News Broadcasting
Banks occupy moderate news space on TV compared to advertising budgets: Esha Media
KOLKATA: Commercial banks in the country hold a relatively negligible news space in the television spectrum compared to their advertising budgets.
Also, CNBC TV18 continues to occupy the top slot in banking news space followed by Bloomberg TV.
According to a study conducted by Esha Media Research, State Bank of India (SBI) among all the other banks including the regulator –the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) occupied the maximum space on TV of 20.30 hours in the month of May 2014 that was equivalent to spending Rs 32.73 crore on advertising.
“In other words, SBI, which has an annual budget of close to Rs 400 crore as per its annual report, got itself covered on the merit of news worth Rs 32.73 crore,” said media monitoring agency Esha Media Research managing director RS Iyer.
“Even if the annual budget of SBI is shared in equal proportion between print and TV, the gap between news space and advertising space is extremely wide,” Iyer added.
The study covered around 10 banks, both from the public and private sector. The total coverage cumulatively achieved in terms of advertising replacement value on TV was Rs 231 crore in May 2014 compared to Rs 214 crore in April 2014, Iyer informed referring to the study.
During the month of May, there was a trend reversal with public sector bank occupying more space than private sector banks, who had in April occupied more TV news space.
The Reserve Bank of India followed SBI in occupying more TV space though there was no credit policy statement during the month. Fourth quarter earnings of banks were key topics that governed the news spectrum during the month.
Among the individual spokesperson, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan occupied the top slot followed by Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
