ITV

Category: People

  • Star India’s Uday Shankar’s Paley parley with Bobby Ghosh

    Star India’s Uday Shankar’s Paley parley with Bobby Ghosh

    MUMBAI: Did you know that Star Plus’ most talked about social show Satyamev Jayate (SMJ) may have never happened?

     

    Well, Star India CEO Uday Shankar shared nuggets such as these during his one-on-one with Time International editor Aparisim Bobby Ghosh in front of the Paley Media Council – an exclusive, invitation-only membership community for entertainment, media and technology industry executives and provides an independent forum for top industry leaders – at its media centre in New York on 30 May.

     

    Shankar addressed various topics like – the Star India Network’s – led by Star Plus – focus on women, the journey of its social cause show Satyamev Jayate and the evolution of Star India.

     

    He began by saying, “We were not okay with bringing the American culture concept into India and so decided to create Indian content for Indian people.”

     

    “Even though our pedigree is News Corporation and 21st Century Fox now, it was very clear that we were not bringing in American culture into India,” he added. Star India completely indigenised the content, because according to them, it was the only way. “Somebody had to own and so it was owned by the parent company, while we were told to go and create a business that was the right business for the Indian people and Indian society,” he said.

     

    Shankar further went on to say that his bosses always encouraged him to pursue the agenda of challenging the status quo. “We address whatever is not right in the country, whatever needs to change for people in the country. We at Star have never thought of going and telling people what they should be doing next. Our job is to focus the spotlight on what we believe needs to be questioned and what needs to be observed closely and questioned. And that’s where we leave it. That’s exactly what we have done with our content. Whether it’s our entertainment content, dramas, reality shows or finally SMJ.”

     

    “When I told my CFO that I was planning to do a show such as SMJ, he looked at me as though I was going totally out of line,” Shankar told the French bearded-bald-headed Ghosh. “I called up James Murdoch and told him about the risk associated with SMJ because of the investment and he told me ‘we would live.’ I needed his blessings to go ahead with it.”

     

    Shankar informed Ghosh that he had met up with Aamir Khan to understand how they could use the power of television and work together to improve society after he did 3 Idiots. “It took two years of his team and our team working together to come up with Satyamev Jayate,” he said. “We thought of taking all the challenging issues like female feticide, and so on a Sunday morning. That was a challenge – to get viewers on-board to watch the show at that time slot. It was of a duration of an hour and a half to do a very, very deep dive into some of the very unpleasant parts of Indian life. Everything about the show suggests that it shouldn’t work. Aamir and I spent a lot of time discussing this and finally we concluded that we are not going to pull our punches neither in the creative expression nor in the format.”

     

    Shankar thought the brand had to mature and take a big leap. And that big leap came with SMJ.

     

    “Satyamev Jayate was the beginning of a journey. In the journey of our purpose we wanted the brand to carry, it had matured to a level where we wanted to make that one big leap and tell people that ok we have been looking intently to implementing stories and characters and we have been giving you messages, subtle messages. India was ready, our viewers were ready and internally Star as a company was ready to take the leap and that’s how came SMJ where we decided that sharply we will, in each episode, focus on some of the things that must change in the country while all other kinds of economic and social changes keep happening. I wouldn’t say that we have taken our corporate social responsibility seriously. At Star, we have now gone a step ahead and we believe that all content that we create is corporate social responsibility,” he said.

     

    Shankar narrated that he had had a meeting with the Minister for Corporate Affairs when the new Companies Act in India was being drafted. “They needed inputs. They were saying that a certain fix percentage of profits should go towards CSR and I said well I am fine to do that, but you must make a note that all media content if it goes on-air is towards corporate social responsibility. If it’s not, then we as media community have failed.”

     

    Shankar told Ghosh that SMJ has had its impact on Indian society. “The sex ratio in India has been under pressure and declining. The gap between female and male kids has been rising. For the first time in 40 years, in the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is, it was reversed by a factor of 24 for each thousand. The state health minister publicly went and acknowledged that every single policy and intervention remained the same. The only external stimulus that had come in was SMJ’s episode on female foeticide and he said his officers felt that it was SMJ that gave women the confidence to resist abortion.”

     

    Shankar opined that the SMJ episode on drugs led to three or four governments passing legislations and orders to make sure government hospitals only supply generic drugs. “We are still fighting with the pharmaceutical industry on that episode where we said that labeling of drugs was just an exercise to raise drug prices. If generic drugs were sold and encouraged by governments then prices would come down substantially,” he said.

