MUMBAI: BAG Films and Media Ltd has launched News 24, its 24-hour Hindi news channel. Targeted at the young adult, News 24 is a combination of the modern broadcast technology and editorial talent and promises to give viewers an unmatched viewing experience of news. Formally the channel, with the tagline ‘Nazar Har Khabar Par’, will be on air from 13 December at 5 pm.
The company’s Managing Director, Anurradha Prasad said, “News 24 stands for top quality journalism and is supported with an unprecedented news gathering infrastructure across the country.”
The channel has set up 13 of its own news bureaus across India. Over 300 foot soldiers appointed across the country to cover news will support the news gathering. News 24 is adopting tapeless cameras making time-consuming physical delivery of tapes completely redundant. The innovative ‘IT News Gathering Technology’ enables on-field journalists to upload / uplink recordings instantly, thus ensuring immediacy of news. The entire News 24 network is transparently connected across the 13 bureaus. The network has implemented a digital archiving system that can store up to 5000 hours of coverage with expandable memory.
Prasad added, “News 24 has hired the best of news talent to ensure that we get the most relevant news from across India targeting the emerging ‘Young Adult’, be it politics, sports, business or lifestyle. The channel will establish itself as a premium news channel, a vastly different proposition from the current fare seen on most other Hindi news channels.”
The core editorial team at News 24 start with Ajit Anjum – Managing Editor, (who is associated with programming shows like Sansani and PolKhol) under whose mantle is Supriya Prasad as Director (the former Director, News – Aaj Tak), Rahul Mahajan as Executive Editor and Vibhakar as Executive Editor – Assignment. The anchors include Kartikeye Sharma, Anjana Kashyap, Shweta Singh, Sayeed Ansari and Apama Kala.
Kartikeya is the Chief Political Correspondent and will take the center stage on the prime time show, which will cover gripping political developments in the country. The 9 pm bulletin wilt be anchored by the Anjana Kashyap with a virtual screen backdrop. The 10 pm show shot at the studios of the channel in Noida will feature the duo of Shweta Singh and Sayeed Ansari providing insights into daily events. Aparna Kala will anchor the morning shows.
The global Company, Broadcast Design International, Inc., which has developed set environment solutions for major international news networks, has designed the sets at News 24. The sets have been created with 16:9 and Nigh-Definition TV in mind. The features include comprehensive multi-performance sets, integration of new video technologies, more vivid, illuminated backgrounds, with layering and many more unique presentation venues where the anchors and specialty reporters are “unfettered” from the anchor desk.
News 24 will be available across all television delivery platforms, including cable TV, DTH, IPTV, mobile TV and web streaming.
