ITV

Category: Press Release

  • YouNeedCharacter’s CricketPang comic animation signs Ajinkya Rahane as the brand ambassador

    YouNeedCharacter’s CricketPang comic animation signs Ajinkya Rahane as the brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Global character creation and animation production company YouNeedCharacter (spearheaded by CEO Minsu Song) has recently signed Indian cricket player, Ajinkya Rahane as the brand ambassador for CricketPang. As a part of their promotion, marketing, and branding initiative, Ajinkya Rahane has been roped in as the ambassador for India for ‘CricketPang’ – The soon to be launched original animate series.

    YouNeedCharacter is a company that creates animation and educational content with its original characters and is currently planning and producing ‘CricketPang’, a tv animation based on Cricket. It is currently in the final production stage and as the first stage of the launch, the comic series will be aired in India. Followed by other major countries.

    CricketPang has signed with popular OTT platforms in India and is in talks with local companies to start its services in March 2021.

    “India is a country of cricket. It is the nation’s favorite sport and famous cricket players along with Bollywood actors are some of India’s most influential role models. Among the cricket players, Ajinkya is a top-class player who is loved and respected by the Indian audience. He has garnered around 7 million followers on Facebook. I am extremely happy and think it is very important that such an excellent and famous player has shown interest and has become the brand ambassador of CricketPang.” Said CEO of YouNeedCharacter CEO Minsu Song, “With Ajinkya, we not only plan to promote the CricketPang animation but also initiate activities keeping public interest in mind. Through these initiatives, we intend to support cricket by securing scholarships for promising young cricket players in India.” He added

    Rahane said. “An animation series on Cricket will be very interesting for children, especially when the narrative is interesting and the characters are cute. I feel an animated series like this will appeal to kids and it is a great way of promoting the sport. It is an interesting concept that convinced me to associate with the launch of CricketPang in the Indian market. I hope to have a long-standing association with the brand.”.

    The interest in the IP is high, considering the tremendous response that the recently launched CricketPang Kindergarten App (an educational app for kindergarten-age children) has received. Despite the pre-airing of the CricketPang animation, the app has exceeded 100,000 downloads in India. With CricketPang’s official YouTube channel, ‘CricketPang TV’ that launched in mid-January exceeding 18,000 subscribers and 4 million views, the scope for early childhood education platform business is quite promising. Most of the views are from countries that are passionate about cricket such as India, Bangladesh, and so on. The possibility for successful commercialization locally is becoming clearer.  Discussions with major Indian publishers to publish a series of CricketPang books are on the cards. The publication is to be expected soon. In addition, CricketPang has signed with Rooh Entertainment, a renowned brand marketing agency in India, for their brand marketing and licensing business. .Rutika Malaviya, Founder – Rooh Entertainment will be building and launching the CricketPang Brand Licensing Program in India, which we believe is something to look forward to.

    YouNeedCharacter plans to raise awareness in a short period of time by broadcasting the series through local media channels, conducting local marketing, and actively promoting partnerships with various local companies in India. In particular, the association with Ajinkya is expected to have a meaningful impact on the initial launch process. A collaboration of a cricket-themed animation and a star cricket player is expected to show interesting results.

  • CNN-News18 announces special programming line-up for state assembly elections 2021

    CNN-News18 announces special programming line-up for state assembly elections 2021

    MUMBAI: As the assembly elections in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union territory of Puducherry draw near, CNN-News18 has lined-up an array of in-depth yet engaging programming. Titled ‘Battle for the States’, the channel that will delve into all aspects of the assembly elections while covering the grueling campaigns and fierce competition amongst the major political parties.

    With an aim to keep the viewers apprised of every single political development in the states leading up to the elections, the channel has lined up non-stop programming capturing the ground realities of every state. With diverse formats and data driven approach, CNN-News18 will present an exclusive and comprehensive poll of polls, audience-based debate shows and interviews of the biggest newsmakers, catching the pulse of the electorates, and anticipating the changes the upcoming government will bring in the national politics. Further, the power-packed programming will also cover polling day, exit poll, and counting day extensively, bringing fastest and most accurate updates to the viewers.

