1998: STAR Network sets up the STAR News channel, India's first 24-hour news channel NDTV to coincide with the general elections. STAR News (English/Hindi) made a big impact on behalf of the global Murdoch network, winning larger audiences in India than longer-established broadcasters such as CNN and BBC. Although STAR News had the STAR platform, the news was not produced in-house. NDTV provided all the news material- both in Hindi and English - including its presentation and packaging for STAR. By this mutually beneficial partnership NDTV could reach homes of affluent Indians through the STAR platform, while STAR could benefit from the gravitas of a serious news channel.