GECs
MTV Networks names global digital media team
MUMBAI: MTV Networks (MTVN), a unit of Viacom has announced a new global digital media executive team. The central team will provide strategic guidance to the company’s portfolio of multiplatform brands, driving cross-brand initiatives and sharing best practices in operations, technology, and distribution. The team will report to MTV Networks Global Digital Media president Mika Salmi and partner hand-in-hand with digital leaders at MTVN’s brands and business units.
The team will help guide MTVN’s brands in digital distribution expansion, product development and technical support, and cross- brand programming, informs an official release.
The global digital media team from throughout MTVN includes the following executives, Global Digital Media executive VP Operations Denmark West, MTVN Games and Interactive Media Group EVP and GM Nicholas Lehman, Global Digital Media EVP and creative director Kenny Miller, Digital Media Technology senior VP and chief technology officer Nick Rockwell, MTVN Mobile Media senior VP Greg Clayman and MTVN Global Digital Media senior vice president, online distribution and partnerships Jason Witt.
Rockwell will continue to report to Viacom and MTV Networks chief information officer Joe Simon. Clayman and Witt will continue to report to MTVN affiliate sales and marketing president Nicole Browning, adds the release.
“Our digital brands demonstrate the kind of innovation and creativity that have always been signatures of MTV Networks,” said MTVN chairman and CEO Judy McGrath. “Mika Salmi and his new team have the expertise to harness that collective power and deliver first-rate content across any and every screen.”
“We’re all about connecting audiences with our content — and each other — through immersive environments that span TV, online, and wireless,” said Salmi. “With this team in place, we’re poised to deepen our audience connections, reaching them wherever they are, whenever they want, and on whatever screen they choose.”
The company claims that the formation of the Global Digital Media team furthers MTVN’s strategy of developing brands that engage, empower and connect diverse and highly targeted consumers with culturally relevant creative content and unique experiences across every platform.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
