ITV

Tag: Rajat Sharma

  • 9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    MUMBAI: The entities that were said to be involved in acquisition talks have no clue about the development. It seems to be pure speculation.

    The media and entertainment industry was since morning rife with speculation that India TV promoter Rajat Sharma is acquiring a controlling stake in the New Silk Route (NSR)-backed 9X Media. Reports emerged in the last few hours that also state the value of the deal was Rs 200 crore (Rs. 2,000 million).

    9X Media’s CEO Pradeep Guha, however, rubbished this news. He told Indiantelevision.com, “All the reports are absolutely rubbish. We are not selling 9X Media.” When Rajat Sharma was contacted, he retorted: “I have no idea where these reports are coming from. I am out of the country. All these reports are absolutely false.”

    Though, Sharma has been keen on evaluating several opportunities to diversify the business portfolio of Independent News Service, which depends entirely on advertising revenue from India TV, acquiring 9X Media is not in his list. Yet. Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan are the largest shareholders of INS, which is the parent company of India TV. They own close to 60 per cent stake in the company.

    According to reports that are making the rounds in the industry, Sharma may seek help for the fund transaction from existing investors in INS like the Silicon Valley-based media investor Keyur Patel who also owns a stake in NDTV through his CV Global Holdings, a Mauritius based investment arm.

    NSR was earlier looking to sell its 80 per cent stake in 9X Media to Sony Pictures Networks in August. Its CEO Pradeep Guha directly owns five per cent stake whereas 9X Media Employee Trust has a 13 per cent stake. NSR has Drag Along/Tag rights over Guha’s shareholding and can cause him to sell his entire holding if the transaction materialises.

    9X Media was founded in 2007 by Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea and owns a bouquet of music channels that include regional language channels in Marathi and Punjabi. Its flagship channels are 9XM and 9X Jalwa.

    The rise of India TV as India’s leading news channel within a fairly short span of its existence owes a lot to the vision of its chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma who, along with his wife Ritu, leads a team of professionals.

    Sharma, considered close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, co-founded India TV with his wife Ritu Dhawan in April, 2004 from a swanky studio-cum-office in Film City, Noida. Sharma and Dhawan had set up their own production house, Independent News Service (INS), the parent company which owns India TV, in 1997 that has now transformed into a broadcasting company — a la NDTV and TV18/Network18.

  • India TV bags ITA award, dislodges Aaj Tak

    India TV bags ITA award, dislodges Aaj Tak

    MUMBAI: India’s newsleader India TV bagged the viewers’ choice best Hindi news channel award at the ITA Awards ceremony held in Mumbai.

    The award was received by India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma along with channel’s MD and CEO Ritu Dhawan.

    The victory is significant owing to the fact that 15 consecutive times winner news channel — Aaj Tak — has been dislodged from the top slot, said sources quoted by indiatvnews.com.

    Sharma said that the relentless pursuit for excellence in news gathering and delivery was at the core of their success. The viewers must also be congratulated to have made sure that the competition feels the heat, he added.

    An elated Dhawan said that they had achieved many milestones in the past, and continued to do so. She claimed they had broken all ratings records.

  • India TV bags ITA award, dislodges Aaj Tak

    India TV bags ITA award, dislodges Aaj Tak

    MUMBAI: India’s newsleader India TV bagged the viewers’ choice best Hindi news channel award at the ITA Awards ceremony held in Mumbai.

    The award was received by India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma along with channel’s MD and CEO Ritu Dhawan.

    The victory is significant owing to the fact that 15 consecutive times winner news channel — Aaj Tak — has been dislodged from the top slot, said sources quoted by indiatvnews.com.

    Sharma said that the relentless pursuit for excellence in news gathering and delivery was at the core of their success. The viewers must also be congratulated to have made sure that the competition feels the heat, he added.

    An elated Dhawan said that they had achieved many milestones in the past, and continued to do so. She claimed they had broken all ratings records.

  • Venkatramani new NBA president

    Venkatramani new NBA president

    MUMBAI: ABP News Network CEO Ashok Venkatramani has been elected as the new president of News Broadcasters Association (NBA). Venkatramani was earlier the vice president and director on the board of NBA India.

    Venkatramani has replaced India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma. Sharma will however continue to be a board member. Venkatramanialso chairs the sales and HR committee of NBA and has been with ABP since 2008. Prior to that, he was the vice president and business head for the consumer goods firm Unilever in India for 18 years.

