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Category: Press Release

  • Colors Tamil on their initiative for International Yoga Day.

    Colors Tamil on their initiative for International Yoga Day.

    Colors Tamil has planned an initiative titled “Yoga for World Health” in association with Rotary Club of Madras Central. This virtual event will bring experts, talent and fans all on one platform, and will stress on the importance of practicing yoga in our everyday lives for mental and emotional wellbeing.

    This virtual-yoga meet which will be held on International Yoga Day which is on Sunday, June 21 at 6 30 a.m. on Zoom, will be led by well-known ayurvedic medicine and sports therapy consultant, Dr. Dharmesh Kubendiran, physiotherapist and yoga instructor, Dr. Simranjeet Kaur, musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Dr. Krishna Shah and Mr. Sagar Pujari, a celebrity sports therapy specialist.

    Joining these experts will be the leading artists from Colors Tamil’s shows, namely Sidhu, Shreya, Teena and Ryesha from Thirumanam, Nilani, Naveen and Bindhu from Idhyatahai Thirudathe, Arun, Lakshmi and Keerthi from Mangalaya Dosham, Surendhar and Harshala Honey from Oviya, Amaljith, Pavithra, Naren Balaji and Sai Lakshmi from Ammanand and Amruth Kalam from Uyire.

    Fans of Colors Tamil can join on the zoom link and practice yoga along with these experts and favorite artists for a duration of one hour, from the comfort and safety of their own homes. 

  • Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) recognised among India’s Best Companies To Work 2020

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) recognised among India’s Best Companies To Work 2020

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has been honoured among India's Best Companies To Work For 2020 by the Great Place to Work® Institute, India. This data has been gathered from an overall ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in India, by surveying over 2.1 million people in 800+ organizations across 21+ industries. The Great Place to Work® Institute is a firm that assists organisations to identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust cultures. This study was done with the most rigorous, credible and comprehensive methodologies to identify such organizations.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBpY_Adp6kG/?igshid=1ddfvlrzkrpu7

    Staying true to its Go-Beyond corporate philosophy, India’s leading entertainment and sports broadcast network, SPN, has always been an employee-first organisation. The network truly believes in providing a nurturing environment for its employees with an empowering culture built on its foundational values that encourages differences in perspectives, fosters collaboration and rewards excellence. Building on its employee value proposition, ‘Tell Stories Beyond the Ordinary’ – manifested through its three pillars: Think, Rise and Live, employees are empowered to craft their own experiences and go the extra mile, pushing the envelope by generating pathbreaking, premium and progressive content.

    The following are some of initiatives that earned SPN the recognition as one of India's Best Companies To Work For 2020:
    • Through its signature enterprise series – ‘Propellers’, employees receive opportunities to co-create the company’s vision, lead and deliver organisational development projects with recognition, visibility and mentorship from the CEO.
     
    • To fuel a robust content culture SPN offers an ideation platform – ‘SPN Pitchers’, where employees across the network can pitch their next big idea/program hosted under the patronage of the network’s flagship channels and content studio – StudioNEXT.

    • SPN offers multiple learning avenues through the SPN Learning Academy. It provides tailored experiences across levels, peer learning platforms and best-in-class content initiatives like ‘Dastangoi’, to help build a future-ready, high-performance content culture. This helps align people, purpose, passion and profits to create meaning at work.

    • To enable employees upskill and encourage them to stay ahead of the game, a fluid and flexible learning environment is furthered through e-learning opportunities and custom webinars to drive learning across the board.

    •Taking a holistic approach to the wellbeing of its employees, SPN provides the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – an emotional and mental wellness counselling support service, along with comprehensive sponsored annual health check-ups and medical insurance for employees and their families covering congenital diseases as well as providing for infertility treatment.

    • SPN supports new parents in their transition through extended parental leave which includes leave for adoption and enhanced parental benefits like preferential parking for pregnant women, a mother’s room on the premises, amongst other initiatives.

