News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak claims to lead clutch of news channels
MUMBAI: The erstwhile monarch of its terrain, Aaj Tak now has again claimed the top slot among the slew of new news channels on air.
Quoting TAM ratings for the week ended 12 July, the channel claims to have a full-day channel share of 41 per cent in the all-India market. This figure goes up to 43 per cent during prime time in the Hindi speaking market, says the channel. The closest in full day channel shares is Star News with a 20 per cent share and Zee News following at 15 per cent.
Citing a Cybermedia Research report on channel viewership released recently, Aaj Tak says it has been named the most sought-after news channel. A NFO MBL research on viewers’ preferences has also placed Aaj Tak at the top, with most of the viewers claiming it as their favourite channel, says the Living Media backed broadcaster.
While fledgling sister channel Headlines Today is yet to make headlines in the news channel sphere, Aaj Tak says rival channels’ claim that they are taking a lead over it are baseless and are a misrepresentation of facts. Aaj Tak is the only news channel that has a full advertisement inventory, a reinforcement of the advertisers’ faith in the brand as the only channel in its category that provides a serious and dedicated viewership, it says.
In terms of time spent by viewers on news channels, Aaj Tak again leads the pack, with a 38 minute share as against 21 minutes spent on Star News. The channel reach too is ahead of rivals, but the revamped Star News is catching up, while Zee News, Sahara Samay and NDTV India still lag behind.
The channel that bagged three best news channel awards in less than two years of its existence now features not just hard-core news bulletins but soft news items too like health, cinema, metro news and features on international news. The strategy has reaped a loyal advertising clientele as also a quality audience base, says Aaj Tak.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
