Fiktiv India - Network18

Network18 Media & Investments Limited, informally referred to as the Network18 Group, is an Indian media and communications company that is majority owned by Reliance Industries. Since a restructuring in 2020, it is now the parent company of TV18, DEN Networks and Hathway Cable and Datacom. Network18 holds 37.3% stake in GTPL Hathway and a majority stake in Hathway Bhawani through its ownership of Hathway. It is also the majority owner of ViacomCBS 18, a joint venture with ViacomCBS.

The group was founded and majority owned by Raghav Bahl Ritu Kapur and Sanjay Ray Chaudhuri in 1993, after India liberalised its economy and media ownership laws in early 1990s. In the 2000s, the Group grew into one of the largest collection of media properties in India through debt financing and international licensing deals with global media brands. The Group's leadership team is headed by chairperson Adil Zainulbhai and managing director Rahul Joshi in 2019.

At its peak, the Network18 Group has included media and internet-based media outlets such as in.com, IBNlive, Moneycontrol, Firstpost, Cricketnext, Homeshop18, bookmyshow.com, print magazines such as Forbes India and Overdrive, TV channels such as Colors and some in partnership with international media groups such as NBC, CNN, IBN7, MTV, Nickelodeon, and CNBC.

Network 18 operates the following channels:
Business News
CNBC-TV18 (English)
CNBC Awaaz (Hindi)
CNBC Bajar (Gujarati)

General News
CNN-News18 (English)
News18 India (Hindi)
News18 Urdu (Urdu)

Regional News
News18 Lokmat (Marathi)
News18 Rajasthan (Rajasthani, Hindi)
News18 Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand	(Hindi)
News18 Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh (Hindi)
News18 Bihar-Jharkhand (Hindi)
News18 Bharat (Hindi)
News18 Gujarati (Gujarati)
News18 Bangla (Bengali)
News18 Odia (Odia)
News18 Kannada (Kannada)
News18 Kerala (Malayalam)
News18 Tamil Nadu (Tamil)
News18 Assam/North-East (Assamese, English)
News18 Punjab-Haryana-Himachal (Punjabi, Hindi)
News18 Goa (English, Konkani)
News18 J&K (Kashmiri, Hindi)

Entertainment
Colors
Colors Rishtey
Colors Cineplex
MTV India
MTV Beats
VH1
Comedy Central
Colors Infinity
Nickelodeon
Nick Jr.
Teennick
Nickelodeon Sonic
History TV18
FYI TV18
Home Shop 18

Regional Entertainment
Colors Marathi (Marathi)
Colors Kannada (Kannada)
Colors Super (Kannada)
Colors Kannada Cinema (Kannada)
Colors Bangla (Bengali)
Colors Bangla Cinema (Bengali)
Colors Odia (Odia)
Colors Gujarati (Gujarati)
Colors Gujarati Cinema (Gujarati)
Colors Tamil (Tamil)

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Colors is an Indian general entertainment pay television channel owned by ViacomCBS 18. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedies, youth-oriented reality shows, shows on crime and television films.

It was launched on 21 July 2008 by Viacom 18 under then Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Kamat. In less than a year, series like Balika Vadhu, Uttaran, Bigg Boss 2 and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi helped the channel to pass the decade-old market-leader Star Plus in weekly Gross Rating Points (GRPs).

Colors is Network18’s flagship brand in the mass entertainment space in India. A combination of ‘emotions’ and ‘variety’, Colors offers an entire spectrum of emotions to its viewers. From Fiction shows to Format shows to Reality shows to Blockbuster Movies – the basket contains all ‘Jazbaat Ke Rang’. Colors is dedicated to promoting ‘cohesive viewing’ and partners various events popular in the entertainment space.

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Colors Rishtey is an Indian general entertainment channel owned by ViacomCBS 18 that broadcasts re-runs of programming from the Colors.

Programs of Pakistani channels have been aired, such as Humsafar. Rishtey rebroadcasts series from many other channels as well. The channel started original production of its shows as well. Produced by BBC Media Action, Navrangi Re! is the channel's first original programming.

Rishtey is an extension of Network18’s entertainment bouquet for Indian audiences. First launched in UK as a variety entertainment channel, ‘Rishtey’ in India, features the choicest fiction shows from the Colors stable, along with its non-fiction and reality offerings and blockbuster Bollywood films.

