News Broadcasting
Viacom’s Sumner Redstone is Media Person of the Year at Cannes Lions
Viacom chairman and CEO Sumner M Redstone will receive the Media Person of the Year Award at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival. The trophy will be presented to Redstone during the Press, Outdoor and Media Lions Awards Ceremony on 18 June.
Redstone is being recognised for establishing Viacom as one of the world’s premier entertainment and media companies. Viacom is also the planet’s largest platform for advertising, holding commanding positions in broadcasting and cable television, radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising media.
Viacom is the only media company to own two US broadcast networks, CBS and UPN; and manages a total of nine cable programming services, including the global youth brand MTV, which reaches 450 million homes around the world and children’s network Nickelodeon, with a reach of 225 million. As CEO since 1987, Redstone made it a leading global and diversified media company.
The 49th International Advertising Festival will be held from 16 to 22 June 2002 in Cannes, France with over 9,000 delegates from the advertising and allied industries in attendance to celebrate the creme de la creme of creativity in all major media, discuss industry issues and network with one another. Over 17,000 ads from all over the world are showcased at the Festival and a unique programme of high-profile seminars, organized by some of the biggest names in the industry, is also presented. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion awards, honoring the most creative TV/cinema, print, outdoor and online advertising, as well as the best media and direct marketing solutions.
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.
