ITV

Category: eNews

  • Eye on new digital media rules, Digipub sets up content review committee

    Eye on new digital media rules, Digipub sets up content review committee

    NEW DELHI: Digipub, an association of Indian digital news media publishers, has set up an independent, high-level ombudsman content review committee whose task will include the review of published contents. 

    The association, in a recently issued press release, revealed that some of its members already have an independent internal mechanism for review, while others are in the process of formulating them. The new content review committee is aimed at providing ''an additional voluntary layer of transparency on the part of member publications."

    The independent content review committee set up by Digipub comprises retired Supreme Court justice Madan B Lokur, Prajnya Trust founder and director Swarna Rajagopalan, Safai Karamchari Andolan founder Bezwada Wilson; and Prasar Bharati ex-CEO & former secretary of the ministry of culture, Jawhar Sircar. 

    "As is evident, the independent committee we have established consists of individuals with an unimpeachable record and accomplishments in the fields of law, rights, gender and public administration," said Digipub. 

    The association also added that an independent content review committee is very much essential to uphold their commitment towards professional media ethics. The committee will also help readers to get in touch with Digipub if they have bona fide objections to any particular published content. 

     

     

    "Digipub is in the process of working out the modalities of the committee’s functioning and work, including an appropriate and practical referral system, and will make those public in due course," read the statement. 

    Referring to the new IT Rules 2021, Digipub stated that any attempt by the government to regulate the content of news portals or publications will not only strike at the constitutional scheme but at democracy itself. 

    The Digipub News India Foundation consists of eleven digital news organisations; namely, Alt News, Article 14, Boomlive, Cobrapost, HW News, Newsclick, Newslaundry, The News Minute, Scroll.in, The Quint and The Wire.

  • Priya Kumar teams up with Tarun Katial, Puneet Johar to launch Genius Inside

    Priya Kumar teams up with Tarun Katial, Puneet Johar to launch Genius Inside

    NEW DELHI: Priya Kuma has joined hands with industry titans Tarun Katial and Puneet Johar to corporatise and scale-up her Priya Kumar’s Training System (PKTS) to reach a worldwide audience through an AI-powered platform — Genius Inside.

    The trio aim to take forward PKTS’s 25-year-old legacy and enhance it for the digital space through Genius Inside, which they say would be 10X more engaged and effective and 70 per cent cheaper compared to what is currently available. It will leverage advancements in AI intervention and machine learning for the recommendation engine, combined with phy-gital mentoring to help audiences benefit from continued learning and personalised transformation, on-demand.

    “Genius Inside presents the most personalised and customisable version of our services,” said Genius Inside founder Priya Kumar. “These are created by our deep understanding of success and its drivers, an evidence-based approach and workability which adds value to bright young minds. Lending their passion and expertise to this project, my partners — Tarun Katial, Puneet Johar, and I aim to reach a global audience and play an instrumental role in their development by not only upskilling them but also by bringing about a real-time transformation in their lives."

    According to co-founder Tarun Katial, Genius Inside is a giant leap from earlier generation legacy learning platforms. "We need to understand that AI and machine learning are the new frontiers for human interaction with technology. Now, more than ever, kids need to learn how AI and ML works, and how these tools can help the productivity of the workforce," he added.

    The self-help industry is growing at a rapid pace, currently at $30 billion and projected to grow to $60 billion in the next five years. About $4 billion is spent on MICE and training programs annually but 78 per cent of people experience minimal training impact. Instead of spending disproportionately to build learning capabilities, Genius Inside aims to help audiences live through their transformation to reinvent themselves, without breaking the bank.

    "Genius Inside as a platform offers immense opportunities in digital including personalised learning, interactive sessions with coaches, progress charts and assessments. There is no better way to give back than reaching out and impacting young leaders with this proven model of self-development aided by technology," said co-founder Puneet Johar.

  • Kerala HC issues notice to Centre on new IT rules

    Kerala HC issues notice to Centre on new IT rules

    NEW DELHI: The Kerala high court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the new Information Technology (IT) rules to regulate digital news media. The development comes a day after the Delhi high court too sought the Union government’s response on another petition challenging the new guidelines.

    The writ petition was filed by LiveLaw News Media Pvt Ltd, the publisher of news website LiveLaw and its founder M A Rashid and managing editor Manu Sebastian, who challenged the constitutional validity of the new rules terming them "arbitrary, vague, disproportionate and unreasonable."

