Tag: Times now

  • Times presents ‘budget’ programming line-up

    Times presents ‘budget’ programming line-up

    MUMBAI: Times Network, the television broadcast division of India’s largest media conglomerate The Times Group, has always been at the forefront of economic events that have a big impact on the nation. Times has a special programming lined up for the biggest announcement of the year – Budget 2017, across its three leading news channels, ET NOW, TIMES NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW.

    ET NOW

    Leading the power-packed campaign will be ET NOW, India’s leading English business news channel, with an exclusive campaign ‘Budget 2017: Tryst with Destiny’. In a way ET NOW will be a chronicler of history, considering the big shift in the functioning of the economy in the wake of demonetization.

    The channel will be the torch-bearer of budget debates, anchored by Sandeep Gurumurthi, Supriya Shrinate, Nikunj Dalmia, Mythili Bhusnurmath, Faye D’Souza, Ayesha Faridi, Tanvir Gill and Swaminathan Aiyar. The channel will ensure that viewers get all the relevant information comprehensively on ET NOW, well ahead of competition.  

    The one-hour special ‘Budget Debate’, anchored by Supriya Shrinate, will present views from India Inc’s top CEOs and renowned economists, policy makers like Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank; Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC; Pawan Goenka, MD, M&M; Nitin Gadkari, Union Highways Minister; Piyush Goyal, Union Power Minister; Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog; Prakash Javadekar, Union HRD Minister; Nirmala Sitaraman, Industry & Commerce Minister; Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation; Ramdeo Agrawal, Motilal Oswal; Rashesh Shah, Edelweiss Group; Nilesh Shah, Kotak AMC; and Jahangir Aziz, JPMorgan; Shaktikanta Das, DEA Secretary; Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor; Arvind Panagariya, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog; Nalil Kohli, BJP Spokesperson; Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress Spokesperson and Shashi Tharoor, Congress Leader.

    As finance minister Arun Jaitley sets the agenda for Budget 2017, ET NOW will bring the insights from world renowned economists while ET NOW’s Consulting Editor, Swaminathan Aiyar, will break up the key takeaways for the common man.

    Supporting the on-air line-up, ET NOW has designed a 360-degree campaign across different platforms, including print, OOH, radio, digital and trade. The channel has also lined up a contest for its viewers to enhance consumer engagement.

    Marketing plan for Budget 2017

    The marketing plan for Union Budget 2017 included Print ads across eight major metros on February 1, 2017; Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising in Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore at major bus shelters, metro panels and branding at airports; EPG Branding at Hathway, DEN & Asianet; Radio announcements Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore; Digital campaigns for Budget special with hash-tag promotion; Trade promotions with Newsletter branding & Page Pushers and Viewer contest which includes Watch & Win IPhone 7.

    TIMES NOW

    The undisputed leader among English news channels, TIMES NOW will present non-stop programming from 7 am on Feb 1, 2017, titled ‘Budget 2017: Votes or Vision’. The penultimate budget before the current Governments term ends; expectations are intense from this budget. The government is walking a tight rope; it’s a double edged sword as an extreme reform oriented budget might be unpopular among the masses, especially with elections to 5 key states just around the corner. On the other hand a populist budget with sops will hit the nation long term economic growth. How will they strike the balance? Will it be votes for the party or vision for the nation?

    Catch a power-packed panel including Rajiv Kumar, Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, Rajiv Desai, Comma Consulting, Lord Meghnad Desai, Economist and Omkar Goswami, Chairperson of CERG Advisory  decode the historic budget into news that the viewers can use. 

    The budget coverage will begin with discussions on dissecting the economy in the run-up to the FM’s speech. With the help of advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) graphics and holograms, TIMES NOW will reach out to the common man. 

