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Tag: CNN

  • DD India to reposition as English channel; digital platform to launch before elections

    DD India to reposition as English channel; digital platform to launch before elections

    MUMBAI: Even as all the private media houses are gearing up for the general election, public broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) are not lagging in their attempts to make hay out of the most lucrative season for news channels.

    According to ThePrint, DD India will be revamped and positioned as an English news channel for the global audience soon while AIR is planning to launch a 24×7 news stream in the next few weeks. Apart from this, Prasar Bharati News Service, a 24×7 digital platform for the global audience, is also set to begin in the next few weeks which is conceptualised along the lines of BBC and CNN in 2017 by a panel headed by Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash.

    The digital platform will broadcast international news to a global audience to counter anti-India narratives in the foreign media. According to reports, the platform will be an app-based interface that will offer services in multiple languages and publish news in the form of text, video, podcast and alerts.

    About the content, Vempati said, “The contents on these channels will be guided by the Prasar Bharati Act, which lays out quite clearly the mandate of the public service broadcaster.”

    The plan for the new 24X7 AIR stream is to broadcast news bulletins primarily in English and Hindi which will go live in the next few weeks.

    “AIR did not have any such channel. News bulletins were broadcast sporadically in gaps across the AIR network,” Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati told ThePrint.

    A 24×7 stream, officials said, will help expand the reach of AIR news significantly, running parallel to AIR’s recent decision to share its unaltered news feed with private FM channels as a pilot project.

    FM radio channels are currently not allowed to produce and broadcast their own news bulletins, so the move will help the wider dissemination of AIR news since nearly 235 private radio stations across India have already registered with Prasar Bharati to source AIR news content.

  • CNN explores why the future of the internet is Indian

    CNN explores why the future of the internet is Indian

    MUMBAI: India’s future role in the tech sector is under the spotlight in a special report for CNN Business – the first CNN article published in Hindi.

    CNN’s Rishi Iyenger reports that India has more than 500 million internet users, but also more unconnected people than any other country. As challenges arise in other markets in China, Brazil and across Africa, this makes investing in India the biggest opportunity in global tech today.

    Told in a unique interactive, CNN Business speaks to representatives from Google, Netflix, Paytm and policy advisors on how the Indian market is not only shaping their product, but also how digital giants are battling it out with homegrown rivals such as Flipkart, Ola and Hotstar.

  • Untapped TV audience of 100 mn for international channels

    Untapped TV audience of 100 mn for international channels

    MUMBAI: The International Television Research Group (inTV) and GlobalWebIndex compared internet users aged 16-64 who watch any of the international TV channels such as BBC News, Bloomberg Television, CNBC, CNN, Euronews, Eurosport, France 24, National Geographic Channel, Sky News and TV5Monde channels at least twice a week and made a startling discovery.

    According to the study these international channels which are broadcast beyond national borders, have been long recognised by high-end brands as a powerful way to reach affluent shoppers and business leaders. Yet opposite to received wisdom, the study found that the characteristics and attitudes of frequent viewers of international TV are not dependent on income, according to Rapid TV News.

    In what could be vastly lucrative for the industry, research has identified an untapped, frequent TV audience of 112.5 million consumers viewing international TV channels who fall outside of the top income segment that advertisers usually target through ad campaigns.

    inTV Group chairperson and Euronews head of research Sonia Marguin said, “This research has been eye-opening. While international TV channels will always remain a valuable source of affluent consumers for upscale brands, we can now see that there is also huge potential for other premium brands who are looking for highly active consumers, but who had seen international TV channels as the bastion for top-end luxury brands before.”

    The advertising receptiveness was associated with viewing frequency, rather than consumer affluence was one of the key standouts. Frequent viewers were twice as likely as non-viewers to buy the products they see advertised, irrespective of income.

    All frequent viewers were found to be considerably more likely to value premium brands than non-viewers, with 60 per cent of affluent frequent viewers and 45 per cent of those outside the top income segment tending to buy the premium version of a product, compared with 40 per cent for the wealthiest non-viewers.

    Both the top 10 per cent income group for frequent viewers and those outside the most affluent group are significantly more likely to be brand conscious and are also much more likely to own the latest technology, such as smart TVs and smartwatches.

