News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 introduces a slew of new programmes for Budget
MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 has lined up a host of new programmes for the upcoming Union Budget, which will voice the opinions and demands of the Indian population this year.
CNBC’s budget line up is titled Will the dream team deliver? and will highlight the various issues and sectors that the finance minister is likely to address, while trying to strike the right balance.
The budget programming will be led by the channel’s anchors with analysis by India’s most respected economic experts. Views and reactions from India’s industry captains, in-depth discussions with finance faces and high profile forums will comprise CNBC’s budget programming.
A set of pre-budget roundtables in the major metros of India, where industry leaders and experts convene to discuss expectations and issues that this year’s budget must address has also been organized. This platform will bring forth important issues and possible solutions to the budget makers of the day. These pre-budget roundtables will attempt to answer the inevitable question on whether the ‘Dream Team’ will jumpstart the Indian economy through radical reforms or settle for a more cautious and balanced approach.
The pre-budget related programming focuses on the different sectors that the FM is likely to address like: telecom and broadband, capital goods, retail, direct and indirect tax, electrical industry, steel, healthcare, FMCG etc.
As part of Union budget programming, CNBC will also air vignettes on: Taxation, If I Were FM – Youth Matters, Grand Ideas – an Economist’s Vision of the budget, CEO Speak and What the World thinks.
Brief stories on the impact of the budget in all walks of life will also be an important part of the budget programming through: Home Affairs – Family aspirations from the Budget, Small Stuff – SME aspirations from the Budget, Worker Speak – Labour’s aspirations from the Budget and Industry Wish-lists – individual industry demands from the budget.
Sector specific on-ground budget vectors, roundtables and polls (both common man and CEO polls) with special focus on sunrise sectors like Biotechnology, Cement, Healthcare; Textiles will also be a part of the programming initiative. To complement this, the Budget Factoids, Budget Q&A, Budget Bulletins and Budget Caravan will also be aired. Budget Caravan a special for this year’s budget, will be telecast live.
The railway budget will be covered live with analysis of the implications with final predictions from experts on what lies ahead.
Awaaz, on the other hand, will not only cover Budget 2005 but also translate the consumer’s voice, their dreams and their opinions. Some special consumer-oriented programmes that Awaaz will air especially during the budget season are:
Meri Awaaz Suno: The common man’s expectations from Budget 2005
Budget Chaupal: Expectations of the unorganised interest groups and communities
Har Ghar Ki Kahani: Showcasing money management skills of families from different income groups and witnessing the impact of Budget 2005 on their financial planning
CEO Panchayat: Budget 2005 from the eyes of India’s prominent businessmen
Laloo Express: Pre-Budget expectations on the Railway Budget and indepth discussions on Budget day about the impact of the Railway
The programmes will be aired at 10 pm with repeat telecasts on weekends. The channel has also roped in Karan Thapar to anchor two special Budget episodes every week.
CNBC-TV18 vice president sales and marketing B Saikumar said, “The theme of the budget programming “Will the dream team deliver?” feels the pulse and the anticipation of millions of Indians who are looking forward for a more consumer friendly budget. There is no mistaking the great expectations for the future brought on by a mood that has never been this buoyant in recent years. CNBC-TV18 through its comprehensive budget programming reiterates its commitment to providing its viewers a holistic perspective of national decisions that affect every aspect of their lives.”
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.
