News Broadcasting
MTV announces new network group structure
NEW YORK: MTV Networks chairman and CEO Tom Freston, has announced a new network group structure for the company. The new structure expands the roles of both Judy McGrath and Herb Scannell, longtime leaders within MTV Networks.
McGrath, formerly MTV Networks Music Group president will now become MTV Networks group president. She will be responsible for MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT and Comedy Central, which officially joined Viacom and MTV Networks on 22 May. Comedy Central’s president Larry Divney will report directly to McGrath. The former Nickelodeon, TV Land, and TNN president, Scannell, will become MTV Networks Group president. He will be responsible for Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, Noggin and TNN. TNN will soon be knwon as Spike TV.
Freston said, “This structure places two of our best, most experienced, and most successful leaders in expanded roles that position us perfectly as we continue to expand as a company. Judy’s accomplishments over the years speak for themselves. She has an unmatched creative vision and a proven ability to build, strengthen and transform powerful brands and I am thrilled to have her take on this added role and new challenge.
Herb is a remarkably talented creative executive who has brilliantly led the channels under his leadership from one success to another, dramatically growing their businesses along the way. His skills will serve us well as we launch Spike TV and aggressively grow that brand as the first network for men.”
In their new roles McGrath and Scannell will oversee the
management of their respective networks. An official release informs that in addition, they will now together with Freston, MTV Networks President and COO Mark Rosenthal, MTV Networks International President Bill Roedy be part of a newly established MTV Networks Management Committee that will play the lead role in the management of the company.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
