MxMIndia

Tag: Republic Bharat

  • For a "mega growth journey ahead"

    Republic expands top deck

    Republic Media Network has expanded its top management team. Objective: “solidifying” its position for a “mega growth journey ahead”.

    Here are the higlights:

    • Arun Rawat takes over as the Nation Head for Republic Bharat
    • Satabadi Sharma Pathak takes over as the Head of Republic Kannada
    • Purnasha Sharraf takes over as the National Head of Republic Bangla
    • Abhinav Sharma takes over as the Head of Republic TV
    • Sanjukta Kapoor takes a leadership role in Business Branded Content
    • Joy Michael Dsouza takes a leadership role in Government Business

    Commenting on the appointments, Hersh Bhandari, CEO (Broadcast Business) of Republic Media Network said: “I am delighted today and wish the leaders all the very best on their new roles. We know they’re going to deliver exceptionally and take Republic Media Network to heights yet to be reached in Indian media. What’s particularly satisfying to me today is that Republic cultivates talent and unleashes them in positions of top decision-making. At a time that the Network is on the brink of a mega wave of expansion, we are confident that this team will shoulder the business objectives with passion, aggression, and innovation.”

  • The propaganda channel now makes a fool of its viewers, writes Ranjona Banerji

    News on TV: Gullibility, lack of cynicism and no scepticism!

     

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiMany people have this exalted idea about journalists – this includes some exalted journalists themselves, obviously – but let’s be honest, there’s nothing exalted about us. We spend our time digging about the filth of human existence because that’s what news is.

    There are two qualities which are paramount though, regardless of how big our egos and halos: scepticism and cynicism. Believe nothing without corroboration and the more spectacular the information, believe it even less.

    My views on what television understands as news is not secret. Usually, they don’t get it and almost everything they do is about dividing society, creating hatred, sensationalism and there increasing viewership amongst the stupid and the gullible and thus increasing ratings.

    But sometimes, TV is so spectacular that one has to bow down and applaud.

    Like with the rumours going around of a massive coup in China which had taken down their premier, Xi Jinping.

    The Whatsapp factory has been hard at work and since many TV channels in India depend on Whatsapp, fake news and BJP propaganda as credible news sources, how could they be left behind.

    The problem was two-fold.

    The first is, well, we’re talking about China.

    The second is that there was no corroborative evidence.

    Until some brave Republic Bharat person chanced upon the Twitter account of the Der Spiegel’s Beijing-based correspondent Georg Fahrion. And ran his tweets as news of confirmation about the coup.

     

    https://www.boomlive.in/fact-check/republic-bharat-coup-detat-china-xi-jinping-satire-thread-georg-fahrion-der-spiegel-twitter-misreporting-19393

     

    Fahrion put out a series of tweets, with photographs from around Beijing supposedly confirming this coup.

    The tweets are very funny and do not match the photographs in any possible manner. Only a person who has very little brain power would imagine that this obvious satire was anything but satire.

     

    Check the screenshot. How on earth could anyone imagine that this was real? Why not check with Fahrion before making a fool of yourself?

    And here’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it?

    Those who work at Republic, for instance, don’t really care if they look like fools. Their job is to make fools of their viewers. They know from experience that the people who watch their channel are not interested in the news, per se.

    First, they want their hatred for Muslims, Dalits, liberals, NGOs, supporters of all political parties except the BJP to be amplified and bolstered.

    Second, they want constant satiation of their addiction to conspiracy theories and sensationalism.

    As a BJP propaganda channel which relies on fake news, Republic is uniquely placed to fulfil those desires.

     

     

    Latest industry figures show that Republic’s viewership has dipped a bit. This does not however mean that India’s longing for fake news, misinformation and BJP propaganda has reduced. It only means that other Indian “news” channels which are not overt BJP propaganda channels have upped their game and eaten into Republic territory.

    If you’re on Twitter, do read Fahrion’s tweets. They are excellent satire.

    And if you’re on Whatsapp, you might consider using some of your remaining critical faculties to assess information that comes your way.

    If not, carry on getting taken for a ride.

    Somewhere, there are people laughing.

    And it’s not a pleasant sound.

    Maybe I should rework my intro. Gullibility, lack of cynicism and no scepticism will eventually lead all of us, not just journalists, further into the abyss.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and columnist. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays and sometimes on other days as well. Her views here are personal

     

  • #1 yet again, the Republic Media Network MD & editor-in-chief in a freewheeling chat with Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Arnab Goswami Unplugged

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    For the second consecutive week, Republic Bharat has been the numero uno Hindi news channel as per data provided by BARC. In Week 33 – which is August 15 to 21, 2020, Republic Bharat is ahead of all other Hindi news channels in terms of weekly impressions in the overall, rural and urban segments as per info on the BARC website (see chart below).

