MUMBAI: National, December 11th 2012: TIMES NOW has been bestowed the status of SUPERBRAND at the 4th Edition of CONSUMER SUPERBRANDS, a glittering ceremony held in Delhi on December 6, 2012. TIMES NOW has maintained its unquestionable leadership position in the English News genre over the past 4 years and aims to continue to further strengthen its position in 2013. With cutting edge content, TIMES NOW?s commitment to excellence has made the channel an obvious trailblazer in the English News genre.

On this occasion Mr. Avinash Kaul, CEO ? ET NOW, TIMES NOW & Zoom stated, ?we are extremely proud that TIMES NOW has been awarded SUPERBRAND status this year. This award, judged by both consumers and experts, is a testament to the insightful news, views and analysis that TIMES NOW has been providing its viewers since inception. We are always striving for excellence and this achievement will further power our efforts to provide more worthwhile & path-breaking content in the future to our viewers.?

The BCCL group & its brands including The Times of India, The Economic Times, Femina, Filmfare, Radio Mirchi & indiatimes.com have already received that status of SUPERBRAND in the past. Over 500 Indian brands honoured by Superbrands in the last decade have been captured & profiled in 7 Superbrand books, 4 being Consumer Brands and 3 Business Brands.

The Superbrands India Council for 2012 comprised Vineet Agarwal, Executive Director, Transport Corporation of India, Amar Babu, Managing Director, Lenovo India, Ashsih Dikshit, President, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, Punit Goenka, Managing Director & CEO, Zee Entertainment, Kuldip Kaura, CEO & MD, ACC, RM Malla, Chairman & MD, IDBI Bank, BS Nagesh, Vice Chairman, Shoppers Stop, Sundeep Sikka, CEO, Reliance Capital Asset Management, and N Thiruambalam, Former Chairman & MD, Heinz India.

A concept that started 18 years back in UK, Superbrands embarked on a journey to pay tribute to the brands that have gained eminence in their countries and beyond, and the respective brand guardians who have helped shape & build it. Present in across 86 countries, Superbrands has honoured over 10000 brands across the globe in a span of 18 years. Superbrands has built and today commands its prestige across the globe following its rigorous two step process of selecting and shortlisting brands in each country. The first step is where the consumers in the country rates the over 2000 brands basis their experience & perception. Only around 10% of these make it to the second step where the Superbrands Council rate each brand and the enterprise basis their experience and knowledge, giving out the winning brands that go on to become attain Superbrands status.

MUMBAI :This weekend, The Foodie welcomes Goddess Durga to the City of Joy, Kolkata. Catch Kunal Vijayakar as he meets renowned Bengali actor Prosenjit for a wholesome festivity meal, visits the famous Thakurbadi & enjoys delicacies at Pandals across Kolkata. Tune in to this special as The Foodie captures the euphoria and enthusiasm during Durga Puja and gives viewers an unforgettable experience with festive cuisine and culture. Do not miss The Foodie this weekend only on TIMES NOW.

Join in on the Durga Puja festivities on TIMES NOW on Saturday at 11:30 am & 5:30 pm and on Sunday at 11.30 am & 6.30 pm

NEW DELHI: This weekend, TIMES NOW ? India?s No. 1 general English news channel presents its viewers with a special episode of ?Frankly Speaking?. In a candid interview with TIMES NOW‘s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, India?s God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, discusses his retirement, memorable moments of his career and shares exclusive insights into his personal life.

In the interview Sachin reacts for the first time to statements made by Sunil Gavaskar that state how he has been bowled twice consecutively and how that is a bad sign for the batsman. Sachin responded to the comment saying, ?Sunil Gavaskar has also said positive things about me. When there have been a lot of positive feedback as well, why keep harping only on the negative comments? Ultimately, if I am out, I am out. I can‘t get stuck on one article about me and try to create something that the person is hoping to create out of it. I need to stay focused on the game and constantly keep finding ways to improve myself. There is no stage in which one ceases to learn about cricket. One remains a student of this game for ever.

On being asked about his plans for retirement, Sachin shared, ?I am 39 and I don‘t think I have plenty of cricket left in me. But it depends on my frame of mind and my physical ability to deliver. At this stage, I don‘t think I will be playing the next World Cup.?

Commenting on the match versus Pakistan in 2004 where he hit 194 not out when the match was declared, Sachin shared, ?I was asked a question in a press conference just after the match if I was surprised by the declaration. I said yes. Then I was asked if I was disappointed. I said, "Yes, I‘d be lying if I said I wasn‘t disappointed." But that is all that I had said. After the declaration, I got to the dressing room, quietly put my bat aside and sat down. I had my pads on. After a couple of minutes, I washed my face, went up to John Wright, our coach then and said, "I will take some time to get back on the field because my back is a little sore. I will go after a while." That is all that happened.?

Discussing the test match versus Pakistan in 1999 where India lost by 12 runs, Sachin said, ?It was disappointing. Yes I cried. I felt bad because we were so close to winning the match but couldn‘t cross the final hurdle. I have to admit that I was not able to receive the Man of the Match award then because I was in tears.?

Responding to accusations about playing the game only to continue commercial endorsements associated with him, Sachin said, ?My manager tells me that there were a couple of articles about this issue. As a matter of fact, there was an article in The Economic Times? I‘d call this irresponsible journalism by a journalist who has vested interests.?