     

    Then he disclosed that four states have gone and set up fast track courts for rape victims following an episode which highlighted and demanded the need for this. “We wanted fast track courts,” said Shankar, “because the Indian judicial system can sometimes be very slow and rape victims were struggling with the time it took to get justice. And we got a response from some state governments.”

     

    He pointed out that it was strange that while initially there was a lot of interest in the region for SMJ after it was aired, its format has so far been licensed to a production house in China.

     

    On the programming front Shankar revealed that Star does do a lot of market research, but it is not a market research driven company, he explained to Ghosh.  “I see Star as a company which is very focused on observing society and whatever is happening. So if a political movement is going on, if there are concerns that are being expressed informally, then often times the research insights do not really capture them. But we also try and anticipate. We are at a level where we try and stay ahead of those concerns, so meaning that when you are in the business of media, you should be shaping the concerns, you should be voicing and helping people connect their dots to themselves and whether these are dots of aspirations or these are dots of concerns that are holding their aspirations.”

     

    He further stated that, television, print, and media in general are heavily encouraging, motivating and proselytizing agencies. He believes that the new Modi-led government is very focused and has the highest representation of women ministers, compared to any government since independence and that is a good thing. “30 per cent of the cabinet ministers are women, so we think this by itself should give an impetus to the whole process of change. Television I think can do a great deal, more than it is doing even now,” he ended.

  • Twitterati get active post-Raghav Bahl’s departure from Network18

    Twitterati get active post-Raghav Bahl’s departure from Network18

    MUMBAI: On a day which saw Network18’s founder Raghav Bahl announce his exit from the group he founded,  netizens took to twitter to express themselves.

     

    Nimbus Sport promoter Harish Thawani lucidly put it in his tweet. “Sad to see Raghav Bahl leave the pitch. 1 of the original band of Indian pros turned entrepreneur. Inspired us & made all of us proud.”

     

    Bahl’s close associate and CNN-IBN editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted: @Raghav_Bahl a visionary leader who built a great network. And gave the freedom to journalists to stay true to the profession. 
     

    Rajdeep’s spouse and CNN-IBN prime time anchor Sagharika Gose who hosts the show, ‘Face the People’ called Raghav both encouraging and a dreamer tweeting, “Salute @Raghav_Bahl deeply committed to excellence, always encouraging, both dreamer and doer, you built a formidable network”.

     

    The network which has seen many high profile exits, both at the editorial and managerial level, had former CNN-IBN anchor and deputy foreign affairs editor Suhasini Haidar tweeting, “Founders of Network18 @Raghav_Bahl and @kapur_ritu announce their exit from all channels. As their farewell note says “God Bless Network18”

     

    Sports journalist Gaurav Kalra who quit Network18 earlier this year to become senior editor of ESPN Cricinfo had this to say. “as he exits network 18, my sincere gratitude to @Raghav_Bahl for giving so many of us a platform to work freely, without fear or favour.”

     

    Rajdeep’s former colleague and NDTV group editor Barkha Dutt came out in support of Mukesh Ambani’s acqusition of the Bahl media empire. Said she in her tweet: “Globally too Big Media models built on money from State or Corporates. (Think Al Jazeera, NBC, or SKY). What’s important is disclosure.”

     

    Her colleague at NDTV and  Mumbai bureau head Sreenivasan Jain was not as accepting. He expressed his angst about the development. He tweeted: “Buying news channels is not like buying a shale gas field. Needs assurances – internal and public – of safeguarding of editorial freedoms.”

     

    He further went on to punch the following tweet to twitter: “The question is not simply of corporate ownership of media. It’s the manner and circumstances in which ownership changes hands.”

     

    Economist and well known columnist Ajit Ranade tweeted, “Across his Network he ran a “reform agenda” blitzkrieg in run-up to elections. Now, he’s saying goodbye.”

     

    Senior journalist and commentator Madhvan Narayanan decided to remind us of where it all started. His tweet read: “Raghav Bahl quits Network18 after selling the media empire he founded about 20 years ago to RIL. 18 = Number of people in his startup team.”

     

    But providing the icing on the cake was twitter fanatic  Ramesh Srivats – he of the shiny pate – who in his inimitable style made us smile even at a time of glum faces at Network18 following a rash of departures and exits. Tweeted he: “Raghav Bahl exits Network 18. I thoroughly empathise with the network. I also have no Bahl.”

  • Network18’s Raghav Bahl’s goodbye email

    Network18’s Raghav Bahl’s goodbye email

    MUMBAI: Even as Reliance Industries and Mukesh Ambani cruise on their path to acquire control of the Network18 group, promoter and founder Raghav Bahl – along with his wife Ritu Kapur – sent out an email  to the entire staff of the group explaining their position and their departure from the enterprise they built up.  

