Due to the non-payment of overdue amount of Rs 8.05 crore, a lender bank has taken possession of assets of Jagran Prakashan Private Ltd, publisher of Indore edition of leading Hindi newspaper, Dainik Jagran.

During the last month alone, the company’s stock lost nearly 20 per cent.

The assets of the company were taken by the bank on January 14 under Section 13 of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002.

A newly formed joint venture between NaiDunia promoter and CEO Vinay Chhajlani and former Businessworld editor Jehangir S Pocha, has bought INX News, the company that runs the English news channel NewsX.

For this purpose, both Chhajlani and Pocha have formed a company called Indi Media. However, the size of the deal is still unknown.

In a first step toward news regulation, the news broadcast association (NBA) has issued guidelines for crisis coverage by the Indian media. It is recalled that news channels were charged with negative coverage during the recent terror attack in Mumbai. There are voices from many quarters to set norms for news broadcasting in the crisis hours. Security specialists and Military experts have also expressed reservations on broadcasting live telecast of terror and hostage activities as it can help terrorists to reshape their strategy.

Due to the TV workers’ strike and terror attacks in Mumbai, the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) had been hit badly.

As a result, channels saw an average fall by 35-55% in prime time viewership.

After the controversial strike finally called off, the ratings started rising gradually, and this time the commencing of new shows add much to the ‘TRPs’ than fresh episodes of existing shows for major GECs.

A UTV official has informed that Walt Disney Company (South East Asia) has become the majority shareholder of UTV Software Communications by raising its stake to more than 50 percent.

By acquiring UTV shares from the open market, Walt Disney increased its holding in the company to more than 50 percent, where earlier its shareholding was 37 percent.

“This made Walt Disney the first Hollywood studio to have majority shares in an Indian entertainment company,” said the official.

Earlier this week advisories had been issued, from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to the Indian news media, on the continual coverage of the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Now a notice has been sent to the Aaj Tak alleging that the channel’s coverage was creating public panic.

In its advisory, the Ministry said, “Repeated visuals and stories pertaining to the attack, which would make the perpetrators feel their attack was a ‘success’, should, therefore, now be avoided.”