News Broadcasting
Challenge for the TV news industry is to find the right balance: Barun Das
NEW DELHI: The TV news industry in India is going through a tough phase with high distribution cost, softening of ad revenues, falling standards of news and too many players fighting for a small pie.
But what happens when suddenly the industry realises that the challenges are too many and efforts are too less? It calls for the top bosses to sit together and scratch their heads to find the right balance.
Delivering the keynote address at the fourth News Television (NT) Summit in New Delhi, News Broadcasters Association (NBA) VP Barun Das said the need of the hour is to find the right balance.
Das, who is also CEO of Zee News Ltd, accepted that the challenges the news TV business is facing are bigger than what the industry can handle.
Ruing the overdependence on ad revenue, Das said: “We are dependent on advertising revenue to run the business. Unlike other markets, subscription, which should have been the revenue leader, has turned into a cost head.”
Das said there is a mad race for eyeballs and the need to attract the lowest common denominator, which is leading to trivialisation of news. “We should present content in an exciting manner but we have to strike a balance here,” he said.
Das also mentioned three milestones that shaped the news industry. The first was in 1992 when the government allowed private channels to broadcast news; the second important milestone was the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack coverage, which led the NBA to swing into action and come out with guidelines and advisories. He quoted the example of the coverage of the Ayodhya Verdict, when “everything went right.”
The third and the most significant milestone was the recession. “Though the Indian economy was never exposed to the kind of recession that gripped the other parts of the world, it helped the Indian news channels to get their focus back on costs,” Das said.
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.