    MAGICBRICKS NOW

    Tracking the Budget announcements closely, Magicbricks NOW will break up key policy decisions and analyze their impact on the Urban Citizen. Investor’s Guide, the exclusive show on personal finance, will decode the Budget from multiple angles and not just the lens of real estate. It will give an in – depth analysis on the tax policy and how it affects your wallet. The channel will bring live audience from across five cities, with personal finance experts answering all their queries on tax implications, investment possibilities and home buying.  

    The channel will feature top experts like Dhirendra Kumar, CEO, Value Research, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman, Dh Consultants, Anuj Puri, CEO, JLL and Pankaj Razdan, CEO & MD, Aditya Birla Life Insurance. This show will be anchored by Faye D’Souza, Senior Editor, Personal Finance and Real Estate of ET NOW and Editor of Magicbricks NOW, will be telecast live across all three news channels – TIMES NOW, ET NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW — at 7:00 pm.  

    It’s a Budget that can change the course of the Indian economy, a budget that can kick off the next phase of growth. This year, the network talks about Revolution on ET NOW, Votes or Vision and Eco-Political scenario on TIMES NOW and impact of Budget on common man on Magicbricks NOW, as world-renowned economists, corporate honchos and market experts debate the hits and misses.

  • Times presents ‘budget’ programming line-up

    Times presents ‘budget’ programming line-up

    MUMBAI: Times Network, the television broadcast division of India’s largest media conglomerate The Times Group, has always been at the forefront of economic events that have a big impact on the nation. Times has a special programming lined up for the biggest announcement of the year – Budget 2017, across its three leading news channels, ET NOW, TIMES NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW.

    ET NOW

    Leading the power-packed campaign will be ET NOW, India’s leading English business news channel, with an exclusive campaign ‘Budget 2017: Tryst with Destiny’. In a way ET NOW will be a chronicler of history, considering the big shift in the functioning of the economy in the wake of demonetization.

    The channel will be the torch-bearer of budget debates, anchored by Sandeep Gurumurthi, Supriya Shrinate, Nikunj Dalmia, Mythili Bhusnurmath, Faye D’Souza, Ayesha Faridi, Tanvir Gill and Swaminathan Aiyar. The channel will ensure that viewers get all the relevant information comprehensively on ET NOW, well ahead of competition.  

    The one-hour special ‘Budget Debate’, anchored by Supriya Shrinate, will present views from India Inc’s top CEOs and renowned economists, policy makers like Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank; Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC; Pawan Goenka, MD, M&M; Nitin Gadkari, Union Highways Minister; Piyush Goyal, Union Power Minister; Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog; Prakash Javadekar, Union HRD Minister; Nirmala Sitaraman, Industry & Commerce Minister; Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation; Ramdeo Agrawal, Motilal Oswal; Rashesh Shah, Edelweiss Group; Nilesh Shah, Kotak AMC; and Jahangir Aziz, JPMorgan; Shaktikanta Das, DEA Secretary; Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor; Arvind Panagariya, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog; Nalil Kohli, BJP Spokesperson; Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress Spokesperson and Shashi Tharoor, Congress Leader.

    As finance minister Arun Jaitley sets the agenda for Budget 2017, ET NOW will bring the insights from world renowned economists while ET NOW’s Consulting Editor, Swaminathan Aiyar, will break up the key takeaways for the common man.

    Supporting the on-air line-up, ET NOW has designed a 360-degree campaign across different platforms, including print, OOH, radio, digital and trade. The channel has also lined up a contest for its viewers to enhance consumer engagement.

    Marketing plan for Budget 2017

    The marketing plan for Union Budget 2017 included Print ads across eight major metros on February 1, 2017; Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising in Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore at major bus shelters, metro panels and branding at airports; EPG Branding at Hathway, DEN & Asianet; Radio announcements Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore; Digital campaigns for Budget special with hash-tag promotion; Trade promotions with Newsletter branding & Page Pushers and Viewer contest which includes Watch & Win IPhone 7.