  • CNN’s ‘destination india’ explores the country’s most adventurous and exotic locations

    CNN’s ‘destination india’ explores the country’s most adventurous and exotic locations

    MUMBAI: India is a vibrant combination of landscapes, traditions and cultures that houses spectacular destinations still unexplored and uncharted. Often famous for its spirituality, India is now attracting thrill seekers and outdoor enthusiasts. This month, CNN’s ‘Destination India’ delves into the finest adventure expeditions and eco-tourism locations ranging from trekking the foothills of the Himalayas to surfing on the South-Western coast.

    Highlights of the 30-minute special include:

    Free Falling

    What’s more adventurous than throwing caution to the wind and jumping off India’s highest (and only) fixed platform bungee jump? Located in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, the jump, designed by New Zealander David Allardice, a renowned jump master, drops those who dare down 83 meters (273 feet) towards a tributary of the River Ganga. If jumping is a bit too scary, visitors can opt to swing from the seat harness and become a human pendulum. It’s a leap of faith in an area known for its spiritualty.

    Trekking with the Traveling Sisters of India

    There may be no adventure greater than setting out on a trek in the Himalayas and no better guides than the traveling sisters of India: Prachi and Himadri Garg.  Known as the ‘Ghoomophiro sisters’, Prachi and Himadri run trekking trips in Northern India including, female only weekend trips from Delhi. CNN joins the sisters on an exciting trip as they head out to Mussoorie in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

    Riding the Rails

    Riding the rails on the vast network of Indian Railways is perhaps the best way to experience the true spirit of India.  For decades it has sparked the imagination of writers and film makers, and it’s still a favorite mode of transport for locals and foreigners alike. But passengers don’t need to pack into a hot train to experience this throwback form of travel – in fact they can ride in style. Jump onboard the Maharajas’ Express and experience a luxurious journey to Rajasthan’s most popular destinations.

    Surfs up in India

    The waves of Hawaii have been tackled, the beaches of Bali are packed, and the coastline of California is too common… so where do surfers go when they are looking for an adventure? India. Call it the last frontier in surfing if you will. The country is rapidly becoming a must-visit spot for pro and amateur surfers looking to “hang-ten” on some of the most remote surfing spots in the world along the over 7,000 kilometers of coastline in India. India’s surf pioneers at the Mantra Surf Club have been teaching the sport to thousands since 2007 from a small beach located in a tiny fishing village in the state of Karnataka.

    Eco-tourism in India

    On the edge of Nagarhole National Park and surrounded by the Kabini River in Coorg, Karnataka, sits one of India’s best wildlife & jungle lodges – Evolve Back. The lodge was once named as one of the World’s 25 Best Eco-Lodges by National Geographic Traveler for a simple reason: incredible wildlife experiences while preserving nature and culture of the land. The lodge uses reverse osmosis water filtering in every room, has a state of the art sewage treatment plant and even produces its own electricity through windmills.

  • CNN triumphs in trademark battle against GNN India

    CNN triumphs in trademark battle against GNN India

    MUMBAI: Four years on, US cable and satellite television giant CNN has finally won a trademark battle against media company GNN India Ltd (GNN) after taking it to court for using a similar logo.

    The Chennai bench of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), headed by Justice Manmohan Singh, while issuing an order in February this year, said the Indian firm adopted the trademark ‘GNN’ that is confusingly and deceptively similar to the American media company’s trademark ‘CNN’.

    The bench also directed the registrar of trademarks to remove the already registered trademark of the Indian company from the trademark register. “The respondent (GNN) has cleverly structured the impugned mark ‘GNN’ with a view to coming close to the ‘CNN’ trademark,” the order said.

    GNN was founded in 2009 by Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of former Union minister Matang Sinh. Both of them were arrested by the CBI separately for their alleged involvement in the Rs 2,000 crore Saradha chit fund scam.

    The American news channel moved the IPAB in April 2014 after it learned of the impugned mark being registered with the trademark register.

    The IPAB chairman, while issuing his final order in the case, observed that the Indian firm had adopted the original trademark with bad faith.

