News Broadcasting
ABP Majha and UNICEF initiate innovative donation drive to support families affected by COVID-19
In the light of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the ongoing pandemic and related movement restrictions, the Marathi news channel ABP Majha launched a special donation drive initiative today– ‘Be a Vighnaharta’ (Be a Remover of Obstacles).
The initiative, in collaboration with UNICEF, will raise funds through a 16-day TV campaign to support the people affected by the pandemic. The funds raised will be used to support vulnerable families, through UNICEF’s Jeevan Rath initiative (A Relief and Response on Wheels) in the state of Maharashtra. The initiative will bring over 60 public and private NGOs together, to provide supplies of dry ration kits, hygiene kits, conditional cash transfers, and livelihood protection to people who are unable to afford or access these supplies in sufficient quantities.
To contain the pandemic in Maharashtra, all pandals/temples have been advised to maintain social distancing norms, hold limited congregations, and reduce the size of the idols, during the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival. While these measures are critical from a public health perspective, this has ripple effects on the earnings of the craftsmen and other associated small businesses who depend on the annual festival for their livelihood.
ABP Majha will run the campaign from 6th August 2020 to 21st August 2020. The news channel will broadcast 1,350+ minutes of content including stories of people affected by the pandemic, urging viewers to donate and help reach supplies to families affected by the pandemic.
ABP Majha has been bringing the essence of ‘Ganesh Utsav’ on TV, since 2010, with on-air and on-ground coverage on its show ‘Bappa Majha’. The channel garnered top spot in both market share & viewership during the Ganesh Chaturthi period last year in the Marathi news genre. (SOURCE: Period: 2nd Sept 2019-12thSept 2019, TB: 02:00-26:00, Market: Mah/Goa, TG: 15+ ABC).
In 2020, the channel has lined-up special programming for the festive month which includes shows like – Bappa Tumchya Ghari, Majha Vighnaharta, Bappa Majha (Ganapti news bulletin, Pooja, Majha Bappa, Ashtavinayak Yatra), along with telecasting Donation Drive snippets throughout the day. Live broadcasts of morning & evening Aartis (prayers) will also be aired on the news channel, so that viewers can celebrate the festival from home.
On the special donation drive, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said, “As a responsible network, we are taking up this initiative as a part of our continuous work in community upliftment. We are committed to making available immediate aid to children and families affected by the pandemic ahead of the biggest festival of India's financial capital. Festivals are all about vibrancy and high spirits, and during this time, we want to uplift the lives & spirits of low income groups whose earnings depend on Ganapati celebrations. We hope this effort will help them lead better lives.”
On partnering with ABP Majha, Ms Rajeshwari Chandrasekar, UNICEF Chief of Maharashtra office, said “We are glad to associate with ABP Majha news channel for our initiative ‘Jeevan Rath’ in Maharashtra, running for the last 110 days. The socio-economic cost of the pandemic on the lives of children and their families is extremely high. Through this campaign, we intend to provide relief to the most vulnerable, excluded, and displaced populations in the fight against Covid-19.”
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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.
