ITV

Category: People

  • Distribution vet Tony D’silva departs from IMCL

    Distribution vet Tony D’silva departs from IMCL

    MUMBAI: Tomorrow, Tony D’silva will serve his last day as the MD and CEO of IMCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures.

    “I have decided not to renew my contract (with IMCL) as I wanted to take a break,” D’Silva told Indiantelevision.com. He denied knowledge of his replacement. “They may announce it tomorrow, or whenever,” he said.

    During his stint at IMCL, he helped roll out the Hinduja-promoted headend in the sky (HITS) project NXT Digital, a process which took the group sometime, courtesy regulatory cholestrol. He also rolled out pre-paid subscriptions for the both NXT Digital and the cable network INCable which resulted in a consistent revenue stream for the latter. However, the haphazard management of the DAS III and DAS IV process by the government resulted in idelays. This meant that NXT Digital could not get fair digital content deals with some broadcasters. And this impacted its business planning.

    Looking back at the broadcast industry in India, the cable veteran of 20 years said that he witnessed exciting times in the industry. “There were tremendous challenges as well — some were natural and others created,” he remarked.

    The cable and broadcast industry was at cusp of a paradigm change, he said. “With new regulations, changes are taking place at least in spirit — if not (practically, or) legally. I hope it changed the course of the industry’s progress,” he said.

    With the positive changes — from push to a pull economy, each constituent and stakeholder of the distribution value chain, he said, must be able to sustain on its own. He said he hoped the industry’s fortunes would turn around sooner than later. He would not hazard a guess on the possible changes the budget may bring in.

    About the recent development that one MSO licence would permit pan-India service, he said the regulation, rather amendment, had come rather late in the day. “Simply, allowing the MSOs to function across India would not help immediately. From where would they get head-ends or how soon can they lay their fibre connectivity in newer area?” he questioned with a puzzled tone in his voice.

    “Until and unless, infrastructure sharing is allowed (and practically operational), there is no point in relaxation of rules which allow a cable operator to operate pan-India with a single licence,” he quipped.

    After his break, D’Silva said that he might start a business independently. On prodding about the sector he would be haring into, he shared that he only knew the broadcast industry, with a smile. .

  • Siti Networks appoints Sanjay Berry as CFO

    Siti Networks appoints Sanjay Berry as CFO

    MUMBAI: Siti Networks Ltd, a sister company of Zee group, has appointed Sanjay Berry as the chief financial officer of the company.

    The new CFO Berry was working as the corporate financial controller with Bharti Enterprises. Berry has been handling finance function with expertise in financial management, compliance and internal controls. In his 25 years of work life, he had varied experience with Computer Sciences Corporation, Bharti Airtel, Patni Computer Systems, HCL Technologies and Arthur Andersen & Associates.

    Siti Networks got its new sobriquet earlier this year. Prior to this it was known as Siti Cable Network Ltd.

    It has gained respect from the cable community and is reputed to have a robust business model. In August this year, got board approval to raise up to $100 million through the issuance of securities.

    Siti Networks has chalked up improved financials in its latest quarter financials. It reported a 23.6 percent and 2.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) growth in operating revenue and EBIDTA including other income for the quarter ended 30 September 2106 (Q2-17, current quarter). The growth in revenue was led by a 33.3 percent y-o-y growth in restated subscription revenue on net billing basis of Rs 135.3 crore (46.8 percent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to Rs 101.5 crore (43.4 percent of TIO) reported for the corresponding year ago quarter.

    The company’s cable TV customer base was stable at 1.22 crore in the current quarter as compared to the immediate trailing quarter. The company had 1.07 crore cable customers in Q2-16. The company says that is now present in 400 plus locations in India serving a total digital subscriber base of 87 lakh customers. For the last quarter the company had reported a digital subscriber base of 84 lakh and 59 lakh for Q2-16.

    Broadband revenue increased 167.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 24.9 crore (8.6 percent of TIO) in the current quarter from Rs 9.3 crore (4 percent of TIO) in Q2-16.