    Bringing a seamless blend of technology and creativity, CNN-News18 will deep dive into data and provide an unparalleled experience to the viewers. The channel has deployed election analytic tool Magic Wall and ELEX-A, to capture all the relevant data pertaining to voting by the electorate, analysing it and applying algorithms to render a virtual display of a map with factual results.

    The special line-up of programming will be driven by the channel’s formidable team of editorial experts led by veteran anchors and journalists such as Zakka Jacob, Managing Editor, Anand Narasimhan, Executive Editor, Marya Shakil, Political Editor, Shreya Dhoundial, Senior Editor, Pallavi Ghosh, Senior Editor, Politics, and Arunima, Deputy Editor who will offer viewers superior coverage of the assembly elections. Supported by a team of on-ground reporters and eminent experts, CNN-News18 will offer viewers unmatched reportage of these crucial state elections from ground zero.

  • Wiggles.in’s ‘SheIsABitch’ Campaign reclaims the word ‘Bitch’ on Women’s Day

    Wiggles.in’s ‘SheIsABitch’ Campaign reclaims the word ‘Bitch’ on Women’s Day

    India’s first holistic preventive pet care brand Wiggles.in, curated by vets for your pets continues to empower pet parents like never before. Celebrating women for their choices and taking the brand’s communication a step forward, Wiggles.in launches a digital campaign ‘#SheIsABitch’ with a deeper and introspective thought ahead of International Women’s Day.  #SheIsABitch’ is a User Generated Content (UGC) driven campaign that invites women parenting female dogs aka bitches to participate and be a part of a change that changes the lens that women are viewed and judged from. 

    With a provocative and hard-hitting concept and narrative, #SheIsABitch not just raises eyebrows, but also works towards creating the impact it desires. Being demanding, bossy, or choosy often leads to a woman being labelled as a ‘bitch.’ The campaign hence challenges the stereotype in which a woman is perceived when she decides to stand by her actions, takes bold decisions, makes a choice for herself and even prioritizes herself before anyone else. With a UGC strategy, the campaign invites women with female dogs to celebrate themselves for all the times that they have been tagged a ‘bitch’ with a black & white post. Wiggles.in wants people to realize that there should be no negative connotation attached to the word ‘bitch’ as it first belongs to our furry females.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMCiUFRH5Tg/?igshid=1ucug9tzv12gd 
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CMHPntZnx55/?igshid=1hsvi6abuyvx6 
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CMJHSYkrFKv/?igshid=gjpwejltnini 

    Speaking on the launch of a thought-provoking campaign, Anushka Iyer, Founder and CEO, Wiggles.in says, “We are excited about the response we have received for the campaign so far and believe that #SheIsABitch has the potential to change the manner in which women get labelled the world over. Being a woman founder, I have realized that the only way forward is to be head-strong, resilient and change what needs to be changed without fear.”

    “Our campaign celebrates women for who they really are and reclaims the word ‘bitch’ for female dogs. The word ‘bitch’ is used more often out of context and in a degrading manner reducing the respect that we women deserve. While our campaign celebrates women, it also gives our female dogs their undue respect.”

    Conceptualized and executed in-house by Team Wiggles, the campaign #SheIsABitch is live across social media platforms as well as the Wiggles.in pet parent community called Wiggles Tribe on Facebook. The UGC campaign received participation from over 500 women within 10 hours of its outreach and will continue to be live throughout March. 

    If you are a pet mommy to a female dog(s) specifically, and if you would like to be a part of this revolutionary campaign, upload the cutest black & white picture of the two of you together, on your Instagram handle, use the hashtag #SheIsABitch and tag us on our Instagram @wiggles.india on 8th March – on International Women’s Day. 

  • Republic rolls out new mobile news website

    Republic rolls out new mobile news website

    KOLKATA: Republic Media Network has now rolled out a new, game-changing and disruptive mobile news website. The rollout marks the Network’s successful implementation of the first phase of remodeling and redefining the digital news space. The all-new Republic World experience on mobile comes just days after the Network’s big-bang Bengali channel launch. Republic Bangla has already created a splash with its aggression on non-stop exclusive content, widest news gathering ability and most dynamic news formats

    Continuing on its unstoppable path of expansion, the digital pillar of Republic Media Network has just gotten ultra-interactive, uber fast and extremely exciting with all new features and a world-class design. With new and engaging specifications where the user can make the news trend, upvote, and ensure shareability amongst other features, the mobile website of Republic Media Network has introduced a whole new dynamic to how the digital news industry operates.

