News Broadcasting
TRP row: Republic TV’s broadcast of Hansa Report not illegal, says court
NEW DELHI: Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh opened up a pandora’s box on 8 October when he addressed the press conference on the subject of TRP manipulation. Ever since, the news broadcasting industry has been beset by flying allegations and accusations, as well as FIRs and lawsuits against the parties involved – from broadcast networks, federations, to regulators and even research agencies.
One such suit was filed by Hansa Research on 16 October in the city civil court in Mumbai seeking an injunction against use of its name by Republic TV. This was in response to the channel airing something called the 'Hansa Report' without checking with the agency about the veracity of this document.
The court heard the plea and posted a formal hearing on it for a later date but did not entertain a petition for an ad-interim injunction against Republic TV in the matter.
The city civil court has upheld the network’s right to air the ‘Hansa Report’ which detailed the TRP manipulation case and stated that since the referred document is already available on multiple websites and other places, therefore its broadcast cannot be referred to as illegal. The court further mentioned that Hansa has not challenged the veracity of the document aired on Republic. "
We tried reaching Hansa Research for a comment but were not able to get through to them.
Earlier, Praveen Nijhara, CEO of Hansa Research had said after filing the suit, "We formally sent a notice to Republic TV on 12 October 2020 requesting them not to use our name. Since this was not acted upon, and Republic TV continued to use the Hansa name on television, we had no option but to approach the city civil court seeking an injunction against use of our name. The matter is now sub-judice and will be heard in November."
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.
