Last night at a press conference in Mumbai the channel announced the launch of two new shows ‘Kapil Dil Se‘ hosted by Sony‘s brand ambassador Kapil Dev and ‘Cricket Masala‘ hosted by Ruby Bhatia. In addition the channel also announced that it has signed on NDTV and TWI to produce the programmes in a manner that is "stylish and invigorating."

On hand to explain the strategy were the two hosts as well as Executive VP and Business Head MAX Rajat Jain who said: "When we acquired the exclusive C&S rights for the ICC tournaments we saw the franchise as an opportunity to expand the viewer base to include women and children. The shows are the first in a slew of programming which will aim at making the ICC a fusion of sports and entertainment without diluting the passion which cricket arouses. We are aiming to go beyond the die hard cricket fan."

We are well aware of the fact that innovation is the name of the game and so these two shows fit in well with our profile. The vignettes that TWI will make on ‘Cricket Masala‘ will be stylish and snappy. NDTV is producing ‘Kapil Dil Se‘ for us."

However there have been misleading reports that suggest that MAX is moving towards becoming a sports channel. That is not our aim. We see ourselves as a movies and events channel and in India cricket is the single biggest event. MAX is and will continue to be a two in one hybrid channel like Channel Nine in Australia." ‘Kapil Dil Se‘ will start mid-August and will air every Friday at 8:30 pm. The show will see the former all-rounder making his television debut. He will visit neighbourhoods of cricketers where they grew up and got their start. In this first section ‘Gullies of Fame‘ viewers can see Ajay Jadeja‘s school, meet Yuvraj Singhs coach etc. Then the show spends time in the company of Bollywood stars Like Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor. Kapil will try to uncover why they succeed in their professions and what qualities they have that others lack.

Speaking on the initiative Kapil said: "Max and I have been talking for six months. I see the alliance as a new innings for myself and a chance to give back to the game all the fame and rewards it has brought me over the years. Although I do not consider myself to be a very good speaker the concept of the show appealed to me from the start. I knew that I would enjoy myself doing this and for me that is most important. If you do not enjoy what you are doing then you will not be able to explore your full potential."

The other show ‘Cricket Masala‘ hosted by Ruby Bhatia will start on 18 August and will air every Sunday at 8:30 pm. The show will feature news and gossip both on and off the field. The show has different segments like ‘Garam Masala‘ where the show delves behind the hot topic of the week. ‘ Cricket Se Aage‘ showcases cricketers of the past and trace their career to the present. The highlight of the show is ‘Kya Thanda Kya Garam‘ which gives viewers all the gossip and buzz surrounding cricketing stars.

"The show will present the content in an informal manner so that viewers can relax and chill. However, all information will be well researched by our team so that it is not left hanging in the air," she said.

AAJA President Victor Panichkul said: " The results of this study as well as the results of surveys done by RTNDA [Radio-Television News Directors Association] lend credence to the concerns that our male broadcast journalists have been raising in the past few years that the gender disparity among Asian Americans in broadcasting is significant. When our numbers are compared to the numbers of male and female African American, Native American, or Hispanic broadcast journalists, what we see is a problem that impacts our members more significantly than other people of color."

In light of the findings, AAJA will re-evaluate its current programmes to see how the organisation can better target them toward Asian American males with an interest in broadcast journalism, Panichkul said. In addition, AAJA hopes that other industry organizations will take part in helping to find solutions to this problem.

Some of the findings in the study include:
1. Asian Americans make up a small percentage of the student population in US journalism schools, but males far out-number females by approximately 4 to 1.
2. In making career choices, Asian American male students are highly motivated by parents, prestige and starting salaries. They are more likely to go into science-related occupations.
3. There is a lack of key Asian American male broadcast role models (such as Connie Chung is for Asian American females).

The results from the USC study confirm other research done on the makeup of broadcast newsrooms. A recent Ball State University study found that Asians make up 2.7 per cent of the broadcast newsroom in 2001, or about 650 people. Asian males constituted only 1 per cent of the workforce, while Asian females made up 1.7 per cent. Meanwhile, there are more Hispanic, African American and white males than females in the newsroom, the survey found.

The USC study is based on surveys of the top 25 television markets and top journalism schools in the United States. Interviews with program managers, news directors, and agents in the television industry as well as a focus group of Asian American students were also conducted.

AAJA is a non-profit educational association based in San Francisco, devoted to training and developing Asian American journalists and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of the Asian American community. It has 1,700 members in 18 chapters across the United States and Asia.