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Tag: Sandeep Gurumurthi

  • ET Now completes nine years in the business news genre

    ET Now completes nine years in the business news genre

    MUMBAI: English business news (EBN) channel ET Now completed nine years of its existence on 17 June. It has also been a year since the channel revamped itself last August with the tagline ‘rise with India’. The move was to go beyond just business clips to be a holistic channel.

    The channel claims that its debate show The Development Debate has shown consistency in ratings. ET Now managing editor Sandeep Gurumurthi said, “We want to play an active role in shifting the public discourse back to issues of development. We are today, the only channel doing that. But I am hopeful that over time, others will see merit and follow suit.”

    EBN genre is still very niche with only five channels in the race – CNBC TV18, ET Now, BTVI, NDTV Profit and CNBC TV18 Prime HD. The genre contributes to less than one per cent of the total TV pie, where ET Now holds a comfortable position.

    On the competition, Gurumurthi said, “We hope CNBC-TV18, BTVI and all other channels catch up with us and help us in shifting the media narrative back to development. I think it’s all about making a choice.”

    He believes that the biggest challenge EBN channels are facing right now is that the genre has been boxed into a niche category apart from all the challenges that general English news channels face.

    ET Now reaches 28 lakh viewers every month on an average with strong viewership from the six metros. Mumbai has traditionally contributed the most to viewership and remains the trend as informed by Gurumurthi. There are some channels that get disproportionate viewership from markets like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. “There are also instances where for some business channels, a market gets active for three weeks contributing 70 per cent to their viewership and then for the rest of year contributes three or four TVTs,” he added.

    He believes that the channel’s strategy remains to consolidate its position as a credible, independent and unbiased provider of news and insights to the get-ahead Indian. The aim is to do whatever it takes to remain consistent with the channel’s tagline. With the four upcoming assembly elections, the channel intends to cover them with the same intensity and rigour as a general news channel would.

  • Times Network appoints Mihir Bhatt as chief editor – IPs

    Times Network appoints Mihir Bhatt as chief editor – IPs

    MUMBAI: Times Network, part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group, today announced the appointment of Mihir Bhatt as chief editor – IPs. In his new role, Mihir will spearhead efforts to create unique and content-rich offerings on all IPs of the network, in addition to his editorial and anchoring responsibilities at ET NOW. 
    Based in Noida, Bhatt will report to ET NOW managing editor Sandeep Gurumurthi.

    Commenting on the appointment, Gurumurthi said, “We are delighted to have Mihir join us. The knowledge, expertise and experience that Mihir brings on board will further strengthen our IP offerings as a network. Having led an editorial team in a national channel, his understanding of content that influences, impacts, engages and inspires is very strong. Mihir is also a seasoned business news anchor and will enrich the star-studded anchor line up of ET NOW.”

    Speaking on his new role, Bhatt said, “I am excited to be a part of the Times Network team. Having spent several years creating landmark content-led IP’s and innovating editorial outcomes, I look forward to harnessing my best efforts and strengths to create impactful and content rich campaigns.” 

    Mihir joins Times Network after a successful stint at Zee Business, where he led the editorial team. He was instrumental in successfully creating marquee content properties for Zee Business such as Sensex Ka Sultan, Hunt for India’s Smart Investor, Market Excellence Awards and Zee Business Bull Run to name a few. 

    As part of his editorial responsibilities, he designed and executed large-scale editorial activities for Zee Business such as GST Campaign, Gen Next Budget, Ministerial Conclave and Tycoons@Dalal Street.

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  • Strong economic logic underpins several events, says Gurumurthi, as ET Now adds new viewer category

    Strong economic logic underpins several events, says Gurumurthi, as ET Now adds new viewer category

    A while ago, the Times Network decided to embark on a mission to provide more to its business viewers of ET Now. Rather than overdose them with business news 24X7, it decided to show them how general news can also be viewed with a business lens.

    Tune into the channel after 5pm and you will get to see development related news – both economic and social, that will give a business viewer a better idea of the sector. It can also be seen as an attempt to get evening viewers, who are generally glued to the general news and debates that follow. ET Now also has general news, shows and debates to engage the upwardly mobile audience.

    Managing editor Sandeep Gurumurthy is not only behind-the-scenes but also co-hosts the 9 pm primetime debate ‘Rise with India’. In conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Shekhar Pundir, Gurumurthy sheds light on the channel’s intent to change its positioning and what has come out of it.

