News Broadcasting
Zee Biz gets government okay, targets 30 November launch
NEW DELHI: The government has finally cleared a Zee proposal to start a business news channel, which is now slated to make its formal debut on 30 November.
The clearance for the business news channel, named ZeeBiz, came last week from the information and broadcasting ministry, according to government sources.
Earlier, Zee had tried to soft-launch the business news channel on the Dish TV DTH platform, 20 per cent owned by Zee Telefilms, contending that government permission was not necessary to start channels on a DTH platform.
The move was withdrawn after I&B ministry made appropriate noises that government permission was a must for launching a news channel even on a DTH platform.
Having got the clearance, Zee Biz would kick off both on the cable and DTH platforms simultaneously as a 24-hour channel in a digitally encrypted format. The uplinking would take place from Zee News headquartered in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi.
If ZeeBiz does manage to keep its date with lady luck this time on 30 November, it would be the first off the block of a series of new launches lining up in the business news segment.
The other Hindi language business news channel being planned come from the stables of Television Eighteen, scheduled for a December launch, and NDTV. The latter’s launch date is still not clear as it was supposed to have been launched this year only.
ZeeBiz, along with the other proposed channels, are attempting to broadbase viewership by targeting the huge Indian middle class whose interest in capital markets and other aspects of business has increased with the economy doing fairly well over the last two years and general awareness.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
