News Broadcasting
Cable ops seek public support on CAS
NEW DELHI: Even as the Indian government is weighing various options, including promulgation of an Ordinance junking CAS (conditional access system) for all practical purpose, a seemingly perturbed cable fraternity in Delhi has called for an interaction with the media on Monday to reach out to the government as well as the consumers.
The press conference called by the cable fraternity, likely to be attended by representatives of some multi-system operators (MSOs) too, seems to have one single agenda: communicate to the populace of Delhi, especially South Delhi, that their “support” is needed to make CAS a reality.
“The meet has also been called to educate the consumer on the pros and cons of CAS, the politics involved, the high-handedness of the broadcasters, most of whom have raised prices for pay channels, and the Catch 22 situation in which the cable industry is in,” a cable op, part of organising panel for the press conference, said.
With time running out for all the stakeholders of CAS, including the government, activity like these are likely to increase in coming days.
The government, on its part, is toying with the idea of an ordinance, but for that to happen the ground has to be good enough to convince the President.
Of course, the government can also go in for an interim broadcast regulator — as has been demanded by the consumers body.
However, for all these to happen, a certain thing has to be kept in mind: the political atmosphere of the country.
A government that seems to be gearing up for an early poll would not be a government to take decisions that would anger the hoi-polloi.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
