News Broadcasting
Sudhir Chaudhary elevated as editor-in-chief of Zee News, Zee Business, WION & DNA
MUMBAI: Is it merit, Hobson’s choice, or simply loyalty? Operating on the growth path and to strengthen its leadership team, Zee Business, an arm of Zee Media Corporation, has elevated Sudhir Chaudhary to the editor-in-chief position for Zee News, Zee Business, WION and DNA.
He will report to Zee Media group COO Rajiv Singh. Respective editorial teams will report to Chaudhary who seems to be gaining prominence faster than normal course.
After the exit of Amish Devgan, the channel was looked after by Samir Ahluwalia, who was appointed as the editor for Zee Business in May 2016 and deputy editor Mihir Bhatt.
Accused in Rs 100-crore extortion case against industrialist Naveen Jindal, Ahluwalia called it a day in Zee Media in September 2016. Several rumours had surfaced about Bhatt being elevated to the role of the channel head but he now seems to be losing favour with the senior management. The search for Zee Business’ head continued since, until this development.
Asheet Kunal has been given the interim charge of India 24×7 editor surpassing Vasindra Mishra, who earlier served as the editor of Zee Media’s national Hindi news channel. Kunal will continue reporting to Jagdeesh Chandra. The group has re-designated Mishra as the political editor for regional channels and will report to Chandra.
Chandra was recently appointed as the executive director of Zee Media’ regional news channels. He also takes care of Essel Group’s newspaper DNA as the CEO.
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.
