ITV

Category: People

  • “In Prannoy’s legacy lives a hope:” Uday Shankar

    “In Prannoy’s legacy lives a hope:” Uday Shankar

    MUMBAI: NDTV executive co-chairman Dr Prannoy Roy was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recently held Red Ink Awards 2015.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar presented the award to Roy and thanked him for giving the country and the media community “not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, industry, business and communication’ through ‘professional television journalism.”

     

    Shankar said, “Let me tell you a story. This is from when people like us had just gone to college and television had just come in. It was a device for occasional viewing. And suddenly one night, when I was looking for something interesting to do — something a little more interesting than watch Krishi Darshan on TV – there popped a show, which was talking about what was happening in the US, UK and China, and there was a young man with a beard who was presenting the show. That show was called The World This Week, and that was my first interaction with what TV was meant to be.”

     

    Talking more about Roy and the show, Shankar added, “Here we were, fed on a diet of what came out of Mandi House, and suddenly, we saw this show, which was about information, production, technology, graphics, and credibility of presentation. That was the day I decided that television was a viable and exciting career option. And when I say this here tonight, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels so.” 

     

    Shankar, during his opening remarks, said that a large number of people who came to television were drawn by the personality, charisma and opportunity or potential to contribute because of what they saw through the eyes of Prannoy Roy. 

     

    “There are a very few people who can retire — at some stage I hope he will — but there are very few people who can retire with the satisfaction that they created not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, an industry, business and communication,” he added.

     

    Describing the work done by Roy, Shankar said, “This country had only Doordarshan and nothing else… this country had no reference to what modern, professional television communication could be… and in came Prannoy with his vision, content, production and everything, and set these standards and thereby saved us almost two-to-two-and-a-half decades of the growth curve, the learning curve that all of us would have necessarily had to go through in order to get to a level of professional television journalism and communication.” 

     

    Roy became the reference point for Shankar, when he came to try his hand at TV. “We had The World This Week, NDTV, Prannoy Roy and his brand of journalism. And the sheen of that brand of journalism has never been dull. His legacy lives on, and in that legacy lives on a hope,” he concluded.

  • CNN’s Christiane Amanpour named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

    CNN’s Christiane Amanpour named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Renowned journalist and CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has been named the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety in a ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Paris.

     

    UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova named Amanpour “in recognition of her efforts to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, having the right to work free from the threat of violence, and contributing through this to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights.”

     

    “In the most challenging situations, addressing the most demanding interlocutors, integrity and courage have always guided you, with the conviction that freedom of expression, media freedoms are essential for stronger societies, for healthier democracies, for peace and reconciliation as well as sustainable development – we need to defend these principles more than ever today, at a time when they are challenged across the world,” Bokova said.

     

    In her acceptance speech, Amanpour stressed the important role of journalists as pillars of reform, freedom and democracy whose task was to strengthen civil society. “We’re here to make the world a better place,” she said.

     

    She also made an impassioned plea for the release of all imprisoned journalists, wherever they may be, and condemned the increasing number of attacks and assassinations of media professionals

     

    Amanpour has won every major television journalism award, including eleven News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards and the Courage in Journalism Award. She has received nine honorary degrees, has been named a Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) and was this year inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.

    In a message to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, United Nations secretary Ban Ki-moon said called upon all Governments, societies and individuals to uphold the principles put forward by Member States on the need for the free exchange of information and ideas, both within and among nations.

     

    “We must commit to ensure that the safety and human rights of journalists are protected, independent of the political, socioeconomic or cultural pressures that may threaten, impede or deter their freedom to keep the world informed. Around the globe, journalists are attacked every day as they try to carry out their work. In the last year alone, 61 journalists were killed. Many more languish in jails without charges or any sign of due process, the victims of Governments and others that prohibit free inquiry and use the power of the State to intimidate the press. As we mark World Press Freedom Day this year, let us honour the memory of those who lost their lives and intensify our efforts to uphold the fundamental human right to freedom of expression and press freedom,” Ki-moon said.

     

    This year’s theme, Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, & Media Safety in the Digital Age emphasizes the importance of ensuring a free and pluralistic media against the backdrop of a fast-paced and ever-changing digital world.

