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Tag: BBC

  • Voot brings BBC’s famed non-scripted original about social media madness today

    Voot brings BBC’s famed non-scripted original about social media madness today

    MUMBAI: Scaling a treacherous mountain pass, battling wildlife and river rapids in the forests and beating the gruelling desert sun – Can you survive and stay alive in these harsh, uninhabited terrains with the help of just a Smartphone and a data strong network?

    Viacom 18’s video-on-demand streaming service Voot is all set to answer this question with the launch of India’s first-ever ‘Digital Survival Series’ and its newest original – Vodafone presents “Stupid Man Smart Phone” powered by Motorola.

    Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and hosted by the acclaimed actor and digital star Sumeet Vyas, the show will introduce the audience to a never seen before format in the history of Indian entertainment where a smart phone and a super network is the only means of survival.

    This unique and engaging show is all set to premiere exclusively on 20 September on Voot .

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures’ COO Gaurav Gandhi said: “Voot continues to take the leadership mantle on innovation with many pioneering initiatives across both content and technology. The latest Voot original, a category first, is one such initiative, that will offer a completely differentiated and engaging experience to our audience.”

    Voot head of content Monika Shergill said “For the first time, an internationally recognised non-scripted format of this scale is being produced as a streaming original series. The show is unique with today’s social media madness at the heart of it. It’s the only show where followers of Sumeet and his partners participate and aid in their survival choices. This unique concept with its social engagement potential, grandeur and edgy humour is sure to provide an immersive entertainment experience to all.”

    A winner of the ‘Best Multi-Platform Format’ at the 2017 International Format Awards in Cannes earlier, this Indian adaptation of the BBC Worldwide format features Vyas and a celebrity guest travelling across three unforgiving terrains, trying to complete the mission at hand while being aided by their smartphones and their legions of social media followers.

    BBC Worldwide SVP and GM – south-east Asia and south Asia Myleeta Aga said: “India is the first country in Asia that will air the Indian version of this BBC format and we will be producing it for our long-standing partners at Viacom.”

    Vodafone EVP – marketing Siddharth Banerjee said,“Vodafone is happy to partner with content that is new-age and digital. It’s is a show with connectivity at the heart of the storytelling. The format enables the protagonists to #MakeMostOfNow with the Vodafone Data Strong Network™ and navigate challenges as they traverse diverse geographies across India in the Voot show.”

    Motorola India head of marketing Rachna Lather said, “The viewers will see how much fun Sumeet and his friends have using the Moto Z2 play with Moto mods while performing the tough challenges”.

    Along with their inimitable personality, each celebrity guest also brings to the show their extensive social media fan base which coupled with Vyas’s massive internet following makes for relevant and often crucial interactions through all the episodes.

    In the lush rainforests of South India, Vyas teams up with the vibrant Evelyn Sharma while the harsh Rajasthan desert sun beats down upon YouTube funny man Sahil Khattar and TV hearthrob Karan Kundra keeps Sumeet company in the untouched mountains of Arunachal Pradesh.

  • Why India expansion makes sense to BBC

    Why India expansion makes sense to BBC

    MUMBAI: BBC is rising to the fact that expansion in India makes logical sense. With the proliferation of news sources, BBC is witnessing a mobile revolution especially in India, Asia and Africa.

    “It would be presumptuous to think that people would come to our websites just because we’ve launched them,”  BBC digital editor for World Service Languages Dmitry Shishkin has said, niemanlab.org reported. Shishkin is responsible for allocation of 319 new digital, editorial hires — from developers to social media editors to producers for new TV bulletins.

    Things like [Facebook] Instant Articles, Google Accelerated Mobile Pages, and light apps for audio listening, he says, are in our plans. The next ‘hackathon,’ he indicated, will be taking place in India. The way we are launching new BBC services impacts in a very big editorial way how we’re running existing ones, he said. (The BBC has also held several hackathons across Africa that have led to implemented pilot projects, and also to local developers joining the BBC’s product development process).

    The BBC World Service already publishes in 28 languages. It plans to make a foray into unusual territory: launching a full-fledged news service delivered in Nigerian Pidgin in West and Central Africa. The BBC groups its language services into six regions — such as growth editors who can analyse data on story performance and make recommendations on how to improve coverage and increase reach.

