News Broadcasting
Times Now regains top slot in English news genre
MUMBAI: After a long gap of 64 weeks, Times Now has dethroned Republic TV from its top slot. The Arnab Goswami-led channel’s streak was broken as it occupied the pole position since its launch on 6 May 2017.
In Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for week 31, Aaj Tak led the charts in all the three markets. Zee News exited the top five in Hindi news rural market.
Recently, Republic TV had complained to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India about Times Now getting the channel re-slotted under Hindi news genre on distribution platforms, impacting viewership data.
English News
This week Times Now found itself at the top position in English News genre with 734 impressions (000s) sum as compared to 806 impressions (000s) sum last week. Whereas Republic TV was at second position with 705 impressions (000s) sum, followed by India Today Television at third position with 246 impressions (000s) sum. CNN News 18 and NDTV24x7 maintained their fourth and fifth positions with 236 impressions and 174 impressions (000s) sum respectively.
English Business News
CNBC TV18 maintained its top position in English business news genre with 705 impressions (000s) sum as compared to 644 impressions (000s) sum, followed by ET Now and BTVI at second and third positions with 197 impressions (000s) sum and 96 impressions (000s) sum. CNBC TV 18 Prime HD was at fourth position with 25 impressions (000s) sum as compared to 28 impressions (000s) sum.
Hindi News (U+R)
Aaj Tak continued to rule the Hindi news genre with 149487 (000s) sum impressions as compared to 164150 impressions (000s) sum last week. Whereas India TV jumped to second position with 115894 impressions (000s) sums, ABP News maintained its third position with 101045 impressions. Zee News moved down to fourth position with 100705 impressions (000s) sum, as compared to 107966 impressions (000s) last week. News 18 India was at fifth position with 99687 impressions (000s) sum.
Hindi News Rural
Aaj Tak also continued to to dominate in Hindi news (R) with 73376 impressions (000s) sum as compared to 76189 impressions (000s) sum last week. ABP News maintained its second position this week with 47674 impressions (000s) sum, followed by India TV at third position with 45738 impressions. News18 India replaced Zee News with 41201 impressions (000s) sum. News Nation was at fifth position with 40320impressions (000s) sum as compared to 40241 impressions (000s) sum last week.
Hindi News Urban
Aaj Tak maintained its top position in Hindi news genre (U) with 76112 impressions (000s) sum as compared to 87961 impressions (000s) sum. India TV found itself at second position with 70156 impressions (000s) sum. Zee News was at third position with 60523 impressions (000s) as compared to 67186 impressions (000s) last week. News 18 India and ABP News maintained theur fourth and fifth with 58486 impressions and 53371 impressions (000s) sum respectively.
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.