    Furthermore, as a strong advocate of inclusion, SPN revised its policies, benefits and infrastructure, such as gender-neutral language, gender-neutral washrooms, and universal parental and medical benefits to include members of the LGBTQ+ community. Employees are also given in-depth information on prevention of sexual harassment (POSH) along with the deployment of a host of safety measures. Through recurring sensitisation programs such as ‘Unconscious Bias’ trainings, focus group discussions and forums as well as incentivising through 2X rewards on LGBTQ+, women and PWD referrals, SPN fosters inclusion in both its culture and content.
    Comments:

    N.P. Singh, Managing Director and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
    “It is indeed an honour to be recognised among India’s Best Companies to Work for 2020 by Great Place to Work®, India. This recognition is an acknowledgement of our commitment towards building a culture of trust, pride and care. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in everything that we set out to do. I dedicate this achievement to the entire team at SPN.”

    Manu Wadhwa, Chief Human Resource Officer, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
    “Our progressive policies and initiatives have evolved from proactively listening to people over the course of time and creating a conducive environment for their professional and personal growth. We are delighted and honored to have been bestowed with this recognition. Winning this award is a testament of our consistent drive towards challenging stereotypes and breaking boundaries.”

  • Want to tweet? Say it in your voice now

    Want to tweet? Say it in your voice now

    MUMBAI: “280 characters aren’t enough and some conversational nuances are lost in translation,” feels Twitter. The micro-blogging platform is testing a new feature that will add a more human touch to the way people tweet- by using their own voices- the blog says.

    “Tweeting with your voice is not too different from Tweeting with text.”

    So, how to go about it?  It’s easy- To start, open the Tweet composer and tap the new icon with wavelengths. There one can see their profile photo with the record button at the bottom – tap this to record the voice. 

    Each voice Tweet captures up to 140 seconds of audio. And if that’s not enough, then one can keep talking. Once you reach the time limit for a Tweet, a new voice Tweet starts automatically to create a thread. Once you’re done, tap the Done button to end your recording and go back to the composer screen to Tweet.

    “People will see your voice Tweet appear on their timeline alongside other Tweets. To listen, tap the image. On iOS only, playback will start in a new window docked at the bottom of your timeline and you can listen as you scroll. You can also keep listening while doing other things on your phone or on the go,” the blog read.

    Creating voice Tweets will be available to a limited group of people on Twitter for iOS to start but in the coming weeks everyone on iOS should be able to Tweet with their voice. Everyone will be able to see (hear) them and reply. 

    This is not the only feature that the platform has launched. Just a week back, the micro-blogging started it’s new feature – Fleets, a new way for users to have conversations, which disappear after 24 hours. 

  • Hungama Artist Aloud and Khazana announce the 3rd edition of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt; #StayAtHome #StayEntertained returns with a Ghazal edition

    Hungama Artist Aloud and Khazana announce the 3rd edition of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt; #StayAtHome #StayEntertained returns with a Ghazal edition

    Hungama Artist Aloud, a platform that supports and promotes independent content, and Khazana – an annual concert that celebrates the art of ghazals, today announced the third edition of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt, India’s first and only talent hunt for Ghazal singers, powered by Hungama. The talent hunt will welcome entries from participants across various countries and will see ghazal maestros, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz, Rekha Bhardwaj and Sudeep Banerji reprise their roles as judges. Two winners will get a chance to perform at ‘Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals’ later this year, alongside some of the most prolific Ghazal singers in India. Due to the pandemic and in order to ensure the safety of all artists, musicians, technicians and guests, this year Khazana will be a digital concert, available to stream across Hungama’s platforms.

    In order to participate, aspiring singers will need to upload videos of them singing ghazals of their choice on www.artistaloud.com/khazana2020 before 12th July 2020. Following a jury meet, 20 shortlisted candidates will be asked to upload fresh audition videos by 3rd August 2020, with the final 2 winners being announced by the jury on 17th August 2020.

