NEW DELHI: NDTV India has appointed Sameer Kapoor as its chief executive officer. He moves in from Metro Now, a daily tabloid run by a 50:50 joint venture between The Times of India and HT Media Ltd, where he was serving as the president.
Taking charge of the newly created post, Kapoor's main task will be to up the ratings of the Hindi news channel in a space that has largely taken the tabloid route.
Says Kapoor, "As the CEO, my task will be to drive the business of the channel and maintain its credibility in the market."
When quizzed about the change in positioning that the channel would see after his appointment, Kapoor replied, "It's too early to comment on the changes that would take place. We would take a 360 degree view of the scenario and figure out a strategy that would suit the business and help drive further growth."
While Hindi news channels have often been under the glare of Information and Broadcasting ministry due to the kind of content being aired, it seems Kapoor has a different feeling towards NDTV India.
"We are the best news channel. We are the only news channel that shows news whereas other news channels are showing 'Tamsaha' in the face of news."
Kapoor had been with Metro Now since its inception in September 2006. Apart form the daily tabloid, he has also worked in various marketing positions with consumer durable companies such as Ray-Ban, Whirlpool and Carrier.