News Broadcasting
TV9 Bharatvarsh launched; to focus on investigative journalism
MUMBAI: On 30 March, Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (ABCPL) launched its Hindi news channel—TV9 Bharatvarsh, with the aim to "change the national television with its unique style of aggressive presentation blended with investigative journalism that will focus on the rights of the people".
It entered the Hindi news genre with a well-known team of strong journalists and presenters. The editorial team includes names like former India TV editor Hemant Sharma, former India TV managing editor Ajit Anjum, and Vinod Kapri. The Hindi channel opened up its news studio in the country, which will use AR, VR technologies and BOT News Tracker in its presentation.
On 31 March, the channel had organised a national conference in which PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Akhilesh Yadav, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Kapil Sibal were present apart from other top leaders.
ABCPL director Clifford Pereira had said in a statement, “The Hindi channel will bring back issues that really matter and use the medium of television keeping the core values of humanity and people’s interests in the forefront. Unlike other Hindi news channels, TV9 Bharatvarsh will not promote superstitions like astrology.”
The company’s revenue grew 19 per cent to Rs 159.96 crore in 9M FY18 compared to Rs 134.73 crore in 9M FY17. It operates six channels (different languages) which are broadcast in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The company broadcasts the channel with the brand name of TV9, News9 and TV1.
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.
