MTV India makes senior appointments

MTV, the youth entertainment channel from Viacom18 bouquet, has appointed Shalini Sethi as the content and programming head and Keegan Pinto as the creative head of the channel.

Pinto, meanwhile, has joined the channel from DDB Mudra where he was the group creative director.

At MTV, both Sethi and Pinto will report to Aditya Swamy, EVP and business head, MTV.

As for the responsibilities, Sethi will work for the development of youth-focussed, original content and a differentiated programming strategy. Working closely with young producers and talent, she will strengthen existing franchises, while simultaneously building new properties.

Pinto will bring his edgy creative sense to drive all communication elements including brand messaging, show promotions and short-format content for multi-screen consumption.

Commenting on the appointments, Swamy says, "People are the biggest asset of my business, and we are continuously looking for talent that believe in the power of MTV, but are also hungry to push the envelope and challenge the status quos. Shalini and Keegan have an infectious energy and are key drivers in taking MTV into its next phase in the India journey. I am thrilled to have them as part of the team and I am excited about the madness that we will unleash together."

Talking about her new role, Sethi says, "It is indeed a pleasure to be here at a time when the channel is adding some very interesting shows and also delving deeper into fiction. I'm looking forward to working with the great set of people that I've met here and hoping that I'll be able to create some great content for an iconic brand like MTV."

Pinto says, "To be working with people who have been instrumental in defining generations of young people and head the creative team is an extremely exciting idea for me. To add to a brand of this stature - a brand that I grew up with, a brand that enriched my imagination as a creative person - is a humbling honour. I love edgy content and MTV is all about bite and bigness. I look forward to being a part of this fascinating culture which encourages creativity and being unabashed in every aspect of work."

Sethi began her career as a production assistant with the company 'Picture This Co' and soon moved to AIM Television, a production house where she worked on TV shows such as 'Khubsurat' and 'Indian Holiday'. Moving from Delhi to Mumbai, she worked on many projects such as 'Breakfast with Zee' and Deepa Mehta's movie 'Earth 1947', post which she joined the Moving Picture Company, before launching Bindass.

With more than a decade of experience, Pinto's previous stints were with Lowe Lintas, Bates 141, Rediffusion Young & Rubicam, O&M and Colenso BBDO Auckland, New Zealand.