ITV

Tag: Arnab Goswami

  • Times Now special election coverage on result day

    Times Now special election coverage on result day

    MUMBAI: The channel which has taken innovation in news television to a level once again brings multiple tech tools which will make #May19withArnab, a show to remember. Indian television viewer for the first time will be introduced to new age data visualisation with tools like Spectrum, Firewall and Cluster by TIMES NOW.  

    And this time as Arnab Goswami, President News & Editor in Chief of TIMES NOW & ET NOW says, “Election coverage will be an all new, refreshing experience on TIMES NOW. This time by teaming with the world leaders in data visualisation Gramener we give the Indian viewers never before seen cutting edge graphical representation of data”.

    Naveen Gattu, Co-founder of Gramener, Data analytics and Visualization Company says, “ It’s a great opportunity and challenge for us, teaming up with India’s number one English news network, we introduce on May 19th a new genre of visual data journalism which will make understanding data so much more simple “ 

    TIMES NOW and Gramener introduces five new data visualisation tools which will be a first not just in India but in broadcast journalism the world over.
    WHAT IF? – It depicts how each alliance is performing as the results trickle in and helps us examine various scenarios in term of how future post poll agreements may play out

    SCATTER PLOT- Maps out the constituencies as per the margin of leads that trickle in, mapping the leads on X axis and vote share on the Y axis

    ELECTION CHORD – A depiction of which party or alliance gained votes and seats at whose expense from the previous election

    SPECTRUM – A measurement of how every seat traditionally votes is mapped out

    STRIKE RATE – It depicts the performance of each individual party in terms of its seats won, compared to the number of seats it contested.

    Apart from top politicians in our studio, we will be having some of the largest and most experienced in house panellist consisting of Neerja Chowdhury, senior journalist; R Rajagopalan, senior journalist; Saba Naqvi, senior journalist; Sachidananda Murthy, Resident Editor; Malayala Manorama; Shahid Siddiqui, Chief Editor; Nai Dunia, Alok Mehta, Editor; Outlook Hindi; Sunil Alagh, Political Analyst & Chairman; SKA Advisors;  Aloke Banerjee, senior journalist; Sanjay Pinto, lawyer and political analyst;  Kumar Ketkar , Wasbir Hussain, Consultant Editor.

    This time TIMES NOW has a strategic tie up two top regional networks to bring you numbers not just first and fast, but for real time- in-depth analysis. For Assam we have a tie up with Newslive, giving updates from Assam’s number one news  network will be Zareer Hussain, Editor in Chief of Newslive with Wasbir Hussain, TIMES NOW consulting editor.

    And from Kerala, the number one Malayalam news network Asianet News joins hands with TIMES NOW. Joining from the Asianet News studio is M G Radhakrishnan, the editor in chief. 
    All this and more from 7 am onwards on 19th May2016 only on TIMES NOW.

  • Times Now special election coverage on result day

    Times Now special election coverage on result day

    MUMBAI: The channel which has taken innovation in news television to a level once again brings multiple tech tools which will make #May19withArnab, a show to remember. Indian television viewer for the first time will be introduced to new age data visualisation with tools like Spectrum, Firewall and Cluster by TIMES NOW.  

    And this time as Arnab Goswami, President News & Editor in Chief of TIMES NOW & ET NOW says, “Election coverage will be an all new, refreshing experience on TIMES NOW. This time by teaming with the world leaders in data visualisation Gramener we give the Indian viewers never before seen cutting edge graphical representation of data”.

    Naveen Gattu, Co-founder of Gramener, Data analytics and Visualization Company says, “ It’s a great opportunity and challenge for us, teaming up with India’s number one English news network, we introduce on May 19th a new genre of visual data journalism which will make understanding data so much more simple “ 

    TIMES NOW and Gramener introduces five new data visualisation tools which will be a first not just in India but in broadcast journalism the world over.
    WHAT IF? – It depicts how each alliance is performing as the results trickle in and helps us examine various scenarios in term of how future post poll agreements may play out

    SCATTER PLOT- Maps out the constituencies as per the margin of leads that trickle in, mapping the leads on X axis and vote share on the Y axis

    ELECTION CHORD – A depiction of which party or alliance gained votes and seats at whose expense from the previous election

    SPECTRUM – A measurement of how every seat traditionally votes is mapped out

    STRIKE RATE – It depicts the performance of each individual party in terms of its seats won, compared to the number of seats it contested.

