MUMBAI: Star India has promoted creative director Star Plus Shailja Kejriwal and deputy GM Star Vijay and GM Utsav Harsh Rohatgi.
Kejriwal has been made senior creative director - Network and will now be additionally overlooking StarOne, Star Gold and on-air promotions. Rohatgi, on the other hand, has been made general manager networks and will have Star Plus, Star One, Star Gold, Star World and Star Utsav under him in regards to broadcast operations, network planning and presentation. Channel [V] will function as it is with head honcho Amar Deb reporting to Star India EVP content and communications Deepak Segal.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Segal says, "In the past all our energies were focussed on Star Plus, but with Star Gold being spruced up, and Star One picking up, it was essential to have someone to handle the manegerial aspects so as to ensure and administer the channel running functions. With content regulation also becoming a talking point, it is difficult for creative heads to get into all these areas. Shailja will look at the creative aspect of the various channels and Harsh will look at running the channels."
Segal also stated that this arrangement would give him a chance to address issues that need desperate inputs.
Head of on-air promos Atul Kelkar, Star Gold head Aalif Surti and the creative team of Star One will report to Kejriwal while Star One's Ravi Menon, head of research Manoj Vidwans, head of operations Karan Singh and head of broadcasting operations and engineering R Balu will be reporting to Rohatgi.
Rohatgi, who is currently based in Chennai, will be relocating to Mumbai in a month and will be involved in the transitioning process of handing over Star Vijay. According to Star officials, it would take them a week to decide who would be replacing Rohatgi.
Interestingly, both senior creative director - network and GM - network are newly created portfolios. The restructuring essentially has come into play with the expansion of Star India with renewed focus on Star One and Star Gold.
