News Broadcasting
NBA seeks extension from I&B ministry to pay DD Free Dish carriage fee
MUMBAI: With ad sales down and operation costs up, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has sought an extension from the ministry of information and broadcasting for payment of the carriage fee for slots on DD Free Dish.
According to a report by The Hindu, sources have confirmed that Prasar Bharati has agreed to allow news channels to continue to air on DD Free Dish from 1 April without the payment. However, NBA and Prasar Bharati are working on an alternate model of payment that requires the news channels to pay an interest of 5.7 per cent per annum, which has miffed the association's broadcasters.
NBA president Rajat Sharma, in a letter to I&B minister Prakash Javdekar, wrote, “Advertising inventory bookings are lower than 50 per cent even for the top-rated news channels — advertising is a single source of earning for news broadcasters and this will lead to a serious cash-flow problem.”
With 26 slots reserved for Doordarshan-run channels, DD Free Dish has 80 slots in all, of which 54 are open for bidding by private channels. These DD Free Dish channels reach out to at least 30 million households, without paying a monthly subscription.
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.