    “From an overall comparison of the marks, it is apparent that the rival marks are extremely similar. As such it will lead to a likelihood of association with the brand ‘CNN’ whose services, being broadcasting and telecommunication, are virtually identical,” the order stated, adding that it clearly displays the Indian firm’s unlawful intent to trade upon the goodwill and worldwide reputation associated with the ‘CNN’ trademark.

    GNN did not file any counter statement nor did it appear on the dates on which it was summoned by the appellate board. “The company has not been able to justify how it hit upon an identical mark as an imitation of the trademark of CNN,” the order said.

    “The objective of maintaining a trademark register is that the public should know whose goods they are buying and with whom particular goods are associated,” the order added.

     

  • CNN is ‘Going Green’ with environment heroes

    CNN is ‘Going Green’ with environment heroes

    MUMBAI: CNN’s Going Green returns this November with inspiring stories of everyday heroes working within their communities to improve the environment. These individuals take it upon themselves to improve the ecology and lead by example. Six stories from across the world will come together in a half-hour show hosted by Nicki Shields. 

    The environmental champions featured in Going Green include:

    Litter king – Bandung, Indonesia:
    Every morning 74-year-old Sariban gets dressed in his bright yellow overalls and takes to the streets of Bandung, Indonesia. For over 30 years he has been picking up litter voluntarily, and cleaning up his neighbourhood. His mission is to make the world more beautiful.

    Rhino ranger – South Africa:
    In 2016 1,054 rhinos were killed in South Africa. Driven by organised crime and demand for rhino horn–rhino poaching reportedly increased 9,000 per cent from 2007 to 2014. Anton Mzimba, the field ranger of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve anti-poaching unit, has spent the last 19 years patrolling and investigating animal crimes. Anton stands between the rhinos and their poachers’ guns and believes that each day a rhino is not killed is a success for him.

    E-waste – London:
    The Restart Project is a London-based social enterprise which extends the lifespan of gadgets by bringing people together to share repair and maintenance skills. Co-founder Janet Gunter is hoping that repairing broken mobiles, laptops and other devices will help to save the planet’s precious resources and prevent hazardous waste. ‘Restart Parties’ have been held across the world with people bringing along broken tech to fix it with help from engineers and electricians known as ‘Restarters’.

    EV Mongol Rally – Aberdeen, Scotland:
    Chris and Julie are charging their electric car for the very last time following a three-month car race from the UK to Mongolia and back again. 100 kilometres away from Aberdeen they prepare to drive the final stretch back home after piloting the first and only electric vehicle to date in the Mongol Rally. Going Green speaks to the couple about the unique challenges they faced on the road far from home, charging in remote places, and their thoughts on the electric vehicle revolution around the globe.

    Floating forest farm – New York:
    The South Bronx is an area without fresh fruit or vegetables, in the US. New Yorker Mary Mattingly is hoping to change a long-standing law which prevents park land from being used to grow food, or for foraging. The Swale, Mary’s floating food forest which sails up and down the Hudson in summer months, docks at Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx in November and will invite locals on board to learn about the benefits of perm culture and how it could change public spaces. Visitors will also participate in the creation of a new ‘food way’, a project the Parks Authority are experimenting with after Mary’s success in the community.

    Fatberg, London and Ellesmere Port:
    A monster fatberg weighing more than ten double decker buses is clogging up London’s sewer system. Wet wipes, nappies and hardened cooking fat have congealed into a solid mass which greater in length than two football pitches. While part of the fatberg has been put on display in a museum as a curiosity of modern life, the rest could be on its way to a biofuel plant in the north of England. The fatberg could potentially provide 10,000 litres of fuel, which would return to the streets of London – above ground this time – in the engines of the capital’s famous red buses.

  • Veteran journo Rohit Gandhi sets up news platform for independent reporters

    Veteran journo Rohit Gandhi sets up news platform for independent reporters

    MUMBAI: When you have the credentials of having worked for CNN and CBC as an international journalist for several years, what do you do next? Well, you could start a news platform with a difference. Just like Rohit Gandhi has done by incorporating Global Live, which has set up Democracy News Live.

    The network is owned by Gandhi and Vrinda Aggarwal, who was working with him in WION.

