ITV

Category: People

  • Pratik Seal quits Star India, joins Housing.com

    Pratik Seal quits Star India, joins Housing.com

    MUMBAI: It was in December 2013 when Star India management got on board a business head to bring alive its ‘dead’ general entertainment channel (GEC), Star Utsav.

    The channel launched in 2004, saw for the first time, a business head in Pratik Seal (former Life OK marketing head) in December 2013. However, the stint didn’t last for long as Seal decided to move on and join an e-commerce start-up, Housing.com, as chief marketing officer (CMO).

    When contacted, Seal confirmed the news to indiantelevision.com. “It’s been two months since I joined the new company.”

    Replacing him is former Star India vice president Jyotsna Viriyala, who has been elevated to the business head of the channel. She has over 15 years of work experience spanning advertising, marketing and broadcast in the areas of media planning and buying, research, marketing, business strategy, operations and general management.

    When asked about his decision of joining an e-commerce space, Seal answered, “I hail from a marketing background. Be it Micromax where I helped set up the brand or jumping into Life OK which was again a start-up channel and now an e-commerce start-up. I like to build brands right from the scratch.”

    His agenda for Housing.com is to be the number one in the e-commerce and m-commerce space in the next year and a half and then expand it further to take it to the next level.

    Armed with 14 years of experience, he started his career in 1998 as an account executive with Basic4 Advertising. After spending two years with the company, he moved to Ties2Family.com as assistant manager, marketing and then to FCB Ulka as senior account executive.

    After spending about two years with the agency, Seal joined Lowe as senior brand services manager and within three years, went on to become senior brand services director.

    Viriyala, a student from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), has worked in companies like Mindshare Fulcrum, JWT and Traveljini.com for the span of six years. She then moved to Star News as associate vice-president for the duration of two years. Her last stint before joining Star Utsav was as vice-president of Star India.

  • Architect of autonomy for AIR DD breathes his last

    Architect of autonomy for AIR DD breathes his last

    NEW DELHI: Veteran journalist BG Verghese, who in 1975 won the Ramon Magsaysay award for outstanding journalism, died on 30 December, aged 87.

    Verghese, a former editor of the Hindustan Times, passed away at 6 p.m. at his son’s residence, a family member said. The former information advisor to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi leaves behind wife Jamila and sons Vijay and Rahul.

    Verghese headed the group set up by the then Information and Broadcasting Minister L K Advani during the Janata Party rule in 1977 to work on an autonomous All India Radio and Doordarshan. The Verghese Committee recommended setting up Akash Bharati as an autonomous trust,

    Born on 21 June 1927, he was a veteran journalist. He was editor of the leading papers The Hindustan Times (1969–75) and The Indian Express (1982–86).In 1975, he received the Ramon Magsaysay award for outstanding contribution to journalism. Since 1986, he has been associated with the New Delhi think-tank Centre for Policy Research.

    Verghese attended The Doon School. He then studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and pursued a Master’s degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. While at Doon, Verghese edited The Doon School Weekly.

    Verghese started his journalistic career in The Times of India. He was information adviser to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1966-69 and wrote her speeches. Subsequently, he joined as editor, Hindustan Times, but he lost his post for criticising Indira Gandhi during the dark years of the Emergency. His integrity in those years earned him immense respect and he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay award that year. Immediately afterwards, he contested Lok Sabha elections in 1977 from Mavelikkara in Kerala but lost.

    A crusader for civil rights, Verghese has long worked on problems of development. He was also on the Editors Guild of India Fact Finding Mission after the Gujarat riots, 2002.

    He has written extensively on developmental issues. Waters of hope (1990) and ‘Winning the future (1994) discuss managing the Himalayan watershed. Design for tomorrow (1965), India’s North East resurgent and Reorienting India: Rage, reconciliation and security (2008) are other books with a progressive theme. He is also the author of Warrior of the Fourth Estate (2005), an acclaimed biography of Ramnath Goenka, owner of the Indian Express. In October 2010, he published his autobiography First Draft: Witness to Making of Modern India, which discusses the steady degradation of democratic processes during the tenures of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv.

