News Broadcasting
Times NOW & Mirror Now announce a special line-up to celebrate the 72nd Independence Day
MUMBAI: As India gears up to celebrate its 72nd Independence Day, India’s leading English news channels, Times Now & Mirror Now, announce their special programming line-up to celebrate the spirit of freedom.
With an underlying focus on the Defence forces, Times Now will air specially curated content through the day. Navika Kumar, Managing Editor on her show, Frankly Speaking will interview the Defence Minister, Nirmala Seetha Raman. Hosted at Asia’s biggest and largest air base, Hindon Air Force station, the show will focus on how the government has changed the paradigm of India’s defence establishment.
Krantibhoomi, a 1-hour special hosted by the Chief Editor, Rahul Shivshankar, will recreate 5 iconic events that were important in the struggle to attain India’s Independence. This will include a panel discussion with the experts including Prof. S. Irfan Habib, Historian & Author, Rakesh Sinha, MP Rajya Sabha & Author, Ashis Nandy, Sociologist, Dr. Ajit Jha, Historian amongst others.
Guarding our Freedom hosted by Consulting Editor (Strategic Affairs), Maroof Raza, will host special interviews with the Param Vir Chakra winners, Hon. Capt Bana Singh, Subedar Major Yogendra Yadav and Subedar Sanjay Singh. The show will feature interactions with these legends on the exceptional bravery displayed by them in the face of adversity and their journey of serving the nation.
Mirror NOW through its line-up of exclusive shows will focus on the expression and spirit of freedom. Through a special show, This is my India, Mirror Now will feature the journey of six individuals who have worked selflessly for the well-being of other fellow Indians and have brought about a change in the society.
Verified, a new feature on the channel will feature a special interview of Dr. Bharat Vatwani by the channel’s Executive Editor, Faye D’Souza. Dr. Vatwani has been instrumental in the rehabilitation and treatment of over 7000 destitute and have united them with their families.
An Urban Debate Special, Faye D’Souza will host an exclusive panel discussion on the daily struggles of LGBTQ community and their fight to challenging the constitutionality of Section 377. The panelists include Parmesh Shahani, Head, Godrej India Culture Lab, film-maker Onir, Dr. Prasad Raj Dendekar, Head of Radiation Oncology, Sir H N Reliance foundation Hospital) and Vasu Primlani (Comedian).
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.
