News Broadcasting
CATV Act CAS amendment’s reintroduction in RS listed for today
NEW DELHI: The Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, has been listed for re-introduction in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) today.
It was to be tabled yesterday but could not be taken up as the Rajya Sabha was adjourned because of the presidential elections.
If yesterday’s listing is taken into account, this will be the third time information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj is attempting to get the bill through the Upper House. The bill failed to clear the Rajya Sabha in the last session of Parliament (17 May) due to lack of time.
As per the revised schedule, Swaraj will be introducing the bill as the fourth item of today’s listed business and will also move that the bill be passed.
The amendments to the Act were passed in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on 15 May through a voice vote.
As far as the bill’s passage is concerned though, it may still fail to get the nod from the Elders as there are indications that the issue of security in Jammu & Kashmir may come up for discussion, according to government sources. The issue has taken centrestage again after last Saturdays terrorist massacre in Jammu that claimed the lives of at least 28 people.
The sources however, said the CAS issue will continue to be listed every day till it is passed. “The okay may come through sometime this week,” a senior I&B ministry official told indiantelevision on Tuesday in the forenoon, adding, “Unless some members (of the Rajya Sabha) insist on a lengthy debate on the issue.”
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.
