GECs
Vijay Singh to be next Star India COO; Peter Chernin flying in
MUMBAI: After Star CEO Paul Aiello, it is News Corp president and COO Peter Chernin, Rupert Murdoch’s right hand man, who will be coming to these shores to shore up the morale of the Indian team. Chernin is flying in late on Thursday and will be in Mumbai over the following three days meeting the troops as it were.
And in a related development, Indiantelevision.com learns that Vijay Singh, former CEO of Sony Music and currently Tata group company Tetley Tea’s managing director, developing markets, has been appointed as Star India COO.
The main agenda of Chernin’s visit would appear to be to reinforce India’s importance, as well as to make clear how the new executive structure in Hong Kong and India (of which Singh is a key element) will mesh with News Corp’s overall growth plans.
Singh, who will complete serving out his notice at Tetley by the month-end, is not taking up his new assignment immediately however. Indications are that he will join Star in the latter half of March. Singh will reportedly be taking up his new position just ahead of the departure of Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair, whose last working day as head of India’s lead broadcaster is 26 March.
Star officials were unavailable for comment on the issue of Singh’s appointment.
As regards the announcement of a CEO, it will be made within the next one to two months is all that Indiantelevision.com had been able to garner from industry sources at the time of filing this report.
With Singh’s arrival as COO, and with Aiello holding additional charge as Star India CEO, the jewel in News Corp’s Asian crown will have gone back to the structure it had before March of 2006 when Nair was COO and Peter Mukerjea was CEO. Mukerjea exited Star as of 1 February.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
