News channels set up common cause group

The country's major television news broadcasters have signed an agreement in principle to set up the National Broadcasters Association of India, a body that will represent their concerns. The formation of the association will be formally announced shortly.

The news channels that have signed the agreement include Star News, Aaj Tak, CNN-IBN, CNBC, Zee News, NDTV, India TV and Times Now.

Speaking to Business Standard on conditions of anonymity, an executive in a news channel said news channel broadcasters were keen to form a small focused group that could address the issues peculiar to them.

"One of our major concerns is the constant attempt to gag or 'discipline' us by the powers-that-be. We have become a soft target for everybody," he said.

News channel operators also feel their revenues are getting squeezed because of severe competition and increasing distribution costs.

Cable operators take huge carriage fees by pitting one news channel against another for prime band space. The National Broadcasters Association's agenda will be to stand as a unified group to lessen, if not eliminate, the carriage fee.

A news channel source said television news broadcasters did not have any mechanism to share information because of which they were constantly being played off against each other by advertising agencies, cable operators and content suppliers.

The National Broadcasters Association members will continue to be part of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, an association of general entertainment as well as news broadcasters.

UNITED WE STAND

News channels that signed the agreement include Star News, Aaj Tak, CNN-IBN, CNBC, Zee News, NDTV, India TV and Times Now

The association's agenda includes standing as a unified group to lessen the huge carriage fees charged by operators

The National Broadcasters Association members will continue to be part of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation