News Broadcasting
CNN goes live for the first time with 3G
MUMBAI: CNN International has made its first ever global television broadcast from a mobile phone, live from the 3GSM conference in Barcelona. As part of CNN’s coverage from the conference, CNN went live to millions worldwide via the 3G network shortly after 7pm Hong Kong time, Monday February 12.
The ‘live via phone’ ninety second piece was broadcast by CNN International correspondent Jim Boulden for the daily news show, ‘Business International’ and opened CNN’s coverage from 3GSM trade show.
Tony Maddox senior vice president of news operations for CNN International said: “This new development underlines CNN’s clear commitment to developing 3G technology in news gathering. By adopting emerging technologies, CNN continues to lead the way in reporting from the field. 3G technology is enabling our correspondents to deliver packages and live broadcasts both quickly and easily from wherever they are in the world. This is an important demonstration of how we are evolving our newsgathering abilities using the latest technologies.”
Working with mobile technology partner Ericsson, CNN has invested in digital newsgathering which enables its global correspondents to add 3G phones to their reporting tools. The technology has already been tested through live reports on CNN’s broadband service, CNN Pipeline, but this is the first time the news network has used mobile devices for live television.
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.