     

  • Arun Aggarwal joins ITV Network, as group CFO

    Arun Aggarwal joins ITV Network, as group CFO

    MUMBAI: Continuing its growth plans, ITV Network, has got on board Arun Aggrawal as the group CFO. This is Aggarwal’s second stint with the Network, after a brief stint overseas for the launch of a 24×7 English news channel. Prior to his overseas assignment, he was holding the same portfolio at ITV Network, for almost two years and was actively involved during the takeover of ‘NewsX’.

     

    As part of his mandate, he will be overseeing all aspects of financial operations for the network.

     

    A Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and Graduate in Law, Aggrawal comes with professional experience spanning over 25 years with 15 years of exhaustive experience in the media sector. He was also associated with Zee Network for nearly 10 years holding various positions including CFO, senior vice president and vice president. At Zee he was responsible for the crucial functions of credit control, finance and commercial.

     

    ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “The decades of experience that Arun brings with him is invaluable for ITV Network.  We are positive that Arun’s strong financial leadership in the media and entertainment sector, and his skills and relationships will surely help the network reach the next level.”

     

    On re-joining the network, Aggarwal said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be back with ITV Network. I am looking forward to an enriching experience again and I am confident to contribute to the growth of the network.”

  • Sumantra ‘Sumo’ Dutta moves on from Star

    Sumantra ‘Sumo’ Dutta moves on from Star

    MUMBAI: A score of years of relationship with a company is not something that many a senior executive in media can boast of. But Sumantra Dutta (or Sumo as he is fondly called) had that with the News Corp owned Star India. And in his twentieth year of employment with India’s leading broadcast network, Sumo has said sayonara. He was Star Middle East, Pakistan and Africa country head, at the time of leaving.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar said, “Sumantra has had a long and fruitful career marked by strong performance across diverse portfolios at STAR. His leadership has helped STAR establish itself as a leading network in the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa. Sumantra has always demonstrated sound judgement and a willingness to take on risk in everything he did, and has contributed significantly to Star’s success.”

     

    Dutta said, “I have spent most of my professional life so far at Star, and it has been  a truly enriching and fulfilling experience. I am grateful to Uday and the great team at Star for the belief, passion and support, and I wish them all the very best. I shall always remain a brand ambassador of this great network.”

     

    Dutta joined Star India as ad sales manager in Kolkata in 1994, after which he moved to Delhi  in 1996 and Mumbai in 1999, where he grew to finally head ad sales and marketing as EVP in 2000. A year later, as Radio City COO, he was part of the team that successfully launched the FM network, which he went on to head as CEO in 2003. In October 2008, Dutta moved to Dubai to spearhead STAR’s expansion in the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa as Country Manager.

     

    Prior to joining Star India, Dutta worked with brands like Nestle, Times of India and Mudra.

  • Vikas Gupta bids adieu to MTV India

    Vikas Gupta bids adieu to MTV India

    MUMBAI: It was almost after a decade when MTV India got on-board a programming head in Vikas Gupta in January this year.  Tagged as the youngest creative director of the industry, Gupta has now decided to move on. Currently he is serving his notice period and his last day in the office will be January 2015.

    When contacted, Gupta confirmed the news to indiantelevision.com. “Yes I have put down my papers at MTV India. I had given myself a year with the channel and it turned out to be a brilliant year. The channel topped the ratings chart; we have the number one fiction and non-fiction shows so it has been an exciting achievable year. Now I am looking for newer challenges,” he said.

    “Thankfully, I am getting a lot of opportunities and will lock on something very soon,” he added.

    Though he refused to divulge further information, sources indicate that his next move will be to the big screen with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms.

    He started his career as a trainee with Balaji Telefilms and then moved on to DJ’s Creative Unit as an associate creative head where he worked for four months. He went back to Balaji Telefilms for a successful stint as an associate creative director and was associated with shows like Kis Desh Main Hai Meraa Dil and Kitni Mohabbat Hai.

