News Broadcasting
John Thornton elected to NewsCorp board of directors
MUMBAI: News Corporation has elected John L Thornton to its board of directors. His appointment is effective immediately.
Alongside appointment of the Thornton, News Corp has also reconstructed the board committee membership.
After the election of Thornton, the number of News Corporation’s directors increases to 15. The board now has a majority of independent directors, says a company release.
The release also announced that the board’s three committees – audit, nominating and corporate governance, and compensation committee – have been reconstituted to reflect changes to the board membership.
Announcing the election of Thornton, News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch in an official statement said, “John is a highly respected businessman. He has been a senior officer of one of the world’s greatest financial institutions in Goldman Sachs and is a recognized authority on business leadership. John’s contributions to the board as an additional independent member will be invaluable.”
Thornton has been a professor of global leadership at Beijing’s Tsinghua University and Goldman Sachs’ former president and co-chief operating officer.
Thornton, 50, continues to serve as a senior advisor to the firm and remains as a director of The Goldman Sachs Foundation.
He joined Goldman Sachs in 1980 and became a partner in 1988. He is also a director of the Ford Motor Company, Intel Corporation, The DirectTV group and Pacific Century group, Inc.
The changes to the board’s committees, according to the News Corp release, include:
.Rod Eddington was added to the Audit Committee and appointed as a chairman.
.Peter Barnes joins the existing members of the committee, Andrew Knight and Thomas Perkins.
.Viet Dinh has joined the nominating and corporate governance committee.
.Geoff Bible, as chairman, and Ken Cowley will remain members of the committee, while Rod Eddington has retired.
John Thornton joined the compensation Committee. Andrew Knight remains chairman of the committee and fellow members Rod Eddington and Thomas Perkins will remain on the committee, adds the release.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
