Turner Broadcasting System, Asia Pacific has renewed its broadcast agreement with China Central Television (CCTV), to allow the two networks to share news footage and strengthen newsgathering affiliation.

The two organisations have had a news sharing co-operation agreement since 1990. CNN International is distributed in major hotels, many government offices, universities, research institutes, as well as diplomatic compounds in China through CCTV‘s commercial arm, China International Television Corp. (CITVC).

CCTV, established in 1958, is China‘s earliest and largest TV broadcaster, and runs 11 channels reaching one billion viewers. CNN‘s reach extends to 16 cable and satellite television networks; three private, place-based networks, two radio networks and 12 web sites.

A fortnightly cable TV newspaper? Yes, it‘s the brainwave of the colourful Delhi-based cable operator-turned-publisher-turned-industry-representative Dr A. K. Rastogi.

Rastogi, who runs the monthly Hindi-English bimonthly Avishkar Dish Antenna Programmes Guide, has introduced Avishkar Darpan which will initially target the north Indian market. He hopes that the fortnightly will serve as a platform for cable TV operators to increase awareness among viewers about issues which affect the industry.

Avishkar Darpan is also instituting the Best Channel Distributor award from the coming year. Winners will win air tickets for two to Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Kathmandu, and contestants who vie for the award with an entry fee of Rs 5,000, will have their company profiled in a special souvenir.