MUMBAI: 28 January was a day of double celebration for CNBC-TV18 as it completed CNBC's five years of Indian operations and also the the launch of Awaaz, India's first consumer channel in Hindi.
CNBC-TV18 has, over the last five years, held influential and powerful on-ground forums and awards. And through its diversity in programming it has unearthed the business dynamics of every sphere of life. The launch of the Hindi channel Awaaz is in tune with TV18's India strategy to provide an authoritative source for making informed decisions on investing, saving and spending to a wider audience.
The new channel was launched at the CNBC-TV18 India Economic Conclave 2005, which was held in the beginning of the year.
Awaaz appeals to viewers from different walks of life, broadly focusing on programs related to personal finance and markets, guidance on careers, education and consumer based programming which will help them make more intelligent choices. The channel also aims to be the one source for credible and timely information.
Awaaz will be distributed exclusively through a separate bouquet on Zee Turner that offers Pogo, HBO among other channels.
CNBC-TV18 vice president sales and marketing B Sai Kumar, who will oversee sales and marketing for Awaaz as well, said, "CNBC-TV18 has successfully maintained its position as India’s No 1 business channel for five years and aims to do the same with Awaaz. Awaaz will deliver an 'interested' and 'aware' set of prospects to advertisers, due to its editorial slant. It will have a much more involved, at the same time wide spread audience. Moreover with Awaaz, we aim to become India’s largest business and consumer network which will exploit inherent synergies."
Sanjay Hemadi has been roped in as AGM - sales and Ravi Narayan as regional manager for the South market. Ajay Chacko will continue as the head – marketing and Zubin Driver will be the promotional and creative head for the network channel. On the other hand, Anil Uniyal and Monjit Sharma will head all the sales operations in the West and South and North and East respectively.