    The board has also elected India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga as the vice president and Times Network MD and CEO M. K. Anand as the honorary treasurer.

    Other board members include New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) executive vice chairperson K. V. L. Narayan Rao, TV18 chief executive, news, and group editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Zee Media group CEO Bhaskar Das, News24 chairperson and MD Anurradha Prasad and Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing whole time director M.V. Shreyams Kumar.

  • Venkatramani new NBA president

    Venkatramani new NBA president

    MUMBAI: ABP News Network CEO Ashok Venkatramani has been elected as the new president of News Broadcasters Association (NBA). Venkatramani was earlier the vice president and director on the board of NBA India.

    Venkatramani has replaced India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma. Sharma will however continue to be a board member. Venkatramanialso chairs the sales and HR committee of NBA and has been with ABP since 2008. Prior to that, he was the vice president and business head for the consumer goods firm Unilever in India for 18 years.

    The board has also elected India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga as the vice president and Times Network MD and CEO M. K. Anand as the honorary treasurer.

    Other board members include New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) executive vice chairperson K. V. L. Narayan Rao, TV18 chief executive, news, and group editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Zee Media group CEO Bhaskar Das, News24 chairperson and MD Anurradha Prasad and Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing whole time director M.V. Shreyams Kumar.

  • India TV announces another mega conclave ‘Chunav Manch’

    India TV announces another mega conclave ‘Chunav Manch’

    MUMBAI: While the political temperatures are already starting to soar in Uttar Pradesh, Nation’s leading News Channel, India TV has announced its coveted full-day mega conclave “Chunav Manch” to mark the beginning of the most anticipated election season in the state. The conclave shall endeavor to outline the political agenda that may define the results of the state elections slated for early next year.

    India TV Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma shall be leading the charge, subjecting the political heavy-weights not only with the tricky & intricate questions in his inimitable style but also by delving into the elections strategies & tactics their respective outfits may follow.

    The Conclave, like all India TV tent-pole initiatives, shall be studded with the biggest political faces from all political camps in fray. Amongst an august gathering of delegates, there shall be a battery of top Corporate honchos, Media personalities and other Newsmakers, who shall be the integral part of the Conclave.

    Over the last few years, India TV has gained a huge standing for its top-notch on-ground initiatives, not only for the scale or attendance, but also the news headlines they make. In the politically super-charged capital of very-political Uttar Pradesh, the anticipation amongst the political analysts is even higher.

    Political bigwigs like UP CM Akhilesh Yadav , BJP President Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BSP Supremo Mayawati, UP Congress Chief Raj Babbar, Congress CM candidate Shiela Dixit are more than expected to share the Manch with hugely influential leaders including Yogi Adityanath, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Ramgopal Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, Salman Khurshid, Sanjeev Balyan, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dr. Sanjay Singh, Jayant Chaudhary, Pramod Tiwari, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, RPN Singh, Jitin Prasad, Nirmal Khatri, PL Punia, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, Jagdambika Pal, Sudhindra Bhadoria, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Rajendra Chaudhary, Abu Azmi and Manoj Tiwari to name a few.

    Announcing the UP chapter of Chunav Manch, India TV MD & CEO, Ritu Dhawan observed, “The whole country is closely following the political developments in UP as the ramifications shall potentially decide the direction in which India shall move in the close future. As nation’s true news leader, India TV always strives to gratify its viewers with top content. This initiative is just another stride on the path.”

    Chunav Manch – UP will be held at Lucknow on 16th September 2016 and shall be Live telecasted on India TV thru the day.

  • India TV announces another mega conclave ‘Chunav Manch’

    India TV announces another mega conclave ‘Chunav Manch’

    MUMBAI: While the political temperatures are already starting to soar in Uttar Pradesh, Nation’s leading News Channel, India TV has announced its coveted full-day mega conclave “Chunav Manch” to mark the beginning of the most anticipated election season in the state. The conclave shall endeavor to outline the political agenda that may define the results of the state elections slated for early next year.

    India TV Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma shall be leading the charge, subjecting the political heavy-weights not only with the tricky & intricate questions in his inimitable style but also by delving into the elections strategies & tactics their respective outfits may follow.

