Community newspaper veteran and well known Punjabi-English music star Dal Hothi has been elevated to publisher at the Black Press Media owned Surrey Now Leader and North Delta Reporter weekly newspapers, a great honour for Hothi and the South Asian community to see one of our own at a prestigious post in the mainstream media. A graduate in broadcasting from BCIT, Hothi's journey in the media industry began at the Williams Lake Tribune, where he dove into sports reporting as a summer student. Joining The Now's sales team in 2002, Dal earned the top sales award in 2003. Dal led the consolidation of the Surrey Now and Surrey Leader sales departments and has successfully managed the Surrey Now-Leader sales team, since 2016, Black Press said in a news release on Hothi’s announcement as publisher.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

SURREY – Community newspaper veteran and well known Punjabi-English music star Dal Hothi has been elevated to publisher at the Black Press Media owned Surrey Now Leader and North Delta Reporter weekly newspapers, a great honour for Hothi and the South Asian community to see one of our own at a prestigious post in the mainstream media.

A graduate in broadcasting from BCIT, Hothi's journey in the media industry began at the Williams Lake Tribune, where he dove into sports reporting as a summer student. Joining The Now's sales team in 2002, Dal earned the top sales award in 2003. Dal led the consolidation of the Surrey Now and Surrey Leader sales departments and has successfully managed the Surrey Now-Leader sales team, since 2016, Black Press said in a news release on Hothi’s announcement as publisher.

Hothi's community involvement extends beyond the media landscape. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the John Volken Academy Advisory Board, a member of the Surrey Board of Trade Arts and Culture committee and was previously a director on the Capilano College Board. His commitment to community service is further evidenced by his role on Vancouver Foundation's grant awarding committees, distributing millions of dollars annually to local charities.

Before joining The Surrey Now, Hothi explored various industries, wearing different hats in sawmills, ethnic publishing, retail, theater, warehouses, youth work, lead singing, music PR and marketing. Beyond his professional pursuits, Hothi merges his passions for music and youth mentoring. As a singer, songwriter, percussionist, and music producer, Hothi has released five albums, toured globally as a solo artist and with his band Dal Dil Vog, garnering numerous awards in the process.

In 2010, Hothi revived Dal Dil Vog and performed at the official 2010 Olympic venues in the Lower Mainland. One of his songs was featured in the nightly 2010 Winter Olympic Fire and Light show in Downtown Vancouver. His dedication as a youth worker has involved steering at-risk South Asian youth away from drugs and criminal activities. Hothi also spends his free time coaching and mentoring aspiring musicians.

Expressing his enthusiasm for his well-deserved appointment, Hothi said, "I am honored and excited to take on this new role. I am looking forward to further developing these two community media properties as inclusive community news content providers serving the diverse Surrey and North Delta audience and to creating multi-channel marketing strategies for all levels of local business."

Black Press said: “Please join us in extending our congratulations to Dal on his well-deserved appointment as Publisher of the Surrey Now Leader and North Delta Reporter.”