News Broadcasting
Cricket: business, not sport – Ad Club debate
MUMBAI: Former Test cricketer K Srikkanth’s summation of the current state of cricket as a means of business and entertainment aptly described the mood at a panel discussion that had media bigwigs rubbing shoulders with cricketing celebrities and C&S channel heads on Thursday evening.
The Advertising Club Bombay had organised a panel discussion on marketing opportunities that advertisers could leverage for their brands by ensuring participation in the forthcoming World Cup cricket (WCC) 2003.
Panelists included SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta; Lodestar Media executive director Shashi Sinha; former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former India all rounder Mohinder Amarnath and The Times of India group sports editor Ayaz Memon.
Memon set the tone for the discussion by stating that Destination India was the in thing as far as the International Cricket Council (ICC) was concerned. Dasgupta too pointed out that the ICC has recognized the power of the Indian audiences and has ensured that the timings of the matches coincide with the prime viewing time slots in India. He added that all the matches for the forthcoming WCC are slated for prime time viewing.
He followed it up with a presentation called “World Cup – Opportunities”; highlighting the reasons why SET felt that the World Cup was worth every penny of the humungous amount that it had invested.
Memon lamented the fact that the performances of the Indian team in New Zealand were making shivers run down advertisers’ spines. Lodestar Media’s Sinha, however, placated the panel by reminding that amnesic Indian audiences were renowned for ‘forgiving and forgetting’.
Memon raised an apt point when he questioned the situation wherein too much money was chasing moderately talented Indian cricketers. Sinha claimed that cricket-mania had ensured that players created a persona that reaped rich benefits for them in the long run.
A garrulous Srikkanth added zing to the discussions with his incisive analysis of the game and the probable reasons for its popularity. Srikkanth made a valid point when he mentioned that cricket was one game where all the constituents benefited; the Boards, players, channels, advertisers, viewers, shops and small businesses.
Srikkanth blasted the TRP ratings and urged the media planners to go by ‘ public feel.’ In the same breath he emphatically stated that Extraaa Innings, a revolutionary concept, received a lot of flak from critics who resist any new change; but surpassed all expectations by generating high TRPs.
Dasgupta revealed that MAX would give 40 Indian brands a unique opportunity to make it big without getting bogged down by clutter. Sinha countered that media planners were aware of the power of cricket but had issues about the pricing of the cricket properties. He mentioned that the premium on cricket was linked to the frenzy and the weight of expectations from the unpredictable Indian team. He maintained that the key was to create a great impact at cost-effective rates.
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.
