t would normally be extremely unpleasant to be the latest player to enter a crowded field. But if the newcomer is backed by the country's largest media group and an international information powerhouse, the road ahead promises to be far less unpleasant. That is the situation for Times Now, the English news and current affairs channel, the result of a joint venture between Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) and information company Reuters.

With names like Headlines Today, NDTV 24X7, CNN IBN (plus CNBC in business) already in the game, it is not surprising that the newcomer is trying to look and act apart. For example, the channel was first launched on Reliance India Mobile (RIM) services even before it went on air because "we wanted to make it different", says Sunil Lulla, CEO, Times Broadcast.... more