No deal as yet

What’s brewing between Times Global Broadcasting ? the Bennett, Coleman & Company and Reuters joint venture that operates Times NOW ? and Rajat Sharma’s Hindi news channel India TV? Times Global is said to be interested in acquiring a stake in Sharma’s India TV to add a Hindi news channel to its portfolio. But the two companies dismiss the report as idle chatter. “There’s no truth in the information,” says India TV CEO Chintamani Rao. However, sources close to Times NOW say that while some discussions between the two broadcasters may have taken place, a deal may take a long time to fructify. Times needs the consent of its equity partner Reuters to buy more than 5 per cent in any news television business.

If the deal is ever clinched, it will be the year’s second electronic media deal. In February, the Television 18-promoted Global Broadcast News picked up a 50 per cent stake in Dainik Jagran’s Channel 7.

Going Bhojpuri

Hema Malini is doing it. Mahima Choudhury is contemplating doing it, and Shilpa Shetty is thinking about it. No, we are not talking about the latest in botox treatment, but acting in Bhojpuri films. The highly successful regional cinema industry has been attracting the stars ? and the buzz around Mumbai is that the best of Bollywood is making a beeline for it. Even the Big B has started shooting for a Bhojpuri film. The Bhojpuri audience ? which made big grossers out of films such as Sasura Bada Paisewala (My Father-in-law Is Very Rich) and Darogababu, I Love You (Mr Policeman, I Love You) ? is waiting. After all, there is nobody quite like our own Amitwa.

Caught on tape

Samajwadi party leader Amar Singh’s controversial audio tapes seem to have put a Delhi-based media company in a tight spot. The alleged recordings also have a high-profile editor of the company in conversation with Amar Singh where he’s reportedly not said compli-mentary things about the Congress party or its leader Sonia Gandhi. Consequently, no Congress party member ? including Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi ? attended the media group’s recent high-profile conclave.

The editor is now said to be scurrying for cover.