    Apart from top politicians in our studio, we will be having some of the largest and most experienced in house panellist consisting of Neerja Chowdhury, senior journalist; R Rajagopalan, senior journalist; Saba Naqvi, senior journalist; Sachidananda Murthy, Resident Editor; Malayala Manorama; Shahid Siddiqui, Chief Editor; Nai Dunia, Alok Mehta, Editor; Outlook Hindi; Sunil Alagh, Political Analyst & Chairman; SKA Advisors;  Aloke Banerjee, senior journalist; Sanjay Pinto, lawyer and political analyst;  Kumar Ketkar , Wasbir Hussain, Consultant Editor.

    This time TIMES NOW has a strategic tie up two top regional networks to bring you numbers not just first and fast, but for real time- in-depth analysis. For Assam we have a tie up with Newslive, giving updates from Assam’s number one news  network will be Zareer Hussain, Editor in Chief of Newslive with Wasbir Hussain, TIMES NOW consulting editor.

    And from Kerala, the number one Malayalam news network Asianet News joins hands with TIMES NOW. Joining from the Asianet News studio is M G Radhakrishnan, the editor in chief. 
    All this and more from 7 am onwards on 19th May2016 only on TIMES NOW.

  • Yesudas’s triggerbridge to launch ‘Un-News Hour’

    Yesudas’s triggerbridge to launch ‘Un-News Hour’

    MUMBAI: More often than not, negative and disturbing news dominates prime time television and suppresses the good that happens all around and hence paints a rather cynical picture of society. With an aim to bring these positive stories to the fore, triggerbridge -the unagency by S Yesudas, in partnership with Ajit Nair and Amit Tripathi, has planned the ‘Un News Hour.’

    “It is a one-hour prime time news capsule across English, Hindi and all other vernacular languages, which will air only happy news of human achievements, however small or big the achievement might be,” explained media veteran and entrepreneur, Yesudas.

    “With every other noise that’s being made everywhere else, this in my opinion, will be an equalizer of sorts, and will be a huge opportunity for those unsung heroes to be recognized, day after day and a big ground of motivation for many more to embark on such initiatives,” he added.

    When quizzed about the choice of the title for the initiative, which has indirect reference to Arnab Goswami’s flagship ‘News Hour’ Yesudas shared, “While there was no inspiration from Arnab, I can’t deny the potential of Arnab himself owning up both the News Hour, which is about debate on hot topics in the country and the Un-News Hour, which is just simply happy news to triggerhappy conversations. I have interacted with Arnab and he is a very different human being personally, gentle, soft spoken, intuitive and brilliant. Un-News Hour will give him an opportunity to portray his actual personality where he doesn’t have to lose his cool or get upset with people who are covering up etc”

    While the idea is definitely noble, due to lack of proper planning and participation such social initiatives seldom see the light of the day. To this Yesudas commented, “I don’t think any genuine initiative ever fails. If there are hidden agendas, yes it will, much like how Free Basics failed and odd/even (Delhi) succeeded. Both happened around the same time, the former began with so-called support and the later with all the negativity possible. But it is the purity in purpose that made odd/even a success. The attempt here is to motivate people by raising their awareness to the wonderful things that are happening around them. As a dear friend of mine said it is strategy without a map. And yet each element is beautifully tied into each other through human knots of kindness.”

    Putting the scale of the initiative in perspective, one can’t help but wonder how triggerbridge planned to cover the costs. “I’m looking for support from clients to cover the actual expenses, not for advertising, but for them to be known for doing something much more meaningful for the people of India. I am happy to say there have been people calling in offering their support in various ways. I got a call from an institute that trains in cinematography, with many trained camera units. They offered to become part of our cause. I have had a doctor calling up offering support. Many friends are waiting in line to offer all kinds of support. I’ve also tweeted the PM, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, requesting each to give the initiative wings,” explained Yesudas.

