News Broadcasting
Parle-G comes on board Reliance broadcast networks big junior star
MUMBAI: Parle-G has come on board as presenting sponsors for BIG Junior Star, a unique property that showcases the best young talent, across the core Hindi markets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. To be aired as a show on BIG MAGIC and amplified across BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand and radio network 92.7 BIG FM, this talent encouragement platform is targeted at young children between the ages of 8-15 years and has no caveats for the talent that the children wish to showcase. The show will be created into a 40 episode special which will air each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The campaign kicking off this October will culminate in March 2014. It has been Parle G’s endeavor to encourage curiosity and overall development in children, in fact their recent campaign Roko Mat Toko Mat stands testimony, add to this tier II markets have been earmarked as key markets. On the other hand BIG MAGIC’s property idea of a kids talent hunt not limiting formats of entry, its expansive network and focusing on the tier II markets – the synergies made for an excellent partnership.
This first ever unique children’s talent reality show, will also feature child celebrities promoting the show through special appearances. Radio spots will share special tips for kids’ holistic growth, featuring experts interacting with listeners. An extension of the property also sees the Curious Kid contest, where during the on ground programs kids will be encouraged to ask curious questions and the most curious ones win prizes.
Mr. Pravin Kulkarnii, GM-Marketing, Parle Products said, “We are glad to be associated with one of Reliance Group’s popular channel, BIG Magic. With the channel now being aired across all major cities in India and becoming popular amongst its target audience, we are certain that our association with their upcoming show, BIG Junior Star will help us take forward the brand ideology of Parle G.”
Mr. Mayank Shah, Group Product Manager, Parle Products commented, “With our alliance with BIG Junior Star we are looking forward to elevate the ideology of our campaign Roko Mat, Toko Mat and strengthen our connection with the newer generation of parents and children. This platform will help us focus in bringing out natural curiosity in kids, encourage their desire to try new things, experiment and learn from their mistakes. We want them to realize that they can learn everywhere and from everything and that school is beyond just books and classrooms.”
Mr. Sunil Kumaran, Business Head – BIG MAGIC, said, “BIG Junior Star is our latest property which aims at encouraging talent amongst kids, in markets beyond the metros. We are happy to have Parle-G as our presenting sponsor for this initiative. With an interactive format and a diverse platform of categories, we are confident that BIG Junior Star will garner mass appeal, engaging excellently with our target audience – kids.”
BIG Junior Star will see an extensive multi-media marketing push across the platforms of television, radio, digital, outdoor, on ground – through school and residential welfare association contact programs and road shows. BIG Junior Star will go on air from January, 2014 on BIG MAGIC AND BIG MAGIC BIHAR JHARKHAND
News Broadcasting
Senior media executive Madhu Soman exits Zee Media
Former Reuters and Bloomberg leader says he leaves with “no regrets” after brief stint at WION and Zee Business
NOIDA: Madhu Soman, a veteran of global newsrooms and media sales floors, has stepped away from Zee Media Corporation after a short stint steering business strategy for WION and Zee Business.
In a reflective LinkedIn note marking his departure, Soman said his time within the network’s corridors was always likely to be brief. “Some chapters close faster than expected,” he wrote, signalling the end of a nearly two-year spell in which he oversaw both editorial partnerships and commercial strategy.
Soman joined Zee Media in 2022 after more than a decade abroad with Reuters and Bloomberg, returning to India to take on the role of chief business officer for WION and Zee Business. His mandate was ambitious: bridge the newsroom and the revenue desk while expanding digital and broadcast reach.
During the stint, Zee Business reached break-even for the first time since its launch in 2005, while WION refreshed programming and strengthened its digital footprint across platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
But Soman suggested the cultural fit proved uneasy. Describing himself as a “cultural misfit”, he hinted at deeper tensions between editorial instincts shaped in global newsrooms and the realities of India’s television news ecosystem.
Before joining Zee, Soman spent more than seven years at Bloomberg in Hong Kong as head of broadcast sales for Asia-Pacific, expanding the company’s news syndication business across several markets. Earlier, he held senior editorial roles at Reuters, overseeing online strategy in India and managing Reuters Video Services from London.
His career began in television and wire reporting, including a stint with ANI during the 1999 Kargil conflict, before moving into digital publishing as India’s internet media landscape took shape.
Now, after nearly three decades in broadcast and digital media, Soman is leaving Delhi NCR and returning to his hometown, Trivandrum.
Exhausted, he admits. But unbowed. And with one quiet line that sums up the journey: he didn’t sell his soul — because some things, after all, are not for sale.
