News Broadcasting
Sofia The First Debuts August 24 on Disney Channel
MUMBAI: The highly anticipated debut of “Sofia the First,” a new animated series about Princess Sofia, an adventurous little girl who is learning how to adjust to royal life after her mom marries the king and she becomes a princess overnight, debuts August 24th at 10.00 am on Disney Channel. Created for kids aged 2-7 and their parents and caregivers, “Sofia the First” tells the story of an ordinary girl who becomes a princess and throughout her journey, learns that possessing characteristics of a true princess – honesty, loyalty, compassion and grace – is what makes one truly royal.
Classic Disney Princesses Ariel, Aurora, Belle and Jasmine make special appearances in event episodes throughout the season offering Sofia words of wisdom when she needs them most. Fauna, Flora and Merryweather (the beloved fairies seen in Disney’s classic “Sleeping Beauty”) are featured as the headmistresses of Sofia’s new school, Royal Prep Academy.
“Disney Princesses have always been enchanting and the stories have resonated with kids and their families over the world, creating wonderful memories. We took the legacy forward by introducing the little princess in the movie ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ and with its success, launching the series on Disney Channel. The series takes you through her everyday life adventures as Sofia embraces the captivating world of castles, wizards and flying horses while holding on to her own hopes and dreams”, said Devika Prabhu, Director, Programming, Kids Network, Disney UTV.
In the premiere episode, “Just One of the Princes,” Sofia strives to become the first princess to earn a spot on her school’s flying derby team. Although paired with the overly-anxious horse Minimus, Sofia learns to believe in herself and proves that a princess can do anything she sets her mind to. While she lives in an enchanting fairytale world of castles, wizards and flying horses, Sofia remains a relatable peer-to-peer princess who is experiencing many of the same social situations as young viewers at home, including fitting in at school, building sibling relationships, making new friends, discovering how and when to be brave, learning the importance of telling the truth, and mastering new skills and good sportsmanship. The stories are designed to provide young children with fundamental lessons about developing social and emotional skills to help prepare them for life.
The simulcast of the premiere of the made for television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess” on Disney Channel, Hungama TV and Disney Junior reached out to more than 4 million audiences (CS 4+) of which 2.3 million were kids (CS 4-14) across All India. Disney Channel ranked #1 across all TV during its time slot garnering a 26% share of viewing within the kids genre among all kids (CS 4-14 ABC) and 36% share of viewing among younger girls (CS ABC F 4-9).
Fuelled by the pre-launch popularity of Sofia, Disney Consumer Products will introduce a line of special Sofia products to enchant Sofia’s fans towards the end of the year.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
