News Broadcasting
Paul Aiello named Star CEO after Guthrie exit
MUMBAI: Star has appointed Paul Aiello, currently its president, as chief executive, replacing present CEO Michelle Guthrie, who has resigned. Guthrie’s departure will be effective 1 March.
It was only last April that Aiello was appointed president in a newly created role and put in charge of developing strategic and business directions for the pan Asian broadcaster while overseeing corporate functions including business development, strategy and implementation, Star ventures, government affairs and corporate communications.
The position of Steve Askew, chief operating officer (Star) & president (Star Entertainment) in the new dispensation is also unclear. Askew is presently on four months’ sick leave, according to industry sources.
Commenting on the announcement, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch said, “Paul has done an exceptional job at Star since joining the company, leading its corporate team and overseeing its overall growth strategy. Paul’s business acumen, strong leadership and financial skills as well as in-depth knowledge of the diverse and complex media and telecommunications industries in Asia make him the ideal candidate to steer the long-term growth and success of the company.”
Meanwhile, Star officials refused comment on reports that Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair had resigned and would be joining Prannoy Roy’s NDTV. Attempts to contact Nair proved fruitless at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, NDTV officials were quite categorical that reports of Nair’s joining the news major to head up their broadcast entertainment venture were without basis.
Aiello’s appointment followed soon after the creation of a new, convoluted executive structure within Star wherein Steve Askew was named president of Star Entertainment in addition to COO of Star.
The biggest news then was of course the shake up in the Indian operations wherein two units were created – Star Group and Star Entertainment – with Peter Mukerjea made CEO of Star Group India and Nair promoted from COO to CEO of Star Entertainment.
As CEO of Star Entertainment, Nair was given the responsibility of overseeing all day-to-day operations including programming, marketing, advertising sales and distribution while pursuing growth opportunities in new media including wireless and internet.
Nair was reporting to Askew while Mukerjea continued to report to Guthrie.
Aiello, 42, joined Star from Morgan Stanley where he worked for more than nine years. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Aiello was vice president, mergers and acquisitions, Investment Banking Department of CS First Boston Limited, Hong Kong.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
