News Broadcasting
Nickelodeon gets set for May action
Even as the Disney threat continues to loom large on the horizon, children’s channel Nickelodeon is finally making a serious play for the viewer’s attention.
After nearly 18 months of being around, Nick is seeing better carriage in Mumbai, at least. Says Sanjeev Hiremath, vice-president, network development, South Asia, licensing and merchandising, MTV India, “This kind of favourable positioning by the cable fraternity is being achieved without resorting to paying carriage fees.” Hiremath claims the channel’s reach touched 9.8 million by March and would reach 11 million this month.
Beginning this month, Nick is also going all out with some serious promotional activity in the form of movie screenings, direct contact campaigns aimed at kids, banners in various localities and contests. The channel is also trying to shed the myth that it is trying to woo viewers away from chief rival Cartoon Network. Hiremath says it would be wrong to assume that Nick’s growth depended solely on how much it could grab from Cartoon Network’s viewer base. Nick’s target audience is eight to 14-year-olds while Cartoon Network’s audience was mainly kids who were eight and under, he maintains.
Nick may well have its work cut out, considering that Pentamedia promoted Splash, another kids’ channel, is also aggressively trying to expand its presence. Splash’s current target is to fan out with telecasts to 23 of what are normally classified as the TRP metros and cities. This will comprise places like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Pune, Goa and towns of Punjab among others.
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.
