RBNL strengthens senior team

The network has brought on board Ashwin Sashital as vice-president, Big RTL, while Minal Sharma and Preeti Nayyar join the sales team of Big CBS Network and Language TV.

Reliance Broadcast Network has made three senior level appointments. The network has appointed Ashwin Sashital as vice-president, Big RTL. Also, in order to beef up the sales teams for the network, it has taken on board Minal Sharma as sales head, west and south, Big CBS and Preeti Nayyar as national sales head, Impact and sales head, south and west, Language TV.

Language TV comprises all the channels of the network apart from the English speaking channels.

At RBNL, Sashital will report to Sunil Kumaran, head, Language TV and will oversee the business operations across the functions of marketing, revenue, creative and operations. Earlier, he was associate vice-president, STAR Pravah. He joined STAR eight years ago.

Sashital says, "At Big RTL, I am confident of making it a channel most sought after both by its audiences and marketers alike."

Sharma, in her new role, will be responsible for revenue generation for the channels along with her team. She will report to Anand Chakravarthy, business head, Big CBS channels. She moves in from UTV Bindass, where she worked in the same capacity.

Sharma says that since digitisation is set to bring in transparency, improved quality of service and fair play, she is excited to be at the core of the revolution, offering marketers tremendous measurable value.

As national sales head, Impact, Nayyar will personalise multi-media solutions for marketers. Also, as sales head, south and west, Language TV, she will supervise the sales function of the channels in the two markets.

Nayyar will report to Arjun Singgh Baran, sales head, Language TV. Her last stint was with Radio Mirchi, where she witnessed the evolution of radio and handled a gamut of functions including retail and corporate sales.

Speaking on her appointment, she says, "The growth story for Indian television lies in the regional space, and I am glad to come on board RBNL. I look forward to working with the team delivering optimal ROI and minimal spill-over."

Sashital, a post graduate in media studies from the Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad, started his career with Zee TV in on-air research and planning, in 2000. Two years later, he joined Radio Mid-Day (then Go 92.5 FM) in the on-air strategy, content and inventory department.

He then moved to Discovery Communications for a couple of months in 2003. In 2004, he joined STAR India as senior manager, content and communications. At STAR, he was made associate vice-president in 2009.

Sharma, too, joined the industry around the same time in 2001. She completed post graduation in marketing from L N Welingkar Institute of Management, Development & Research in 2000. She joined the Lifestyle group in ad-sales in 2001. Later, in 2004, she joined India TV in the same department. After a year, she shifted to Zee Network as senior manager, ad sales. She was promoted as national head, ad sales at the Zee Entertainment Network in 2007.

In 2011, she moved to UTV Bindass as sales head, south and west.

Nayyar started her career in 2000 with India Today (Integrated Databases India) as corporate sales executive. In 2002, she moved to Business Standard as sales officer. Subsequently, she joined Entertainment Network India (ENIL) as vice-president and rose to head the radio and activations arm of Radio Mirchi.

In 2010, she became vice-president and national revenue head, growth markets.