News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak introduces Anjana 2.0, an AI Anchor modelled on a ‘Human’ anchor
Mumbai: Aaj Tak being the industry’s torchbearer, continues to establish its leadership with India’s first-ever AI Anchor modelled on a ‘human’ anchor. India’s most popular Hindi news anchor and Aaj Tak’s prolific news presenter, Anjana Om Kashyap, will now be complemented with an AI Avatar, Anjana 2.0.
In the history of Indian Broadcast Journalism, no other channel has consistently introduced such groundbreaking technological innovations. With general elections around the corner, Anjana and Anjana 2.0 will be seen in a formidable partnership both on-ground and on-screen. Anjana is the managing editor of ‘Aaj Tak’ and has gained country-wide popularity for her shows ‘Halla Bol’ and ‘Special Reports’. Introduced in prime time on Tuesday, the AI avatar has already started to create a buzz on social media with netizens pouring in with their comments.
With Anjana 2.0, Aaj Tak will have its second AI Anchor featuring prime-time programming on a national television channel. In the recent past, Aaj Tak introduced India’s first-ever AI Anchor SANA’ who is gaining success owing to her news presentation and production with wide-ranging interviews of state heads, business leaders, entertainment megastars etc. In under six months, Sana has already earned numerous accolades both on a national and international scale, including interacting with PM Modi (the first AI Anchor to interact with a head of the state), Reading a French bulletin, anchoring a dedicated show on prime-time, and interacted with global business leaders like Brad Smith of Microsoft, celebrities like Shahrukh Khan and TV personality Seema Taparia.
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.