     

    Source: BARC India. Week 33: Aug 15-21, 2020. HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals

    The Republic business team also furnished us with data which highlights its performance given some slicing of demographics and we’ve requested BARC to ratify it. If and when we get the approval, we will carry it here.

     

     

    While the reason for this red hot interview was the success of Republic Bharat in the ratings roster and hence the emergence of Republic as the #1 news network in these two key languages, when you are chatting with an Arnab Goswami, you can’t not stray into issues like his journalism, the noise factor on his shows, charges of his BJP bias, etc etc.

     

    So did we do an Arnab on Arnab? No, we didn’t. We let him speak. We didn’t interject. No change in body language to put him on the defensive. This interview was done in a flash. We had to set up the Zoom call in less than five minutes. So we weren’t armed with specific instances when he has stretched himself on telly. So if were to judge it ourselves, yes, we could’ve have been tougher on him. Grilled him.

     

    But, then, we aren’t Arnab Goswami. MxMIndia editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari interviewed him the way he normally conducts other interviews. Asked him the relevant questions, joked around a bit.

     

    It’s not an Arnab on Arnab. It’s an MxM with Arnab. And Arnab let Pradyuman speak. Ha ha. Watch. Enjoy. Like.

     

    If you’d like to share this others, you can share this link. Or if you want to only share the Youtube link, please take this: http://bit.ly/mxmwitharnab

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • The network is also available to viewers in the MENA region, Canada and the UK

    Republic Media Network to be launched in US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Republic Media Network’s channels – Republic TV and  Republic Bharat will now be beamed to the United States through Dish and Sling TV, both online and TV platforms in the US.

     

    Said Priya Mukherjee, President – Distribution & International Revenue at Republic Media Network: “With strong programming and one of the widest news coverage from India, Republic TV and R Bharat have formed a special bond with viewers. Our US plans have been in the works for over a year and we don’t want to leave any stone unturned to deliver the best programming mix for our US viewers. With our compelling content, huge fondness and appreciation for the channel from the Indian diaspora internationally we will endeavour to build value through our partners for all the stakeholders.”

     

    For the US market, Republic will work with World View Media Network taking the association forward after the UK launch of R Bharat. Added Manish Vasisht, Director of World View Media Network Limited: “With the strong demand for Republic TV and R Bharat across the globe, we are excited about this association and look forward to creating one of the best user experience for English and Hindi news viewers based out of USA. We will use our international experience and expertise to grow the brand of Republic Media Network.”

     

    The network is also available to viewers in the MENA region, Canada and the UK.

     

     

  • As per unverified claims, Aaj Tak raced past Hindi general entertainment channels and Republic Bharat was third in the pecking order during the crucial four-day period dominated by the airstrike by India

    In airstrike week, Aaj Tak touches new high, Republic Bharat turns #3. Note claims not verified by BARC or by us

    By Our Research Editor

     

    We must say at the outset, that these are unverified claims. Measurement body BARC doesn’t share data with media or even verify it as it normally does because the data is said to be unstable. So while it is issued to subscribers, despite TRAI’s diktat, it’s not given to the media. Yes, BARC (and hence its three stakeholders) have (thereby) shown TRAI the finger. We learn that BARC subscribers have been urged not to use the data in advertising etc, but then that hasn’t happened.

     

    So, we at MxMIndia are in a fix. Do we not publish these claims because they aren’t verified? Or do we trust the channels/ networks and publish and care a damn about our own credibility? After all readers repose trust us – that whatever we publish is – at least to the best of our belief – is correct. Now the piece of information – or should we say pieces of information do appear to be correct, but they’ve not been verified. And hence they are not to best of our knowledge.

     

    So here’s what: as for Aaj Tak and its claim, it’s not much of rocket science. The Airstrike, News and possibly not a primetime soap, is what the world was turning to. People were keen on following up on a different set of Khatron Ke Khiladi. You get the drift. Also, in the past, Aaj Tak has scaled similar highs and outpaced even the GECs.

     

    As for Republic Bharat, the communique that has reached us is without any attribution (except to BARC), but then we saw a Facebook post with a quote from Arnab Goswami. As also a mailer which had his statement. Now we trust Goswami, and we are certain that he will not make incorrect claims. Oh, yes, we do trust Goswami, though we do have some reservations about the brand of journalism on (and of) his channel.

     

    So we are carrying this report, but please do note, it’s not something we have verified. So why are we carrying it, one may ask. Well, we didn’t carry a report on Republic Bharat’s numbers last week. But this week, the news releases are about achieving a milestone and deserve a mention. Why let these two channels suffer because of the inefficiencies in the system!

    Also, we did check on numbers with another subscriber who obviously wanted to stay anonymous.

