People
CNN International commercial makes senior level appointment
MUMBAI: Sunita Rajan is joining CNN International Commercial’s executive team under Chief Commercial Officer Rani R Raad with a remit to continue building CNN’s business growth trajectory in the Asia Pacific region.
Joining from BBC Worldwide from March 2015, Rajan will oversee an extensive client base across the breadth of the Asia Pacific region and will lead teams based across 5 offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Delhi and Mumbai and a network of representatives across Asia, overseeing the strategy to drive advertising revenue for CNN’s global portfolio of multi-platform products among Asia Pacific based advertisers. She will also be part of Raad’s management team which guides the brand’s international commercial strategy.
With an emphasis on bespoke integrated advertiser solutions across the full range of CNN’s linear and non-linear properties, her focus will be on overseeing strategic relationships and brand partnerships across the Asia Pacific region. Her appointment comes at a time of particular momentum for the CNN brand: the leading international news brand continues to mark clear distance between its nearest competitor in all key independent viewing surveys both in Asia and worldwide and marks the second consecutive year as Asian TV Awards’ Cable & Satellite Channel of the Year and the Royal Television Society’s News Channel of the Year.
“Sunita’s wealth of experience coupled with her dynamic leadership style will be a huge asset to CNN as we look to continue our growth path in the Asia Pacific region,” said Raad. “Her expertise fits perfectly with CNN’s multi-platform offering and she is ideally equipped to take CNN’s long-standing commercial success in the region to the next level. She will undoubtedly prove a valued colleague to the entire Asia business across the full spectrum of our commercial activity in the region where CNN continues to enjoy a strong leadership position.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to build further growth for the global news leader across its extensive portfolio of tv and digital products in a region as exciting and dynamic as Asia Pacific,” said Rajan. “I’m looking forward to taking up this new role working with such a highly talented team.”
Rajan will be supported in her new role by Sonali Chatterjee, Stacey Rabsatt, Atsushi Saito and Sally Young, directors respectively for South Asia, South East Asia, Japan and North Asia (including New Zealand & Australia.)
Rajan’s media career has spanned 25 years and has included roles at Star Television, News Television (India) and BBC Worldwide, where she was most recently Executive Vice President Advertising Sales, Asia Pacific.
Rajan joins CNN as the news provider continues to invest in all its platforms, including a recently re-launched CNN.com site and a suite of additional business programming for its international audiences. Its ongoing leadership position in digital, social, and mobile news and information sits alongside the unrivalled TV offering which currently reaches over 385 million households around the world.
“In welcoming her to my international executive team, I know Sunita will help shape our future success beyond her role as a senior ambassador for the business in Asia Pacific,” added Raad. “Her drive and expertise will help to further establish CNNI Commercial as the go-to home of innovative commercial propositions for those wanting to engage with our unique global audience across multiple platforms.”
Rajan is another senior level appointment to Raad’s executive management team since CNNI Commercial was formed two years ago. In February 2013, parent company Turner International made the decision to align all of CNN’s international commercial activity – spanning advertising sales, content sales, affiliate relations, out of home distribution, business development, marketing and research – into a single operation under Raad’s leadership.
CNNI Commercial currently oversees a global portfolio of world-class advertisers after a significant period of client retention and growth. It manages a dynamic content sales, affiliates and hotels business and has recently announced innovative new marketing initiatives to increase CNN’s reach to new audiences, including most recently the opening of the inaugural CNN Traveller Café in Abu Dhabi.
People
Zabeen signs off from TV9 after shaping the network’s public voice
Communications leader exits after three years spanning MD office strategy and media outreach.
MUMBAI: After more than three years of shaping the message behind the microphone, Sana Zabeen has moved on from TV9 Network, closing a chapter that saw her play a central role in the broadcaster’s communications and media strategy.
Zabeen most recently served as lead of PR and communication and media relations, a role she took on in April 2024. From the managing director’s office, she steered brand communication, managed media engagement and sharpened institutional messaging at a time when news networks have been under constant public and industry scrutiny.
Before that, she worked in communication and outreach within the MD’s office between January 2023 and April 2024, contributing to strategic positioning and stakeholder communication as the network expanded its footprint and narrative.
Her exit marks the end of a stint that built on a diverse media and marketing career. Prior to joining TV9, Zabeen was head of content and marketing at Nikology, where she led brand-led content strategies, media positioning and revenue-focused communication initiatives.
She has also held leadership roles at Bada Business Pvt. Ltd. as senior project manager, and spent over five years at Times Network, working in branded content and collaborating closely with marquee advertisers on integrated media solutions.
Earlier in her career, Zabeen was associate producer at CNBC TV18, where she produced large-format branded properties and business features. She began her journalism journey as a correspondent covering enterprise technology with Web18 and Mobile18, laying a reporting foundation that later informed her strategic communications work.
As Zabeen turns the page, her trajectory reflects a professional who has moved fluidly between newsroom, branded content and boardroom communication, a mix that has become increasingly valuable in today’s media ecosystem.
News Headline
TVF appoints Amritansh Vajpeyee as associate producer/ head – new initiatives, strategy, IP & growth
MUMBAI: The Viral Fever (TVF) has handed a wider mandate to Amritansh Vajpeyee, elevating him to associate producer and head of new initiatives, strategy, IP and growth, as the digital studio sharpens its push on original intellectual property and scalable formats.
The move crowns a swift in-house ascent. Vajpeyee has spent over three years at TVF, working across the president’s office, the executive producer’s office and development and innovation, before a stint as AVP. Each role tightened his grip on the levers of content, strategy and incubation inside one of India’s most influential youth-focused studios.
Before TVF, Vajpeyee built a hybrid profile straddling storytelling and law. He wrote for Pratilipi, trained in entertainment law at DSK Legal and handled IP-focused roles at TINNUTS and research centres linked to NLSIU Bengaluru. Early internships at SVF Entertainment and Hoichoi added on-ground exposure to production ecosystems, while a brief stint at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited rounded out a varied start.
For TVF, the elevation signals a preference for home-grown leaders who understand both the creative and commercial maths of streaming. For Vajpeyee, it is a bet that breadth beats linearity in the creator economy.
As platforms chase durable franchises over fleeting hits, TVF is doubling down on people who can spot, shape and scale ideas. Vajpeyee now sits at that crossroads—where scripts meet spreadsheets and IP is the real star.
News Headline
Sanjeev Sharma appointed head of government sales at ABP Network
NOIDA: ABP Network has strengthened its government-facing business with the appointment of Sanjeev Sharma as head of government sales, adding an experienced hand to its senior commercial leadership.
Sharma joins the broadcaster after a stint of over a year at Zee Media, where he served as business head for government sales. There, he worked closely with public sector advertisers and agencies, navigating the intersection of policy, media strategy and large-scale outreach.
In his new role at ABP Network, Sharma will be responsible for driving government advertising initiatives across the group’s platforms, aligning public communication goals with the network’s expansive news and digital footprint.
Sharma brings with him nearly three decades of experience in sales and marketing. Over the years, he has held senior leadership roles across the media and pharmaceutical sectors, working with prominent organisations including Network18 Media, Star India, Reliance Broadcast Network, Nicholas Piramal and Zydus Cadila.
At ABP Network, Sharma is expected to play a key role in sharpening the group’s government sales strategy, ensuring it speaks clearly, consistently and effectively to one of the media industry’s most influential stakeholders.
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