Jasmine Dotiwala


Jasmine Dotiwala is a British broadcaster, producer, director and columnist.

Career

Dotiwala studied at Roehampton University in Surrey where she completed a BA Honours degree in Media and Communications, Theatre and Dance. Currently Dotiwala is Head Of Youth Media at Media Trust. Dotiwala also hosts regular on-screen Arts & Culture reports for Channel 4 News. Dotiwala also hosts a weekly Thursday evening radio show on BBC Radio London called The Scene, which shines a spotlight on diverse and marginalized talent across London. She is also a regular pop culture pundit for platforms like SKY News, Metro online and London Live.
Dotiwala sits on the RTS Futures committee, MOBO Awards Judging Committee,BET International Judging panel, Ivy Club Committee and was an original member of the MTV Diversity Board.
She is a patron and annual judge for the British Arts Awards.
She spoke at House Of Lords on media subjects around inclusivity and diversity in 2017 and in 2018 was requested to give evidence at House Of Commons to MP's for the Youth Violence Commission around their 2018 campaign.
Dotiwala continues to chair and appear on panels around television, youth and diversity themes.
Dotiwala is also an international judge for music awards in Uganda and Namibia.
Dotiwala is on the BBC Radio4 Women's Hour judging panel for their Women in Music Power List 2018.

Television

After graduating Dotiwala began her career on Channel 4's long-running morning show The Big Breakfast, where she worked as a runner before progressing to role of floor assistant. Dotiwala then made her television presenting debut on the notorious 1990s youth cult show The Word where, in 1994, she interviewed a multitude of rising stars such as Goldie, Mark Morrison, Jean-Claude Van Damme and went record shopping with R&B singer Aaliyah, Jodeci, did the first ever UK interview with Mary J. Blige and an interview outside an L.A. courtroom with rising star Snoop Doggy Dogg at his murder trial which aired across the global news networks.
Following her stint at The Word, Dotiwala moved to MTV Europe where she was a presenter for MTV News, before becoming Senior Producer-Director for many of MTV International's flagship TV shows including 'Making the Video', 'MTV Cribs', 'MTV's Diary Of' and 'MTV News Specials'. In 2000 Dotiwala became the Senior Series Producer/Director of MTV News Specials' where she hosted, produced and directed MTV shows featuring celebrities such as Madonna, the Spice Girls, Radiohead and U2. Dotiwala also directed and produced MTV Cribs, where viewers were shown around the houses of celebrities including Dolce & Gabbana, Richard Branson and Craig David, along with Diary Of... episodes featuring Jay Z, Mariah Carey, Eminem and 50 Cent, and Making the Video which went behind the scenes at video shoots of Usher, Busta Rhymes, Sean Paul, P Diddy and Estelle.
In 2006 Dotiwala took the role of MTV's Urban Music Specialist and Head Of MTV Base where she interviewed high-profile artists including Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Eminem. Dotiwala also produced specialised shows on high-profile artists such as 'Essential Mariah Carey', 'Essential Eminem' and 'Essential Dr Dre' which premiered at number one on MTV Base.
In 2006 Dotiwala produced and directed A Night with Justin Timberlake Live, Jay Z's Tour Diary, the Shady Family Invade Europe and Usher's Making of the Video for 'Yeah' which drew in some of the highest ratings MTV had seen in four years. Dotiwala's Making the Video; Mariah Carey went on to be the highest rating Making the Video on any MTV channels worldwide in 2005. In 2007 Dotiwala's 'Diary of Jay Z-the Global Express Tour' aired on 40 MTV channels worldwide.
After 10 years at MTV International Dotiwala took a role heading up MTV BASE production where she overhauled the brand, bringing in new presenters and shows such as Kojo's Comedy Funhouse, The Young Gods of Comedy and DJ Takeover which raised the channels profile and ratings.
In 2009 Dotiwala returned to Channel 4 Music Specials where her first project was the Mariah Carey T4 Special and other similar music, youth, entertainment TV projects for Channel 4 including THE WORD 20 Year Anniversary Special.
Dotiwala co-hosted a weekly radio slot with George Kay on ChoiceFM from 2002 - 2007 where they discussed the most salacious music industry news of the week. Record labels and music managers used to send Dotiwala info anonymously for the slot which generated numerus copycat slots thereafter.
In 2010 Dotiwala produced and directed ITV's One Night Stand, whose guests included Ne-Yo, The Scissor Sisters and Pixie Lott.
In 2011 Dotiwala moved to the BBC to work in BBC Children's Development team before moving to the BBC Music department where she worked on developing new youth music content.
In 2014 Dotiwala started reporting on mini Arts & Culture features for Channel 4 News.
Since 2011, Dotiwala has also taken the role of Executive Producer and Manager of the 360 series of news shows LONDON360, UK360 and ARTS360 made by 120 young reporters at Media Trust.
In 2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019 she also returned to her MTV roots to host produce the MTV Awards presenters Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran and Ruby Rose.
Since 2014 Dotiwala has been a regular contributor to SKY News paper reviews and Arts commentary around the music industry.
Nominated for 'Presenter of the Year 2017' at the annual Diversity In Media Awards'.
In January 2018 Jasmine took over as Head of Youth Engagement & Media at Media Trust whilst continuing her Channel 4 News features and The Metro Online blogs. Dotiwala is a regular panelist on shos like Jeremy Vine on 5 and SKY News.

Journalism

Dotiwala has written or blogged on a variety of publications including Huffington Post, The Voice, Touch Magazine, the Daily Mail and Caribbean fashion publication Ocean Style. Much of her writing centres around diversity and championing new talent from across the Arts & Culture world.
Dotiwala also wrote a long-standing column for urban music magazines 'Touch' and 'Tense' called 'Girl Talk', as well as one off columns in international urban magazine Vibe.
In 2014 Dotiwala stopped writing her weekly 'Girl About Town' column for national newspaper The Voice after 15 years.
Dotiwala also blogged on Huffington Post UK.
Dotiwala currently blogs on The Metro UK ONLINE. as well as on the world's longest running rap periodical brand The Source Magazine online
In 2018 Jasmine Dotiwala was announced as a presenter on BBC Radio London's new evening program called The Scene.
In May 2019 Dotiwala was called to give evidence to peers at the House Of Lords around the subject of the future of Public Service Broadcasters in the era of Streaming On Demand services. https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/communications-committee/news-parliament-2017/dotiwala-kaye-williams-harries-cheesbrough-evidence/

TV, Radio, Print/Digital Press

Born to Parsi parents, father Kenyan, mother Indian Zoroastrian, Dotiwala is of the Persian Zoroastrian faith. She attended Featherstone High School in Southall as well as NGAD and Babel School of Dance and juggled state school during weekdays and performing arts school at weekends and evenings entering the annual British Arts Awards annually. Today she is both a patron and annual judge at the annual British Arts Awards.
Dotiwala taught ballet to Advanced level at RAD and ISTD methods.
She was also a member of the Jiving Lindy Hoppers and toured both nationally and internationally with the dance troupe whilst still at Roehampton University.