An English language, 24-hour Indian News channel, urban focused, CNN IBN was launched in India in the year 2005. The channel is a partnership between Global Broadcast News (GBN) and Turner International (Turner) in India. Rajdeep Sardesai, the left-wing journalist of Indian Media is the Editor-in-Chief of the network. He is backed in the venture by the strong foundation of TV18`s newsgathering experience and infrastructure in India. The name of this channel comes from CNN, the Turner Broadcasting System channel, in the United States. IBN stands for India Broadcast News, is a flagship news channel brand of Global Broadcast News. Most of its programming similar to that of CNN in the United States, with current event talk programs mixed with news reports. It is one of the first news channel in India to have the concept of "Citizen Journalist" where any person can send in his report to the channel which is aired in a separate section.

Headquartered at a world-class facility in New Delhi, the channel is supported by over 20 bureaus nationwide, along with a team of experienced newspersons and production staff, backed by TV18`s state-of-the-art broadcast infrastructure and newsgathering technology. The channel has been in the eye of everyone due to some of its policies of influencing the viewer with leftist news, talk shows, selective reporting and religiously campaign aganist right wing party like BJP. Their news crew consists a sizable number of peoples from the communist ruled Indian state of West Bengal. The flagship evening program, India at 9, is usually broadcasted daily on CNN Pipeline, although is not simulcast (except during breaking news events, such as the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings). CNN-IBN has access to CNN`s trademark live breaking news as well as their key feature programmes. This unique alliance, for the first time ever, enables Indian viewers to view local news as well as relevant global news from CNN, on the same platform. Besides live local news, the channel`s local editorial team decides packaging, commentary, analysis, etc. CNN-IBN can also use some of the CNN.com materials such as video footage to create their own stories for the CNN-IBN micro site.

CNN IBN has a website named ibnlive.com, the online arm of GBN serving the readers with hard news as its core offering and interactivity as its key component on the platter. IBNlive.com is powered not just by CNN-IBN journalists but also by TV18 group`s team of over 1,000 news professionals. CNN IBN has also started a new section called Blog Buzz on Connect show which will cover the best of Indian blogosphere.

The channel was in news itself in the early 2007, as it had announced an award for the `Indian of the Year` title, which had six nominees. From the six the jury selected Dr Manmohan Singh as the `CNN-IBN Indian of the Year`. CNN-IBN won the Panda award in the `Best News ` story category for its story `The last dance of Saras`, reported by its correspondent Bahar Dutt, in the year 2006. The story exposed how Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is building an airport in his constituency in Etawah at the cost of the state bird Saras.

In the CAS notified area of Kolkata, CNN-IBN would be a free-to-air channel with effect from 15th of May 2007.

With regards to the citizen journalist of CNN IBN channel, IDEA cellular has joined hands with the channel that will enable the masses to use their mobile platform to report news of all genres- sports, general interest and entertainment. There is also a choice for citizen journalists to post their stories on the channel website. The big idea is to build a citizenry that is engaged with public life. With a customer base of over seven million, IDEA Cellular has operations in Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, UP- West and Kerala.

Recently in the beginning of the year 2007, CNN International along with its Indian partner CNN-IBN launched new programme Generation Next. CNN aims to provide its global audience a comprehensive look at the country`s powerful youth demographic. The program kicked off with CNN Connects: India`s Generation Next on Sunday, March 18, which was anchored by CNN-IBN`s Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai and CNN anchor Monita Rajpal. It featured a panel of young Indian celebrities, business leaders and commentators, and an audience of 100 Indian youth.

CNN-IBN calls itself a "journalist-driven channel". They`re spot-on. The channel centres its program promotions and advertisements around the anchor. The channel has given NDTV a run for its money! But Despite the CNN brand tag, it is believed that it will take a long time for this channel to make a mark and emerge a challenger to NDTV 24x7.