    Hungama Artist Aloud is also bringing back its hit property, #StayAtHome #StayEntertained for a Ghazal edition. Beginning 30th June 2020, viewers will be able to watch Ghazal singers perform live every day on Hungama Music and Hungama Artist Aloud’s Facebook page at 6 PM and 7 PM, Monday to Friday. The property will feature live performances from renowned singers like Pankaj Udhas, Sudeep Banerji, Pooja Gaitonde, Priyanka Barve, Gayatri Asokan, Runa Rizvi Sivamani, Abhas & Shreyas, Pratibha Singh Baghel, Prithvi Gandharv, and more. Besides this, winners of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt 1st and 2nd edition will also perform live in the series.

    Speaking about the talent hunt and #StayAtHome #StayEntertained – Ghazal Edition, Soumini Sridhara Paul, Vice President, Hungama Artist Aloud said, “We are delighted to associate with Khazana for the 3rd edition of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt. Since its inception, the talent hunt has celebrated the brilliance of Ghazals and given a huge platforms to aspiring singers. In the last 2 years, we have received a phenomenal response with more than 10,000 participants from over 175 cities worldwide. We are certain that our 3rd consecutive edition will be a resounding success as well. We are also glad to launch the Ghazal edition of #StayAtHome #StayEntertained and are certain that the performances of such gifted Ghazal singers will inspire more people to participate.” 

    Talking about the talent hunt, Pankaj Udhas said, “I am elated to be a part of Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt for its 3rd edition. As India’s first and only talent hunt for Ghazal singers, it gives me immense pride to see the legacy of this exclusive platform grow. With the association of Khazana and Hungama Artist Aloud, we want to inspire young talent from all over the world to come forward and show their love for Ghazals.” 

    Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals was founded by legendary Ghazal singer and President, Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust, Pankaj Udhas along with Y.K. Sapru, Chairman and CEO, Founder Director, Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) with the support of ghazal maestros Talat Aziz and Anup Jalota. Currently in its 19th year, Khazana has excelled in preserving and promoting the exquisite art of Ghazal singing by giving a platform to both, new and established Ghazal singers. All proceeds from the festival go to the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) and Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).

  • ZEE 24 Kalak becomes the No. 1 News channel with highest ATSV in Gujarat market

    ZEE 24 Kalak becomes the No. 1 News channel with highest ATSV in Gujarat market

    As News consumption grew exponentially during this lockdown, people of Gujarat have trusted one particular news channel much more than others. Among all the Regional News channels of Gujarat, ZEE 24 Kalak has been the go to channel for viewers. 

    As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the viewership of ZEE 24 Kalak has increased 2.4 times since the lockdown and the average time spent by the viewers has increased from 13.7 min to 23.1 min and with this it is the leader in terms of ATSV, continuously from last 8 weeks (Wk 15’20 to Wk 22’20). 

    ZEE 24 Kalak is the fastest-growing news channels, with a very strong presence all across Gujarat. ZEE 24 Kalak has always believed & worked upon its Brand Message- અમેસાંભળીએ તમારી વાત (We understand your point) and has taken up the issues of common people where it acts as a bridge between them and the Government of Gujarat. It is a channel about positivity & accountability which focusses on the state’s development while keeping a look at larger stories in India and abroad through the  Gujarat – lens.

    Speaking on this occasion Cluster 2 CEO, Mr. Purushottam Vaishnava said, “ZEE 24 Kalak is our niche offering  for the Gujarati news genre. In the last 2 months the channel has shown tremendous growth and is now the number 1 news channel in Gujarat with respect to  average time spent by viewers. This is due to a creative blend of content, which is both engaging & informative”

    Channel Editor, Mr. Dixit Soni said, “These days the way of news consumption  has changed a lot and viewers want to know facts and understand current scenario around them. As a responsible media channel we focus on positive news and keep our viewers up to date. I always believe that we are here to report facts rather than be judgemental about any issue and that is what made our channel popular among Gujarati viewers. Also, in such difficult situation, our team is making extraordinary efforts.”