    The entire concept is heavily dependent on partnerships with channels and networks that believe in the cause. “I’m talking to all possible channels. I know this is disruptive and this is not for someone who is only focused on transactions. We are sure to align with a few like-minded people. Conversations are ongoing as we speak. Within two to three weeks we will be able to share names of concrete partners and the status report,” Yesudas concluded.

  • Yesudas’s triggerbridge to launch ‘Un-News Hour’

    Yesudas’s triggerbridge to launch ‘Un-News Hour’

    MUMBAI: More often than not, negative and disturbing news dominates prime time television and suppresses the good that happens all around and hence paints a rather cynical picture of society. With an aim to bring these positive stories to the fore, triggerbridge -the unagency by S Yesudas, in partnership with Ajit Nair and Amit Tripathi, has planned the ‘Un News Hour.’

    “It is a one-hour prime time news capsule across English, Hindi and all other vernacular languages, which will air only happy news of human achievements, however small or big the achievement might be,” explained media veteran and entrepreneur, Yesudas.

    “With every other noise that’s being made everywhere else, this in my opinion, will be an equalizer of sorts, and will be a huge opportunity for those unsung heroes to be recognized, day after day and a big ground of motivation for many more to embark on such initiatives,” he added.

    When quizzed about the choice of the title for the initiative, which has indirect reference to Arnab Goswami’s flagship ‘News Hour’ Yesudas shared, “While there was no inspiration from Arnab, I can’t deny the potential of Arnab himself owning up both the News Hour, which is about debate on hot topics in the country and the Un-News Hour, which is just simply happy news to triggerhappy conversations. I have interacted with Arnab and he is a very different human being personally, gentle, soft spoken, intuitive and brilliant. Un-News Hour will give him an opportunity to portray his actual personality where he doesn’t have to lose his cool or get upset with people who are covering up etc”

    While the idea is definitely noble, due to lack of proper planning and participation such social initiatives seldom see the light of the day. To this Yesudas commented, “I don’t think any genuine initiative ever fails. If there are hidden agendas, yes it will, much like how Free Basics failed and odd/even (Delhi) succeeded. Both happened around the same time, the former began with so-called support and the later with all the negativity possible. But it is the purity in purpose that made odd/even a success. The attempt here is to motivate people by raising their awareness to the wonderful things that are happening around them. As a dear friend of mine said it is strategy without a map. And yet each element is beautifully tied into each other through human knots of kindness.”

    Putting the scale of the initiative in perspective, one can’t help but wonder how triggerbridge planned to cover the costs. “I’m looking for support from clients to cover the actual expenses, not for advertising, but for them to be known for doing something much more meaningful for the people of India. I am happy to say there have been people calling in offering their support in various ways. I got a call from an institute that trains in cinematography, with many trained camera units. They offered to become part of our cause. I have had a doctor calling up offering support. Many friends are waiting in line to offer all kinds of support. I’ve also tweeted the PM, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, requesting each to give the initiative wings,” explained Yesudas.

    The entire concept is heavily dependent on partnerships with channels and networks that believe in the cause. “I’m talking to all possible channels. I know this is disruptive and this is not for someone who is only focused on transactions. We are sure to align with a few like-minded people. Conversations are ongoing as we speak. Within two to three weeks we will be able to share names of concrete partners and the status report,” Yesudas concluded.

  • Prasad: Investments in electronic mfg cross Rs 1.28 lakh crore, 50 crore internet users by end 2016

    Prasad: Investments in electronic mfg cross Rs 1.28 lakh crore, 50 crore internet users by end 2016

    New Delhi: The total investments in the electronics manufacturing sector in India has crossed Rs 1.28 lakh crore, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

    “When our government came in 2014, the total investment in electronics manufacturing was around Rs 11,700 crore and as of two days ago it is Rs 1,28,000 crore plus,” Prasad said.

