ITV

Category: Television

  • Live Times clocks in as No. 1 in ATS, making news worth watching

    Live Times clocks in as No. 1 in ATS, making news worth watching

    MUMBAI: No noise, just news and viewers are tuning in longer than ever. In a remarkable broadcast milestone, Live Times, India’s first global multicast news hub, has emerged as the No. 1 channel in Average Time Spent (ATS) across six key Hindi-speaking markets, according to BARC Week 23 data (HH Universe).

    The channel recorded an impressive ATS of 59 plus minutes across Bihar/Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra/Goa (TG 15–21), with an overall viewership rating of 1.07 in HSM markets leaving long-standing legacy news brands trailing behind.

    In television news, where impressions often steal the spotlight, ATS is the true test of content quality and viewer loyalty. While many channels compete for eyeballs, Live Times seems to have captured hearts and attention spans. With viewers sticking around for nearly an hour, it’s clear that substance is winning over sensation.

    What makes the feat more impressive is the channel’s youth. In an arena long dominated by veteran networks, Live Times is still relatively new but it’s already made a big impression. Its formula? Fact-first journalism, minus the noise, drama, or bias. In a cluttered media landscape, Live Times is emerging as the quiet but powerful voice of truth.

    Live Times, founder Dilip Kumar Singh said, “We set out to create a news hub that puts authenticity above all else. This milestone 59 plus minutes of ATS and No. 1 position across six key markets tells us that viewers are responding to that vision.”

    With audiences clearly hungry for fact-based reporting, Live Times might just be setting the tone for a new era in Indian news: one where credibility holds attention and earns it too.

  • Nick and Sonic join PM Modi in Vizag to promote yoga for children

    Nick and Sonic join PM Modi in Vizag to promote yoga for children

    MUMBAI: What do Chikoo, Bunty, Bittu, and over 3 lakh people have in common? On 21 June in Vizag, they all bent it like Bhujangasana at one of the country’s largest Yoga Day celebrations. India’s favourite kids’ entertainment channels, Nick and Sonic, traded cartoons for calming breaths as they joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of AYUSH, and a sea of yoga enthusiasts at R.K. Beach, Vizag. With toons like Nick’s Chikoo and Bunty and Sonic’s Bittu performing yoga on-ground, the channels brought their flagship wellness campaign Yogasehihoga to life proving that health and humour can share the same mat.

    The event, also graced by union ministers, CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan, and civil aviation minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, saw PM Modi call yoga “the pause button humanity needs to breathe, balance, and become whole again.”

    The Nick and Sonic mascots more often found caught in madcap adventures guided children through basic asanas, encouraging them to make wellness a fun habit. Their mission: making yoga as cool as cartoons.

    This isn’t their first yogic rodeo. In 2019, Motlu and Patlu performed yoga with the PM in Ranchi. In Mumbai, the duo co-hosted Yoga by the Bay, and during the pandemic, the network rolled out digital yoga sessions for kids across the country.

    From reaching millions online to receiving thousands of contest entries, Nick and Sonic’s campaigns continue to make yoga accessible, exciting, and age-appropriate ensuring every child learns to stretch, breathe, and maybe even touch their toes without losing their smile.

    After all, wellness isn’t just for grown-ups with calendars, it’s also for kids with cartoons.

  • The slow eclipse of India’s media and broadcasting pioneers

    The slow eclipse of India’s media and broadcasting pioneers

    MUMBAI: Once, they blazed across the Indian media landscape with the swagger of pioneers. Entrepreneur-led behemoths like Subhash Chandra’s Zee Entertainment, Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV, Prannoy Roy’s NDTV, and Raghav Bahl’s Network18 weren’t just market leaders — they were institutions, holding their own even as foreign giants circled hungrily.

    Today, those stars are fading. Some have already fallen.

    Network18 and TV18 are now firmly in the grip of Reliance Industries and Disney Star. NDTV, long a bastion of editorial independence, is under the control of the Adani Group. Its founders — Roy and Radhika — have exited stage left, their names now relics of an era that once prized journalistic idealism.

    Zee, once the crown jewel of Indian broadcasting, is barely hanging on. The Chandra family — once majority owners — now clutch a meagre four-odd  per cent stake. It’s a dramatic fall from grace fuelled by Subhash Chandra’s ill-advised adventures into infrastructure. To bankroll these forays, he pledged Zee shares, opening the gates to lenders who came calling. The result: a sharp dilution of promoter ownership and a credibility crisis. The failed merger with Sony’s Indian arm, Culver Max Entertainment, only added insult to injury — scuppered reportedly due to concerns about Zee’s financial hygiene. A company once viewed as squeaky clean had its reputation muddied.

