News Broadcasting
Sahara TV readies comprehensive assembly poll coverage
With assembly elections to the some key states round the corner, Hindi general entertainment channel Sahara TV plans to provide comprehensive election coverage to its viewers. Branded as Chunav Sangram the programme will be a run-up to the elections followed by 24-hour live telecast on 24 February, 2002.
Elections are being held in the key states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab as well as the new state of Uttaranchal (which was carved out of UP) and the northeastern state of Manipur. The time schedule of Chunav Sangram is as follows:
4 February to 23 February, 2002 7 pm to 8 pm. 24 February, 2002 onwards live non-stop coverage from 8 am on.
Starting 4 February, Sahara TV will air an hour-long election analysis programme anchored by Vinod Dua and eminent psephologist Ashok Lahiri. To make a strong impact with these discussions, Sahara TV has roped in names like Ashwini Minna, Mahesh Bhatt, Tarun Tejpal, JS Malhotra, Vivek Bharati, Shankarsan Thakur and Purshottam Agarwal who will form an exclusive panel of analysts. Besides these, the programme will also have senior politicians joining the studio discussions from time to time.
The election special programme will take off with a benchmark projection poll indicating the likely positions of the parties in the forthcoming elections followed by a series of election related daily opinion polls.
The hour-long Chunav Sangram will also include an interesting segment offering on-the-spot election related investigative stories by Nalini Singh highlighting issues like corruption, misuse of official machinery, use of guns, nepotism etc
Commenting on this initiative, Priya Raj, V-P (publicity, promotion & PR), Sahara TV said: “The election special programme Chunav Sangram reiterates Sahara TVs commitment towards providing up-to-date and quality news coverage to our viewers. Chunav Sangram is a unique value added information package in todays clutter of news. Our focus on precision and quality achieved with the help of the state-of-art technology, a large team of newsmen and leading experts with our own inimitable Vinod Dua – will help viewers make sense of the current political scenario helping them to make an informed decision during the forthcoming elections.
Sahara TV has made arrangements to provide 24-hour live telecast of these elections on 24 February involving 400 newsmen. Beginning from 8 am the programme will analyse the results in four states.
Sahara TVs studios in Noida, New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Imphal will be providing the necessary live inputs. Sahara TV will use its online VSAT connectivity to receive up-to-date election news from UP (Meerut, Agra, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Bareily, Lucknow); Punjab (Chandigarh, Bhatinda, Amritsar, patiala), Uttaranchal (Dehradun, Nainital), Imphal and Delhi City Centre for the election coverage.
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.