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Colors Cineplex is an Indian pay television channel owned by ViacomCBS 18. It was launched on 29 March 2016.

Colors Cineplex is a premium Indian movie destination for great cinematic experiences. The channel provides its viewers the ultimate movie-watching experience while delivering the promise of showcasing enriching, engaging and entertaining content.

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MTV India is an Indian pay television channel specialising in music, reality, and youth culture programming. It was launched in 1996 as the Indian version of MTV and is owned by ViacomCBS 18, a joint venture operation between MTV International owner ViacomCBS and Reliance Industries' TV18. Most of the programming on the channel is produced in Hindi. MTV India has its headquarters in Vile Parle in Mumbai.

MTV, world’s premier youth brand, is a dynamic and a vibrant blend of music and pop culture. With a global reach of more than half-a-billion households, MTV is a the cultural home to the millennial generation, music fans and artists.

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MTV Beats is an Indian pay television music channel owned by ViacomCBS 18. It was lanuched in 2016, replacing Pepsi MTV Indies, an indie music and subculture channel in partnership with Pepsi Co.

MTV Beats is a music channel with focus on Bollywood and is aimed at 15 – 30 year olds across urban and rural India. MTV Beats, while catering to all eclectic music tastes, predominantly focuses on Bollywood music. To enhance the musical experience of the audience, MTV Beats offers playlists curated by some of the biggest names in the industry.

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VH1 India is an Indian subscription music television and pop culture channel. It was launched in 2005 as a result of a joint venture between MTV India and Zee-Turner, based on the American channel of the same name. It broadcasts shows like VH1 Top 10, Hit Factory and Good Morning VH1. It is now owned by ViacomCBS 18 (a joint venture of ViacomCBS and TV18).

VH1 is India’s only International entertainment channel that provides viewers with their daily dose of International music, Hollywood, Pop Culture and Lifestyle. The channel has pioneered the heady combination of programming content and live on ground activities.

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Colors Infinity is an Indian pay television channel owned by ViacomCBS 18. It primarily airs popular shows from the United States and the United Kingdom along with a few original shows to appeal to the English-speaking population of India and a few other South Asian countries. The channel lanuched on 31 July 2015.

Moving towards a new horizon in English Entertainment on Indian Television, Colors Infinity has carved a new, disruptive path, ushering in the growing international trend of ‘essential viewing’. Colors Infinity offers a varied slate of international and homegrown content to its viewers.

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Comedy Central is an Indian pay television channel owned by ViacomCBS 18. The channel is geared for mature audiences and carries comedy programming in the form of both original and syndicated series, as well as stand-up comedy specials.

Comedy Central launched in India on 23 January 2012, the product of a joint venture between ViacomCBS and TV18. To promote the then new channel and nudge viewers its way the group organised a live event featuring British comedian Russell Brand who performed in a three-city tour of New Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai, the biggest markets for English programming in India.

Comedy Central India lines up powerful programming and is the country's first channel dedicated to English language comedy.

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Nickelodeon (stylized as shorten nick) is an Indian children's pay television network based in Mumbai. It is the Indian equivalent to the original American network and is owned by ViacomCBS 18, a joint venture between ViacomCBS and TV18. The channel lanuched on 16 October 1999 as part of a distribution deal between Viacom International and Zee Entertainment Enterprises.

Nickelodeon India launched Kannada feed on 1 September 2018. Four additional language feeds in Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati and Malayalam were launched in 2020.

The channel broadcasts mostly original programmes from the US, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Top Wing, The Loud House and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In 2011 Nickelodeon started producing local animated shows in India, starting with Keymon Ache and a theatrical movie based on the series. The local strategy became successful with Motu Patlu in 2012, and they later launched more local animated series like Pakdam Pakdai in 2013, Shiva in 2015, Gattu Battu in 2017, Rudra in 2018, Golmaal Jr. in 2020 and Ting Tong in 2020.

Nickelodeon has today emerged as the preferred entertainment destination with iconic characters like Motu Patlu, Ninja Hattori, Shiva, SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles amongst others.

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Nickelodeon Sonic is an Indian children's pay television channel operated by ViacomCBS 18 as part of the Nickelodeon brand.

ViacomCBS 18 launched the channel in December 2011. When it launched, the channel mostly aired action shows like Power Rangers, Kung Fu Panda and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On 3 May 2016, the channel was rebranded with the tag line "Destination of high decibel comedy and action", and was given a new logo.

