Dibang on his way out of NDTV?

NDTV India’s managing director and ‘Muqabala’ host Dibang has stepped down from his management roles to devote more time to his editorial roles.

“Dibang wanted to do what he’s best at, that is, news. So, he decided to step down as managing editor,” says a NDTV spokesperson.

This could be just one side of the story. Industry insiders say the announcement of his stepping down could signal the end of the road for him in the organisation.

The latest move is the result of a mutual understanding between the management and Dibang, which could be part of a top-level rejig and a fresh start for the Hindi news channel.

NDTV India has of late lost its dominance in the Hindi news space, thanks to a sudden splurge of younger players such as India TV and STAR News. While Aaj Tak continues to be invincible at the top, the next four slots were never consistent with any single player.

NDTV management is keeping mum about the development but the chances are the ‘management to editorial’ movement claimed by the channel could be an ‘out of the company’ movement.

“Names aren’t yet out about who’s going to take over the management responsibilities,” adds the spokesperson.

Experts cite ‘lack of sensationalism’ as a major reason for the falling TRPs of the channel as other Hindi news channels are exploiting tabloid-style news to capture eyeballs. It is to be seen whether NDTV India also takes the tested route of sensationalism under the new leadership, or whether it will stick to its fundamentals.