News Broadcasting
News Corp drops China TV joint venture plan: ‘WSJ’
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate News Corp has dropped its plans to broadcast in China through a local partnership due to increasing government resistance to foreign influence in the domestic media, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The paper said that News Corp had invested in a complicated joint venture aimed at leasing the operations of Qinghai Satellite TV Station in north-west China to expand its audience reach and help boost advertising revenue.
It was reported that News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch had told investors six months ago that the venture would give the company almost 50 per cent of a prime-time television channel in China with access to well over 100 million homes.
The venture pushed the regulatory limits of foreign involvement in Chinese television, the report said. Foreign broadcasting is currently restricted to parts of southern China, hotels and other designated complexes, with some foreign media companies allowed to sell limited blocks of programing to state-owned channels.
But the plan has now been dropped and the News Corp affiliate involved has pulled out, the paper said.
The report blamed the failure of News Corp’s plans on the withdrawal of key political support for the project plus a wider government crackdown on foreign media in China.
News Corp’s current presence in China includes the Xing Kong Wei Shi channel and a stake in Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Holdings.
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.
