BAG turns broadcaster with News24

After producing programmes for different channels for the past 15 years, BAG Films and Media is launching the first of the four channels the group has promised under the Network24 umbrella. The new channel is a 24-hour Hindi news channel called News24 and will go on air from 5 pm on Thursday, December 13. The channel is targeted at young adults.

Anurradha Prasad, managing director of BAG Films and Media, says, “News24 stands for top quality journalism and is supported by an unprecedented newsgathering infrastructure across the country.”

Among various initiatives to bring urgency in the delivery of news, the channel has set up 13 news bureaus across India, staffed by more than 300 correspondents. News24 will adopt tapeless cameras, obviating the need for the time-consuming physical delivery of tapes. The News24 network will be connected across all 13 bureaus. The network has implemented a digital archiving system that can store up to 5,000 hours of coverage with expandable memory.

News24 has put together a team of anchors and reporters to deliver news with high editorial standards to reflect the channel’s vibrancy. The core editorial team at News24 includes Ajit Anjum as managing editor, Supriya Prasad as director (he was earlier with 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 Aparna Kala.

Kartikeye Sharma is the chief political correspondent and will anchor the prime time show, which will cover political developments in the country. The 9 pm bulletin will be anchored by Anjana Kashyap with a virtual screen backdrop. The 10 pm show, shot at the top of the line studios of the channel in Noida, will feature Shweta Singh and Sayeed Ansari. Aparna Kala will anchor the morning shows.

“We believe that truth and reality as shown on most TV news channels are someone else’s perceptions; we will allow people to develop their own opinions and decisions on the basis of the facts we present,” says Prasad.

The global company, Broadcast Design International, Inc., which has developed set environment solutions for major international news networks, has designed the sets for News24. News24 will be available across all television delivery platforms, including cable TV, DTH, IPTV, mobile TV and web streaming.

The next in line is the group’s entertainment channel, E24, which is expected to roll out early next year. Under the broadcasting venture, Network24, BAG Films and Media will roll out two more channels early next year, Bliss24, a wellness channel, and Life24, a lifestyle channel. BAG will continue to produce programmes for other channels as a production house.