ITV

Category: People

  • Times Professional Learning names Gaurav Barjatya as brand marketing & comms head

    Times Professional Learning names Gaurav Barjatya as brand marketing & comms head

    Mumbai: Times Professional Learning (TPL) has brought Gaurav Barjatya on board as head of brand marketing and communications. TPL is an education initiative by The Times of India Group with an aim to revolutionise professional education in India.

    Barjatya was last associated with WWE as marketing director and took care of India operations for more than two years. Previously, he also worked with Star TV Network as vice president – marketing for around eight years.

    In the past, he has also worked with Parle Agro as senior brand manager and Idea Cellular as manager – brand communications and media for more than four years.

    Barjatya has pursued his MBA from Fore School of Management, New Delhi and has completed the Star Edge – executive education programme from the Indian School of Business.

  • Chad Matthews named president of ABC-owned television stations

    Chad Matthews named president of ABC-owned television stations

    Mumbai: WABC New York’s executive Chad Matthews is named as the president of ABC-owned TV stations, effective immediately. He succeeds Wendy McMahon, who left the company last year to become co-president of CBS News and Stations.

    Matthews steps into the role from his position as president and general manager of WABC-TV New York. 

    In his new role, Matthews will report to Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution president of networks Debra OConnell. He will have chief management responsibility for the eight ABC-owned television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

    “Chad is an exceptional leader who has a track record of success, always championing innovative content and storytelling, super serving our viewers with programs that have a meaningful impact on the community overall, and achieving and maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence while driving enormous success across linear and digital platforms,” said OConnell in a statement, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. “His strategic vision, passion for local news, forward thinking roll-up your sleeves attitude and commitment to teamwork are among the many attributes that will ensure that under his leadership our Owned Television Stations will continue to thrive.”

    Matthews was associated with WABC since 2000. However, he also worked for NBC-owned WTVJ between 2012 and 2017, only to re-join WABC the same year. In this role, he oversaw the entire management for ABC7/WABC-TV and its subsidiary businesses.

    “I am truly honored to be given this opportunity to lead the best station group in the country! The great eight as I like to call it,” said Matthews on his new role. “The team members who make up the ABC Owned Stations are the best in the business. Their talents, innovation, perseverance and flexibility are sources of constant inspiration. I am very much looking forward to working with them to further grow the business while continuing to find new ways to super serve our viewers and communities in a way that raises the bar for local television.”

  • Uday Shankar, James Murdoch to acquire 40% stake in Viacom18: Reports

    Uday Shankar, James Murdoch to acquire 40% stake in Viacom18: Reports

    Mumbai: Lupa India, the investment company set up by former Star & Disney India chairman Uday Shankar and his boss from Star James Murdoch, is under negotiations for picking up a 40 per cent stake in Viacom 18, say media reports.

    Viacom 18, which runs television and digital entertainment channels, is currently a joint venture by Reliance Industries Ltd’s TV 18 (51 per cent) and Viacom CBS (49 per cent). With this deal, the latter is expected to turn into a minority player with 10 per cent stake, while RIL will retain its share.

    Lupa India is reportedly investing Rs 12,000 crore in Viacom18, the reports said. Most of the investment is said to be through the primary infusion of funds that will be used to build the company’s sports and entertainment verticals across both the broadcasting and digital businesses.

    According to reports, Uday Shankar will play a key role in the operations of Viacom 18 as the media conglomerate looks to enter the big league of sports business. He was instrumental in establishing Star as a formidable player in sports broadcasting. As the then CEO, he usurped the IPL rights from Sony in 2017 by paying double the amount (Rs 16,347 crore) for half the number of years. Star had also paid Rs 11,880 crore to win the bid for ICC tournaments for a period of eight years.

    With mounting consolidation in the media broadcasting sector, the focus of the industry has shifted to sports, especially cricket, and digital as a whole. While Viacom18’s sports portfolio today includes NBA (National Basketball Association), FIFA World Cup 2022, Italy’s popular football league Serie A, the Spanish football league LaLiga, ATP Masters (tennis) and Abu Dhabi T10 (cricket), winning the rights to the most popular cricketing event, the IPL rights, seems crucial for the broadcaster to be able to take on the Disney-Star and Zee-Sony juggernaut.