    Sun TV, the fourth of the old guard, is also showing cracks. Helmed with iron discipline by Kalanithi Maran, it long stood as a symbol of stability. But the facade is now under strain. A family feud has burst into public view, with brother Dayanidhi Maran accusing Kala of wresting control of Sun TV through backdoor share acquisitions. Legal notices have flown, regulatory filings issued, and the company insists all was above board. Still, some reputational damage has been done — and the gossip mills are churning.

    The result is a media map being redrawn in real time. Where once these founders shaped the narrative, today they’re either sidelined, embattled, or ousted. And as corporate titans and conglomerates take over, the question is whether passion-led media can survive in an era of balance sheets, bottom lines, and boardroom power plays.

    India’s media isn’t short on ambition. But nostalgia alone won’t stop the sun from setting on yesterday’s giants.

  • Royal Enfield and Unesco rev up for Ladakh docuseries on Nat Geo

    Royal Enfield and Unesco rev up for Ladakh docuseries on Nat Geo

    MUMBAI — Royal Enfield and Unesco are shifting gears from adventure to archival with the third edition of ‘The Great Himalayan Exploration’—a four-part docuseries that captures the heartbeat of Ladakh’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. The series premieres on National Geographic and streams on JioHotstar from 8 PM, 21 June.

    Featuring 40 handpicked rider-researchers out of 1,500 applicants, the project blends motorcycling with meaningful discovery, traversing Ladakh’s remote valleys and high passes to document cultural practices that rarely make it to mainstream maps. From butter tea and Brokpa weaves to archery in Kargil and horse polo in Drass, the docuseries doesn’t just observe heritage—it lives it.

    Notable voices such as Gul Panag, Prateek Sadhu, Bandana Tewari, and Clifton Shipway join the journey, each episode peeling back a different cultural layer, ‘Food, Sports, Crafts, and Community’. Together, they chronicle stories that echo with centuries of tradition but are increasingly at risk in a world spinning faster than the Himalayas can handle.

    For Royal Enfield Social Mission, this marks a significant step forward in our long-term goal of partnering with the Himalayan communities to build resilience.”, said Eicher Group Foundation, executive director, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, Bidisha Dey.

    “Ladakh’s fragile mountain ecosystems and increasing exposure to climate risks make it more urgent than ever to recognize and value the traditional knowledge embedded in its living heritage. These cultural practices—whether in sustainable land use, food systems, or collective rituals—offer not only a sense of identity and continuity, but also vital insights into how communities adapt and thrive in harmony with their environment. At UNESCO, we believe the goal must extend beyond safeguarding and transmission. This is about understanding heritage as a source of resilience, creativity, and social cohesion in the face of global challenges. Our partnership with Royal Enfield’s ‘The Great Himalayan Exploration’ reflects this spirit—showing how heritage is not confined to monuments, but lives in the way we eat, speak, and gather. It is, at its core, a celebration of our shared humanity,” said Unesco Regional Office for South Asia, director and representative, Tim Curtis.

    Launched in 2022, the project is part of a multi-year partnership between Royal Enfield’s Social Mission and Unesco to document 200 ICH practices across the Eastern and Western Himalayas. With Ladakh in focus this season, the series brings visual storytelling to the forefront—culturally immersive, environmentally urgent, and filmed with boots (and wheels) on the ground.

    Because sometimes, preserving the past takes a little petrol, a lot of purpose, and a camera on the move.

  • Mutual fund bigwigs to chart India’s $1 trillion AUM journey at Moneycontrol summit

    Mutual fund bigwigs to chart India’s $1 trillion AUM journey at Moneycontrol summit

    MUMBAI: For India’s booming mutual fund sector, the trillion-dollar mark is no longer a distant pipe dream—it’s a target with a ticking clock. On 23 June 2025, Mumbai will host the fourth edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit, themed ‘The Trillion Dollar Dream’, aiming to unpack the roadmap to reach $1 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM) by 2030.

    The summit, presented by HDFC Mutual Fund and powered by Axis Mutual Fund, will bring together a high-powered roster of financial minds, market regulators, and investment strategists. The agenda: laying down actionable insights to accelerate investment growth, widen retail participation, and future-proof India’s fund ecosystem.

    The speaker lineup reads like the Who’s Who of the Indian financial galaxy. From SEBI whole time member Amarjeet Singh to top AMC heads including Navneet Munot (HDFC AMC), Nilesh Shah (Kotak Mahindra AMC), and Radhika Gupta (Edelweiss Mutual Fund), the event promises both brain and brawn. Other stalwarts include Vishal Jain (Zerodha Fund House), Niket Shah (Motilal Oswal AMC), Kalpen Parekh (DSP), and Rahul Singh (Tata Mutual Fund), among others.