    Speaking on the latest innovations by Republic World, Republic Media Network editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami said, “ I am so proud that just days after we disrupted the Bengali news genre with the launch of Republic Bangla, our teams have delivered this smashing digital news experience on Republic World. The features are mind blowing and will be rolled out in a phased manner to users. The idea was to put the controls back in the hands of the user and that’s exactly what is being delivered by Republic World. I am personally really excited about the interactive elements as it brings me even closer to my audience.”

    As part of the on-going phased roll-outs users will be the controller of ‘What is Trending’, and have the tools to curate their own set of stories to revisit later. With this, the digital destination ensures a user-centric digital news experience that is unparalleled in India. With a sleek, refreshed and energetic design, smooth technology and ease of navigation, the website delivers a fast and content rich browsing experience. Made for a fast paced on-the-go user, the website has optimized mobile browsing. 

    Innovative interactivity and cutting-edge technology have come together to make watching, reading and interacting with sections like ‘Arnab Online’ seamless. With exciting new features vis-a-vis interacting with Arnab, users will be closer than ever to India’s most watched anchor.

    With interactive features like connecting with Arnab Goswami on ‘Arnab Online’– the Network’s Editor-in-Chief’s only official digital feed– users will be able to join his on-air shows, ask their questions to panelists and have a customised digital viewing experience.

    Designed after deep analysis and thorough research, the mobile website has been built for a seamless digital news experience with the fastest load time in the genre. The website is a catch-all of Republic Media Network’s Live Channels in one destination. The user now has the ability to switch channels with ease right with one swipe on the Republic World in different languages.  

    Republic Media Network continues to lead the news revolution in India. Besides breakthrough innovation and configuration on its digital player Republic World, the Network is fast expanding across regions and languages to emerge as a digital-tech media powerhouse. Currently, on broadcast, the news network has more than 300 million viewers, and this number is all set to boom with the launch of R. Bangla, which is Republic Media Network’s Bengali news channel. A continuing theme that is rooted across all platforms and mediums of the Republic Media Network remains putting the news first, people first and Nation First.

    The phased rollout of Republic World’s new-age digital news experience affirms the networks commitment to its users to disrupt the genre and they know it and will continue as Republic World pilots even more exciting features and innovations in the weeks to come. 

  • Zee Telugu to celebrate Mahashivratri with ‘Maharudram Mahashivam’ and ‘Uma Maheshwaram Kalyanam’

    Zee Telugu to celebrate Mahashivratri with ‘Maharudram Mahashivam’ and ‘Uma Maheshwaram Kalyanam’

    MUMBAI: Zee Telugu  is set to offer its viewers a unique, spiritual experience on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri this year. The channel is thrilled to telecast relevant ambitious content with Shivathatvam in Arogyame Mahayogam at 8:30 AM on 11 March followed by Maharudram Mahashivam starting at 10:30 PM and Uma Maheshwaram Kalyanam on 12 March at 7:30 AM only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    Mahashivratri, the festival of overcoming darkness and ignorance in life is often observed by remembering Lord Shiva and chanting prayers. Zee Telugu has laid the path to a spiritual journey where Dr Manthena Satyanarayana Raju will be sharing his knowledge about Shivratri itself, fasting and jagaran. Singer Saketh along with contestants of SRGMP 13 season will perform on Shiva Tandava Stotram and Bilvashtakam followed by abishekam, 12 replicas of the jyorirlingam, for their ardent viewers. Television’s most rooted for couple, Anusha Hedge and Prathap are going to be a part of the service with the audience.

    On 12 March, Devishri Guruji and Vakkantham Chandramouli will be part of the Uma Maheshwaram Kalyanam, which is observed for the longevity and love between the married couple, drawing a parallel to the lives of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.