     

    Meanwhile, UNESCO will celebrate World Press Freedom Day in Riga, Latvia, this year with a two-day conference and the awarding of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The conference in Riga will be held from 2 to 4 May while national celebrations will take place in about 100 countries around the world.

     

    On World Press Freedom Day, the World Press Freedom Prize will be awarded to jailed Syrian journalist Mazen Darwish in a ceremony to be held in the presence of the president of Latvia Andris Berzins. The laureate will be represented by his wife, journalist Yara Bader, who is also the director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom and winner of the 2012 Ilaria Alpi award for brave female journalists.

     

    UNESCO is focusing on three themes for World Press Freedom Day this year: the need for “quality journalism”, reporting that is accurate and independent, remains a constant concern in a media landscape that is changing due to technological and commercial developments; Gender imbalance continues in the media 20 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Change. All too few women journalists are able to reach decision-making positions in the media. For this reason, more than half of all the speakers at the conference will be women, executives and media professionals from all over the world: and digital safety, a topic of growing concern because digital communications makes it difficult for journalists to protect themselves and their sources.

     

    During the conference, UNESCO will launch Building Digital Safety for Journalism, a study analyzing key digital threats facing journalists and their sources. This is the most recent in a series of UNESCO publications designed to help journalists improve their professional security.

  • Thom Beers to quit FremantleMedia N. America Mullin & Cegielski upped as co-CEOs

    Thom Beers to quit FremantleMedia N. America Mullin & Cegielski upped as co-CEOs

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia North America CEO Thom Beers will be stepping down as CEO when his contract with the company concludes this summer. EVP current programming Jennifer Mullin and EVP scripted programming Craig Cegielski, who will be promoted to FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) co-CEOs, will replace Beers.

     

    Mullin and Cegielski will report directly into FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz and will also have a seat on the FremantleMedia Operating Board from June this year. Mullin and Cegielski will partner to drive continued creative and strategic growth across all of the company’s key businesses.

     

    Beers said, ”It’s been an unbelievable ride and I’ve been fortunate to build an incredibly talented team. We’ve launched shows in syndication and primetime, premiered our first scripted drama, created Buzzr, the company’s first linear channel, and leaped into the digital content business with Tiny Riot! I’m forever thankful to Cecile for her collaborative style, brilliant leadership and friendship. I couldn’t be more energized about FMNA’s future and I’m proud to pass the baton to two of my favorite powerhouses, Jennifer Mullin and Craig Cegielski.”

     

    Frot-Coutaz added, ”Thom has made great strides for the US business. His extensive expertise, creativity, enthusiasm and innovative approach have opened new roads for the company, while building on its foundation. Jennifer and Craig are perfect successors to Thom. They are passionate, driven experts who will lead the business through the next exciting phase and continue to grow the accomplishments Thom made during his tenure. I can’t thank Thom enough for all that he has done for the company and I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer and Craig as they transition to lead the business.”

     

    Mullin said, ”It’s been wonderful to see FMNA grow and innovate over the past 10 years. I’m so proud of our team, what’s been achieved and what’s ahead. Thom has been a terrific fearless leader and incredibly supportive for the past three years. I thank Cecile for this opportunity and her commitment to drive excellence for the business globally. I feel honored to take the reins at FMNA and partner with the brilliant Craig Cegielski. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

     

    Cegielski said, ”I joined FremantleMedia to lead the scripted business in bold and dynamic programming, defining FMNA’s voice in the community. Over the past two years we’ve launched one series on air and sold over a dozen projects into development, while partnering with some of the greatest talent in the industry. I couldn’t thank Thom enough for his enthusiasm and support; and to Cecile for her ongoing commitment to our ambitions. I have a huge amount of respect for the incredibly talented Jennifer Mullin and I’m looking forward to us taking this company to new heights together.”

  • Taj TV CEO Arun Kapoor quits; Rajesh Sethi to replace

    Taj TV CEO Arun Kapoor quits; Rajesh Sethi to replace

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) Taj TV has seen a senior level exit. Taj TV distribution business CEO Arun Kapoor has put in his papers.

