News Broadcasting
Times Network unveils Times Fact India Outbreak Report for COVID-19
MUMBAI: Times Network in partnership with a global consulting firm Protiviti unveiled Times Fact India Outbreak Report, a comprehensive analysis that highlights the impact of the pandemic in India and projects the possible number of active cases in the weeks ahead.
Aligned with the Network’s umbrella campaign — Fighting Fear with Facts — the report was featured across network’s news channels – TIMES NOW, ET NOW and Mirror NOW – on 17 April with an exclusive two-hour-long programme that discussed the emerging COVID-19 scenario and its implications with leading experts and policymakers.
“Times Fact India Outbreak Report is based on three different models, the percentage model, which involves mapping trends from Italy and the United States onto India; the Time Series Model, which involves factors in data across time periods in China and South Korea in addition to two polynomial regression models adapted to Indian data, and the Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered (SEIR) model which is based on an estimation of a reproduction rate of the epidemic,” reads the official statement of the network.
Drawing critical information from central government data, state government bulletins, and daily updates provided by the health ministry, the report is a holistic COVID-19 projection for the nation. It also takes into account the healthcare capacity of the nation and its states, to understand shortfall of beds and availability of ICUs, in the event of an escalation.
Based on a predictive model which leverages verified big data and new technologies for effective decision-making, the report aims to empower the administrative authorities to spot possible hotspots, critical gaps and build capacity to meet the arising situation.
It captures six national projections and includes individual analysis for eight states and four cities. The study also provides a projection of what could happen if the lockdown is lifted within a certain time-frame.
Times Network chief executive officer and managing director MK Anand says: “The Times Fact India Outbreak Report is a step aimed to dispel the uncertainty with facts, ably backed by a scientific approach that analyses the impact of COVID-19 in India and throws light on potential lethal gaps in infrastructure which can be a lead indicator of social unrest and disruption in specific geographies.”
He further says that the current pandemic disruption is probably the most significant event of our lifetime with socio-economic implications. we believe in taking the onus and proactively responding with timely and high-quality information that assists in arresting the adversity.
“I am confident that this report will act as an important enabler to navigate the evolving scenario of the pandemic with a systematic approach and help in building decisive strategies to flatten the curve,” exhorts Times Network’s CEO and MD.
Protiviti India director – data and digital transformation Dhrubabrata Ghosh Dastidar says, “The study is an example of how with the help of data, technology and sophisticated analytical algorithms, we can analyze a ‘black swan’ – in this case, a global pandemic, monitor the same on a regular basis to see the various possible paths it can take, and provide insights based on strong modelling outcomes. This will help the nation face the future with confidence.”
News Broadcasting
Senior media executive Madhu Soman exits Zee Media
Former Reuters and Bloomberg leader says he leaves with “no regrets” after brief stint at WION and Zee Business
NOIDA: Madhu Soman, a veteran of global newsrooms and media sales floors, has stepped away from Zee Media Corporation after a short stint steering business strategy for WION and Zee Business.
In a reflective LinkedIn note marking his departure, Soman said his time within the network’s corridors was always likely to be brief. “Some chapters close faster than expected,” he wrote, signalling the end of a nearly two-year spell in which he oversaw both editorial partnerships and commercial strategy.
Soman joined Zee Media in 2022 after more than a decade abroad with Reuters and Bloomberg, returning to India to take on the role of chief business officer for WION and Zee Business. His mandate was ambitious: bridge the newsroom and the revenue desk while expanding digital and broadcast reach.
During the stint, Zee Business reached break-even for the first time since its launch in 2005, while WION refreshed programming and strengthened its digital footprint across platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
But Soman suggested the cultural fit proved uneasy. Describing himself as a “cultural misfit”, he hinted at deeper tensions between editorial instincts shaped in global newsrooms and the realities of India’s television news ecosystem.
Before joining Zee, Soman spent more than seven years at Bloomberg in Hong Kong as head of broadcast sales for Asia-Pacific, expanding the company’s news syndication business across several markets. Earlier, he held senior editorial roles at Reuters, overseeing online strategy in India and managing Reuters Video Services from London.
His career began in television and wire reporting, including a stint with ANI during the 1999 Kargil conflict, before moving into digital publishing as India’s internet media landscape took shape.
Now, after nearly three decades in broadcast and digital media, Soman is leaving Delhi NCR and returning to his hometown, Trivandrum.
Exhausted, he admits. But unbowed. And with one quiet line that sums up the journey: he didn’t sell his soul — because some things, after all, are not for sale.
