In media, people move like crazy

Apart from attracting talent, the bigger challenge, perhaps, for media companies today is retaining talent. Newer avenues, challenges, and organizations propel individuals to seek green pastures, with the result that it is not surprising to encounter ‘people movements' on a regular basis.

The latest to join this burgeoning list of people on the move is Apurva Purohit, president, ZEE TV. The lady, who is presently serving her notice period at ZEE, will be moving very soon to Bennett, Coleman & Co, as the COO of the yet-unnamed entertainment channel that is to be rolled out by the media house in the coming months.

Purohit speaks in the affirmative when contacted, and claims that she always wanted to be part of a ‘startup'. "It is still in the conceptual stage at this point and there is much groundwork to be done," she says about the Times TV project. Palpable excitement is noticeable, especially when she comments about her soon-to-be employer. "Bennett, Coleman & Co is pretty much on top of the heap," she says. "And I am definitely looking forward to the assignment."

One individual who is equally excited about his next stopover, but has copious tears to shed at the demise of his site (mediaah.com), is Pradyuman Maheshwari, veteran journalist, columnist, commentator and promoter of mediaah, the blogspot that has become a favourite haunt for many a hand in media. Maheshwari will be folding up mediaah, to take charge of the Pune-based Maharashtra Herald, now part of Sakal Newspapers, as its editor. "January 19 will be the last day of the site," he says with a touch of sadness. "Killing a site is painful especially when it was beginning to do well. However, one cannot afford to be emotional in business. And some cold-blooded decisions have to be taken."

If cold-blooded decisions are what spurred Maheshwari to move from being entrepreneur to employee, for Madhavi Mutatkar, one-time President of ZEE TV, taking the all-important plunge could mark her return to the thick of television activity, something she had given up in recent times to pursue her interest in content creation. Mutatkar, who had setup her production company Impact Vision last year, is rumoured to be joining SAB TV, though no confirmation is forthcoming either from her, Markhand Adhikari or even Kanta Advani, president, sales and marketing, SAB TV.

Indeed, Mutatkar was pleasantly surprised, when contacted by agencyfaqs!, inquiring in a lighter vein, "Where do you get this information? Two or three people have already called me." An obvious allusion to the sundry others, who have picked the scent, and one knows that going solo is out of the question in this case. © 2004 agencyfaqs!