    1) How has this change from pure business to a mix of offerings benefitted you?

    We are truly overwhelmed with the response so far. I don’t think any news channel has taken the leap of faith that we have. We sensed a clear need to bring intelligent and informed conversations back on news TV and no other channel saw the merit in putting development at the core of its editorial agenda.

    2) How successful have you been in discussing India’s holistic development and imagery?

    While these are early days, I think we have been very successful in establishing India Development Debate as a leading platform to discuss and debate issues relating to the country’s development. We have received great responses from stakeholders, both in the policy and corporate space. Top ministers and bureaucrats from the government such as Piyush Goyal, Jayant Sinha, Rajiv Kumar and Amitabh Kant, have participated in the show and contributed to finding solutions for the issues we raised.

    3) What impact do you see on viewers after about 10 weeks of the shift?

    To me, this is more than just repositioning. The entire organisation has morphed into a new entity with a new purpose. This is a tectonic shift and I appreciate the fact that it will take a while for people to understand the importance of this change. A year ago, this seemed unimaginable. Having said that, we have only made a beginning and set ourselves on a path, which is unchartered territory.

    5) ET Now’s new shows promised to uncover the economics behind major news around us. Please comment on the effect and impact of this strategy.

    I think with all these stories, what we are trying to demonstrate is that very often, there is a strong economic logic that underpins a lot of events that happen around us. Our endeavour is to bring that out. You can’t reduce news events to binary propositions. That’s how we want to make Rise with India, the most intelligent debate show.

    7) What would you say makes the show different from the other business shows?

    To start with, this isn’t a business show at all. This is a news debate show that focuses on development issues. Development is not just economic development but also social development. We have debated issues like hunger, sanitation, etc. which are core to India’s development agenda. Tell me another channel or show that is even talking about these issues on prime time?

    9) What change in viewership have you noticed?

    We have not repositioned the channel with an intent to drive viewership. We don’t decide topics based on what will get us eyeballs or drive viewership, we decide topics based on what will create impact and make a difference to India’s development agenda. With all humility, that is what we are doing at ET Now. Thanks to our strong brand, we are already one of India’s most watched English news channels. I am certain that in this new avatar, ET Now will draw a whole new category of viewers, who have so far stayed away from business news.

    10) Wouldn’t most leaders cater to similar topics?

    We as leaders definitely believe that these issues needed to be done differently. But we don’t want to restrict ourselves to just economic issues. Our agenda is development and we will cover every aspect of it. Most other business channels don’t discuss the kind of issues that we do. If they now start doing so, I will only be too happy.

    11) What would be ET Now’s strategy, going forward?

    We want to put development at the core of public discourse. We want to make India Development Debate, India’s most influential debate show that leads to change. We want to do whatever we can to aid India’s development agenda and help every Indian to rise with India.

     

     

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  • ET Now revamps to offer both, business and general news

    ET Now revamps to offer both, business and general news

    MUMBAI: It’s not just a cosmetic change that the Times Network is doing with its hitherto business news channel — ET Now. Concurrent with a new logo and its tagline ‘Rise with India,’ the network is also repositioning it.

    No longer will it offer reportage and coverage of business in India and internationally alone; it is broadbasing itself beyond 5 pm in a bid to offer holistic news for business. And, with this shift, it is hoping to shape the discourse of politics, governance, technology, markets, business and economics in the country.

    Times Network CEO MK Anand explains that the attempt is to create a new kind of news product which will feature business news when it is needed in the day and bring significant issues to the attention of decision-makers towards later in the evening after the close of the markets. “We have to move from competition-focused leadership to purpose-driven leadership,” he says. Which, it is doing.

    Between 8 am and 5 pm, like in the past, ET Now will continue with its coverage of business developments and markets. Come 5 pm, its news journalists will start presenting general news, special shows, and prime-time debates. The target: the upwardly-mobile and on-the-go Indian; anyone who wants to take part in the India growth story, going forward. Post 7 pm, it will feature a mix of speed news, debates and major national news updates.

    In keeping with the ‘Rise with India’ theme, the channel will air The India Development Debate at 9 pm. It is being pitched as the most intellectual debate on news TV to be anchored by the ET Now managing editor Sandeep Gurumurthi and Supriya Shrinate.  The show will feature some of the most erudite experts discussing subjects that impact India’s holistic development and imagery.