    TIMES NOW

    The undisputed leader among English news channels, TIMES NOW will present non-stop programming from 7 am on Feb 1, 2017, titled ‘Budget 2017: Votes or Vision’. The penultimate budget before the current Governments term ends; expectations are intense from this budget. The government is walking a tight rope; it’s a double edged sword as an extreme reform oriented budget might be unpopular among the masses, especially with elections to 5 key states just around the corner. On the other hand a populist budget with sops will hit the nation long term economic growth. How will they strike the balance? Will it be votes for the party or vision for the nation?

    Catch a power-packed panel including Rajiv Kumar, Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, Rajiv Desai, Comma Consulting, Lord Meghnad Desai, Economist and Omkar Goswami, Chairperson of CERG Advisory  decode the historic budget into news that the viewers can use. 

    The budget coverage will begin with discussions on dissecting the economy in the run-up to the FM’s speech. With the help of advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) graphics and holograms, TIMES NOW will reach out to the common man. 

    MAGICBRICKS NOW

    Tracking the Budget announcements closely, Magicbricks NOW will break up key policy decisions and analyze their impact on the Urban Citizen. Investor’s Guide, the exclusive show on personal finance, will decode the Budget from multiple angles and not just the lens of real estate. It will give an in – depth analysis on the tax policy and how it affects your wallet. The channel will bring live audience from across five cities, with personal finance experts answering all their queries on tax implications, investment possibilities and home buying.  

    The channel will feature top experts like Dhirendra Kumar, CEO, Value Research, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman, Dh Consultants, Anuj Puri, CEO, JLL and Pankaj Razdan, CEO & MD, Aditya Birla Life Insurance. This show will be anchored by Faye D’Souza, Senior Editor, Personal Finance and Real Estate of ET NOW and Editor of Magicbricks NOW, will be telecast live across all three news channels – TIMES NOW, ET NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW — at 7:00 pm.  

    It’s a Budget that can change the course of the Indian economy, a budget that can kick off the next phase of growth. This year, the network talks about Revolution on ET NOW, Votes or Vision and Eco-Political scenario on TIMES NOW and impact of Budget on common man on Magicbricks NOW, as world-renowned economists, corporate honchos and market experts debate the hits and misses.

  • Times Now, CNBC TV18, Awaaz & Aaj Tak retain genre leadership

    Times Now, CNBC TV18, Awaaz & Aaj Tak retain genre leadership

    MUMBAI: Times Now remained the undisputed leader in the English News space. CNBC TV18 continued to dominate the English Business News space.

    According to week 3 of Broadcast Association Research Council (BARC), Aaj Tak remained the number one channel in the Hindi News space both in rural and urban markets.

    CNBC Awaaz ranked number one in the Hindi Business News genre.

    English News

    Times Now continued to lead with 699 Impressions (000s). India Today Television grabbed the second slot with 295 Impressions (000s) while CNN News18 took the third position with 218 Impressions. BBC World News with 206 Impressions (000s) and NDTV 24×7 with 193 Impressions (000s) took the fourth and fifth position, respectively.

    English Business News

    CNBC TV18 was at the number one position with 238 Impressions (000s) followed by ET Now at the second spot with 192 Impressions (000s). NDTV Profit and NDTV Prime was at the third position with 51 Impressions (000s). BTVi was on the fourth spot with 15 Impressions (000s). CNBC TV 18 Prime HD sustained at the fifth place with 2 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News

    Aaj Tak stood at the first spot with 115902 Impressions (000s) as followed by India TV at the second position with 99470 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the third position with 91522 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News at the fourth position with 88020 Impressions (000s). India News took the fifth position with 70134 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News Rural 

    Aaj Tak dominated the rural market with 52553 Impressions (000s). India TV with 44284 Impressions (000s) took the second berth. India News grabbed the third position with 39303 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the fourth place with 39150 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News with 38163 Impressions (000s) at the fifth position.