    Interestingly, the TV fraternity also recognises him as the youngest creative director of the industry. He entered the industry at a young age of 19. After getting enough experience, he turned to production and started his own banner – A Lost Boy Productions – almost three years ago. In the last three years, the production house has come up with entertaining and critically acclaimed shows like Channel [V]’s Gumrah and The Serial (co-produced with Balaji Telefilms); and Bindass’ Yeh Hai Aashiqui.

    He has also worked with Max New York Life Insurance for almost a year.

     

  • Peter Hutton quits MP & Silva

    Peter Hutton quits MP & Silva

    MUMBAI: The board of MP & Silva has announced a new executive management structure that will enable the company to continue developing its leadership as the fastest growing media rights group in the sports industry.

    But, with this announcement has also come the news of MP & Silva joint chief executive officer Peter Hutton leaving the agency to be returning to the broadcasting industry in the New Year. During his tenure Hutton gave the board strategic advice and worked in various successful projects across the globe.

    “It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable two years with a remarkable company. I’m sorry to leave some great people in a thriving business, but have decided that after a small break that the time will be right to return to the broadcast industry,” said Hutton.

     “In particular I’d like to thank the MP & Silva board and owners for their backing and vision in my time with the firm and look forward to watching their continued success,” he added.

    Commenting on Hutton’s departure, MP & Silva CEO Marco Auletta said, “It’s been a pleasure working with Peter and I wish to thank him for his contributions over the past two years.”

    In the new structure, Roberto Dalmiglio, currently group commercial director, has been appointed the chief commercial officer (CCO) with overall responsibility for execution of the company’s strategic priorities and commercial plans globally.

    Dalmiglio will be supported by Roland Nikolaou, as vice president of global sales, and by Jeroen Oerlemans, as vice president of global acquisitions.

    Konstantinos Filippas has joined the group as managing director, Europe, supervising European operations and managing MP & Silva’s Europe sales team.

    Oerlemans was previously at ESPN UK and Filippas was former VP content at OTE Greece, whilst Nikolaou was already a member of the MP & Silva sales team.

    Marco Auletta has been made the chief executive officer (CEO) of the company.

    This structure reflects the interconnected nature and strategic importance of day-to-day operations, the company’s relationships with its clients and partners, and the international vision of MP & Silva.

    “This marks another step in MP & Silva’s evolution. After a very successful year, in which we continued to extend the reach of our sports partners globally, we look to continue growing our team of international experts with local knowledge, which is the key of our strategy and success,” said Auletta.

     

     

  • Ajit Thakur resigns from Star India

    Ajit Thakur resigns from Star India

    MUMBAI: The man credited for Life OK’s success story, Ajit Thakur, has decided to move on.

    The channel completed three years on 18 December and is gearing up for a revamp early next year.

    It was in July this year that he, who has led Life OK to soar on the ratings chart, was given an additional charge of managing the network’s youth entertainment channel, Channel V.

    But in a shocking development, Thakur has ended his three-year stint with the network. According to sources, he put down his papers on 15 December and is currently serving his notice period. His last day in the organisation will be February 2015.

    Sources from the channel confirmed the news and said that he is interested in making films and hence, has decided to take such a drastic step.

    The buzz is that he is joining Sunil Lulla’s Eros.

    Thakur could not be reached at the time of filing this report.

     

  • Times Television Network appoints Sandeep Bharadwaj as head distribution

    Times Television Network appoints Sandeep Bharadwaj as head distribution

    MUMBAI: Times Television Network (TTN) has announced the appointment of Sandeep Bharadwaj as head –distribution, all platforms. Based out of Gurgaon, Bharadwaj will lead and drive domestic subscription revenue and carriage for the various channels under the TTN portfolio – Times Now, ET Now, Movies Now, Romedy Now, Movies Now+ and ZoOm.  He will report directly to TTN CFO Jagdish Mulchandani.

