ITV

Tag: CNN-IBN

  • LEADER TALK with Leander Paes & Aditya Ghosh

    LEADER TALK with Leander Paes & Aditya Ghosh

    MUMBAI: After a successful first season last year, CNN-IBN is back with its second season of Leader Talk, in association with Gulf Oil. The talk show features some of the world’s most well-known corporate leaders and sports legends who come and share their ideas, thoughts and experiences on leadership and talk about their success mantras.

     

    On the upcoming episode, watch Rajdeep Sardesai as he gets up close and personal with Indian Tennis legend Leander Paes and the President of IndiGo Airlines, Aditya Ghosh. The episode highlights what drives both Paes and Ghosh to constantly innovate and reinvent themselves. Talking about leadership, Paes says, a leader’s job is not just to motivate or teach others but also to learn from his team and keep evolving all the time. Likewise, Ghosh emphasizes that leadership has very little to do with the individual and more to do with the team.

     

    Don’t miss this episode of “Leader Talk – Season 2” on Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 12:30 PM followed by a repeat telecast on the same day at 10:30 PM and on Sunday, June 15, 2014 at 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM, only on CNN-IBN.

    For more information log onto: www.ibnlive.com/leadertalk

    Also, follw us on: www.facebook.com/leadertalk

  • CNN-IBN shines at the prestigious RedInk Awards 2014

    CNN-IBN shines at the prestigious RedInk Awards 2014

    MUMBAI: CNN-IBN, the Most Awarded English News Channel continues its legacy by adding two more awards to its kitty. The channel swept the ‘Television Story of The Year’ category by winning both the winner and runners-up trophy at the RedInk Awards 2014 on Saturday night, in Mumbai. CNN-IBN’s Special Correspondent Priyali Sur was declared the winner for her documentary ‘Girls In Bondage’, while Senior Editor and Anchor Anubha Bhonsle bagged the runners-up title in the same category for her story ‘Kashmir After Afzal’.

    Instituted by The Press Club, Mumbai, ‘Press Club Awards for Excellence in Journalism’, better known as the Press Club Mumbai ‘RedInk’ awards is an annual award ceremony to felicitate the exemplary works of journalism in India. The objective of this initiative is to recognize and promote what the organizers hold dear – quality writing, fair play and high ethical standards in Journalism.

    Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “It’s a matter of great pride for us to receive this award as it signifies the tireless effort put in by our entire team as we strive for excellence in Journalism. At CNN-IBN, we believe in ‘Putting Journalism First’ and by winning these awards we are setting the benchmark for ourselves.”

  • Finally, Rajdeep Sardesai too sends out email to team at Network18

    Finally, Rajdeep Sardesai too sends out email to team at Network18

    MUMBAI: The buzz has been strong. Several media outlets have reported it too. But IBN 18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai has been in complete denial that he has jettisoned – nor would he be jettisoning –  from the news network.

     

    However, earlier  today, Sardesai sent out an email to his teams at the channels which seeks to clarify where he stands as far as his employment with IBN18 is concerned in order to end the speculation and concerns expressed by so many of his colleagues.

     

    Says he in the email: “…After a long and wearying (and highly enjoyable) election season, I am taking a short break from the newsroom (haven’t taken one in over a year!). I will be on a month’s leave: reading, writing travelling, watching the world cup soccer, and, hopefully recharging the mind.”

     

    Rajdeep adds that he aims to be back on 1 July. “Please keep the energy levels up through the next few weeks and always put journalism first! Vinay, Radha, Nikhail Sanjeev and the rest of the team  will be there to keep the flag flying.”

     

    However, sources within the network and close to him reveal that Rajdeep has indeed resigned and has even got an offer from Penguin to pen a book. Something which he has been keen to do.

     

    Whether he will come back from the short vacation is a big question mark. His wife and leading IBN18 anchor and journalist Sagarika Ghose will also be accompanying him on his time-off.  The grapevine is that they are maintaining the “leave” story so as to soften the impact on the editorial  teams at CNN-IBN and IBN7. And both are most unlikely to return.

     

    Only time will tell whether we have seen the last of Rajdeep as editor in chief of IBN18.

     

    Already senior management right from founder of the Network18 group Raghav Bahl, his wife and director Ritu Kapur, his sister and executive director Vandana Mallick, CEO B. Sai Kumar, COO Ajay Chacko, CFO RDS Bawa, legal counsel Kshipra Jatana have departed from the group. Prior to that Suhasini Haider, Karan Thapar, CEO Dilip Venkatraman too had decided to quit.

