News Broadcasting
Star News churns out ‘Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri’ for Maharashtra Assembly Elections
MUMBAI: It is election time again and Star News has once readied a bouquet of election related programming.
The channel has already kick started its elections coverage through a special segment – Maharashtra Mein Mahabharat, which reports the latest developments related to the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
The specialised election programming will be aired under its well-established umbrella brand Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri, a series that covers news from the audience’s perspective.
Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri’s coverage will start with the first opinion poll special – Pehli Tasveer, which will be aired on 18 September at 8 pm. This show will look at the initial signs of the emerging political scenario in the state.
This will be followed by a half-hour debate show – Kahiye Netaji – to be aired daily at 9.30 pm from 26 September. This show will bring politicians from a particular constituency face to face with their electorates for a live uncensored debate.
Starting 27 September, Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri – MAHArashtra Chunaav will provide updates on the election related developments from across Maharashtra. This half hour daily would be aired twice a day – 6.30 pm and 11.30 pm.
Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri – Taaza Tasveer, on the other hand, will present the findings of the second round of opinion polls closer to the voting day. The show will be aiming to present the emerging political picture at that time and an analysis of the same.
On the day of voting – 13 October – Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri would report on voting related developments and news followed by an Exit Poll special – Kaisi Hain Tasveer.
Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri – Aapka Hukum will report on the latest tally and results on counting day – 16 October throughout the day, followed by a post poll analysis special – Kahin Kursi Kahin Gham, which will be aired on 17 October at 8 pm.
Political analyst and commentator Mahesh Rangarajan will be Star News’ resident expert through the entire elections coverage and will provide analysis on the opinion polls, exit polls and post poll analysis shows. The channels’ anchors Gaurav Banerjee, Ajay Kumar, Sandeep Choudhary, Siddharth Sharma and Shazia Ilmi will be anchoring the various elections specials.
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.
