News Broadcasting
Will Jeena Isi Ka Naam hai be Sandeep Goyal’s KBC?
He seems to have got his charge’s act together this time. After a disastrous Roosevelt-type 100-hundred day relaunch of Zee TV, group broadcast CEO Sandeep Goyal went back to the drawing board as it were and completely reworked his strategy.
He hired a new creative team, which was headed by Tara wiz Vinta Nanda and left her to handle the process of getting Zee back on track while he chose to whiz around globally, making a pitch for the Indian television industry, and projecting himself as the face of Zee TV, marking his presence at many a fora.
Proof that the strategy is working is the show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hain (JIKNH), which marks its third week on air this Friday. If the first two episodes are anything to go by, Zee TV has a winner on its hands. The tide seems to have turned at last.
Goyal and Nanda seem to have done the right thing by plumping for the show. Produced by NDTV for its channel NDTV World, which never got to see the light of day, JIKNH is just what the TV doctor would have prescribed for the ailing Zee.
Sandeep Goyal went back to the drawing board as it were and completely reworked his strategy It has great ingredients: film star celebrities, who while they are adored and swooned over, are little known excepting what appears in film magazines which focus on their extramarital affairs and mistakes rather than their positive aspects. In noted film actor Farouque Shaikh they have a presenter who is pretty amiable. Viewers get to know more about their stars through lesser known people – like you and me – who momentarily, because of their associations with the stars, become stars themselves.
Additionally, the show has the slickness that was missing on other Zee TV shows. Finally, it appeals to advertisers and media planners and buyers in ad agencies, which greatly influences whether they buy or not.
Tara wiz Vinta Nanda was given the task of handling the process of getting Zee back on track
Zee TV also seems to be doing well on the marketing front with good creative and slickly produced billboards and promos. The creative suggests that we are getting to see the real face behind the star’s mask on JIKNH.
The only disadvantage is that it is a weekly. To generate stickiness for the channel, Zee TV should plug some of its programming properties – throw in a few dailies into this pot – heavily. Six properties – including JIKNH – might just suffice to do the trick. It has its Playwin lottery draw, which because of the jackpot is a property that could build up across the whole network. Then it has Sa Re Ga Ma which has a new anchor in Shaan, who bonds tremendously with the bubble-gum crowd, with his boyish good looks and melodious voice. It needs another three good shows, which will help it ride back into the hearts of viewers.
To Zee TV’s advantage is the fact that Star has not been able to replicate the mind-boggling viewership numbers it used to generate (with its earlier shows) for its new shows. It has a window of opportunity to leap into. Now it’s over to Team Goyal and Nanda.
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.