    Mulchandani said, “With his extensive experience in subscription revenue and carriage, Sandeep is a welcome addition to the dynamic, motivated team at Times Television Network. We believe that with his skill-set, he will drive commendable growth for the network.”

    Bharadwaj joins Times Television Network after a successful stint at Star India as senior vice president where he was instrumental in increasing penetration of the channels whilst meeting annual revenue and collection objectives.  Prior to Star India, Bharadwaj was associated with renowned companies like Adinos India (ONIDA), Media Pro, Star Den and IndusInd Media.

     Commenting on his new position Bharadwaj said, “I am extremely happy to join a media conglomerate of such repute. As the network begins a new phase of growth, I look forward to working with the highly motivated individuals at TTN to build a greater network in the industry.”

     Bharadwaj holds an MBA in marketing from Pune University. With over two decades in broadcast distribution, subscription revenue and carriage, Bharadwaj will add great value to the growth of the Times Television Network.

     

  • ITV Network appoints Manoj Jagyasi as business head, regional channels

    ITV Network appoints Manoj Jagyasi as business head, regional channels

    MUMBAI: It seems that ITV Network is on a hiring spree. It has got on-board Manoj Jagyasi in the business leadership team. He has joined in as business head, regional channels.

     

    As part of his new role, he will be responsible for the sales activities including sales strategy, planning, ad sales operations and revenue generation for the regional channels of India News. He will be reporting to NewsX CEO and ITV Network CRO Sanjay Dua.

     

    Dua believes that Jagyasi has got vast industry knowledge. His ‘go-getter’ approach and strong relationship with clients and agencies will ensure boost in sales revenues.

     

    ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “With Manoj’s expertise and stronghold in managing markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat and MPCG, I believe he makes the ideal person to drive our sales activities for our regional channels. I am confident that his association with our group is definitely going to bring great value to our leadership.”

     

    On his appointment Jagyasi stated, “I am delighted to be a part of ITV network and look forward to the new challenges. The group is doing exceptionally good and has all the potential to be a market leader. I take this opportunity to fasten the growth momentum and raise the bar even further.”

     

    He carries more than 13 years of experience in business development and sales across industries; television, radio, internet and FMCG. In his earlier association with TV18 Broadcast, he worked as an AVP, where he was the revenue head, India and prior to this, he was the sales head, ETV News Network- MPCG and Gujarat. In the past, he was also associated with organisations like India Today (Red FM 93.5) and Hindustan Unilever Ltd. A Bachelor in Commerce, he also holds Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Nirma Institute of Management.

     

  • Dinesh Akula quits TV9, joins Express TV

    Dinesh Akula quits TV9, joins Express TV

    MUMBAI: It seems to be a season of movements in the news television sector. And the latest to join the long list is former TV9 executive editor Dinesh Akula.

     

    Akula has joined a Hyderabad based start up channel Express TV as senior VP-editorial and operations. In his new role, Akula will be responsible for the channel’s overall editorial content that goes on-air. “I will also be looking at the two websites-Telugu and English, of the network, apart from overlooking the entire operations,” says Akula.

     

    On the future plans, he says, “Well, it’s been just a couple of days since I joined and so currently I am understanding the structure of the organisation and then will start working on the network’s future plans.”

     

    Express TV is looking at launching two news channels in Tamil and Kannada languages. Not only this, the network is also hoping to launch an entertainment channel soon. “The biggest challenge this year was covering the general elections, and after that I was looking at changing my profile and Express TV gave me that opportunity,” he adds.

     

    The move has come after he spent close to seven years in TV9 where he was responsible for the on-air content, the look and feel, planning and execution of content strategies for TV9 Telugu and was earlier handling national news desk  for all the six TV9 channels. 

     

    With over 20 years of experience in media, Akula has worked with BBC in Bristol, Sky News in London, Star News (Now ABP News), Times of India and Hindustan Times in India among others.