ITV

Category: Press Release

  • 93% TV households do not watch news channels; media degenerated into becoming pet performing poodle of govt” former I&B minister, Manish Tewari to Kailashnath Adhikari, MD,Governance Now

    93% TV households do not watch news channels; media degenerated into becoming pet performing poodle of govt” former I&B minister, Manish Tewari to Kailashnath Adhikari, MD,Governance Now

    “93% TV households do not watch news channels; media degenerated into becoming pet performing  poodle of govt” former I&B minister, Manish Tewari to Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now.

    Former Information and Broadcasting Minister and MP, Lok Sabha, Manish Tewari has said that  with only 7percent of 950 million people in India with TV sets at home watching news  and current affairs channels and with 391 news and current affairs channels digging around  in that 7%  space to earn money, it  has become a dog eat dog market.

    While speaking to Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now at the webinar during the Visionary Talk series, organized by the public policy and analysis platform, Tewari while giving out numbers said that there are  950 million people with television set at home in India. 93% do not watch news channels. Only 7% watch news and current affairs channels and the 391 existing news and current affairs channels are  digging around  in that 7% space trying to earn money. “It has become a dog eat dog market.”

    Tewari also said that that media needs to relook its  revenue models and cannot have  model which is totally advertisement driven.

    While responding to a question if the revenue model could be regulated with a policy, Tewari recalled that when he was the I&B minister he cleaned out the TRP paradigm with a policy framework on how companies which generate TRP’s  need to be regulated when a leading newspaper at that time decided to get out of business.

    “If you want to correct your revenue model and charge subscribers a higher rate for the newspaper they buy or a TV channel they want to see, you will be able to then offer them better content. You have to start pricing your products properly and get people into the habit for paying..  But since you remain advertising dependent it is measured by fake currency called TRP’’ said Tewari.

    The former MP added that like print and electronic media, social media is equally worst and said the  biggest difficulty today is that what used to plague the print media and electronic media now plagues the social media which is also completely advertisement driven model. He said that the advertisement driven model does not allow you to curate quality content and be independent as bulk of small and medium people in the business depend on handouts which are given by the BOC (bureau of  outreach and communication). “There is a fundamental problem they are not willing to look at” he said.

    Coming down heavily on media Tewari said that media is not philanthropic. “Over a period of time media has degenerated into becoming the pet performing poodle of the government. Freedom of press in India is a myth. It is a chimera. Huge corporate interest dictates the direction and trajectory of media depending upon what their business interest currently are. Except  for print media, unfortunately I can’t  say that for substantive section of electronic media”

    Speaking on  paid news the former minister said that when he was trying to amend the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 and specifically tried to insert the section on  paid news and penal provisions, ‘‘the push back from biggies in the media industry was so enormous that the bill has not seen the light of day till date.”

    “The news and current affairs media is about educating people, presenting facts in perspective and bringing seriousness to public discourse. That’s the responsibility you need to discharge rather than looking at bottom lines and spin off cheap entertainment as news which does not require news licence” said Tewari in a scathing attack on the news. 

  • Pad Up For An Innings Of Unrivalled Thrills As &flix Presents Flix Movie League

    Pad Up For An Innings Of Unrivalled Thrills As &flix Presents Flix Movie League

    The much-awaited moment has arrived as one of the biggest sporting leagues finally takes centre stage. But that’s not all! As you welcome back your beloved cricketers on field, it’s also time to root for your favourite heroes on screen with Flix Movie League on &flix. The stage is set for the biggest clash of titans starting Monday, September 21, 2020 on the destination of the biggest Hollywood hits. #LeapForth and witness a league like no other as you experience the adrenaline rush with all-time hit movies featuring the biggest Hollywood stars, action packed titles airing 9PM and 11PM weekdays on &flix.

    There is an assorted range of entertaining superhero movies up for grabs with Benedict Cumberbatch as the cloaked wizard in Doctor Strange, Chris Pratt’s group of imbeciles in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and the friendly neighbourhood kid, Tom Holland in Spider: Homecoming to some raging crash and burn hits like Pearl Harbor, Zombieland: Double Tap and Charlies Angels. When something ‘good’ simply isn’t enough, &flix brings you the ‘best’ with features like Bad Boys For Life, Moana, Goal II: Living The Dream and Jumanji: The Next Level.  This season, come together to support your favourite all-star team while keeping a close eye out for a quick pick from &flix’s lot of power hits airing weeknights at 9PM and 11PM.

