India’s leading media conglomerate, ABP News Network, has once again come to light as a ‘People-first’ news network, having taken numerous steps to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our society. As corporates face an unprecedented business crisis, ANN has paved its way towards an effective coping strategy and created a positive societal impact through its novel, yet prudent initiatives.
Just like health workers have been risking their lives to treat and give care to COVID-19 patients, and government authorities have been working tirelessly to control the spread of the virus; ANN has showed its valour and solicitude by helping spread timely and appropriate information on COVID-19 and made a special effort to help those in need.
One of the most heartfelt initiative from ANN is ‘Senior Patrol’, which has been carried out in collaboration with Robinhood Army (RHA). Senior Patrol is targeted towards helping the most senior and susceptible members of the society. Under this initiative, they deliver essentials like food, medicines, etc. to senior citizens amid the lockdown, in the safest way possible.
ANN Reporters have been on the frontlines in delivering every piece of information to the viewers. This includes an exclusive report on COVID-19 testing kits, wherein ANN reporters visited a pathology lab to help viewers understand the workings, proceedings and components of the Mylab testing kit.
Consequently, through continuous efforts, minute-to-minute updates, and comprehensive insights on the pandemic, ANN’s digital platform has garnered a whopping 15.7 Billion Impressions in the month of March (Source: YouTube Analytics), attesting their dominance on the digital front. This has further strengthened the trust & faith viewers have in ANN’s sui generis content.
ABP News Network was also the #1 News Network during PM Modi’s address to the nation on 24 Mar 2020. (SOURCE: BARC, 15+, All India, 24 Mar 2020 – 20:00 – 20:30)
To strengthen the consciousness on the pandemic and ensure the safety of the people, ABP News initiated a message driven campaign called #CoronakoDhona. The campaign was successful in spreading awareness on the preventive measures against the spread of the virus through the impeccable reach of their news channel & social media platforms. Driving home the message of good hygiene, millions of viewers took part in the intensive campaign, which accrued 5.42 mn interactions and 132.79 mn views on Facebook.
[Follow this link to watch the campaign
Renowned ABP Anchor, Rubika Liyaquat also expressed her solidarity and support towards PM Modi’s recent social strengthening activity of lighting a diya on 5th April.
Various innovative steps were also undertaken by ANN such as ‘Live Bulletins from Home’, to ensure that anchors could work effectively from a safe space.
Renowned ABP Ananda Anchor, Suman De also conducted a live show from home, instilling the important message of ‘staying home’ amongst the viewers.
Furthermore, with an intention to eradicate fake news and debunk myths on COVID-19, ABP News took special programming initiatives such as ‘Sachchai ka Sensex’, to apprise the viewers about the facts and separate them from the misleading medical information, rumours, falsehoods, etc.
Another special segment on ABP News called ‘Ghar Ghar Big Boss’ was telecast to subtly share a message on social distancing & staying home, wherein celebrities were interviewed from the their respective homes, to create a sense of calm and entertainment for the viewers amid the non-stop cheerless news-cycle.
The regional channels of ANN, i.e. ABP Majha, ABP Ananda, ABP Asmita & ABP Ganga have been equally pertinent in creating a positive societal impact through their thoughtful initiatives.
ABP Majha’s specially-curated show ‘Corona Parishad’ was one such step. The unique show featured eminent doctors from Maharashtra like Padmashree Dr. Tatyarao Lahane, Dr. Avinash Phadke (Head of SRL Diagnostics), and Dr. Pallavi Saple to impart knowledge to the viewers. Through this show, the doubts and concerns of the viewers were completely addressed along with a thorough understanding of COVID-19.
ABP Majha also conducted exclusive interviews with Maharashtra Health Minister, Mr. Rajesh Tope, on the government’s plan of action to tackle COVID-19 and with Mr. Anil Deshmukh on lockdown measures to help fight this battle.
Similarly, ABP Ganga was on the forefront in generating maximum awareness on the pandemic and spreading cheer amid the overall gloom of COVID-19. An engrossing segment on ABP Ganga called ‘Corona Ke Karam Yodha’ was telecast to throw light on the unsung heroes of COVID-19, whether they are policemen, doctors, or any other individuals. This was successful in kindling the essential message of social cohesion & global solidarity to the viewers, in the time of crisis.
Another significant initiative was that of ABP Asmita, wherein educational lectures were conducted by experts for 9th standard students on Science, English, and Math which were telecast from 2:00pm to 3.00 pm from 19th March to March 28th on the channel.
The Honourable Chief Minister of Gujrat, Mr. Vijay Rupani, also appreciated ABP Asmita’s coverage on COVID-19.
On the organisational front, ANN took an abundance of caution to ensure the health & well-being of their employees. They did so by implementing a number of steps including regular office sanitisation, video conferencing in lieu of in-person gatherings, E-invoicing to ensure timely closure of estimates, POs, invoices etc., and Work from Home measures.
Despite a myriad of challenges posed by the pandemic, ANN’s comprehensive business continuity protocols have ensured seamless operations of all services as efficiently as before. This all-encompassing approach has not only safeguarded the health and well-being of all stakeholders but also prevented any disruption in business operations, allowing them to fulfil their responsibility during this critical period.
Additionally, as a measure to encourage social distancing, ANN Reporters have set an exemplary example for the viewers by using a mic with a stick while interviewing. Numerous interviews were also carried out via WhatsApp videos.
Speaking on these ardent initiatives, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP News Network said, “At ANN, we measure the impact and success of our organisation through the kind of influence we have on our viewers and the larger society. For us, nothing comes above the support & aid to people & communities in the time of need. COVID-19 has emanated a sense of disruption and despair worldwide. Through these initiatives, our aim was to safeguard the health of the people, spread maximum awareness, create a positive societal impact, and most importantly, fulfil our long-standing commitment to deliver the best at all times.”
About ANN
ABP News Network Pvt Ltd (ANN) is a News Media company with its presence in the Television and Digital Media in multiple Indian Languages, with a prominent footprint in India and abroad. ANN is a group company of ABP, which was incorporated almost 90 years ago and continues to be one of the largest Indian Media Conglomerates.
ANN also has a substantial presence on digital platforms with news websites in Hindi, Marathi, Bangla, Gujarati and Punjabi, besides platforms about Cricket and Bollywood.
