News Broadcasting
Frankly Speaking with Modi
MUMBAI: The channel which claims to be the headquarter for 2014 elections and the man who gets personalities to speak frankly has finally got BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, on the channel.
Times Now has added another feather to its cap by becoming the first English News channel to get an interview with Narendra Modi. The man has already given a lot of interviews since the elections started to various Hindi channels, to name a few: ETV Gujarati, India News, Aaj Tak, CNBC Awaaz, Zee News etc.
ETV Gujarati opened the score for Modi and his string of interviews. However, English News channels have tried their level best to get the man on to their channel; and since then failed.
CNN IBN’s deputy editor Sagarika Ghose even tweeted asking the man to give an interview to “best” journalists. To which India TV’s chairman and editor-in chief Rajat Sharma replied, “Well, I already got one. You should watch good news channels too.”
The channels editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami who got Rahul Gandhi first on his ‘Frankly Speaking’ show can now finally breathe a sigh of relief to get Modi before any of his rivals did. The Rahul Gandhi interview became a trend and also a butt of jokes. The hashtag #RahulSpeaksToArnab trended for days after the interview as jokes, parodies, cartoons and even remixes of the interview flooded the internet space.
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With Varansi going to polls on 12 May from where Modi fights against AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, BJPs prime ministerial candidate is already in news. The time seems perfect for the channel to speak to the man.
In the interview to Goswami, Modi will speak about issues ranging from his campaign to the recent controversy over his ‘caste’ comments and also Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Neech Rajniti’ jibe.
With Times Now and Twitter getting into a partnership for the 2014 general elections, hashtags have become common for the channel. The hashtag this time around is #ModiSpeaksToArnab. One will have to wait and watch to see what will trend after the interview airs on 8 May at 9pm.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