    It’s a blizzard of googlies and Yorkers this month along with a variety of Global hits coming to you on your big screen as Flix Movie League airs September 21, 2020 weeknights at 9PM and 11PM.

  • Enterr10 Television strengthens its Bhojpuri play with Enterr10 Rangeela

    Enterr10 Television strengthens its Bhojpuri play with Enterr10 Rangeela

    MUMBAI: In a bid to expand its presence across India and strengthen its foothold in existing markets, leading broadcaster Enterr10 Television announces the launch Enterr10 Rangeela, its second offering in the Bhojpuri region. Enterr10 Rangeela is a Bhojpuri language General Entertainment Channel. The channel’s vibrant colours is a true expression of what the channel stands for seamlessly tying back to its tagline ‘Bhojpuri Maati Ke Rang’ meaning the true colours of the Bhojpuri land. Enterr10 Rangeela is a free to air channel and will go live on 22 September 2020.

    The channel will launch with a strong mix of fiction and non-fiction content ranging across series and reality shows, awards, and blockbuster films and world television premieres. Ramayan (Bhojpuri) would be the channel’s launch pad serial.

    Speaking on adding a new channel to Enterr10 TVs growing portfolio on linear television channels, Enterr10 TV MD Manish Singhal said, “Over the last five years, regional television has been a real game-changer. There is untapped potential and opportunity to reach out to a new set of audiences in a language of their comfort and at Enterr10, we have a strong focus on expanding our presence in these markets. The Bhojpuri region is one such region with ample of scope and potential. While we already have a strong position in this region with Bhojpuri cinema who is already No.1 Channel in the market, since inception, the launch of this GEC is a step towards strengthening the network's presence and connect with viewers.”

    The channel has already begun engagement on digital platform amassing over 4.8 million subscribers on YouTube alone. The channel will be available across major Cable TV & DTH platforms.

  • Now you see him…now you don’t – the Invisible Hero,

    Now you see him…now you don’t – the Invisible Hero,

    MUMBAI: Sony SAB is all set to enthral the audience with the launch of its brand new offering 'Hero – Gayab Mode On'. The show slated for release in November is one of its kind and the first-ever show on Indian television that brings the best of science fiction and mythology together, where the protagonist with the power to turn invisible battles aliens invading earth in search of a mystical ring.

    Produced by Peninsula Pictures, Hero – Gayab Mode On is an incredible journey of a common man and in his intense urge to search for his father and clear his name. The journey, at each step, gets increasingly fascinating as 'Hero' first chances upon the miraculous power of invisibility through a ring, which also happens to be sighted by evil aliens. While the ring has the powers to corrupt him to become the biggest villain himself, his virtues and the goodness in his heart inspire the 'hero' within him and with invisibility, as his new superpower he dares to do the impossible.

    The show will keep the audience on the edge of their seats, with thrilling and nail-biting action sequences backed by state-of-art production and broadcast techniques and visual effects bound to leave the audience spellbound. 

    Here is the latest glimpse of what’s in store for the fans:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ8p0x1XSRc

    Neeraj Vyas, Business Head – Sony SAB

    “We strongly believe that values-driven stories and relatable characters are the secret sauce for Sony SAB’s success and we are confident that ‘Hero – Gayab Mode On’ will be a true testament to that. With world-class visual effects, a storyline that perfectly blends science fiction with mythology and a character that personifies extraordinary heroism, we believe the show has all the perfect ingredients to make the television audience fall in love instantly. We are confident that a story that inspires, instills a feeling of hope and takes the audiences into a wonderful new world through fantastic visual effects will be something that viewers of Sony SAB will admire and embrace with open arms.”

    Stay tuned for more updates and the cast reveal of Hero – Gayab Mode On only on Sony SAB

  • Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4 launch rating breaks all records, dethrones Season 3

    Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4 launch rating breaks all records, dethrones Season 3

    According to BARC data for Week 36'20, Star Maa continues to dominate the Telugu GEC . Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4 launch got massive ratings. This is one of the most successful launch of the reality show. This Season started with a bang. Termed as one of the most successful launch , the launch episode saw 4.5 crore viewers tuning  to Star Maa in the 1st week of launch according to the data released by BARC India. 

