The No. 1 attitude leaves no room for complacency; in fact it instills a large dose of paranoia and restlessness to stay ahead, said Rahul Joshi, Managing Director & Editor in Chief, Network18 in a heartfelt note written to all group employees.
Joshi pens the letter at a time when all national news channels of the group continue their dominance on the BARC charts. The group’s digital platforms have also over performed to most legacy and new age digital media houses.
Mentioning how proud a moment it was when News18 India became Number One, Joshi wrote, “Hats off to Team News18 India for this comprehensive win over Aaj Tak and others, such as India TV, and also those trailing a distance away, like Zee and ABP. We’re more convinced about our leadership since it comes on the back of both rising reach and time spent, which means the engagement with the brand is high and the leadership here to stay.”
Congratulating the team on the achievement, Joshi wrote, “Hats off to Team News18 India for this comprehensive win over Aaj Tak and others, such as India TV, and also those trailing a distance away, like Zee and ABP. We’re more convinced about our leadership since it comes on the back of both rising reach and time spent, which means the engagement with the brand is high and the leadership here to stay.”
“Some 15 weeks back, our coveted English general news brand CNN-News18 towered over Times Now. With a share of over 30%, our share is almost 60% higher than that of Times Now, the flagship channel of the Times group. This is as comprehensive a win as any, with the lead only getting wider every passing week. Again, the reach and time spent are on the ascendant, showing stickiness, and if I may say it, fandom. Since I’ve already doffed my hat earlier, let me take a bow on behalf of Team CNN-News18!” he added.
He further added, “Before I delve into the reasons for this success, let’s not forget the group’s crown jewel CNBC-TV18, which opened with a share of over 80% once BARC released the ratings after a long hiatus. And hold your breath, the share in prime time market hours was greater than 90%! Need I say more about a brand that’s done it consistently for 22 long years. I can’t think of another brand in India that’s so brutally dominated the market for so long and staved off competition with dignity and grace at every twist and turn. I have no hesitation in saying that CNBC-TV18 is easily—and by far—the best news channel in India. CNBC-TV18 defines the genre!”
Joshi said that Network18 channels and digital destinations are growing when others in the market are shrinking, it’s only because they are trying hard to stay away from the noise and focus on the news, the nuance, the trends and the insights.
“Which is why Moneycontrol has got over half a million paid subscribers (apart from 55 million monthly unique users and around 7.5 million app installs), making it the 14th biggest news brand globally to notch up paid subscribers at scale. News18.com, in less than six years, is going strong with nearly 125 million users who visit it each month to consume stories and videos in every major Indian language. More importantly, it is drilling down to the bottom of the pyramid by going live from 125 districts, the only digital brand to do so,” he added.
Joshi further added, “The idea behind the note is not to brag about our achievements. Or, truth be told, not just that! I write this note with all humility to thank you for your contribution and ownership in taking our brands to leadership positions. What’s more heartening is that this time the turnaround has been driven by the young and restless at Network18.”
Joshi further added that the senior leadership team and he will continue to guide in the future, not so much as captain but as coach; not as hands-on leader but friend, philosopher, mentor.
“That alone will make your company a breeding ground for young talent, many of whom have taken our brands to leadership positions in the past few years.The problem with being No. 1 is that there’s only one way to go—further up. The No. 1 Attitude leaves no room for complacency; in fact it instills a large dose of paranoia and restlessness to stay ahead. Always at the top,” he added.
He ended the letter with a line from the legendary Steve Jobs, “Innovation distinguishes between leaders and followers. It is as true of our brands as it is for the men and women who lead them.”
