Mumbai: News18 Kannada, is the No1 channel in Karnataka, the channels editor Nikhil Joshi is the youngest editor there, Indiantelevision.com in conversation with Nikhil Joshi on the preparedness for the upcoming Karnataka elections, the reach of the channel both linear and digital and much more……
On your journey with News18 Kannada
It has been great and I am the youngest editor in the Karnataka electronic media, and the management has shown immense faith in me. Network 18 has a widespread bouquet to offer and is available and a great synergy which we all are working on. We move from one platform to another, one vertical to another and then connect horizontally. I feel that this is the best place for me to be right now. I am putting in my 100% to deliver and do my best
On News18 Kannada being the No1 and setting the agenda in Karnataka
The network’s strength sets us apart and that is the differentiator factor. There are various nuances but the major factor is the network’s ability to bring in variety in a very seamless and frictionless manner, being available in multiple states and covering dynamics of polity and other stories gives us an edge over our competitors. I have options to choose and as a television medium, I can choose what is visually appealing to the viewers. These stories can be from UP or MP or any other state. I don’t need to take content from a social media post. In a minute I can take the feed from the network feed and telecast it on our channel in Karnataka.
The second point is our digital extension, we are growing from strength to strength. In the month of March, the Karnataka YouTube channel touched a lifetime high in terms of subscribers, views and revenues. Our strength is the availability and the multiple verticals and extensions be it digital or broadcast, all this adds up and makes us the strongest network in the country.
Digital reach in Karnataka
We have a Kannada website which is News18 Kannada.com, we also run our business on FB, Instagram and YouTube and we have Daily Hunt as our news aggregator. With respect to YouTube, we have about 2.05 million subscribers as of today and it is growing. In the month of March, we added close to 1 lac subscribers. Earlier there was a different style of working previously now in the past couple of months the methods and means of working has changed and that change is definitely for the good. The numbers I am quoting are not fudged and it is readily available in the public domain.
Digital consumption in Karnataka happens in a very interesting manner depending on time band and age group, certain content which works in a particular time band and an age group that is logging in to check that content. We are constantly trying to understand which age group logs in when, the likes and dislikes, and the kind of content that will work at what time of the day. Most importantly the most loyal viewership comes from the age group of 35 – 55, this is the earning mobile population, they are on the move and not watching TV at an appointed time, but are watching the content on their phones.
On the News strategy for the upcoming Karnataka elections
Most of our competitors are racing to be the NO 1 and this being done by a few in Karnataka is all about making a noise. We are doing the highest number of election-related stories from the ground. The show ‘Jana, Mana, Mata’ the title in 3 words explains the show. It’s about the people, what is there in their minds and how will it translate into a vote. We do constituency profiling where the team is visiting all the constituencies to understand the dynamics based on how the voting will happen this time around. This show is touching 100 episodes and we would have done 130 constituencies in the next couple of weeks.
There are other shows called, ‘Chunavana Churmuri’, and ‘Chunavane Masale’. The first show is a short snippet capsule, which primarily pokes fun at politicians and political activities in a very healthy manner and the lines of decency are not crossed. Which is the thumb rule for us.
‘Chunavane Masale’ is anchored by a celebrity guest, P D Satish who is a theatre artist, whose forte is comedy. The show travelled to the biggest and known places which serve the best Masala Dosas. The show is Democracy with Masala Dosa.. talk show. The show is garnering a lot of eyeballs and getting positive feedback form the people. They want to talk so the best way to talk is while eating some of the best dosas.
‘Chunavane Chaduranga’, is a political analytical show, we pick 3 -4 stories which are trending on a particular day and then we analyse the news. The show has also guests from political parties, deep dive into it and brings out the best dimensions of a particular story for a better understanding for our viewers.
‘Election to the Point’ is anchored by me and strategically positioned as a regional programme. I travel to Kalyana Karnataka which was formerly called Hyderabad Karnataka. The show discusses the issues pertaining to that particular region. The show talks about Article 371 J, the human development index and why it is lacking, the political leaders and their roles for that region and what should be the reasons on which they should cast their votes this election.
This show has travelled to Malanadu, Coastal Karnataka, Old Mysuru region, and in the cultural capital Mysore. A show in Kittur, which was formerly called Bombay Karnataka in Hubli. These shows are very strategically positioned region-based shows which talk about their issues and their problems. It is not a generalised way of looking at issues but deep diving and talking about specific issues.
In the coming weeks, we are planning to do a big one in Bengaluru. The election show To The Point is different from the show, ‘To The Point with Nikhil Joshi’, which is on every evening and is largely politics-based due to the coming elections. The two shows are different, the show I do from the studio every day talks about the concerns of the people in the city and the State. It is a people-centric show and all topics related to this are discussed.
On the market share of the channel
For the past month, we have constantly risen over 2% and today our market share is at 12%. Our efforts have now started to quantify during this election season. It won’t be surprising if the channel touches the 15% mark in the next 3-4 months, because of the changes and it being implemented and it will have a positive impact. With every step implemented and every positive impact, I can assure you there will be growth in the market share.
On fake news
My team filters out the unnecessary and unbelievable news. There are stories which tempt you to put it on air immediately, but we don’t give in to that temptation, because we represent a brand and we do not want to be the fastest but be the most accurate. This is what we in News18 and particularly News18 Kannada believe in. This is our one-line motto, yes we want to be No. 1, fastest but if it comes at the cost of accuracy, it is a big NO. For us Accuracy, credibility comes first.
On preparation for the 2024 elections
Our network strength is what I benefit from as News 18 Kannada, we have the top heads coming onto our platform when the Home Minister of the country comes to ‘Rising India’ it is a moment of pride for all of us. The network’s strength is our strength and the team here in every possible way will add to it in every possible way. What would be my strategy as a Kannada channel, there are 28 seats in the state and very critical for the BJP. It is the only state they have a strong base and it is of great importance to the party to retain as many seats as possible for which there will be factors at play and this will keep changing as it is situational in nature. One of the factors will be PM’s visit to the state, his campaigns etc will be my first stop. My second stop will be to how the Congress and JDS will look to wean away the seats from the BJP in Karnataka and the larger picture will be to add to the tally of the opposition at the national level. My strategy is to play by my strength and trust my team to do their best and we will be taking a lot of help and support from the network. With all this coming together we will be one of the best in news presentation and news gathering.
