Star News, a 24-hour Hindi news channel offers its viewers news that is relevant to contemporary India. The programming of this channel covers the full spectrum of news ranging from politics to business, investigative reports to consumer issues, crime to the environment.
Star News keeps viewers across India fully informed and engaged through the process of reporting news as it happens in India and with links to international news agencies. Star News channel is also available in Hong Kong, Europe, Middle East, The Philippines and Thailand besides India. With so many channels looking at people as their USP, Star News is also looking at becoming the `people`s channel`. The channel also has a number of sister channels like Star Plus, Star Ananda, Channel V India and many more that come under the umbrella of STAR network. Star News claims to attract at least 25% of the market shares from the six metro cities in India. The channel has a classy Logo in Blue and silvery white, with a star, cut as a flash of light as its main symbol.
Launched in the year 1998, Star News was previously a bilingual channel when it was in partnership with NDTV, featuring news in both- English as well as Hindi. It became a completely Hindi channel in the year 2003, when the agreement with NDTV expired, which was taken as a good decision by the management as their audiences were those who understand Hindi but prefer to read English. According to research, their viewership gains were likely to be much more than what they would lose. Star News, made a successful transition to a 24-hour Hindi News channel, reaching out to wider audiences across India.
The programming genre of Star News consists of Star Savera, Khabar Din Bhar, Aaj Ki Baat, National reporter, City 60, Kal Ki Baat and the like. The headquarters of the News Channel is in the Star News Centre, Mumbai, and it is linked to the Sansad Marg Super Bureau in Delhi. The 19 other regional bureaus across India are connected by VSAT. An added unique feature is that the reporters can multitask in shooting, editing and reporting by the use of laptop editing systems to stay connected while on location. In the year 2006, Star News launched an interactive news channel Active Star News, which is available on the newly launched DTH platform, Tata Sky. This new channel is reportedly a premium version of the channel, Star News and is available on subscription. Besides the regular news feed, the subscribers see an on-screen prompt, which directs them to press a red button on the remote to tune into Active Star News.
Star News channel has also been in controversies due to its sting operation. The channel`s `sting operation` against a scholar of Darul-Uloom Deoband, India, produced a report, which on further enquiry turned out to be spurious and defamatory. Star News Channel had broadcast the story in various geographic locations as a sting operation under the name `Be-Naqab` (uncovering). Analysis of the story after the enquiry suggests that the recording was forged! This offence does put a question mark on the Credibility of the reporting standards adopted by Star News journalists and editorial board. Sansani is an engaging crime bulletin on STAR News that gives a daily account of the latest news from the world of crime across the country. The programme re-creates the actual scene of crime intensely, wherever needed, to give the viewing audience a real taste of the crime scene in the nation. The show brings the viewer face-to-face with the reality of crime keeping him aware and on guard.
Desh Videsh captures the spirit of national as well as international news happenings in a unique two-host, two-hour format. An early evening bulletin, its stylised delivery and speedy format provides a heady synopsis for the viewer on every domestic and international news happenings up-to-date. 24 Ghante 24 Reporter is another show on this news channel that is a crisp, fast-paced pioneering effort in news programming. This bulletin delivers 24 stories in 30 minutes in a rapid-fire, reporter-led, never before attempted format. The programme will consist of segments like Sabse Badi Khabar, Karobar, Desh, Shahar, Duniya, Gunah, Khel, Cinema and TV to provide a themed delivery of news.
Khabar Filmi Hai is half-hour program that offers updated news from the world of silver screen, including gossips, film premiers and parties, making of movies, on-location interviews, music launches and near real-time info on the glamorous world of films. There is also the headline news on film happenings, a main story segment, an event-based segment, celebrity interviews and a nostalgia segment peppered with perspectives from film shootings, film festivals and other such events. Star News has earned immense popularity over the years for its authentic reporting and news presenting.
