Digital Media News platforms are widely becoming the main source of news consumption across segments in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh’s geographical condition and difficult hilly terrain was always a challenge among traditional news media like print and TV. Even today it is very difficult for print news papers to reach all readers on time and due to this some areas of the state receive newspapers of the day in the late evening. Covid pandemic triggered Digital News media’s credibility and reach to the new heights in the state.
Tapping into the opportunity and potential in Digital News Space Solan based Digital news media start up Live Times TV has emerged as leader among himachal focussed news & current affairs platforms. In the short span of less than three years this digital news media channel has garnered 12 lacs followers on Facebook, 1 Lac plus followers on YouTube besides website and fetching around 20 to 50 million views every week. Channel specializes in live streaming of news and events using HD Cameras and high end encorder. Elaborating the success story Sahaj Goyal the Chiarman of the TV said that their channel is verified by youtube with Tick verification and also Channel is enrolled with facebook’s journalism project. He said recently we were awarded with the youtube silver play button.
Chief Editor of Live Times Tv Pankaj Sood said that facebook is now main source of news consumption in the state and it has totally changed the way people consumed news. Now almost every person in the state is served with news as it happens and this has increased the number of people who consumes news. Sood said that engagement of 10 million per week on facebook itself proves the scale of news reach of our channel. He also informed that their team of well equipped Journalists spread all across state is specially trained for Digital News gathering. Journalists are encouraged to do basic Digital Journalism course made available by Reuters.
Live Times TV has the most popular talent of the state in its side and their anchors are well received by the viewers of the state. News Producer of Live Times TV Manoj Thakur is awarded with prestigious Ved Ram Award for Journalism. Anchors like MukulDev Rakshpati of the Live Times are highly popular among the masses and specially in horticulture and agriculture related audiences. As state legislative assembly elections are due in November this year, a series of political debates are being organised these days. These debates are on the pattern of presidential debates in USA where political parties are made accountable to public and where political parties present their vision.
Both Sahaj Goyal and Pankaj Sood believes that this revolution in news space is going to sustain for long and there is much to be still achieved both on content part and on technology part as well.