     

    Sources internally state that the takeover by Mukesh Ambani’s  Reliance Industries will see headcount being lowered; already last year some 300 professionals had been asked to go  as the group struggled to cope with the excess manpower that had been hired following its rapid growth and expansion.

     

    A new leadership team is expected to be announced very soon for the news network – CNN-IBN, IBN7, IBN Lokmat, CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz –  and for the Network18 group as a whole.

  • CNN-IBN is the Most Watched English News Channel During Elections

    CNN-IBN is the Most Watched English News Channel During Elections

    MUMBAI: CNN-IBN emerged a clear favourite of viewers on Elections 2014 – further extending its rich & award winning legacy of leadership on Elections. The channel was the most watched English news channel throughout the key Elections period. As per the TAM data, CNN-IBN leads with a Market Share of 37%, followed by Times Now with 23%, NDTV 24×7 with a market share of 12%, Headlines Today with 10% and News X with a market share of 17% (Source: TAM, CS AB Male 25-54 Yrs, 6 Metros, Wk 15-20’14, 24 Hrs, All Days, Market Share basis 30 min TVTs).

    The channel also emerged as the clear No.1 English Channel on each and every Polling Day with a consolidated market share of 36%, followed by Times Now with 22%, News X with 19% and Headlines Today & NDTV 24×7 with a market share of 12% each. (Source: TAM, CS AB 25-54 Yrs, All India 1 Mn+ (incl Metros), 24 Hrs across (07th, 09th, 10th, 12th, 17th, 24th, 30th April, 07th May & 12th May ’14), Market Share basis 30 min TVTs).
    All through the crucial Elections Week and during the Counting Hours on May 16th, India tuned into CNN-IBN. CNN-IBN garnered 37% market share in Wk’20 as opposed to Times Now with 29%, NDTV 24×7 with 15%, Headlines Today with 10%, and News X with 9% (Source: TAM, CS AB 15-54 Yrs, All India, 0600-2400 Hrs, Market Share basis 30 min TVTs). While during Counting Hours, CNN-IBN led with a market share of 36% followed by Times Now with 32%, NDTV 24×7 with 15%, Headlines Today with 5% and News X with 11% (Source: TAM, CS AB 25-54 Yrs, All India, 0800-1200 Hrs, Market Share basis 30 min TVTs).

    The last couple of months were really critical as the entire nation got engaged in possibly the most crucial elections in recent times. With the nation facing multiple challenges, there was a huge interest in the outcome of the same. The common men and women of the country have probably never been this involved in elections, and television undoubtedly became a critical touch point for key information and updates. Given the breadth and depth of CNN-IBN’s programming line-up – extensive LIVE reporting, in-depth coverage, sharp and precise analysis, data, debates and channel packaging, it was no surprise that CNN-IBN’s coverage got maximum traction. The channel’s ratings are indeed a testimony to the credibility and its unmatched coverage of these key Elections. The relentless effort by IBN Network’s formidable team of anchors and journalists, eminent panel of experts, data-analytics through CNN-IBN-Microsoft Election Analytics Centre; all contributed significantly to this success.

    Speaking on this, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN Network, said, “We are thankful to our viewers for making CNN-IBN, the No.1 English News channel on Elections. Considering the scale of the event, the biggest challenge for us was to ensure that the viewers receive the most accurate and up to date information right through the elections in order to ensure that they are well informed. Since the beginning of General Elections 2014, we have given insightful and unbiased reportage to our viewers and succeeded in reaching out to our viewers in large numbers.”

  • Suhasini Haidar to join The Hindu as diplomatic editor

    Suhasini Haidar to join The Hindu as diplomatic editor

    MUMBAI: On Saturday, Suhasini Haidar tweeted saying that she will be joining The Hindu as its diplomatic editor.

     

    Indiantelevision.com broke the news of CNN-IBN deputy foreign affairs editor and prime time anchor deciding to quit from her current position.

     

    Haidar also tweeted that she hopes to keep doing World View, CNN-IBN’s international affairs show, too.

     

    Haidar began her career in 1995, with CNN International, working at the Delhi bureau that also covered Pakistan at the time (CNN subsequently opened its Islamabad bureau).Later on she moved to CNN-IBN. In her 20 years of journalism, Haider has covered issues concerning Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon and Libya. She regularly contributes as a columnist on Indian Foreign Policy for various newspapers.

     

    In 2010, she won the prestigious News Television “Best TV News Presenter” Award. Haidar is credited to be the only journalist to have interviewed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his family, a show that also won her the Indian Television Academy award as ‘Best Chat show’ for the year.

