IBF (Indian Broadcasting Foundation) has named Disney and Star India MD K Madhavan as the new president, at the 21st annual general meeting (AGM) on 25 September.
Madhavan takes over from Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) MD and CEO N P Singh who completed his tenure in the position for two years, the maximum duration a president can hold office.
Handing over the baton to Madhavan, Singh said, “I am pleased that someone of the caliber of K. Madhavan is taking over the reins and will lead the foundation. I welcome his selection wholeheartedly. His in-depth knowledge and insights into the sector will help guide the foundation members through these challenging times. I wish him the best in this new endeavor.”
Madhavan has been an active member of IBF since 2012 and is also the chair of CII’s National Committee on media and entertainment (M&E) for the ongoing year. He started his journey with Star in 2009 and took over as the managing director of the network in January 2020.
Commenting on his appointment, Madhavan added, “It is my honour to lead IBF at a time when the Indian broadcasting sector is going through a tumultuous time, battling the pandemic and instability in the regulatory space. IBF has played an instrumental role in advocating the interests of the sector, and my predecessors have contributed immensely in evolving the foundation’s stature and purpose. I take on this role with a great sense of responsibility and commitment to champion the cause of the broadcasting sector.”
Broadcasters have been fighting against TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) to stave off the NTO 2.0 regulation and regard it as ‘draconian’. The organisation moved Bombay HC against this implementation as TRAI had imposed NTO 1.0 hardly a year before coming up with its second version.
Madhavan is probably the best person to lead IBF presently. A former banker, he was instrumental behind making Asianet, a non-popular channel, a huge success, which was later acquired by Star India. Madhvan then went on to build Star India’s southern bouquet, making it a major revenue contributor to the Star India group.
He was made MD of Star and Disney India when COO Sanjay Gupta joined Google, and then CEO Uday Shankar was elevated as the Walt Disney Company APAC president and Star-Disney India chairman. Since joining his current role, he has taken the group’s leading GEC Star Plus to the top of BARC India’s viewing ranks.
Prior to Madhavan, Zee TV’s Punit Goenka; Sony Pictures’ Man Jit Singh and Jawahar Goel; Star India’s Uday Shankar, Prasar Bharti’s KS Sarma, Rajiv Ratna Shah, and Anil Baijal have served as IBF presidents.
