News Broadcasting
Primetime in JV with South African firm for radio services
MUMBAI: Radio can turn out to be a game for the big boys. Radio Mirchi, Radio City, Sun TV group and Anil Ambani-controlled Adlabs have aggressive rollout plans and are willing to loosen the purse strings.
Small and regional FM radio operators are toying with the idea of forming a consortium to sell advertising and buy equipment in bulk to match the size of the national players.
Foreign companies are eyeing this as an opportunity to offer their management and technical expertise. One such company has announced its entry into India.
Kagiso Media, a leading radio company in South Africa, has floated a 50:50 joint venture with Mumbai-based Primetime International Services, an independent media sales firm.
The new entity, Primetime Kagiso, will offer comprehensive services to radio stations and advertisers. “Our aim is to assemble a group of radio stations and handle their ad sales. We are close to signing an agreement with Malar Publications and a Delhi-based firm. We also plan to provide management consultancy and training facilities,” says Kagiso Media executive director Omar Essack.
Malar plans to operate in six cities including Chennai, Madurai and Pondicherry. Primetime Kagiso is scouting for other regional operators so that it can form a big consortium.
Primetime has been an active player since 1985 in marketing time and space across media including TV, Out-of-Home and are now venturing into the radio domain.
B.A.G Infotainment Ltd is also planning to lead a 40-member consortium which will give it a national footprint to present before advertisers. Speaking at the India Radio Forum 2006 on “The challenges before regional/local FM radio broadcasters,” BAG Infotainment COO Rajiv Mishra said, “Through the consortium, it will offer more number of stations and volume discounts to the national advertisers.”
Agreed Gwalior Farms promoter Manmeet Gulzar: “Radio Mirchi is already an invisible competitor in the Gwalior radio space. Though it does not exist in the city, it still has a high recall value here. The advertisers may take to the big players.”
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.