     

    Ten Sports global CEO Rajesh Sethi will replace Kapoor, who has moved on to pursue alternate career interests.

     

    Sethi will be overlooking the sports and distribution business of Taj TV from 1 May, 2015. He will continue to report to Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka.

     

    Meanwhile, Kapoor will continue to be a part of the group and will help in streamlining and handholding Sethi in the transition over the next couple of months.

     

    Goenka said, “Arun was instrumental in setting up the team at Taj TV. He was also a part of the leadership team of the initial JV, which established the distribution business and harnessed available opportunities for the organization. We wish to thank Arun for the years of engagement with us and for contributing to the success of the organization; we wish him the best.”

     

    Speaking on Sethi’s appointment, Goenka added, “In the last 18 months, Rajesh has been a catalyst in turning around Ten Sports with a strong focus on processes, people and delivering a strong sustainable financial performance. I am confident that Rajesh’s rich experience and knowledge across multiple domains will help us to take Taj TV to the next phase of growth. We wish Rajesh and the entire distribution team the very best for continued success.”

     

    Kapoor said, “It was one of my most satisfying stints at Zee. Under the leadership and guidance of chairman and Punit, we have managed to establish Taj TV as one of the leading players today. I thank them for the opportunity and wish Rajesh and his team all the success.”

     

    Sethi added, “Media distribution is one of the fastest growing domains, with evolving regulatory mechanism, which offers both opportunities and challenges.  This challenges the traditional way of doing businesses and offers immense future opportunities. In a short span of its launch, Taj TV distribution has grown in revenues multi fold and successfully established itself as a dominant player in the distribution market. With the new team, I am sure, we will be able to tap this opportunity and contribute to further progress of the company.”

  • Prannoy Roy to receive RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award

    Prannoy Roy to receive RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award

    MUMBAI: NDTV Group executive co chairman Dr Prannoy Roy has been awarded the 2015 RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Journalism for his consistent and pioneering contribution to news television in India. Dr Roy will be honoured for his service to journalism at a glittering ceremony on Thursday, 30 April in Mumbai at the Jamshed Bhaba Auditorium, NCPA.

     

    Dr Roy along with his wife and journalist Radhika Roy in 1988, were the first to set up a television news production company called New Delhi Television, now called NDTV. In later years, Dr Roy made a mark for his incisive and pioneering coverage of election news and changed the way people consumed TV news with his ground-breaking programmes such as ‘The News Tonight’ and ‘The World This Week’. After years of producing the news for Star News, Dr Roy launched his own broadcasting network with NDTV 24X7, NDTV India and other channels in 2003. NDTV, one of the largest news networks in the country today, has set up benchmarks for good, ethical and no-frills news coverage.

     

    The RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the Year’, instituted for the first time, has gone to Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV for his consistent investigative work epitomized in his series ‘Truth versus Hype’ and other programmes. Times Now editor in chief Arnab Goswami was selected as the ‘Impact Editor’ of the Year for his ability to capture eyeballs and expand audience reach with his ‘News Hour’ show. Scroll.in will be awarded the ‘News Start-up of the Year’ for scaling up its influence rapidly as an alternative source of news and features.

     

    Judging for the RedInk Awards, which includes as many as 10 categories have just been completed, and as many as 24 journalists who have produced outstanding and impactful stories in calendar 2014 will also receive awards along with Dr Prannoy Roy, Sreenivasan Jain, Arnab Goswami and Scoll.in on 30 April at the NCPA.

     

    Judging process proved to be a herculean task with over 800 entries in the print/online category and nearly 250 stories from television journalists. Each of the categories – politics, crime, environment, sports, human rights, etc – had a dedicated jury of senior persons with domain knowledge assigned to judge the entries. A special curator was also assigned to sift the large number of entries in each section and guide the judges.  

  • Prasar Bharati’s Dr A Surya Prakash nominated as member of NMML Society

    Prasar Bharati’s Dr A Surya Prakash nominated as member of NMML Society

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati chairman Dr A Surya Prakash has been nominated by the Central Government as a member of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) Society.