    In a bid to further build its sports vertical, in September, Viacom 18 appointed former Star Sports EVP Anil Jayraj as CEO-sports. The other two key appointments made in December were that of Siddharth Sharma (former Star Sports SVP) as EVP – sports and Mallika Petkar (former Disney+ Hotstar – head of SMB growth strategy) as SVP- sports.  

    Two major cricket broadcasting rights including the five-year broadcasting and digital rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the eight-year contract for broadcasting and digital rights for various World Cup championships held by the International Cricket Council (ICC) will be auctioned this year.

  • Avik Chatterjee appointed as director-emerging sports at Star Sports

    Avik Chatterjee appointed as director-emerging sports at Star Sports

    Mumbai: Disney Star India has appointed Avik Chatterjee as director-emerging sports at Star Sports, according to his LinkedIn profile.

    “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new innings in my career as director – marketing at Star Sports (The Walt Disney Company)!” Chatterjee said in a LinkedIn post. “Armed with my enthusiasm for sports and my cross-sectoral marketing experience, I look forward to driving the consumer strategy for emerging sports and catalyse India’s transformation into a multi-sport nation.”

    Chatterjee was previously associated with Visa as its director of consumer marketing for India and South Asia. He has had stints at telecom company Vodafone India, American MNC Mars, and began his 18-year long career at Capgemini.

    He has completed his Bachelor of Technology (Information Technology) from the University of Kalyani and his MBA from Nanyang Business School, Singapore.

  • Media veteran Nitin Chawla moves on from Disney

    Media veteran Nitin Chawla moves on from Disney

    Mumbai: Global media veteran Nitin Chawla has announced his decision to quit The Walt Disney Company after over a 13 years-stint. He was head of business operations, digital media for direct-to-consumer and international business.

    “After 13 wonderful years at The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), I have decided to leave the company and today is my last day,” he said in a recently shared LinkedIn post.

    At Disney, Chawla was responsible for business operations, strategy and profitability of The Walt Disney Company’s portfolio of owned, operated and third-party entertainment and news digital assets like ABC, ABC News, Disney, FreeForm, FX, National Geographic, Marvel, and Star Wars.

    “As I reflect on my career at Disney, I am filled with nothing but gratitude for the diverse professional opportunities to contribute to the company’s growth. From putting TWDC on the entertainment map in the fast-growing Indian market, driving the company’s innovation agenda through immersive technology-led experiences, and re-positioning Disney’s digital assets for a direct-to-consumer streaming future, it has been an incredible ride,” he further said.

    In the same post, Chawla also hinted at his possible next professional assignment. “Through all of this, I’ve worked with and learned from the best and the brightest in the industry, many of whom have become friends and family for life. While I will miss Disney, I’m excited and energized about my next professional chapter. More to come on that in the next few days. Stay tuned.”

    In a career spanning over 25 years, Chawla has had a track record of operating and scaling existing businesses, driving technology-led innovation, building new ventures, and driving transformational growth.

    He began his journey with Disney as VP (corporate strategy/business development) and GM (interactive business) in 2008. He defined and executed the strategy and growth agenda for the company in India – including, new venture evaluation, M&A and strategic partnerships for existing lines of businesses (television, films, digital, retail). He also led the Disney Interactive operations and P&L (gaming and app/online business).

    In 2013, he was elevated to the position of VP and GM, connected experiences (games and interactive experiences) at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

  • iTV Network appoints RK Arora as group CFO

    iTV Network appoints RK Arora as group CFO

    Mumbai: iTV Network has announced the appointment of RK Arora as group chief financial officer (CFO). In this role, he will report to the network’s board. 

    A chartered accountant by profession, Arora has formidable experience in finance, distribution, overall operations and formulating strategies for the organisation. 

    “It is a nice moment to come back to iTV network. With so much change and disruption unfolding in the news industry, this is an opportune time to work with increased focus on growth and innovation,” stated RK Arora on his new assignment.

    Arora is armed with leadership experience of around two-and-a-half decades in news broadcasting, spanning the entire spectrum from strategic vision and planning to execution. He has previously held various senior executive positions with various media houses like ZMCL, News Nation, India News, News 24, and India TV.

    “We believe that the market is evolving rapidly, throwing up unique opportunities. Arora’s mandate is to leverage the strengths of the news network even while retaining unwavering focus on each individual channel brand,” said iTV Network founder Kartikeya Sharma. “He  brings with him enviable leadership and depth of experience and will be of immense value to the network.”

