News Broadcasting
DD, AIR to commence fiction series depicting issues of rural India
NEW DELHI: Come Thursday and Doordarshan and All India Radio will air fiction shows which highlight the travails of the rural poor and how flagship programmes help them overcome their problems. While DD will showcase Poorva Suhani Aayi Re, the All India Radio will air Priya.
Poorva Suhani Aayi Re is a 52 episode soap directed by Sanjiv Kaul of Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi bahu thhi fame. Priya is a 12 episode show which will reach audiences pan-India through AIR’s various channels, in 22 languages. The protagonists of both programmes are women – Poorva being a married woman and Priya a poor uneducated girl.
While the soap on Doordarshan will be aired every Thursday at 10.00 pm, the AIR series will be broadcast on different channels at different times. Produced by AIR Delhi, it will be broadcast every Thursday with effect from 8 August at 6.15 to 6.30 pm from Vividh Bharati MW 219.3 mtr. i.e. 1368 KHz and every Friday from 9 August on FM (Gold) 106.4 MHz at 12.10 pm to 12.25 pm, on FM (Rainbow) 102.6 MHz at 2.45 pm and also on Indraprastha Channel MW 366.3 mtr. – 819 KHz at 12.45 pm to 1.00 pm in Women’s Programme Aadha Akash Hamara.
Poorva Suhani Aayi Re tells the story of the illiterate village girl Poorva, a highly motivated woman who through her courage and commitment gives a voice to her fellow villagers and makes them aware of the benefits of various welfare schemes and policies and helps them to improve their living standards.
The serial takes viewers on the journey of Poorva and how slowly she plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the village/ panchayat, fight for the rights of people and empowering the voiceless. Poorva Suhani Aayi Re, will showcase real life success stories of people who have benefited from the government’s policies, in a fiction format.
Speaking at a press meet today, Kaul said that the series had been suitably dramatised to ensure viewer interest and aims at being a propagandistic programme. “We want to give the real picture of rural India. TV is not about stars but about the script. Certain actors become stars only because of good scripts.”
Doordarshan director general Tripurari Sharan said that the series is based on real-life stories of women in different parts of the country, who have come into the vortex of democracy. “Though an element of drama has been added to keep the viewer glued, the stories are based on real experiences,” he informed.
Denying any allegations on the series being a propaganda for the elections next year he said, “Even series like Hum and Jamuniya dealt with similar subjects.”
Among the others present in the press meet were deputy director general Ranjan Thakur and Raj Shekhar Vyas. Addressing the media Thakur said, “The role of the public service broadcaster has acquired a new meaning in the past two years.”
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