    Hindi News Urban 

    Aaj Tak stood at the number one position in the urban market with 63350 Impressions (000s) followed by India TV at the second position with 55186 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the third position with 52372 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News at the fourth position with 49858 Impressions (000s). News Nation took the fifth position with 40901 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi Business News

    CNBC Awaaz continued at the number one position with 937 Impressions (000s). The second spot was taken by Zee Business with 761 Impressions (000s).

  • Times Now, CNBC TV18, Awaaz & Aaj Tak retain genre leadership

    Times Now, CNBC TV18, Awaaz & Aaj Tak retain genre leadership

    MUMBAI: Times Now remained the undisputed leader in the English News space. CNBC TV18 continued to dominate the English Business News space.

    According to week 3 of Broadcast Association Research Council (BARC), Aaj Tak remained the number one channel in the Hindi News space both in rural and urban markets.

    CNBC Awaaz ranked number one in the Hindi Business News genre.

    English News

    Times Now continued to lead with 699 Impressions (000s). India Today Television grabbed the second slot with 295 Impressions (000s) while CNN News18 took the third position with 218 Impressions. BBC World News with 206 Impressions (000s) and NDTV 24×7 with 193 Impressions (000s) took the fourth and fifth position, respectively.

    English Business News

    CNBC TV18 was at the number one position with 238 Impressions (000s) followed by ET Now at the second spot with 192 Impressions (000s). NDTV Profit and NDTV Prime was at the third position with 51 Impressions (000s). BTVi was on the fourth spot with 15 Impressions (000s). CNBC TV 18 Prime HD sustained at the fifth place with 2 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News

    Aaj Tak stood at the first spot with 115902 Impressions (000s) as followed by India TV at the second position with 99470 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the third position with 91522 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News at the fourth position with 88020 Impressions (000s). India News took the fifth position with 70134 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi News Rural 

    Aaj Tak dominated the rural market with 52553 Impressions (000s). India TV with 44284 Impressions (000s) took the second berth. India News grabbed the third position with 39303 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the fourth place with 39150 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News with 38163 Impressions (000s) at the fifth position.

    Hindi News Urban 

    Aaj Tak stood at the number one position in the urban market with 63350 Impressions (000s) followed by India TV at the second position with 55186 Impressions (000s). Zee News took the third position with 52372 Impressions (000s) followed by ABP News at the fourth position with 49858 Impressions (000s). News Nation took the fifth position with 40901 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi Business News

    CNBC Awaaz continued at the number one position with 937 Impressions (000s). The second spot was taken by Zee Business with 761 Impressions (000s).

  • Times’ Rahul faces ‘India Upfront’ from 8pm today

    Times’ Rahul faces ‘India Upfront’ from 8pm today

    MUMBAI: Times Now, one of the most popular English news channels in India, is launching ‘India Upfront’ with Rahul Shivshankar’. As the name suggests it is a path breaking new show that will put hard facts – upfront — for the nation to assess. It will be a 60 minute show Monday to Friday at 8 pm, starting today, 23 January, 2017 hosted by Rahul Shivshankar, Times Now chief editor.

    Shivshankar said, “The show fills a massive void at prime time on news channels as most of them have fallen victim to the temptation of putting rhetoric ahead of facts therefore compromising on long-held values that separate news from propaganda.”

    He further reiterated that through the show, Times Now will bring back the focus on facts that will construct the narrative around verifiable information to the viewers with an all-around holistic view of events that touch their lives.

    Times Now, known for its vociferous debates and also seen as agents of change by the Indian diaspora in over 88 countries, is launching the show with a vision to present, captivate and inform viewers about daily events that affect the citizens of the country.

  • Times’ Rahul faces ‘India Upfront’ from 8pm today

    Times’ Rahul faces ‘India Upfront’ from 8pm today

    MUMBAI: Times Now, one of the most popular English news channels in India, is launching ‘India Upfront’ with Rahul Shivshankar’. As the name suggests it is a path breaking new show that will put hard facts – upfront — for the nation to assess. It will be a 60 minute show Monday to Friday at 8 pm, starting today, 23 January, 2017 hosted by Rahul Shivshankar, Times Now chief editor.

