Top 10 News Channels in India

1. Aaj Tak

Aaj Tak was first broadcast on Doordarshan ‘s DD Metro in 1995. It aired as a 10:20 pm news programme. Aaj Tak came into existence as an independent news channel in December 1999 and became the country’s first all-Hindi news channel broadcasting 24 hours a day. When Aaj Tak came into existence, its reach was 5.2 million homes, and since then it has grown to reach 30 million homes, with a viewership share of 55% among news channels .

  • 2001 – Selected as News Channel of the Year at the Indian Television Academy Awards.
  • 2002 – Aaj Tak won the Indian Television Academy Award for Best News Channel.
  • 2003 – Aaj Tak received the Indian Telly Award for Best News Channel.
  • 2004 – Aaj Tak received the award for Best Media Campaign.
  • 2006 – Super Brands India selected Aaj Tak as the Best Super Brand.
  • 2008 – Aaj Tak received the Best News Channel award at the Gold Awards ceremony.
  • 2009 – World Brand Congress honoured Aaj Tak with the Global Award for Brand Excellence .
  • 2011 – Aaj Tak received the Best Hindi News Channel award for the eleventh consecutive year.
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2. News18 India

News18 India is an Indian Hindi-language television channel owned by the Network18 Group. It was launched in 2005 as Channel 7 by Jagran Prakashan and acquired in 2006 by Network18 Group and rebranded IBN7. In 2016 it took its current name. In 2013, News18 India launched, on channel 520 on the UK’s Sky TV platform News18, a live version of the parent channel.[1] In 2014, News18 launched in the U.S.

  1.  Baddhan, Raj (1 July 2013). “News18 India launches on Sky Digital in UK”. BizAsia. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  2.  Sandhu, Amandeep, and Gurshamshir Singh Waraich. “The Protest: A Battle of Media Narratives.” In The Indian Farmers’ Protest of 2020–2021, pp. 187-202. Routledge India.
  3.  “News18 इंडिया aar paar Show, All aar paar Videos, Hindi News Videos: News18India.com” [All Aar Paar Videos from News18 India’s Aar Paar Show: Watch Hindi News Videos on News18India.com]. News18 India (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  4. [News18 India Brings New Debate Show ‘Desh Nahi Jhukne Denge’ with Aman Chopra]. News18 India (in Hindi). 11 October 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
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3. India TV

India TV is an Indian Hindi-language right-wing news channel based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The channel was launched on 20 May 2004 by Rajat Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan. The channel is a subsidiary of Independent News Service, which was co-founded by Sharma and Dhawan in 1997. A rebranding of the channel took place in February 2022.

  1.  https://gnet-research.org/2024/01/05/the-role-of-far-right-media-houses-and-organisations-in-disseminating-hindu-nationalist-love-jihad-narratives-on-x/
  2.  “News channel promises to be different”. The Hindu. 19 April 2004. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  3.  Dev, Atul; Donthi, Praveen (1 December 2016). “Our Man in the Studio”. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  4.  “Terrorists Ring Up India TV Twice During Siege Using Hostages’ Cellphones”. Businesswire India. 27 November 2007. Archived from the original on 18 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  5.  Sharma, Sheenu (18 February 2022). “India TV refreshes brand with new look on Rajat Sharma’s birthday”. indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  6.  Dev, Atul; Donthi, Praveen (1 December 2016). “Rajat Sharma’s path to becoming India’s most powerful editor-entrepreneur”. The Caravan. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
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4. Republic TV

Republic TV is an Indian right-wing English-language news channel launched in May 2017. It was co-founded by Arnab Goswami and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, before the latter relinquished his stake in May 2019, converting it into an editor controlled company. It has been accused of practicing biased reporting in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); it has broadcast misinformation and Islamophobic rhetoric on multiple occasions. The channel has been convicted of breaching Telecom Regulatory Authority of India rules.

Retrieved 9 October 2020. Zeinab Farokhi explores how two prominent Indian English news channels, Time Now and Republic TV, have coopted Twitter to promote Hindu nationalism amongst Indian audiences. She analyzes how the news channels exploit Twitter to fabricate emotional ‘felt truths’ about Muslims, in efforts to bring the ‘Hindu’ party into power. … two right-wing English mainstream news channels, Republic TV and Times Now, have employed Twitter to stir up emotions, and promote Hindu nationalist ideology and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

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5. Zee News

Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language right-wing  news channel owned by Subhash Chandra‘s Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation.

The channel has been involved in several controversies and has broadcast fabricated news stories on multiple occasions. The channel has been subjected to an ongoing criminal defamation case against legislator Mahua Moitra as of March 2020.

  1. Siddiqui, Mohammad Amaan (5 January 2024). “The Role of Far-Right Media Houses and Organisations in Disseminating Hindu Nationalist ‘Love Jihad’ Narratives on X”. GNET. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  2.  “Our Companies: Zee Media Corporation Limited”. esselgroup.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  3.  “Director Reports, Company Results of Zee Media Corporation”. NDTV Profit. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  4.  Mohan, Archis (1 June 2016). “Subhash Chandra bets on BJP support for Rajya Sabha entry”. Business Standard India. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  5.  List of sources: Bhushan, Sandeep (29 June 2019). “Book extract: Republic TV, age of fake news and promoters in Indian TV newsrooms”
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6. CNN-News18

CNN-News18 is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides international coverage for the channel, while Indian Broadcasting Network concentrates on Indian and local reports. In May 2014, Reliance Industries announced it would be taking over Network18 Group. The move was touted as “the biggest-ever deal in the Indian media space”. Reliance Industries already had indirect control of the TV18 network by virtue of investments it made in Network18 starting from January 2012.

