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Tag: Mirror Now

  • Times Now absorbs Mirror Now in strategic shake-up

    Times Now absorbs Mirror Now in strategic shake-up

    MUMBAI: India’s leading English news channel, Times Now, is getting even bigger. In a bold strategic realignment, Mirror Now will be merged into Times Now, consolidating the network’s editorial firepower and strengthening its grip on the English news market.

    With a legacy spanning nearly two decades, Times Now has built a reputation for hard-hitting, agenda-setting journalism. The merger is set to amplify its impact, ensuring sharper analysis, stronger reportage, and a more unified editorial voice.

    As the media landscape shifts, Times Network is doubling down on growth, innovation, and excellence—not just for viewers but for its newsroom talent. By fostering a high-energy, forward-thinking editorial ecosystem, the network is cementing its place as a powerhouse of fearless journalism and impactful storytelling.

    Meanwhile, Times Now Navbharat continues to shake up the Hindi news space with its action-driven journalism. On the business front, ET Now and ET Now Swadesh remain India’s most trusted sources for market insights, delivering expert analysis and deep financial intelligence to audiences across the country.

    With this realignment, Times Network is making it clear: in the fast-moving world of news, it’s staying ahead of the curve—and the competition.

  • Mirror Now launches special series, “Mirror Now Against Cyber Scam”

    Mirror Now launches special series, “Mirror Now Against Cyber Scam”

    Mumbai:  Representing the voice and issues of every thinking urban Indian, Mirror Now has been the nation’s change headquarters driving conversations on pertinent topics that affect the daily lives of common people. Furthering its mission, the channel presents “Mirror Now Against Cyber Scam”, a special series that aims to address the rampant rise in cyber frauds and empower viewers with the guidance to stay vigilant and secure in the ever-evolving digital landscape.  Starting 24 November and airing every Friday at 7:30 pm, the 6-part series will be anchored by Shreya Upadhyaya.

    Over the years, Cybercrime has emerged in new and unique ways displacing people’s knowledge of safety and risk aversion associated with the various digital platforms. Mirror Now’s new series serves as a critical knowledge pool for the viewers to understand various facets of cybercrime, do’s and don’ts for safeguarding and immediate steps to be taken if scammed, including legal recourse with platforms and banks.

    Bringing expert voices to provide in-depth insights on the issue, Mirror Now Against Cyber Scam series will feature policymakers, cyber experts and police officials outlining actionable steps to ensure the safety of the citizens on cyber threats. The first episode airing today will bring forth the stories of various cybercrime victims and will also feature a special panel discussion with Amit Dubey, cyber security expert and former IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad adding authoritative perspectives to the critical discussion.

    Enlightening viewers with practical knowledge to assert their rights, the series will deep dive into various Cyber Laws in India, providing a lucid and comprehensive understanding of how each law functions. The series will also focus on unravelling the intricacies of cybercrime, including the demographic details of the criminals and their targeted strategies. 

  • Shreya Dhoundial joins Mirror Now as executive editor

    Shreya Dhoundial joins Mirror Now as executive editor

    Mumbai: Mirror Now on Tuesday announced the appointment of Shreya Dhoundial as its executive editor. In her new role, Shreya will host the channel’s flagship show, The Urban Debate, at 8 p.m. and will be an integral part of the editorial leadership team, driving the channel’s efforts to deliver accurate, relevant, and unbiased news to its viewers.

    Based out of Mirror Now’s Noida office, Shreya will report to Mirror Now managing director Nikunj Garg.

    Prior to this, Shreya was defence editor at CNN-News18 and was associated with the network for close to 17 years.

    Nikunj said, “We are delighted to welcome Shreya to the Mirror Now team. With an in-depth understanding of the real essence of news, Shreya truly embodies Mirror Now’s brand ethos and is a valuable addition in fortifying the brand’s narrative of delivering news stories that influence, engage, and impact.”