  • News channels focus on graphics on D-day

    News channels focus on graphics on D-day

    MUMBAI: At a time when presentation matters as much as content if not more, news channels are leaving no stone unturned to better package their coverage of the elections, ahead of counting day on 16 May. According to insiders, channels are investing close to Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore in graphics and technology depending on their own internal resources.

     

    “There are two parts to it: pre-counting day and counting day. In the former, you have to effectively cover all constituencies and make people understand while in the latter, the emphasis is on graphics as well as synergy between getting the information and putting it out instantly,” says NDTV CTO Dinesh Singh. Simply put, maximum energy goes into ensuring that data is collected from multiple sources and punched in quickly to be flashed on your TV screens. More precisely, revamping studio sets, making graphics more elegant, and inflating backend support in terms of OB vans, cameras and servers are all part of this exercise.

     

    “Satellites, lease lines or 3G supported systems are used to send pictures and videos from the ground to the studio while historical data is put on air through graphics. This can be done either virtually on a green screen or in a real set with virtual graphics,” says Live India head of technical operations Johnjit Singh Ahluwalia. A case in point is Times Now where one can see editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, belting out statistics in his swanky new studio with the graphics playing out in front of him. CNN-IBN, on the other hand, has tied up with Microsoft for presenting historical data of more than 60 years.

     

    Speaking of ABP News, the channel put in six months of effort to hire OB vans and extra manpower along with backpack units for larger coverage. New shows have been set up with multi camera facility, apart from extra microphones, cables, connectors and servers. Various mechanisms such as OB vans, leased lines, FTPS and back pack units like Live U and TVU that work on 2G/3G/4G and are equipped with a variety of data cards are used to receive data at the office. “We also focus on error-free transmission and so far, have achieved it. High end studio cameras are hired with a triax setup for outdoor shoots,” says MCCS marketing manager Vikas Singh.

     

    Network 18 has roped in AC Nielsen as the agency to handle raw counting day data. Planning was done eight months in advance, keeping in mind the pre-polling stage, the polling period, post-polls, counting day, and the results. “Technology plays a key role in the elections. From programmers to data analysts to statisticians, every specialist plays a key role. But more than playing an individual key role, I think the ability to maximise the relevance of technology and to be able to bring all of them together for a common deliverable is the key for in depth elections coverage,” says CNN-IBN and IBN7 managing editor Vinay Tewari.

     

    NDTV, with a developer team of 21 engineers and around 40 people in the graphics department, started preparations around three months in advance. “Earlier, counting used to be for three days and now, it starts in the morning and ends in the afternoon so the on-screen graphics need to be attractive and studio swanky,” says Dinesh Singh.

     

    ABP News has divided itself into teams of eight to 10 for production, camera editing, satcom, working for programmes etc. that report to line managers, who in turn report to the main head. Ahluwalia agrees about the importance of technology in election. “These are crucial five or six hours within which you either swim or sink. Most of the investment goes in the actual coverage from the ground and then on the presentation of that data. With little resource, give high quality,” he says.

     

    The crux of the election is to ensure that you have a good backup for everything in case anything goes wrong. “At various locations, we have a back up like another OB van or a Live U unit, stand-by cables, camera etc. in case of any equipment failure. We had contemplated each and every aspect of technical failure and have been thus able to avoid that. Equipment redundancies are built at various levels of production and post production, including the programme transmission,” says Vikas Singh. Ahluwalia says that most news broadcasters have seen at least one election that redundancies are built into the system with complimenting hardware, servers and machines to give seamless on-air transmission.

     

    With less than a day to go for counting, channels are all set to turn up some serious heat with not just the information but also the graphics. So, prepare to sit back and enjoy the game…

  • News channels building ammo for D-day

    News channels building ammo for D-day

    MUMBAI: As the mother of all elections draws to a close, news channels are working themselves to a frenzy to feed the hungry electorate byte-by-byte updates of the poll results.

      

    Speaking of Times Now, the channel has stretched itself to the limit, promising 250 hours of non-stop election coverage, starting with the poll of polls and culminating in a grand finale.

     

    News Nation, on the other hand, will showcase poll results using innovative graphics between 6am and 3pm on 16 May, followed by expert analyses and later, special shows around formation of the new government.

     

    CNN-IBN and IBN7, with their shows A Billion Votes – Post Poll Survey and Mera Vote Meri Sarkar – Post-Poll Survey, respectively, have promised 100 hours of poll coverage, beginning 12 May and ending 16 May. The last phase will be complete with insights into the world’s largest electoral exercise.

     

    CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai said in a statement, “With the results of the biggest elections of our times round the corner, the entire nation is keeping a close eye on the outcome. The IBN Network has been a front runner in election programming. Through our 100 hours of extensive coverage, we look forward to continuing our leadership and delivering on the expectations of our viewers of being the most accurate and most trusted network for elections.”