    He said until recently, just a few cities like Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bangalore or Mumbai were considered the hubs for information technology, but the aim had been to take this to mofussil towns as well and so even smaller towns now had facilities after the launch of the Digital India, Skill India and Make in India programmes.

    Addressing the Times Network’s Second Digital India summit, the Minister said these programmes had become transformational as they would set the path for changing the face of the country.

    When he became the IT Minister, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him a small slogan to live up to. “IT (Indian Talent) plus IT (Information Technology) is equal to IT (India Tomorrow).’

    Prasad said India is fast adopting technology and the country is likely to have half a billion(50 crore) internet users by the end of this year. “It took two to three years for internet users to go from 200 to 300 million (20 to 30 crore) . It has taken a year to reach 400 million (40 crore) and when Internet service providers said we have reached 400 million, I was really surprised. I think the target of 500 million (50 crore) by 2017… maybe this will come by this year-end,” he said.

    At the same time, he stressed that the government fully respected freedom of expression and was therefore encouraging the use of Internet. He said the government’s aim is to not only create a digitally-enabled society but also a digitally-empowered and enlightened India.

    Prasad said: “Today India has a billion-plus (100 crore-plus) mobile phone users, 990 million (99 crore) have Aadhaar card. The government has saved close to Rs 50,000 crore by directly giving subsidy to Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts”. The minister said the government is also pushing hard electronic manufacturing in the country and 120 million (12 crore) mobile phones have been manufactured in the last year.

    He said that one of his major achievements had been to introduce e-commerce in post offices. In addition, he had introduced core banking services in postal services. From 213 offering banking services when he took over, the number had gone up to 20,494 post offices. Around 850 post offices had ATM services. He claimed that sixty international consortiums were talking to India to collaborate with the postal authorities.

    He said the aim of connecting 2.50 lakh gram panchayats through optical fibre network was proceeding fast and from 398 km when he took over, cable had been laid in 10,5000 km. When all gram panchayats are linked through the broadband network, then e-business, e-education, e-health and other projects can be started in villages, he added.

    The government’s aim was to open BPOs in small towns and 78 companies have shown interest to set up BPO operations at 190 locations across the country for about 1,25,000 seats. There is also a plan to set up BPO centres in small urban centres of India, said the minister.

    The minister said creation of MyGov.in had led to greater interaction with the average citizen, voice their concerns and give suggestions for improvement of public policies and development programmes.

    The aim was also to build Common Service Centres all over the country offering all kinds of services like e-commerce, internet, BPO and telephony.  This was a major step towards bridging the digital divide.

    He said under the Digital India Programme, Indian IT exports had touched the $100 billion  ($10,000 crore) mark last year.

    Internet should not be a monopoly of a few and needs to be available on a non-discriminatory manner to ensure open access to the masses. It should be open, plural and inclusive,” Prasad said. The minister said internet subscribers are growing at a rapid pace in India at a time when the government is also taking steps to link villages by optical fibre network. However, there is a need to need to ensure that the online set-up is secure.

    Earlier welcoming him, Times Now and ET Now President-News and Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami suggested that Skill India and Digital India should be combined into one programme.

  • Prasad: Investments in electronic mfg cross Rs 1.28 lakh crore, 50 crore internet users by end 2016

    Prasad: Investments in electronic mfg cross Rs 1.28 lakh crore, 50 crore internet users by end 2016

    New Delhi: The total investments in the electronics manufacturing sector in India has crossed Rs 1.28 lakh crore, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

    “When our government came in 2014, the total investment in electronics manufacturing was around Rs 11,700 crore and as of two days ago it is Rs 1,28,000 crore plus,” Prasad said.

    He said until recently, just a few cities like Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bangalore or Mumbai were considered the hubs for information technology, but the aim had been to take this to mofussil towns as well and so even smaller towns now had facilities after the launch of the Digital India, Skill India and Make in India programmes.

    Addressing the Times Network’s Second Digital India summit, the Minister said these programmes had become transformational as they would set the path for changing the face of the country.