    “Raising national interest on critical topics like women’s safety, gender equality, the energy crisis, gaps in urban infrastructure and climate change, The Urban Debate is a highly viewed and critically appreciated news show that has redefined the prime-time news landscape. I am confident that Shreya, with her sharp journalistic acumen and domain expertise, will take the show to new heights and lead national issues with a clear agenda of impacting change,” he added.

    With a prolific TV journalism career spanning two decades, Shreya brings sharp insights, in-depth research, and accuracy to her news reporting.

    On her appointment, Shreya Dhoundial said, “I’m honoured to join Mirror Now, a brand that has always been aligned to the people’s pulse. The channel has consistently raised issues that matter to citizens and influenced positive impact. This content philosophy has always resonated with me and that brings me to Mirror Now. I look forward to being a part of this very talented and dynamic team. On ‘The Urban Debate’ my aim will be to demand answers and accountability from the powers that be.”

    Shreya, an award-winning journalist and renowned prime time anchor, has closely tracked national security stories and has been credited with reporting the most significant stories across the spectrum, including the 26/11 attacks, the India-China standoff at the LAC, and the Covid Crisis, among others.

  • Mirror Now launches the first phase of new campaign ‘Urban Lives Matter’

    Mirror Now launches the first phase of new campaign ‘Urban Lives Matter’

    Mumbai: Times Network’s english news channel Mirror Now has launched public awareness initiative ‘Urban Lives Matter’ that aims to highlight the pressing and often ignored issues of urban Indians.

    The robust campaign has kick-started with a series of print ads published in leading publications. The first leg of the campaign focuses on traffic congestion that is affecting every urban Indian. As per National Bureau of Economic Research data, traffic congestion in the top metros in India is considered among the worst in the world, impacting the quality of lives of millions.

    The Mirror Now campaign contrasts this fact with the data that people residing in the top metros contribute more than Rs 10 lakh crore in direct taxes making over 70 per cent of direct tax collections. They also contribute to nearly 60 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    The campaign highlights the problems that are ignored, which is forcing people to adjust to an inferior quality of life. 

    “Mirror Now has launched a campaign, ‘Urban Lives Matter’, representing the voice and issues of every thinking urban India, the channel aims to empower every hard-working urban Indian a better life they deserve,” said the statement.

  • Mirror Now will now pursue local issues from a national prism: Nikunj Garg

    Mirror Now will now pursue local issues from a national prism: Nikunj Garg

    Mumbai: Times Network’s news channel Mirror Now recently revamped its branding and unveiled a new visual identity and content format. The channel has also overhauled its programming and content strategy, introducing five new primetime shows, that includes its flagship show- ‘The Urban Debate’. Mirror Now editor Nikunj Garg will act as the editorial prism that will coalesce the news behind the scenes at the channel that has always prided itself on its ‘viewer-centric journalism’ and a slogan that declared “a news channel that fights for you”. At a media roundtable held on the sidelines of the Goafest 2022, Garg spoke about the refurbished editorial strategy of the Mirror Now channel.

    “MirrorNow is most certainly moving away from its hyper-local and local stance,” declared Garg. “We will take up local issues, but with a national perspective- the prism will be national now”. No challenge is truly local, he continued, adding that sometimes a problem can be local but it may not be limited to that one city or state. “Before this, we were somehow confining ourselves- that confinement will move and those barriers will be moved. Am here to broaden the arc.”

    Garg took charge of the editorial responsibility of the news channel in October last year, with the agenda of driving the channel’s growth. Apart from his role as editor of Mirror Now, Garg also heads the input and newsgathering at Times Network. Under his helm, Mirror Now will become “a more audacious brand”, stated Garg. It will retain the core values of what Mirror Now has always stood for- that of challenging the status quo and demanding accountability from powers-that-be while continuing to operate completely independent of other Times Network channels, he reassured.  