    Shivshankar said, “The show fills a massive void at prime time on news channels as most of them have fallen victim to the temptation of putting rhetoric ahead of facts therefore compromising on long-held values that separate news from propaganda.”

    He further reiterated that through the show, Times Now will bring back the focus on facts that will construct the narrative around verifiable information to the viewers with an all-around holistic view of events that touch their lives.

    Times Now, known for its vociferous debates and also seen as agents of change by the Indian diaspora in over 88 countries, is launching the show with a vision to present, captivate and inform viewers about daily events that affect the citizens of the country.

  • Arnab’s Republic widens footprint on Facebook, Twitter

    Arnab’s Republic widens footprint on Facebook, Twitter

    NEW DELHI: The nation is warming up to the Republic. Former Times TV Network chief editor Arnab Goswami, who quit late 2016 the media house where he built his career, is now whipping up social media frenzy with his new news and media venture dubbed Republic News.

    “The nation wants to know! We are now live on social. Until we hit your screens, track the revolution here! #RepublicOnSocial,” Republic or @republic tweeted on January 7, 2017 on its page that says it’s the official page of “India’s most awaited news venture” going on to add that “Republic is independent. Republic is global. Republic is disruptive. Republic is your movement. Join us.”

    Republic News India’s Facebook page already has about 14,000 `Likes’, while the Twitter page (handle @Republic) has over 43,000 followers till the time of writing this report. And, the number is growing. Some five thousand followers got added to the Twitter page between January, 7 2017 evening and January 8, 2017 afternoon as tweets are getting pinned by a global PR company, probably hired to oversee external communications, and retweets happening by media personalities, including the likes of South Asia chief of world’s largest advertising company.

    “I have placed my belief in the people of India. I believe in this republic. There is a reason why I have named it Republic – It’s for the public, voice of the public, undiluted. And I promise you today that till my last day in this profession, I will not let down your faith in me. I am placing my belief in you.” This is a message that has been attributed to Goswami on December 27, 2016 on the FB page of Republic News (@RepublicIndiaNews), which some observers described as mushy, theatrical and true to Goswami’s style.

    The sugary social media messages of RepublicIndiaNews continued on FB in the new year: “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.’Best Hope’ is the only word that is been reminded by me every new year evening. Wishing A Very Hopeful New Year Ahead to all my fans and well wishers. #HappyNewYear #Republic.” Both the Twitter and FB page carry a stylised photo of Goswami.

    public://IMG_0666.jpg

    The ‘About’ section of the FB page lists the owner/creator of the page as “News and Media House” and gives no other details or when the news venture likely to be launched.

    Though Goswami doesn’t have FB or Twitter page under his personal name, a tradition he seems to have carried from his Times Now days in sharp contrast to some his fellow celeb TV news anchors who are hyper active on social media — and get trolled heavily often by pro-government accounts — the Twitter handle @Repubic thanked the social media platform for associating with it and handing out an official welcome to the about-to-be-launched news venture, which also added to the buzz creation.

    public://IMG_0667.jpg

    Goswami announced his decision to quit Times Now early November 2016 first to his editorial team after returning from a trip to the Maldives and later conveyed it to his corporate bosses, which riled many within the Times of India group who felt that the editorial head used the Times group to create a new platform for himself by posturing on issues that were blatantly pro-BJP government in New Delhi.

    Meanwhile, media industry sources indicated that the application for Goswami’s news venture has been made to the government last month seeking at least various clearances to start a TV news channel. Though sketchy details are available, but the company lists a Kolkata-based businessman and a Bangalore-based media-entrepreneur-turned-politician as backers. This information could not be confirmed independently by Indiantelevision.com from the Republic or relevant government organisations.

