MUMBAI: Zee TV programming head Ashwini Yardi has put in her papers and is slated to join Viacom-18 — the joint venture company of Viacom and Raghav Bahl’s TV18.

As a result of this, Zee TV creative head Pearl Shahi has been upped as vice president programming. Sources inform that Yardi, who has been with Zee for the last 12 years, put in her papers on Monday, 2 July, 2007.

Yardi, who has been the brains behind Zee’s successful Lil Champs property, will be heading programming for Viacom-18’s general entertainment channel (GEC) as content and creative head. The channel is slated to launch within the next one year.

The Viacom-18 GEC will include original, locally produced programming and acquisitions. Viacom’s MTV Networks will contribute the MTV, Vh1 and Nick India channels to the JV.

Viacom-18 will also be launching a suite of targeted channels in the future from the MTV Networks portfolio, as well as new brands, digital media content across all of the television brands will be developed and distributed to Indian consumers. The JV will also syndicate MTVN programming and newly produced content.

The Viacom and TV18 joint venture will explore carious oppourtunities in the film, television and digital media content. Viacom-18 is also the joint owner of The Indian Film Company, which recently listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. TV18’s motion pictures division – Studio 18 – is also housed under Viacom-18.