Turner International, TV18 Group to jointly launch new business channel
27 Oct 2005
The alliance is the first of its kind for CNN and Turner in the Asia Pacific.
TV journalist Rajdeep Sardesai will spearhead GBN's foray into the general news space as the editor-in-chief of the service. The co-branded service, CNN-IBN, will build upon TV18's newsgathering infrastructure in India, bolstered by CNN's eminent and extensive global news network.
GBN, a TV18 Group Company, is a 74:26 joint venture between the TV18 Group and Rajdeep Sardesai, Sameer Manchanda and Haresh Chawla.
Under the terms of the agreement, GBN's proposed channel - formerly known as India Broadcast News (IBN) and now co-branded as CNN-IBN, will have access to CNN's trademark live breaking news as well as key feature programmes.
This will enable Indian viewers to view local news for which around 28 bureaus have been planned, as well as relevant global news from CNN, on the same platform, a first in Indian broadcast journalism As Anshuman Misra, managing director, Turner International India Pvt Ltd puts it, "The service will leverage the combined international and local journalistic expertise of each partner to provide Indian news viewers unparalleled coverage of global and local events as they unfold, from an Indian perspective."
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The new channel will attempt to provide news from every corner of India, while CNN International will continue to deliver global news to Indian viewers.
"The news channel is built on the age-old ethic that editorial sovereignty is inviolable and this shall be a cornerstone of GBN's partnership with CNN," says Sardesai explaining the editorial ethos of the new channel. He adds "It will be a journalist-driven channel rooted in the realities of modern India. With nationwide news gathering capabilities, superior journalistic talent, and a passion for news, the new service will endeavour to get the news first and direct from the ground. In a fast-globalising India, access to CNN's global news network will add immense value for our audiences."
According to Chris, managing director, CNN International, "This service will complement CNN International's global news offering and marks another milestone in CNN's efforts to move closer to its audience though local partnerships, says Chris Cramer, managing director, CNN International. The coupling of CNN's global resources and GBN'S local expertise will take news broadcasting in India to a whole new level."
CNN International claims a viewership in more than 183 million television households and hotel rooms, including over 30 million in the Asia Pacific, via a network of 38 satellites.
Turner International is a part of the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.