  1. “Network18 Website on CNN-IBN”. network18online.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  2.  Seib, Philip (2008). The Al Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-59797-200-0.
  3.  Baruah, Amit; Mishra, Lalatendu (30 May 2014). “Reliance to take over Network 18”. The Hindu. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  4.  Malvania, Urvi (17 August 2013). “Layoffs at TV18 group”. Business Standard. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  5.  Sharma, Betwa (12 June 2014). “Corporate takeover raises Indian media fears“.


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7. ABP News

ABP News is an Indian Hindi-language free-to-air television news channel owned by ABP Group. Initially launched as Star News in 1998, it was later acquired by the ABP Group (ABP). It won the Best Hindi News Channel award in the 21st edition of the Indian Television Academy Awards in 2022.

  1.  “Indian Television Academy Awards 2022 Winners”. DESIblitz. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  2.  Kohli-Khandekar, Vanita (July 2013). “The race to become ABP News”. Business Standard.
  3.  “ABP group confirms STAR deal”. economictimes.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
  4.  “indiantelevision.com – Star, ABP announce divorce”. indiantelevision.com. 16 April 2012.
  5.  “ABP’s Punjabi channel, Sanjha, finally gets its licence”. Indian Television Dot Com. 30 July 2014.
  6.  Dhiman, Mukta (5 November 2016). “Avinash Pandey elevated to COO of ABP News Network. It closed in the United Kingdom on 1st July”.
  7.  “ABP News Network Rebrands Itself As ABP Network; CEO Avinash Pandey Launches New Logo“.

 

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8. Times Now

Times Now is an English-language news channel in India owned and operated by The Times Group. The channel launched on 23 January 2006 in partnership with Reuters. It is a pay television throughout India. Until 2016, it was India’s most popular and the most viewed English news channel. The channel is widely seen as supportive of Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Times Now has been criticised for reporting misinformation.

  1. Daya Kishan Thussu (9 January 2008). News as Entertainment: The Rise of Global Infotainment. SAGE Publications. pp. 100–. ISBN 978-1-84787-506-8. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2.  Chandran, Bipin (14 June 2013). “Reuters to pay $19 mn for 26% in Times Now”. Bipin Chandran. Business Standard. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3.  Maheshwari, Pradyuman (6 February 2016). “Can any English news channel beat the just turned 10 Times Now?”. Pradyuman Maheshwari. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4.  Boria Majumdar; Nalin Mehta (7 May 2009). India and the Olympics. Routledge. pp. 9–. ISBN 978-1-135-27575-4. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  5.  “India’s Times Now news channel to launch in UK”. James Crabtre. Financial Times. 15 November 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
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9. TV9 Bharatvarsh

TV9 Bharatvarsh is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by the TV9 Network. Launched on 30 March 2019, it became one of the most viewed Hindi news channels in India within a year. TV9 Bharatvarsh appointed Barun Das as CEO in 2019. It has been doing 24/7 coverage of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. TV9 Network, also launched Money9, a multilingual personal finance OTT Channel with seven language options in Hindi, English, Bangla, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Kannada.

  1.  “TV9 Bharatvarsh hosts the first ever ‘Satta Sammelan’ in Lucknow”. Media Infoline. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  2.  “TV9 Bharatvarsh launched; to focus on investigative journalism”. Indian Television Dot Com. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  3.  “TV9’s Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh to be launched today”. Exchange4media. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4.  Dutta, Amrita Nayak (15 July 2020). “Rajat Sharma-led NBA claims manipulation in TV9 Bharatvarsh ratings, channel cries defamation”. ThePrint. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  5.  “TV9 Bharatvarsh is the new No. 2 Hindi news channel; Aaj Tak retains top slot”. www.bestmediaifo.com. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  6.  “TV9 appoints Barun Das as CEO – ET BrandEquity”. ETBrandEquity.com. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
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10. DD News

DD News is an Indian free-to-air Hindi-language public broadcast television news channel, owned and operated by Doordarshan, one of the two divisions of Prasar Bharati under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It was launched on 11 November 2003 as the nation’s first 24-hour news channel to be available on both cable and terrestrial platforms to replace DD Metro. The proposal of its launch was subsequently approved by the Union Cabinet in a meeting held on 3 October 2003.  DD Metro was converted into a 24-hour TV news channel, into DD News, which launched on 3 November 2003. During its initial years, its terrestrial reach was 21.6% by area and 44.9% by population of India.

  1.  @shashidigital (24 January 2019). “English News viewership of @DDNewsLive was always high. It is now getting measured and reported separately by…” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2.  @shashidigital (24 January 2019). “All DTH and Cable platforms are being advised regarding the same so that DD India is listed correctly under English…” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3.  “DD News – Apps on Google Play”.
  4.  “DD News on the App Store”. iTunes. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016.
  5.  [dead link]
  6.  “DD News launches revamped App”. DD News. DDNews. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  7.  “India’s national broadcaster DD News faces flak from opposition leaders over new logo”. WION. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
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