     

    The email is pretty candid and begins with them stating that “yesterday, Ritu and I effectively ended our entrepreneurial leadership of N18 by agreeing to exit our shareholding (although I would be around to ensure a smooth transition).”

    Bahl exudes confidence in Mukesh Ambani and RIL as the potential owners of the Network18 group. “Believe us, the Group is in terrific hands. Mr Ambani is a visionary and truly good human being. And we have no doubt that Network18 would soar into the “cloud” under this dispensation. All of you have very good cause to be excited and optimistic about the future,” he says in the email.

    The husband wife team then go on to thank the thousands of team mates “whose collective tejasvi karma has buoyed N18 to where it is today. Our heartfelt gratitude towards all of them! (We would like to make a special mention of our very own Vandana, who was the first manager-cum-driver-cum-lights”man” of TV18 in the early 90s).” (The reference is to his sister Vandana Mallick who was like the rock of gibraltar for Bahl through his career and who resigned from the group earlier in the day today).

    They end by asking the entire employees of the Network18 group to “wish us well as we embark on our next quest – we are, as usual, utterly positive about the future. God bless you, and God bless Network18.”

  • More Network18 senior management to exit as Reliance begins to take full control

    More Network18 senior management to exit as Reliance begins to take full control

    MUMBAI: Black Wednesday. Network18 employees must be quite bewildered by the happenings of 28 May 2014. First came the announcement that group CEO B. Sai Kumar had decided to call it a day after 14 years of nurturing and growing it along with Raghav Bahl and Haresh Chawla. Then came the news that even COO Ajay Chacko had decided to bolt for the door.

     

    But this is just the tip of the iceberg, according to sources. Apparently, a senior management exodus is likely to hit the group over the next few days.  The group today issued a release  on the BSE stating that CFO RDS  Binni Bawa has already tendered in his resignation.  Among those who are tipped to follow  include : senior vice-president corporate affairs and company secretary Anil Srivastava and group general  counsel Kshipra Jatana. 

     

    Their departure is a precursor to the biggest announcement that is likely to come out: that of the exit of founding/controlling shareholder & managing director Raghav Bahl.

     

    Whether leading journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai, Sagarika Ghose, Senthil Chengalvaryan, Sheeren Bhan, amongst others would quit  the Network18 group or not is not known at the time of writing. Though speculation is running rife that this will also come to pass in the next few days.  However, insiders insist that Sardesai is believed to have assured the team of CNNIBN journalists at an internal meeting at CNNIBN a couple of days ago that “he would be staying and that things are only going to get better from now on.”

     

    No one from the company was available for comment, despite several attempts by indiantelevision.com journalists.

     

    Apparently, the entire exercise is part of Reliance Industries getting into the driver’s seat at the Network18 group. The former is likely to make an announcement to buy out Raghav Bahl’s equity stake, followed by a offer to the public, in order to take a controlling stake in Network18

     

    Says a media observer: “These changes are happening at a time when Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)  has in recent times plumped up on media heavyweight media executives. It has lured away Zee Media Corp Ltd CEO Alok  Agrawal, senior journalists Gautam Chikermane, BV Rao and Rohit Bansal. Speculation is that this exodus is taking place as a precursor to Reliance taking over the management and control  of the group.”

     

    No one from Reliance Industries was also available for comment either, at the time of filing this report. Spokesperson Tushar Pania said he would send a formal statement as soon as possible. 

     

    It may be recollected that Bahl had sought the help of RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani to bail out Network18 when its debt had ballooned beyond manageable proportions a couple of years ago. Ambani had extended a loan through a trust to Bahl’s companies that held the Network18 stake. That loan was used to pare down the group’s debt and also acquire the ETV channels. But it also left open the door for Ambani to wholly take over the Network18 group at a  later stage, though the commitment had been made that Bahl and the team would be left alone to manage it.

     

    Sources indicate that RIL has been pushing  Bahl to cede control of the management over the past few months and he seems to have finally consented. 

     

    (updated on 30 May 8 am)

  • Network 18 CFO RDS Binni Bawa says sayonara

    Network 18 CFO RDS Binni Bawa says sayonara

    MUMBAI: RDS “Binni”  Bawa has joined the ranks of the senior management departing from the Network18 group. The chief financial officer, who was with the group for over 19 years, is a trusted aide of Network18 founder Raghav Bahl. Among those who have announced their resignations over the past 24 hours include Group CEO B. Sai Kumar, and Group COO Ajay Chacko, leaving Network18 leaderless. The industry is abuzz with the news that more resignations are expected over the next few days.

