News Broadcasting
I am not stepping into Arnab Goswami’s shoes at Times Now – Rajdeep Sardesai
MUMBAI: Arnab Goswami’s Times Now exit has sent tremors through the news television industry, something that many can’t believe as yet as his name was so strongly associated with the channel. Speculation is rife about who will be his replacement, and who will fill the big fat void that has been created owing to his departure. And, questions are being asked about where he is headed.
Among the names being mentioned as someone who will hop into his chair is that of Rajdeep Sardesai, who is currently with the Aroon Purie’s TV Today Network. Rajdeep cut his teeth early on in his career at The Times of India and ended up being the city editor of the Mumbai edition. So, it will be like a homecoming for him or so is what the grapevine is muttering.
Television happened, and the son of the former Indian test bat Dilip Sardesai, and even an Oxford cricketer himself, Rajdeep plunged heavily into it. After stints in NDTV, he went on to found the channel GBN (now CNN News18) before quitting and becoming the consulting editor at TV Today Network.
Rajdeep, however, was pretty candid when indiantelevision.com got in touch with him about the strong buzz that he was replacing Arnab as the editor-in-chief at Times Now. “Rubbish,” he said. “I have not even met anyone for anything of that kind to happen. I am just coming back from a teaching assignment in Georgetown, and there is no way that I will step in for Arnab. At least for now…”
That there is no love lost between the two is no doubt, but Arnab’s style of opinionated journalism is a total antithesis of what classical Rajdeep purports he practices.
Other names being bandied about include Barkha Dutt, and Rahul Joshi. The facts are not forthcoming as the Times Television Network has not put out an official statement as yet.
The expectation was that Rajdeep would reportedly take over as the Times Now editor-in-chief, and enable the smooth transition. When indiantelevision.com reached out to Times Network MD MK Anand, he said, “I have no comments to make at this juncture.”
Have we heard the last of L’affaire Arnab? Most unlikely as the media does indeed want to know! This time at least!
Also Read: From reporting news to becoming news
The after-effect of Arnab Goswami’s exit
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.