     

    The NMML Society is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

     

    The NMML plays a key role as a resource centre for promotion of study and research in the field of modern and contemporary Indian history. It organizes lectures, seminars etc. in India and abroad to promote and foster academic contacts within India as well as with other countries through exchange of personnel and research materials.

     

    Prakash is an author, a columnist and a leading commentator on Indian Constitutional and Parliamentary issues and Governance. He has held key positions in several print and electronic media organisations of repute. He has also been a media teacher, having taught media law and ethics.

  • India TV ups Sudipto Chowdhuri as executive president- sales

    India TV ups Sudipto Chowdhuri as executive president- sales

    MUMBAI: After completion of two successful fiscals, India TV has promoted Sudipto Chowdhuri as executive president–sales.

     

    It may be recalled that India TV underwent a complete brand make-over a couple of years ago including brand identity, packaging, content and presentation.

     

    Chowdhuri’s inclusion to lead the sales function at India TV coincided with its pre-transition preparations. As part of a larger organisational objective, the immediate challenges he has faced are those of price hike and bringing top-of-the-line brands on board.

     

    Chowdhuri said, “I would like to specially thank our MD and CEO Ritu Dhawan not only for the appreciation and recognition but also for placing trust and giving me a free hand to handle the sales in a fiercely competitive scenario.”

     

    Chowdhuri started his career in advertising with Tata Yellow Pages in Delhi. He was sent to Kolkata to start Tata Yellow pages branch operations along with couple of senior colleagues. After a long stint in Tata Yellow Pages, he moved south with India Today group as deputy manager advertising (IMPACT) and was handling all editions of India Today language editions. He then moved to Zee Network as senior manager – ad sales and was handling entire network sales based out of Hyderabad for Andhra Pradesh market. 

     

    Promoted as associate vice president – sales he moved to Chennai to handle TN & AP markets. He then moved to Star News as head of TN & AP. Later he moved to Mumbai with Star News to handle bigger markets and responsibilities. After a relatively long stint with Star News and before joining India TV in January 2013, he got his first national responsibility with TV 9 Group (TV9 Kannada and News 9 English news channel).

  • Fox International Channels makes new executive appointments in Asia

    Fox International Channels makes new executive appointments in Asia

    MUMBAI: Fox International Channels (FIC) has made three new appointments in its leadership team in Asia. Veteran FIC executives Rohit D’Silva and David Shin will see their roles being expanded, whereas Prakash Ramchandani joins the network to lead its non-linear strategy.

     

    Effective immediately, D’Silva takes on the role of executive vice president – commercial, a newly created division, which oversees the network’s revenue streams across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, with the exception of advertising sales. In his new role, D’Silva oversees growth strategy for affiliate and non-linear partnerships, international channel distribution outside of Asia, as well as content syndication across all genres. FIC aims to broaden its relationships with new and existing partners by offering a multi-faceted portfolio of traditional and OTT products and services under one commercial division.

     
    D’Silva has been with FIC Asia for 11 years, first starting out in India and then moving to Dubai as general manager of FIC Middle East in 2006. In 2013, he moved to Singapore to lead the sports division when ESPN Star Sports, which subsequently became Fox Sports, came under the network’s fold. In his new capacity, he will still retain his sports content acquisition duties and will continue to be based in Singapore. For his responsibilities covering Hong Kong & Southeast Asia and all sports acquisitions, D’Silva will continue to report into Joon Lee, who holds a dual role as FIC executive vice president of content & communications for Asia Pacific & Middle East and managing director of Hong Kong & Southeast Asia.

     

    For his commercial responsibilities outside of HK and SE Asia, D’Silva will report into FIC president of Asia Pacific & Middle East Zubin Gandevia.

     
    FIC promoted Shin to the role of general manager of its business and operations in Japan. In his new role, Shin will be responsible for FIC Japan’s P&L, growth strategy, content, marketing and channel operations. He joined FIC in 2009 and was leading the content & communications division in Japan prior to his promotion. In his tenure as head of content, he took the network’s content and channel operations from strength to strength, overseeing the introduction of sports content into FIC Japan’s portfolio, and pioneered the development of OTT platform partnerships, including recent groundbreaking deals. Shin reports into Gandevia.
     