    Every new language service requires its own justification, its own distribution strategy, and its own evaluation of the target audience’s needs. For many of these countries where the BBC plans to launch its new mobile-focused online news services, limited phone data is an issue.

    The BBC already has an established workflow that facilitates sharing text and video content among its own language services. It’s also developed new tools to ease cross-language sharing, such as this one that automates translations for videos.

    The World Service is changing up how interactives will be produced. Regions will get their own dedicated interactives teams, so instead of pitching ideas to London, they’ll work with their own local teams.

    BBC had realised that seeking someone with several years of professional experience in journalism, who spoke the languages they needed, plus had a digital background, was difficult. BBC had decided to look for people who have professional and personal experiences. This allows people to understand the market, because they are the market.

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  • Do you want argumentative or sophisticated media, asks Arnab Goswami

    MUMBAI: India, with the help of advanced technology, editorial sophistication and big global channels is on threshold of becoming the media capital of the world before 2020, and will take on BBC, CNN and other global channels, dreams Republic TV news presenter and editor Arnab Goswami.

    “India is the only country where media can question anyone on any subject including religion, the kind of journalism that we practice, the way we go overboard, boldness being shown by journalists across the nation and bringing out the truth is helping media become an agent of social change. This will also help us become a global media platform before 2020. That is my dream,” Goswami said while speaking at an interactive session “News as an Agent of Change’ organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) here.

    “Delhi city has helped me grow in my career as I have spent nine and a half years of my professional life here and I always felt that it was not a city that supported pure merit. “In 2000-2001, I was about to quit this profession. I was frustrated as a journalist since I felt I was a cog in the wheel. Shifting base to Mumbai helped me do my kind of journalism and what we do is possible for bringing in social change because I was physically separated from the centre of power. This city has taught me the value of merit, independence and professionalism. I owe everything that I am today and everything that I can be to Delhi and Mumbai,” he said.

    “The television media has made politicians accountable for their doings. We play a conscious role towards being a force-multiplier for social movements. Such was the case during the India Against Corruption movement, in which Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan came together. Today, when the media questions Kejriwal as a politician, people ask me, “Have you forgotten that you are the same people who put Kejriwal on a pedestal?” But, I never supported Arvind Kejriwal. I supported the fight against corruption. Our support was for the Lokpal movement and not for a group that wanted to become a political party,” said Goswami.

    “It’s always a tough decision to take the path less travelled. Rival channels have always accused me of being over the top and presenting a dumbed-down version of the news. However, I am a firm believer in my form of journalism — which does not believe in the ‘underhand delivery’. I look upon us as new-age journalists. It is my responsibility to throw a googly or bouncer to those in power once in a while,” he said.

    Goswami shared an anecdote which he termed “another mistake” in his career. This incident happened when actor Sanjay Dutt was being transported from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail to Pune’s Yerwada prison. “I sent my reporters and camerapersons to cover Dutt’s story. While I was having my lunch, I got a phone call from someone in Bengaluru, who had been following my career and Times Now since a long time. He vowed never to watch my channel again. I was surprised and asked him why. He said that his best friend, Colonel Vasanth Venugopal had died in a combat with terrorists. But, not a single news channel had bothered to cover the martyrdom of this man. I was shocked and apologised to him. Suddenly, the whole Dutt drama looked puerile to me. I invited the man to come on my programme, and he agreed.”

    But, Goswami was in for a surprise. Before he went live, he asked his producer if the guest was ready. His producer replied, “Yes, she is ready”. Goswami told him it was a man, who had called up but his producer interrupted and said, “Col. Venugopal’s wife, Subhashini, decided to come on your programme.”

    Goswami recalled, “Here was a lady, who had cremated her husband four hours ago. What do I ask her? I started off by asking some opening questions. She spoke for 10 minutes from her heart – about her husband, about how proud she was of him and about her children. I got a call from Col. J. J. Singh, who was the chief of army staff at that time. He asked me for the brave lady’s number. The incident changed my perspective of journalism forever.”

    Towards the end of his speech, Goswami posed a thought-provoking question: “What kind of media do you want? Do you want this media, irrespective of how noisy, argumentative and difficult it is? Or, would you like to have the tame, quiet and sophisticated media that bowls underhand deliveries?”