    The petitioners have argued that the regulatory mechanism under the rules cannot be termed as "reasonable restrictions" under Article 19 (2) of the Constitution. According to the plea, the rules impose an unconstitutional three-tiered complaints-and-adjudication structure upon publishers, which makes the executive both the complainant and the judge on vital free speech questions involving blocking and take down of online material.

    "We are reporting judgments. Somebody to whom the judgement is not palatable, may make a grievance, and we are required to sit in appeal over the content," the petitioners' advocate told the court, as reported by the news website.

    A single bench of justice PV Asha also restrained the central government from taking any coercive action against the news website under part three of the IT Rules.

    The new IT (guidelines for intermediaries and digital media ethics code) rules 2021, notified by the Centre on 25 February, have been severely criticised by journalists, lawyers and activists who argue that the regulations could pose a threat to freedom of expression by laying the ground for tightening executive control over digital media. The Editors Guild of India too had demanded the repeal of these rules, highlighting that the laws are “deeply concerning”. The rules recommend a three-tier mechanism for regulation of all online media, which confers blocking powers to an inter-ministerial committee.

    On Tuesday, the Delhi HC directed Centre to respond to a similar petition filed by the Foundation of Independent Journalism (the non-profit company that publishes The Wire), which stated that the rules have put an additional regulatory burden on news media and current affairs.

  • NPCI & SBI Payments partner to launch RuPay SoftPoS

    NPCI & SBI Payments partner to launch RuPay SoftPoS

    NEW DELHI: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has partnered with SBI Payments to announce the launch of RuPay SoftPoS for millions of Indian merchants. This innovative solution has the capability to transform NFC enabled smartphones into merchant point of sale (PoS) terminals for the retailers. Merchants will now be able to accept contactless payments of up to Rs 5,000 through a simple tap and pay mechanism on their smartphones.

    RuPay SoftPoS will provide cost effective acceptance infrastructure to retailers at nominal cost. This unique phenomenon would be able to proliferate digital payment acceptance among millions of underserved Indian MSMEs. Merchants can convert their existing android smartphone devices into a payment terminal by simply downloading a supported app. This solution will revolutionise the way micro and small merchants receive payments and create a demarcated shift in their tendency to deal in cash to accepting secure, contactless digital payments instead.

    The RuPay SoftPoS is convenient and creates a superior transaction experience. Once the contactless menu is chosen, an appropriate amount is entered (< Rs 5000). The RuPay card can then be tapped on the merchant’s mobile making these transactions instantaneously. As soon as the transaction is approved, the receipt of successful transaction is generated real time. This facility can be used on NCMC cards and RuPay tokenised card on mobile/ wearable to make payments in a secure and time efficient manner. The RuPay SoftPoS solution benefits the merchants and customers alike – it creates a smart and user-friendly acceptance infrastructure for merchants; whereas encourages the customers to make secure, contactless payments.

    Giri Kumar Nair, MD & CEO SBI Payments said, “SBI Payments is working closely with NPCI to support the government’s Digital India initiative enabling small and medium merchants in semi urban and rural centres. We are also enabling NCMC cards on our terminals to improve consumer experience and the RBI announcement allowing up to Rs 5000 transaction through tap and go facility has further enhanced our ability to reach out to a wider number of merchant categories. There is also a special focus on north-eastern states onboarding merchants on asset light model enabling QR and tap on phone form factors.

    NPCI COO Praveena Rai said, “We are delighted to partner with SBI to launch the RuPay SoftPoS solution aimed at creating an innovative payment solution for Indian MSMEs which forms the backbone of our economy. It is our endeavour to ensure that merchants from various geographies of the nation are onboarded into the ecosystem in order to deepen the penetration of digital acceptance infrastructure in the country. It is our belief that this is a step in the right direction of financial inclusivity as RuPay SoftPoS can provide an impetus to the digital on-boarding of merchants across the length and breadth of the country."

  • The subtle changes at Zee Entertainment.

    The subtle changes at Zee Entertainment.

    MUMBAI: Almost slowly and steadily Punit Goenka’s Zee 4.0 vision is being executed in India’s leading media and entertainment enterprise. Ofcourse the organisation has been restructured, new lines of reporting come in and new hires have been brought in.

    But almost silently, the Zee corporate website has changed as has the email address of Zee executives. From zee.esselgroup.com, it has now been modified to zee.com keeping with the fact that the promoters – the Subhash Chandra family – have only a minority position in Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel).