  • This Father’s Day, Have a Dose of Humor with the Do’h’s of Homer Simpson, only on Star World

    This Father’s Day, Have a Dose of Humor with the Do’h’s of Homer Simpson, only on Star World

    Homer Simpson, the iconic pop culture TV dad is not only the most popular father figure on television, he is also one of the most unique and funniest characters ever created. With Father’s day right around the corner, Star World, India’s leading English entertainment channel, brings a father’s day special binge watch of the longest running award-winning sitcom, The Simpsons!

    So, bring your father to the couch and show him some of that mad love by together binge-watching the 31st and latest season of The Simpsons, this Sunday from 3 PM to 11 PM, only on Star World.

    Created by Matt Groening, this award-winning, critically acclaimed series has won a total of 34 Primetime Emmy awards and 10 People’s Choice Awards till date. Currently on its 31st season, The Simpsons follows the lives of the dysfunctional Simpsons family. Homer Simpson, at the heart of the show, holds the title of the most radically peculiar yet loving father on television! Amusing and adoring, he loves Lisa and Bart in the best way he knows how while going about their crazy antics and sharing love and laughs.

    The current season has a lot of fun moments in store for viewers – from heartwarming moments between Homer and his children to some of the biggest names from Hollywood such as Game of Thrones’ Khal Drogo aka Jason Momoa, Thor Ragnarok’s Hela aka Cate Blanchett, popular talk show host Lilly Singh, Tinsel Town’s big wigs such as Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, the Russo brothers, How I Met Your Mother star & MCU’s Agent Maria Hill aka star Cobie Smulders and many more lending their voices to characters on the show! Renowned singer John Legend will also star alongside wife, Chrissy Teigen and he will bring to the show, his original composition – ‘The Miseducation of Lisa Simpson’

    No matter what dad personality your father has, there is not a better character than Homer to watch all day, this Father’s day, as he continues to be the perfect combination of goofy, protective and silly – all in one! So this Sunday, binge watch some episodes with your father and catch the most uniquely fun, loving, and yellow dad on TV, 3 PM to 11 PM, only on Star World.

  • IIFA CELEBRATES WORLD MUSIC DAY WITH IIFA STOMP ONLINE– THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL PARTY EXPERIENCE!

    IIFA CELEBRATES WORLD MUSIC DAY WITH IIFA STOMP ONLINE– THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL PARTY EXPERIENCE!

    Mumbai: The International Indian Film Academy- IIFA, is hosting the biggest celebration of Indian party music with IIFA STOMP ONLINE on June 21st to celebrate World Music Day.

    On World Music Day, the biggest celebration of Indian cinema, The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) is all set to not only further entertain people but also spread the message of positivity and togetherness with IIFA STOMP ONLINE – The Ultimate Virtual Party Experience on Sunday, 21 June, from 7:30 Pm – 11:30 Pm (IST). This is in continuation of IIFA’s initiative #IIFAHumSabSaathHain #IIFAStayAtHomeConcerts –the highly successful digital concert series, featuring various multi-talented Indian artists, singers and musicians LIVE, that was created to bring people across the world together and share the feeling of unity and solidarity in the fight against coronavirus, #IndiaFightsCorona.

    Get front-row access to IIFA’s one-of-a-kind party experience with IIFA STOMP – the biggest Bollywood DJ music festivals that was launched in 2014 and has been hosted annually in the cities that host the world’s most awaited Indian celebration IIFA Weekend and Awards. In continuation of the digital concert series, IIFA STOMP ONLINE gets bigger and better with a fabulous culmination featuring multi-talented Indian artists, singers and musicians: Sumit Sethi, Amann Nagpal, DJ Rink, DJ Shaan Gidwani, DJ Ravi Drums, Akbar Sami and many more.

    The ultimate party starter on World Music Day, ‘IIFA STOMP ONLINE’ is all set to put the ‘House’ In House Party, a chance to be part of a global fest from the comfort of the homes of IIFA fans. Tune in as ‘IIFA STOMP ONLINE will turn your living rooms into a club for the biggest & best Bollywood virtual party on Sunday, 21 June from 7:30 Pm – 11:30 Pm (IST). ‘IIFA STOMP ONLINE’ seeks to unite the world in these challenging times, and deliver the message of staying strong together to overcome this situation. So put your worries aside and get ready to rejoice, celebrate and dance the night away with fans from across the world, bringing happiness and positivity to everyone. 

