News Broadcasting
Govt. urged to utlise synergies between film and tourism
MUMBAI: “We give and give. Yet the producer is taken for a ride throughout. Hopefully forums like this will help redress the situation.” Film producer Nitin Keni spoke these words during the morning session of Locations 2003, which is the world’s first film tourism event.
The event closes tomorrow at the Mumbai suburb of Juhu. Keni is a 20 year veteran of the industry who helped launch Zee TV in 1992
He lamented, “The experience of Indian filmmakers is very poor. We are still getting second-class status from the various state governments despite the fact that they collect a lot of revenue by way of entertainment tax. They need to wake up and get their act together. Indians prefer shooting abroad in places like Mauritius, London because it is cheaper and there are no bureaucratic hassles. Some amount of standardisation needs to be brought into the system. We could learn from Europe where film entrepreneurs get a tax relief in a country like Germany if 50 per cent of the film has been shot there.”
He also said that the attitude of the various government departments in the different states is unhelpful. “States invite us saying that free security will be provided. However when we land up there we are asked for donations towards some welfare institution where people working in the film and entertainment industry are languishing. Politicians and the bureaucratic machinery have taken the country back a
thousand years.”
On a positive note he mentioned that a lot of development had taken place in the film sphere. “Indian film is on the verge of a tremendous positioning in the global market. In fact our cinema is seen in more countries than Hollywood.”
Imax Adlabs’ MD Manmohan Shetty also emphasised the
importance of state governments to get more proactive on the issue. ” The cost of flying to a North eastern state often exceeds the cost of flying abroad. We make 800 films a year. The main challenge before the filmmakers is to find new locales not only outside but also within the country. This platform will make it easier for them to find locales that suit their subject matter. Tourists will be tempted to visit
locations apart from the main cities.”
At the session it was also pointed out that one fifth of the UK’s visitors go there as a result of film and television exposure that the country has received. The creativity of the film community coupled with the professionalism of the tourism industry can have a trickle down effect. Countries like Scotland and New Zealand have used films like Braveheart and Lord Of the Rings to promote tourism. In fact New Zealand is more a tourism than an industrial economy.
The event is being organised by Novel Event Works Company. Tarun Hukku thanked Indiantelevision.com for creating further awareness about the event through the internet. He pointed out that for the past few decades a quiet relationship had been developing between tourism and the film industry. Through forums like this, the tourism boards of different Indian states and countries could learn how to structure their schedule so that tourists could be enticed. The initiation of co-production is another aim.
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