     

    So after the foreplay, if you still have the desire to know more:

    Aaj Tak has claimed that it has broken news viewership records in Week 9 of 2019, banking on BARC India’s viewership data released to its subscribers. While the channel was No. 3 across the television universe, it raced past Hindi general entertainment channels during the crucial four-day period dominated by the airstrike by India, the dog fight of Indian and Pakistani jets, news about Abhinandan’s release and the day he was set free. [Source: BARC, TG:15+, Market: HSM, Period:wk-09’19,Gross Impression in 000s].

     

    Channel Wk-09’19 Channel last 4 Days
    Zee Anmol 6,18,402 Aaj Tak 3,69,029
    STAR Plus 4,65,102 Zee Anmol 3,08,004
    Aaj Tak 4,62,693 STAR Plus 2,73,851

     

    Among news channels, Aaj Tak garnered more than 40 per cent higher viewership as compared to the next Hindi news channel in Week 9. This margin was 47 per cent during the last four days.

     

    In the case of Republic Bharat, the channel has reported a 13 crore reach and hence entered the Top 3 bracket of Hindi news channels.

     

    In the week In question, there was an increase in the impressions by 55% i.e. from 141.68 Mn (third week) to 219.34 Mn.  The timespent on Republic Bharat has increased from 18:21 minutes (third week) per viewer to 22:30 minutes due to its vast expanse of exclusives fired on a day-on-day basis. R.Bharat witnessed a double digit growth in the HSM market making it the fastest growing Hindi news channel.

     

     

  • It’s a ratings dark period for the media and public at least as only subscribers are privy to data. Also there’s a fair amount of mess in the transitioning of subscribers to the new packas

    Republic Bharat claims 73million reach in Week 1

    By A Correspondent

    It’s a ratings-dark period for the media and public at least as only subscribers are privy to viewership data from measurement joint industry body BARCIndia. In the light of this, the launch of Republic Bharat, as noted by MxMIndia in an earlier report, would be impacted given the transition of subscribing viewers.

    Arnab Goswami in a Republic Bharat ad

    According to a communique received from Republic Bharat, in Week 1 the channel has achieved a reach of 73million. Notes the release: “In just seven days, Republic Bharat has made tremendous inroads and onboarded audiences that some established brands have taken many years to reach,” adding: “Coming on the back of storming into English news with Republic TV in May 2017, Arnab Goswami’s Hindi news brand’s Week 1 reach is unprecedented when compared to other launches within the Hindi Genre. The Highest reach genre which is Hindi Movies has seen two launches in last three years i.e. Rishtey Cineplex and Sony Wah and both the channels launched with a reach of 5 cr in its opening week and have grown today 3x of their entry reach numbers… Bharat’s extensive focus on big stories within its first week of broadcast creative massive impact with #MamtaBlocksCBI  and #ShardaStings which not only delivered blockbuster impressions on social media but have also got Republic Bharat the #2 position in West Bengal.”

    It may be noted that the above information (73mn reach) has not been verified by MxMIndia with BARC. However, according to the information we have received, that the 73mn reach – given all the distribution issues — would have been higher if the distribution systems weren’t disrupted. As would the numbers of some other channels. Also, we have learnt that with 73mn reach, Republic Bharat is not in the Top 5 Hindi channels bracket, in terms of reach. Though it’s early days still..

    Said Arnab Goswami, Editor-In-Chief and Managing Director, Republic Media Network: “This is a brilliant start. Republic Bharat has beaten six channels and has a reach of seven crore plus in week one. No Hindi channel has had such a start and it’s a matter of time before we hit no 1 now “

    Vikas Khanchandani

    Added Vikas Khanchandani, CEO Republic Network: “We are extremely happy that Republic Bharat has opened the charts with a massive 73 Mn reach in its maiden week. Our distribution and content teams have worked very hard to give us this fantastic start within the mass reach genre. The reach garnered is the highest that any new hindi channel launch has delivered in its opening week in the last 3 years. I am extremely confident that with this magnificent start the channel will move into the top slot much faster than I anticipated. I am extremely grateful to our audiences and partners that have helped us with their support and acceptance within the Hindi news category.”

    Said Shashi Sinha CEO, IPG Mediabrands: “The Republic team has worked hard to deliver a reach of 73 million in its week of launch. They have given a repeat performance on their launch strategy by delivering big/ breaking stories and delivering massive reach. It’s a very good start and will give them an opportunity to build reach and market share in the coming weeks as the news genre sampling is very high in the run up to Elections. The Hindi genre is seeing an entry of another strong brand after a long gap of six years.”

     

  • Republic Bharat, the Hindi channel from the Republic TV stable, has unveiled a new campaign of promos

    Republic Bharat launches new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    There are no dates yet, but in the run-up to its launch, Republic Bharat, the Hindi channel from the Republic TV stable, has unveiled a new campaign of promos.

     

    Said Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Republic Network: “Republic Bharat will bring back news on Hindi Channels. Our brand of journalism-putting the nation first has been accepted across the country and I am very excited about bringing this now and over 150 million more”.