News Broadcasting
Sunil Khanna returns to Zee as Dish TV head
NEW DELHI: Is it the return of the prodigal? An old Zee Telefilms hand, Sunil Khanna, who had quit the group earlier this year has trudged back home to take up a new assignment in the fledgling DTH division, Dish TV.
Though there has been no official communication on this development, company sources told indiantelevision.com that Khanna has been sitting in Zee’s office on the outskirts of Delhi in Noida, which also houses the DTH division and the swanky uplink and play-out facility apart from the Zee News operation.
It is being said that Khanna has joined as the head of the KU-band direct-to-home television service, promoted by Subhash Chandra-controlled Essel Group. The DTH license holder is a Chandra company, ASC Enterprise.
Khanna, who has been associated with the Zee Group for over a decade, quit in June. At that time he was the president of Zee Network’s flagship channel, Zee TV. Prior to this stint, he was on the distribution side of the group as the Zee Turner chief executive and before that, had worked closely with a younger brother of Chandra, Jawahar Goel, at Siti Cable.
Khanna’s quitting the top post at Zee TV came six months after he took over the responsibilities from Apurva Purohit (now COO of the Times Group’s TV venture) with a view to overhauling the fortunes of the channel.
There were rumours in the industry that Khanna was headed towards Reliance Infocomm, which has been picking up professionals who have been associated with various media group’s distribution side. But indiantelevision.com, had also reported that chances of Khanna “being accommodated elsewhere in the Essel group” (the umbrella organisation under which Chandra carries out his various business activities) could not be ruled out.
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.
