News Broadcasting
Southern Spice hunts for Hyderabadi veejays
MUMBAI: Road shows, youth hangouts and extensive press promotions mark Southern Spice Music’s launch of the veejay hunt, The VJ Factor in Hyderabad this week.
The VJ Factor is a hunt for new blood on the channel, a move made to support new programming initiatives. The selected veejays would not have to be comfortable with English, the common lingo on the channel, but also with the other four South Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
The channel, gearing for potential competition from national players this year, has already held similar VJ Hunts at Bangalore and Chennai. The elimination rounds will be held on 4 and 5 March, with the finals slated for 5 March. Southern Spice Music has planned extensive road shows, and placed promotional materials and registration forms at convenient locations such as colleges, coffee shops, pubs, multiplexes, music stores, bookstores and other youth hangouts in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Extensive television promotion of The VJ Factor is currently running on SS Music along with print ads in Andhra Jyothy and The Times of India, Hyderabad. Promos will also run on some of the malls in Hyderabad.
360 degrees, a Times Group division will manage the event, that is to be sponsored by Sand piper Azaad Panchee After Dark Parties. According to sales and marketing head Nischal Kumtakar, SS Music has now achieved 96 per cent connectivity in South India, and has bagged several new clients including Motorola, Hero Honda, Thomson TV, Airtel and Johnson & Johnson.
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.
