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
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.
