News Broadcasting
Zee News does a Tehelka; busts currency notes scam in Nashik
NEW DELHI: News website Tehelka’s sting operation relating to a scam involving defence personnel may have been a trend-setter, but the television news channels in India are definitely coming out with their own explosive stories that are making politicians and the government sit up and take notice.
Zee News correspondent Yogesh and cameraman Ravi Vaghul, based in Nashik near Mumbai, today unearthed neatly packed cartons of currency notes belonging to countries like Zambia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and even India in a house in Nashik called Padma.
The notes, on camera, looked like they were just rolled out of a government printing press. The police or the investigating agencies, surprisingly, didn’t have an idea of the huge catch lying in Padma despite having raided a house next door and arresting a person for dealing in fake stamps worth over Rs 70 lakh recently.
It has not yet been established whether this is related to the Telgi fake stamp paper scam that has already claimed the head of former police commissioner of Mumbai.
The exclusive story was aired by Zee News today evening at 7 pm, just after discussing the probable outcome of the assembly elections that concluded at 5 pm.
Some top politicians like Congress Party’s Rajya Sabha (Upper House) member, Kapil Sibal, and labour minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party Sahib Singh Verma, who had come to the Zee studios on the outskirts of Delhi to discuss politics were left stumped when the story started airing.
A seemingly moved Sibal said on camera, “I am astounded by the nature and size of the scam.” Verma agreed, saying, “Such scams go beyond party lines as it involves the whole country and proper investigation should be launched.”
The Zee News’ Nashik team stumbled upon the story when they entered Padma to follow-up on a previous arrest made by the police.
A jubilant Zee Telefilms news director Laxmi N Goel told indiantelevision.com just after the story went on air, that “the story was recorded two days ago”. Goel said that if the investigating agencies want, Zee News would be happy to co-operate with them in further investigations.
Would this programme give Zee News enough ratings to catch up with the leader, Aaj Tak? That would only be known when the TRPs are compiled for the week by TAM.
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.