  • 84 U.K. channels required to provide access services in 2018

    MUMBAI: A new Ofcom document has explained which TV channels licensed by Ofcom are required to provide access services (subtitles, signing and audio description) on a proportion of their programming in 2018. Access services are intended to help people with sensory impairments to understand and enjoy TV programmes. The channels required to provide access services include domestic channels broadcast within the UK, and some non-domestic channels broadcast within certain Member States of the European Union.

    In 2018, 84 domestic channels will be required to provide access. These channels account for over 90 per cent of television viewing in the United Kingdom. In addition, 30 non-domestic channels across seven different member states of the European Union will be required to provide access services in 2018.

    The Communications Act 2003 required Ofcom to publish a code setting out the obligations of television channels licensed in the UK to provide television access services. Following consultation, Ofcom published the Ofcom Code on Television Access Services (“the Code”) in July 2004, together with an explanatory statement setting out the channels that would be required to provide such services in the following year.

    The Code also provides for a mid-year review of the audience share and revenues of UK-licensed television channels, based on data for the previous year. The purposes of the review are to establish whether, in the next calendar year, channels should be:

    a)  required to provide television access services;

    b)  required to meet a different level of provision; or

    c)  excluded from the requirement to provide television access services.

    The statutory targets for broadcasters are expressed as percentages of the service.
    They rise from a low level to the ten-year targets prescribed by the Act that is 80% for subtitling, 5% for signing and 10% for audio description. In the case of Channel 3 and Channel 4, the relevant target for subtitling is 90% and for BBC channels (excluding BBC Parliament, which is exempted on audience share grounds) it is 100%1.

    Ofcom has used the cost of providing access services to calculate three levels of provision we apply to relevant channels:

    d)  Level One equates to the full current annual targets for subtitling, signing and audio description, as well as any alternative requirements;

    e)  Level Two equates to 66% of the current annual target for subtitling, as well as 100% of the targets for signing and audio description, and any alternative requirements; and

    f)    Level Three equates to 33% of the current annual target for subtitling, as well as
    100% of the targets for signing and audio description and any alternative requirements.

    For channels broadcasting within the UK (‘domestic channels’), data collected from broadcasters in early 2016 was used by Ofcom to assess whether broadcasters can afford to meet their access service obligations by spending no more than 1% of their relevant turnover.

    Under the BBC Charter and Agreement, Ofcom has specific duties relating to access services on BBC television and on demand services. We will publish further information on this separately in the near future.

    For channels broadcasting in other Member States of the European Union (‘non- domestic channels’), Ofcom collected data from broadcasters in early 2017. This data has been used to generate country-specific estimates of the different costs incurred for the provision of access services. Ofcom then used these estimates to determine which non-domestic channels can afford to provide access services from
    2018.

    Domestic TV services

    a)  84 channels will be required to provide television access services in 2018;

    b)  80 channels will be required to provide access services at Level One during 2018, four channels will be required to provide access services at Level Two, and none will be required to provide access services at Level Three. Subtitling targets are now the highest required under the Code (80%) for most channels, with audio description at the maximum level of 10% for most; and

    c)  over 50 time shifted services (e.g. ITV2 + 1) and simulcast HD services (e.g. ITV HD) are also required to provide access services.

    The statutory target for audio description is 10% from the tenth anniversary of the relevant date (normally the date on which a channel started broadcasting). Four broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky – have committed to audio describing at least 20% of their content on most of their channels (excluding sports channels in the case of Sky).

    Finally, the statutory target for sign interpreted programming is 5% from the tenth anniversary of the relevant date. Channels with a smaller audience share (i.e. an audience share between the audience share and signing thresholds set out in Annex 2 to the Code of Television Access Services) are excluded from the requirement to provide sign interpreted programming. Instead they are required to either:

    a)  provide a minimum amount of sign-presented programming between 7am and 11pm every month, subject to the targets shown in the first row of Table A below and to transitional arrangements.

    b)  pay a minimum annual contribution towards alternative signing arrangements approved by Ofcom as set out in Table A below, and subject to transitional arrangements.

