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Zee News, CNN may form alliance for content sharing

Gaurav Raghuvanshi in New Delhi

With an aim to take on the competition -specially from Aaj Tak - Zee News is close to signing a mega deal with CNN for sharing content which would give the Indian channel access to almost all the global stories on CNN, including news breaks, for airing on Zee News.

As part of the agreement, details of which are still being hammered out, CNN too will have access to Zee News stories and will also be extended off-air help by Zee News.

The alliance, which would initially be for a period of one year and is extendible to three years, is likely to be announced over the next few days, according to cable and satellite TV industry sources.

The sources said, Zee News would downlink CNN feeds at its studios in Noida and would send the tapes of recorded stories via VSNL to its Singapore uplinking centre from where it would be uplinked for airing on Zee News. Special stories may also be telecast simultaneously on Zee News and CNN, the sources added.

Although Anshuman Misra, country head of Turner International India, which oversees the marketing and distribution of CNN and Cartoon Network in the country was not available for comment, media sources pointed out that CNN already has about 800 affiliates across the world, including Doordarshan and Eenadu TV in India.

The content sharing agreement is expected to spruce up international news content on Zee News, especially in the event of a major breaking news like the recent attacks on World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the US and would give it a major advantage over arch rival Aaj Tak, media analysts said.

Globally, CNN has tie-ups with regional broadcasters which are known as its affiliates, but the relationship with Zee is a step away from this.

Though the Zee-CNN alliance does not envisage any equity participation from CNN, media analysts indicated equity participation by CNN's parent company, AOL Time Warner, in Zee Telefilms Ltd cannot be ruled out at a future stage.

In the recent past, Subhash Chandra-controlled Zee Telefilms Ltd has said that it is looking for a foreign strategic partner which can take an equity stake in ZTL, but has not yet decided on the quantum of promoters' shareholding which may be offloaded to the partner.

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