ITV

Category: People

  • 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.”

  • Hathway expands role of Shirish Ruparel; Star India’s NM Rao joins as head content & carriage

    Hathway expands role of Shirish Ruparel; Star India’s NM Rao joins as head content & carriage

    MUMBAI: Hathway is restructuring its content vertical by expanding the role of executive vice president- content & VAS Shirish Ruparel, with the growing demands of the business in a move to strengthen its content team and to diversify its revenue streams.

    While expanding Ruparel’s role, Hathway has also taken on-board N.M. Rao as head-content & carriage to handle all-India content and carriage with effect from 4 April, based at their corporate office in Mumbai, and he will report to Shirish Ruparel.

    Ruparel’s portfolio will now include content and carriage, ad sales, OTT service offerings and value added services as Hathway looks to create new revenue streams in the new digitization era. As part of his expanded role, Ruparel would now oversee content and carriage and Ad sales monetization while also develop Hathways’ in-house channel bouquet into a series of strong pan-India and regional channels and improve the content portfolio for in-house and regional channel base by working with leading production and content providers.

    Additionally, he will also be responsible for increasing the value pie of Hathway across new streams such as OTT (Over-the-top TV) services and offers and diversify the business into segments such as VAS (value-added services) including VOD (video-on demand), mobile streaming, EPG amongst other key monetization initiatives.

    In his expanded role, Ruparel will continue to report to president-video business T S Panesar.

    Rao joins Hathway from Star India where he was working as assistant vice president-affiliate sales looking after carriage and content for key MSO accounts as part of the broadcasters’ distribution set-up.

    Having experience of over 15 years, Rao has been a part of the media and broadcast industry for more than a decade having worked across both print and electronic media in the areas of affiliate sales with Star TV (content, carriage, trade marketing) and advertising sales with The Times of India (print & special projects). As part of his new role, Rao will be responsible for negotiation and management of all content deals with broadcasters, both for content and carriage.

    Commenting on this restructuring, Hathway Cable & Datacom CEO & MD Jagdish Kumar said, “In the digitization era, content will play an integral role for Hathway in defining and transforming customer experience and with this aim, we are bringing in a change in our content vertical composition. Shirish Ruparel has been one of the key members of the senior management and contributed immensely towards the building of our content team. We are expanding his role to utilize his vast experience and expertise in building wider content revenue streams in segments like OTT and VAS. We are also pleased to have N.M Rao on-board with us to look after content and carriage as we aim to create a strong vertical with multiple revenue streams that will set the business in the new fiscal. With his vast experience in distribution, content and carriage with Star, we are extremely confident that Rao will provide the right boost to our overall objectives and set new benchmarks.”

    In February, Hathway had hired Anand Kamani as vice president- advertising sales to handle its ad-sales business at an all-India level, also reporting into Shirish Ruparel. With the expansion of Ruparel’s role and Rao joining the team to focus on content and carriage, Hathway is looking at an aggressive roadmap to build its content portfolio to increase revenue generation at a time when digitization roll-out is underway in Phase- III and IV and is targeted to complete by end of this year.

    With DTH players also looking to offer additional value added services to its consumers, Hathway as one of the leading multi-system operators is also looking at the next level of customization by offering its subscribers products and solutions which will provide added entertainment and benefits to build better ARPUs.

  • Hathway expands role of Shirish Ruparel; Star India’s NM Rao joins as head content & carriage

    Hathway expands role of Shirish Ruparel; Star India’s NM Rao joins as head content & carriage

    MUMBAI: Hathway is restructuring its content vertical by expanding the role of executive vice president- content & VAS Shirish Ruparel, with the growing demands of the business in a move to strengthen its content team and to diversify its revenue streams.

    While expanding Ruparel’s role, Hathway has also taken on-board N.M. Rao as head-content & carriage to handle all-India content and carriage with effect from 4 April, based at their corporate office in Mumbai, and he will report to Shirish Ruparel.

    Ruparel’s portfolio will now include content and carriage, ad sales, OTT service offerings and value added services as Hathway looks to create new revenue streams in the new digitization era. As part of his expanded role, Ruparel would now oversee content and carriage and Ad sales monetization while also develop Hathways’ in-house channel bouquet into a series of strong pan-India and regional channels and improve the content portfolio for in-house and regional channel base by working with leading production and content providers.

    Additionally, he will also be responsible for increasing the value pie of Hathway across new streams such as OTT (Over-the-top TV) services and offers and diversify the business into segments such as VAS (value-added services) including VOD (video-on demand), mobile streaming, EPG amongst other key monetization initiatives.

