News Broadcasting
Tellys honour the best, celebrate the finest!
MUMBAI: The best came, saw and conquered.
Indiantelevision.com’s The MTR Indian Telly Awards held tonight at the Tulip Star in Mumbai had the best of talent from the television industry coming together to celebrate excellence in their respective fields. It was a night when top channel executives rubbed shoulders with prominent advertising and media professionals, glamorous on-screen stars mingled with technical and creative heads who lend sheen and sizzle to the small screen.
The evening crackled with anticipation, excitement and delight, as several heart-stopping acts interspersed the actual ceremony of presentation of the much-awaited awards.
Farooque Sheikh presents the CEO of the year award to Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea was adjudged CEO of the year and top contenders, Balaji Telefilms and UTV shared the honours for the TV Production House of the Year award. Star Plus walked away with the title of Entertainment Channel of the Year and Aaj Tak was adjudged the News Channel for the year 2002. MTV turned up trumps as the Music Channel of the Year and Zee Cinema, which revamped itself in a slicker, sleeker look last year was adjudged Hindi Movie channel of the Year.
TV actress Sangeeta Ghosh dances to a Punjabi tune
Anchored by Smriti Malhotra Irani, Mandira Bedi, Simone Singh, Rakshanda Khan, Shweta Salve and Shweta Kawatra, the glittering, star studded function was interspersed with some dazzling performances by Amrita Arora, Aasma, Sangeeta Ghosh, Sukhbir, Perizaad Zorabian, Shaan and Gracy Singh, who performed for the first time on stage.
Fierce competition saw the most coveted awards – the best actor in the male and female
categories being shared by two contenders each. Shivaji Satam, who plays ACP Pradyuman on Sony’s CID and Aman Verma, who plays Aditya Pratap in Star Plus’ Kehta Hai Dil shared the honours for the Best Actor of the Year (Male), while Saakshi Tanwar, better known as Parvati of Star Plus’ Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and Smriti Z Irani, a familiar face as Tulsi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi on Star Plus, were jointly adjudged the Best Actor of the Year (Female). Unfortunately, three of the four stars were not present to receive the awards. Reportedly, Shivaji Satam was out of town, Aman Varma was canvassing for BJP in Delhi and Sakshi Tanwar was busy in a shooting schedule of her serial Devi.
Star Plus’ Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand walked away with the TV Programme of the Year honours, while the face of Indian television today, Smriti Z Iraani was honoured with the TV personality of the year award. Founder of the ETV empire, Ramoji Rao was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his immense contribution to the growth of the Indian television industry. The award was handed over to Rao by Indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad over last weekend.
The fiercely competitive genre of best continuing TV programme had two joint winners – Sab TV’s hilarious take on office life, Office Office, and Star Plus’ engaging family drama, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Kyunki Saas… also bagged the prestigious daily serial of the year award, while Star Plus’ Sanjivani, the emotional story of doctors in love, and Des Mein…., another Star Plus soap about family values and conflicts, was conferred the honour of the Best Weekly Serial of 2002.
Farooque Sheikh was adjudged TV anchor of the year for Zee’s Jeena Isika Naam Hai while Prabhu Chawla was conferred the News Anchor of the Year award for his work on Aaj Tak. Pankaj Kapur, who plays Musaddilal in Sab TV’s Office Office got the best TV actor in a comic role (male), and Supriya Pathak as Hansa Parekh on Star Plus’ Khichdi got the best TV actor in a comic role (female) award. While Urvashi Dholakia was adjudged Best TV actor in a negative role as Komolika in Kasautii Zindagi Kay, the award for Best TV actor in a negative role (male) was shared by Mohnish Behl (Sony’s Devi) and Manoj Joshi (Star Plus’ Kehta Hai Dil). Hansika Motwani as Tina of Des Mein bagged the child artiste of the year award.
Ekta Kapoor cheers after announcing Star Plus as the channel of the year
Sahara Manoranjan’s Kadam won in two categories – the Best TV programme with a social message and Best TV programme (Single Episodic series). Sab TV’s political satire Public Hai Sab Janti Hai won it the Best TV Sitcom/ Comedy Programme of the Year award. Reality Bites- The Petrol Pump Scam won NDTV and Star News the best current affairs programme of the year award, while Storyboard fetched CNBC-TV18 the best business programme of the year award.
Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa won the Music Programme of the Year award and the NDTV produced Sports Tonight fetched Star News the award for the best sports programme of the year. While Synergy Communications’ Mastermind India for BBC World was honoured with the Game Show of the year award, Optymistix’s Khullja Sim Sim on Star Plus won a special award on behalf of Indiantelevision.com.
Indiantelevison.com CEO Anil Wanvari with CNBC’s Vandana Malik
Jasoos Vijay, the BBC World Service Trust produced detective series on Doordarshan’s National channel bagged the Thriller Programme of the Year award, and Taurus Video’s Son Pari for Star Plus was adjudged the Kids’ Programme of the Year. Fireworks Productions’ Achanak – 37 Saal Baad on Sony, the spine chilling tale of a killer who gains immortality via his victims, was declared the Horror Programme of the Year.
A Miditech creation, Kuch Yaadein Kuch Baatein on Star Gold got the Best Film based Show of the Year award, and NDTV’s Unsung Heroes of Gujarat got Star News the TV Documentary of the Year award.
NDTV’s Reality Bites – Mental Health got the Non Fiction Programme of the Year award. MTV’s Fully Faltoo won for the Best Comic Shorts of the Year.
Among the personality awards, veteran poet Naqsh Lyallpuri won the TV Lyricist of the Year for Shikwah on Doordarshan. Shaan for Zee’s Lipstick and Lalit Sen for Star Plus for Kaahin Kissii Roz jointly shared the honours for TV Music Director of the year award. Sukhvinder Singh bagged the Best Title Singer for a TV Show award for Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand while the award for Best Director was shared by Sourabh Narang for Haqeeqat and Aroona Irani for Des Mein…. Haqeeqat fetched Sahara another award for scriptwriter Charudatt Acharya.
Says Indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards Founder Anil Wanvari: “The fantastic response from industry clearly shows that The MTR Indian Telly Awards are the the industry’s awards. The Indian Telly Awards are all about celebrating excellence, the best in television today. We at Indiantelevision.com believe we did exactly that in the awards’ third edition.”
The Indian Telly Awards have MTR Foods as the main title sponsor, while Zandu, Tata Safari and —are the associate sponsors. The MTR Indian Telly Awards also has Hindustan Times as media partner, Radio City as the radio partner, Bright Advertising as the outdoor partner. Spirits are provided by the UB group.
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.
