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A+E Networks|TV18 appoints Arun Thapar as executive vice president & head -content
MUMBAI: A+E Networks|TV18 has appointed Arun Thapar as Executive Vice President & Head- Content. The announcement was made today by Avinash Kaul, Managing Director, A+E Networks | TV18 and President – Strategy, Product & Alliances – Network18 to whom Arun reports.
Arun is responsible for driving the content strategy, creative and all programming-related objectives for the network: its flagship channel History TV18 and the recently launched FYI TV18.
Avinash Kaul said: “Arun brings with him a rich experience in the factual and lifestyle entertainment space that makes him well suited to strategize content for our channels. He has thorough understanding of the culture and ground realities of content consumption in India as well as the Asia Pacific region, which I believe will go a long way in rendering a great experience to our audiences. We are in a period of transformation of broadcast content and I believe this to be the right time to re-invent and strengthen the offerings to the ever evolving audiences. With the launch of FYI TV18, we now have various niches to explore and together with History TV18, we aim to offer our audiences an unflinching television and digital experience.”
Arun is an industry veteran with over twenty years of vast experience in production and programming across organisations like Discovery and NDTV. He has a proven track record in formulating program strategy to ensure disciplined execution.
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Times Now ropes in Zakka Jacob as managing editor; Navika Kumar to take up consulting editor role
Senior newsroom reshuffle sees Jacob exit News18; Kumar steps into expanded editorial leadership role
NEW DELHI: In a high-profile newsroom reshuffle, Zakka Jacob is set to move from News18 to Times Now as managing editor, according to media reports. He is expected to assume the new role in April, marking a fresh chapter in a career that has long straddled the studio floor and the global affairs beat.
At CNN-News18, Jacob most recently served as senior anchor and group foreign affairs editor, a role he took up in December 2015. Over the years, he became a familiar face for viewers tracking international flashpoints and diplomatic crosscurrents. He had earlier served as managing editor at the channel before choosing to focus more closely on hands-on journalism and anchoring.
His move to Times Now signals a return to executive leadership, this time at a network known for its combative prime-time presence and political edge.
Meanwhile, Navika Kumar will step into the role of consulting editor. A seasoned political journalist and one of the prominent faces of Times Now, Kumar is known for her sharp interviews and high-voltage election coverage. Her elevation formalises a leadership position she has long appeared to occupy on screen.
Jacob’s career spans more than a decade across editorial and anchoring roles. He has served as managing editor and output editor at CNN-News18, and earlier worked as senior anchor at China Central Television. An engineering graduate from the University of Madras, he brings a methodical mind to the often chaotic theatre of television news.
With April on the horizon, the move sets the stage for a new newsroom equation, and perhaps a new tone at the top. In the world of television news, the faces may be familiar, but the script is always being rewritten.
