News Broadcasting
Zee Media launches global English news channel Wion
MUMBAI: It is pretty significant that Zee TV group promoter Subhash Chandra used 15 August, India’s 70th Independence Day to launch Zee Media’s global English news channel World is One News (WION) on TV screens. Wion launched as a free to air satellite service in 37 countries and is available in India on Dish TV (#605), Reliance (#459), Tata Sky (#628), Siti – Mumbai (#419) Delhi (#419 ) Bangalore (#319) Indore (#419) Kolkata (#430) and on Den Supreme Mumbai (#371) Kolkata (#371).
Chandra has for long been advocating that the world needs to see south Asia, and more specifically India, through a pair of local unfiltered glasses, not colored by Western or any other perspective. He had announced last year that Zee Media would launch WION and had appointed a former CNN and CNBC journalist Rohit Gandhi to head the news channel as its editor in chief.
For the past couple of months, it has been putting out news on various online platforms, right from YouTube to Facebook and has been focused on presenting global news developments from a south Asian perspective.
Said Gandhi in an opinion piece on the Wion website announcing the launch today: “For decades, media has been pushing the agenda of a country or a group of countries. Primarily Western news outlets have occupied that space and they push their viewpoint. They try and come as close possible to an “unbiased” approach. But they are far removed from reality as they are unable to decipher the intricacies involved… The stories were myopic and many times their selection was biased. The only stories that made to the forefront were about poverty, manual scavenging or the monkeys. I knew that I couldn’t work in a myopic news environment; I had to tell the stories that were nuanced and looked at all sides of a society or societies. “
He added that WION will be “working to deliver an unbiased news network where people will be able to take pride in the phenomenal world that they live in and are able to learn from the successes and failures in general. As we launch the ‘World Is One News’ Network, we hope to share the stories and our journey with you.”
Zee Media has set up bureaus or hired journalists in the major regions including Europe, west Asia and the US.
The channel says it will also have a strong focus on participatory journalism from viewers. “We encourage people to submit their stories, photos, opinions, comments and videos,” says its website.
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.