    Mirror Now channel’s traditional bastions were urban and youth-centric viewers (between 22–40 years old) who looked to the channel to give an unfiltered view of wide-ranging issues such as poor infrastructure, women’s safety, fuel price hikes, etc. “The Mirror Now brand has a natural resonance in metros like Goa and Delhi which has probably a lot to do with our content focus. News values exist within a spectrum and Times Now and Mirror Now exist at different ends of the spectrum. While we may cover the same issues such as Kashmir, Pakistan, foreign policy etc. Mirror Now will cover these issues by highlighting the people’s perspective i.e., how these events will affect the lives of urban middle-class Indians everywhere.”

    Garg is a 20-years plus veteran journalist and one of the few longstanding reporters in the TV broadcast industry. He’s been associated with the Times Network for over a decade and has covered pressing issues such as Bofors scandal, Mumbai 26/11 attacks, IPL match-fixing and more recently government’s decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    At a time when TV news brands are increasingly defined by the faces of its primetime debaters, Mirror Now has decided to focus on the overall news brand and what it stands for. After the high profile exits of two of its leading news anchors Faye D’Souza and Tanvi Shukla, it seems that the channel has hedged its bets by naming five anchors to lead its programming. The programming segments this time will be led by journalists Heena Gambhir, Tamanna Inamdar, Afrida Rahman Ali, Griha Atul and Archana Solanki as anchors. According to Garg, “Even the best anchor has their limitations. Different personalities bring different thoughts and ideas to a news product. We are populating the Mirror Now brand with the thoughts of ideas of these five bright individuals.”

    The programming strategy also reflects the new brand refocus as the channel cuts down its primetime debate by one hour whereas most news channels generally have two-hour primetime debates. Instead, the channel has opted for curated shows that offer more information through research analysis and explanatory news segments. “I fundamentally believe that debate and discussion should be limited content. As brands mature and evolve, we realised that relying on breaking news and anything that is organically emanating (daily news cycle) has its limitations. Going forward, you have to plan your content.”

    “That’s why Mirror Now is going to be the thinking Indian’s destination on TV. As a thinking man’s channel, providing pertinent information to our viewers will take the prime seat,” Garg affirmed.

    When queried whether TV rating data by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) would have an impact on the channel’s programming strategy, Garg replied, “Ratings give you a tunnel vision from a marketing point of view. The fact remains that we live in a world of ratings and it is a common currency in the industry. They are relevant because they nudge me to do a better job.” However, he added, “while ratings are relevant, they don’t drive the content on my channel,” he said, signing off.

  • Mirror Now unveils new visual identity and content formats

    Mirror Now unveils new visual identity and content formats

    Mumbai: News channel Mirror Now has refreshed its visual identity and introduced a new programming lineup with five primetime shows. The channel will have anchors Heena Gambhir, Tamanna Inamdar, Afrida Rahman Ali, Griha Atul, and Archana Solanki on its new shows.

    The new programming comprises “Mirror Metro” at 6 p.m. which offers a national perspective on top news from metro cities. “The Big Focus” at 7 p.m brings to focus the bigger picture by presenting a well-researched context and comprehensive perspective on top stories of the day. “The Urban Debate” at 8 p.m, Mirror Now’s flagship show that demands accountability from powers that can drive improvement for citizens. “The Nation Tonight” at 9 p.m, a one-hour show that declutters the daily news to present top stories of the day, with insights from experts, and “Beyond The Headline” at 10 p.m, presented in an explainer format showcases an in-depth analysis of the big stories of each day.

    “To further sharpen our edge and as a step to strengthen our resolve, we have been working behind the scenes for the last six months, to refresh our formats and content engine and optimise our focus,” said the statement. “The culmination of all that is the “new and improved” Mirror Now that we are happy and proud to present. In its new avatar, Mirror Now offers viewers an augmented news viewing experience. Infused with vibrancy and freshness, the channel overhauls its on-air look with a relatable and upgraded colour palette and modernized typography that goes with the dynamism of the content. The channel introduces a new colour ‘teal’ to its visual design to reflect its young and contemporary approach, besides retaining the colours, black, white and red denoting importance, urgency and current news. The clean and efficient design presents an agile, positive and adaptable outlook to the channel with minimal distractions, enabling viewers to effortlessly focus their attention.”