    The Conclave, like all India TV tent-pole initiatives, shall be studded with the biggest political faces from all political camps in fray. Amongst an august gathering of delegates, there shall be a battery of top Corporate honchos, Media personalities and other Newsmakers, who shall be the integral part of the Conclave.

    Over the last few years, India TV has gained a huge standing for its top-notch on-ground initiatives, not only for the scale or attendance, but also the news headlines they make. In the politically super-charged capital of very-political Uttar Pradesh, the anticipation amongst the political analysts is even higher.

    Political bigwigs like UP CM Akhilesh Yadav , BJP President Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BSP Supremo Mayawati, UP Congress Chief Raj Babbar, Congress CM candidate Shiela Dixit are more than expected to share the Manch with hugely influential leaders including Yogi Adityanath, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Ramgopal Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, Salman Khurshid, Sanjeev Balyan, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dr. Sanjay Singh, Jayant Chaudhary, Pramod Tiwari, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, RPN Singh, Jitin Prasad, Nirmal Khatri, PL Punia, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, Jagdambika Pal, Sudhindra Bhadoria, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Rajendra Chaudhary, Abu Azmi and Manoj Tiwari to name a few.

    Announcing the UP chapter of Chunav Manch, India TV MD & CEO, Ritu Dhawan observed, “The whole country is closely following the political developments in UP as the ramifications shall potentially decide the direction in which India shall move in the close future. As nation’s true news leader, India TV always strives to gratify its viewers with top content. This initiative is just another stride on the path.”

    Chunav Manch – UP will be held at Lucknow on 16th September 2016 and shall be Live telecasted on India TV thru the day.

  • SC: States expected to set up bodies to monitor govt. ads, raps Delhi govt.

    SC: States expected to set up bodies to monitor govt. ads, raps Delhi govt.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has said it expected all government “functionaries to rise to the occasion” and to act in the matter of publication of Government advertisements with “utmost responsibility to ensure that such advertisements carry the right message to the citizens and do not glorify and/or personify any particular individual presently in the helm of affairs of the Union or the State.”

    Dismissing a contempt petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, the court said the impact and importance of a government advertisement cannot be lost on the functionaries of the Union as well as the State.

    The court expressed confidence that in future advertisements of states, union territories or the Union of India, the “purpose” of government advertisements as dealt with in its judgment “shall be kept in mind and the advertisements will be published in the true spirit in which they are required to be so published.”

    Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justice P C Ghosh said in their recent judgment that the “spirit” of the judgment of 13 May 2015 relating to government advertising “would require the states to also constitute their respective committees which shall now be done.”

    The court added: “If the states so desire the committee constituted at the central level referred to in the affidavit of the Union of India may be entrusted with the task of overseeing the publication of advertisements in the states”.

    The judges said the judgment had “clearly laid down that the committee constituted would be responsible for ironing out the creases that may show from time to time in the implementation of the directions of the court and also to oversee such implementation. In the event it becomes so necessary and the committee, for any reasons, is unable to render effective and meaningful service it is always open for an aggrieved party or a conscious citizen to approach this court once again.”

    Noting that “we do not think it necessary to do so at this stage”, the judges rejected the argument by counsel Prashant Bhushan that the committee suggested by the court should be armed with further powers.

    The Court also noted that the government affidavit showed that the three-member committee has been constituted consisting of the persons mentioned in the body of the affidavit. In fact, the first meeting of the committee has been held on 18 April 2016.

    (A three-member committee headed by former chief election commissioner B B Tandon was set up on 6 April. The other members are News Broadcasters Association president and editor-in-chief of India TV Rajat Sharma, and Ogilvy & Mather executive chairman and creative director for South Asia Piyush Pandey)

    Referring to the allegations about the publication of advertisements by Tamil Nadu, the court said that the affidavit of the chief secretary to the state government showed that the advertisements published by the state do not carry the photograph of the chief minister and the advertisements which do carry the photograph of the chief minister were so published by the Indian Express, New Delhi Edition and funded by the said group and not by the state. Therefore, the judges said “we do not consider it necessary to pursue the matter any further”.

    As far as allegations about advertisements of Delhi government belittling other political parties went, the court said “a reading of the advertisements in question published by the government of NCT of Delhi would go to show that some portions of the same have been somewhat inarticulately drafted and there is room for improvement.”

  • SC: States expected to set up bodies to monitor govt. ads, raps Delhi govt.

