News Broadcasting
SET’s growth to stay flat in 2004-05
MUMBAI: Sony-Discovery’s revenue growth will stay flat in 2004-05, affected by the loss of premium movie channel HBO in its distribution bouquet.
SET Discovery Pvt Ltd president Shantonu Aditya admits touching Rs 3 billion will be difficult this fiscal, but says a marginal rise is possible. The company had earned a revenue of Rs 2.85 billion in 2003-04.
Aditya says the ICC Champions trophy, the distribution of new channels and an inflation-linked rate hike of seven per cent with effect from 1 January, 2005 may result in a marginal growth.
But analysts see the loss of HBO neutralising any gain the company had made earlier in the year. Sony-Discovery bouquet’s rate has to be revised downwards to Rs 49.40 in the New Year as the price of HBO was Rs 5.60 per subscriber a month. A permissible seven per cent hike will only put the bouquet rate at Rs 52.85.
Besides, Sony-Discovery bouquet will lack steam in the southern region where the main driver was HBO, the English-language movie channel. Also, in the new bouquet formation, Star India with the Disney channels and Zee-Turner with HBO will have far stronger pull than Sony’s channels of MTV, Nick, Animax and Discovery Travel & Living.
“The last quarter of this fiscal will neutralise whatever growth we could post in the earlier period. We won’t have HBO and we don’t have any cricket left on Max,” says a source in the company. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had put a freeze on subscription rates with effect from 26 December 2003. Sony also could not increase its subscriber base which could have fuelled growth in earnings for the year.
As already reported yesterday, SET Discovery has strengthened focus in the southern region by dividing it into two territories – Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh forming one division while Tamil Nadu and Kerala constitutes the other group. Each division is under a regional manager.
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.