    This Season of Bigg Boss launch was the highest-rated season ever. The launch episode garnered 18.5 TVR, not only making it the highest-rated launch episode across non-fiction shows of the category (in the BARC universe) but also the highest-rated launch episode in the history of Bigg Boss Telugu (since BB Season 1). 

    As per the data Star Maa remains dominant leader in the Telugu general entertainment category with 1122 highest ever GRP’s. StarMaa New Brand identity also saw a growth of  18% this week over last 4 weeks. 

  • Disney Channel’s ‘Imagine That’ opens to a successful launch week

    Disney Channel’s ‘Imagine That’ opens to a successful launch week

    MUMBAI: Imagine That, the brand new property of Disney Channel, launched on 6 September at 9.30 am. The show focuses on tapping into the kid’s natural desire to explore and create through DIY. Centered around the theme of upcycling, host  and kids’ favourite Rob encourage them to express themselves and repurpose the simplest things into extraordinary art. The show performed exceedingly well in its launch week. It was the #2 highest series launch since 2018 in the category with a viewership of 592 TVTs in its launch episode. Source: BMW Software, Market- India Urban, TG- 2-14 ABC, All Day, 0700-2300, Wk 33-36’ 20.

    Imagine That has Cello Colour Up as the presenter for its upcoming show Imagine That which will be powered by Byju’s The Learning App. There was an extensive digital campaign that was undertaken by the channel; which focused on building awareness for the show in the month leading up to the launch. Post launch the focus shifted to engaging people contextually within the DIY category. All initiatives across platforms were a roaring success. The overall impressions are currently at 95 million+ and the total views have crossed the 30 million mark.   Social media influencers were activated – bringing in mommy blogger communities; kid influencers, the Art Community and their followers in addition to popular influencers. A social media challenge called Imagine That Challenge is performing phenomenally well and engaging fans across. And all these initiatives were supported by ancillary Content support that make the interactions and conversations across the social handles.

    Star and Disney India  Infotainment and Kids head Anuradha Aggarwal said, “With Imagine That, we wanted to create a platform where kids could express themselves and push the boundaries of their imagination through the ever popular DIY format.  The message of upcycling brought alive through a fun and innovative approach, struck a chord with kids and parents. We are excited that kids and art lovers across the country are engaging with the show on our channel and digital platforms. ”

  • Zee Biskope presents yet another set of category firsts – the first brand song rap & the first Bhojpuri celebration of Dance Day

    Zee Biskope presents yet another set of category firsts – the first brand song rap & the first Bhojpuri celebration of Dance Day

    MUMBAI: Dance Day is a carnival of dance that is celebrated on the third Saturday of every September. Dance is an integral part of Indian entertainment, especially movies. Be it Kathak, Indian Classical, Western Popular, Jazz or just freestyle, Indian cinema has imbibed and elevated dance forms of varied types. Bhojiwood is no exception. Known for its Lallan Top dance, the Bhojpuri movie industry grooves up with the popular Thumkas and Launda Dance. Regarded as the home for unlimited and authentic Bhojpuri entertainment, Zee Biskope has been leading the game in differentiation by continually curating viewer experiences beyond just movies. ZEE Biskope launches a rap version of its brand song on the occasion of Dance Day followed by a viewer engagement drive – Kamariya Kare Hip Hop that will raise viewer engagement to a groovy joyride. Through this initiative, the channel seeks to encourage people to embrace dance as a fun & healthy form of performing art that expresses emotions both aesthetically & symbolically.

    The brand has delivered many category firsts since its launch and the rap version of its brand song is yet another milestone in that. Composed by 5 Tricks – a rap group from Bihar, this edition of the brand song will rev up your spirit for a scintillating dance number. To participate in Kamariya Kare Hip Hop contest, viewers need to give a missed call on8563856302 following which they will get an SMS with a link to download Zee Biskope’s rap song. They can further perform on the rap song, record it and share with ZEE Biskope team through Whatsapp on the same number- 8563856302 along with their name & location. The best entries will be featured on ZEE Biskope channel social media platforms.

