News Broadcasting
Russia to unveil 24×7 English news channel
MUMBAI: It’s not just the French that are looking to present their point of view to a wider global audience. To air the Russian perspective to the international audience and media, a 24-hour English news channel Russia Today is soon to be launched by state-funded RIA Novosti news agency.
According to media reports, Russia Today is scheduled to go on air by end-2005. The Russian equivalent of ‘Voice of America’, which is a brainchild Mikhail Y. Lesin, a media businessman and an advisor to President Vladimir V Putin who is realising a long-cherished goal.
The 24-hour news channel will broadcast to Europe, North America and Asia, to reflect the Russian voice. The news channel will cover international as well as Russian news. The channel will employee as many as 200 professionals and has a budget of about $30 million.
Margarita Simonyan has been named editor in-chief of Russia Today.
Simonyan said, “We do not want to change the professional format developed by such TV channels as the BBC, CNN and Euronews. We want to reflect Russia’s opinion of the world and to make Russia clearer for understanding.”
The state-controlled RIA-Novosti news agency and television station Rossiya will provide journalists and premises for Russia Today TV.
Some observers have suggested that the creation of the channel is a financially dubious effort to counter Western concerns that President Vladimir Putin is returning to more authoritarian Soviet ways, sparked in part by the politically charged drive against oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his Yukos oil empire.
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.
