News Broadcasting
BBC to present 600 hrs of programming at Mipcom
LONDON: BBC Worldwide will present over 600 hours of new programming, from across the full range of BBC output, at the Mipcom TV programme market in Cannes. The event will take place from 10 to 14 October.
The lineup includes top quality drama, entertainment, natural history, science, music, history and children’s programming.
Byron leads the drama lineup — it stars Jonny Lee Millar and is the story of the ultimate rebel, Lord Byron, who became famous overnight. He is known to have revolutionised English poetry and scandalised London society. Byron is a BBC and A&E co-production.
In the show Pride , a live-action family drama, set against the backdrop of East Africa — real animals will be the stars. In this drama, a combination of natural history footage, cutting-edge animation, high profile voice cast and a script by Simon Nye, allow the animals to tell their own story.
Actors such as Oscar nominee Kate Winslet of Titanic and Iris, Helen Mirren of Gosford Park have have lent their voices to this project. Pride is produced by John Downer and is a BBC and A&E co-production in association with ProSieben.
The epic BBC Natural History series Wild Australasia will journey through time and space to explore Australasia’s natural wonders. From tropical jungles and vast shallow coral reefs to burning deserts and snowy mountains, wild Australasia will reveal its hidden secrets and explains why its wildlife and wilderness are so special. Produced by Neil Nightingale this is a BBC/Animal Planet/ABC Australia co-production.
In addition, BBC Science will present Body Snatchers.. The series will explore the revolting but fascinating world of human parasites — the inhabitants of our bodies who are the most successful predators on the planet. Through imagery, specialist footage, shocking facts and personal stories of parasite victims, the show uncovers the disgusting realities of these body snatchers. Body Snatchers is a BBC/TLC co-production and is produced by Helen Thomas, Alice Harper and Martin Belderson.
BBC History will present another show D-Day. The BBC has announced that it is planning a season of programming to mark the anniversary of World War II, which includes D-Day . This is the story of the largest military invasion and defence the world has ever seen.
Produced by Richard Dale of The Human Body and Walking with Cavemen, D-Day redefines the genre of drama documentary in factual storytelling.
New children’s programming from BBC Worldwide includes Carrie’s War. Carrie Willow and her younger brother are evacuated to Wales during WWII in this heart-warming, coming of age drama. Carrie’s War stars Pauline Quirke and Alun Armstrong and is produced by Bill Boyes.
Tackling the theme of religion will be the show Bible Mysteries. The programmes, use drama reenactments and CGI graphics, to explore great figures and events from biblical times. Did Joseph actually have a coat of many colours? Was Mary Magdalene really a prostitute? This series answers these questions. Bible Mysteries is a BBC/Discovery Channel co-production.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