    “Since inception, Mirror Now has defined the norms and re-written the rules for viewer-centric journalism by covering issues that eventually proved critical for materializing positive impact,” said Mirror Now editor Nikunj Garg. “With its new visual identity and content line-up, the channel challenges the status quo and pushes authorities & powers that be for ensuring a better life that every hard-working, tax-paying urban Indian deserves. Going behind the news and bringing truth to the fore in an era where competing for agenda-driven narratives are being peddled in the public domain, Mirror in the coming days will be the destination of the thinking Indian.”

  • Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Mumbai: Times Network on Thursday announced the appointment of Nikunj Garg as editor of Mirror Now. He will report to Times Network managing director and chief executive officer MK Anand.  

    Garg will lead the editorial mandate for Mirror Now and closely work with the channel’s business and leadership teams to drive the channel’s growth agenda, besides continuing his role as overall head of input and news-gathering at Times Network, said the statement.

    With a broadcast journalism career spanning two decades, “Nikunj brings sharp insights, political intelligence, judgement, and accuracy in his reportage,” it added.

    “Nikunj has been one of our key assets and has significantly contributed to Times Now’s leadership through his action-oriented news reportage,” said MK Anand. “I am confident that Nikunj’s in-depth knowledge, expertise, and experience will help the channel’s growth plans in serving its mission, ‘You First’.”

    Garg has been associated with Times Network for over a decade, covering national political and international high-profile stories for Times Now. He is known for investigating and breaking powerful stories including Bofors’s alleged middleman, Ottavio Quatorocchi’s arrest in Argentina, arrest of an Indian diplomat in Pakistan for spying charges in 2010, revealing the identity of lone surviving terrorist of Mumbai 26/11 as Ajmal Kasab and confirming his arrest, IPL match-fixing scandal in 2013, breaking important government decisions on Covid-19 pandemic and government’s action on former CBI director Alok Verma amongst others.

    “I am honored and thrilled to take over this new responsibility,” said Garg. “With a strategic segmented approach, Mirror Now has successfully created a whole new genre of content, centered around the viewer’s preference for impact. I look forward to harnessing my best efforts to fuel the brand’s purpose of focusing on issues that impact the lives of Indians.”

  • Times Now, Mirror Now partner with CBS News for US Election 2020

    Times Now, Mirror Now partner with CBS News for US Election 2020

    NEW DELHI: Times Network's news channels Times Now and Mirror Now have announced a special programming line-up in partnership with leading American news network CBS News for the 59th US Presidential Election.

    Election news headquarters, Times Now, on 4 November 2020, 5:30 am onwards, will broadcast the live feed from CBS News’s Election Night coverage from Times Square. Times Now will showcase real-time data and video feeds from around the country and present an in-depth analysis of the voting process to keep viewers abreast with developments. The broadcast will begin with results from the first six states – Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

    With its campaign titled, ‘US ELECTONS 2020’, Mirror Now has planned a curated line-up of programs on November 4, 5:00 AM onwards, highlighting the key developments and ground realities with an exclusive live feed from CBS News. Mirror Now’s extensive reportage will decode the US elections for the Indian viewers and discuss its impact on India through special panel discussions during prime time and non-primetime hours, featuring international political experts, journalists, diplomats and foreign policy experts. 

  • TIMES NOW and MIRROR NOW announce special programming line-up for upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections 2020

    TIMES NOW and MIRROR NOW announce special programming line-up for upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections 2020

    As the race to power heats up with the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, Times Network's best in class news channels, TIMES NOW and Mirror NOW announce an unmatched programming line-up, offering viewers the most extensive coverage of the upcoming elections. 

