News Broadcasting
Narendra Modi speaks to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria
MUMBAI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been touring Asia over the last few weeks. In a first interview that will introduce him to the world audience, Modi has given an interview to CNN International’s show Fareed Zakaria GPS.
The interview was taped on Saturday 13 September at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7 Race Course Road in New Delhi and will go on air on 21 September. It will mark Modi’s first global interview after being elected as the Prime Minister of India.
During the interview, Modi will be discussing a wide range of topics such as India’s economic growth, relations with China and the United States, terrorism and much more.
In India the interview will be first telecast at 4:30 pm on 21 September. This will be further followed by a repeat on 22 September at 7:30am.
Before being elected as the PM, Modi had created a lot of hype among the media fraternity with his choice of channels to speak to. This included ETV Gujarati, Times Now, India TV, Aaj Tak, CNBC Awaaz, NewsX, News 24 etc.
This will be Modi’s first interview after assuming charge. He has kept the media at arm’s length since May 2014.
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.