    In his expanded role, Ruparel will continue to report to president-video business T S Panesar.

    Rao joins Hathway from Star India where he was working as assistant vice president-affiliate sales looking after carriage and content for key MSO accounts as part of the broadcasters’ distribution set-up.

    Having experience of over 15 years, Rao has been a part of the media and broadcast industry for more than a decade having worked across both print and electronic media in the areas of affiliate sales with Star TV (content, carriage, trade marketing) and advertising sales with The Times of India (print & special projects). As part of his new role, Rao will be responsible for negotiation and management of all content deals with broadcasters, both for content and carriage.

    Commenting on this restructuring, Hathway Cable & Datacom CEO & MD Jagdish Kumar said, “In the digitization era, content will play an integral role for Hathway in defining and transforming customer experience and with this aim, we are bringing in a change in our content vertical composition. Shirish Ruparel has been one of the key members of the senior management and contributed immensely towards the building of our content team. We are expanding his role to utilize his vast experience and expertise in building wider content revenue streams in segments like OTT and VAS. We are also pleased to have N.M Rao on-board with us to look after content and carriage as we aim to create a strong vertical with multiple revenue streams that will set the business in the new fiscal. With his vast experience in distribution, content and carriage with Star, we are extremely confident that Rao will provide the right boost to our overall objectives and set new benchmarks.”

    In February, Hathway had hired Anand Kamani as vice president- advertising sales to handle its ad-sales business at an all-India level, also reporting into Shirish Ruparel. With the expansion of Ruparel’s role and Rao joining the team to focus on content and carriage, Hathway is looking at an aggressive roadmap to build its content portfolio to increase revenue generation at a time when digitization roll-out is underway in Phase- III and IV and is targeted to complete by end of this year.

    With DTH players also looking to offer additional value added services to its consumers, Hathway as one of the leading multi-system operators is also looking at the next level of customization by offering its subscribers products and solutions which will provide added entertainment and benefits to build better ARPUs.

  • Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    MUMBAI: Siti Cable executive director and CEO VD Wadhwa has been nominated in the Best CEO Category for Asia Communication Awards 2016, along with 11 other leading Asian CEOs. The winner will be determined through an industry vote, assessed through net promoter scoring (NPS).

    Launched in 2011, the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) is a platform that recognizes the outstanding performance and innovation of the companies and individuals driving the success of the Asian based communication industry. The CEO of the Year category sets out to recognize the CEO who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Past winners in this category have been from esteemed organizations like Tata Communications, Telstra and China Mobile.

    ACA is organized by Total Telecom that meets the information and research needs of the Global Communications industry. The award ceremony will be held in Singapore, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on June 1, 2016.

     

  • Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    MUMBAI: Siti Cable executive director and CEO VD Wadhwa has been nominated in the Best CEO Category for Asia Communication Awards 2016, along with 11 other leading Asian CEOs. The winner will be determined through an industry vote, assessed through net promoter scoring (NPS).

    Launched in 2011, the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) is a platform that recognizes the outstanding performance and innovation of the companies and individuals driving the success of the Asian based communication industry. The CEO of the Year category sets out to recognize the CEO who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Past winners in this category have been from esteemed organizations like Tata Communications, Telstra and China Mobile.

    ACA is organized by Total Telecom that meets the information and research needs of the Global Communications industry. The award ceremony will be held in Singapore, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on June 1, 2016.

     

  • Q3-2015: Comcast Cable revenue up 6.3%, loses 48K video subs; NBCU shines

    Q3-2015: Comcast Cable revenue up 6.3%, loses 48K video subs; NBCU shines

    BENGALURU: Comcast Corporation’s (Comcast) Cable Communications reported revenue growth of 6.3 per cent at $11,740 million in the quarter ended 30 September, 2015 (Q3-2015, current quarter) as compared to the $11,041 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. The segment’s revenue in the current quarter was almost flat (increased by 0.09 per cent) as compared to $11,729 million reported for the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    Subscription numbers have been mentioned in lakhs and revenue and other financial numbers in millions of US dollars.

     

    Operating cash flow of Comcast’s Cable Communications in Q3-2015 improved 6.4 per cent to $4748 million (40.4 per cent margin) as compared to the $4,464 million (40.4 per cent margin) in Q3-2014.

     

    In terms of decline in video customers, Comcast’s Cable Communication reported the best quarter among the last nine quarters. The company lost only 48,000 video customers in Q3-2015 as compared to the decline of 69,000 in Q2-2015.

