News Broadcasting
Ex-employees Arnab & Sridevi stole ‘material’, Bennett files police complaint
MUMBAI: Bennett, Coleman & Co has registered a complaint against Arnab Goswami, editor and founder of Republic TV, and reporter Prema Sridevi for infringing its copyright — both former employees of the English news channel Times Now.
BCCL has filed the complaint with the Azad Maidan Police Station in Mumbai under sections 378, with sections 379, 403, 405, with sections 406, 409, 411, 414 and 418 of the Indian Penal Code, besides Section 66-B, 72 and 72-A of the IT Act, 2000, ET has quoted sources as saying. The complaint alleges commission of offences of criminal breach of trust, theft, misappropriation of property and infringement of the intellectual properties of of BCCL by making use of the same on Republic TV on multiple occasions on 6 May and 8 May this year.
On the first day of Republic TV’s launch, it telecast what it termed as an ‘expose’ on Lalu Prasad in which audio tapes containing telephone conversations between the former chief minister of Bihar and gangster Shahabuddin, allegedly while the latter was in prison, were played
Another news story was broadcast on Republic TV on 8 May, in which audio tapes of telephone talks between Sridevi (former news reporter of Times Now) and the Sunanda Pushkar (the deceased wife of the Congress leader Shashi Tharoor) and their house-help Narayan was aired.
Both these stories had shown material that was procured while both Sridevi and Goswami were in the employment of Times Now, according to the complaint. The ET report stated BCCL has confirmed filing the complaint against Goswami and Sridevi.
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.