  • Zeel’s sales director Ankit Anthwal moves on

    Zeel’s sales director Ankit Anthwal moves on

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) director of sales Ankit Anthwal has announced his decision to move on from the company after a six-year stint. 

    Anthwal took to social media and shared an update saying he is moving onto a new chapter in his life. “As I move onto a new chapter in my life, the journey that has led me here is something I’d like to share. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has been an integral part of my life over the last 6 years. This has by far been the longest time I have invested in any organisation and there are quite a few reasons for the same,” he said in a LinkedIn post.

    Anthwal joined Zeel in 2015 as senior manager – North (Zee TV). In 2018, he became territory head (North) and led the market for Z Marathi/Z Yuva (GEC’s) and a new music channel launch in Maharashtra, Z Vajwa.

    Prior to Zeel, Anthwal worked with Star TV Network as a senior executive for two years and handled Star Plus and Star Gold. He earlier worked with Reliance Broadcast Network and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

    “While there are many people who work hard in their professional careers, there are very few places that acknowledge and reward the same. Zee Entertainment was that place for me. With consistent growth and support I flourished within its system. My mentors guided me through the various challenges, my peers motivated me to keep going and my teams’ efforts always ensured we thrived. Thank you Zee, for a rollercoaster ride that has finally reached its conclusion, leaving behind a thrilling experience that I’ll always be thankful for and have fond memories of,” he further said in the same post.

    Anthwal completed his MBA in marketing from ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad. His next assignment is still unknown.

  • Disney India elevates Aravamudhan K as executive director, government relations

    Disney India elevates Aravamudhan K as executive director, government relations

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company India has elevated Aravamudhan K to the position of executive director, government relations. Previously, he served as senior vice president at Star TV Network.

    Aravamudhan K has been associated with the TV broadcast industry since 1993. He joined Star TV India in 2007 as manager of corporate communications.

    On Friday, he took to LinkedIn to announce completing 15 years at Star India. “Today completed my 15 exciting and eventful years at Star India. Witnessed many changes in the broadcasting sector and in the company thanks to my mentors, colleagues, friends, family and external stakeholders who played a major role in my evolution as a GR professional,” he said.

    He spent five years working with the Indian government at the ministry of industry. He has had stints at media houses such as SAB TV, UTV, ITV, and Star News before joining Star TV Network.

  • CNN Digital Worldwide names Steve George as director, Asia-Pacific

    CNN Digital Worldwide names Steve George as director, Asia-Pacific

    Mumbai: CNN Digital Worldwide has promoted Steve George to director of CNN Digital for the Asia-Pacific region, based in Hong Kong. George begins his new role effective immediately.

    In this role, he is responsible for digital content, strategy and publishing and leads a team of digital producers, reporters and editors across APAC.

    Prior to this role, George was a senior news editor for CNN Digital. He spearheaded CNN’s digital coverage of major breaking news events in Asia-Pacific and was the founding editor of CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week analysis of Chinese society, politics and foreign policy for a global readership.

    “Steve is an outstanding, trusted and thoughtful journalist and leader,” said CNN Digital Worldwide SVP and editor-in-chief Meredith Artley. “I am joined by the team in Hong Kong and CNN staff around the world in being thrilled that he is taking on this leadership role at this critical time.”

    Before joining CNN in 2016, George spent eight years in Beijing as a magazine editor, covering news and social affairs across the greater China region.  

  • Former NBC chief Deborah Turness appointed CEO of BBC News

    Former NBC chief Deborah Turness appointed CEO of BBC News

    Mumbai: Noted British journalist Deborah Turness was on Thursday appointed as the new CEO of BBC News and Current affairs. She takes over from Fran Unsworth, who had announced her decision to leave the corporation last year.

    Prior to this, she held two positions in NBC News International where she was president of NBC News from 2013 to 2017, and later president of NBC News International. An editorial heavyweight, Turness became the first-ever woman to be the president of a network division in the US.

    She has previously worked as editor of ITV News for almost a decade starting in 2004, which also made her the UK’s first female editor of the network news. In April 2021 she left her role at NBC and returned to THE ITN as CEO.

    “There has never been a greater need for the BBC’s powerful brand of impartial, trusted journalism,” said Turness in a statement. “It is a great privilege to be asked to lead and grow BBC News at a time of accelerated digital growth and innovation when its content is reaching more global consumers on more platforms than ever before.”