iWorld
Hooq hooks CBS’ Jennifer Batty as CCO
MUMBAI: Earlier this year, OTT service Hooq cofounder and chief content & distribution officer Krishnan Rajagopalan relinquished his post, which lay vacant. Today, the burgeoning SVOD’s service’s CEO Peter Bithos announced that the position has been filled as a replacement has been found in former RTL CBS Asia executive vice-president programming Jennifer Batty.
A 20 year veteran with exposure to channel development and programming in North America, Asia and Europe, Batty will now be bringing all her experience to bear as Hooq’s chief content officer (CCO). She built her career heading up programming at Modern Times Group (Viasat Broadcasting) pay-TV channels across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, and held various roles at Alliance Atlantis Communications, from content sales to content development in both Europe and Canada.
“Jennifer understands the region and she knows customers’ media appetite. Her knowledge of Asia combined with her passion for content are assets we welcome to Hooq,” said Bithos.
High on Batty’s to-do list is building on the OTT service’s previous week’s week’s agreement with Marvel for exclusive SVoD rights to three new series – Marvel’s Inhumans, Marvel’s Runaways and Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger.
This represents an extension of a deal signed with Disney early in the year. Additionally Hooq is aiming to extend its list of Asian originals with ‘Saranair Love You’ currently playing in Thai cinemas and available on Hooq three months after the last cinematic screening as well as Asian originals co-produced by Hooq from Indonesia including Critical Eleven, Sweet 20 and Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, which was also recently screened at the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes and this week at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“The growing access to multiple screens and improved connectivity underscores the reality that linear viewing is on the decline. With Hooq, viewers can choose to watch their favourite shows wherever, whenever they want. More than ever, we must provide compelling programmes and an easy-to-navigate platform to retain viewers,” said Batty.
Batty was a key member in RTL Group’s expansion into India and then their joint venture with CBS Studios International, launching RTL CBS Entertainment and RTL CBS Extreme.
iWorld
Instagram Edits marks one year with 130 plus new features
Launched April 22, 2025, app adds teleprompter, ideas hub, weekly updates
MUMBAI: From rough cuts to smart edits, Instagram’s in-house creator tool has quietly been polishing its own story, one feature at a time. Instagram Edits, launched on April 22, 2025, has completed a year in the market with more than 130 features added since debut, reflecting a steady push to evolve into an all-in-one content creation platform.
Developed by Meta in collaboration with creators, the app was initially rolled out with a basic toolkit, with product development continuing post-launch through weekly updates shaped by user feedback. According to Brett Westervelt, who leads the Edits team, the approach has been iterative build, test, refine, repeat.
Over the past 12 months, the platform has focused on simplifying core editing tasks such as trimming, captioning, and audio-visual adjustments. Among the additions is an in-app teleprompter, designed to help users record content more seamlessly, alongside tools for script reading and voiceovers.
But Edits is no longer just about cutting clips. The app has expanded into the ideation phase with an “Ideas” hub, allowing users to store references such as saved reels, audio clips, and notes. It also offers personalised recommendations, comment insights, and automated prompts to help creators plan content more efficiently.
On the community front, the platform has introduced creator-led templates and educational tools, enabling users to explore and adapt project files to learn editing techniques. The next phase is expected to deepen this ecosystem, with more advanced templates and collaborative sharing features in the pipeline.
Looking ahead, Meta plans to roll out enhancements including bilingual captioning, advanced colour grading, and speed control tools, alongside greater customisation options that allow users to tailor workflows and interface layouts.
As short-form video continues to dominate digital consumption, Edits appears to be positioning itself not just as a tool, but as a creator companion, one that’s learning, quite literally, on the job.
