News Broadcasting
Maintain sobriety instead of presenting news in a sensational manner: Lalli
NEW DELHI: In India’s highly cluttered private satellite television news market, the Prasar Bharati chief executive officer BS Lalli has a message: maintain sobriety instead of presenting news in a sensational manner.
While applauding the move by the TV news industry to self-regulate in a purposeful fashion, Lalli stressed on the need to maintain the sensibilities of the people in a widely pluralistic country.
“I am happy to note that news channels have been fairly responsible in their coverage and have been indulging in self-regulation of content. Sobriety rather than sensationalism should be the requirement of the hour,” Lalli said here today, while inaugurating the third Indian News Television (NT) Summit.
He said DD News, which airs 16 hours of live news daily, continued to remain the only bilingual news channel telecasting in Hindi and English, apart from bulletins in Urdu and Sanskrit.
The primary aim of the government and the public broadcaster was to reach those large areas still uncovered by television so that citizens could be “empowered with objective facts and dispassionate analysis” since this was the “heart and hallmark of a democracy”.
Lalli said TV had seen phenomenal growth in the country and from just Doordarshan in the early nineties, the country now had over 500 channels being downlinked to Indian viewers, opening up the skies to rapid expansion.
All India Radio had added around 122 news bulletins over the past few years in different languages, he added.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