    When he became the IT Minister, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him a small slogan to live up to. “IT (Indian Talent) plus IT (Information Technology) is equal to IT (India Tomorrow).’

    Prasad said India is fast adopting technology and the country is likely to have half a billion(50 crore) internet users by the end of this year. “It took two to three years for internet users to go from 200 to 300 million (20 to 30 crore) . It has taken a year to reach 400 million (40 crore) and when Internet service providers said we have reached 400 million, I was really surprised. I think the target of 500 million (50 crore) by 2017… maybe this will come by this year-end,” he said.

    At the same time, he stressed that the government fully respected freedom of expression and was therefore encouraging the use of Internet. He said the government’s aim is to not only create a digitally-enabled society but also a digitally-empowered and enlightened India.

    Prasad said: “Today India has a billion-plus (100 crore-plus) mobile phone users, 990 million (99 crore) have Aadhaar card. The government has saved close to Rs 50,000 crore by directly giving subsidy to Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts”. The minister said the government is also pushing hard electronic manufacturing in the country and 120 million (12 crore) mobile phones have been manufactured in the last year.

    He said that one of his major achievements had been to introduce e-commerce in post offices. In addition, he had introduced core banking services in postal services. From 213 offering banking services when he took over, the number had gone up to 20,494 post offices. Around 850 post offices had ATM services. He claimed that sixty international consortiums were talking to India to collaborate with the postal authorities.

    He said the aim of connecting 2.50 lakh gram panchayats through optical fibre network was proceeding fast and from 398 km when he took over, cable had been laid in 10,5000 km. When all gram panchayats are linked through the broadband network, then e-business, e-education, e-health and other projects can be started in villages, he added.

    The government’s aim was to open BPOs in small towns and 78 companies have shown interest to set up BPO operations at 190 locations across the country for about 1,25,000 seats. There is also a plan to set up BPO centres in small urban centres of India, said the minister.

    The minister said creation of MyGov.in had led to greater interaction with the average citizen, voice their concerns and give suggestions for improvement of public policies and development programmes.

    The aim was also to build Common Service Centres all over the country offering all kinds of services like e-commerce, internet, BPO and telephony.  This was a major step towards bridging the digital divide.

    He said under the Digital India Programme, Indian IT exports had touched the $100 billion  ($10,000 crore) mark last year.

    Internet should not be a monopoly of a few and needs to be available on a non-discriminatory manner to ensure open access to the masses. It should be open, plural and inclusive,” Prasad said. The minister said internet subscribers are growing at a rapid pace in India at a time when the government is also taking steps to link villages by optical fibre network. However, there is a need to need to ensure that the online set-up is secure.

    Earlier welcoming him, Times Now and ET Now President-News and Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami suggested that Skill India and Digital India should be combined into one programme.

  • TIMES NOW completes 10 impactful years of action-oriented leadership and success

    TIMES NOW completes 10 impactful years of action-oriented leadership and success

    MUMBAI:  India’s No 1 English News Channel has completed 10 successful and momentous years. Over the last 8 years, it has remained the most popular and impactful channel, because of its action-oriented approach to news, driven by the highest standards of professional journalism. The channel was launched on 31st January 2006.

    Within just two years of its 2006 launch, TIMES NOW raced away to become the biggest English news channel, and ever since, has remained India’s most popular and impactful television news channel – one that has delivered for the consumers and business associates, and most importantly for society and the Nation.

    M K Anand, CEO&MD – Times Network, says, “TIMES NOW is a truly iconic news channel respected for its committed, action-oriented, professional and impactful journalism. TIMES NOW, NewsHour and Arnab Goswami are household names. It’s hard to imagine that just a decade ago, we did not have this mega brand. TIMES NOW like other young global mega media brands is a reflection of what has changed in human society in the 21st century and what still endures as true and good. Over the last 10 years, TIMES NOW has led the nation’s discourse by stimulating collective national thought and resultant action and has become a strong agent of change. It is this drive that has not only made TIMES NOW India’s most impactful News Channel, but has also taken it to over 80 countries around the globe.”

