People
Anjan Bandopadhyay joins ZEE 24 Ghanta as Editor, quits TV9 Bangla before channel launch
A news veteran of 33 years, Anjan Bandopadhyay has joined ZEE 24 Ghanta as its Editor. He will be presiding over the input and output of all content for the channel along with its digital properties and drive the growth of the channel. Anjan was also historically associated with ZEE 24 Ghanta from 2006 to 2015 as the editor input. Recently, he had joined TV9 from ABP digital, as the editor to help launch the channel in Bengal.
Speaking to Anjan on his comeback he said, “It’s always good to come back to the channel which you have spent many years in establishing. Now Zee 24 Ghanta by its own merit drives the viewership in the market. I will ensure all my experience and learning further strengthens its position in the Bengal news genre”.
Speaking on the channel getting a new Editor, the Cluster CEO, Mr. Purushottam Vaishnava said, “Anjan is an old hand in the industry and has been also previously associated with Zee 24 Ghanta. He is attuned to the values, the culture of the channel and shares the same vision as we do. We believe he will drive the channel towards a more robust future. The channel is already undergoing few changes in content and Anjan could not have joined at a better time. We wish him the best for this endeavor.”
ZEE 24 Ghanta has recently seen a flurry of activities, with Moupia Nandy helming the role of Deputy Editor and a slew of new programs. The channel is on a fresh route to rediscover the true essence of news in the increasing clutter. Dedicated to keeping the people of Bengal abreast with the latest happenings, factual reporting, and in-depth analysis, ZEE 24 Ghanta is one of the key news channels in the regional news space.
Manoj Jagyasi, Executive Cluster Head of Sales, said “West Bengal is a priority market for all the advertisers, so with the brand legacy of ZEE 24 Ghanta, we are set to engage their consumers in the upcoming state elections. We are glad to have Anjan with us as his experience in news genre will give boost to our planned line up for the state election which is spread across 150 days and has several integration opportunities for the advertisers.
People
Senior exec Madhu Soman reflects on stepping away from Indian TV news
Sometimes the toughest story in a newsroom is the one about the newsroom itself.
MUMBAI: For Madhu Soman, a media executive whose career spans more than two decades at global news organisations including Reuters and Bloomberg, the decision to step away from India’s television news industry followed conversations with several leading networks.
Soman returned to India in 2022 to take up a senior leadership role in television news.
He transitioned to the business side of the industry in 2014, joining Bloomberg in Hong Kong to lead broadcast sales, news syndication and strategic partnerships across Asia-Pacific. He held the role for nearly eight years before returning to India.
“WION and Zee Business were the reason I chose to return to India after long years with Reuters and Bloomberg, transitioning from telling stories to selling them,” Soman said.
“The landing strip back home was always narrow, but it was one I was happy to take.”
The stint at Zee Media Corporation Ltd., however, proved shorter than expected.
“It didn’t take very long to realise that my runway within Zee (Media) was going to be rather short,” Soman said.
“Let’s just say I was a cultural misfit.”
Even so, he says the experience had its rewards, including exceptional colleagues and a few good friends.
After stepping away from the organisation, Soman was in discussions about potential roles.
“I spent the better part of the last two years in conversations with a few leading networks, long enough to realise the difference between being unemployed and being unemployable.”
Some of the feedback, he says, was unusually candid.
“Two of them informally told me I’m perhaps one of the best media executives in the television news business. But someone like me fronting a television news network would be considered a business risk,” Soman said in conversation with IndianTelevision.com.
For Soman, the implication was clear.
“A news network fronted by someone whose instincts were formed in journalism rooted in independence, accuracy and editorial distance from power was unlikely to find much favour with the powers that be.”
Beyond the personal dimension of his decision, Soman says the experience reflects broader pressures shaping the news industry today.
“Journalism’s job is simple: ask hard questions and hold power accountable. Keep it honest,” he said.
Quoting former Washington Post editor Marty Baron, he added: “We’re not at war with the government. We’re at work.”
“That principle applies to anyone in a position of influence, whether in government, business, sport or entertainment.”
At the same time, he says the industry faces growing pressures.
“Authoritarian regimes that resist scrutiny, along with rapid technological change including AI, are reshaping and often undermining journalism’s traditional business model.”
“There’s also a growing credibility deficit, as the race for eyeballs rewards whoever delivers the news first rather than whoever confirms it best.”
Having worked on both the editorial and commercial sides of the industry, Soman says he is acutely aware of the economic realities media organisations face.
“Running a media organisation today means being a pragmatic P&L owner. The challenge is to keep investing in strong journalism while making the economics work at a time when a growing share of the industry’s revenue is increasingly being captured by technology platforms.”
“If we drop the ball on accuracy and trust, we do a grave disservice to the democracy we’re meant to serve.”
His experience straddling both content and commerce has shaped his view of how the industry must evolve.
“Good journalism and good business strategy are not opposites,” he said.
“The best media businesses are built when editorial integrity, audience trust and sustainable economics reinforce each other.”
“And ultimately, none of it works without strong teams. Leadership in media is as much about building people and institutions as it is about building products.”
Soman is now preparing to return to his hometown of Trivandrum, barely four years after returning to India.
“Delhi NCR has a way of testing your patience, your stamina and occasionally your sanity,” he says. “But it also leaves you with stories that will last a lifetime.”
“So as I pack up and head home to Trivandrum, I do so with no complaints and no regrets.”
“I didn’t sell my soul. Some things, after all, aren’t for sale.”
Soman’s reflections underscore the tensions between editorial independence, commercial realities and political pressures shaping television news today. His experience offers a window into the challenges facing media leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry. For him, the decision marks a moment to step back after decades spent across global newsrooms and media businesses.
