India Today Television gears up for news quiz show - 'News Wiz'

India Today Television today announced the launch of its news quiz show – ‘News Wiz’. The show will be hosted by journalist, anchor and author Rajdeep Sardesai and has been designed by producer-director Siddhartha Basu of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and ‘Dus ka Dum’ fame.

The show is already garnering support of the advertisers and has Tata Motors on board as the Presenting Sponsor.  Each episode of ‘News Wiz’ will be an hour long and will air every Sunday at 11 am, starting July 24, 2016.

‘News Wiz’ will see participation from students across the country from classes IX till XII. From an extensive list of 1,500, 60 schools were shortlisted through an online test. The list was further trimmed to 27 schools who will participate in the 13 episode series featuring three teams consisting of two participants in each episode.

To make the format of the show more fascinating, the teams will be provided with a phone-in helpline, where they can seek help on their answers from a journalist of the concerned field. The quiz show also has a Web Guide station where one team member can look up the answers and assist the other team member who will be attempting the question in an allotted time. Celebrities and news makers from all walks of life are also expected to be special guests during the shows.

Commenting on the launch of the new show, Kalli Purie, Group Editorial Director (Broadcast & New Media), India Today Group, said, “At India Today TV, we have always strived to introduce fresh and innovative content on the channel. Our aim is to encourage bright young minds to dig deeper, learn more and connect with the news on a much larger and wider scale.”

Commenting on his association, Siddhartha Basu said “I am extremely happy to be associated with India Today TV, a channel for which I have great regard and look forward to a strong and fruitful relationship. Hosting and producing quiz shows has been an integral part of my life for over three decades. The launch of ‘Newz Wiz’ is a major step that underlines the channel’s thought leadership and their consistent effort to break new grounds.”

Commenting on the launch of the new show, Rajdeep Sardesai, Consulting Editor, India Today Group, said, “The show is a first of its kind in the Indian news industry and it presents me with an exciting opportunity to become a quiz master for the first time in my journalistic career. The quiz show has a unique concept, which is designed to educate and entertain the audience while keeping the focus on the ignited minds of the school going teenagers.”