    Non-domestic TV services

    a)  30 non-domestic channels will be required to provide television access services in 2018. The channels required to provide access services in 2018 are broadcast in seven Member States of the European Union;

    b)   27 non-domestic channels will be required to provide access services at Level One, two channels will provide access services at Level Two, and one channel will provide access services at Level Three. Targets for most Level One channels will rise to 60% in 2018 from 35% in 2017; and,

    c)  For the first time, Ofcom assessed whether any channels outside the European Union to which the Audio Visual Media Services Directive applies should be given a requirement to provide access services in 2018. No such channels have been given a requirement as none met the audience share and affordability criteria. We will assess these channels again in 2018 when determining which channels will have a requirement to provide access services in 2019.

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  • Gender issues: BBC & UNICEF join community radio stations

    NEW DELHI: ‘Full On Nikki’, a unique youth show with special focus on gender issues among young adults and adolescents, has commenced broadcast on Panjab University (PU)’s community radio Radio — Jyotirgamaya 91.2MHz and 24 other CRS in different parts of the country.

    Though created and developed by BBC Media Action in partnership with United Nation’s Chukdreb’s Fund (UNICEF), it will include local programming created and developed by Radio Jyotirgamaya.

    The inaugural episode on the theme ‘The Voice and Silence’ had the participants express various concerns regarding Voice and Silence for the youth.

    This is the first international collaboration for the Panjab University Community Radio and will be broadcast on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 pm on Radio Jyotirgamaya 91.2 Mhz with repeats on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the same time.

    According to University Registrar Col GS Chadha (retd), it was a matter of great pride for PU to have an international collaboration with BBC and UNICEF which would not only enabled sensitization of young boys and girls to gender issues, but was also crucial in the development of community radio in India.

    Chairperson Archana R Singh said the 78-episode series would focus on the dreams and aspiration of the youth worldwide. It also aimed at sensitizing the age group of 10 to 19 years towards gender and developing a conceptual understanding of related issues.

    The show will be broadcast under the agreement signed between Indian Community Radio Association and UNICEF.

    Out of 193 Community Radio stations running in India, PU’s Radio Jyotirgamaya 91.2 Mhz is among the 25 Community Radio stations that have been chosen under the international collaboration to broadcast the show, she added.

  • Live ICC Champions broadcast & digital reach to be 2.10 billion

    MUMBAI: The ICC has announced the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 will be broadcast to more than 200 territories across five continents with an anticipated reach of more than two billion people, thanks to expanded syndication and licensing deals by ICC’s global media rights partner, Star Sports. In 146 countries fans will be able to watch the coverage via traditional broadcast whilst the digital broadcast coverage is available in more than 200 countries.

    The event, which will be staged at the Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval from 1-18 June, will for the first time be broadcast live into China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia via Fox Network Group.

    Also, in a major coup for U.K based fans, cricket returns to the BBC after 6 years, with a daily one-hour highlights show being transmitted throughout the tournament by the British public service broadcaster. And for the first time ever, fans in Continental Europe and Japan can watch the event live via ICC’s Facebook page.

    Viewers in India will get a choice of following the coverage via Star Sports in English, Hindi and Tamil.

    The ICC will also be continuing its long-term partnerships with various broadcast partners including Star (India and the rest of the Indian Sub-continent), Sky Sports (United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland), SuperSport (South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa), OSN (Middle East & North Africa). Fox Sports (Australia), Willow TV (USA), Sky TV (New Zealand), Ten Sports (Pakistan), ESPN (Caribbean), Gazi TV, Maasranga and BTV (all Bangladesh), SLRC (Sri Lanka) Fox Network Group (China and Asian Sub-continent), ATN (Canada) and Moby TV (Afghanistan).

    Digital streaming is playing an increasing role in enabling cricket fans to view ICC events and Star Sports’ Hotstar platform is leading the charge. Coverage via Hotstar will be available in India, Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and the Pacific Islands amongst other territories.

     ICC continues to revolutionise the digital fan experience.

    In addition, a new partnership has been formed with Yupp TV for Canada and Continental Europe who join existing platforms, ESPN and Willow in South America, Sky Go (United Kingdom), Foxtel Sports (Australia), OSN Play in Middle East & North Africa and Fan Pass (New Zealand).

    From an audio-only perspective, a full complement of licensees will supplement live TV Broadcast coverage including joint production between Channel 2 and talkSPORT for all matches, with this coverage being available at icc-cricket.com and on the ICC App.