Since the rebrand, the channel has shifted its focus to comedy, even taking some shows from the main Nickelodeon channel.

The channel started airing the programmes in Bangla, Malayalam, Marathi and Gujarati language feed from 2 December 2019.

Nickelodeon Sonic provides the best of comedy and action content in India. It is targeted at kids and amounts to an annual viewership of millions. The channel boasts an array of live action and animation shows like Pakdam Pakdai, Shiva, Supa Strikas, Power Rangers and more.

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Nick Jr. India is a channel devoted to toddlers and a part of the Nickelodeon India franchise. Nick Jr. India was lanuched as a separate channel on 21 November 2012.

Nick Jr. which is ‘the smart place to play” believes that ‘education’ and ‘entertainment’ go hand-in-hand and is aimed at young parents and pre-schoolers.

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TeenNick India is a channel devoted to toddlers and a part of the Nickelodeon India franchise. The channel was lanuched on 21 November 2012, alongside Nick Jr. India.

TeenNick showcases international sitcoms such as Henry Danger, Game Shakers and Drake and Josh.

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History TV18 (formerly known as The History Channel) is a pan-Indian television channel broadcasting programmes related to historical events, infotainment and persons, owned by a joint venture between A+E Networks, owner of the American History channel, and TV18, an Indian JV media group. It is available in five languages in full HD across the Indian subcontinent.

History was first launched as The History Channel on 30 November 2003. It was launched by a joint venture between AETN International and News Corporation's STAR, through its subsidiary NGC Networks. It had aired series like Boy's Toys, Biography, Conspiracy?, Crusades, Secret Agents and Breaking Vegas and television movies like Marilyn and Me. Following the expiration of the deal between AETN and STAR on 21 November 2008, STAR took over the channel and re-branded it as Fox History & Entertainment. On 9 October 2011, The History Channel was re-launched in India as History TV18, by a joint venture between A+E Networks and TV18.

History TV18 is one of India's leading factual entertainment channels. It is part of AETN18, a joint venture between TV18 and A+E Networks which operates acclaimed global brands like History, Crime + Investigation and Lifetime. History TV18 is the leading destination for award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms.

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FYI TV18 is a lifestyle-based network owned by a joint venture between A+E Networks and TV18. The channel lanuched on 6 July 2016.

FYI TV18 is a sounding board for a generation of millennials who are at the forefront of radical change - upheavals in technology, family dynamics, gender equality, entrepreneurship etc., thus belonging to a genre of its own within the factual umbrella but embracing lifestyle. FYI TV18 makes up for dual viewing with content that is convivial and progressive.

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HomeShop18 is an Indian online and on-air shopping channel owned by the Network 18 Group division of Reliance Industries. GS Home Shopping of Korea, the third largest home shopping company in the world, has a 15% stake in the company. Network 18 has the controlling stake of 51%.

The HomeShop18 television channel was launched on 9 April 2008. The television network can be currently seen on cable, satellite and some terrestrial channels in India. It also became the country’s first ever 24/7 home shopping channel to be available on DD Free Dish reach, a free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting platform of Prasar Bharati. The channel has been made available from November 1, 2015.

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CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Rajdeep Sardesai located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently owned by Network 18. 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. 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.

CNN International only reached urban elites in India. To reach the Indian masses Time Warner together with an Indian company, Global Broadcast News (currently TV18 Broadcast Limited), launched the channel in India as CNN-IBN on 18 December 2005. The channel was completely run by TV18 Broadcast Limited, which only used the Cable News Network (CNN) brand name.

Currently, Time Warner's India-specific CNN-News18 is watched by more people than its CNN International sister network, although both channels are in English. According to Network 18, since its inception, the channel has been reaching out to an average of 45 million households every day.

At 7:57 pm, 18 April 2016, CNN-IBN rebranded as CNN-News18.

CNN-News18 is India's first and very own world class English news channel. CNN-News18 is a melting pot of some of the bravest minds and top reporting talent from India and across the globe. CNN-News18 brings news as well as feature programs. With editorial and network resources across every nook and corner of India and the globe, CNN-News18 is committed to bring to the discerning Indian viewer only the best of television journalism.