    “CNBC TV18 is a great competitor to us in the English business genre,” highlights Anand. “We are not worried about our GRPs; ET Now is right now third in the English news genre with Times Now and Republic TV ahead. The prime-time band for ET Now is 8 am-11am. And, we have a solid hold on the viewers in this band as compared to CNBC TV 18 and India Today.”

    According to BARC India’s viewership ratings in the last three-four weeks, ET NOW has been closely chasing the business news leader CNBC TV-18.

    To push the new imagery and offering of the new ET Now, the network is using all the might and resources of the Times Group. Ads are slated to break in The Times of India and in The Economic Times, which will continue for two months. An extensive digital campaign too has been drawn up on all its online properties, even as ET Now’s sister channels will lend support. And, outdoor hoardings in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru will also make a splash about the new ET Now.

    Estimates are that the new branding campaign costs around Rs 50 million. Will the repositioning spawn imitation from the rest of the business news channels?

    It well might, for, as Anand says, “The success of Times Now is evident in the past 12 years, before and after our star anchor. Our existing and new competitors have gone after the same niche.”

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  • Tomorrow’s bigwigs in ‘India Inc 2.0’ on ET Now

    MUMBAI: ET NOW, India’s leading English Business News channel, is launching a brand new series India Inc 2.0. Tune in to ET Now beginning 29 April to watch ‘India Inc 2.0’ every Saturday at 1230pm & 1030pm, and Sun 8pm

    This series features some of the most dynamic corporate leaders of tomorrow, young men and women armed with powerful surnames but carving their own niche in the corporate landscape. We take them out of boardrooms, into their workplace and finds out what are the challenges and pressure that they face, in being India Inc 2.0.

    Commenting on the launch, ET Now executive editor Sandeep Gurumurthi said, “India is evolving as a hub of young entrepreneurs who have created new opportunities and trends to build a dynamic business model. What’s interesting to see is that how these young entrepreneurs are ready to move out of their successful family business and explore different avenues to become successful entrepreneurs. The idea of celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship resulted in India Inc 2.0.”

    These young leaders have convinced some of the toughest boardrooms to diversify from core businesses and introduce new age processes. They are redefining corporate India and changing the rules of the game.

    For example, Analjit Singh’s 30-year old daughter Tara shares how she secured Max board’s approval to set up the country’s first senior living home in a hill station. Abhimanyu Munjal, 32, gets candid with all the difficulties he faced after getting Hero Motocorp’s green light to foray into financial services.

    The series begins with HCL Founder Shiv Nadar’s only child Roshni who takes us to the 20-acre non profit school in Uttar Pradesh to open up about why education is the next big gamble.

    Then there’s Ajay Piramal’s son Anand who chose to not enter the family’s core business of pharmaceuticals but instead pursue real estate.

    India Inc 2.0 will be anchored by ET Now Delhi Bureau deputy chief Nayantara Rai. With a decade plus of experience, Rai is one of Indian Television’s most renowned journalist and business news anchor. She has tracked several sectors like real estate, oil & gas, M&As and regularly interviews influential policy makers and leading corporates.

  • ET Now ups Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor

    ET Now ups Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s business news channel ET Now has elevated Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor. Besides heading the channel’s editorial operations, Gurumurthi also anchors the daily primetime show Business Tonight at 9 pm.

     

    Concurrent to Gurumurthi’s elevation, Nikunj Dalmia has been promoted as chief editor- financial markets, responsible for market hours and morning band, whereas Supriya Shrinate has been elevated to the position of chief editor- news, with all bureaus reporting into her.

     

    Times Network CEO & MD MK Anand said, “Gurumurthi has maturity and aggression in the right doses and will bring energy and dynamism to the news room. He has played a critical role in ET Now’s leadership so far and going forward his expertise will be invaluable in building ET Now into a power brand. In his new role as the executive editor, he will be responsible for all editorial and programming for the channel.”

     

    Gurumurthi added, “I’m delighted to be taking charge of ET Now at this juncture. The channel has been built on key pillars of integrity, speed and accuracy and I am certain that we will continue to deliver value for all our viewers and stakeholders. ET Now has pioneered innovation in the business news genre and I look forward to working with the highly talented team here to raise the bar, yet again.”