News Broadcasting
Viacom consolidates CBS, Paramount operations
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate Viacom has announced the promotion of key executives to new roles at CBS and Paramount Network Television. This will create a new management structure that will transform CBS’ programming operations.
In the reorganisation, CBS Productions, which has been instrumental in the production of virtually every hit programme on CBS, will be merged into Paramount Network Television. The new entity will be based at the Paramount Studios and will keep the Paramount name. However, the CBS Productions brand will still be utilised for certain programmes.
Making the announcement, Viacom co-president and co-COO Leslie Moonves who also serves as CBS chairman said, “We have got the greatest group of assets ever assembled to serve television viewers across all platforms. This reorganisation helps us make the most of that portfolio of properties. The good news is that we’ve got the best people in the business to lead us into the future.”
Nancy Tellem, who has served as CBS Entertainment president has been promoted to the newly-created post of CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group president. She will oversee operations at CBS Entertainment and Paramount Network Television. This includes development, programming, production, legal and business affairs.
In the past she oversaw the development of shows like CSI, Survivor and the comedy Two And A Half Men. Nina Tassler will succeed Tellem as CBS Entertainment president. Tassler was heading drama development for the Network.
In her new post, Tassler will oversee Network programming for prime time, late night and daytime, as well as program development for all genres, including comedy, drama, reality, specials, movies and mini-series.
David Stapf is the president of the new, combined Paramount Network Television unit. Stapf has served as head of current programming at CBS since July 1999,
Moonves added, “Nancy Tellem is one of the very best strategic, business and programming minds in our industry. She is also a peerless manager of people, and one of the most-respected and well-liked executives in this business.
“She has an intuitive understanding of how the creative and business process work together to create success, and has been one of the main factors that has made our turnaround at CBS a reality.”
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
