Network 18 Announces Media Institute Initiative (MII); Signs First of its Kind MoU at Raipur in the Presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh

Network 18, offering a bouquet of iconic news brands like CNBC, CNN-IBN, IBN 7, Forbes India & ETV, has always been a thought leader driving multiple initiatives that have fundamentally impacted and positively transformed the media space in the country.

Furthering this rich legacy, CNN-IBN and IBN7 announce the launch of the Media Institute Initiative (MII) that will engage with top media schools in the country and abroad through a structured and collaborative approach aimed at unleashing the potential of the youth. The MII initiative, a first in the country, will aim to deepen the industry – academia engagement in the media space through seminars, internships, guest lectures and other interventions for sectoral capability enhancement.

Under this exclusive initiative, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Network 18 and the Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur in the presence of Honorable Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr. Raman Singh as the Chief Guest of the ceremony.

The MOU has been signed between Shri Umesh Upadhyay, President News, Network18 and Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Vice Chancellor of the university on January 30, 2015 in Raipur. Sumit Awasthi, Deputy Managing Editor, IBN 7 was a special invitee at the event.

Lauding the initiative, chief guest at the occasion, Chief Minister, Dr. Raman Singh said, “I congratulate Network 18 and Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya and thank Shri Umesh Upadhyay for choosing Chhattisgarh to sign this historic MoU.”

Outlining the potential of the Initiative, the Chief Minister said, “This wonderful initiative will give a great opportunity to students of my state to align with Network 18 resulting in national and international recognition to them.”

Dr. Raman Singh said, “The signing of the MoU today with Network 18 is the third such important and historic moment for the University after the visit here earlier of the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shri Dalai Lama.”

Speaking on the MII, Umesh Upadhyay, President, News, Network18 said, “We are really happy to launch the Media Institute Initiative that will engage the industry, the youth and the sharpest academic minds on an on-going basis. The cross-pollination of ideas and talent will create unparalleled opportunities and ideas that will have the potential to define the media landscape of the future.”

Explaining the essence of the Network 18 initiative, Shri Upadhyay said, “The objective is to purposefully blend the local talent with the proven journalistic experience of our news organization to positively impact the media discourse.”

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Vice Chancellor Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya, said, “The MII endeavor is a great opportunity for our students and faculty to showcase their talent and expertise. The initiative aims to write a new chapter in the relationship between the academia and media.”

ABOUT TV18:

The Network18 Group is a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. It reaches 150 million viewers through television and another 30 million through its digital offerings. Through its subsidiary ‘TV18 Broadcast Ltd.’ [BSE: 532800, NSE: TV18BRDCST], the group operates news channels - CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group). TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels – Colors, Colors HD,MTV, SONIC, Comedy Central, VH1, Nick. Nick Jr. and Nick Teen - and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group’s filmed entertainment business. TV18 has also forayed into the Indian factual entertainment space through A+E Networks | TV18 (a joint venture between A+E Networks and TV18 Broadcast) and operates HistoryTV18. TV18 and Viacom18 have also formed a strategic joint venture called IndiaCast, a multi-platform ‘content asset monetization’ entity mandated to drive domestic and international channels distribution, placement services and content syndication for the bouquet of channels from TV18, Viacom18 and other broadcasters. For more information, please log on to www.network18online.com