News Broadcasting
Rupert Murdoch invests $13.5 million in job search engine
MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Interactive Media and venture capital firm Foundation Capital have invested $13.5 million in Simply Hired, which is a search engine for jobs. The financing brings the company’s total funding to $17.7 million. Representatives from both Foundation Capital and Fox Interactive Media will join the company’s board of directors.
“Fox Interactive Media’s growth strategy is to strategically partner or acquire category leaders and technology innovators that broaden or enrich our users’ experience. Our investment in Simply Hired underscores that approach and we look forward to working with them to power job search for a variety of properties on our network,” said Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn.
Joining Fox Interactive Media in this investment is Foundation Capital, which has been behind numerous successful internet ventures, including Netflix and Netzero. “As the general search space has matured, we see vertical search as the next big opportunity. The entrepreneurs behind Simply Hired have demonstrated their ability to build a successful Internet business. They’re clearly on the right track with this venture as well. Both Foundation Capital and Fox Interactive Media have recognized an opportunity to create a significant business here,” said Foundation Capital general partner Paul Holland.
“Simply Hired has created the most simple, effective job search experience on the planet. Fox Interactive Media are focused on developing an Internet presence that offers a deeper, richer online experience for its millions of passionate users. With the operational expertise of the team at Foundation Capital and the global presence of News Corporation, we will create a world class job search experience for a large audience,” said Simply Hired CEO Gautam Godhwani.
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.
