News Broadcasting
“60% of ad inventory on Property Now already sold”: MK Anand
MUMBAI: The growing number of skyscrapers and commercial parks in the country and the announcement of initiatives like ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Affordable Housing’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the ball rolling in the real estate sector. But, for dreams to be accomplished, transparent dialogues between various stakeholders is needed and to give the desired impetus, Times Network is set to launch a 24 X 7 real estate channel Property Now, starting October, 2015.
The real estate industry sees over Rs 3000 crore of advertisement, which is mostly dominated by print. Times Network CEO and MD MK Anand, at the ongoing Big5 Construct India, 2015 said, “Real estate is the industry which produces 20 per cent of India’s employment and contributes 6 per cent to India’s economy, but is never spoken about. All the stories that we see about the real estate sector are negative and no one speaks about the positive side of the fraternity which builds India. Now, through Property Now, the top of the pyramid will know the positive stories of the sector.”
Reports and survey indicate that around 11 crore homes need to be constructed to fulfill the dreams, and hence infrastructure is indeed a key sector. Also, the sector has no regulatory body and consumers have often suffered because of the loop holes in the self regulatory system. In such a scenario, Property Now can emerge as a perfect medium to ensure reduction of incumbency. Mumbai, for example, has several unoccupied affordable houses and illegal chawls. The existence of both at the same time indicates there are some flaws in the system which need to be converted to a dialogue and Property Now, being a venture from the largest media conglomerate in India, can easily indulge into that.
“Dialogues, debates and awareness about the real estate sector will ensure smoother growth and that’s what is in the agenda of the channel. Property Now will educate, inform and make people aware about the sector,” asserted Anand.
The network has tied up with Amagi for separate beams in separate regions. There are a very few builders who are present all over the country and so having a pan India channel with same feed and inventory might pose limitations when it comes to revenue generation. The to-be launched channel will have multiple feeds and will thus be able to rope in different advertisers for different regions. “We already have the infrastructure ready in Pune and now we can have different feeds for not only Property Now, but also Times Now and ET Now,” informed Anand.
Property Now is currently eyeing the target audience of ET Now and thus will be working on similar distribution strategies. “The distribution process will be gradual and we will eventually expand our base. We have already signed deals with a few multi system operators (MSOs) and we will be gradually present on all the platforms,” said Anand.
Times Network plans to back the channel digitally and will thus launch an app too.
According to Anand, over 60 per cent of the ad inventory for the upcoming real estate channel has already been sold. “It is a record of sorts. The response has been amazing and we have a few launch partners already with us. We are yet to start selling FPCs and I already see a lot of positives,” he said.
Times Network Real Estate and Personal Finance editor Faye DSouza will be heading the channel. “Faye has been a great resource and her experience and insights played a vital role in our decision to launch Property Now. In-depth debates and analysis will be immensely prominent on the channel. Faye will report to Times Now and ET Now news president and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami,” said Anand.
Talking about the editorial strategy, DSouza said, “It’s still early days. We will have bulletins, but the focus will be on advices regarding tax, home loans etc. There will be debates and a lot of dialogues involving Urban Development Ministry. We will also have weekend features on interior designing, Fenshui, Vastu and other after possession developments. Fundamentally we will help consumers invest smartly.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