     

    The company announced Binni’s resignation through a notice to the Bombay stock exchange early this morning.

     

    The 61 year old has about 34 years of work experience in cash flow planning, budgeting, liaison with banks and financial institutions, handling of public issues, project implementation, taxation, secretarial and other legal matters, MIS etc.

     

    Prior to joining Network18, he worked with BHEL, Trackparts of India, Weston Components and Bestavision Electronics.

     

    Said Bahl in the release: “Binni is decidedly the most dependable and trustworthy friend  who has unequivocally seen the Network18 group through its peaks and troughs.  His contrinbution to the group is immeasurable and I thank him for his support….”

  • Pradeep Hejmadi quits TAM; to join Zee TV

    Pradeep Hejmadi quits TAM; to join Zee TV

    MUMBAI: He is going back to his broadcasting roots. After close to a decade with TAM Media, senior vice president- S group and marketing Pradeep Hejmadi, is moving on to a business head role at Zee TV. Prior to TAM, Hejmadi had stints with MTV Networks as Nickelodeon India director-business and operations, Turner Broadcasting director research and Discovery Communications director, research and planning.

     

    Hejmadi who has been associated with TAM since 2005 was reporting into TAM CEO L. V. Krishnan and was responsible for revenue generation, client management, new business development and new product development. He also focused on enhancing the value associated with TAM data/services by way of integrating TAM products/services into day-to-day functional areas of TAM’s clients.

     

    “It was nice having Praddy with TAM for almost a decade. The journey we crafted together as a team that included the rest of TAM unit heads was pioneering and heralded a new era of work in areas like S-Group, AdEx products, News Track and TAM Sports. As he steps into a new shoe to handle a new portfolio in one of TAM prestigious client’s organisation, we wish him the very best. The younger team of S-group that he had groomed over these years has stepped in to take the responsibilities of S-Group, Client Service and Marketing into future,” said TAM Media Research CEO L. V. Krishnan.

     

    “Working with TAM and the team members in each unit was a lifetime experience. The decade was full of opportunities with proactive initiatives in Client Servicing, new product development and innovation undertaken by the team during my tenure. I leave TAM with a sense of pride for not only contributing to TAM’s achievements but also in a way, changing the working dynamics of the TV industry,” concluded Hejmadi.

  • Ajay Chacko too to say ta-ta to Network18

    Ajay Chacko too to say ta-ta to Network18

    MUMBAI: Speculation was that if B. Sai Kumar goes, there was very little chance that Ajay Chacko – his deputy and COO of the Network 18 group would stay on. And the prediction has proved to be true. Chacko apparently has put in his papers too, leaving the Network18 group without any leadership,  apart from founding/controlling shareholder and managing director Raghav Bahl.

     

    The 40 year old Chacko’s role was to ensure operating efficiencies and margins across businesses of the Network18 group, according to the company’s website.  Ajay also served as the president of A+E Networks TV18, a joint venture between TV18 and A+E Networks, where he was responsible for the operational, strategic and financial management of the joint venture and its suite of channels and services.

     

    Both Sai Kumar and Chacko formed a formidable team at Network18 and were instrumental in supporting Bahl and former CEO Haresh Chawla in their aggressive growth at the Network18 group. Sai Kumar had stepped into Chawla’s  shoes in 2011 and he and Bahl  relied heavily on Chacko. Hence, he was  empowered with responsibility and growth opportunities at the group. 

     

    He had earlier led many of the group’s businesses such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and Forbes India and was instrumental in their ascendency as market leading media brands in the country. Ajay has also led the group’s efforts in the business media domain as well as the successful launches of key digital properties of Network18.
     

  • B. Sai Kumar departs from Network18

    B. Sai Kumar departs from Network18

    MUMBAI: People movements continue to dog the Network18 group. The latest to head towards the door is group CEO B. Sai Kumar who spent close to 14 years with Network18, founded by Raghav Bahl.  Sai had ably stepped into Haresh Chawla’s shoes when the latter decided to go his own way in his entrepreneurial forays.

     

    A notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange states that Sai Kumar was with the group during its formative years and that he was responsible for the creation and management of the group’s various ventures – the business news partnership with CNBC ; the general news partnership with CNN; the entertainment partnership with Viacom and the infotainment deal with A+E Networks and the group’s digital forays.

     

    Sai Kumar’s departure comes at a time when the group has reported turnaround financials just yesterday.

     

    The BSE  notice quotes Sai Kumar as saying: “Network18 has been an extension of my family. I take with me very good memories and I will always cherish the time spent here. It has been a tremendous learning ground. Passion and hard work – they brought to work everyday. While all good things come to an end, I see it as a new beginning and I am positive and hopeful that Network18 scales new heights hereon.”