    Speaking on the occasion, Andre Timmins, Co-Founder-Director- Wizcraft International, said, “In continuation to IIFA’s #IIFAStayAtHomeConcerts, and following its immensely positive response from audiences and fans globally, we are extremely pleased to spread the message of positivity and bring about togetherness with IIFA STOMP ONLINE for fans worldwide on World Music Day.  We aim to not only entertain audiences by providing access to their favourite artists and performers in the comfort of their own homes but also represent and share the feeling of unity and solidarity, urging fans to stay at home and stay safe. What better time to celebrate Bollywood than World Music Day!”

    Follow and stay tuned to IIFA social media handles for the line-up and future updates.

  • JIVA BRINGS YOU LIVE YOGA SERIES ON INSTAGRAM THIS INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

    JIVA BRINGS YOU LIVE YOGA SERIES ON INSTAGRAM THIS INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

    MUMBAI: Jiva, the award winning wellness brand from IHCL has curated a one-of-a-kind yoga series for its guests and followers this International Yoga Day. Celebrating Indian wellness traditions, professional yoga practitioners will showcase holistic healing techniques through a three-part virtual wellness series taking place from 19th to 21st June. These experts will take guests through the principles of Ashtanga Yoga – the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Focusing on physical, mental and spiritual well-being, the virtual sessions will be live streamed from some of the most stunning Taj hotels across the country.

    The soulful and tranquil ambience of the beach at Taj Fisherman’s Cove makes an ideal location to demonstrate the first few principles of Ashtanga Yoga, focussing on physical well-being. This will be streamed on the 19th of June 2020. Dr. Rajneesh, Ayurveda Physician and trained Yoga expert, will give guests an introduction to Ashtanga Yoga, followed by a discourse on Yama and Niyama and a demonstration of the Pawan Mukta series.

    The next part of the series will take place on 20th June at the magnificent Taj Falaknuma Palace. Perched 2,000 feet above the city of Hyderabad, Taj Falaknuma exudes romance and grandeur, blending together colonial and Indian designs with a piece of history. As part of the session, National Gold Medallist in Yoga, Sandeep, will focus on mental well-being, introducing and demonstrating Pranayama, while hosting a discourse on Pratyahara. 

    The live sessions will conclude on 21st June in Rishikesh, the ‘Yoga Capital of the World’, at the Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa. Located by the banks of the holy Ganga and at the foothills of the Himalayas, the hotel is the perfect location to celebrate International Yoga Day. The last session on spiritual well-being will be hosted by Yoga instructor, Kapil Kumar, who will briefly introduce Dharana and Dhyana, before moving on to meditating on the banks of the Ganga. The three-part series will end with a Ganga Aarti.

    Each of these three sessions will be hosted live on Taj’s official Instagram handle at 5:30 PM from 19th-21st June. They will last for close to 30 minutes, and are open to all participants.

    Follow the brand page here to find the pathway to health. Please turn on notifications to get real-time updates about the series.

  • Sri Adhikari Brothers initiative 2.0 Leads the fight against unemployment – An avenue for self-reliance/ Aatma Nirbharata for the affected migrant workers.

    Sri Adhikari Brothers initiative 2.0 Leads the fight against unemployment – An avenue for self-reliance/ Aatma Nirbharata for the affected migrant workers.

    MUMBAI: While India is battling coronavirus at its forefront, unemployment has shaken the very core of its economy and its impact is likely to change the dynamics of its labor force essentially of migrant workers. To imbibe the PM’s thought of Atma Nirbharata, Sri Adhikari Brothers have opened a gateway of employment, to the less fortunate migrant workers who have been rendered jobless, through Sri Adhikari Brothers initiative 2.0.

