News Broadcasting
Live Times turns one: a year of truth-telling in a noisy news era
MUMBAI: India’s first global multicast news hub has just blown out its first birthday candle, celebrating 12 months of fearless journalism, bold scoops, and a no-nonsense approach to facts in an era where sensationalism often grabs the mic.
Launched on 23 August 2024 with the unapologetic motto “Complete Truth, Whatever It Takes,” the channel has spent the past year prying open stories others left untouched. From exposing the bone-chilling horrors of Operation Murda to on-ground exclusives during the Delhi Assembly elections, Live Times has made a habit of rattling cages and raising questions.
Healthcare too came under its lens: reports on Bihar’s crumbling hospitals, Chhattisgarh’s fragile medical system, and mass migration in Madhya Pradesh revealed the gaps between policy and reality. One expose on patients denied treatment despite holding Ayushman health cards made it all the way to the state Assembly, proving that journalism still has teeth.
With exclusive drone visuals, Live Times captured India’s evolving counter-terror strategy, setting fresh benchmarks in both technology and reporting grit.
But it hasn’t stopped at newsbreaks. To mark its anniversary, Live Times launched “Voices of Experience: Advice for Future Journalists” , a campaign that tapped India’s veteran reporters for wisdom nuggets. The advice? Double down on fact-checking, stay fearless, work hard, and always keep credibility intact. In other words: journalism has no shortcuts.
One year on, Live Times isn’t just patting itself on the back; it’s holding up a mirror to the profession. Its message is clear: truth is timeless, and in the race for eyeballs, integrity still wins the day.
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.
