ITV

Tag: counting day

  • News18 TamilNadu gears up for live coverage on counting day

    News18 TamilNadu gears up for live coverage on counting day

    Mumbai: As the nation awaits the decisive results of the 2024 elections, News18 Tamil Nadu is prepared to deliver unmatched live coverage on counting day. The channel’s extensive network of reporters ensures the fastest and most reliable news updates as the results unfold.

    Leading this comprehensive coverage is their dedicated team of journalists, spearheaded by the esteemed Editor, Karthigaichelvan. Supported by a robust backend team, News18 Tamil Nadu is committed to working tirelessly to provide the audience with real-time, accurate information.

    In addition to thorough reporting, News18 Tamil Nadu will feature political analysts and panelists from diverse political backgrounds. These experts will offer insightful commentary and detailed analysis, helping viewers understand the broader implications of the election results.

    Tune in for 18 hours of mega coverage starting at 5:30 am on 4 June 2024. Stay with News18 Tamil Nadu throughout the counting day for the most comprehensive and dependable news updates.

     

  • Times Now garners 699 TVT and leads English news genre in Week 10: Barc data

    Times Now garners 699 TVT and leads English news genre in Week 10: Barc data

    Mumbai: Times Now was leading in ratings amongst English news channels last week (5-11 March), according to data released by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India. 

    The assembly elections for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa concluded last week with the results being declared on 10 March.

    Times Now had a 30 per cent share of TVTs (number of target households in thousands where an ‘event’ was on average across minutes) and garnered a total of 699 TVTs. 

    The Barc data was for all Indian cities with a population of one million and more & a target audience between the 15–60 age group.

    “The last two years have been extremely tough, with the pandemic transforming the world,” said Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand.

     “People’s lives changed dramatically, altering consumer behaviour across all categories, be it food, fashion, holidays, entertainment or news consumption. The news space saw an added disruption with alleged malpractices unearthed in the rating system impacting viewers’ sentiment,” Anand added.

    He said, “All in all, there was trepidation when approaching the date, as to how news consumption has changed and how that would impact our shares. We are happy to note that our efforts to keep up with changing consumer preferences have been reciprocated by viewers. Times Now has seen a marked increase in reach and time spent. The gross ratings have increased by 20 per cent, vis-a-vis our performance in 2020 when the ratings were suspended.”

    He added, “With renewed consumer appetite for news, the comparative ratings have been shaken up with Times Now shining as the true leader. Our reach has increased across the Universal TG of 2+, which is an indicator of good health. Besides this, we are stronger in primetime than before and are also showing a marked preference by the reigning TG of 15-60 years.” 

    “Besides this, Hindi is an important space that we are watching and TY9 Bharatvarsh is the new leader. Two of the top three Hindi news channels being non-legacy players is an indicator that the Hindi news viewer wants to change. Our attention is now going to be on putting Times Now Navbharat into the top set asap.”

    In the English news genre, Times Now was followed closely by Republic TV which garnered 633 TVT and a share of 27 per cent. India Today Television was next at 14 per cent share of TVTs followed by CNN News18 at 13 per cent. The share of the remaining channels including WION, BBC World News, Mirror Now and India Ahead were in single digits.

    Barc has released individual channel ratings in the news genre for the first time after a data dark period of 17 months. The TV audience measurement agency has also announced that it will release 13 weeks past data. All data will be released weekly on a four-week average rolling basis.

    Source: Barc | Wk 10’22 | All India 1 mn+ | 15-60 Yrs

  • Aaj Tak was the most-searched keyword during counting hours

    Aaj Tak was the most-searched keyword during counting hours

    Mumbai: Aaj Tak was the most searched keyword across Google during counting hours on 10 March, the brodcaster said in a statement released on Tuesday.

    The nation was anticipating the election results from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur.

    As per Google trends, Aaj Tak had the highest search rank more than the political parties that were contesting the elections. With an impressive search volume of one million+, Aaj Tak was trending in the top ten searches (as per Google trends on 10 March). The keyword Aaj Tak was searched for, even more than the political parties including the likes of BJP, Congress, and AAP or SP running for the chief minister’s office.

    People searched specifically for election-centric news by typing in the keyword ‘Aaj Tak’ apart from keying AajTak news, Aaj Tak Live, Aaj Tak News Live on google. The Hindi news brand was even more searched than political bigwigs such as Yogi Adithyanath, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, and even prime minister Narendra Modi.

  • News18 India plans counting day coverage of Delhi Election

    News18 India plans counting day coverage of Delhi Election

    MUMBAI: As the entire nation and not just Delhi eagerly await the results of fiercely fought political battle of Delhi Assembly election, News18 India has lined-up extensive programming for the Counting Day. To present the fastest updates and the most accurate results of the elections, the channel will commence programming at 6:00 AM tomorrow.