    Other audio licensees include Radio 4 (MENA), BBC (United Kingdom), All India Radio (India), SABC (South Africa), SLBC (Sri Lanka), ABC (Australia) and Avenue (Pakistan).

    A full list of broadcast and audio outlets is available here.
    https://www.icc-cricket.com/champions-trophy/news/404069

    Online, the ICC continues to revolutionise the digital fan experience by licensing short form clips. Short-form video clips of ICC Champions Trophy match action, highlights and event content has been licensed to 12 digital clip partners covering more than 180 countries.  

    Clips covering up to six minutes per hour of in-match content – as well as match previews, media conferences, highlights packages and event features – will be provided to websites, smartphone apps and other digital properties with a focus on mobile.

    More than 100 million cumulative clip views are anticipated as ICC enters the digital video space across a number of identified growth markets.

    Following the success of ICC World Twenty20 2016, the ICC continues its near-live digital clip partnership with BBC (UK & Republic of Ireland), ESPN (UK and Australia), Hotstar (India), Cricbuzz (US & Canada), Khaleef (Pakistan), Dialog (Sri Lanka), Cricketgateway (SE Asia & Australia), Bongo (Bangladesh & SE Asia).

    New partnerships have also been formed with OSN (Middle East & North Africa) and Channel 2 Group (Europe, Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa, UK, South East Asia & the Caribbean).

    A full list of the official digital clips licensees can be found here.
    https://www.icc-cricket.com/champions-trophy/news/404326

    News access partnerships with Perform and SNTV for all matches with Reuters for the Semi Finals and Final to distribute 90-second news clips, at the conclusion of each match for 24-hours.

    Speaking on the broadcast and digital reach for the tournament, ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson, said: ““The ICC is committed to continuing to making cricket one of the most viewed sports globally and we would like to thank global broadcast partner, Star Sports, its licensees and other media rights and digital partners for taking the coverage of the ICC Champions Trophy far and wide. We aim to offer fans credible, informative and engaging content, attracting a huge global audience, across all platforms with both long form and short form content.

    “Our on-the ground ICC TV team will help tell the story, build heroes and connect with the fans. We want to continue our growth in the digital space and ensure fans are at the very heart of the experience we are delivering”.

     

  • Of Arnab’s Republic, nationalism, need for opinionated media & ‘outdated’ BBC

    NEW DELHI: Priyanka Chopra may have melted under stringent scrutiny of people on Reddit, but Arnab Goswami is made of sterner stuff. Not only he answered tricky questions — criticism later notwithstanding about his biases — but was unsparingly scathing on people and issues he thought did not have a place in the Indian republic, at least not in Arnab’s Republic. In the bargain, he also did some suave marketing.
    “Tune in and make Republic your go to channel for news. Every challenge is an opportunity. The Goliath of the Legacy Print media (Times of India group that was his former employer) tried to stop us from being launched. I have a great team. Their passion and commitment is bringing Republic to you in a few days. Back us and watch us,” Arnab started off with one of his pet themes in a Reddit interaction yesterday.

    Asked by several people whether journalists should mix opinion with news reports — something which old school journalism warned youngsters to keep away from — the new age journalist and self-proclaimed messiah of the hoi-polloi was unabashed  in his thoughts: “For a long time, reporters haven’t expressed their opinion. When we include opinion on issues that are black and white, we make reporting an agent of change. That will be our motto.

    “We believe that journalists need to set the agenda for politicians. Not just (take) their sound bytes and debate it. That’s what we will do on Republic. I trust this will set a new benchmark and we need your support… REPUBLIC is a free to air non-encrypted news channel. The only Indian English news channel that is free to air. Support us by please asking your cable/DTH operators to tune us in.”

    At another place, while dwelling on news with dollops of personal opinion, Arnab opined, “Yes there is a need to balance the narrative (so called handed out by Left liberals). We have had historians who had the temerity to classify Bhagat Singh as a terrorist. These people must be brought off their pulpits. These people have had a disproportionate share of voice because a large section of the traditional legacy media has co-opted them and given them space in editorial pages and TV.

    “I’m trying to change that. We need a fresh new group of people who lead opinion in India. They need to be from across India, not a 5×5 km zone from Malcha Marg (located near Delhi’s diplomatic enclave) to the JNU campus. Trust me, we will make that happen with Republic… We represent the REAL INDIA.”

