News Broadcasting
These were India’s top 5 News & Information sites on General Election Results Day
MUMBAI: The 2019 Indian general elections result day, i.e. May 23rd 2019 was judgement day for news and information media across the country, as media outlets touched their annual peak traffic, both in terms of traffic and subsequent ad revenues.
According to the latest report by comScore, a leading global cross-platform measurement and analytics company, the number of unique visitors (UVs) accessing News/Information sites on their Android smartphone is significantly higher than desktop UVs, with Times Internet Limited ranking first.
The report noted differences in how users accessed these sites and their behaviour across devices, namely desktop and Android smartphones. Besides Times Internet,Dailyhunt, which was not featured in the top five entities in terms of desktop UVs, was ranked 5th with over 12 million Android smartphone UVs on Election D-day. The single day Android smartphone UVs to the top five sites composed of 26%, 17%, 17%, 18% and 25% of their respective monthly reported numbers in May 2019.
Besides the total number of users, Times Internet also led the pack with more than 28 million desktop page views and 152 million android web page views on 23 May 2019. Zee Digital has a disproportionately high android smartphone web traction of over 45 million views as compared to its 7 million desktop page views, while India Today’s 95 million android web page views were nearly 4.5X its desktop page views. This is in line with the notion of India being a mobile-first digital population, with millions of users accessing sites exclusively through their mobile devices.
The report also looks at traction registered by regional media entities. The top placed site in those rankings has recorded less than a fourth of the visitors to Times Internet on Android phones, showing that news consumption on languages still has some headroom to grow in India.
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.
