Turner International announced today the appointment of Vivek Bahl as Chief Content Officer. Based in Turner’s Mumbai office, Bahl will oversee the content strategy and development for Turner’s diverse portfolio of entertainment brands in India including Imagine TV, Cartoon Network, POGO and WB. Bahl will join Turner on November 1, 2011.
In this newly created position, Bahl will be responsible for all aspects of Turner’s entertainment content and oversee the acquisition, development, production, program scheduling and operations supported by Turner’s strong content teams across each brand.
Bahl joins Turner with over 25 years’ of rich entertainment experience and a cross functional strategic perspective which will augment the future growth of Turner’s entertainment content business in India. Bahl will report to Mark Eyers, Chief Content Officer, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific Inc.
Announcing this key appointment, Eyers said, “Turner is a content-focused company at heart and our significant investments in recent years have ensured a robust portfolio of entertainment brands. India remains a priority market for Turner and the addition of this senior strategic role will further our commitment to the media and entertainment industry here. I am delighted to welcome Vivek, an influential industry veteran, to the Turner family and look forward to working with him to deliver even more hit properties across the TV, digital and mobile space.”
Bahl’s experience spans television, films and advertising in various roles of creating, writing, programming, producing and directing entertainment content. He has worked with the country’s leading television networks including Star TV, Zee TV and television production houses on a number of hit fiction and non-fiction shows such as Banegi Apni Baat, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Antakshari, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Saath Phere, Banoo Main Teri Dulhan, Betiyaan, Bidaai, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlaata Hai, Pratigya & Saath Nibhaana Saathiya.
Prior to his appointment with Turner, Bahl was Executive Creative Director for Star Network of channels, co-produced the series Navya for Star Plus and has also worked with Mahuaa Network in a consulting role to set up their new regional channels.
In India, Turner offers a distinctly diverse bouquet of world class content across multiple genres and partnerships that include Hindi general entertainment channel – Imagine TV; leading kids‘ TV and interactive entertainment brands Cartoon Network, POGO and Boomerang; English entertainment channels – WB, HBO, and TCM; and the world‘s leading global 24-hour news network, CNN International. Turner also has several successful partnerships in India, including those with: GBN (a TV18 company) for the co-branded 24-hour English news channel CNN IBN; Zee Entertainment and Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) for distribution company Zee Turner Limited that offered the country‘s largest collection of television channels. In May 2011, Zee Turner Ltd. and Star Den Media Services Pvt. Ltd. created a new joint venture called Media Pro Enterprise India Pvt. Ltd. that now distributes the largest channel bouquet covering a total of 65 channels.
