News Broadcasting
NDTV unveils ‘The Election Carnival’ for Lok Sabha Elections 2024
Mumbai: The NDTV Network has announced the launch of ‘The Election Carnival,’ an initiative aimed at fostering civic engagement and awareness ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
NDTV Election Carnival is a travelling studio that aims to travel to 34 cities across New Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, covering a total distance of 4000 kms. This platform is designed to move around and engage with citizens, helping them deepen their understanding of local leaders and issues relevant to their communities. Backed with an NDTV anchor accompanying a politician from each area, it promises meaningful discussions and interactions, providing voters with valuable insights into the electoral landscape.
The first leg of the NDTV Election Carnival kicked off from the heart of the nation, New Delhi, on 5 April 2024, in the presence of Manoj Tiwari, MP from North-East Delhi, setting the tone for an engaging and informative journey ahead. The inaugural ceremony in New Delhi featured a performance by a Punjabi folk artist. The campaign will commemorate the vibrant culture of every region by featuring performances from local folk artists, highlighting the rich diversity that characterizes India’s political and social landscape.
This drive underscores NDTV’s commitment to fostering informed citizenship and facilitating meaningful dialogue between citizens and leaders. Through this campaign, the network hopes to empower voters and strengthen the democratic process.
NDTV Election Carnival will make stops at prominent cities such as Ayodhya, Dehradun, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Amritsar, Srinagar, and Nashik, among others. During these stops, it will provide citizens across the country with the opportunity to participate in discussions, learn about local issues, and interact with their elected representatives.
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.
