News Broadcasting
M J Akbar gives viewers the inside dope on politics on Star News
MUMBAI: 24-hour Hindi news channel Star News has announced that it will launch Akbar Ka Darbar on 25 May. The show will air every Sunday at 8 pm. Best described as ‘Inside Politics’, the one hour weekly aims at redefining the way the viewer looks at political events. After hearing the ‘what’ in the news, viewers can now learn the ‘why’.
The show host is columnist and well known author M J Akbar, the founder and editor of The Asian Age, as well as the founding editor of Sunday India’s first political weekly.
On the programme, he takes on politicians, legal luminaries, business tycoons and high flying journalists that haunt the corridors of North and South Block on issues that dominate the Indian political scene.
The highlight of the show is Capital Gang which has Akbar with his colleagues from the media in animated discussion on the inside track of our politicians – a satirical view of who moved up and who moved down that week. Other segments include Your Story – the personal story of an Indian citizen which in its larger perspective has a bearing on the system, and On the Boil – about a festering problem that eludes an easy solution.
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.
