News Broadcasting
Sahara, DD ad sales revenues for England series to gross Rs 2.9 billion
MUMBAI: It’s all about advertising sales. That is clearly the revenue story for England’s tour of India that kicks off 1 March.
This is amply borne out from the way the telecast rights for the India territory have been parcelled out by Nimbus Communications, the telecast rights holder to India cricket for the next four years.
The satellite rights are with Sahara One Television while Doordarshan is the terrestrial broadcaster. Both the channels are free-to-air so the only revenue stream will be advertising.
Advertisers will of course not be complaining with the arrangement that Nimbus chief Harish Thawani has managed since the two channels combined offer arguably the best possible “reach combo” available in the country today.
Calculations that Indiantelevision.com has made based on the card rates for the upcoming series indicate that gross revenues should be in the region of Rs 2.9 billion (Sahara Rs 1.65 billion, DD Rs 1.25 billion). This is the estimated gross that will be earned at the end of the 3 Tests and 7 ODIs that make up the current tour.
Media buyers that Indiantelevision.com spoke to indicate that Nimbus will be able to more or less hold these rates because they see them as “realistic” figures. Since Sahara has excellent connectivity in the Hindi speaking markets of 96 per cent (Tam data for HSM, average for Dec 05- Feb 06), and DD has an all-India spread, one thing that no advertiser will have worries over is connectivity.
THREE SPONSORS ALREADY SIGNED ON
Advertising bookings opened today and at the time of filing this report, three sponsors Reliance Infocomm, TVS and Coca Cola (all three are sponsoring on both networks) has signed on. Approximately 27 per cent of total available inventory has been being consumed by these three alone, a statement issued by nimbus says.
The statement further adds that three other sponsors, the deals for which are being finalised, are expected to take up a remaining 23 per cent. From the 40 per cent reserved for spot buys, approximately one half has been sold on the opening day.
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.