    ALSO READ:

    It is Arnab’s Republic now

    Arnab Goswami quits as editor-in-chief of Times Television Network

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    ‘King’ content will take over monopolistic media entities, says Arnab

     

  • Arnab’s Republic widens footprint on Facebook, Twitter

    Arnab’s Republic widens footprint on Facebook, Twitter

    NEW DELHI: The nation is warming up to the Republic. Former Times TV Network chief editor Arnab Goswami, who quit late 2016 the media house where he built his career, is now whipping up social media frenzy with his new news and media venture dubbed Republic News.

    “The nation wants to know! We are now live on social. Until we hit your screens, track the revolution here! #RepublicOnSocial,” Republic or @republic tweeted on January 7, 2017 on its page that says it’s the official page of “India’s most awaited news venture” going on to add that “Republic is independent. Republic is global. Republic is disruptive. Republic is your movement. Join us.”

    Republic News India’s Facebook page already has about 14,000 `Likes’, while the Twitter page (handle @Republic) has over 43,000 followers till the time of writing this report. And, the number is growing. Some five thousand followers got added to the Twitter page between January, 7 2017 evening and January 8, 2017 afternoon as tweets are getting pinned by a global PR company, probably hired to oversee external communications, and retweets happening by media personalities, including the likes of South Asia chief of world’s largest advertising company.

    “I have placed my belief in the people of India. I believe in this republic. There is a reason why I have named it Republic – It’s for the public, voice of the public, undiluted. And I promise you today that till my last day in this profession, I will not let down your faith in me. I am placing my belief in you.” This is a message that has been attributed to Goswami on December 27, 2016 on the FB page of Republic News (@RepublicIndiaNews), which some observers described as mushy, theatrical and true to Goswami’s style.

    The sugary social media messages of RepublicIndiaNews continued on FB in the new year: “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.’Best Hope’ is the only word that is been reminded by me every new year evening. Wishing A Very Hopeful New Year Ahead to all my fans and well wishers. #HappyNewYear #Republic.” Both the Twitter and FB page carry a stylised photo of Goswami.

    public://IMG_0666.jpg

    The ‘About’ section of the FB page lists the owner/creator of the page as “News and Media House” and gives no other details or when the news venture likely to be launched.

    Though Goswami doesn’t have FB or Twitter page under his personal name, a tradition he seems to have carried from his Times Now days in sharp contrast to some his fellow celeb TV news anchors who are hyper active on social media — and get trolled heavily often by pro-government accounts — the Twitter handle @Repubic thanked the social media platform for associating with it and handing out an official welcome to the about-to-be-launched news venture, which also added to the buzz creation.

    public://IMG_0667.jpg

    Goswami announced his decision to quit Times Now early November 2016 first to his editorial team after returning from a trip to the Maldives and later conveyed it to his corporate bosses, which riled many within the Times of India group who felt that the editorial head used the Times group to create a new platform for himself by posturing on issues that were blatantly pro-BJP government in New Delhi.

    Meanwhile, media industry sources indicated that the application for Goswami’s news venture has been made to the government last month seeking at least various clearances to start a TV news channel. Though sketchy details are available, but the company lists a Kolkata-based businessman and a Bangalore-based media-entrepreneur-turned-politician as backers. This information could not be confirmed independently by Indiantelevision.com from the Republic or relevant government organisations.

    ALSO READ:

    It is Arnab’s Republic now

    Arnab Goswami quits as editor-in-chief of Times Television Network

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    ‘King’ content will take over monopolistic media entities, says Arnab

     

  • Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    MUMBAI: Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand is known to be a rather reticent kind of executive. He would rather keep a low profile and speak only when he is approached. So, when he decides to open up to the media, there’s obviously something he wants to set right.

    Says he: “Ever since Arnab’s departure, the rumour mills have been running amok and a lot of canards have been let loose. I would like to set them right.”

