News Broadcasting
BBC hopes for cachet with Pakistan through chat show
MUMBAI: BBC World is looking at increasing viewership in the Asian region through shows that build up intimate contact. Not too long ago, HardTalk’s Tim Sebastian had come down to India to be interviewed by prominent personalities. Now, the channel is looking at enticing neighbour Pakistan through its first ever weekly chat show focussed on the country Face To Face Pakistan.
Through the show, the channel aims at increasing the variety and breadth of its South Asian coverage. The show presented by Mahvesh Murad, launches today at 10 pm. It will run along the same lines as Face To Face India. An official release informs that the aim of the show is to capture Pakistani life in its different facets by interviewing celebrities from all walks of life, getting them to reveal the sides of their characters rarely exposed to public view.
Murad kicks off the series by meeting Ali Azmat, the front man of Pak pop band Junoon. The group has been hailed the biggest Pakistani crossover success in music since the late Qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Junoon is now considered to be Asia’s biggest band. Azmat talks about his life, his work and his vision for the future and tells why he both hates and loves the Pakistani people.
The programme is produced in Pakistan by Telebiz, one of the country’s top production houses which also runs production facilities in Dubai.
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.
