News Broadcasting
CATV Act amendment bill not listed on RS business for the week, likely to be referred to select committee
NEW DELHI: The case of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, is getting curiouser. Yesterday, though it was listed as part of the day’s business it did not come up for discussion. It is not on today’s listed business and will not come up for the rest of the week either.
It now transpires that information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj decided to withdraw the bill for wider consultations after it became clear that Opposition leaders (with the tacit support of some influential ruling party members) would not allow the bill’s passage without wider discussions.
The draft is now likely to be referred to a House Select Committee before it is brought up for passage.
Earlier indications were that the CAS bill would continue to be listed every day till it was passed.
The Hindu Business Line reported that parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan yesterday informed the Opposition members that the Bill – which was to be moved by Swaraj in the afternoon – had been taken off the list of business for the week.
The amendments to the Act were passed in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on 15 May through a voice vote. The I&B ministry will now have to try and evolve a consensus with the Opposition party members before it can get the bill cleared.
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.