     

    Sardesai along with his formidable team will lead the network’s election coverage, with help from political experts including Swapan Dasgupta, Ramachandra Guha, Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.

     

    For ABP News, counting day will start at the crack of dawn at 6am with live interviews of the key faces of this election and a summary of the trends and results using state-of-the-art election software and graphics that the channel has come to be synonymous with. Helping viewers understand the poll results and their implications will be ABP News’ experienced anchors including Kishore Ajwani, Abhisar Sharma, Sumaira Khan as also Neha Pant from the National News Centre, Noida.

     

    Prannoy Roy will once again step into the role he started off with all those years ago. The ace journalist will anchor NDTV’s show-stopper, India Decides – The Final Countdown. The channel is hoping to ensure the fastest national projection, based on early numbers and Roy’s expertise. Counting day will see Roy and Dorab Sopariwala joined by some of the country’s finest anchors, including Barkha Dutt, Vikram Chandra and Srinivasan Jain among others.

     

    Similarly, prominent faces associated with various news channels will lead the channel coverage for the day. For instance, Ajay Kumar, Ramesh Bhatt and Pinaj Tyagi will be the main anchors on News Nation on 16 May.

     

    As for ET Now, election coverage will commence at 7:00 am. The channel will have a panel of experts comprising Swaminathan Aiyar, Bibek Debroy, Sadanand Dhume and Sanjeev Aga who will decode the election results and give comprehensive analysis of how the economy and markets will shape up post elections. ET Now also has a lineup of industry captains like Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej, Hero MotoCorp joint MD Sunil Munjal, Ashok Leyland vice chairman R.Seshasayee, HDFC vice chairman & CEO Keki Mistry, CII president Ajay Shriram, and FICCI president Siddharth Birla to represent the industry’s viewpoint on the election results and the likely agenda for the new government.

     

    Realizing the kind of viewership these channels are all set to garner on the counting day, a multitude of brands have latched onto the exercise. For example, IBN network has roped in ebay.in, ACC Cement, Renault, Asian Paints and Principal Mutual Funds while Microsoft is its technology partner. News Nation has got onboard Ghadi Detergent, Pepsi, LG, SBI, Hitachi, Airtel, Spice Mobile, TVS Motors and J.K. Cement while ABP News has tied up with Hero, Luminous, Snapdeal.com and Kent Water Purifiers.

     

    Consequently, news channels have hiked their ad rates for a 10 second spot. According to News Nation CEO Shailesh Kumar, the channel has hiked ad rates 15 times the normal rates for prime time for a 10 second spot. However, media planners and buyers beg to differ.

     

    A prominent media planner on condition of anonymity revealed that many such figures are floating around. Like it is being said that Times Now, which used to charge Rs 3,000 for a 10 second spot, has now hiked ad rates to Rs 7,500 or even Rs 9,000. Or for that matter, Hindi news channel Aaj Tak has doubled its ad rate from the previous Rs 4,500 to Rs 9000 approx.

     

    The media planner went on to say that news channels are in fact still trying to get advertisers on board. And though the ad rate may be the same on paper for any single news channel, new brands may have to pay a steep price as compared to old timers who might even be offered a discount.

     

    Not to be left behind in the online space, immediate trends and results from all counting centres will be relayed to NDTV in Delhi, which will reach viewers with state-of-the-art graphics almost as soon as they are released. ABP News has deployed personnel at various counting centres across the country to digitally deliver real-time data to the servers so that viewers get the results at a fast pace. Separate teams will also work right through the day for delivering results on Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, BBM or SMS, wherever a viewer is, on the device of his choice. Times Now has already launched an app called Election HQ app, which is also available on i-tunes to provide information to its viewers on the go. To make the incoming information simpler for the audience to understand, IBN has created the Microsoft Election Analytics Centre. The CNN-IBN – Microsoft Election Analytics Centre uses a range of Microsoft devices and services, and leverages analysis of current and historical data to provide people with intelligent election insights.

     

    With almost all news channels ready to bombard viewers with wide-ranging news and analyses related to the poll results, it remains to be seen which one manages to grab the highest number of eyeballs, along with of course, the new government.

  • Counting Day: CNN-IBN & IBN7 present ‘The Verdict’

    Counting Day: CNN-IBN & IBN7 present ‘The Verdict’

    MUMBAI: After months of exhaustive campaigning and nine long phases of polling, India is all set for the verdict in the world’s biggest democratic exercise. As the nation inches closer to the Counting Day, CNN-IBN & IBN7 present an extensive day-long programming, ‘A Billion Votes – The Verdict’ & ‘Mera Vote Meri Sarkar – Aap ka Faisla’ respectively, that will bring to the viewers the most credible minute-by-minute coverage of the results of General Elections 2014.

