News Broadcasting
New Kid on the Hindi news block: Jia News
MUMBAI: Starting 5 October, 7:00 am onward, the Hindi news space will see one more channel going live.
Named Jia News, after channel chairman Rohan Jagdale’s daughter, the channel, whose slogan reads: ‘Ehsaas Badlav Ka’ (Feel the change), is looking to tap people’s spiritual side apart from giving them their daily fix of news and current affairs.
About five months ago, Jagdale and his wife who is channel director Madhulika, started work on Jia, which also stands for ‘Journalist in Action’.
Equipped with a head office in Noida, 16 bureaus in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, and a staff of 150 people including journalists, cameramen and stringers, Jia will air 60 per cent current affairs and 10 per cent sports and 10 per cent entertainment as part of its programming strategy. As of now, no south Indian state has been included and news from the southern region will be through tie-ups with ANI. Joy Sebastian has been appointed channel head while Ashish Mishra is chief editor. The hunt for a CEO is still on.
Interestingly, Jagdale, who has an oil and gas business, has funded Jia entirely out of his own pocket. “I have started the channel on emotions and feelings,” he says.
Unlike other channel launches, no big marketing campaign has been planned. Reason is Jagdale wants to first reach out to school and college students by hosting debates and elocutions and making them understand the importance of Hindi as a language. “Hindi as a language has become something of a burden and I want to change that,” he says. Promos will be uploaded on the Internet on the day of the launch.
Initially available on cable TV only, Jagdale plans to touch nearly 1.5 crore people. The web page will be launched on the tenth of this month. The channel also plans to have spiritual shows to help people relax and relieve stress.
Given the rash of Hindi channels lately, it remains to be seen whether Jia will manage to stand out from the crowd.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
