News Broadcasting
CAS Bill clears last hurdle; passed unanimously in Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj today pulled out another ace from her sleeve, getting one of her favourite subjects – the introduction of the conditional access system regime – okayed by one of the Houses of Indian parliament with minimum of fuss and, surprisingly, overwhelming support.
Now, consumers will have to pay for only those channels which he wishes to see and the maximum price for the basic tier of service comprising free to air channels would be determined by the government.
Sony Entertainment Television India CEO Kunal Dasgupta had this to say about the passage of the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Amendment Bill 2002, which will bring in CAS in the country: “We welcome the passage of the Bill and we hope to work closely with the government in the implementation process.”
Talking on behalf of the cable industry, HTMT’s executive V-P corporate, Ashok Mansukhani, said, “We are very happy that the Bill has been passed. We’ll work very hard in conjunction with broadcasters to bring even more channels at an affordable cost within the next six months.”
A Star TV spokesperson also welcomed CAS. “We are pleased with this announcement and look forward to being a part of the implementation process. We believe that the proper implementation of CAS will result in complete transparency in the declaration of subscriber numbers. It will also offer consumers better value and choice.”
Swaraj had expressed confidence in a conversation with indiantelevision.com last Friday that the process of implementation of CAS should get the nod of the Rajya Sabha this week.
Swaraj’s assertive stance on CAS followed soon after the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), after initial reservations on CAS, made it public that it supports the government’s initiatives on CAS.
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.