    Bringing a holistic news watching experience this election season, Times NOW, India’s leading English News channel and election news headquarters will lead the reportage under ‘Mandate 2020 – Battleground Bihar’. With an engaging programming line-up, TIMES NOW promises to make the election coverage more exciting and captivating for its viewers.

    1.  Pre-Poll Surveys: In association with C-VOTER, TIMES NOW is broadcasting an Opinion Poll that seeks to capture the Mood of Bihar and the Mood of the Nation ahead of the critical election to the State of Bihar. The surveys give us a picture of the likely shape the elections will be a significant indicator of which way the electorate may swing and will focus crucial topics such as farm bills, large scale migration, economic slowdown and pandemic. The next Opinion Poll will air on October 23,2020. 

    2. Exit Polls: On the last date of Polling, November 07, 2020, TIMES NOW in association with C-VOTER will broadcast an exit poll. Using state of the art technology and on ground field research the Polls maps the state of Bihar and the data is then processed to call a projection for the state. The results are a fair indication of how the election has played out with the Voters. 

    3. Result Day LIVE: TIMES NOW will bring Result Day LIVE on November 10, 2020 with a new age look at Election Result analysis. Featuring some of the country's top Election Analysts & experts, TIMES NOW bring several unique properties that help viewers understand what the Voters have told us and why the result has shaped the way it is. Moving away from Traditional Analysis like Swing and Vote patterns TIMES NOW uses Big Data Analytics and Mathematical Models to bring the viewer a holistic News Watching Experience. This along with a stellar panel of former Journalists and Political Analysts analyse every move of the election for the viewer. 

    With its focus on issues that impact people’s lives, Mirror NOW, the channel that ‘Fights for You’ will drive coverage for Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 with the campaign, ‘The Vote’. Offering viewers a comprehensive electoral reportage with an eclectic mix of programming line-up, Mirror NOW highlights the key issues including migrant crisis, rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the annual phenomenon – floods, unemployment and much more with its impactful debates, discussions and a series of exclusive interviews with key newsmakers of Bihar Elections.

    1.  Young India Debate: Reflecting the voice of young India Mirror NOW will host debates with the students & youngsters from the state on various issues including education, jobs, law & order, women safety and infrastructure. These debates will bring forth the needs of youth and how they want their state to shape up. 

    2. The Vote: Polling Day Special: Tracking every key development, Mirror NOW brings an inclusive reportage on polling days with multiple segments. With reporters LIVE from the state, the channel will focus on highlighting the ground realities. On November 07, from 6 pm onwards, the channel will air ‘Poll of Polls’, the exit polls to analyse who is winning in which state.

    3. The Urban Debate: Starting October 28, at 9pm, Mirror NOW will cover Bihar election with special primetime discussions during the days of polling.

    4 The Vote: BIHAR 2020: On result day, November 10 starting from 6am, Mirror NOW will present an all-day LIVE rolling coverage with analysts and field reporters, analysing the results and trends emerging from the victories and defeats. 

  • Vivek Srivastava gets additional responsibility of Times Network’s news business

    Vivek Srivastava gets additional responsibility of Times Network’s news business

    MUMBAI: Times Network president – English Entertainment Cluster strategy business head Vivek Srivastava will also be looking after the news business of the network. As business head Srivastava who led the growth strategy for the Network’s English Entertainment channels like Movies Now, Romedy Now, MNX, and MN+across platforms will take additional charge of Times Now, ET Now and Mirror Now.

    In his role, Srivastava was responsible to maintain high viewership performance across the English Entertainment Cluster.

    Prior to joining Times Network in 2014, he had a successful stint at Viacom18 Media where he handled Channel strategy for Hindi GEC COLORS as a part of their launch team, then he moved to handle international business and distribution. He also served as COLORS commercial and digital head.

    Srivastava has over a decade of experience in the broadcast industry. He has worked into P&L management, content acquisition and syndication, , international business, distribution strategy and planning, business planning, programming strategy, digital marketing, and audience behavior research.

    Prior to Viacom18, he has also worked with TAM Media Research and IMRB.