     

    Added Network18 founder and editor Raghav Bahl in the BSE release: “It’s not easy to describe Sai’s role and contribution to the group. He has been one of the key pillars of the Network18 story. I am truly privileged to have been able to work with someone like Sai who has given the prime of his life to group and development of a baby called Network18, right from the days when it was a fledgling single channel operation to its evolution as one of India’s largest and most diversified and respected media companies. We shall miss him; but there comes a time when one takes heed to one’s calling and I wish Sai all the best for that.”

     

    The news has indeed come as a shocker to many in the industry. Amongst those who have put in their papers over the past year include: IBN18 CEO Dilip Venkatraman, CNBC TV18’s Udayan Mukherji, CNN-IBN’s Suhasini Haider.

     

    Dilip was recently replaced by former Times Television head Avinash Kaul.

     

    But the group has senior talent aplenty with the likes of Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats; Colors CEO Raj Nayak, Indiacast CEO Anuj Gandhi, and Network18 COO  Ajay Chacko.

  • Uday Shankar becomes the first Indian media CEO to address the Paley Media Council

    Uday Shankar becomes the first Indian media CEO to address the Paley Media Council

    MUMBAI: India will witness a significant milestone in the history of media industry as Star India CEO Uday Shankar becomes the first Indian CEO from the media and entertainment (M&E) industry to speak at the Paley Center for media, the premier institution dedicated to advancing the understanding of media and its role across cultures and societies.

     

    Shankar will be addressing a breakfast session, which will be moderated by Time International editor Bobby Ghosh at Paley Dialogue on 30 May in New York. He will be introduced to the distinguished guests by 21st Century Fox Co-COO James Murdoch.

     

    The Paley Media Council is an exclusive, invitation-only membership community for entertainment, media, and technology industry executives and provides an independent forum for top industry leaders. Featuring candid conversations with the best minds in the industry, this year’s Paley Media Council will see an exclusive gathering in presence of the most distinguished guests from major American business organisations, foreign press organisations and leading social organisations.

     

    At this global media platform, Star India CEO Uday Shankar will discuss the journey of Star India and how the company has become India’s leading media business by using its programming to spark national discussions on a range of social and political issues.

     

    Most notably, the series Satyamev Jayate, Star’s hit talk show about India’s pressing social concerns, has become the premier platform through which Indians can discuss social issues. This achievement, combined with Star’s track record of cultivating forward-thinking programming, casts Star as a model for what a 21st century media business should look like – one that harnesses the power and reach of television to touch lives and create meaningful change.

     

    Since 1995, the Paley International Council Summit has provided an independent forum that brings together chief executives of the world’s most important media, entertainment, and technology companies to advance the exchange of ideas and to foster community among them. Informal and organized discussions cover a wide range of critical issues that define the media industry and its role in society for generations to come.

  • IBN18 Network ropes in Avinash Kaul as CEO

    IBN18 Network ropes in Avinash Kaul as CEO

    MUMBAI: Times Television Network (TTN) CEO Avinash Kaul has decided to move on from the Network. The former TTN CEO has joined Network18 group as IBN18 Network CEO.  In his new role, Kaul will be responsible for the day-to-day operational, strategic and financial management of the general news network. Amongst the key tasks mandated for Kaul is the consolidation and diversification of TV18’s general news network.

     

    Network18 group CEO B Saikumar said, “Avinash brings a very successful track record as a leader and a wealth of knowledge about the media and broadcasting industry. Now, as we gear up for an ambitious phase of growth, I am convinced that he has the inclusive skills and leadership that are needed to steer us through. He has our best wishes and support.”

     

    Network18 COO Ajay Chacko added, “The IBN18 Network has over the years consolidated its leadership in the news space. I am confident in Avinash’s ability to play a significant role to sustain the growth and leadership momentum of these stellar brands.  He will be working closely with the talented and resourceful marketing, editorial and sales teams to achieve this.”

     

    With a career spanning over 16 years, Kaul has rich experience in a variety of roles in sales, marketing and general management across genres like news and entertainment , movie and lifestyle in India.

     

    Asserted Kaul, “With the heightened interest in general news among the populace as is evident in the highest turnout percentage in the general elections the timing of me joining Network18 couldn’t have been better.  My mandate is to ensure leadership of the brands and continued business success with a clear focus on general news across various languages.”

     

    Prior to this, Kaul held the position of CEO – TV Division of BCCL, managing Times Now, ET Now and zoOm. He has also worked in leadership and various capacities in networks like Star, NDTV Media and Discovery Networks among others.