News Broadcasting
Viacom acquired Comedy Central cuts 20 per cent of workforce
MUMBAI: Every merger and acquisition brings with it a slew of pink slips. The media sector is no exception. Comedy Central, which claims to be the only all-comedy network, reaching 82 million US households, has just reduced its workforce by 20 per cent. As a result 80 people have lost their jobs.
A Reuters report indicates that the aim is to integrate the cable channel with Viacom’s MTV Networks. Viacom had purchased AOL Time Warner’s 50 per cent stake in the network a couple of months ago.
The job cuts come in those departments whose functions overlap with MTV’s centralised operations. These include affiliate sales, legal, finance, human resources and research. Departments that typically operate in a decentralised function such as programming and marketing, were largely unaffected the report states.
Comedy Central issued a statement saying, “This has been a very difficult process for us to go through. We truly have some of the best and brightest people in the business at Comedy Central and, unfortunately, implementing the integration plan means that some very capable, devoted and hard working people will be leaving us.” The company is hoping to align its structure to resemble other MTV Networks.
The cutbacks follow a reorganisation of MTV Networks itself, in which Judy McGrath was named MTV Networks group president and the reporting structure was changed, with Larry Divney, president of the cable network, reporting directly to Ms. McGrath. At that time McGrath also was made responsible for responsible for MTV, MTV2, VH1 and CMT.
News Broadcasting
Business Today MindRush returns to Mumbai, spotlight on India’s edge in a fractured world
Policymakers and corporate heavyweights gather to map supply chains, energy security and markets
MUMBAI: As fault lines widen across global trade and geopolitics, Business Today is doubling down on India’s moment. The 14th edition of Business Today MindRush & Best CEOs Awards lands in Mumbai on March 28, pitching India’s strategic edge at the centre of a fragmenting world.
The day-long summit, presented by PwC, will bring together a tight mix of policymakers, industry leaders and market voices to decode shifting supply chains, maritime strategy, defence priorities, energy security and capital markets—sectors now deeply entangled with geopolitics.
M Nagaraju, secretary, department of financial services, ministry of finance, will headline the event, setting the tone for discussions that aim to track how India is repositioning itself amid disrupted trade routes and volatile energy dynamics.
The speaker slate reads like a cross-section of India Inc’s command centre. Krishna Swaminathan will zero in on sea lanes and supply chains, while Prashant Ruia is set to push the case for self-reliance in oil and gas. Ashish Chauhan will weigh in on capital markets at a pivotal juncture, as a panel featuring Vibha Padalkar, Sanjiv Mehta, Amish Mehta and Sanjeev Krishan debates navigating economic uncertainty.
Leadership under pressure will be another running theme. Madhavkrishna Singhania, Sharvil Patel, Karan Bhagat and Anurag Choudhary will unpack how businesses are steering through disruption. Arun Alagappan will turn the spotlight on fertilisers, Arundhati Bhattacharya will reflect on leadership transitions, while Anish Shah and S Vellayan will outline blueprints for building future-ready conglomerates.
The event will close with Aroon Purie setting the broader editorial lens, before the Best CEOs Awards recognise standout corporate leadership across sectors.
At a time when the global order looks increasingly splintered, MindRush 2026 is positioning itself as more than a conference—it is a signal that India intends not just to navigate the churn, but to shape it.