    According to Anand, first is the buzz that Arnab left because he was being sidelined, and that he did not have much editorial independence. “The fact is that there was zero pressure on him,” he says. “We don’t meddle with the editorial policy. I have spoken to him on content matters only twice since I have been here. And, the shareholders do not really get in to day-to-day operations at all.”

    Anand shares that it was Arnab who announced his departure to his team before putting out his resignation to him, and let it to go viral on social media.

    “We share a good relationship. We continued carrying his picture and name on the shows he used to host for a long time even after he announced his departure. Even on the last day, I had lunch with him and there was no negativity. I would have loved to retain him. I was saddened to see him go and, of course, I miss him,” he acknowledges.

    Anand berates the fact that there seems to be a campaign to malign Times Now. “People were saying that Times Now and Arnab are synonymous. That Times Now has sunk after Arnab. BARC data shows otherwise. Week 1-45 of this year, Times Now had an audience share of 41 per cent; week 46-50 it has the same 41 per cent,” he says.

    Then, there is the rumour that the news channel lost Rs 100 crore in revenue post-Arnab. “Untrue again. While I believe it’s worth that much, I wish we made so much money on NewsHour that he used to anchor,” he expresses.

    Market estimates are that Arnab’s prime time shows contributed around Rs 50-60 crore to the channel’s top line, figures which Anand is unwilling to confirm.

    “The advertisers who were there when Arnab was anchoring are there even when he is not,” says he. “Just take a look at the Adex data for October and November.”

    What Anand wants to finally rectify is the perception that hordes of journalists have followed in the wake of Arnab. “Times Now has 320 employees,” he says. “Nine have left. We have a normal attrition rate of 25 per cent which is about 80 people leaving each year or around six to seven staffers each month. If we lose nine people, it does not mean there has been an exodus. 311 staffers have chosen to stay on.”

  • Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab

    MUMBAI: Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand is known to be a rather reticent kind of executive. He would rather keep a low profile and speak only when he is approached. So, when he decides to open up to the media, there’s obviously something he wants to set right.

    Says he: “Ever since Arnab’s departure, the rumour mills have been running amok and a lot of canards have been let loose. I would like to set them right.”

    According to Anand, first is the buzz that Arnab left because he was being sidelined, and that he did not have much editorial independence. “The fact is that there was zero pressure on him,” he says. “We don’t meddle with the editorial policy. I have spoken to him on content matters only twice since I have been here. And, the shareholders do not really get in to day-to-day operations at all.”

    Anand shares that it was Arnab who announced his departure to his team before putting out his resignation to him, and let it to go viral on social media.

    “We share a good relationship. We continued carrying his picture and name on the shows he used to host for a long time even after he announced his departure. Even on the last day, I had lunch with him and there was no negativity. I would have loved to retain him. I was saddened to see him go and, of course, I miss him,” he acknowledges.

    Anand berates the fact that there seems to be a campaign to malign Times Now. “People were saying that Times Now and Arnab are synonymous. That Times Now has sunk after Arnab. BARC data shows otherwise. Week 1-45 of this year, Times Now had an audience share of 41 per cent; week 46-50 it has the same 41 per cent,” he says.

    Then, there is the rumour that the news channel lost Rs 100 crore in revenue post-Arnab. “Untrue again. While I believe it’s worth that much, I wish we made so much money on NewsHour that he used to anchor,” he expresses.

    Market estimates are that Arnab’s prime time shows contributed around Rs 50-60 crore to the channel’s top line, figures which Anand is unwilling to confirm.

    “The advertisers who were there when Arnab was anchoring are there even when he is not,” says he. “Just take a look at the Adex data for October and November.”

    What Anand wants to finally rectify is the perception that hordes of journalists have followed in the wake of Arnab. “Times Now has 320 employees,” he says. “Nine have left. We have a normal attrition rate of 25 per cent which is about 80 people leaving each year or around six to seven staffers each month. If we lose nine people, it does not mean there has been an exodus. 311 staffers have chosen to stay on.”