MTV head honcho William H Roedy grooves to the mystical music form
He’s a self-confessed chronic zapper jumping from channel to channel before you can say MTV, and currently hopelessly addicted to singer Kailash Kher. We would expect nothing less from the chairman, MTV Networks and President, MTV Networks International, William H Roedy. “My biggest priority in India is to get Kailash Kher’s CDs,” he states. “Sufi and Indian fusion - that’s the sort of thing I love. I bring it home, play it until my wife gets tired of it. I get so addicted that it’s hard to get off it.”
Presently in town, Roedy is looking at taking the MTV network to new levels. “One way is to increase the number of channels. UK has over 20 channels and India just three. We are also looking at the scope broadband offers, and the places we can reach with mobile phones. I hear they’re increasing at the rate of 4 million a month.”
Roedy is president of numerous societies concerning AIDS and has been honoured many times by the likes of Kofi Annan. “It’s not me personally who is being honoured - it’s what I’m representing,” he smiles.
The father of 4 children under the age of 12 says the house is chaotic. “ I end up watching a lot of Nickelodeon because of them. They haven’t yet discovered MTV yet,” he grins. Travelling around the world especially when he’s trying to do it in 48 hours makes him view “going to bed as some sort of fantasy.” He’s pleased with India, especially after the representation at the World Economic Forum at Davos. “There was tremendous leadership coming from India. But it’s nice to see it reaffirmed.”
