News Broadcasting
YouTubes just the beginning for AwesomenessTV
CANNES: “Kids and teens are on YouTube and while adults like to eat meals, kids prefer snacks. And they can snack the whole day,” said AwesomenessTV CEO and founder Brian Robbins in his media keynote, adding, “Deliver what they want, when they want, and also constantly refresh it.”
It was Robbins’ experience of the way his own kids consumed content that led to the launch of AwesomenessTV – a YouTube exclusive channel for kids and teens – last year. It was purchased in May this year by Jeffrey Katzenberg’s DreamWorks Animation.
Robbins said it was important to create videos that were funny, creative and yet relevant to kids and that uploading these videos on YouTube was the best form of engaging kids.
About the online blast, Robbins said: “What’s happening online today is similar to what happened on TV 25 years ago. We want to engage in two-way communication. Every producer should be aware of their target audience. We know who our viewers are and what they’re telling us.”
While AwesomenessTV boasts one million subscribers and 200 million video views, YouTube is just the beginning for Robbins. “We are going to have a presence everywhere. We are currently working on a mobile app and also PlayStation access. We have a big network in UK and also see opportunity in Brazil. We are looking at creating new audiences every time,” he said.
At the same time, Robbins sees great opportunity in starting something on YouTube and building an audience and then taking it to TV. “We are giving Dreamworks another platform to build its audience and also market its movies,” he said.
Comparing AwesomenessTV with say a Nickelodeon, Robbins said while Nick could produce only two pilots to ensure success, they could produce multiple pilots a day. Nickelodeon apart, Robbins argued that most channels today do not create enough fresh content. “One can see only four to five hours of fresh content on the channels. Mobile gives kids options to choose from,” he said.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
