People
Amrita bags best TV channel award
MUMBAI: Amrita TV, the Malayalam satellite channel set up in April 2005, has within a short span of time, established itself for innovative and quality programming targetting the entire family .Recently various forums presented Amrita TV with accolades including the Best Channel Award.
The Forum for Better Television, presented Amrita TV with six Awards in the telefilms category out of which ‘Errul megangalkkum sooryres mikalkkum madhyee’ won three awards for best tele-film, best script writer, best editing ;while Neermathalathende pookal bagged three awards for best direction, best cinematography and best sound recording. Both these tele -films are in-house productions of the channel.
The Kerala Film Audience Council also presented the best tele-film Award to Neermathalathende Pookal, an in-house production. The LIVE Chancellor awards honoured Amrita TV with best TV channel award. The other Awards comprised the best interview-based programme for Samagamam , an interactive show of the channel which is running since April 2005, and has been recognized as a channel identity programme; and special jury mention for Ularakal, an investigative current affairs programme –both these programmes are produced in-house by Amrita TV.
The Chitram Television Awards adjudged Amrita TV as best TV channel. It also bestowed the best anchor award for Samagamam.
A commissioned serial of the channel – Chitrashalabham- got three Awards for best direction, best serial and best actress.
To maintain the quality and integrity of the channel’s programming character nearly 74 per cent of Amrita TV’s programmes are produced in-house by its team of talented and experienced directors.In May 2006, Amrita TV was bestowed with 15 of the 29 Kerala state awards for excellence in television in different categories–the first channel to be so honoured in its very first year of operation.
People
BBC appoints Matt Brittin as 18th Director-General
Former Google EMEA president to lead broadcaster from May amid global change
LONDON: The BBC has named Matt Brittin as its 18th Director-General, placing a seasoned technology and media leader at the helm of one of the world’s most influential public broadcasters. He will formally assume the role on 18 May.
Brittin steps into the position after a brief “gap year”, as he described it, returning to the spotlight with a job that, in his own words, was “probably not one either you or I were expecting”. The appointment signals a strategic tilt towards digital expertise at a time when traditional broadcasting continues to evolve at pace.
The new Director-General brings more than 18 years of experience from Google, where he held several senior roles, including President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. During his tenure, he played a central role in expanding the company’s footprint across Europe and shaping its regional strategy.
More recently, Brittin served as Senior Independent Director at The Guardian, adding boardroom insight from one of Britain’s leading news organisations. His career also spans roles at McKinsey, Trinity Mirror and Sainsbury’s, giving him a broad perspective across media, retail and strategy.
The Director-General position carries dual responsibility as chief executive officer and editor-in-chief, overseeing the BBC’s creative, editorial and operational direction both in the UK and globally. It is a role that demands not just leadership, but a steady editorial compass in an increasingly complex media landscape.
“Now, more than ever, we need a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complex, uncertain and fast changing world,” Brittin said. He added that the broadcaster remains “an extraordinary, uniquely British asset” with a legacy of innovation in storytelling and technology.
His appointment comes at a moment when public service broadcasters are under pressure to balance tradition with transformation, navigating shifting audience habits, digital disruption and funding debates. Brittin’s blend of Silicon Valley scale and British media sensibility may prove timely.
With “big challenges and big opportunities” ahead, Brittin appears ready to get started. The real test begins in May, when he moves from anticipation to action at Broadcasting House.
