Senior journalist and founding member of the news channel CNN-IBN, now known as CNN-News 18, Radhakrishnan Nair passed away on Tuesday morning at a hospital in New Delhi. He was 54. According to reports, he was facing health issues. Radhakrishnan was one of Network18’s oldest employees and was working as the Managing Editor of news channel CNN-News18.
Radhakrishnan was born in Kerala and shifted to New Delhi to work with United News of India (UNI). He shifted to TV journalism shortly after and joined as a producer with TV18’s Business Report in 1995.
Radhakrishnan, who has been associated with Network18 for 25 years, was part of the founding team of the television channel CNN-IBN, which later became CNN-News18. He ventured into business news with CNBC TV18, a business channel, following which he moved to CNN-News18 (formerly CNN-IBN) in 2005. He began as Head of Assignment being the point person for reporters across the channel. He was appointed as the Managing Editor of the national news channel in September 2014.
Radhakrishnan has produced programmes for several media outlets like Doordarshan, BBC, Sony and ABNI and has covered politics, sports and defence.
Radhakrishnan was born in 1964 and he was the eldest of four siblings, a CNN-News18 report said. He graduated with a degree in Chemistry and then completed his Masters in journalism at the Indian Institute of Journalism in Thiruvananthapuram. He graduated from Kerala University as a gold medallist.
Radhakrishnan is survived by his wife and two daughters.
According to TheQuint, Radhakrishnan’s last rites will be performed at his hometown in Kerala and friends and family can pay him their last respects at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday from 12 to 3 pm.
Several journalists, who worked with him have shared heartfelt tributes on social media. They shared that he was easy to approach even at his position as Managing Editor and was considered the go-to person for many colleagues. Members of the political fraternity too expressed their condolences at his passing.
He was a mentor and a dear friend to so many of us - particularly to the founding batch of CNN IBN. Any reporter would tell you - he was the guy who had your back - the first port of call to complain that the desk was being 'unfair' :-) May you rest in peace @Radha_Network18
— smitha nair (@smitharnair) November 27, 2018
A wonderful friend and colleague - worked with him in so many avatars over so many years and learnt so much from him - how can he not be any more? https://t.co/itBybWiFRB
— Ritu Kapur (@kapur_ritu) November 27, 2018
Saddened by the demise of Shri Radhakrishnan Nair, an outstanding journalist and a pleasant human being. May God render peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family. Om Shanti.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 27, 2018
One of the finest human beings I have had the privilege to work with, our managing editor when I was at CNN IBN, Radhakrishnan Nair passed away this morning. Please do keep him and his family in your prayers. RIP Radha my friend.. will miss you.
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) November 27, 2018
Shocked to hear about the sudden demise of senior journalist Radhakrishnan Nair. May God give courage to his family to bear this irreparable loss. RIP
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 27, 2018
Really sad to know of untimely passing away of my dear friend Radhakrishna Nair, sr Journalist ,very good human being, veteran in his field.We all will always miss him.Condolences to his family Om Shanti #RadhakrishnanNair
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) November 27, 2018
Radha helped set up the CNBC TV18 newsroom in Mumbai, then CNN IBN. Helped build institutions
— menaka doshi (@menakadoshi) November 27, 2018
Proud of having worked with him, learnt from him. #RIPRadha
Shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of Radhakrishnan Nair of @CNNnews18. He was a fine journalist, a man of principle & integrity not always found in his profession today. https://t.co/7EcmV5Cdcj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 27, 2018
Time stopped for many of us (batch of 2005) at CNN-News18. A mentor and a wonderful friend has left us. @Radha_Network18 gave us lessons of life besides teaching what good journalism stands for. #RIPRadha
— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) November 27, 2018
He was the go-to person for all of us in the newsroom he built from scratch @Radha_Network18 still unable to believe you went so soon, unable to believe that you won't be around with a kind ear for us.. restless newsman that you've always been, may you now rest in peace Radha Sir https://t.co/m1APznd889
— Deepa Balakrishnan (@deepab18) November 27, 2018
Woke up to this terrible news. Behind all the glitz and glamour of TV news, you had people like Radha Sir who selflessly ran the show behind the scenes to bring viewers the final product. His demise is a huge loss for journalism. #RIP https://t.co/BpQCACZ0nu
— DivyaET (@rdivia) November 27, 2018
Shocked by the sudden demise of Shri Radhakrishnan Nair, Managing Editor of CNN-News18. Big loss to the journalist fraternity. Heartfelt condolences to his family members. I pray God to give his family the strength to bear the loss. Om Shanti.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) November 27, 2018
To boss man, for being a reporter’s editor & making fine journos out of rookie reporters. As we stepped into our careers, he mentored, shouted, encouraged and reassured! He embodied the spirit of CNN-IBN, the zeal for news & newsroom bonding we carry to this day, wherever we go. https://t.co/BkzmpuxgpY
— Preeti Singh (@singhpreeti08) November 27, 2018