    Arnab’s new venture, supported by a gaggle of investors, is called Republic TV with its digital sibling being Republic World. Touted to have been launched on India’s Republic Day on January 26, the venture faced hiccups, mostly political in nature, delaying its formal take off. 

    That’s why yesterday’s Reddit interaction was termed by some observers as of gold standard, mostly aimed at keeping the buzz up about his new(s) venture. 

    The questions came thick and fast with many of those online showing a fair understanding of the environ in which Republic would operate and the ideas it would propogate.

    Sample this question: You have been promoting Republic TV as an unbiased media outlet with no conflicts of interest. But with Rajeev Chandrashekhar, a strong BJP supporter and Rajya Sabha MP running the show, and Anupam Kher, another vocal BJP supporter whose wife is a BJP MP, being associated with the channel, how can you say that there won’t be bias?

    Terming Chandrashekhar a “nationalist”, Arnab said, “I am very proud of all my partners. Each one of them believes in my journalism. I am proud of the investment we have received from Asianet News. It is India’s oldest private news channel. Rajeev is a nationalist and we share a great rapport. Each one of them believes in my journalism.”

    But, what about Chandrashekhar flexing legal muscle to bring down a story on him and Republic investments on news website The Wire? What about freedom of the media? Arnab was dismissive: “About The Wire, less said the better. They are using my name to try and get some followers on their crumbling news site. :).” However, The Wire later claimed in tweets that the man just couldn’t stop speaking about them.
    The incisive questioning continued. One person asked about Republic TV’s global ambitions and what were Arnab’s views on the likes of CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera. “Is (Republic) just a right-leaning news channel for local audience, a la Fox News?” was the question. The flamboyant TV anchor, who made a name on Times Now with being, what critics dubbed, the prosecutor, judge and jury”, was his usual self: “BBC is outdated. Al Jazeera is well funded.” 

    The counter-comments revealed that not everybody participating in the live interaction was totally convinced by Arnab’s clarifications and jibes. Some remarks countered that the journalist’s “mask was off” and some of his answers were “poor”. 

    When the questions turned towards Arnab’s fav topics of nationalism, patriotism, mostly worn on the sleeve, and an abhorrence for contrarian views on these issues, Arnab wasn’t fazed.

    Asked if he was “blinded by excessive patriotism” to the point that it has become almost a “sin and a sure fire criminal case” to criticize elected officials, decisions taken by them, the armed forces etc, Arnab was categorical: “There can never be enough nationalism. More the better. We have forces that are trying to divide and break India from within. No nation can be soft on anti-nationals. My position remains the same that I took when a bunch of anti nationals tried to make the breakup of India into a slogan on the JNU campus. I took them on, even though the Lutyen’s media and cocktail activists didn’t.”

    Here’s another sample of patriotism in Arnab’s Republic. “I feel the army and paramilitary needs to be given greater powers in Kashmir. The state government must empower the J&K police. Before every election in the state, the party in power softens versus the separatists. I am appalled at the pictures of Kashmiris assaulting a soldier. That soldier must be decorated for his restraint and each of those goons rounded up. 

    People have questioned why a Kashmiri was put in front of an army jeep. If that is the only way to stop an attack on our soldiers, I see no problem with it. No man in an Indian uniform can become prey to the cowards who shoot in stealth. I wish the legacy Indian media saw the reality,” Arnab replied when asked about his obsession with Kashmir, and Army’s role as India had much more pressing issues than “Kashmir and beef.”
    According to him, “All Indians should be pro-military and pro-India. If that makes us right wing, then so be it.” 

    Arnab also made clear his views on global NGOs, a line of thought that is championed by the ruling BJP too. “I don’t believe the garble that Amnesty and Greenpeace put out about my country. The limit (of freedom of expression and thoughts) is up to the point where you don’t question India’s unity and sovereignty. That is unacceptable. No journalist can use freedom of expression to stretch that limit.

    “We will use digital + technology + the power of our democracy + our superior knowledge of English (relative to the British and the Americans) to broadcast news globally. On every screen. In the next two years. It’s going to happen. Believe in it. We do at Republic.”