    Arnab Goswami, President, News, Editor-in-Chief of TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Magicbricks NOW, the original architect of the soul of TIMES NOW, its content,  says, “Ten years ago, when we set about planning to create TIMES NOW, we questioned the old belief that news should remain just reported and hence a monologue. We asked ourselves: Why shouldn’t news be information plus added perspective of different news makers and thought leaders thrown in? Even as we innovated on strategy, questioned old formats, and infused news with speed, throughout, we have remained unwavering in our mission to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards of news reportage. We are committed to ensuring that relevant news does not remain hidden from the public, and that it sparks opinion, debate, and corrective action.”

     “Through our approach to television news journalism, we have changed, forever, the way news was presented in India. As a result, TIMES NOW boasts of an exceptional top-of-mind recall. 

    “I am grateful to my entire team for their belief, abilities, commitment and dedication, and for all the hard work they put in unfailingly each day, which has helped make TIMES NOW the incomparable channel it is.”

  • TIMES NOW completes 10 impactful years of action-oriented leadership and success

    TIMES NOW completes 10 impactful years of action-oriented leadership and success

    MUMBAI:  India’s No 1 English News Channel has completed 10 successful and momentous years. Over the last 8 years, it has remained the most popular and impactful channel, because of its action-oriented approach to news, driven by the highest standards of professional journalism. The channel was launched on 31st January 2006.

    Within just two years of its 2006 launch, TIMES NOW raced away to become the biggest English news channel, and ever since, has remained India’s most popular and impactful television news channel – one that has delivered for the consumers and business associates, and most importantly for society and the Nation.

    M K Anand, CEO&MD – Times Network, says, “TIMES NOW is a truly iconic news channel respected for its committed, action-oriented, professional and impactful journalism. TIMES NOW, NewsHour and Arnab Goswami are household names. It’s hard to imagine that just a decade ago, we did not have this mega brand. TIMES NOW like other young global mega media brands is a reflection of what has changed in human society in the 21st century and what still endures as true and good. Over the last 10 years, TIMES NOW has led the nation’s discourse by stimulating collective national thought and resultant action and has become a strong agent of change. It is this drive that has not only made TIMES NOW India’s most impactful News Channel, but has also taken it to over 80 countries around the globe.”

    Arnab Goswami, President, News, Editor-in-Chief of TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Magicbricks NOW, the original architect of the soul of TIMES NOW, its content,  says, “Ten years ago, when we set about planning to create TIMES NOW, we questioned the old belief that news should remain just reported and hence a monologue. We asked ourselves: Why shouldn’t news be information plus added perspective of different news makers and thought leaders thrown in? Even as we innovated on strategy, questioned old formats, and infused news with speed, throughout, we have remained unwavering in our mission to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards of news reportage. We are committed to ensuring that relevant news does not remain hidden from the public, and that it sparks opinion, debate, and corrective action.”

     “Through our approach to television news journalism, we have changed, forever, the way news was presented in India. As a result, TIMES NOW boasts of an exceptional top-of-mind recall. 

    “I am grateful to my entire team for their belief, abilities, commitment and dedication, and for all the hard work they put in unfailingly each day, which has helped make TIMES NOW the incomparable channel it is.”

  • ‘Intolerance’ news coverage receives highest coverage and viewership: TAM week 45

    ‘Intolerance’ news coverage receives highest coverage and viewership: TAM week 45

    MUMBAI: With the number of debates and shows increasing the coverage of ‘Intolerance’, news channels are putting every effort to grab a piece of pie in terms of duration and viewership.

    S-Group, an analytical arm of TAM Media Research analysed the news coverage of ‘‘Intolerance’’ by media channels. ‘Intolerance’ received highest coverage and viewership in week 45 on the English News genre with 18% coverage and 24 per cent viewership.

    It received the second highest coverage and viewership in the Hindi news Genre with 13% Coverage and 12 per cent viewership. The Other top stories were on the Bihar Assembly elections and underworld don Chhota Rajan’s arrest.

