News Broadcasting
Sony BBC Earth hosts Blue Carpet Premiere for the iconic ‘Blue Planet II’
MUMBAI: Red Carpet is passé. Royal deserves Blue. India’s #1 factual entertainment channel, Sony BBC Earth, is hosting the first ever Blue Carpet event in India for the most iconic story of the year – Blue Planet II.
Influencers from various fields including wildlife enthusiast, film and TV celebrities gathered to watch the legendary story that gives an immersive experience into the amazing underwater world. Shot over a span of 4 years with 125 expeditions across 39 countries, Blue Planet II – One Ocean and The Deep will exclusively release in 48 PVR theatres across 22 cities on May 18, for an astounding cinematic experience.
To promote this unique initiative, Sony BBC Earth has deployed a massive on-air, on-ground, in-cinema and digital campaign. To begin with, the entire Sony Network has come together to promote the premiere on the respective channels. In addition to a robust outdoor and print campaign, the channel got into a strategic partnership with the electronic retail giant Croma to showcase grand content of Blue Planet II on their TV screens across 94 retail outlets in 13 cities.
Theatrical release partner PVR is running an extensive, 5-week long in-cinema promotional campaign across 300 screens to give viewers a peek into the spectacular visuals. Social media handles of Sony BBC Earth and PVR are already abuzz with people showing boundless enthusiasm for the upcoming release.
The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment India (SPE Films India Pvt Ltd)
Narrated by the godfather of natural history Sir David Attenborough, and music by legendary composer Hans Zimmer, ‘Blue Planet II – One Ocean and The Deep’ is a must-watch for everyone this summer.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