    SC: States expected to set up bodies to monitor govt. ads, raps Delhi govt.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has said it expected all government “functionaries to rise to the occasion” and to act in the matter of publication of Government advertisements with “utmost responsibility to ensure that such advertisements carry the right message to the citizens and do not glorify and/or personify any particular individual presently in the helm of affairs of the Union or the State.”

    Dismissing a contempt petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, the court said the impact and importance of a government advertisement cannot be lost on the functionaries of the Union as well as the State.

    The court expressed confidence that in future advertisements of states, union territories or the Union of India, the “purpose” of government advertisements as dealt with in its judgment “shall be kept in mind and the advertisements will be published in the true spirit in which they are required to be so published.”

    Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justice P C Ghosh said in their recent judgment that the “spirit” of the judgment of 13 May 2015 relating to government advertising “would require the states to also constitute their respective committees which shall now be done.”

    The court added: “If the states so desire the committee constituted at the central level referred to in the affidavit of the Union of India may be entrusted with the task of overseeing the publication of advertisements in the states”.

    The judges said the judgment had “clearly laid down that the committee constituted would be responsible for ironing out the creases that may show from time to time in the implementation of the directions of the court and also to oversee such implementation. In the event it becomes so necessary and the committee, for any reasons, is unable to render effective and meaningful service it is always open for an aggrieved party or a conscious citizen to approach this court once again.”

    Noting that “we do not think it necessary to do so at this stage”, the judges rejected the argument by counsel Prashant Bhushan that the committee suggested by the court should be armed with further powers.

    The Court also noted that the government affidavit showed that the three-member committee has been constituted consisting of the persons mentioned in the body of the affidavit. In fact, the first meeting of the committee has been held on 18 April 2016.

    (A three-member committee headed by former chief election commissioner B B Tandon was set up on 6 April. The other members are News Broadcasters Association president and editor-in-chief of India TV Rajat Sharma, and Ogilvy & Mather executive chairman and creative director for South Asia Piyush Pandey)

    Referring to the allegations about the publication of advertisements by Tamil Nadu, the court said that the affidavit of the chief secretary to the state government showed that the advertisements published by the state do not carry the photograph of the chief minister and the advertisements which do carry the photograph of the chief minister were so published by the Indian Express, New Delhi Edition and funded by the said group and not by the state. Therefore, the judges said “we do not consider it necessary to pursue the matter any further”.

    As far as allegations about advertisements of Delhi government belittling other political parties went, the court said “a reading of the advertisements in question published by the government of NCT of Delhi would go to show that some portions of the same have been somewhat inarticulately drafted and there is room for improvement.”

  • India TV announces mega conclave ‘Samvaad’

    India TV announces mega conclave ‘Samvaad’

    MUMBAI: While on the ratings front India TV has been breaking all records in the last few weeks, the channel announced yet another top initiative, this time in form of a full-day mega conclave. This shall be an effort to highlight the hits and misses, opportunities and challenges that will define the next three years of current NDA regime’s mandate. Modi government is completing two years in office this month.

    Led by India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma, the ‘Government of Hope and Anticipation’ shall be put to test by a team of premier journalists who shall be at their grilling best while they delve deep inside the present government’s performance in its first two years.

    As it is a norm with all India TV events, this Conclave too shall be studded with the biggest political decision makers from both ruling & opposition camps amongst an august gathering of delegates including top corporate honchos, Media personalities and other Newsmakers. The channel has gained a huge reputation for its top-notch on-ground initiatives over last few years, hold many promises for the avid political watchers & analysts through this initiative.

    To name a few, big guns like Amit Shah, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Nitin Gadhkari, Piyush Goel, Ravishankar Prasad and Gen. V.K. Singh are not only expected to come and make some big headlines from this platform, but shall also share the stage with influential leaders from the opposition camp including Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh, Lalu Prasad and Raj Babbar amongst others. Other top dignitaries include Baba Ramdev, Madhur Bhandarkar, Kumar Vishvas and Mahmood Madani etc.

    Announcing the conclave, India TV managing director Ritu Dhawan said, “Since the announcement of General Elections 2014, PM Narendra Modi has remained under constant scanner. As India’s biggest news channel, we at India TV wish to always keep our viewers on top and completion of second year of the most anticipated regime of our times, holds a lot of probing potential. This initiative is a manifestation of the same.”

    This full day mega conclave will be held in New Delhi on 16th May 2016.