    For this initiative Sri Adhikari Brothers will use their network channels including Mastiii, Dabang, Maiboli and digital platforms to call out to millions of migrant workers who might have any talent that they would want to showcase. Be it dancing, singing, acting or any other performing arts would be welcome. The program would shortlist thousands of individuals month on month who have a hidden talent and will monetarily reward the chosen 1000 ones by means of direct bank transfer to their accounts. The chosen ones will also be aired on the network channels of the group.

    Sri Adhikari Brothers, through its association, would further attempt to maximize growth for the talent by providing them a break in suitable professional opportunities.

    Markand Adhikari shared a deep rooted human insight that motivated him to arrive upon this idea “Mostly all business minds get focused on protecting their business and bottom lines in such tough times. We are aware that millions of Indians have had to return back to their villages after being left with no option. No matter what job they were in, there’s a possibility that many of them had talent that they once in life might have had to compromise to earn their livelihood. We have often seen video of people on the street singing or dancing as well as any professional. Some fortunate ones have even touched the stars. Our attempt is to put a structure, reach out to millions of Indians in a planned manner – give them hope, give them employment and ensuring direct transfer of money into their accounts and thereby give them self-belief to be ‘‘Aatma Nirbhar”.

    For this initiative Sri Adhikari Brothers have put aside a dedicated team that will be driving this program“.

  • SportsTiger joins hands with Sri Lankan PDC T10 League as Global Streaming Partners, marks the return of cricket in Sri Lanka

    SportsTiger joins hands with Sri Lankan PDC T10 League as Global Streaming Partners, marks the return of cricket in Sri Lanka

    SportsTiger – a multi-sport aggregator application by MyTeam11 – today announced winning the Global Streaming Rights for the Sri Lankan PDC T10 league. A total of eight teams will be seen in action vying for the top honours at the Samadhi Cricket Ground, located at the historic and world heritage site Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. All the matches will be streamed LIVE & Exclusive on SportsTiger Application from 10:00 AM onwards from June 25th, 2020.

    The PDC T10 league will see participation from top Sri Lankan International cricketers like Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara, Asela Gunarathna, Dhammika Prasad, Sachithra Senanayake, Chamara Kapugedra, Thilan Thushara Mirando and Ishara Amerasinghe with more prominent names to be announced in the days to come.

    The 12-day league marks the return of cricket in the island nation since COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all sporting activities.

    Hurricane Blasters, Spartan Heroes, Power Gladiators, Chillow Warriors, Puttlum Stars, Global Riders, Royal Lions and Giant Legends will be divided into two groups with each team playing a total of  9 group games each and one game against a team from the other group, in their quest for the championship win.

    The group stage will be played in the round-robin league format which will be followed by the qualifiers and eliminator games before playing the all-important PDC T10 league final. The tournament shall be preceded by a jersey launch event scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka.

    Speaking about the partnership Sanjit Sihag, Co-Founder, SportsTiger and MyTeam11 said, “I am extremely delighted as one of the key cricket nations of the world is returning to live-action. It also gives us immense pleasure to be the exclusive global streaming partner of the PDC T10 League and serve the cricket crazy fans of India and the rest of the world with high-intensity action. We are really looking forward to a fruitful partnership with PDC – Sri Lanka and a very successful tournament.”

    L.S. Chinthaka, Secretary, Puttalam District Cricket Association (PDC) – Sri Lanka, expressed his views on the association and said, “We are highly delighted to announce PDC T-10 League in Sri Lanka. We needed someone who could think beyond the regular and show the true potential of the tournament to the cricket fans. With SportsTiger, we are ascertained that they not only have a great passion for the sport but also share a similar vision for the tournament. With them on board as the global streaming partner, we are assured that we will be able to create a lasting impact of the league on the viewers.”

    This is the third major streaming partnership by SportsTiger who also had the Live streaming rights for the Pakistan Super League 2020. SportsTiger in its short span has been the streaming partners for the Taipei T10 League and Vanuatu Blast T10 League as well.