News Broadcasting
Political epicentre Lucknow buzzed while nation witnessed India TV’s ‘Chunav Manch’ UP
MUMBAI: The second edition of India TV’s Mega-Conclave Chunav Manch UP came out a notch higher of its hugely successful predecessor. While the scale of execution or the participation was very much at par with the splendid first edition, the differentiating fire for the most part came from the overtly charged participation both from the political heavyweights, those were grilled and the equally celebrated audiences. The ground event was managed by ThinkXQ.
Enviable line-up of participation, that India TV is known for in its Events, included real heavyweights from the top political formations in fray. The format that was a strategic and considered mix of top personalities being grilled in one-on-one sessions to passionate debates those were moderated by India TV top News Anchors. None less than a couple of Aap Ki Adalat Specials conducted by IndiaTV Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma himself was surely the highlight.
While the Political biggies took potshots at one another, certain sessions with heavyweights like BJP’s Yogi Adityanath, SP leader Abu Azmi, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra, former BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya and Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, sizzled with high-pitched & heated debates. Rajat Sharma led from the front by grilling Akhilesh Yadav and Amit Shah during the Adalat Specials.
As the avid political watchers were having a full feast of political dose with top leaders, those also included BJP’s Jagdambika Pal, Congress’ Salman Khursheed, Naved Siddiqui, Union minister of state Anupriya Patel, BJP’s Manoj Tiwari, SP’s Udayvir Singh, BJP’s Bhupendra Yadav, SP Leader Naresh Agrawal, India TV dished out for its discerning audiences yet another dose of fresh quality content.
India TV MD & CEO Ritu Dhawan on the huge success of event said, “Team strived hard to match the bar set by India TV’s benchmark on-ground initiatives including the previous version of Chunav Manch. With the massive feedback we have received, both on the innovative format & content, our competition with ourselves is reaching the next level.”
“We are happy that we are keeping our audience happy with solid content.” she added while highlighting the tireless effort that goes into keeping India TV content initiatives a level up over the competition.
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.