    The most striking change is the new website developed during the pandemic. With a very international looking design, it far surpasses the look and content of its rivals in the same space. Zee.com covers everything from the company’s mission, vision, policies, its brand identity, leadership, investor information, different business – it is a treasure trove of information.

    Compared to its earlier website design, Its current one is almost as different as chalk is from cheese.

  • ESPNcricinfo unveils new features with refreshed look

    ESPNcricinfo unveils new features with refreshed look

    KOLKATA: As cricket emerges back in action, ESPNcricinfo unveiled its all-new robust digital cricket experience on mobile. The new app reinforces ESPNcricinfo's core value proposition of delivering wholesome cricket news and information, along with compelling match coverage and surround content that goes beyond just scores updates for fans.

    Featuring a sharp redesign suited to enhance user experience, the app is supported by an all-new intuitive content feed, richer interface, compelling visuals, and unparalleled storytelling, serving as an all-in-one digital access point for all things cricket. In addition to the latest and most comprehensive updates around the India-Australia test series, the app will be offering the widest range of coverage across the world including IPL, PSL, BPL, BBL, CPL, ICC Cricket World Cup, County Championship, Ranji Trophy, and Sheffield Shield, to name a few.

    A key innovation to the user experience features the introduction of a live score carousel, offering sharp updates on the best of cricketing action. A highlight here is that the carousel is synchronised to the global cricketing space offering fans of the sport a panoramic view into the latest happening across global cricket through one easy swipe interface.

    Next, identifying the rise in demand for instant match updates and in-depth narratives around cricket, ESPNcricinfo has introduced a whole new live cricket score card interface in addition to an enhanced story reading experience. This feature enables fans to catch critical near-time score updates along with expertly crafted long reads, along with in-depth perspective specially curated by the in-house editorial team.

    Lastly, as a high-point to the ongoing cricketing action, the new app will also host video match highlights from the India-Australia test series, enabling fans have a one stop access point to unique match analyses and video highlights to witness and relieve defining in-play moments including best wickets, close catches, and more.

    With significant performance improvements, other new features of the app include also include access to major sections of espncricinfo.com, along with easy access to:

    ·        Fast live scores and ball-by-ball commentary

    ·        Notification updates for live cricket matches

    ·        Easy to read cricket news

    ·        Cricket videos including highlights, analyses, interviews, and press conferences

    ·        Opinion and analysis from experts such as Gautam Gambhir, Tom Moody, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajit Agarkar, Aakash Chopra, Deep Dasgupta and more

    “With technology being central to our lives, and the world becoming more interconnected than ever, we found it imperative to deliver a distinctive product that allows fans to experience the best of global cricketing action, all in one place. With the app, sports enthusiasts everywhere will now have access to a myriad of incredible cricketing content,” ESPN India and South Asia VP-head Ramesh Kumar said.

  • BBC Studios to launch ad-free streamer BBC Select

    BBC Studios to launch ad-free streamer BBC Select

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios is foraying into the global streaming market with BBC Select, an ad-free subscription channel launching in early 2021 in the US and Canada.

    BBC Select will be available on Amazon Prime Video and the Apple TV app and offer a diverse range of programs about culture, politics and ideas. Most of the shows will be exclusive premieres for audiences in the US and Canada.

    “For nearly a century, the BBC has been synonymous with extraordinary television programs – full stop. Name any genre, the BBC is best in class at identifying talent and providing them a platform for expression,” said Americas BBC Studios president Rebecca Glashow. “As we shift our business focus to engaging our fans direct, the digital space offers us the opportunity to bring audiences a portfolio of shows that bring new ideas and perspectives into the conversation. Our research has shown that audiences are looking for an alternative to what is already out there. BBC Select is it.” 

    “BBC Select is for those who crave knowledge, new perspectives, and programs that are not your standard fare,” added general manager and launch director Louise la Grange. “BBC Select will combine a rich line up of never-before-seen shows in the US and Canada with a prized portfolio of thought-provoking, eye-opening programmes that provide context and colour to the world we all share – all in one place.”