    Ramchandani joins FIC as vice president of Non-Linear Products for Hong Kong & Southeast Asia. In this newly created role, Ramchandani will be responsible for driving FIC’s non-linear strategy and product development across the region, including the network’s authenticated TV Everywhere services and new OTT business models. Ramchandani joins FIC from Spuul, a global OTT service, where he set up their Indian subsidiary and managed its P&L, as well devised the company’s overseas strategy since 2011. The appointment underscores FIC’s development and investment in the non-linear space, as part of the network’s commitment to working with new and existing partners to deliver quality content to viewers in all the ways that suit their consumption behavior. Ramchandani reports to Lee and will be based in Singapore.

     
    Commenting on the executives’ new leadership roles, Lee said, “Our business is growing rapidly in Asia and our success depends in large part on having the right leaders in place. Rohit and David have been an integral part of the FIC Asia family so I can’t think of better executives to take on the roles they have. Non-linear products are a big part of our future and I’m pleased to have an experienced executive like Prakash onboard to help us drive this area. He is a pioneer and early mover in this space and I have no doubt he will take our plans forward rapidly.”

     
    “As our business grows, so do our people. We have a clear vision for our business and having the right talent in key roles is integral to achieving all that we want to achieve. I am lucky to be surrounded by very capable executives who complement each other and are equally driven to achieve our vision. FIC Asia’s leadership team will continue to strengthen and I look forward to taking our business to new heights as a team,” added Gandevia.

     

  • Larry Wert joins Board of TV Directors at NAB

    Larry Wert joins Board of TV Directors at NAB

    NEW DELHI: Tribune president of broadcast media Larry Wert has been appointed to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of TV Directors with immediate effect.

     

    Wert replaces Northwest Broadcasting CEO Brian Brady in the Fox affiliate board seat.

     

    Wert was appointed to his position at Tribune in February 2013. He is responsible for directing the strategy and operations of Tribune’s 39 local television stations and Chicago radio stations WGN and WGWG.

     

    Wert came to Tribune from NBC owned-and-operated WMAQ-TV in Chicago, where he was president and general manager. He began his career at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago in 1978, and moved on to television sales with ABC, working in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, where he became local sales manager at WLS.

     

    In 1989, Wert moved to radio as president and general manager of Chicago’s WLUP. In 1996, he was named president of Evergreen Media. When it merged with Chancellor Broadcasting, he became senior vice president of Chancellor, overseeing 13 radio properties.

     

    Wert serves on the Board of Directors for several charities including the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Children’s Brittle Bone Foundation, Catholic Charities, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the 100 Club. He is a member of the Governing Board of Gilda’s Club of Chicago, an advisor the Chicago Chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation and Honorary Board Member of RAINBOWS, an organisation that helps children cope with loss. Wert also sits on the IBA Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees for Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illionis.

     

    Wert holds a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is married with four children and resides in his hometown of Riverside, Illionis.

  • Sony Pictures Television Asia ups Virginia Lim as VP – content & marketing

    Sony Pictures Television Asia ups Virginia Lim as VP – content & marketing

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Asia has promoted Virginia Lim as vice president – content & marketing.

     

    Lim will continue to report to SPT Networks senior vice president and general manager Hui Keng Ang.

     

    Based in Singapore, Lim will oversee a consolidated Asian and English content portfolio, which includes leading general entertainment channels AXN and One, as well as Animax, Sony Channel, beTV and GEM Asia. Specifically, Lim will be responsible for all programming, including original productions and acquisitions, brand marketing and on-air promotions.

     

    “We have streamlined and strengthened our business operations with a consolidated content group, enabling more effective collaboration internally and externally in this rapidly changing and competitive market enviornment. I know that Virginia’s innovative vision will lead and drive further growth in SPT Networks’ content business in Asia,” said Ang.

     

    Lim joined SPT Networks, Asia in 2008 as director of programming for Animax and became vice president of Asian content in 2012. In this capacity, Lim oversaw the programming, marketing and on air promotions for Korean entertainment channel One as well as Animax and Gem.

     

    Prior to joining SPT Networks, Asia, Lim worked with StarHub for over 10 years.