The New Age

Aaj Tak

The Pitch: Nation’s best news channel, aankhen khole, sabse tez.
Reality Check: Correspondents allowed to sweat; anchors given to quips and comments. Interviews in other languages retained with Hindi sub-titles. The merciless gaze promised in the retro ads, though, is not to be seen.
On-Screen Elements: Time, headlines in English, stock quotations, cricket scores, story summaries.
Personality: Urban Hindi-speaking person.

Sahara Samay

The Pitch: The world’s most advanced, Asia’s largest and India’s first, fully-automated electronic news production and state-of-the-art transmission technology.
Reality Check: It’s Amarji and Lalooji. And only shudh Hindi please! Despite the formality, anchors are friendly and stories well-mounted, going beyond headlines, albeit with a pronounced northern bias.
On-Screen Elements: Domestic and international headlines in Hindi, stock quotations, story summaries.
Personality: Cowbelt in a suit.

ZEE News

The Pitch: News at lightening speed.
Reality Check: The backdrop is lit up with TV screens playing snatches of other Zee channels. News presented competently, though the approach is more magazine than news flash.
On-Screen Elements: Date, day, time, breaking news, headlines in English and Hindi.
Personality: In a suddenly crowded market place, not clear yet.

Headlines Today

The Pitch: First all-English news channel, with sharp news for sharp people.
Reality Check: The anchors seem fresh off the plane. The snappy promos and elevator music create the ambience of an airport lounge. But this is well-paced, quick news for the wo/man on the run.
On-Screen Elements: Date, time, international/domestic/business headlines, cricket scores.
Personality: The global desi.

NDTV 24×7

The Pitch: First-ever world class news channel.
Reality Check: Impressively swanky. The familiar faces return; larger than before. The emphasis is on clarity, variety and reach in news coverage.
On-Screen Elements: Date, time, city temperatures, international and domestic headlines.
Personality: The grown-up channel.

NDTV India

The Pitch: For the high-quality mass market.
Reality Check: Subdued colours, subdued tone. The approach is avowedly professional, with a thrust on special stories.
On-Screen Elements: Date, time, city temperature, international and domestic headlines.
Personality: We’re serious.