    Taking the entertainment quotient, a notch higher, Zee Biskope will launch a full 30-minute original Kamariya Kare Hip Hop show. Anchored by a popular Bhojiwood celebrity, the show will telecast on ZEE Biskope on 4th October 2020. The delightful half-an-hour show will not only showcase the winning videos but will also project the significance of dance in Bhojpuri movies and how celebs have banked on it to entertain audience. Featuring the rap song, the show will be ornamented by bytes from Bhojiwood celebs who will elaborate their take on dance and the channel’s endevour to promote dance.

    Talking about the initiative, Samrat Ghosh, Cluster Head East, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said, “In these restricted times when people are homebound for about 6 months now, entertainment plays a significant role in upscaling their emotional cushion. Despite the constrained reality, people look for opportunities to stage their aspirations through the lens of entertainment. The engagement drives of ZEE Biskope are designed exactly to meet that latent need of our viewers. Kamariya Kare Hip Hop is yet another unique way for viewers to showcase their talent to the world through the channel’s TV & social platforms. The multi-media initiative also gives advertisers an opportunity to reach out to incremental audience.”

    Speaking on the launch, Amarpreet Singh Saini, Business Head, Zee Biskope and Big Ganga said, “The Bhojpuri entertainment market is becoming increasingly cluttered. It’s hence important to keep a strong point of differentiation that uniquely identifies the brand. The channel is catering to that differentiator through novel viewer engagement drives like Kamariya Kare Hip Hop. The endeavour is to establish ZEE Biskope as not just a movie channel, but a Movie+ brand that brings category firsts at every occasion. This is a stand which no other channel in the category has been able to take till date.”

    Dance is a performing art that brings people together in the celebration of life. Taking this very thought forward, the channel rejoices Dance Day through in the Hip Hop way. Touted as the go-to destination for every Bhojpuri movie lover, Zee Biskope is available on Airtel (channel no 663), Tata Sky (channel no 1120), DEN Bihar(channel no 840), DEN Jharkhand (channel no 839), DD Free Dish (channel no 31), d2h (channel no 859), Dish TV (channel no 1555), Siti Cable (channel no 214) and Darsh Digital (channel no 189). It’ll soon be available on all other major cable platforms.

    Stay tuned and make the most of entertainment only with ZEE Biskope.

  • Mathrubhumi Group delivers exceptional performance during Onam 2020

    Mathrubhumi Group delivers exceptional performance during Onam 2020

    This year, with the ongoing pandemic and other calamities that has been plaguing the State, Onam was in the vicinity too.  The team from Kerala’s formidable media group Mathrubhumi decided nothing is enough to stop them and created history by roping in more than 1000 advertisers on board out of which 200 plus were local traders of Kerala who exclusively advertised in Mathrubhumi.  Their words in the video below are resounding testimonials to the response Mathrubhumi generates.  

    -Video -advertisers testimonials.mp4

    The group also released another video to raise a toast to its heroes and express its gratitude to all the advertisers.  Both the internal team and the advertisers have received this very warmly.

    -Video- Onam success 1.mp4

    Mr M V Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group,  said “I have always believed that every crisis is an opportunity. This, solely led by our enthusiastic and hardworking team also talks about the immense confidence and trust the advertisers have on us. Onam 2020 success story is also a recognition of the brand values and reader/viewer/listener connect Mathrubhumi group enjoys”

  • Divinity Studios launches through a multi-million dollar joint venture with Hollywood’s Langhard Limited

    Divinity Studios launches through a multi-million dollar joint venture with Hollywood’s Langhard Limited

    As the Indian entertainment industry takes centre stage in the global entertainment landscape, the audience’s preferences for distinctive content from around the world has also witnessed a sharp rise. To cater to this evolving demand and elevating the viewing experience, Hollywood's leading entertainment powerhouse LANGHARD LTD. announced its foray in the Asian territory, through a joint venture with the launch of  DIVINITY STUDIOS, to bring high quality-driven, engaging, and entertaining content under one umbrella for the Indian audiences.

     Langhard Ltd. with a strong foothold in the American, European, Gulf and Asian markets is a frontrunner in film production, line production, and movie distribution in Hollywood. Leveraging Langhard’s global and expansive reach, buoyed by Divinity’s deep local market knowledge; the joint venture seeks to create an expansive catalogue of exemplary content by developing, producing, and distributing 5-6 movies each year, in the country and around the world.