    A self-confessed social anthropologist who “trained unsuccessfully” and “likes a lot” the late feisty journalist Vinod Mehta, Arnab highlighted that he was non-partisan. As examples, during the Reddit interaction, he said, “(Congress party leader Suresh) Kalmadi didn’t want the CWG scam printed, Lalit Modi and (present foreign minister) Sushma Swaraj didn’t want Lalitgate broken, (Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal didn’t like the scam about 27 parliamentary secretaries and Ashok Chavan (former Maharashtra CM) made his last call before quitting, asking a story to be called off (on Times Now).”

    If Arnab made the line ‘nation wants to know’ famous, his contribution to deride some of his fellow journalists as `Luyten’s media’ and Left liberals too cannot be brushed aside. He was asked about these issues too and he came out all guns blazing: “The whole left-liberal phrase is a charade. How can the Delhi Gymkhana circuit be Leftist? Leftists cannot be liberal and those who are liberal cannot be leftists. So it’s also an oxymoron.”

    What would be Republic’s political leanings? “I don’t compare Republic to legacy players, including those that have become after I quit. There is no political positioning (for Republic TV). There is right and wrong. I’m for the right. Those who win in grey waters are confused or dishonest.”

    For the fans of Arnab on Reddit, which ranged from mushy to reverential, the interaction was a great peep into the mind of the person they held in such high esteem, but not everybody on Reddit or off it was as elated. In a tongue-in-cheek tweet, author, journalist, blogger, female rights activist Nilanjana Roy said, “The Arnab AMA on Reddit is gold. (Not for him, but in general.).” Later replying to a follower’s tweet, she quipped that Arnab should not describe his media venture as “independent”.  

    Also Read:

    Republic TV buzzing with pre-launch teasers featuring ‘soft’ targets, issues

    Copy-right vs right: Who can stop Arnab from using ‘nation wants to know’

    Arnab Goswami: Best time to enter news market when there’s no leader

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab 

  • Google reveals BBC nature content for Earth relaunch

    MUMBAI: Google and BBC Worldwide has announced that they have teamed up to offer visitors to the new Google Earth a taste of world-renowned nature programming and storytelling, with a shared desire to inspire audiences to explore and foster a deeper connection with our planet.

    BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, build BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world.

    BBC’s natural treasures will take users on their own journey of discovery through over 30 locations across six of the world’s most incredible habitats – islands, deserts, grasslands, mountains, cities and jungles. Natural Treasures sits within the new Voyager feature of Google Earth which launches today. The BBC’s storytelling will enable users to explore through specially curated journeys each featuring a dynamic combination of filmed insights from the BBC’s wildlife producers, stunning imagery and clips from award-winning archive series’ including Life Story, Africa, Planet Earth II and more.

    Following their visit to Natural Treasures, users can discover more about the habitats and more awe-inspiring content about the natural world at bbcearth.com where the British broadcaster’s factual umbrella brand BBC Earth can be found.

    Sitting alongside Natural Treasuresin Voyager arefive video collections from theBBC’s BAFTA-nominated app The Story of Lifefeaturing Sir David Attenborough’s clips.For example,‘Beautiful Birds-of-Paradise’ and ‘The Big Five Beasts of Africa’. For more, audiences can download the free app whichfeatures the largest ever digital release of Sir David Attenborough’s renowned work.

    BBC Worldwide CMO Jackie Lee-Joe said “We’re delighted to be strengthening our decade-long partnership with Google by pursuinga common goal to bring audiences everywhere even closer to our incredible planet. Through this partnership, we’re leveraging BBC Worldwide’s iconic brand and content to deliver audiences a new way to experience the natural world. The BBC has been capturing and sharingthe natural worldfor over 60 years, and nowwe’re further innovating how we tell these stories – we can’t wait for audiences to explore further.”

    In India, BBC Earth nature content is available on Sony BBC Earth, a premium factual entertainment channel recently launched this year.

    Sony BBC Earth is a MSM Worldwide Factual Media is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and BBC Worldwide. The channel promises to make the viewers Feel Alive through its offering of mind blowing visuals, never-seen-before content, and positive insightful storytelling. The channel will bring award-winning, premium factual content from the BBC to over 500 million of SPN’s viewers across India, and will feature some of the world’s foremost factual film-makers and extraordinary storytellers, naturalists and science journalists. The channel will air the ratings-buster, Planet Earth II in June.

