News Broadcasting
Viewers report racism, bias, irresponsibility to BBC’s plaint unit
MUMBAI: Racism in the term Paki, factual inaccuracy in a war report, perceived irresponsibility in the popular car show Top Gear and bias towards a US presidential candidate on a radio show. These were just a few of the different kinds of charges that the BBC’s Programme Complaints Unit (PCU) fully or partly upheld from the viewers. The PCU report was for the period 1 January to 31 March 2004 for the UK.
The PCU deals with complaints which give reason to believe that something broadcast by the BBC may have fallen seriously short of the standards set out in the BBC Producers’ Guidelines.
In this quarter the unit dealt with a total of 363 complaints concerning 240 items. About 77 complaints were upheld (16 of them partly). This represents 21 per cent of the total number of complaints received.
One complaint on the accuracy front related to a news bulletin on television. While introducing a piece on the bombing of an Italian base in Iraq on BBC News, the newsreader had said the attack had been carried out by those still loyal to Saddam Hussein. A viewer complained that there was no basis for this statement. The PCU found that the affiliations of those responsible were at the time not known. In fact, the same report pointed this out, later on.
As far as bias was concerned, on a show that aired on BBC Radio 1 a couple of months ago, a complaint was upheld that the host Sara Cox showed bias towards Senator Kerry’s bid to become the next US president. The complainant said that she was supposed to merely report on a view, which had been expressed by Chris Martin of Coldplay at the Grammy Awards. Instead she ended up endorsing the same. The management of Radio 1 went on to remind Cox of the importance of maintaining impartiality.
Meanwhile, in the poor taste criteria, BBC Three’s Best of the Worst special was cited. A couple of viewers complained that a sequence in this programme of sporting bloopers included clips that went beyond the bounds of decency.
The committee agreed that some of the clips, which featured male genitalia, urination and defecation, went beyond acceptable boundaries. This was also on account of how the production techniques were used to enhance or focus attention on them.
Another show that was cited, which Indian viewers are familiar with was Top Gear, that airs on BBC Two. In the episode a viewer had complained that an exchange in which the host Jeremy Clarkson incited people to break the law by hiding a mobile phone while driving, was grossly irresponsible.
The committee found that the exchange arose from the fact that the change in the law on using hand-held mobile phones while driving was about to come into effect. Therefore at that time Clarkson’s impression of a motorist cutting short a call because he had spotted a police car was no more than a humorous indication of how at least some drivers would be likely to respond to the legislation.
The result of the complaint was that the shows executive producer reminded the programmes production team of the sensitivity of the issue. Needless to say Clarkson and his team have agreed to be more careful in future.
The BBC One sitcom Only Fools and Horses came under fire by a viewer for being racist. The viewer objected to the use of the term Paki.
The PCU stated that the term was not used with any offensive intention. However, it noted that research shows that its perceived offensiveness had increased significantly over the years. In the absence of a particular contextual justification, the PCU determined that its use in programmes would no longer be acceptable.
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.