    In terms of duration, English news channels like News X, Times Now, and India Today gave 

    relatively greater focus to coverage of ‘Intolerance’ News, whereas ABP News, IBN 7, Zee News and India TV were the Hindi News channels who gave more focus to the issue. 

    In terms of viewership Times Now and Aaj Tak led the two genres.Amongthe English news channels, Times now got 63 percent of viewership followed by India Today with 19 per cent. Whereas in the case of

    Hindi news channels like Aaj Tak got 24 per cent of the viewership and ABP followed with 20 per cent.

    Many celebrities have spoken on ‘Intolerance’ and the debate shows focused on few of them like Shahrukh Khan and Anupam Kher. 

    But in the terms of duration and viewership, Anupam Kher received maximum focus in the discussions with 20 per cent share on duration basis, while Shahrukh Khan led with 20 per cent in viewership on English News channels.

    On Hindi news channels, Anupam Kher led both in duration as well as in viewership with 14 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. 

    (Hindi News: TG – CS 15+, Market – HSM; English News: TG – CS 25+ Male AB, Market – All India 1Mn+) 

    The report was sampled by approximately 19 per cent audiences across all markets in India by TAM. Karnataka including Bangalore contributed 36% to the Viewership of Report on ‘Intolerance’ in the English News genre, especially as the murdered writer Kalburgi belonged to Karnataka.

    Rajat Sharma from NDTV and Arnab Goswami from Times Now had the highest viewership with 10 per cent and 41 per cent on Hindi and English News genres respectively.

    The issue of ‘Intolerance’ continues to intensify as people like Minister VK Singh and the Dalai Lama have spoken on it. As to ‘Intolerance’ being of national interest, its stories are engaging people; grabbing more attention as many artists, historians and writer have returned awards given to them by the government.

    News channels are focusing on the subject as it receives heavy amount of viewership. With more comments coming in from politicians and public figures, only time will tell how events unfold in News genre in the future. 

  • Times Now launches in UK today; other European launches to follow

    Times Now launches in UK today; other European launches to follow

    MUMBAI: The Indian and south Asian diaspora in the UK will get a dose of television news celebrity anchor Arnab Goswami from this week onwards. The reason: Times Now is slated to launch this week in the UK on channel 576 as a free to air channel on Sky on 15 November, after testing its signals for the past weeks or so.

    It joins the ranks of NDTV 24×7, Aaj Tak, ABP News and News18 India which too are airing in the UK.

    Times Now will be targeting the 1.4 million strong Indian diaspora in the UK, and the management says it is the first of its launches in Europe. It is slated to be rolled out in France and Germany, according to company sources quoted in the Financial Times.  The channel is already available in the US since 2011.

    Times Television Network MD & CEO MK Anand told the British financial daily that  the UK “can be our biggest diaspora market and a bridge into Europe … over the longer run there is no reason for us not to envisage Times Now as a global brand. Al Jazeera is an English-language channel which is talking about the world with an Arabic lens, and in time we can do the same for an Indian world view.”

    Times Now President & Editor in chief Arnab Goswami – who has built up a cult status  for himself and India’s  most watched English news channel – told the paper that initially only India focused news would be covered on the UK service. But the intent is  to develop local and global programming to appeal to global audiences, he revealed, bringing it in competition with France24, CNN, RT, and Al-Jazeera.

    The company is going all out to promote the channel in the UK with an outdoor, radio, online and press commercials and advertorials in the pipeline.

    It has set up an office in the UK in a bid to grab a share of the Britain’s estimated TV ad market of pounds sterling 4.04 billion.  The UK is one of the few countries where digital spending  is slated to account  for 50 per cent of the overall annual adex of 16.26  billion pounds by end this year, according to  research firm emarketer.  Ad spending on mobile and online devices is slated to attract more than twice the ad spending that goes to TV.

    Around 30 Indian channels are competing for the estimated 20-25 million pounds in ad spend  by Indian-targeted brands in the UK.