News Broadcasting
Sinclair to take ANI’s My India to US TV homes
MUMBAI: My India is going to Uncle Sam. Indian news Agency Asian News International (ANI) and Sinclair subsidiary Sinclair Broadcast have signed an agreement wherein the latter will take the former’s weekly TV programme My India to major American cities.
Launched in Q2’24 and produced by ANI, My India offers a 30-minute in-depth reportage and analysis of India’s economy, vibrant culture and growing impact on the global stage. My India also captures the deepening people to people (P2P), business to business (B2B) and government to government (G2G) ties between two of the most important democracies in the world.
Hitherto, the show could be viewed in the US through Komo TV’s FAST channel and its affiliated YouTube channel, and on Tag Tv’s You Tube channel in the US and Canada.
My India will be made available across the US in Washington DC, California, Rhode Island, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Seattle, Baltimore, Texas, and Wisconsin among others over Sinclair-owned TV stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox.
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Said Sinclair president & CEO Chris Ripley: “The expanded distribution of My India highlights the close connections between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy. We look forward to continuing our partnership with ANI.”
Said ANI CEO Sanjiv Prakash: “The relationship between ANI and Sinclair has already proven to be successful and is a testament to the strong bond between the US and India. We are excited to reach a broader audience in the US, including the Indian diaspora and beyond. We look forward to bringing My India showcasing unique and personal stories highlighting India’s ancient culture and thriving traditions to more homes in America.”
The expanded partnership between Sinclair and ANI builds on the solid foundation established between the two companies with a joint mission to provide high quality news stories from India and the broader south Asia region to a diverse set of American audiences interested in understanding the India story, said an ANI press release.
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.
