News Broadcasting
ET Now revamps to offer both, business and general news
MUMBAI: It’s not just a cosmetic change that the Times Network is doing with its hitherto business news channel — ET Now. Concurrent with a new logo and its tagline ‘Rise with India,’ the network is also repositioning it.
No longer will it offer reportage and coverage of business in India and internationally alone; it is broadbasing itself beyond 5 pm in a bid to offer holistic news for business. And, with this shift, it is hoping to shape the discourse of politics, governance, technology, markets, business and economics in the country.
Times Network CEO MK Anand explains that the attempt is to create a new kind of news product which will feature business news when it is needed in the day and bring significant issues to the attention of decision-makers towards later in the evening after the close of the markets. “We have to move from competition-focused leadership to purpose-driven leadership,” he says. Which, it is doing.
Between 8 am and 5 pm, like in the past, ET Now will continue with its coverage of business developments and markets. Come 5 pm, its news journalists will start presenting general news, special shows, and prime-time debates. The target: the upwardly-mobile and on-the-go Indian; anyone who wants to take part in the India growth story, going forward. Post 7 pm, it will feature a mix of speed news, debates and major national news updates.
In keeping with the ‘Rise with India’ theme, the channel will air The India Development Debate at 9 pm. It is being pitched as the most intellectual debate on news TV to be anchored by the ET Now managing editor Sandeep Gurumurthi and Supriya Shrinate. The show will feature some of the most erudite experts discussing subjects that impact India’s holistic development and imagery.
“CNBC TV18 is a great competitor to us in the English business genre,” highlights Anand. “We are not worried about our GRPs; ET Now is right now third in the English news genre with Times Now and Republic TV ahead. The prime-time band for ET Now is 8 am-11am. And, we have a solid hold on the viewers in this band as compared to CNBC TV 18 and India Today.”
According to BARC India’s viewership ratings in the last three-four weeks, ET NOW has been closely chasing the business news leader CNBC TV-18.
To push the new imagery and offering of the new ET Now, the network is using all the might and resources of the Times Group. Ads are slated to break in The Times of India and in The Economic Times, which will continue for two months. An extensive digital campaign too has been drawn up on all its online properties, even as ET Now’s sister channels will lend support. And, outdoor hoardings in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru will also make a splash about the new ET Now.
Estimates are that the new branding campaign costs around Rs 50 million. Will the repositioning spawn imitation from the rest of the business news channels?
It well might, for, as Anand says, “The success of Times Now is evident in the past 12 years, before and after our star anchor. Our existing and new competitors have gone after the same niche.”
Also Read:
Times Now narrows gap with Republic TV, again
Times TV gets into a gunfight with CNBC TV18 on Budget Day claims
Times Now will be globally ‘regional’, non-mirror HD by next quarter
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
