On Thursday 13th June, TV18 Broadcast, India’s premier news and entertainment network, announced the launch of ‘News18 India’, a 24-hr television news channel designed to give global audiences a window into the world’s largest democracy. News18 India will be distributed in the UK and other International markets by IndiaCast, a strategic joint venture between TV18 and Viacom18 and one of India’s largest multi-platform content aggregators. Following the entry into UK, News18 India will be launching across the globe including key diaspora markets such as the US, Canada, Middle east and Australia.
Being a part of one of India’s most respected news stables across television and digital media, News18 India is well-positioned to set a new benchmark amongst South Asian media offerings globally. Led by some of the most credible faces in Indian journalism, News18 India is being produced by the same award winning editorial team that runs TV18’s market leading news services.
Network18 Group, owner of TV18 and one of India’s largest media companies, is home to some of the country’s most influential news brands including the nation’s most awarded English news channel (CNN-IBN), No.1 English and Hindi business channels (CNBC-TV18 & CNBC Awaaz) and a suite of market leading digital brands in the current affairs & opinion and financial news spaces (ibnlive.com, moneycontrol.com, firstpost.com). Cumulatively, the news services of the group reaches out to more than 100 million viewers on an average every month and the group’s digital news brands attract over 18 million unique visitors on an average every month, according to TAM and comScore respectively.
Unlike other Indian news services available in international markets which are essentially re-transmissions of the local domestic channels in India, News18 will offer a dynamic and customized blend of programming that reflects the interests and needs of the large and highly engaged diaspora spread across the globe.
Through a power packed format including bulletins, news feature shows, exclusive interviews and rich graphics, News18 India will deliver a wide gamut of content spanning general and business news. From the latest in politics and current affairs to the inside track in Bollywood, from the latest trends in the economy to the top newsmakers, the channel will be a one-stop destination for all the latest from the sub-continent. Program schedules will also reflect the day part viewing habits of respective markets, thereby ensuring greater relevance and impact for audiences.
Commenting on this, Raghav Bahl, Founder & Editor, Network18 said “India’s resurgence on the world stage is evident from the almost insatiable global interest in its present as well as its future. This presents a compelling opportunity to deliver a service that fulfills this need in a relevant manner and News18 India is our answer”
Adding further, B. Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network18 commented “We believe that apart from mass entertainment, news can be another major growth driver for good quality Indian content, if it is distilled well for global audiences. News18 India is a pioneering and innovative service designed to do so and in the process bring the best in Indian journalism to households around the world in a unique way”
Speaking on this development, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-In-Chief, IBN Network said “It is an honour and a delight to be part of the launch of News18 India in the United Kingdom and bring India’s most credible and formidable news network to a global audience. At a time when the world is watching India, we hope to be the world’s window into India”
Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast added “News 18 India fulfills the clear need in the International market for a comprehensive business & political news service focused on India. We are delighted to launch this service first in UK – one of the biggest markets for Indian Diaspora overseas, & one with very strong & entrenched ties with India. The addition of News 18 India is yet another step in step in IndiaCast’s portfolio expansion of brands for the Indian community overseas.”
