News Broadcasting
Sahar Elhabashi is executive VP, MTV Networks International
Sahar Elhabashi has been promoted to Executive V-P, MTV Networks International.
In her expanded role, Elhabashi will direct strategy, operations and business development for MTV Networks’ brands MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, KinderNet and TMF (The Music Factory) in international markets. Elhabashi is also on the board of directors of Nickelodeon Australia, a joint venture between MTV Networks and XYZ Entertainment.
Elhabashi directed MTV’s January 2001 entry into Japan with a TV channel and Web site launched via a partnership with @JapanMedia, as well as collaborated with MTV Europe on acquisitions of KinderNet and TMF (The Music Factory) in the Netherlands. MTV Networks has introduced 22 new TV, online & PC broadband services internationally in the past year, including VH1’s debut in Asia, Nickelodeon launches in China and Singapore, and MTV 24-hour channel and Web site premieres in Korea and the Philippines.
In the immediate term, an area which might need Elhabashi’s attention in India is Nickelodeon, which two years after its launch is still to find its feet.
Greg Ricca, COO, MTV Networks International, who made the appointment announcement, said: “Sahar has been a driving force behind the strategic growth and development of our brands across multimedia platforms around the world, helping MTV achieve its status as the world’s largest global network, while launching VH1 internationally, and developing Nickelodeon across all lines of businesses in priority markets.”
Elhabashi joined MTV Networks in London in 1992 as manager of new business development, MTV Europe, where she oversaw investment opportunities for MTV in the region. Under her direction, MTV expanded its European business through the launch of VH1 in the UK and Europe as well as through brand extensions into other lines of business, including magazines and record compilations.
In 1994, she was named V-P of Strategy for the newly formed MTV International, responsible for steering strategic and operations planning for MTV and VH1 in international markets. Elhabashi relocated to New York in 1996. In 1997 she was promoted to senior V-P, adding network development for MTV and VH1 to her responsibilities. In 1998, Nickelodeon International’s strategy and network development responsibilities were added to her duties.
MTV Networks claims to be the world’s premier brand-led, multi-platform entertainment company, reaching more than 164 countries via 72 channels, 38 Web sites and extensive syndication and licensing businesses linked to MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon brands and properties.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
