How is Rajdeep Sardesai [ Images ], who quit as managing editor of New Delhi Television [

Get Quote on April 17 to begin his own start-up Broadcast News along with TV18 promoter
Raghav Bahl, going to raise the funds to manage the channel?

That is the question doing the rounds in electronic media circles. Experts estimate that
Rajdeep will need about Rs 750 crore (Rs 7.50 billion) to turn his dream into reality to launch
his 'journalist-driven' channel.

"Raising the funds is not going to be a problem. Raghav Bahl's TV 18 is going to pick up 74
per cent of the total stakes," said a close Rajdeep aide.

I plan a journalist-driven channel: Rajdeep Sardesai

"Rajdeep, Samir Manchanda (ex-CFO, NDTV) and Sagarika Ghose (Rajdeep's wife) would
chip in with the rest of the money. Manchanda has already spoken to various financial
institutions that are willing to put money in the new channel. Since Bahl is doing work for
CNBC television, he hopes that the parent company would also come to their rescue and
invest Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.50 billion) to make the venture viable," Rajdeep's aide added.

According to sources the new channel is likely to become operational by the middle of
September this year, but it could be delayed by a month or two.

Two floors have been bought at Videocon [ Get Quote ] Towers in the Jhandewalan in New
Delhi to set up news studios and other infrastructure for the proposed channel's operations.

Whether or not the new channel would be able to catch the attention of the people is also
being hotly debated in the media circles.

"Rajdeep's exit may not create ripples at NDTV, but it certainly has made a dent in its
reputation. His popular programme The Big Fight has been shelved for the time being. The
fact that NDTV promoter Dr Prannoy Roy has been forced to do stories shows the kind of
impact Rajdeep's exit has had." a top NDTV reporter told rediff.com over the phone on
Wednesday.

"He was indeed the star of our organisation. New arrangements are now being put in place.
Barkha Dutt and Srinivasan Jain are to be given new responsibilities; with Barkha becoming
NDTV's managing editor," the reporter said.

"At the moment a team of top professionals has been formed to take the decisions which
earlier were taken by Rajdeep. At an editorial meeting, Prannoy Roy admitted that Rajdeep's
exit has hit him, both, emotionally and professionally. And it would take a while to come out
of it," the reporter added.

Although not many reporters, producers or anchors have quit NDTV with Rajdeep so far,
media circles say that the exodus would come in couple of months, particularly as the
Broadcast News launch date comes closer and the studios and other things are put in place.
Bhupinder Choube, NDTV's ace correspondent who has been covering the Bharatiya Janata
Party [ Images ] and other political parties, is being tipped to be Rajdeep's right hand man.
Shivnath Thukral, who has excelled in business reporting, is yet another name that is being
mentioned in this regard.

Some of the producers who worked with Rajdeep on The Big Fight are also expected to quit
and join hands with him at hefty salaries.

Sources said what hurt Rajdeep more than anything else was the fact that salary-wise he
figured sixth on the NDTV list after Prannoy Roy, Mrs Roy and three others. He felt insulted
when the figures were made public by NDTV, sources said.

"Rajdeep was a star who slogged day in and day out for the company to produce the best
programmes. He rarely took an off day and worked round the clock when the situation so
demanded. While Narain Rao, Managing Director, got Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million) per annum,
Rajdeep's salary was Rs 36 lakh (Rs 3.6 million) per year," sources said.

According to market sources, Rajdeep has received a huge amount -- about five times his
NDTV salary -- as the signing amount from TV 18, along with a brand new Toyota [
Images ] Corolla.

Arnab began his career in TV Broadcast News with NDTV 24x7 where he did reporting for “News
Tonight” a programme telecast on DD Metro. Later as the News Editor, Arnab was part of NDTV’s
core team during the transition from programme producer to the 24-hour mode in 1998. He hosted
the popular ‘Newshour’ show every weeknight. Newshour was seen as the agenda setting show on
the channel and was the longest running news analysis shown on any channel (1998-2003).
Newshour won a special mention for its news coverage at the 2003 Asian Television Awards. Among
others, it featured the first full length interview with Sonia Gandhi, the government’s first televised
account of the IC 814 hijack, full post budget shows with former Finance Ministers, live coverage
from Agra during the Indo-Pak summit, reporting from China after the Pokhran tests and from
Kathmandu post the royal family massacre riots. As a Senior Editor with NDTV 24x7, he was
responsible for the overall editorial content of the channel. He hosted one of the channel’s top rated
news analysis show ‘Newsnight’, which won an award for the Best News Anchor of Asia 2004 in the
2004 Asian Television Awards.

Owener

Editer in cheif

newsdirecter

Producer

Sport poli foregn

Hr

Internship 4-5 months

So senstive
3 months

3 shift

Correspondent

size