    With the reporters stationed at every counting booth giving live and authentic updates, News18 India will continue its legacy of correctly calling crucial elections. The extensive team of reporters of News18 India will closely monitor results from all the 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi and provide unparalleled access to the latest happening.  The channel will gauge the mood of the candidates, political leaders, and the voters providing a 360-degree view of the results.

    The counting day programming will be led by senior journalist and anchors, Kishore Ajwani, Amish Devgan and Prateek Trivedi.  They, in conjugation with on-ground reporters, will bring the live reactions of both the voters and the newsmakers. They will also be accompanied by many renowned political experts and commentators to help the viewers delve deep into the results.

  • ABP Majha leads the YouTube chart on Counting Day

    ABP Majha leads the YouTube chart on Counting Day

    MUMBAI: India’s leading Marathi News Channel, ABP Majha, claimed a digital landmark today by attaining approx. 162K concurrent users on YouTube channel on 24th October, 2019, the counting day of State Assembly Elections.

    Amidst the election frenzy, ABP Majha managed to surpass all its competitors such as News18 Lokmat and Zee 24 Taas. 

    ABP Majha is one of the most viewed Marathi channels, which reaches out to the entire region of Maharashtra. Kaul Marathi Manacha, ABP Majha’s flagship election property, gives a platform to the views and thoughts of a common man through innovative campaigns and drives across Maharashtra.

    Keeping the dynamic digital landscape in mind, ABP has further expanded Majha into the digital sphere through its YouTube channel and is already leading in the segment. With real-time election updates, public issues, trends and results, the channel aims to ensure that the viewers don’t miss out any of the political happenings.

    ABP News Network  CEO Avinash Pandey said, “Our ever-increasing viewership-base is the foundation of our YouTube channel. These numbers are a true testament to the unmatched value offered by ABP Majha. Credibility and objectivity has always been the core of all our channels and we will continue to maintain the same in the future.”

  • TV sees 53% dip in political ad insertions as compared to 2014: TAM AdEx

    TV sees 53% dip in political ad insertions as compared to 2014: TAM AdEx

    MUMBAI: For almost three decades, TV has remained the preferred choice for political parties to advertise during the poll seasons, given its mass outreach.

    However, despite leading the charts in terms of ad insertions made on any traditional medium, TV has seen an indexed dip of 83 per cent in ad insertions made during the period of 1 January to 16 March 2019 as compared to the same period during 2014 polls.

    The findings have been shared by TAM AdEx in its latest stats of political ad insertions made this year. While TV accounted for the highest ad insertions during the 5th and the 11th week of 2019 as compared to radio and print, it fared relatively lower otherwise.

    Interestingly, radio showed a striking growth as a medium since 2014, as it noted a 14 per cent growth in ad insertions. Like TV, print also saw a dip in ad insertions this year, showing an indexed sink of 9 per cent.

    Leading the bill in the political advertisers list is, unsurprisingly, the ruling party BJP holding a 53 per cent share in the combined ad insertions across TV, print, and radio. Following it is the rival Congress, but with a considerably lower share of 14 per cent.

    Other parties in the list are Telugu Desam (6 per cent), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (3 per cent), and AIADMK (3 per cent).

    The general election is scheduled to be held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019. The counting of the votes and declaration of the results will happen on 23 May.

  • CNN-IBN & IBN7 to cover Maharashtra & Haryana Assembly Elections’ Counting Day

    CNN-IBN & IBN7 to cover Maharashtra & Haryana Assembly Elections’ Counting Day

    MUMBAI: As the states of Maharashtra and Haryana along with the nation, awaits the verdict of the Assembly Elections on 19th October, CNN-IBN & IBN7 line up the most exhaustive programming for the Counting Day. After showcasing the Network’s prowess and brilliance during the coverage of General Elections 2014, the channels are now set to recreate the magic by bringing together the best team of journalists, finest panel of experts and unmatched television graphics.

    Commencing at 7am in the morning, this special coverage will include latest trends and developments, vote sharing percentage, seat tally and fastest updates from Ground Zero. The viewers will get the complete picture along with the minutest of details as there will be reporters on-ground covering each of the 378 seats of Maharashtra and Haryana. IBN Network will bring together the most formidable team of political analysts and experts including Ashok Malik, Pradeep Singh, Tavleen Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Ramesh Vinayak, Dhiraj Nayyar and Girish Kuber to share their expertise and opinion on the mandate and simplify the voting maths for the viewers.

    This special day long programming will decode the election outcome that will decide the fate of both these states, in the most extensive way. Along with keeping a close track on the results, the channels will ensure that the viewers get every bit of information and details in the neatest and cleanest format.

    Do not miss this special Counting Day programming on CNN-IBN & IBN7 on 19th October 2014, 7 AM onwards, all through the day.

     

  • 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.