News Broadcasting
NBA gets a regional competitor
NEW DELHI: Even as the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) is looking after the affairs of larger news broadcasters, an All India News Broadcasters Association (AINBA) has been established by regional news players to ensure ethical journalism.
Azad News chairman MS Walia is the chairman of the new organisation, with Total TV chief managing director Anil Gaba as vice chairman.
However, it was clarified that this is the interim committee of office bearers and fresh elections will be held within six months to form a permanent committee.
The other office bearers are: general secretary Tejinder Pal Singh of Patiala based Channel 2, treasurer S K Gupta of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh channel TV100 and joint secretaries Dr Prakash Sharma (Jabalpur’s SMBC Insight Channel) and Amit Agarwal (Raipur’s Channel TSN).
Members of the governing body are: I D Garg (Gurgaon’s Khabrein Abhi Tak), Pushpendra Singh Baghel (Khabar Bharti, Noida), Vikram Newaar (Tazaa TV, Kolkata), A K Sama (Fast News, Rohtak), and Naresh Mehta (Khoj India, Gurgaon).
A spokesperson told indiantelevision.com that a number of Indian news channels had tied up with the government and various agencies to put together a unified platform to look at a collective solution for ridding the industry of the various problems that continue to plague it without a workable solution in sight.
The AINBA comprising of heads/owners of small and medium news channels held its first meeting in Delhi where it elected the interim committee of founding office bearers. The office will be located in the national capital. Currently having about 15 or 16 members, it will soon start approaching other broadcasters to join.
This is the first such association or representative body of regional news players in the country, which will work towards creating a level playing field in the country at par with the national news channels.
Apart from focusing on the problems of the industry, the association will work towards ensuring clean and ethical journalism, work towards curbing paid news and ensuring guidelines for self-regulation.
The association will also work towards creating a platform for news syndication and exchange amongst member organisations, collective marketing and distribution.
The AINBA will also act as a unified body working in conjunction with the government and representing the views, issues and concerns of the broadcasting industry, and play an exemplary role in finding workable solutions.
The current body that exists is the NBA that has 57 news channels including a few regional ones such as Sakshi TV, ETV, Mathrubhumi, People TV, Kairali, Odisha TV, Sun network news channels and others.
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.
