News Broadcasting
Times Now leadership continues, new launches notwithstanding, says MK Anand
MUMBAI: The past month or so has seen the noise levels in the English news television space reaching a crescendo with the launch of the Arnab Goswami-helmed Republic TV which has been grabbing all the media space.
We now turn the focus on The Times Network which has been the frontrunner in this space, with its Times Now and Mirror Now (earlier, Magic Bricks Now) channels. The MK Anand-headed news network says it is doing very well, the claims by Hotstar and Republic TV, notwithstanding.
The English news channel has been pushing the tag line “Times Now Next Level.” Led by one of the more familiar news anchors and just-promoted editor-in-chief Rahul Shivshankar, it is further planning to strengthen its leadership in the news space as the most cutting-edge, engaging, and dynamic news destination in India.
Shivshankar along with veteran news anchors Navika Kumar and Anand Narasimhan are setting the pace to position Times Now as “a channel that is constantly redefining and reinventing news broadcast in India, with‘Next Level,’ and giving its viewers an innovative, immersive and involved experience.”
The news network says that shows such as ‘The Newshour Debate’ and “India Upfront”- the relative percentage shares of which have reached 60 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively, in the current week – have been recording maximum viewership in prime time. Whether it’s the expose of the Hurriyat-ISI link or #MallyaGate, Times Now claims it has seen its average weekly impressions grow by 66 per cent in the 13-week period since mid-December and five per cent in relative share percentage – thus living up to its pledge and justifying its brand statement ‘Action Begins Here.’
Recently, it introduced The Morning NewsHour in Hindi in order to expand its viewer base. “The idea is to convert an educated non-English news watcher to become a viewer of English news,” Times Network CEO and MD MK Anand says.
Additionally, it has also rolled out its Times Now HD service in order to gives viewers a better viewing experience.
Its presence on social – through up-to the minute updates – has a humungous 15 million followers and its Times Now App is also beginning to get traction. Finally, Anand points out that its 3D VR newsroom and a virtual studio, enhances the viewers experience. With a 360-degree view, the network has been working on presenting the future of news reporting with a cutting-edge technology.
Concepts such as ‘Snapwrap’ and ‘Picture Book’ are helping viewers keep a track of all the news throughout the day at a glimpse with pictures onscreen. ‘News Day360’ gets five critical developments on the two biggest stories of the channel whereas ‘Top10’ gives 10 important highlights to the viewers while they are hooked on to the main story. From connecting with viewers on-air to online, Times Now, Anand says, is changing the face of newsroom reporting.
Also Read :
Drop in news viewership rating, Aaj Tak & Times Now retain respective leads
Arnab’s ‘The Newshour’ lands Times Now in soup in UK
Times Now will be globally ‘regional’, non-mirror HD by next quarter
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