    Says Gandhi who has designated himself as editor in chief, “Journalism channels have become partisan with political parties and are already sold to ideologies. It is difficult for an honest centre of the line editor to operate. Judges of courts are being questioned for their leanings. The environment is ripe to democratise journalism a bit more.”

    His model, that of democratisation of news, is to allow hard working field reporters who make the news to become owners of a news platform. “They can publish the content and own it for life,” says Gandhi. “We even have a monetisation model in place.”

    For now, the duo has invested about $400,000 and once it hits a certain benchmark, they will seek the second funding round.

    Of course not anyone will be able to post news content. They will have to get past credentials and identification verification before getting the green signal to post their news videos, articles and pictures. A robust content management system and video platform will allow hacks to edit video on the cloud without having editing skillsets that FCP or Premier Pro require. Of course anyone violating journalistic ethics or resorting to plagiarism or fake news will get booted out of the news platform without any warning.

    Artificial intelligence which has been built into the technology backend will make managing, search, and discovery so much easier for both journos and visitors.

    A team of 23 tech specialists and editors have been at it, building the backend and CMS since 1 February 2017 when Gandhi left the Essel Group owned Indian English news channel WION to start his venture.  He says he consciously stayed away from corporate or political funding, instead choosing to attract investment from a group of 20 private investors.

    He explains: “The whole idea is to make sure that we don’t have influence of either a corporation or a political party. The professionals – from technology and journalism who came together to forge this alliance –  found the idea so potent, that they not only invested but also helped in building the platform.”

    Over the past few months, Democracy News Live has been building news content on its Youtube channel, though not much of it had been put out at the time of writing. It has set up a news studio in New Delhi and has even put reporters through training and the paces of anchoring.

    And while Gandhi agrees television remains the best medium for disseminating news and information even today thanks to the wide distribution infrastructure that’s available, he still preferred to go online for a few reasons.

    He elaborates: “While I am not against a news channel, I wanted to start out by putting out phenomenal content online. Then only after that do I want to think about going in for a linear feed when it reaches an inflection point. Our content could go out on radio, TV, online and even on 4K as it is being shot even on that format. With that kind of quality it can even and up on television.”

    Gandhi is not worried about the business model as he believes advertisers follow audiences who follow great content. However, he cautions that he is not going to base the news content on Democracy News Live on advertisers’ needs. “We will have advertisers in due course,” he says. “But our editorial integrity and independence will be maintained.”

    The Android and iOS app launches are planned for the coming week. They will have logins for reporters to file their stories and for readers to read.

    Gandhi is planning to market the platform through the co-owners who will work with them.

    He has the credentials to match his vision for Democracy News Live. At WION he was editor in chief and he left it after just a year of helping build it up from ground up. And in 2006, he was the reporter who broke the story about the terrorist group that was behind the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. Those will be put to the test as Democracy News Live begins to gain traction.

    Also Read:

    Rohit Gandhi quits ZMCL’s WION 

  • Times Now, Republic TV on-air ratings squabble continues

    Times Now, Republic TV on-air ratings squabble continues

    BENGALURU: The puerile on-air ratings squabble between one of the biggest names in Indian media Bennett Coleman’s Times Group’s Indian English News channel Times Now and the startup Republic TV now led by the former’s editor in chief, Arnab Goswami, continued without abating. 

    As is their wont every Thursday after the release of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) ratings data, both the biggest players in the Indian English Television News genre continued boasting about how each was number one in the genre. This spat has been going on since the very first week that Republic TV data was published – this was data for week 19 of 2017 (Saturday, 6 May 2017 to Friday 12 May 2017). 

    Each channel slices and dices BARC weekly data for the genre in the manner that makes it appear the best and touts the results on its respective channel.

    So how did they fare in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English News channels for week 38 of 2017 (Saturday, 16 September 2017 to Friday, 22 September 2017) today? Let’s take a dekko at the BARC ratings numbers for All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals. Based on BARC’s demographics, Republic TV has led the English News genre right from the very first week of its launch – it is now 20 weeks that it has held the pole position for.

    Republic TV continued to rule the top 5 channels in the English News genre list for week 38 of 2017 with 0.904 million weekly impressions, higher than the previous week’s 0.871 million weekly impressions. Times Now’s ratings also increased in week 38 as compared to week 37 by 20,000 impressions. The channel scored 0.791 million weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to 0.771 million weekly impressions in week 37.

