Aaj Tak's special programming for the year-end

Media release, December 29, 2004

New Delhi

Aaj Tak has a unique programming line-up in place for the celebrating the New Year with its viewers. This programming will capture the essence of the year that was, and look into what the future has in store for us. Spanning over the 30th and 31st December, the idea is to provide a great mix of information, insight and entertainment to the viewers as a befitting end to the year.

Special programming planned here is a good mix of the serious and the satirical and humorous. The major segments are Sabse Tez. This 30-minutes programme would focus on the personalities who were in the limelight for all the right reasons. This half hour program would showcase the sabse tez personalities of the year from the fields of politics, sports, entertainment and business. Using the quintessential by-line of the channel, the sabse tez personalities would be nominated on the basis of their intelligence as well as their ability to have done quickly the right thing at the right time.

Kismat Aapki Cards Hamare The two-hour LIVE program would be Aajtaks way of looking at the future and what all 2005 has in store for big personalities as well as our viewers. Renowned astrologer, Meenakshi, will be in the studios to present an in-depth and engrossing chat as to what the stars have to say about the future. The future of famous people like Sonia Gandhi, Shahrukh Khan, Anil Ambani, Sushmita Sen would be discussed as also the future of all the star signs.

Socha Na Tha The program would encapsulate some major events and controversies that happened in 2004 that no one had anticipated. The program would be done in a tongue-in-cheek manner with the right mix of humour, sarcasm and responsible news analysis.

Agar Aisa Hota This would be a half an hour program hosted by comedian Jaspal Bhatti. As the name suggests, the program would try to vision how things would have been in case certain things would have worked out a certain way. For example actress Mallika Sherawat once said during the year that she should be made the Censor board chief. Also there are examples like, had Ambani been poor, how would they have fought, what would happen had Sonia been the prime minister.

Khabar Matlab Aaj Tak- would highlight some of Aaj Tak's major news breaking stories that had political or social fallouts. This programme would demonstrate the potency of the channel that has made it the viewers' first choice. This would run through the day and would highlight some major newsbreaks or impact stories done by Aajtak in 2004 that had either political or social fallout. For example Miss India Laxmis crown was taken back after it was first reported on Aajtak that she is married, thirty Delhi Police officials were suspended after Aajtak caught these officials on camera taking bribes, Uma Bharati first lashed out against Pramod Mahajan in an exclusive interview to Aajtak thereby leading to political fallouts that ultimately resulted in her ouster from the BJP.

The whole idea behind Aaj Tak's innovative programming line-up is to make a mark in the minds of the viewers, and differentiate the programming mix from that being churned out by the various other channels.

For further information, please contact:

Prasun Peter, Integral PR

51680681, 9811279008