News Broadcasting
Nimbus’ Khurana to target C&S channels, films for growth
MUMBAI: The newly appointed Nimbus MD and CEO Dr Akash Khurana has already starting initiating the process of making Nimbus a “creative powerhouse” as well as “lean, mean and keen” – the new Nimbus mantra.
Buoyed with the success that Nimbus achieved in the last financial year – a turnover of Rs 1.5 billion that was partly due to the World Cup cricket deals – the company has plans to replicate the “successful sports marketing” model to other areas of operations.
Dr Khurana has created the road map for the next two or three years wherein growth will be driven by expanding the presence in the television sphere – especially in cable and satellite (C&S) channels in addition to Doordarshan’s affiliate channels; expanding off-shore presence in international TV sales by leveraging the Nimbus catalogue and outsourcing other content from independent producers; and feature films involving collaborations with foreign partners. Sports will still remain a major area of focus.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Dr Khurana says: “It is critical that we expand our presence in the C&S space. I have plans to create a separate cell within Nimbus and bring in a lot of talent on board.”
The mandate clearly is to convert novel ideals into content offerings that would be lapped by the audiences. However, Dr Khurana adds that he would ensure that every new project is backed by substantial research.
Dr Khurana is also bullish about the movie entertainment business. He has ambitious plans to tie-up with foreign production houses and make films that would have a global audience. Nimbus already has some projects on the floor – Sarhad Paar starring Sanjay Dutt, another Hindi film and a Telugu film starring Venkatesh. “We are aiming to emerge as a strong player in the motion picture business in the global arena. Already, we have a foothold in two of the most lucrative domestic film markets – Hindi films and Telugu films. The success that we have obtained in the field of sports, or rather cricket, will be replicated in the feature film arena.”
Nimbus also has plans to set up satellite offices in several metros (apart from it’s traditional strongholds in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai).
“The vision is to consolidate our existing operations and develop revenues from new opportunities. We plan to grow exponentially. But, success isn’t merely a graph on the wall that depicts growth and profits. Success has to create wealth that will make a useful contribution to the company even in the future,” says Dr Khurana.
It looks as if the man in the driver’s seat is seriously planning to carry on the good work of his predecessor. And to prove the point he was wearing a “Nimbuster” T-shirt while working in his office on a Saturday.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