    “The mutual fund industry is at the heart of India’s retail investor boom and we are delighted to be hosting the fourth edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit”, said Moneycontrol managing editor and Network18 chief AI officer – editorial operations Nalin Mehta. “Our theme of ‘The Trillion Dollar Dream’ this year captures myriad aspects of India’s incredible journey, from expanding financial inclusion to the fast-changing demographic of the country’s retail investor base”.

    The summit will feature a mix of panel discussions and standalone sessions. Topics on the docket range from regulatory frameworks and digital democratisation to the changing behaviour of young investors and the evolving role of AI in personal finance management.

    The annual summit has become a marquee event in India’s financial calendar, offering not just macroeconomic perspectives but also granular playbooks for AMCs, distributors, and policy stakeholders. The 2025 edition is expected to underscore how collaboration across regulation, distribution, and innovation is key to India’s financial future.

    The live event will stream on Moneycontrol.com at 5:00 pm IST on 23 June. For more details, visit: https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/mutual-fund-summit-2025

  • NDTV 24×7 takes the crown as India’s most trusted English news channel

    NDTV 24×7 takes the crown as India’s most trusted English news channel

    MUMBAI: In a country where the loudest often command the limelight, NDTV 24×7 has quietly staged a masterclass in credibility. According to the latest BARC ratings (Source: BARC | ALL INDIA | 20-23’25 | 22+ ABC | 6 TO 24 HRS | Share per cent), NDTV 24×7 has emerged as India’s number one English news channel.

    The message from viewers is loud and clear: they want truth, not theatrics.

    This win isn’t just about numbers—it’s a narrative shift.

    In a media ecosystem rife with opinion parading as reportage, NDTV 24×7 has held its ground with restraint and rigour. While others chased virality, it stayed rooted in verification. From breaking the Ahmedabad air crash story with compassion to covering the Bengaluru stadium stampede and honeymoon murder with empathy and depth, the channel’s reportage stood out not for its speed, but its soul.

    Anchors like Ankit Tyagi led from the front, offering clarity amidst chaos. Veterans Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor lent gravitas and understanding rather than hype. It wasn’t about shouting the loudest; it was about informing the best.

    “This recognition is a profound responsibility”, said NDTV CEO & editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal. “In a landscape of constant noise, we remain committed to signal. We report not just with urgency, but with humility. Not just to break news, but to build understanding”.

    NDTV 24×7’s rise signals a shift in what India expects from its newsrooms—less noise, more nuance. As India confronts complex realities, it’s turning to the calm in the storm, not the storm itself. And NDTV 24×7, it seems, has become the lighthouse.

     

  • Rugby gets a ruck-solid start with GMR RPL’s star-studded sponsor pack

    Rugby gets a ruck-solid start with GMR RPL’s star-studded sponsor pack

    MUMBAI: Move over cricket, there’s a new league in town and it’s tackling eyeballs and brands with equal force. The inaugural season of the GMR Rugby Premier League (GMR RPL) kicked off in Mumbai at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex, with six franchise teams colliding in high-octane matches. But the real scrum might just be off the field, where a ruck of top-tier sponsors have piled in to back the tournament.

    With GMR leading from the front as title sponsor and HSBC powering the league as a principal partner, the GMR RPL has already racked up a formidable roster of 17 sponsors and partners. Big names like Capgemini, Bisleri, Hero Fincorp, JSW Cement, Amul, Dream11, and Nanavati Max are among the brands jumping into the fray.

    In fact, Capgemini is suiting up as the Transformation Partner, Bisleri is keeping the players hydrated, and Dream11 is fuelling fantasy picks as the Fantasy Sports Partner. Other players in the pack include Encalm, Megawide, Waisl, Pushpak, Wintex, and The Capital Group, not to mention Radio Mirchi bringing the buzz as the Radio Partner.

    Broadcast muscle is also strong, Star Sports Select 1 is the Official Broadcaster, Jiocinema (under JioHotstar) is streaming it live, and Rugby Pass TV is beaming the action to global fans.

    “This isn’t just a game-changer, it’s a groundbreaker,” said GMR Sports CEO Satyam Trivedi. “To onboard over 17 big-ticket brands for a brand-new sport in India is a strong signal that the market is ready to embrace new sporting formats.”

    Rugby India president Rahul Bose and longtime champion of the sport, was equally moved. “The GMR RPL is our dream come alive. To witness such overwhelming support from grassroots to boardrooms is exhilarating. We truly believe this is the beginning of a bold new chapter for Indian rugby.”