  • Zee Kannada’s Sathya meets real-life Sathya characters of Karnataka this International Women’s Day

    Zee Kannada’s Sathya meets real-life Sathya characters of Karnataka this International Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Every year International Women’s Day is observed on 8 March to celebrate women, their rights and their achievements. This year, Zee Kannada pledges unique women of Karnataka on this honor. Sathya, the most rated show in the regional television market along with being one of Zee Kannada’s and Karnataka’s most impactful shows, sketches the life of a woman, Sathya, who overcomes hardships and fights fearlessly to become a woman of not just the house but also her society. Drawing inspiration from the role of Sathya, Zee Kannada began a quest for similar real-life characters who despite facing the harsh realities and struggles, emerge triumphant as a strong woman who has carved her own identity.

    The research led Sathya to learn about distinct real-life Sathya characters – Sowmya Rani, an auto driver from Mysuru; Sumalatha who works in the night shift at a petrol bunk in Mandya; Roopa Alisa a Go Pink Premium Cabs driver in Bengaluru and Uma Reddy a Swiggy delivery partner in Bengaluru.

    Womanhood is laced with many complexities imposed by culture, society and familial responsibilities. Sathya, the four superwomen and millions of other women have the power to inspire lives, win hearts and above all, change mindsets and create their own identity

    More importantly the show, its character, the Naanu Sathya initiative and all of Zee Kannada’s other shows question the status quo around gender inequality and showcase real life stories of women who excel in fields that are “male centric” and inspire millions of aspiring women who want to prove themselves in fields that the society has marked as “not for women”.  Naanu Sathya is one such initiative that looks to break that stereotype and change the lens through which society sees what a woman can or cannot do.

     Zee Kannada and Zee Picchar business head Raghavendra Hunsur said, “We believe in the power of storytelling and the impact it has on our viewers. With Sathya, we have worked towards blending imperative social issues that women face with an intriguing plot line. Successfully inspiring lives, we go a step further marking this International Women’s Day by honoring and encouraging more such women in our society. Zee Kannada will continue to tell stories that inspire millions to ‘Open Doors to Possibilities’ that help translate dreams to reality.”

  • Times Now announces special programming for assembly elections 2021

    Times Now announces special programming for assembly elections 2021

    MUMBAI: Times Now has announced an unmatched programming line-up for the upcoming assembly elections under Mandate 2021. With its special programming, Times Now, India's election news headquarters will once again be at the forefront of election news coverage tracking the state assembly elections of five states, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. Through engaging properties, Times Now offers the most extensive coverage of the elections, making it more exciting and captivating for its viewers. 

    1. Pre-Poll Surveys: Capturing the mood of five states going to the polls (Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, Assam, Kerala) and the mood of the nation ahead of the critical election, Times Now will broadcast two opinion polls in association with C Voter. C Voter or centre for voting opinions and trends in election research headed by top psephologist Yashwant Deshmukh is a leading international stakeholder research organization with its roots in India. Powered by state-of-the-art research practices, managerial acumen, world class analysts and a phenomenal track record of predictive analysis on various polls, C Voter produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation. Presenting how the elections will likely shape, the surveys will be a significant indicator of which way the electorate may swing. The first of these opinion polls will be telecast on 8 March 2021 and the second opinion poll will on 24 March.The analysis is powered by a panel of experts like Dr Anand Ranganathan, Sanjay Jha, Senior journalists R Rajagopalan, Shekhar Iyer, Sanjeev Shrivastava and Author Chetan Bhagat, among others. 

    2. Exit Polls: On the last date of polling 29 April, Times Now in association with C Voter will broadcast an exit poll of the states going to the polls. Using state of the art technology and on ground field research the polls maps the stat and the data is then processed to call a projection for a state. The results are a fair indication of how the election has played out with the voters. 

    3. Result Day Live: On 2 May Times Now will bring result day Live with a new age look at election result analysis. Featuring some of the country's top election analysts & experts, Times Now bring several unique properties that help viewers understand what the voters have told us and why the result has shaped the way it is. Moving away from traditional analysis like swing and vote patterns, Times Now uses big data analytics and mathematical models to bring the viewer a holistic news watching experience. This along with a stellar panel of former journalists and political analysts analyse every move of the election for the viewers.

