News Broadcasting
Polls give channels more time for news restructure
NEW DELHI: Some of the news channels that had applied to the government seeking various clearances, have got an advantage by default. Because the general elections have been announced, the government will not take any policy decision.
Pointing out that senior mandarins from the information and broadcasting ministry are likely to meet the Election Commission officials tomorrow seeking guidance on various issues, a senior government official admitted, “News channels like Zee News and even Television Eighteen (a majority partner in the TV 18-CNBC business channel) have gained more time because no policy decision can be taken by the government.”
Though TV-18’s case is a bit different, the likes of Zee News and even some Indian-owned channels like Sun, Eenadu and Sab TV (who have announced plans for starting news channels) have official reasons to smile. In some cases, the delay on the government’s part can also be explained as a reason for deferring launches as well.
Some ten applications had been received by the I&B ministry where companies had sought permission to uplink and start news channels from India as also undertake restructuring to conform to the existing norms.
Meanwhile, influenced by the indecisiveness of the EC, the I&B ministry is still ambivalent whether to allow pubcaster Doordarshan to accept political advertisments and also charge a fee for giving airtime to various politicial parties — a tradition that was started when DD was the only TV broadcaster in the country.
Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and All India Radio, has conveyed to the ministry that it should be allowed to charge a fee for airtime given to political parties to air their agenda for the forthcoming general elections.
According to Prasar Bharati officials, the airtime devoted to such activities would amount to an opportunity cost of approximately Rs 160 million.
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.
