News Broadcasting
Sony BBC Earth premieres ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ on 20 Jan
MUMBAI: India’s premium infotainment channel Sony BBC Earth is all set to premiere the much-anticipated series on biodiversity across the seven distinct continents – Seven Worlds, One Planet – on 20 January at 9PM. Narrated by the Godfather of Natural History – Sir David Attenborough – and set to a beautiful musical score by Hans Zimmer, the series will take viewers on an incredible 7-part journey revealing how each distinct continent has shaped the extraordinary animal behavior and biodiversity found there.
‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ will premiere in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and has attracted marquee advertisers including TATA Intra as the Co-presenting sponsor and Suhana and BYJU’S as the co-presenting sponsors. By telling unknown, unseen and unexpected wildlife stories, the series is set to uncover the fundamental truth about what makes each one of our seven worlds unique.
Rated 9.5 on IMDB and from the makers of Planet Earth II, ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ is shot over 4 years in 38 countries by a crew of over 1500 people worldwide and is the first time BBC Studio has explored all the planet’s continents in a single series. It not only celebrates the diversity of life on each of these continents, but also features the many challenges faced by animals in a modern world dominated by humanity.
Given the spectacular prowess of the content, the premiere was supported by an engaging and extensive on-ground and social media plan. Starting with the global premiere at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, this was the first time that Sony BBC Earth was a part of a one-of-a-kind global launch. Over 400 students from select schools got a chance to be the first few in the world to not only witness the first episode of this much awaited series, but also interact with the talented crew including Sir David Attenborough.
While Royal Opera House screening was on invitation basis, Sony BBC Earth also hosted ‘open to all’ screenings of select episodes at various consumer touchpoints, to create excitement and chatter, leading to the big television premiere. In a category first move, the channel partnered with The Lil Flea, Mumbai – the city’s biggest flea market – and screened two episodes at the festival, creating a cozy, family-viewing experience. Additionally, The Lil Flea housed a thought-provoking art gallery with breath-taking visuals from each continent supported by the unheard stories that explain the diversity behind each continent.
The channel also joined hands with India Habitat Centre in Delhi and SOCIAL in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune to screen South America and Asia episodes for the patrons, before the Indian Television Premiere. SOCIAL event curated a special menu inspired from the seven continents which will be available across 23 outlets in 5 cities. The idea behind the menu is to celebrate the diversity of our world in one meal.
On social media, a robust 4-week promotion plan kickstarts with a LIVE interaction with Fredi Devas – Producer of the first episode: Antarctica, on the day of the episode premiere. Also, there’s something exciting planned for the premiere of each episode on 7 continents. Additionally, SPNI’s digital arm, Sony LIV will support the premiere by promoting it and premiering it on the app, same time as Sony BBC Earth premiere.
News Broadcasting
Senior media executive Madhu Soman exits Zee Media
Former Reuters and Bloomberg leader says he leaves with “no regrets” after brief stint at WION and Zee Business
NOIDA: Madhu Soman, a veteran of global newsrooms and media sales floors, has stepped away from Zee Media Corporation after a short stint steering business strategy for WION and Zee Business.
In a reflective LinkedIn note marking his departure, Soman said his time within the network’s corridors was always likely to be brief. “Some chapters close faster than expected,” he wrote, signalling the end of a nearly two-year spell in which he oversaw both editorial partnerships and commercial strategy.
Soman joined Zee Media in 2022 after more than a decade abroad with Reuters and Bloomberg, returning to India to take on the role of chief business officer for WION and Zee Business. His mandate was ambitious: bridge the newsroom and the revenue desk while expanding digital and broadcast reach.
During the stint, Zee Business reached break-even for the first time since its launch in 2005, while WION refreshed programming and strengthened its digital footprint across platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
But Soman suggested the cultural fit proved uneasy. Describing himself as a “cultural misfit”, he hinted at deeper tensions between editorial instincts shaped in global newsrooms and the realities of India’s television news ecosystem.
Before joining Zee, Soman spent more than seven years at Bloomberg in Hong Kong as head of broadcast sales for Asia-Pacific, expanding the company’s news syndication business across several markets. Earlier, he held senior editorial roles at Reuters, overseeing online strategy in India and managing Reuters Video Services from London.
His career began in television and wire reporting, including a stint with ANI during the 1999 Kargil conflict, before moving into digital publishing as India’s internet media landscape took shape.
Now, after nearly three decades in broadcast and digital media, Soman is leaving Delhi NCR and returning to his hometown, Trivandrum.
Exhausted, he admits. But unbowed. And with one quiet line that sums up the journey: he didn’t sell his soul — because some things, after all, are not for sale.
