News Broadcasting
SET salutes brand ambassador Kapil on his winning Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century Award
MUMBAI: Talk about good timing. With just about six weeks to go before the “mini world cup” (the Champion’s Trophy in Sri Lanka that kicks off on 12 September), Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and MAX, the World Cup Network, have something worth crowing about. Brand ambassador Kapil Dev received the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century Award last night at a ceremony in London.
Chosen from among an impressive line-up of nominees, the celebrated all rounder is recognised for leading India to victory during the 1983 World Cup and was India’s ace strike bowler for a decade and a half.
“On behalf of the World Cup Network I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to our brand ambassador Kapil Dev. This award is a recognition of Kapil’s fantastic performance throughout his career and is symbolic of the iconic status that he has achieved since he began his career in 1978. We are truly proud to be associated with him as a key part of our team at MAX that will change the way we will present the ICC Tournaments to our viewers,” Kunal Dasgupta, CEO, SET India Pvt Ltd was quoted as saying in an official release.
“This association has extended my active involvement with cricket and I am excited to be a part of World Cup cricket magic providing excitement to millions of viewers across the country. I am working closely with the World Cup Network to develop some unique programming that will appeal to viewers beyond the cricket fans, with some innovative marketing and promotional plans and through my meetings and discussions with MAX’s advertisers and distributors. We plan to take the passion and excitement of cricket across India and show viewers cricket like they’ve never seen before – beginning with the Champions Trophy in September,” Kapil was quoted as saying in the release.
Well, with just six weeks to go for the Champions Trophy, it does seem more than high time that the “World Cup Network” starts making that impression in the viewer’s mind rather than just stating it.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
