Zee Media to launch English News Channel Wion in mid-2016

The channel will report global news and issues from a South Asian perspective.

Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) has announced that its global news channel, slated to be launched this summer, will be called Wion ( World Is One News). The channel will report global news and issues from a South Asian perspective.

Commenting on the new channel, Dr Subhash Chandra, chairman, Essel Group and ZEEL, says, "Zee Media's new global English news channel Wion, plans to offer a seamless experience to empower, educate and energise our discerning viewers. Inspired by the Group's motto, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - The World is My Family', Wion will give a global view of the world through a South Asian lens."

Rohit Gandhi, editor-in-chief -- English news broadcast and related content, ZMCL, says, "With Wion, we will meet the aspirations of two billion South Asians by delivering a global news network that reflects a South Asian world perspective. It's high time for South Asian reporting from the front lines, war zones, and prominent global capitals."

Gandhi further adds, "While a TV channel is the face of this mobile-first start-up, our newsgathering, reporting, production, and publishing processes are an ambitious leap into a multi-screen future. We aim to disrupt conventional ways of thinking about news and set a new template for storytelling across platforms."

An official release says, "Wion is a mobile/digital first platform, and later, will be an international television channel. The news content will be available to audiences at their convenience, on their preferred screens. The network will use technology to bring in user-generated content; it is the audience's voice that will define Wion. Its news-gathering teams will be equipped with mobile technology for an 'anytime-anywhere' live approach.'

The official note further adds that the channel will have bureaus across the globe with a mix of young and seasoned journalists from diverse nationalities.

Zee Media Corporation Limited (formerly Zee News Ltd) is a news network with 10 channels (national and regional), the Mumbai edition of DNA newspaper, and digital properties. Zee News (Hindi News), Zee Business (Hindi Business News) and India 24x7 (Hindi News) are the national channels under this cluster.