No room for complacency: What Rahul Joshi said about numero uno status

Network18 Group channels have been putting up a strong show. Some 15 weeks back, the Group’s English general news brand CNN-News18 moved ahead of Times Now. In the last few weeks, the Group’s Hindi News channel, News18 India, moved ahead of Aaj Tak and India TV to attain the No. 1 position, as per BARC data.

In a heartfelt note to Network18 employees, Rahul Joshi, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Network18 Group, lauded Team News18 India for “a comprehensive win over Aaj Tak and India TV”.

Mentioning how proud a moment it was when News18 India became No. 1, 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 News 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.”

He also mentioned that around 15 weeks back, 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.”

Meanwhile, calling CNBC-TV18 the Group’s “crown jewel”, Joshi noted that the channel had opened with a share of over 80% once BARC released the ratings after a long hiatus. He further added that 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,” he said.

Continuing further, Joshi wrote, “The idea behind this note is not to brag about our achievements. 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.”

At the same time, he cautioned, “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 instils a large dose of paranoia and restlessness to stay ahead. Always at the top.”