     

    Comcast NBCUniversal segment reported a 20.8 per cent growth in revenue at $7,151 million in the current quarter as compared to the $5,921 million in Q3-2014. Operating cash flow of the segment in Q3-2015 improved 17 per cent to $1,657 million as compared to the $1,416 million in Q3-2014.

     

    Overall, Comcast reported a 11.2 per cent growth in consolidated revenue (excluding Olympics and Super Bowl) at $18,669 million as compared to the $16,791 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. Operating Income in Q3-2015 increased 6.9 per cent to $4001 million as compared to the $3745 million in Q3-2014, while Free Cash Flow increased 6.8 per cent to $2663 million as compared to $2494 million in Q3-2014. Earnings per share in the current quarter however declined 19.2 per cent to $0.80 as compared to $0.99 in Q3-2014.

     

    Comcast chairman and CEO Brian L Roberts said, ”I’m pleased to report that our businesses generated outstanding revenue and operating cash flow growth for the third quarter of 2015. At Cable Communications, overall customer relationships increased 156,000, a 90 per cent improvement compared to last year, video subscriber results were the best for a third quarter in nine years, high-speed Internet subscriber results were the best for a third quarter in six years, and churn across all product categories continues to improve. NBCUniversal also delivered terrific results, including another record-breaking box office quarter driven by Minions and Jurassic World, the highest summer attendance ever at our theme parks, and maintaining the #1 broadcast network ranking for five summers in a row. These outstanding results from our unique portfolio of complementary businesses underscore our confidence that we are well positioned to compete, continue our strong performance and drive shareholder value.”

     

    Cable Communications numbers

     

    Six sub-segments contribute to Comcast’s Cable Communications – Video; High Speed Internet; Voice; Business Services; Advertising; and ‘Other.’

     

    Growth in revenue was driven by increases of 10.2 per cent in high-speed Internet revenue, 19.5 per cent in business services and 3.3 per cent in video. The company says that the increase in Cable revenue reflects increased customer relationships, customers receiving higher levels of service and customers taking additional services, as well as rate adjustments.

     

    Customer relationships

     

    Overall, Cable Communications customer relationships in Q3-2015 increased to 274.21 lakh as compared to 268.57 lakh in Q3-2014. During Q3-2015, the segment saw net addition of 156,000 customer relationships as compared to the net addition of 82,000 in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    Single, double and triple play customers

     

    While the number of single product customers in the current quarter was lower at 83.67 lakh, it grew by 24,000, as compared to the 84.44 lakh in Q3-2014, which saw a decline of 66,000. Double Product customers were higher at 90.66 lakh in Q3-2015 as compared to 86.50 lakh in Q3-2014. In Q3-2015, the number of double product customers increased by 130,000 as compared to the increase of 76,000 in Q3-2014. Triple Product customers in Q3-2015 increased to 99.88 lakh as compared to 97.63 lakh in the corresponding year ago quarter. Q3-2015 saw the number of triple product customers’ increase by a mere 1,000 as compared to the increase of 72,000 n Q3-2014.

     

    Video

    Revenue from Video improved 3.3 per cent to $5,348 million in Q3-2015 as compared to the $5,179 million in Q3-2014. For the current quarter, the company reported a net loss of 48,000 customers, while its customer base declined by 118,000 to 222.58 lakhs as compared to the 223.76 lakh customers in Q3-2014.

     

    High Speed Internet

    High Speed Internet revenue in the current quarter increased 10.2 per cent to $3,129 million as compared to the $2,840 million in Q3-2014.

     

    The company added 320,000 high speed internet customers in Q3-2015 and reported a customer base of 228.68 lakh. In Q3-2014, Cable Communications had added 315,000 customers and reported a high spend internet customer base of 215.86 lakh.

     

    Voice

    Despite a higher customer base, Voice revenue in Q3-2015 declined 1.4 per cent to $900 million as compared to the $913 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    Voice customer base in Q3-2015 increased to 113.36 lakh as compared to the 110.70 lakh in the corresponding quarter of last year. In Q3-2015, Cable Communications added only 17,000 customers as compared to the 68,000 in Q3-2014.

     

    Business Services revenue in Q3-2015 increased 19.2 per cent to $1,208 million as compared to the $1,011 million in Q3-2014.

     

    Advertising revenue in the current quarter was almost flat (declined 0.2 per cent) to $593 million as compared to $596 million in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    ‘Other’ revenue increased 11.2 per cent to $562 million in Q3-2015 as compared to the $ 502 in Q3-2014.