    By bringing in Berry who has a telecom background Siti Networks has indicated that its focus on the broadband sector is likely to increase as well that it is working on putting in place more rigorous financial processes in its operations.

  • Siti Networks appoints Sanjay Berry as CFO

    Siti Networks appoints Sanjay Berry as CFO

    MUMBAI: Siti Networks Ltd, a sister company of Zee group, has appointed Sanjay Berry as the chief financial officer of the company.

    The new CFO Berry was working as the corporate financial controller with Bharti Enterprises. Berry has been handling finance function with expertise in financial management, compliance and internal controls. In his 25 years of work life, he had varied experience with Computer Sciences Corporation, Bharti Airtel, Patni Computer Systems, HCL Technologies and Arthur Andersen & Associates.

    Siti Networks got its new sobriquet earlier this year. Prior to this it was known as Siti Cable Network Ltd.

    It has gained respect from the cable community and is reputed to have a robust business model. In August this year, got board approval to raise up to $100 million through the issuance of securities.

    Siti Networks has chalked up improved financials in its latest quarter financials. It reported a 23.6 percent and 2.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) growth in operating revenue and EBIDTA including other income for the quarter ended 30 September 2106 (Q2-17, current quarter). The growth in revenue was led by a 33.3 percent y-o-y growth in restated subscription revenue on net billing basis of Rs 135.3 crore (46.8 percent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to Rs 101.5 crore (43.4 percent of TIO) reported for the corresponding year ago quarter.

    The company’s cable TV customer base was stable at 1.22 crore in the current quarter as compared to the immediate trailing quarter. The company had 1.07 crore cable customers in Q2-16. The company says that is now present in 400 plus locations in India serving a total digital subscriber base of 87 lakh customers. For the last quarter the company had reported a digital subscriber base of 84 lakh and 59 lakh for Q2-16.

    Broadband revenue increased 167.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 24.9 crore (8.6 percent of TIO) in the current quarter from Rs 9.3 crore (4 percent of TIO) in Q2-16.

    By bringing in Berry who has a telecom background Siti Networks has indicated that its focus on the broadband sector is likely to increase as well that it is working on putting in place more rigorous financial processes in its operations.

  • Jonathan Spink new CASBAA board chairman

    Jonathan Spink new CASBAA board chairman

    MUMBAI: Following its first meeting on 06 December, the CASBAA Board of Directors announced that Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the next 12 months.

    With almost three decades of experience in the pay television industry, Jonathan Spink is responsible for the overall management of HBO in South East and South Asia. Under Spink’s leadership, HBO Asia has built a growing network of standard-definition and high-definition channels and services, as well as developing several groundbreaking original local productions.

    Spink succeeds Sompan Charumilinda, Vice Chairman of TrueVisions, as Chairman of the CASBAA Board. “Khun Sompan has been a Board member for more than a decade, and most recently, served diligently in his term as Chairman of the Board,” said Spink. “On behalf of my fellow Directors and the broader membership, we thank him for his guidance and insights over the years and we look forward to his continued contribution on the Association’s Board.”

    Spink also welcomed new Directors elected during the Association’s 2016 AGM held 10 Nov in Macau; namely, Rohit D’Silva (FOX Networks Group Asia), Jonas Engwall (RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network), Marcel Fenez (Fenez Media), Todd Miller (Celestial Tiger Entertainment), Alexandre Muller (TV5MONDE), and Andrew Stott (Olswang Asia). They join returning Directors Sompan Charumilinda (TrueVisions), Andrew Jordan (AsiaSat), Amit Malhotra (The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia), Ricky Ow (Turner International Asia Pacific), Mark Patterson (GroupM), Joe Welch (21st Century Fox), and Christopher Slaughter (CASBAA) to make up CASBAA’s Board.

    “With the multichannel TV industry in all its forms facing unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities in 2017,” Spink added, “the coming year promises to be busier than ever for CASBAA. I look forward to working with my fellow Directors and the CASBAA Executive Office to ensure that the work of the Association is relevant to all its Member companies, as they adapt to a rapidly developing operating environment.”

