Star News to hunt for news anchors

NEW DELHI - Taking a cue from popular entertainment-based talent hunt programmes, Star News — which says there is a “resource gap of trained manpower in the television new business” — would be holding a talent hunt for television news anchors on its network.

Announcing the talent hunt Friday, Star News officials said that the programme would “provide a platform for everyone who nurture a dream of becoming a news anchor”.

The talent hunt programme would be spread over 12 weeks and will cover 10 cities, with the final being held in Delhi. The programme will officially start March 28 through an online process.

Twenty episodes of thirty minutes each will be aired for the viewers to see this talent hunt.

The selection procedure for the shortlisted candidates will consist of a group discussion, written test and on camera auditions. They will be graded over the period of 5 weeks from which two will be selected as the finalists out of the twenty shortlisted.

The judges include the channel’s political news anchor Deepak Chaurasia, actor Tisca Chopra and author Chetan Bhagat.