News Broadcasting
Eighth NT Awards evening a roaring success
It’s a night that the news industry will remember for a long time.
The beautiful ballroom at The Lalit in New Delhi wore a dazzling look and excitement was in the air on 29 June 2016. The chandeliers above and mirrors reflected the gaiety of those in attendance: the who’s who of the Indian news television ecosystem. Cheers and applause broke out from time to time as peer and rival professionals went up on stage to receive their respective awards.
The occasion: indiantelevision.com’s Eighth News Television Awards (NT Awards). CEOs, reporters, editors, tech executives and what have you all came out in droves to celebrate success and excellence for the work they put in while informing and entertaining their viewers daily. Marathi, Hindi, English and Telugu channel reps all came together under one roof, forgetting deadlines and pressures of newsbreaks for a day, showing solidarity and unity at the extravaganza.
The NT Awards 2016 received over 900 entries across 43 categories from more than 30 news channels operating in the space of English, Hindi, Telugu and Marathi. A stellar jury -consisting of senior print and television news professionals – completed the judging process recently.
Price Waterhouse Coopers was the tabulator for the awards process.
The night of glory saw a packed house as over 100 awards in various categories were given by stalwarts from the fields of sports, politics, society and culture.
Congratulating the winners, indiantelevision.com group founder & CEO Anil Wanvari said, “The news TV business in India is extremely vibrant and is evolving uniquely as compared to the rest of the world. We at indiantelevision.com have been responding to this evolution and are delighted to work with the industry and news veterans to recognise the best efforts that each of them is putting in. I trust our initiative will help raise the standards of the news industry talent further.”
Some of the dignitaries present at the award function were Murli Manohar Joshi, Shashi Tharoor, Aroon Poorie, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sambit Patra, among others.
Top domestic mobile handset maker Gionee was the title sponsor of indiantelevision.com’s Eighth NT Awards.
Commenting on the ceremony, Gionee India CEO & managing director Arvind R Vohra stated, “The response to NT has been exceptional. Some of the most influential personalities of the country attended the night. I must congratulate Indiantelevision.com Group for putting up a great show. Looking forward to associate again next year.”
indiantelevision.com group director (Revenue and Commercial) Anoop Wanvari said, “The NTs this year are bigger and better. It’s seen an immense growth in credibility and impact over the past eight years. We are glad to have Gionee as the title partner this year, taking the endeavour to even greater heights. We also would like to thank all our other support partners.”
The evening saw around 500 guests – consisting of professionals from the TV news ecosystem – attend and cheer for the winners as they took away galores of prizes.
Awards were given for the best in categories like crime shows, sports shows, technology, documentaries with limited episode, TV news presenter, TV news anchor, investigative feature, investigative news report, entertainment news show et al.
Some of the big take aways for the night were Barkha Dutt-Best TV News Anchor (English), Ravish Kumar- Best TV News Anchor (Hindi), Rajeev Masand-Entertainment News Anchor, Harikrishna-TV News Presenter (Telugu), Vinayak Gaikwad- Best TV News Presenter (Marathi), ITV Editorial Special Award for TV News Presenter- Sudhir Chaudhary. Special Hall of Fame recognition went to Ashok Venkatramani of ABP NEWS.
Click here for Full list of Winners:
NT Awards 2016 was anchored by noted stand-up comedians Sorabh Pant and Angad Singh Ranyal, whose quips had everyone in splits throughout the evening.
The Spotlight Partners included CNNNEWS18, IBN7, Silver Partners ABP ASMITA, ABP LIVE, Akamai, Support Partners CNBC Awaaz, CNBC TV18, TV9.Tellychakkar.com and Radioandmusic.com were the Online Media Partners. The event was executed and produced by indiantelevision.com’s ITV 2.0 Productions.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
