News Broadcasting
Mirror Now aims to be no. 2 Eng news channel in 2018: Faye D’Souza
MUMBAI: Within a year of its launch, Times Television Network’s news channel Mirror Now has achieved phenomenal publicity. Not only has rapid digitisation and its focus on socio-economic issues spurted the channel’s ratings and impact on viewers but also the impressive aura of its executive editor and primetime anchor Faye D’Souza championing the cause of women in media.
The channel launched on 23 March 2017 replacing Magicbricks Now, the network’s partnership with real estate company Magicbricks, which focussed on the country’s realty business. On the other hand, Mirror Now highlights issues that impact people’s daily lives covering issues such as crime, women’s safety, traffic woes, cleanliness, health, environment, power and water to make India a better place to live.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Faye D’Souza says, “The trend which we started and other channels are now following is to bring up the real issue. It was an idea for a channel that the management and we believed in. The kind of response we got from the viewers is very heartening.”
The channel is getting more traction from primary urban centres like Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata. “The traction is not only in the form of ratings but also as feedback through emails and social media platforms which we receive,” D’Souza adds.
In the month of July last year, the strongest markets mentioned by D’Souza were Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. Its plan last year was to engage viewers of 34-36 cities with a million plus population in India. “Our aim is to be number two in English news channel genre by the end of 2018. We take a lot of feedback from our viewers. We don’t want to compete with other English news channels because if we compete we will be forced to cover news the way they do” she says.
The channel’s aim is to increase news coverage in more cities. “For Mirror Now 2018 would be to constantly think of fresh ways to approach the news by putting up lot more programming and launching more shows after we had a slight setback because of the Kamala Mills fire,” D’Souza says.
The blaze that erupted in the Kamala Mills compound in Mumbai on 28 December impacted the operations of Times TV Network which has its headquarters and operations there. Right now, Mirror Now is using the Times Now and ET Now offices to function. D’Souza says that it will be a month before the channel can resume operations in its own office.
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Times Television Network’s operations affected by Kamala Mills compound fire
Mirror Now & govt working together on public issues without yelling, says Faye D’souza
Mirrow Now aims to engage viewers in 34-36 urban cities
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