    Some of programmes being shown exclusively on BBC Select are:

    Shock of the Nude, hosted by professor of classics Mary Beard, gives a personal take on the nude in western art, right from ancient Greece to the present, and asks why artists seem so obsessed by nudity; 

    Reggie Yates in China sees actor, DJ, and presenter Reggie Yates travel to four very different cities in China to discover the new fault-lines in society and how they affect a generation who have grown up with seemingly more freedom than that of any other in the last 70 years; 

    In Search of Frida Kahlo follows musician Emeli Sandé – who was inspired by the paintings of Kahlo when writing her album – as she visits Mexico City to tell the story of one of Mexico’s most famous artists.

    Fall of an Icon explores the life of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, who after 15 years of house arrest was celebrated as an icon of democracy. But years on, she is now seen by many as an international pariah.

    Mystery of the Missing Princess tells the story of Princess Latifa, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler, who attempted to escape from torture and imprisonment at the hands of her father.

    Putin – A Russian Spy Story is the portrait of a politician who modelled himself on the Russian James Bond and whose presidency reads like a spy thriller.

    The Last Igloo follows a lone Inuit as he hunts, fishes, and constructs an igloo. It tells the story of skills that are disappearing and of how climate change is affecting the lives of Greenland's indigenous people.

  • PubNation: How print players expanded digital operations amid Covid

    PubNation: How print players expanded digital operations amid Covid

    MUMBAI: The process of the digital transformation of the print industry has been ongoing for a while now, but the Covid2019 crisis accelerated the need for news publications to realign their objectives and operational model, and to look toward creating new avenues to diversify offerings. More than ever, media businesses will have to act now in order to capitalise on this current growth and ensure success in this new landscape and beyond. 

    Different news organisations came forward to discuss the effect of pandemic and how it accelerated their business at the two-day-long summit – PubNation (print and digital), organised by Indiantelevision.com in partnership with Quintyoe Technologies and Gamezop. The panel was moderated by Omdia content strategies senior principal Tim Westcott and included ET Online editor Deepak Ajwani, Moneycontrol editor Binoy Prabhakar, HT digital streams chief content officer Prasad Sanyal, Amar Ujala Ltd state editor Uttrakhand Sanjay Abhigyan, The Hindu strategy & digital editor Sriram Srinivasan and Mathrubhumi assistant editor-online K A Johny.

    During the pandemic a lot of publications were forced to take the digital route to stay in business. As the movement of people, transport and delivery came to a complete halt owing to lockdown, and readers unsubscribed due to economic constraints or risk of contracting the virus off of newspapers, the e-paper played an important role in these tough times.

    Starting off, Srinivasan revealed that The Hindu was among the first few publications to go digital and adopt a subscription-based model two years back. It is also among first few organisations to launch a paid version of the website. He added, “We have an e-paper, we provide dozens of newsletters. So, everything that is required for a digital publication is there. Then there are our sister publications also, including Business Line, political magazine Frontline and a sports magazine.”

    Amar Ujala, which has a very strong presence in Hindi heartland and is among the top five newspapers in the country, has shifted its focus towards creating digital content. The organisation is present in eight to nine states with more than 250 print editions. Amar Ujala has a very vibrant digital presence in the form of a website, YouTube and Facebook. 
     
    Echoing the sentiment, Sanyal mentioned that Covid20919 has accelerated the digital journey for Hindustan Times and the brand is looking forward to expanding its offering. “All the three outlets Hindustan Times, Hindustan and Live Mint are digitally present. During the pandemic, the company has launched three new segments HT automobile, HT tech and HT Bangla,” he added.

    A large number of media groups were already digital first and working towards ensuring that the customer experience is right and they were abreast with the content trends. Ajwani revealed that in March 2020, ET doubled its viewership. Said he: “We were effective, productive and were making a difference with whatever content we were producing from home. A lot of technology, collaboration with our print team has been around for the last three-four years. We have been connected with each other via multi-modes of technology. So, using our feet on the ground, and the skills of technology and the skills we have built online, we have had a very integrated approach from day one.”

    He further added, “Somewhere in the month of July, we saw that Covid2019 pandemic has accelerated our offerings. I believe there is no transition from print to digital. They both work in synergy. It is an omnipresent world, we are present wherever the reader wants us to be.”

    When the novel Coronavirus arrived in India, it came with more than its fair share of misinformation and fake news. People were in desperate need of verifiable, trustworthy news and they turned to print publications and their digital arms for it. In this regard, Prabhakar mentioned that Moneycontrol was focused on reaching out to its audiences and providing all the necessary information related to the pandemic. “Seeking viewer attention was never a problem for the organisation. Today, the lockdowns have been lifted and many of our readers have gone back to their daily routines, now the challenge once again is to how to seek the user’s attention,” he rued.

