News Broadcasting
Sinclair to take ANI’s My India to US TV homes
MUMBAI: My India is going to Uncle Sam. Indian news Agency Asian News International (ANI) and Sinclair subsidiary Sinclair Broadcast have signed an agreement wherein the latter will take the former’s weekly TV programme My India to major American cities.
Launched in Q2’24 and produced by ANI, My India offers a 30-minute in-depth reportage and analysis of India’s economy, vibrant culture and growing impact on the global stage. My India also captures the deepening people to people (P2P), business to business (B2B) and government to government (G2G) ties between two of the most important democracies in the world.
Hitherto, the show could be viewed in the US through Komo TV’s FAST channel and its affiliated YouTube channel, and on Tag Tv’s You Tube channel in the US and Canada.
My India will be made available across the US in Washington DC, California, Rhode Island, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Seattle, Baltimore, Texas, and Wisconsin among others over Sinclair-owned TV stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox.
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Said Sinclair president & CEO Chris Ripley: “The expanded distribution of My India highlights the close connections between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy. We look forward to continuing our partnership with ANI.”
Said ANI CEO Sanjiv Prakash: “The relationship between ANI and Sinclair has already proven to be successful and is a testament to the strong bond between the US and India. We are excited to reach a broader audience in the US, including the Indian diaspora and beyond. We look forward to bringing My India showcasing unique and personal stories highlighting India’s ancient culture and thriving traditions to more homes in America.”
The expanded partnership between Sinclair and ANI builds on the solid foundation established between the two companies with a joint mission to provide high quality news stories from India and the broader south Asia region to a diverse set of American audiences interested in understanding the India story, said an ANI press release.
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.
