News Broadcasting
News18’s ‘Natkhat Kanha’ proves a roaring success with viewers
Mumbai: Krishna Janmashtami, the festival which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is celebrated annually with much enthusiasm in India. Thousands of devotees spend the day praying and remembering Lord Krishna.
Like every year, the News18 HSM network also did its part to bring the celebrations alive by organising its hugely popular “Natkhat Kanha” contest on News18 Rajasthan, News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, News18 Bihar/Jharkhand & News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand. The contest entailed asking viewers to share a picture of their children dressed up as Kanha.
The content was widely promoted across not only the News18 HSM channels but also on social media. “The campaign delivered over six million impressions and an engagement of over two million – a huge testimony to the popularity of the campaign”, said the statement.
Over 11 thousand viewers participated in this unique way of celebrating Janmashtami, wherein they shared adorable pictures of their tiny ones dressed as Kanha. The winners were announced during the on-air coverage of Janmashtami celebrations.
As the region’s leading network, this viewer engagement campaign is an integral part of the efforts to bring relevant content that viewers can not only relate to but actively engage with, said the broadcast network in a statement.
News18 Network India’s largest news network, a part of Network18 operates 17 general news channels in India as well as in other countries. The network’s flagship English general news channel is CNN-News18 and the Hindi general news channel is News18 India. TV18 operates a bouquet of 13 regional news channels namely News18 Urdu, News18 Rajasthan, News18 Bihar/Jharkhand, News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, News18 Bangla, News18 Kannada, News18 Gujarati, News18 Odia, News18/Punjab/Haryana/Himachal Pradesh, News18 Kerala, News18 Tamil Nadu and News18 Assam/North East.
TV18 also operates a joint venture with the Lokmat Group which houses the Marathi news channel News18 Lokmat. To cover the global audience & sizable NRI population, TV18 operates News18, a twenty-four-hour television news channel designed to give global audiences a window into the world’s largest democracy.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