     

    NBCUniversal

     

    As mentioned above, NBCUniversal division revenue increased 20.8 per cent YoY in the current quarter, while Operating Cash Flow increased 17 per cent driven by strong results at Filmed Entertainment and Theme Parks.

     

    Four sub-segments add to NBCUniversal’s revenue – Cable Networks; Broadcast Television; Filmed Entertainment; and Theme Parks.

     

    Cable Networks reported seven per cent growth in operating revenue at $2,412 million in Q3-2015 as compared to the $2,255 million in the corresponding year ago quarter, driven by an 8.6 per cent increase in distribution revenue and a two per cent increase in advertising revenue, partially reflecting the introduction of NASCAR on Comcast’s sports network, NBCSN, as well as a 17.6 per cent increase in content licensing and other revenue. Operating cash flow decreased 3.9 per cent to $835 million compared to $868 million in Q3-2014, reflecting higher revenue, more than offset by increased sports programming costs, driven by the impact of NASCAR., informs the company.

     

    Broadcast Television revenue in the current quarter increased 11.3 per cent in Q3-2015 at $1,971 million as compared to the $1,770 million in Q3-2014 reflecting a 33.5 per cent increase in content licensing revenue, higher retransmission consent fees, and a 2.8 per cent increase in advertising revenue. Operating cash flow increased 6.1 per cent to $150 million compared to $142 million in Q3-2014, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by an increase in programming and production costs associated with the timing of content provided under NBCUniversal’s licensing agreements and studio production costs.

     

    Filmed Entertainment revenue increased 64 per cent to $1,946 million in Q3-2015  as compared to the $1,186 million in the corresponding year ago quarter driven by higher theatrical revenue from the record performances of Minions andJurassic World, continuing on the earlier success of Furious 7. Operating cash flow increased $225 million to $376 million compared to $151 million in Q3- 2014, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by an increase in the amortisation of film costs and higher advertising, marketing and promotion expense due to a larger film slate.

     

    Theme Parks revenue increased 14.1 per cent to $876 million as compared to the $786 million in the corresponding year ago quarter reflecting higher guest attendance and per capita spending, driven by the continued success of Orlando’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, as well as Fast and Furious: Supercharged at the Hollywood park. Q3-2015 operating cash flow increased 14.1 per cent to $458 million compared to $402 million in the same period last year, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by an increase in operating costs to support new attractions and $18 million of transaction-related costs associated with the development of a theme park in China.

  • Time Warner promotes Priya Dogra as SVP, mergers & acquisitions

    Time Warner promotes Priya Dogra as SVP, mergers & acquisitions

    MUMBAI: Time Warner Inc. has promoted Priya Dogra as senior vice president, mergers and acquisitions.

     

    In this role, Dogra will oversee Time Warner’s global mergers and acquisitions efforts to progress the company’s long-term corporate strategies and help define capital allocation priorities.

     

    Time Warmer executive vice president and CFO Howard Averill said, “We are thrilled that Priya will now lead our M&A group. She has been instrumental in originating, evaluating and executing critically important transactions across the company. Given her deep understanding of the industry, strong transaction execution skills and collaborative nature, we couldn’t hope for a more effective leader for this group.”

     

    Dogra joined Time Warner in 2009 as a director in the mergers and acquisitions group, and became the group’s vice president three years later. In this role, she worked closely with Time Warner’s divisions and served as the primary corporate liaison for divisional corporate development functions including the acquisition of content assets and television networks internationally as well as investments in digital media and over the top assets across the company.

     

    Prior to joining Time Warner, Dogra was vice president in the Technology, Media and Telecom investment banking group at Citigroup where she spent seven years based out of the New York, London and Toronto offices covering numerous clients such as Time Warner, Sony, Discovery and Bertelsmann, and advising on a broad range of transactions including acquisitions, divestitures and financings.

  • AIDCF appoints Saharsh Damani as secretary general

    AIDCF appoints Saharsh Damani as secretary general

    MUMBAI: The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) has appointed Saharsh Damani as its secretary general.

     

    With a career spanning over a decade in various analytical and strategic roles, Damani will pilot the federation’s work and support the president and the federation in seeking solutions on industry issues. Damani will also endeavour to build a strong and sustainable MSO sector in India.

     

    AIDCF president V D Wadhwa said, “Saharsh’s wide experience in dealing into research, planning and strategic issues will be of immense help to the Federation. I take this opportunity to join my fellow members in welcoming Saharsh to AIDCF.”