    The brand had diversified its offering to acquire and retain new users by expanding into the regional language space. It has three subscription-based products — Moneycontrol Pro, Moneycontrol Hindi and Moneycontrol Gujrati. 

    HT is also doing something similar, said Sanyal, and offers products for Gujarati and Hindi speaking audiences. The network closely works with all partners to deliver content.  

    K A Johny disclosed that it has a very powerful presence in both print and TV. He also shared that the driving force for Mathrubhumi is the trust of people. Covid2019 has only revived things for the organisation. Irrespective of the medium, he thinks that a platform of trust and credibility is the need of the hour.

  • PubNation: Decoding the future of print & digital industry

    PubNation: Decoding the future of print & digital industry

    NEW DELHI: The print industry is at a Rubicon moment; the process of digitalisation has opened up new avenues of information dissemination and advertising, although concurrently, there is room for newsprint to flourish. While convergence still remains at the core of it, the aftershocks of the Covid2019 crisis could entirely upend this fragile equilibrium.

    To discuss the new form of print media, its relevance as an advertising medium, the content that will define print publications in future, and technology that will shape the copies of tomorrow, Indiantelevision.com will host PubNation 2020 (print & digital), in partnership with Quintyoe Technologies and Gamezop, on 9-10 December. 

    The two-day virtual conference will have industry leaders discussing a host of topics, including how they dealt with the pandemic, the current and future scenario of ad rates on print, programmatic advertising, subscription growth, and the role of influencers.

    The panellists who will be speaking at Pubnation 2020 (Print & Digital) are Punjab Kesari group of newspapers director Abhijay Chopra, Dentsu Impact president Amit Wadhwa, BBC Global News SVP – commercial development for Asia & ANZ Alistair Mcewan, The Washington Post director – global agency partnerships Baldeep Singh, Moneycontrol editor Binoy Prabhakar, Gamezop co-founder Gaurav Agarwal, Mirror Now managing editor Vinay Tewari, among others. 

    For more information and registration, visit here (https://www.indiantelevision.com/pubnation/index.html). 

  • Lionsgate Play enters Indian streaming arena with SVoD model

    Lionsgate Play enters Indian streaming arena with SVoD model

    KOLKATA: Another global player makes its official foray in India with the rollout of Lionsgate Play. After running on partnerships for more than a year, Lionsgate has now introduced its independent streaming service. Along with international premium content, it will also deliver high-budget Indian originals. Like other global streaming services, Lionsgate Play will also run on subscription model.

    The service has two pricing points – Rs 99 per month, and Rs 699 per year, which is very competitive compared to other OTT services in India. The app will be available to download across a broad array of platforms and devices including Google Play store, Apple app store and Amazon firestick.

    The platform anticipates continued strong growth in the Indian OTT ecosystem and is capitalising on this opportunity by bringing a host of “new, provocative, and edgy movies and web series”  to the country.

    Starz (a subsidiary of Lionsagte) president and chief executive officer Jeffrey A Hirsch said, “India has always been a key market for us. The large and diverse population, increased data usage in urban and rural markets, and adoption of OTT across all demographics created an exciting opportunity for us to launch Lionsgate Play. We’re confident that our unique, exclusive and exceptionally curated content will generate a great response from Indian audiences.”

    Lionsgate South Asia managing director Rohit Jain added, “We are thrilled to launch the much-awaited Lionsgate Play app in India. We want to provide the finest, never seen before content that will captivate our audiences with bespoke entertainment drawing on the most exciting current releases and our premium library.”

    Talking about content slot, Jain added that it will  be launching Indian originals in the coming months, featuring untold edgy urban stories from some of the best creative minds in the Indian film industry. Jain mentioned that it tied up with the famous B-Town faces like  Anil Kapoor, Mukesh Bhatt, Kunal Kohli and studios such as Endemol Shine, Jar Pictures.

    Starz first launched internationally with its Starzplay international premium streaming platform in 2018. This month it will expand  its global footprint into 55 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada, Japan and India, aiming to become one of the most widely distributed and fastest growing premium OTT services worldwide while entertaining millions of users with bold and curated content.

    The Lionsgate Play app features a broad portfolio of content ranging from the best of original feature film and television dramas, romances, comedies, thrillers and action favourites and premieres, bringing world cinema and television series directly to Indian audiences.