Network18 integrates broadcast and digital business news outlets

Senthil Chengalvarayan, president and editorial director of TV18 Business Media, is promoted as editor-in-chief of the Business Newsroom, which comprises CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD and Moneycontrol.com.

The Network18 Group has announced the setting up of 'Network18 Business Newsroom', an integrated newsroom comprising its broadcast and digital news outlets in the business media space. The newsroom will comprise of CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD and Moneycontrol.com.

The newsroom will act as a common hub to ensure seamless broadcast and digital synergies from both a news gathering and output perspective across these brands. According to the company, the newsroom will cumulatively attract more than 40 million viewers and 15 million unique visitors on an average every month.

Senthil Chengalvarayan, who was till now the president and editorial director of TV18 Business Media, has been promoted as editor-in-chief of the Business Newsroom. He will work closely with R Jagannathan, editor-in-chief of Network18's web and publishing stable, which includes Moneycontrol.com; Sanjay Pugalia, editor-in-chief, CNBC Awaaz; and the editorial leads at CNBC-TV18. Chengalvarayan has been with the group for 19 years and was earlier the managing editor for CNBC-TV18.

In March, 2013, R Jagannathan, who joined the group in 2011, was promoted as editor-in-chief for the company's web and publishing division. Last week, Shereen Bhan was named CNBC-TV18 managing editor as Udayan Mukherjee decided to call it quits at the company.

In a concurrent development, the editorial leadership team at CNBC-TV18 has been strengthened further with senior editors Menaka Doshi and Latha Venkatesh being promoted as executive editors and also given charge for key verticals at the Network18 Business Newsroom. At the newsroom, Doshi has been assigned the mandate to lead corporate reportage, law and associated areas; while Venkatesh will take charge of the banking and financial markets vertical.

Speaking on this development, Raghav Bahl, founder and editor, Network18, states, "As the country's leading broadcast and digital player in business news, we are well-positioned to re-define the category in the context of a converging media landscape. The Network18 Business Newsroom is designed to capitalize on the deep engagement and trust our iconic brands enjoy. We are confident that the editorial leadership team under Senthil's guidance will be able to craft a new paradigm in business media."

Chengalvarayan says, "I am a firm believer in the benefit that the Network18 Business Newsroom can unleash for our stellar editorial products. We pioneered business news on television and the web in India and the newsroom is a natural extension of our successful journey. I believe that it will achieve two critical objectives for us. It'll ensure that each of our brands access the best editorial expertise across the group, while they continue to fulfil their distinct editorial propositions."