     

    Prior to joining AIDCF, Damani led research at the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the preeminent body of television broadcasters’ in India. He has worked in various industries such as Information Technology, Building Materials, Life Sciences and Media on strategy, M&A and research related areas. 

  • Ortel Communications launches free broadband for cable TV consumers

    Ortel Communications launches free broadband for cable TV consumers

    MUMBAI: Last mile owner (LMO) Ortel Communications, in order to strengthen its broadband base in Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh has introduced free broadband offer for its cable TV subscribers. This complimentary broadband service is part of the LMOs special value added service (VAS).

     

    The service will be available in areas where Ortel Broadband is provisioned within its cable TV network.

     

    The offer includes free data limit of 250 MB every month for a year, post which the subscriber will be charged a nominal fee for any usage exceeding the free data limit in a month. The plan also includes unlimited upload data offer. However, if the subscriber wants to migrate to any other existing Ortel Broadband plans, they can within the offer period of one year.

     

    It can be noted that Ortel Broadband has already started offering mega speed broadband of 50 Mbps using DOCSIS 3.0 technology in select areas of Bhubaneswar.

     

    The broadband segment revenue for the company grew 5.2 per cent to Rs 28.89 crore in FY-2015 from Rs 27.47 crore in FY-2014. Not just this, the operating profit from broadband segment grew a healthy 43.3 per cent to Rs 20.89 crore in FY-2015 from Rs 14.57 crore in FY-2014. Within this segment, internet connection fees grew 12 per cent in the current year to Rs 1.9 crore from Rs 1.7 crore in FY-2014.
     
    The retail broadband average revenue per user (ARPU) for Ortel currently stands at Rs 356 as compared to Rs 373 in both FY-2014 and FY-2013. The broadband revenue generating unit (RGU) for the company stood at 58,519 in FY-2015.

     

    Ortel Communications president & CEO Bibhu Prasad Rath said, “We are glad to launch free Broadband Combo offer to Ortel Cable TV customers. Our objective is to deepen our penetration into markets by making internet affordable and continuously delight our valued customers. We have been constantly adding value to our customers and this free broadband offer will be useful for those who are having limited download and unlimited uploads.”

     

    “In addition, the company has already actively deployed DOCSIS 3.0 recently to deliver impressive internet surfing experience to its subscribers. With faster digitisation of Cable TV customers, we will be in a strong position to leverage the opportunity by offering combo plans of cable TV and internet connections,” he added. 

  • Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95

    Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95

    MUMBAI: Ralph J. Roberts, the cable television pioneer, who founded Comcast Corporation died of natural causes last night in Philadelphia, PA. He was 95.

     

    Roberts served as chairman emeritus of Comcast, which is now the parent company of NBCUniversal.

     

    Comcast said in a statement, “Ralph was a born entrepreneur, a visionary businessman, a philanthropist and a wonderful human being. Ralph built Comcast into one of America’s greatest companies and his vision and spirit have been at the heart of Comcast and our culture for 50 years. He will be truly missed. Ralph’s greatest love was his family, and our deepest sympathies go to his wife Suzanne and the entire Roberts family.”

     

    Time Warner Cable chairman and CEO Rob Marcus said, “Ralph Roberts was a pioneer, a visionary and a role model. He exemplified the value of working hard and treating others with kindness and respect. His influence has extended far beyond Comcast and Cable. His life’s work, and the legacy he leaves, helped shape the way consumers use content today and how they communicate with one another. On behalf of everyone at Time Warner Cable, I send our sympathy and love to Ralph’s family and to everyone at Comcast.”

     

    Roberts was a born entrepreneur, great American businessman and philanthropist, who played a key role in the development of the cable television business. He founded Comcast in 1963 with the purchase of a 1,200-subscriber cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew the company from its humble roots as a small, regional cable company into the global Fortune 50 media and technology leader it is today.

     

    During his more than five decades at Comcast, Roberts became one of the most well-regarded executives in America. He was widely respected and admired for his visionary leadership and spirit, his passion for the business and his deep sense of integrity and courtesy. Most importantly, he was a kind and humble man who has been the heart and soul of Comcast for over 50 years.

     

    Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. An actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, Suzanne has spent a lifetime seeking to help others.

     

    In addition to his wife, Roberts is survived by four of his children and their spouses: Catherine R. Clifton and Anthony A. Clifton, Lisa S. Roberts and David Seltzer, Ralph Roberts Jr. and Kim Roberts, Brian L. Roberts and Aileen K. Roberts and Diane Roberts, widow of Ralph and Suzanne’s son Douglas Roberts, who passed away in September 2011. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren.