ITV

Tag: Uttaranchal

  • Sahara targets May launch for Bengali news channel

    Sahara targets May launch for Bengali news channel

    MUMBAI: The Bengali regional news channel space is getting crowded and how. Close on the heels of Rathikant Basu’s Tara Bangla morphing from an entertainment channel into a news channel, the Sahara Group is is all set make an entry into this space.

    Sahara Samay-Kolkata — following in the footsteps of region-specific channels from the stable in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Delhi — is targeting a May launch.

    As per information available with Indiantelevision.com, the proposed Bengali news channel will stream programmes on Kolkata as prime time shows in a market that is likely to get further heated up with the impending introduction of a similar fare from Media Content and Services India Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between ABP Group and Star.
               
    To keep Bengali viewers abreast of every development, the 24-hour Sahara news channel will deliver state-wise news and would comprehensively bring into play live feeds through OB vans placed at strategic points in the City of Joy.

    The channel will have specific shows dedicated to the lifestyle of the city named ‘Metro’. The show will identify and look at isues beyond politics for which Bengalis and Kolkata is more famous for.

    When contacted, however, Sahara India Media & Entertainment declined to offer any details relating to the proposed Bengali news channel, including who would be heading the channel.

    Kolkata entertainment industry sources do indicate, however, that Prosenjit (son of yesteryear’s film actor Biswajeet), a popular figure in the Kolkata media circuit, is likely to play an important role in the channel. The Bengali channel will beam via AsiaSat 3S, which at present plays home to over 70 channels, including CNBC, CNN International, ESPN, Star and Sun TV.

    The Bengali regional market would be witnessing heightened action when MCCS enters the fray with its Bangla news channel. Southern media powerhouse Sun Network is also planning to launch an entertainment channel called Surjo some time later this year.
        
          

  • ESS ropes in Bhaichung Bhutia for football promotion

    ESS ropes in Bhaichung Bhutia for football promotion

    MUMBAI: One of the sports where ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has a clear lead over the competition is football. The broadcaster has announced that it has signed on Indian football skipper Baichung Bhutia to promote the Uefa Euro 2004 Championship.

    Uefa Euro 2004 will showcase 31 matches from 12 June to 4 July 2004.

    ESS also announced that its coverage of the tournament will also feature Hindi commentary and analysis. Right now the production team is scouting for talent in this regard.

    Bhutia will provide analysis during the telecast of the matches. He will also be travelling with the ESS team for on-ground events aimed at increasing consumer and trade awareness and interest in the tournament.

    It may be recalled that a couple of years ago when Ten Sports aired the football World Cup it had Bhutia as a special guest in its studio.

    On the advertising front ESS will launch a national level print campaign this month to create awareness of the championship across the country. The broadcaster will use outdoor media like hoardings, public transport vehicles and cinemas to reach out to its target audience.

    ESS MD R C Venkateish added, “Most of the live action would happen at Indian prime time, which will also add to the increase in interest level for the popular championship. Hindi commentary will add greatly in increasing penetration of soccer, especially in Hindi markets like UP, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttaranchal etc. Viewers will have a choice to ask for English or Hindi commentary.”

    Besides the live telecast ESS will also produce daily half hour pre-match highlights complemented with four weekly one-hour highlights. This phenomenal football package will include specially taped programmes such as The Story of the Uefa European Football Championships, The Road to Uefa Euro 2004, The Golden Moments,.

  • BBC, Prasar Bharati, NACO join hands to combat AIDS menace in India

    BBC, Prasar Bharati, NACO join hands to combat AIDS menace in India

    A campaign to ward off the AIDS epidemic in India was flagged off on 2 July by the BBC World Service Trust, the NGO arm of the BBC World Service, in partnership with Prasar Bharati and the National AIDS Control Organisation. 

    Claiming that this is the world’s most intensive broadcast campaign, the BBC says that for the next 10 months, the partnership will transmit: 

    – A detective drama ‘Jasoos Vijay’. It will air thrice a week on regional Doordarshan stations, with an omnibus edition on DD National 
    – A weekly youth show called ‘Haath Se Haath Milaa’ 
    – ‘Chat Chowk’ which will be a weekly radio phone-in 

    In addition to the above, social advertising spots will run three times every day on television and radio for the duration of the campaign. The USP of the project is that it uses the popular medium of entertainment to convey information and combat prejudice about AIDS, an official release informs.

    The two-year project is funded by the Department for International Development, the British Government’s aid ministry, as part of their much larger commitment to combating AIDS in India. The BBC project is budgeted at 4 million (about Rs 260 million). The campaign will stress the need for protection and safe sex and will aim to increase knowledge and awareness and generate more informed opinion. At the same time, it aims at enhancing life skills in communication, negotiation and advocacy by challenging practices and stigma and discrimination.

    The NACO-Prasar Bharati-BBC World Service Trust partnership will raise AIDS awareness in the low prevalence states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. By promoting behaviour change, including condom use, in these states, the objective is to contain the epidemic before it takes hold. In return for programming, production funds, training and workshops, Prasar Bharati has contributed producer time, in-house technical facilities and airtime to the project. 

  • Election commission issues diktat on assembly poll coverage

    Election commission issues diktat on assembly poll coverage

    With polls to four states scheduled for next month, the Election Commission has issued a warning to television channels (including national broadcaster Doordarshan) to be impartial in their coverage and not to favour any one individual or political party.

    The circular issued by the poll panel reportedly states: “A model code of conduct is established for television to ensure it is not misused but used in the best interest of democracy and the voter.”

    DD has been given a circular which states: “It is emphasised that being a public broadcaster all Doordrashan news and programme units should take extra care to ensure fair and balanced coverage of the political activities in the news bulletins and programmes. It should also be ensured that feeds to the New Delhi central newsroom are also fair and balanced.

    The EC has instructed DD to ensure “adequate coverage to the Election Commission and the state electoral offices for the preparation of a fair poll.”

    Channels have been told to refrain from:

    • Coverage of speeches and material inciting communal violence.
    • A single candidate in any particular consituency must not be covered. Candidates from all known political outfits contesting in a constituency should be covered.

    All producers should also record a copy of their programmes, the EC has said.

    The states going to the polls are Punjab (13 February), Manipur (14 February, Uttaranchal (14 February) and Uttar Pradesh (two phases – 14 February & 18 February).