    Following the announcement of the Chairman and Board of Directors 2017, CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter highlighted the increasingly broad Membership of the Association. He noted that during 2016 several new members joined, including the Premier League, Rewind Networks, Nielsen, Strategic IP Information, Metrasat, Trilegal, and Kantar Media. Also during the year, TV5MONDE, Intelsat, RTL/CBS and INVIDI all upgraded to Patron status. “It is a delight to welcome these new additions across all our membership categories,” Slaughter said. “We are confident they will prove to be valuable additions to the CASBAA community, and we look forward to their participation in our activities and on our Committees.”

  • Jonathan Spink new CASBAA board chairman

    Jonathan Spink new CASBAA board chairman

    MUMBAI: Following its first meeting on 06 December, the CASBAA Board of Directors announced that Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the next 12 months.

    With almost three decades of experience in the pay television industry, Jonathan Spink is responsible for the overall management of HBO in South East and South Asia. Under Spink’s leadership, HBO Asia has built a growing network of standard-definition and high-definition channels and services, as well as developing several groundbreaking original local productions.

    Spink succeeds Sompan Charumilinda, Vice Chairman of TrueVisions, as Chairman of the CASBAA Board. “Khun Sompan has been a Board member for more than a decade, and most recently, served diligently in his term as Chairman of the Board,” said Spink. “On behalf of my fellow Directors and the broader membership, we thank him for his guidance and insights over the years and we look forward to his continued contribution on the Association’s Board.”

    Spink also welcomed new Directors elected during the Association’s 2016 AGM held 10 Nov in Macau; namely, Rohit D’Silva (FOX Networks Group Asia), Jonas Engwall (RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network), Marcel Fenez (Fenez Media), Todd Miller (Celestial Tiger Entertainment), Alexandre Muller (TV5MONDE), and Andrew Stott (Olswang Asia). They join returning Directors Sompan Charumilinda (TrueVisions), Andrew Jordan (AsiaSat), Amit Malhotra (The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia), Ricky Ow (Turner International Asia Pacific), Mark Patterson (GroupM), Joe Welch (21st Century Fox), and Christopher Slaughter (CASBAA) to make up CASBAA’s Board.

    “With the multichannel TV industry in all its forms facing unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities in 2017,” Spink added, “the coming year promises to be busier than ever for CASBAA. I look forward to working with my fellow Directors and the CASBAA Executive Office to ensure that the work of the Association is relevant to all its Member companies, as they adapt to a rapidly developing operating environment.”

    Following the announcement of the Chairman and Board of Directors 2017, CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter highlighted the increasingly broad Membership of the Association. He noted that during 2016 several new members joined, including the Premier League, Rewind Networks, Nielsen, Strategic IP Information, Metrasat, Trilegal, and Kantar Media. Also during the year, TV5MONDE, Intelsat, RTL/CBS and INVIDI all upgraded to Patron status. “It is a delight to welcome these new additions across all our membership categories,” Slaughter said. “We are confident they will prove to be valuable additions to the CASBAA community, and we look forward to their participation in our activities and on our Committees.”

  • Hathway Bhawani CEO Samson Jesudas quits

    Hathway Bhawani CEO Samson Jesudas quits

    MUMBAI: Hathway Bhawani Cabletel & Datacom managing director and chief executive officer Samson Jesudas has resigned. The company today informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that Jesudas has tendered his resignation with effect from 21 September. Hathway Bhawani is a joint venture between Hathway and Bhawani Cable.

    Earlier, he worked as the chief marketing and distribution officer at Indusind Media & Communication Ltd for two years. Then, Jesudas was appointed as the head of operations at Hathway Cable and Datacom, before joining as the CEO of Hathway Bhawani Cable and Datacom.

  • Hathway Bhawani CEO Samson Jesudas quits

    Hathway Bhawani CEO Samson Jesudas quits

    MUMBAI: Hathway Bhawani Cabletel & Datacom managing director and chief executive officer Samson Jesudas has resigned. The company today informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that Jesudas has tendered his resignation with effect from 21 September. Hathway Bhawani is a joint venture between Hathway and Bhawani Cable.

