News Broadcasting
Southern Spice hunts for Hyderabadi veejays
MUMBAI: Road shows, youth hangouts and extensive press promotions mark Southern Spice Music’s launch of the veejay hunt, The VJ Factor in Hyderabad this week.
The VJ Factor is a hunt for new blood on the channel, a move made to support new programming initiatives. The selected veejays would not have to be comfortable with English, the common lingo on the channel, but also with the other four South Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
The channel, gearing for potential competition from national players this year, has already held similar VJ Hunts at Bangalore and Chennai. The elimination rounds will be held on 4 and 5 March, with the finals slated for 5 March. Southern Spice Music has planned extensive road shows, and placed promotional materials and registration forms at convenient locations such as colleges, coffee shops, pubs, multiplexes, music stores, bookstores and other youth hangouts in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Extensive television promotion of The VJ Factor is currently running on SS Music along with print ads in Andhra Jyothy and The Times of India, Hyderabad. Promos will also run on some of the malls in Hyderabad.
360 degrees, a Times Group division will manage the event, that is to be sponsored by Sand piper Azaad Panchee After Dark Parties. According to sales and marketing head Nischal Kumtakar, SS Music has now achieved 96 per cent connectivity in South India, and has bagged several new clients including Motorola, Hero Honda, Thomson TV, Airtel and Johnson & Johnson.
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.