    Elsewhere in Asia, the BBC Earth channel is available in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It is also available on BBC Player in Singapore and Malaysia.

  • Drop in news viewership rating, Aaj Tak & Times Now retain respective leads

    MUMBAI: Times Now continued to dominate the genre though the players in the space witnessed a fall in their viewership this week. Players in the English Business News space, which was led by CNBC TV18, observed mixed ratings in BARC week 14.

    Although Aaj Tak was at the number one position, channels in both, Hindi News and Hindi News Rural space, saw a decline in ratings, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data. Players in the Hindi News Urban genre observed mixed ratings this week.

    In the Hindi Business News space, the channels witnessed a substantial decline in ratings this week.  

    English News

    Times Now with decrease in ratings dominated the genre with 562 Impressions (000s) followed by India Today 356 Impressions (000s).  NDTV 24×7 grabbed the third place with 328 Impressions (000s). CNN News18 with 318 Impressions (000s) and BBC World News with 137 Impressions (000s) took the fourth and fifth position, respectively.

    English Business News

    CNBC TV 18, with hike in ratings, retained the number one position 630 Impressions (000s) as compared to  547 Impressions (000s). ET Now with 352 Impressions (000s) came at the second spot this week. NDTV Profit and NDTV Prime were at the third position with 76 Impressions (000s). CNBC TV18 Prime HD was on the fourth spot with 52 Impressions (000s) and BTVi took the fifth place with 29 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News

    Aaj Tak, with decreased ratings, continued at its number one position with 125509 Impressions (000s) as compared to 129150 Impressions (000s) in week 13. ABP News was at the second position with 111995 Impressions (000s). At the third and fourth slots respectively, India TV and Zee News interchanged their past week positions with 94477 and 85727 Impressions (000s). News18 India took the fifth position with 70636 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News Rural

    Aaj Tak, with a fall in its ratings, emerged as the number one channel in the rural market with 57455 Impressions (000s) as compared to 59143 Impressions (000s) last week. ABP News was at the second place with 52678 Impressions (000s) and India TV grabbed the third position with 38492 Impressions (000s). Zee News and India News respectively took the fourth and fifth place with 34507 and 33778 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News Urban

    Aaj Tak, with decrease in its viewership, emerged as the leader in the urban market with 68054 Impressions (000s) as compared to 70007 Impressions (000s) last week. ABP News was at the second position with 59316 Impressions (000s). India TV took the third position with 55985 Impressions (000s) followed by Zee News at the fourth position with 51220 Impressions (000s). News 18 India took the fifth position with 41498 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi Business News

    CNBC Awaaz continued to dominate the genre as ratings fell from 2348 Impressions (000s) last week to 1719 Impressions (000s) this week. The second spot was taken by Zee Business with 1261 Impressions (000s).

     

  • BBC seeks out new digital ideas for collaboration in India

    MUMBAI: The BBC World Service is creating opportunities for Indian digital and tech companies as it expands services on mobile platforms in the region. Interested companies will then have a few weeks to work on their proposal and submit their idea.

    The BBC’s expansion this year will reach all across India with the launch of new TV and digital services in Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and Telugu, while current services in Tamil, Hindi and English will be enhanced. Further to this, the BBC’s base in New Delhi will become its biggest outside the UK.

    The BBC has been leading in digital innovation across new story formats and platforms in India – this has included a WhatsApp coverage feed during the 2014 Indian Elections and the use of LINE for BBC Hindi content. It is now looking to expand its digital experimentation and collaboration in an exciting new project powered by the BBC’s digital innovation team Connected Studio.

    There will be three events this month to kick off the search for experienced digital companies with great ideas, as follows:

    19 April, Gurgaon: http://bit.ly/2nCOE6x

    21 April, Hyderabad: http://bit.ly/2nquETG

    25 April, Bangalore: http://bit.ly/2nROHOa

    Details will be presented to attendees at the events and BBC experts will available.

    This initiative continues the BBC’s investment in digital innovation across Asia. Information on past Connected Studio briefs and the innovative ideas that were prototyped and built with small digital companies across Africa and Asia is available here.

    BBC Connected Studio is an open innovation programme that explores and develops new digital ideas for BBC Online. It works closely with the wider digital and creative industries, sharing tools, assets and expertise to meet specific digital briefs from teams across the BBC.