    CNN News 18 was placed third in week 38 of 2107 with a steady 0.347 million weekly impressions – the channel was placed fourth in the previous week with approximately the same weekly impressions. India Today Television lost a rank and 4,000 weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to week 37 of 2017. The channel notched fourth rank with 0.343 million weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to 0.347 million weekly impressions and third rank in week 37 of 2017.

    NDTV 24×7 reentered the list and completed the top five channels quintet in week 38 of 2017 at rank 5 with 0.331 million weekly impressions. In week 37, it was BBC World News that was ranked 5 with the same number of weekly impressions  – 0.331 million.

  • A-Pac’s affluent travellers prefer ‘Staying Informed’ on multiplatform, says CNN exec Sunita Rajan

    A-Pac’s affluent travellers prefer ‘Staying Informed’ on multiplatform, says CNN exec Sunita Rajan

    MUMBAI: ‘Staying Informed,’ an editorial segment, is launching on all of CNN International’s feeds in Asia Pacific to give the audience, especially business travellers, fast and easy access to the top stories of the day. ‘Staying Informed’ demonstrates CNN’s dedication to bringing reliable news to the world.

    ‘Staying Informed’ is sponsored by AccorHotels, a multinational hospitality group, and features 30-second headline summaries that will be updated in real-time throughout morning and evening primetime hours. The highlights will cover all topics, including current affairs, business, finance, lifestyle and sports. The campaign aligns AccorHotels’ commitment to Asia Pacific with CNN’s commitment to helping its viewers stay on top of the latest developments in global news.

    As the leading multiplatform international news destination, CNN is more relevant today.

    “We are delighted to be partnering with AccorHotels, who cater to the same affluent and globally minded travelers who rely on CNN for the news. Through ‘Staying Informed’, we showcase CNN’s best-in-class multiplatform offerings by combining the scale of our TV network’s reach with the precision and targeting enabled by digital and data,” says CNNIC senior vice-president – advertising sales – Asia Pacific Sunita Rajan.

    “We are thrilled with this new sponsorship with CNN because it gives us great visibility across one of the region’s most respected news sources,” said AccorHotels Asia Pacific – VP marketing and strategic partnerships Michael Parsons. “We know our guests are busy and want to get the latest news delivered quickly and efficiently when they are on the road and this allows us to deliver that service to them.”

    The on-air sponsorship of ‘Staying Informed’ will also be supported by a high-impact digital component.

    ALSO READ :

    CNN International announces Nikhil Kumar as New Delhi bureau chief

    CNN-News18’s editorial and programming refresh

     

  • Turner to launch Tik Tak Tail in Sept, Oggy & the Cockroaches 5 on 14 Aug

    MUMBAI: Turner International India, a Time Warner company which owns and operates brands such as Cartoon Network, CNN, WB, HBO, Toonami and Pogo, is set to launch chase-comedy Tik Tak Tail on its Pogo channel.

    Turner is also starting the new season of ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ (Season 5 & 6) on Cartoon Network in 6-630pm time-slot Monday-Friday from 14 August (Monday).

    “The exact date for the launch of ‘Tik Tak Tail will be announced by 24-25 August,” Turner International ED and network head – kids, south Asia Krishna Desai told indiantelevision.com. “It will be most probably in the first half of September,” he added.

    ‘Tik Tak Tail’ will be a fun-filled action-packed entertainer about a cute rabbit and a ferocious tiger who are constantly on the run. It essentially tells the story of the unending attempts of a tiger to catch a rabbit, and how the rabbit always outruns the tiger with his speed and smartness.

    This cross-connected chemistry between Tik, Tak and Tail makes it a fascinating game of one-upmanship and gives the chase comedy a unique identity.

    Also Read:

    Amazon gets ‘Oggy & Cockroaches’, ‘Zig & Sharko’ streaming rights in multi-year deal with Xilam

    Turner Asia Pacific acquires Oggy and the Cockroaches seasons 6 and 7

    Nickelodeon ad sales grew 20%, launches ‘Gattu Battu’