News Broadcasting
CNN Intl to unveil new look, feel on 6 February
MUMBAI: In an attempt to move away from cluttered screens and heavy graphics, CNN International will unveil a new look on Monday, 6 February. The re-design covers all parts of the on-air look including a new position and treatment for the network logo, network identity spots and music, full-screen graphics, lower third fonting and network colour scheme.
Explaing the logic behind the move CNN International senior VP Rena Golden says, “Our priority is to ensure that our viewers around the globe, many of whom do not speak English as a first language, understand and engage with the news we deliver. The uncluttered screen and enhanced concise graphics will now allow our video and journalism to breathe fully. This redesign serves the viewer better: allowing our journalism to take centre stage and engage more, while giving better navigational information”.
CNN International will also adopt the internationally recognised colour for alert, yellow, for its breaking news graphics. In addition, the ‘news ticker’ or ‘crawl’ that is common to all news networks will be replaced by a new information bar that displays one complete sentence, or story, at a time allowing viewers to concentrate on the main part of the screen.
Audience navigation of the network and its programs was also a critical part of the re-design. New navigational tools and graphics will allow viewers to see what news coverage and programming is coming up in the hours ahead. The next phase of this project will include new sets in Atlanta, London and Hong Kong.
Underlining the international concept of the channel and its global distribution of more than 186 million households world wide, the design work for the new look was overseen by the network’s creative director Mark Wright, together with various international creative agencies and London based independent consultant Frank Lampen.
The new identity has been created to better serve the needs of the channel’s global citizen viewers, and includes new news graphics, navigation and promotion elements, opening title animations, a new logo and new music.
CNN International’s in house design team worked with a selection of London based creative partners on the project. CNN International’s redesign removes graphic elements to create a cleaner look which prioritises live video. The result the chanel states is a more focussed use of design elements, and reduced clutter.
In a radical break from the norm in news channels, CNN International is abandoning the traditional “news ticker” that runs along the bottom of the screen, in favour of a new system which displays one complete story at a time, allowing viewers to get regular headline updates whilst not being distracted from the main part of the screen.
CNN International’s new identity keeps the channel’s classic red logotype, but sets it in a white carrier. The globe, which differentiates CNN International from its sister US channel, has been updated to a silver and glass globe set within a square window, and this new device is used across idents, promotions and navigation elements.
In keeping with the channel’s international nature, the project has been run jointly from London and CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta. A collection of London-based agencies worked with CNN’s in-house production and music composition teams in the US.
The project has been led by CNN International’s US-based creative director Mark Wright, CNN’s marketing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mark Haviland, and London based independent creative consultant Frank Lampen.
A number of agencies worked with CNN International to develop the new look. Strategic direction for the project and the core creative treatment for news presentation and navigation graphics were developed by London agency Kemistry. Graham McCallum, Marc Ortmans and Ricky Churchill headed up the Kemistry team who worked on the project.
The new channel identity was developed by Brand42, also based in London, through its creative director Adge Gittins. Brand42’s logo concept runs through all on screen branding elements and is now being extended to other delivery platforms and off-air communications.
Brand42 worked with London design and production company CC-Lab on motion graphic design for new channel idents and opening title sequences. After Effects animations were produced in house at CC-Lab, with Adge Gittins as creative director, Jason Hocking as producer and Rob Jones as lead designer.
CNN International’s in-house creative team, led by assistant creative director Hillary Kilfeather, designed new weather graphics, created a new look for the channel’s World Sport show and devised a new treatment for the channel’s signature timelapse idents.
Working with CNN International throughout the process has been London based creative consultant Frank Lampen. Formerly part of the launch team at E4, he has recently worked on projects with Nike, Smirnoff and J&B as well as being an independent producer.
Music has been written by Atlanta based composer Herb Avery, who has worked with CNN for a number of years, and is credited with much of the music that is currently to be heard on the channel.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
