India’s Most Famous TV News Personalities
India loves conversations. We love to discuss topics, be it at a tea stall, at the bus stop, on the trains, and even while waiting at the checkout counter of departmental stores. We Indians just love to talk.
Who shapes our conversations? There was a time when it was great national leaders and intellectuals, today, however, it’s a bit different. It’s the media and especially the journalists and news anchors who shape what India thinks. Don’t believe us? Just think how each night after every big event, who do you listen to the most? It is channels like NDTV, Times Now, CNN-IBN, and more. One thing is for certain, Indian news anchors ruling the roost right now. Here are the best of them.
1. Arnab Goswami
How can any list start without the newsmaker of the day? Goswami, an alumnus of Delhi University and the University of Oxford began his career with The Telegraph and then moved to NDTV before joining Times Now as editor in chief. He ruled the Indian news scene with his explosive rants and heated debates on topics of national importance. Such was the impact of his show ‘The Newshour’ that it quickly gained the top spot in television ratings and stayed there for many years. He was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism (TV) in 2010.
2. Rajdeep Sardesai
One might say Rajdeep Sardesai is Indian news industry’s most recognisable face. He had a six-year stint with The Times of India before he joined NDTV which led to his pan-India popularity. Post his stint at NDTV, Sardesai along with Raghav Bahl in collaboration with the American giant CNN went on to start CNN-IBN. He is particularly remembered for his show ‘The Big Fight’ and the coverage of the 2002 Gujarat riots at NDTV which won him fans and enemies alike. He as of now works with India Today. Sardesai has been awarded The Padma Shri, a civilian honour by Government of India for journalism in 2008.
3. Barkha Dutt
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Barkha Dutt is one India’s most well-known journalist and news anchors. She began her career with NDTV and rose through the ranks to become one of its most recognisable faces. Dutt came to limelight when she covered the Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan and the interview she conducted with Captain Vikram Batra. She is quite well known for going on the field and covering events and has covered events in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Iraq and Pakistan. Dutt also hosts the award winning show ‘We the People’; and has been the recipient of the Padma Shri award for her coverage of the 2004 Tsunami.
4. Shereen Bhan
Bhan is one of the most famous faces in the news when it comes to business in India. She is the Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18, one of India’s leading business news channels. She is famous for being the Anchor and Editor of the hit show Young Turks, one of India’s most watched and longest running shows on entrepreneurs. She has also interviewed the whos who of the business and politics, both domestic and global. Bhan has been behind India’s most influential and latest business news headlines. She won the ‘FICCI Woman of the Year’ award for her contribution to the Media in 2005 and was named a ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum.
5. Ravish Kumar
Ravish Kumar, the senior executive editor of NDTV India (NDTV’s Hindi news channel) is one influential person. His shows are very popular and have a wide audience in the Hindi speaking audience. He is especially known for his show called ‘Ravish Ki Report’ where his monologue is said to be the longest and most impactful across all new channels. He was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for the Year in 2013 (Broadcast).
6. Prannoy Roy
If you observed this list, one thing will stand out as common, most of the journalists worked for NDTV once in their careers and then branched out on their own. Roy can be credited as the godfather of the Indian news industry. He is extremely popular for his news programs ‘The World This Week’ and the ‘The News Tonight’ on Doordarshan which have been nominated as one of ‘India’s 5 best television programs since independence’. Roy and his journalist wife Radhika were the founders of NDTV 24x7, India’s first 24-hour English news channel.
These were some of India’s most famous TV news personalities. The news channels are the new opinion makers in India and should do so as they are after all the fourth pillar of democracy.
