Media Content & Communication Services (India), the company that broadcasts Star News, announced that its president Ravina Raj Kohli has left the company "on mutually agreed terms". Uday Shankar, editor and director of news, will be taking over from Kohli as officiating chief executive officer.

Kohli presided over the launch of the STAR News Channel in April 2003 in its Hindi avatar. During her tenure, the channel shot up to a strong second position among news channels within a few weeks of launch, MCCS said in a media release.

Aniruddha Lahiri, director MCCS and managing director of Ananda Bazar Patrika group, the majority stakeholder of the company, said: "Ravina's contribution in launching Star News in Hindi is very well appreciated and we at MCCS wish her all the very best for the future."

Kohli said that television news in India requires local innovation and constant upgradation of people skills and technology.

"We have met with some great success in the past and I am sure that the team at Star News will strive to maintain the strong position we have already achieved," she added.