  • This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    This Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge say Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj

    MUMBAI: Two of the most inspiring icons of Bollywood and Cricket, Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj, have come together to share the important message of challenging conventions on international women’s day. With Taapsee all geared up to play Mithali on the silver screen in Viacom18 Studio’s upcoming Shabaash Mithu, the duo collaborated to perform a powerful prose penned by Priya Aven, writer of Shabaash Mithu. In this women’s day special video, Taapsee and Mithali are encouraging women from all walks of life to stand up, challenge the norm and take charge of their own stories.

    Watch the film here :

  • Only 8% HOD positions in Indian films in 2019-20 were held by women: Ormax Media Report

    Only 8% HOD positions in Indian films in 2019-20 were held by women: Ormax Media Report

    MUMBAI: On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March ) this year, media consulting firm Ormax Media and entertainment platform Film Companion have released a report on representation of women in Indian films, titled O Womaniya! 2021. This first-of-its-kind report will be an annual initiative that aims to start necessary conversation about the need for gender parity in Indian cinema. 

    The report is based on analysis of 129 Indian films released in 2019 & 2020 across five languages, i.e., Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada. The list includes the top 100 theatrical films based on their footfalls in India, and 29 direct-to-OTT films that were promoted prominently in this period. The report looks at three aspects of representation: Talent, Content & Marketing. 

    In the Talent section of the report, five key HOD positions for the chosen films were analysed, namely direction, writing, cinematography, editing and production design. Only 8 per cent HOD positions were held by women. Direction and Cinematography are particularly lopsided, at just 6 percent and 2 percent female representation respectively. 

    While female HOD representation in Hindi cinema is low at 16 per cent, it is almost non-existent in South cinema, at just 1 per cent 

    The Content section of the report uses the Bechdel Test. The Bechdel Test is an Internationally-accepted measure of female representation in film stories. For a film to pass the Bechdel Test, it needs to meet a basic requirement: It should have at least one scene in which two female characters are talking, and the conversation is about a topic other than a man/men. As many as 59% films, including some of the biggest Hindi and South blockbusters, failed the Bechdel Test. 

    In the Marketing section, trailers of the 129 were analysed, and the speaking time allotted to male and female characters in these trailers was measured. The report reveals that with 81% speaking time, male characters ‘outspeak’ female characters by more than four times in film trailers, thus concluding that most films are being marketed via male actors and characters. Only 10 out of 129 films had trailers where women spoke more than men. 

    Film Companion founder & editorbAnupama Chopra said: “We all know that the playing field is skewed in favour of men, but the numbers reveal how stark the difference is. I’m thrilled that we could partner with Ormax Media on this report, and I hope that the O Womaniya! report will ignite a conversation and hopefully, change."

    Ormax Media founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor said: “The extremity of the numbers in the report should serve as an eye-opener for all stakeholders. Single-digit percentage representation in key HOD positions is a sign that there’s a deep-seated cultural issue to address. By tracking these factual metrics year-on-year, we will be able to conclude whether the shift in views related to gender equality in cinema are real or merely perceptual”. 

  • In10 Media Network’s ShowBox pays tribute to the ‘Swag Wali Naari’

    In10 Media Network’s ShowBox pays tribute to the ‘Swag Wali Naari’

    Mumbai, 8 March 2021: ShowBox, a youth-centric music channel from the IN10 Media Network, has launched an original song, Swag Wali Naari, to pay tribute to the never-ending resilience of women, on International Women’s Day. 

    The song showcases how today’s naari dons numerous hats. She can be a Durga or a Kali as she juggles various roles – from being a mother, a daughter, a wife, or a friend/colleague or a boss – in her daily life. Through this song, the channel wants to celebrate womanhood and pay an ode to its numerous avatars. 

    IN10 Media Network corporate strategy and development VP Mansi Darbar said, “At In10 Media Network, we constantly thrive to create content that celebrates the spirit of life. Through Swag Wali Naari, we want to salute women and the infinite naari shakti. Women need to acknowledge their achievements, inspire younger generations as well as encourage equality every day!” 

    The pop song, sung by BIG Golden Voice (season three) finalist Anurag Mohn and rapper & composer Sumit, features famous faces from various fields like Commonwealth Karate Gold medalist Sandhya Shetty, singer Shibani Kashyap, Marathi film actress Smita Gondkar, former supermodel Diandra Soares among others.

    The song is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Saavn, Hungama Music, Gaana, and YouTube Music.