MUMBAI: It?s going to the land of the Queen. To start with, that is. Media firm Network18 today announced the launch of a 24-hour news channel News18 India in the UK, which would be distributed through a joint venture with Viacom 18.

The channel is slated to start beaming its programming via the Sky digital platform from 1 July, replacing a slot left vacant by the exit of music channel 9XM. News18 India will be the third channel launched in the UK, after Colors and Rishtey which have found traction with Britasians there.

IBN18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai was at his euphoric best this morning when he tweeted: ?Suprabhat: delighted to be in London to launch Network 18?s much awaited global news channel. News 18 India will soon be here! UK in July, News 18 India will soon go to other parts of the world. A truly Indian news channel for the global Indian Many have been asking for a high quality global Indian news channel; watch the News18India space.?

Among the countries it will be rolled out later include: the US, Canada, west Asia and Australia.

Commenting on the launch, Network18 founder, managing director & editor Raghav Bahl said: ?India?s resurgence on the world stage is evident from the almost insatiable global interest in its present as well as its future. This presents a compelling opportunity to deliver a service that fulfils this need in a relevant manner and News18 India is our answer.?

News18 India is slated to be run by the same team that produces TV18?s market news services.

MUMBAI: An unexpected beneficiary of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)?s charges against Congress MP Naveen Jindal is Zee Media, earlier known as Zee News.

The investigative agency has booked Jindal and former minister of state for coal Dasari Nararyan Rao through an FIR, alleging irregularities on coal-block allocations and misrepresentation of facts, something Zee Media has been talking about all this while.

This not only comes as a major development in the ongoing coal-block allocation probe, but also adds a new twist in the tale to the infamous Zee-Jindal fiasco.

Zee Media had earlier been accused of demanding money to go easy investigative stories relating to Jindal?s involvement in the coal-block allocation case.

The CBI has accused Jindal of misrepresenting facts about past allocations in order to obtain a coal block in Jharkhand in 2008. The then minister of state for coal Rao, has been accused of being a part of the conspiracy, as a year after obtaining the coveted coal-block, Jindal brought shares worth Rs 2.25 crore in Rao?s company Saubhagya Media at an exorbitantly hiked price of Rs 100 per share as opposed to its then listed price of Rs 28.

Now that CBI has formally accused the troubled MP along with Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Zee probably has something to rejoice about. Which it did in a statement today.

Said Zee Media:

"Zee Media has consistently focused the Nation?s attention to massive irregularities in allocation of all coal blocks during the period 2006-2009, as has been registered by CBI on reference of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). For this we have been relentlessly attacked by the accused and his accomplices within the system. Our Editors have even faced illegal detention and our management has been maligned and unfairly targeted.

"Today?s CBI FIR against a resourceful politico-corporate like Shri Jindal reaffirms what Zee Media, and discerning sections of the media have consistently reported, as also serious conflict of interest in his continuance inside the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

"It is equally worrying that in their report on the so-called paid media, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology leaned on depositions by representatives of the accused to recommend a government-mandated media regulator in the country. It must be emphasised that the proceedings were conducted ex parte and the committee?s recommendations came out without serving the basic tenet of natural justice, which is to hear both sides."

Zee Media CEO Alok Agarwal and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) MD and CEO Punit Goenka, declined to comment.

To read the entire comment from Zee News click here:
Zee Media lauds CBI for FIR, nation-wide probe on prime accused of coalgate scam