    Earlier, he worked as the chief marketing and distribution officer at Indusind Media & Communication Ltd for two years. Then, Jesudas was appointed as the head of operations at Hathway Cable and Datacom, before joining as the CEO of Hathway Bhawani Cable and Datacom.

  • S.N. Sharma quits Reliance

    S.N. Sharma quits Reliance

    MUMBAI: Cable distribution veteran SN Sharma has quit Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani promoted Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

    Sources in RIL confirmed that Sharma has put in his papers last week.

    Sharma had joined RIL’s media-cum-telecom venture Reliance Jio in 2015  and was brought on board to lead the cable distribution business of the organisation.

    RIL, which through a subsidiary company has a licence to operate as an MSO, had also brought in former Hathway Datacom chief executive K. Jayaraman to head its distribution business and Sharma reported into him.

    As part of  Reliance Jio, Sharma and Jayaraman were entrusted to build a business plan for distribution of TV channels owned by Reliance that were managed under Network18 Media and Investments Ltd.

    With an experience of more than 20 years in electronic media and cable distribution, Sharma is credited with playing a crucial role in building thw Sameer Manchanda-promoted Den Networks and Rahejas-owned Hathway.

    RIL, which owns and controls the Network18 group that operates a clutch of TV channels, has widespread interest in media, telecom, petroleum and energy sectors.

    Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the group operates news channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18, IBN7, ETV channels, IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group), apart from the newly-launched  FYI TV18.

    TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr, Teen Nick and Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

  • S.N. Sharma quits Reliance

    S.N. Sharma quits Reliance

    MUMBAI: Cable distribution veteran SN Sharma has quit Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani promoted Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

    Sources in RIL confirmed that Sharma has put in his papers last week.

    Sharma had joined RIL’s media-cum-telecom venture Reliance Jio in 2015  and was brought on board to lead the cable distribution business of the organisation.

    RIL, which through a subsidiary company has a licence to operate as an MSO, had also brought in former Hathway Datacom chief executive K. Jayaraman to head its distribution business and Sharma reported into him.

    As part of  Reliance Jio, Sharma and Jayaraman were entrusted to build a business plan for distribution of TV channels owned by Reliance that were managed under Network18 Media and Investments Ltd.

    With an experience of more than 20 years in electronic media and cable distribution, Sharma is credited with playing a crucial role in building thw Sameer Manchanda-promoted Den Networks and Rahejas-owned Hathway.

    RIL, which owns and controls the Network18 group that operates a clutch of TV channels, has widespread interest in media, telecom, petroleum and energy sectors.

    Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the group operates news channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18, IBN7, ETV channels, IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group), apart from the newly-launched  FYI TV18.

    TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr, Teen Nick and Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

  • IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    IndiaCast appoints Sanjay Jain as head of International Business; restructures Organisation

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast, the domestic and international distribution arm of Viacom18 and TV18, has announced an organizational realignment within its top management, where in  Chief financial officer Sanjay Jain has been additionally appointed as head of international business and will continue reporting to IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi. All the International Business heads along with Outbound Sales and International Operations teams will report into Jain. IndiaCast also announced a series of leadership changes by establishing empowered business responsibilities across regions. 

    After successfully managing the business in UK, Govind Shahi  has now been elevated to manage the US region along with his existing remit as business head UK & USA, followed by Sachin Gokhale,  who will also oversee the companies’ activities in APAC, in addition to his current role as the business head of the MEA. Debkumar Dasgupta is now the business head of Syndication, New Media & South Asia. 

    Commenting on the organizational restructuring, IndiaCast Group CEO  Anuj Gandhi said, “Over the last several years our top management has demonstrated innovative approaches in content monetization and marketing across the globe. Sanjay brings to the table nearly two and half decades of financial and general management experience. I am confident that Sanjay’s proficiency and experience coupled with our bold growth agenda will help us excel in our business ambitions.”