‘Past 2 years have been the fastest in bringing change in how we think, operate & plan’

While the past two years were a challenging time for businesses across industries, the news industry evolved against all odds to serve the nation and bring to the viewers content like never before. Lauding the efforts by the news industry and especially Times Now, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network, elaborated on how the past two years have really prompted the growth of Times Network.

“The past two years have been the fastest in bringing change in how we think, work, operate, and plan. Even the news industry faced challenges like all of you did, struggling financially as the advertiser's money stopped coming in. But unlike most of you, we did not have the option to work from home. We had to ensure the safety of our reporters while bringing out relevant news to the audience that was consuming the genre more than ever as there was no fresh content coming in on other channels,” while addressing the august gathering consisting primarily of marketing and advertising professionals.

Anand, while highlighting the efforts of Times Network and its editorial stance during the past two years shared, “There was a lot of noise in 2020 with the Sushant Singh Rajput case, wherein some channels did falter creating unending drama and sensationalised it. Then came the infamous, alleged TRP scam and all of this painted the industry with a broad negative brushstroke.

"While all this was playing out in our world, we at Times Network, decided to hunker down and focus on doing what we did best. Do the right things for our viewers and advertisers, the right and honest way. The last two years, probably the darkest years of humanity in our lifetime, warranted an empathetic and responsible approach to business and life. We believe that News as a business has a responsibility to deliver that selflessly."

Anand then went on to talk about the network’s work in creating a database for the healthcare sector during the pandemic, helping people to access the right resources and creating a statistical report from findings across five countries that gave an idea of how Indian outbreak will pan out. He also spoke about the ‘India Revival Mission’ for which 600 CEOs were consulted to present a document before the government ahead of the 2021 Budget.

Apart from marquee editorial initiatives, Times Now also stood by the advertising and marketing industry and extended support in accessing critical healthcare during the pandemic, he said.

Anand wrapped his keynote address ahead of the One Show Abby Awards by stating that the Times Network has evolved immensely over the past two years, launching several new channels, rebranding the existing top channels, and bringing unbiased and honest reporting.

“We have become more Hindi, younger, and massier!” said Anand as he signed off.