     

    Commencing at 6am in the morning, this special coverage will include the latest trends, seat tally and extensive live coverage from across the country. The programming will also closely keep a track of results and analyse the implications of the same in detail. IBN Network’s formidable team of journalists led by country’s most trusted news anchor Padma Shri Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, along with India’s best political experts will discuss the verdict and provide the most definitive and incisive analysis of the results.

     

    The eminent panel of experts on IBN Network comprises of Swapan Dasgupta, Dr. Ramachandra Guha, Dr. Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Dr. Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta, T R Ramachandran, Aakar Patel, Sharat Pradhan, Dr. Shaibal Gupta, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Prof. Rajeeva Karandikar, Sanjay Kumar, Hilal Ahmed, Ajay Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Purushottam Agrawal.

     

    Commenting on this, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, said, “Considered to be the most critical elections in recent times, General Elections 2014 has witnessed voter participation in record numbers. Every Indian is now looking forward to the final results. At IBN Network, our aim is to keep our viewers abreast of the latest and provide them with the most definitive Counting Day coverage – for indeed these results will determine the future of India.”

     

    Do not miss this special programming on CNN-IBN & IBN7 on May 16, 2014, all day, 6 am onwards.

     

  • Suhasini Haidar quits CNN-IBN

    Suhasini Haidar quits CNN-IBN

    MUMBAI: CNN-IBN deputy foreign affairs editor and prime time anchor Suhasini Haidar has decided to quit from her current position. Sources from the channel suggest that Haidar, anchor for World View, CNN-IBN’s international affairs show, is likely to join the Hindu Group as she wants to go back to long-format journalism. However, she may also produce a show for CNN-IBN.

     

    Haidar began her career in 1995, with CNN International, working at the Delhi bureau that also covered Pakistan at the time (CNN subsequently opened its Islamabad bureau).Later on she moved to CNN-IBN. In her 18 years of journalism, Haider has covered issues concerning Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon and Libya. She regularly contributes as a columnist on Indian Foreign Policy for various newspapers.

     

    In 2010, she won the prestigious News Television “Best TV News Presenter” Award. Haidar is credited to be the only journalist to have interviewed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his family, a show that also won her the Indian Television Academy award as ‘Best Chat show’ for the year.

     

    CNN-IBN which laid off some of its employees in August last year also saw one its most prominent faces Karan Thapar move to Headlines Today in March. With Haidar now quitting, the channel will have to do much more to revive its prime time faces.

  • CNN-IBN gears for election result coverage

    CNN-IBN gears for election result coverage

    MUMBAI: The polling for the nine phase elections is over, and now as the country awaits the results of the 2014 general elections, CNN-IBN and IBN7 are gearing for the most comprehensive coverage of the election results. The network has created 100 hours of programming for this election season.  

     

    While CNN-IBN is telecasting A Billion Votes, IBN7 has launched a post poll survey show called Mera Vote Meri Sarkar. The two will be a five day long election coverage show, which will culminate in the counting day special programming on 16 May.

     

    Starting 12 May, 5 pm onwards, the two channels will bring the most definitive coverage on the final phase of elections complete with latest exclusives, updates and insightful analyses and the most precise projections as they track the climax of the world’s largest electoral exercise. 

     

    According to the network, the center piece of this programming line up will be a nationwide post-poll study conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). Covering 22 states and over 18,050 respondents the survey will include vote share percentages and seat projections and will flesh out in detail the likely post counting day scenarios. The finale of the channel’s elections coverage will happen on 16 May, 6 am onwards. 

     

    This special coverage will include up to the minute trends, seat tally, extensive live coverage from across the country and the most incisive analysis of emerging scenarios.

     

    IBN network’s coverage will be driven by the channel’s formidable team of journalists led by CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai along with country’s most notable political experts namely Swapan Dasgupta, Ramachandra Guha, Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta, T R Ramachandran, Aakar Patel, Sharat Pradhan, Shaibal Gupta, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Sanjaya Baru, Rajeeva Karandikar, Sanjay Kumar, Hilal Ahmed, Ajay Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Purushottam Agrawal.

     

    “With the results of the biggest elections of our times around the corner, the entire nation is keeping a close eye on the outcome. IBN Network has been the front runner in election programming. Through our 100 hours of extensive coverage, we look forward to continue our leadership and deliver on the expectations of our viewers of being the most accurate & most trusted network for elections,” said Sardesai.