News Broadcasting
ESPN’s SportsCenter celebrates 1st anniversary in India
April is a record month for ESPN’s SportsCenter show in Asia as all three local versions achieved notable milestones with SportsCenter in Taiwan incorporating presenters into the programme, SportsCenter Hindi celebrating its first year anniversary as India’s one-stop source for the latest sports news, and SportsCenter Asia becomes the most popular sports news programme on cable in Singapore.
SportsCenter Hindi, which claims to be India’s first-ever live Hindi sports news bulletin, celebrates its first anniversary. Darain Shahidi hosts the show and segments include Headlines, International News, Cricket News, India Diary, India Results. The show airs at 8pm with a repeat at 11pm from Monday-Friday.
SportsCenter Taiwan is expected to strengthen its market presence with the addition of news presenters Teng Kuo-Hsiung, Julian Lin and Francis Chang, an official release states. The latest decision emulates the winning formula of the American show. Show sponsors are Daimler Chrysler and President PoSweat while segment sponsors include Federal Express, UBS and Adidas.
The live pan-regional edition of the show, SportsCenter Asia broadcasts entirely in English. In markets where peoplemarket research is conducted cable data shows that 39 per cent of professionals, managers, executives and businessmen watch the show in Taiwan. It attracts 47 per cent of male professionals in Singapore and more than half of upscale adult male cable viewers in India. (AC Nielsen Taiwan, TN Sofres Infosys Singapore and TAM India Media Xpress, 13 August 2001-15 March 2002)
In Singapore peoplemeter research shows that SportsCenter Asia is watched by 39 per cent of all cable individuals. The number increases to 52 per cent among professionals, managers, executives and businessmen ages 25 to 44. Competing sports news programmes on other news and sports channels on cable are lagging behind, an official release states.
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.