    With big tackles on the pitch and even bigger backing off it, the GMR Rugby Premier League looks all set to convert casual onlookers into die-hard fans one try at a time.

  • Sai Abishek takes charge of kids content at Warner Bros Discovery India

    Sai Abishek takes charge of kids content at Warner Bros Discovery India

    MUMBAI: It’s official. After weeks of radio silence from Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), the reshuffle at the top of its kids content division in India has finally surfaced — and via LinkedIn, no less.

    Sai Abishek, who already wears a formidable hat as head of content across original commissions, programming strategy, acquisitions and more, has now added factual entertainment, lifestyle & kids, South Asia to his growing remit at WBD.

    The move confirms Indiantelevision.com’s earlier report on the departure of Uttam Pal Singh, the long-serving head of WBD’s kids cluster in South Asia, which includes Cartoon Network, Pogo and Discovery Kids. At the time, WBD kept mum — neither confirming nor denying Singh’s exit. (https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/people/kids-cluster-head-uttam-pal-singh-departs-from-warner-bros-discovery-250605).

    Abishek updated his LinkedIn profile earlier today, cheerfully noting his expanded role. Meanwhile, Singh’s profile still lists him as head of kids cluster, South Asia — though it’s likely just a matter of time before that too changes.

    At Indiantelevision.com, we don’t do guesswork — just verified, on-the-record reportage. Let the other B2B trade portals peddle speculation.

  • Sun TV says old family dispute has no link to company operations

    Sun TV says old family dispute has no link to company operations

    MUMBAI: When the sun shines too brightly, even shadows make headlines. Sun TV Network Limited has issued a firm clarification following a series of media reports that resurfaced a decades-old personal matter involving its promoter and a family member. The company has categorically stated that the issue in question dating back 22 years to when the network was still a private limited company is personal in nature and has no bearing on the broadcaster’s operations or governance.

    In a formal stock exchange disclosure dated 20 June 2025, Sun TV dismissed the coverage as “incorrect, misleading, speculative and defamatory,” adding that all relevant corporate actions had been legally vetted and found compliant before the company’s public listing.

    “The matters alleged in the articles do not have any bearing on the business of the company or its day-to-day functioning,” the statement reads. Sun TV also stressed that the issue pertains solely to the promoter’s personal life and should not be conflated with the affairs of the listed entity.

    With this rebuttal, Sun TV seeks to put a lid on what it sees as media overreach, as the broadcaster continues to focus on its expansive entertainment footprint across South India. For now, the channel has chosen not to fuel the drama, leaving the theatrics to its primetime soaps.

  • News18 India trumps Aaj Tak again, scores hat-trick as Hindi news leader on TV and Youtube

    News18 India trumps Aaj Tak again, scores hat-trick as Hindi news leader on TV and Youtube

    MUMBAI: In a media landscape where loyalties shift as fast as breaking headlines, News18 India has held its ground with the firmness of an anchor desk in a newsroom earthquake. While rivals fought for airwaves and eyeballs, the channel calmly claimed its crown—again. For the third consecutive year, News18 India has retained its title as the undisputed champion of the Hindi news genre, outpacing legacy player Aaj Tak both on television and in the digital trenches.

    As per BARC data (Week 23’22 – 22’25, 24 Hrs, All Days | HSM | NCCS All 15+), News18 India clocked a formidable 7.89 crore AMA’000s. In contrast, Aaj Tak lagged behind with 7.36 crore AMA’000s, marking yet another year where the latter failed to catch up.

    In a world where TRPs can turn erratic, these numbers scream consistency—and point to a widening gap in viewer allegiance.

    The digital showdown wasn’t any different. On Youtube, News18 India has not just edged ahead—it has sprinted past. As of May 2025, the channel amassed 3.4 billion views, while Aaj Tak struggled with 1.04 billion, according to Playboard data. That’s more than a three x lead—enough to make any digital head turn.

    News18 India retained its top position in the Hindi news genre for three consecutive years while its competitor, Aaj Tak, struggles to keep pace. With its commitment to delivering crisp, accurate, and credible journalism, News18 India continues to win the trust and loyalty of millions across the nation.

    At the heart of this success is a battalion of familiar faces and trusted voices. Anchors like Kishore Ajwani, Amish Devgan, Rubika Liyaquat, Prateek Trivedi, and Aman Chopra bring the noise—and the nuance—day after day. Their programming style blends punch with perspective, helping the channel hold sway over a viewership that’s both vast and vocal.

    Backed by a robust reporting network, News18 India maintains coverage that cuts across regions and realities. Whether it’s national elections or local skirmishes, the channel’s ground game has helped shape its top-tier status.