News Broadcasting
Zee Media appoints Ashok Venkatramani as MD
MUMBAI: ABP News Network former CEO Ashok Venkatramani has been appointed as the new MD of Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL) for three years. The appointment will come into effect from 1 July 2018.
“Based on recommendation of Nomination & Remuneration Committee and subject to requisite regulatory approvals, including approval of shareholders, appointment of Mr. Ashok Venkatramani as Managing Director of the company [is approved] for a period of three years with effect from July 1, 2018,” ZMCL informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Venkatramani brings with him an experience of over 25 years in FMCG and broadcasting sectors. Prior to joining ZMCL, he also worked with ABP group for over eight years having joined ABP News in 2008.
Venkatramani started his career with Unilever. He was the VP and business head – skincare for Unilever in India till 2008, before moving as the CEO of ABP News Network, which he headed until 2016. He was instrumental in turning around ABP’s TV news business and successfully managed the transition from Star brand to ABP.
Venkatramani, 55, is a B. Tech from Bombay University and has done his management education from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Harvard Business School.
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.
