News Broadcasting
CAS passage likely on 10 December, asserts Swaraj
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has done it again. The government is confident that the process of implementation of the conditional access system (CAS) should get the nod of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament next week.
“CAS is coming up in the Rajya Sabha on 10 December and it should be passed,” information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj told indiantelevision.com today afternoon.
Sounding absolutely confident of the passage of the amendments proposed in the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Amendment Bill 2002, Swaraj said she does not foresee any opposition to the Bill in the Rajya Sabha now.
The Bill, which seeks to facilitate implementation of CAS and bring about addressability in Indian cable homes, has already been okayed by the Lok Sabha (Lower House) during the monsoon session itself. The Bill is now awaiting the rajya Sabha’s nod before it is enacted into law.
Swaraj’s assertive stance on CAS comes a day after the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), after initial reservations on CAS, made it public that it supports the government initiatives on CAS.
Asked whether she will be present during the introduction of CAS in the Rajya Sabha on 10 December as she is slated to tour the state of Gujarat from 8 December as part of election campaigning, Swaraj shot back, “But I am back in Delhi on the morning of 10 December.”
The Rajya Sabha, where the government does not have a majority, has been a problem area for the government as far as CAS is concerned. The Opposition Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha — mainly the Communist party of India (Marxist) and the Congress Party — had been demanding that the issue of CAS be discussed thoroughly and, preferably, be referred to a parliamentary committee for more deliberations on the issue.
A senior RS partyman of the CPM, Nilotpaul Basu, had told indiantelevision.com recently that his party is for CAS to be referred to a parliamentary panel for more discussion on the issue. However, today Basu could not be contacted for comments on Swaraj’s latest assertion on CAS.
The CAS issue had been listed on the agenda of the Rajya Sabha soon after Parliament reconvened for the Winter session on 18 November but could not be taken up for discussion for various reasons.
The government has also allotted a three-hour time in Rajya Sabha for discussions on CAS.
Finally, after a whole host of twists and turns, CAS looks on its way to becoming reality, though its actual implementation will take some more time. Unless of course something unforeseen happens next week that will again take precedence over CAS.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
