response to fresh allegations of television rating point manipulation involving a regional news channel in Kerala, with both the audit findings and a parallel police investigation still awaited.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan, said Barc had appointed an independent agency to conduct a forensic probe into the conduct of senior personnel allegedly linked to the case.

The move followed media reports claiming that a Barc employee had accepted bribes to manipulate viewership data in favour of a regional television news channel.

“The report from BARC is still awaited,” Murugan told Parliament, signalling that the forensic exercise remains ongoing.

Industry specialists say forensic audits are crucial in alleged TRP fraud cases, as they examine internal controls, data access trails, panel household integrity, staff communications and financial transactions. The outcome could determine whether the alleged manipulation was an isolated breach or a deeper systemic weakness in India’s television measurement framework.

Running alongside the audit, the Kerala Police has formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The ministry has sought a preliminary report from the state’s director general of police, including details of action taken on the first information report. That report, too, is yet to be submitted.

The episode has revived long-standing concerns over the vulnerability of India’s TRP system, particularly in regional news markets where competition for ratings is fierce and advertising revenues hinge on weekly viewership rankings.

India’s sole television audience measurement body Barc, has faced scrutiny before, most notably during the nationwide TRP controversy involving news channels in 2020. While tighter compliance norms were introduced in the aftermath, the latest allegations suggest enforcement challenges may persist.

On regulatory consequences, the government said any punitive action against television channels, including suspension or cancellation of uplinking and downlinking permissions, would be governed by the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels issued in November 2022, and would depend on investigation outcomes and due process.

The ministry also pointed to ongoing efforts to overhaul the ratings ecosystem. Television measurement continues to be regulated under the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, 2014. Draft amendments were released for public consultation in July 2025, followed by a revised version in November 2025, aimed at tightening audit mechanisms and improving transparency and representativeness.

In November 2025, Barc said it had taken note of allegations aired by Malayalam news channel Twenty-Four, which linked an internal employee to irregularities in audience measurement. The council said it had engaged a “reputed independent agency” to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, underscoring the seriousness of the claims.

The ratings system sits at the heart of India’s broadcast advertising economy, shaping billions of rupees in annual ad spends. With trust in audience data once again under strain, advertisers, broadcasters and regulators are closely watching the outcome of the investigations.

Barc has urged industry stakeholders and media organisations to exercise restraint while the probe is underway, calling for an end to “unverified or speculatory claims” and reiterating its commitment to integrity and accountability.

Until the forensic audit and police findings are submitted and reviewed, the government said it would refrain from drawing conclusions.

News Broadcasting

Rajat Sharma defamation row: Delhi court summons Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered the summoning of senior Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh in a criminal case filed by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma, sharpening a legal battle over alleged defamation and doctored digital content.

The order was passed on Monday by Devanshi Janmeja, judicial magistrate first class at Saket Courts, after the court found prima facie grounds to proceed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery, creation of false electronic records and defamation.

Sharma, chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV, had approached the court over allegations made in June 2024 that he had used derogatory language against Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak during a live television debate. He denied the charge, claiming it was fuelled by a manipulated video circulated online.

According to the complaint, a clipped version of the broadcast carrying superimposed captions, which were not part of the original programme, was first shared on social media platform X by Nayak and later amplified through retweets and public statements by Khera and Ramesh. Sharma said the viral spread caused serious reputational harm and personal distress.

The court took note of forensic science laboratory findings that pointed to visible post-production alterations in the video, including added titles and captions. It also cited witness testimonies from those present during the live broadcast, who stated that no abusive or objectionable language had been used.

In a related civil matter, the Delhi High Court had earlier observed a prima facie absence of abusive remarks and directed the removal of the disputed social media posts.

With criminal proceedings now set in motion, the case adds to mounting scrutiny around political messaging, digital manipulation and accountability on social media platforms.

News Broadcasting

Mukesh Ambani, Larry Fink come together for CNBC-TV18 exclusive

Reliance and BlackRock chiefs map the future of investing as global capital eyes India

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: India’s capital story takes centre stage today as Mukesh Ambani and Larry Fink sit down for a rare joint television conversation, bringing together two of the most powerful voices in global business at a moment of economic churn and opportunity.

The Reliance Industries chief and the BlackRock boss will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, in an exclusive interaction airing from 3:00 pm on February 4. The timing is deliberate. Geopolitics are tense, technology is disruptive and capital is choosier. India, meanwhile, is pitching itself as a long-term bet.

The pairing is symbolic. Reliance straddles energy transition, digital infrastructure and consumer growth in the world’s fastest-expanding major economy. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, oversees more than $14 tn in assets and sits at the nerve centre of global capital flows. When the two talk, markets tend to listen.

Fink’s appearance marks his third India visit, a signal of the country’s rising strategic weight for the Wall Street-listed firm, which carries a market value above $177 bn. His earlier 2023 trips included an October stop in New Delhi, where he met both Ambani and Narendra Modi.

India is now central to BlackRock’s expansion plans, notably through its joint venture with Jio Financial Services. Announced in July 2023, the 50:50 venture, JioBlackRock, commits up to $150 mn each from the partners to build a digital-first asset-management platform aimed at India’s swelling investor class.

The backdrop is robust. BlackRock ended 2025 with record assets under management of $14.04 tn, helped by $698 bn in net inflows, including $342 bn in the fourth quarter alone. Scale gives Fink both heft and a long lens on where money is moving.

He has been openly bullish on India. At the Saudi-US Investment Summit in Riyadh last year, Fink argued that the “fog of global uncertainty is lifting”, with capital returning to dynamic markets such as India, drawn by reforms, demographics and durable return potential.

Expect the conversation to range beyond balance sheets, into technology’s role in finance, access to capital and the mechanics of sustainable growth in a fracturing world order. For investors and policymakers alike, it is a snapshot of how big money is thinking about India.

At a time when capital is cautious and growth is contested, India wants to be the exception. When Ambani and Fink share a stage, it is less a chat and more a signal. The world’s money is still looking for its next big story, and India intends to be it.