'Whatever it takes' stems from the never-say-die spirit that pushes people to accomplish the impossible. It's about redefining the limits and challenging one's own potential. At CNN-News18, this spirit is embedded in our DNA. It's about a team of over 4,800 passionate truth seekers the world over, putting their foot down, and walking on a common path. It's about standing up to authority and ask ing why. And do whatever it takes to bring a nation of one billion face to face with the truth.

With award winning journalists like Zakka Jacob, Marya Shakil and Bhupendra Chaubey, the channel has been a thought leader and has pioneered several path breaking initiatives like Indian of the Year, CNN-News18 Heroes and Citizen Journalist.

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News18 India is an Indian Media television channel owned by Network 18. It was launched in 2005 as Channel 7 by Dainik Jagaran and acquired in 2006 by Network 18 and rebranded IBN7. In 2016 it took its current name.

Driven by a commitment to question the status quo, News18 India is today a leading voice in Hindi News. The channel’s strong, purposeful reportage of key issues (captured by the baseline, ‘Danke Ki Chot Par’) has made it urban India’s leading channel at prime time. With voices like those of Kishore Ajwani and Amish Devgan, the channel offers substantive journalism typified by constructive criticism.

The channel is backed by a strong force of 4800 news professionals in India and spearheaded by the stars of TV news journalism. With bureaus in every state capital and state of the art broadcast centres in Delhi and Mumbai, it also gets news from other channels of Network18 - such as political news from CNN-News18, business news from CNBC-TV18, and the consumer angle from CNBC Awaaz.

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CNBC TV18 is an Indian pay television news channel owned by NBCUniversal and TV18. The channel lanuched on 7 December 1999.

CNBC-TV18 is the undisputed leader in business news and information in India for more than 20 years. CNBC-TV18 is trusted by business leaders for its insight, analysis and real-time market coverage. With one of the largest and most comprehensive television content libraries in India, CNBC-TV18 has been the platform for thought leaders across India, giving India's decision makers unparalleled news, analysis and perspective. Not only has the channel revolutionized business programming in India, helping viewers to understand and profit from the markets and from their businesses, it has also built loyal communities, by interacting with people of all ages through non-markets programming, special on-ground events and a series of awards that have set the standards for industry benchmarks.

CNBC-TV18 empowers its viewers to control their financial destinies and enables business leaders to take informed decisions about their businesses. The channel today is the business brand of choice for millions of people - business leaders, professionals, retail investors, brokers and traders, intermediaries, self employed professionals, High Net Worth individuals, students, housewives, and more, all tune in to the channel's diverse and eclectic programming. From the metros to the mini metros and rural regions, the channel interacts with all groups of people, cutting across barriers of age, income and status, by providing expert advice and analysis. CNBC-TV18 has emerged as not only the undisputed leader in business news, but an expert in the business of life itself for India's decision makers.

The high quality of CNBC-TV18's programming is a strong testimony of the channel's inherent content development capabilities. Many of the highlights on the channel's list of firsts are yet to be emulated - coverage of stock markets from the opening trade to the closing quote, the 24 hour live stock market ticker, corporate result exclusives and more - making it a unique amalgam of the best in international and indigenous business news programming. The channel offers live coverage and analysis of the markets, corporate news and discussions along with personality interviews encompassing rich insights into business and the economy. This is supported by a proprietary network of bureaus, correspondents and analysts across the country.

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CNBC Awaaz is an Indian Hindi-language pay television news channel owned by NBCUniversal and TV18. The channel lanuched in 2005.

The Indian consumers today rule the economy, driving exponential growth across sectors. The consumer revolution is underway and so is CNBC Awaaz, India's first business and consumer-focused Hindi channel. CNBC Awaaz is brought to you by TV18 and the people who gave you India's leading business network, CNBC-TV18. CNBC Awaaz is not only the voice of the Indian consumer but also the single, authoritative source for making intelligent, informed decisions about investing, saving, spending and career choices. CNBC Awaaz hosts an impressive array of shows spanning personal finance, markets, small businesses, consumer issues, health, education, shopping and more, led by the most impressive team in business journalism as well as media moguls. CNBC Awaaz has the potential to cut across socio-economic categories all over India. It's no wonder that CNBC Awaaz is already the fastest growing business and consumer channel in the country.

CNBC Awaaz has created a new category of television viewing quite distinct from general news. In fact the category has become one of the most sought after by marketers as well as a cross section of affluent, Hindi speaking audiences across the country. CNBC Awaaz brings viewers a mélange of programming that is not available on any other television channel in India.