    The joint venture between the two entities will enable both companies to unlock significant value within the Indian & International entertainment circuit by delivering a host of premium services and possess a strong foothold in the country. Backed by a strong and experienced team from the global entertainment industry, Divinity Studios endeavours to curate path-breaking content catering to the rising demand amongst the audience for immersive cinematic experiences and bring the best of popular commercial and world cinema.

    Terry M. Rigarlsford, popularly known for his work on Hollywood action blockbusters such as               Die Another Day, The Bourne Ultimatum & Oceans Twelve, heads Langhard Limited.  A highly trained risk management specialist with over 20 years of experience in the film and TV industry, Terry has worked with the crème de la crème of the industry that includes the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Matt Damon, David Strathairn, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Brad Pitt amongst others.

    Divinity Studios is founded by Harsh Vardhan Deo, an actor, musician, writer and entrepreneur. With an astute sense of creativity and an understanding of audiences’ demand and preferences, Harsh seeks to lead Divinity Studios at every front, delivering entertaining content from around the globe to audiences across all available media platforms. Regarded as the ‘New Age Entrepreneurial Artist’, he has worked across films, television, and digital media.

    Its CEO, Girish Johar is a notable film producer, distributor, marketing expert and eminent trade analyst. Girish will lend his vast experience and knowledge in film production, global distribution and marketing, to set a robust base for Divinity Studios and its operations worldwide. Having spent more than 22 years in the film business and worked on over 150 films, in various capacities across multiple languages, he has been associated with some of the largest entertainment houses of the country.

    Sharing his thoughts, Terry M. Rigarlsford said, “We are excited about our new venture in India as it vastly expands our content-led approach, strengthening our studio’s proposition and audience engagement globally. We are certain that with Langhard’s backing and global reach we will set new benchmarks in the industry. We are looking ahead on creating inspiring and distinctive content for the Indian diaspora across the world.”

    Talking about the launch, Divinity Studios CEO, Girish Johar shared, “We are extremely elated to launch in India and expand our footprint in the global entertainment industry. It is an extremely exciting market with a host of avenues, opportunities and most importantly, an experimental and diverse growing audience. In India, which has a lot of compelling stories to tell, our focus will lay in specializing in development, acquisition, production, financing, co-partnering, distribution and sales of entertainment content worldwide."

    With a penchant for delivering the absolute best in terms of production value, Langhard – Divinity venture is all set to elevate the movie-watching experience for cinephiles alike. Set for their next big step in the Indian market, the studio shall look to present the high quality of premium services to leading production companies and some of the biggest names in the industry worldwide.

     

  • Make this September a romantic ride with Zee Cinemalu, Movie of the Month

    Make this September a romantic ride with Zee Cinemalu, Movie of the Month

    Running out of ideas for a perfect weekend chill? Well, not to worry as Zee Cinemalu has got your weekend covered with full-on thrill and entertainment. It is time to get the popcorn cracking as Zee Cinemalu promises a perfect weekend with the blockbuster movies. On 19th of September, seize your television screens to watch the romantic sensational hit film ‘Geetha Govindam’ on Zee Cinemalu SD at 6:00 PM and romantic roller coaster ride ‘Chal Mohan Ranga’ on Zee Cinemalu HD at 6:00 PM.

    Geetha Govindam – It is rightly said, “We don’t meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our paths for a reason”. Taking you through a similar ride filled with endless romance and laughter, this weekend blockbuster Geetha Govindam is Directed by Parusuram. Vijay (Vijay Devarakonda), a young college lecturer who dreams of a perfect marriage falls in love with Geetha (Rashmika Mandanna), a level-headed woman who is wary of strangers and isn’t easy to convince. While things seem to go smoothly at first with pursuing his love interest, Vijay makes a terrible mistake which not only derails any hope for his love story but also has potential repercussions with his family.

    Chal Mohan Ranga – Mohan Ranga (Nitin) works towards making his way to his dreamland, the United states where he falls in love with Megha Subramanyam (Megha Akash). Soon, love blossoms between the two, but circumstances separate them. Mohan and Meghna find themselves back in India as they come to terms with their feelings for each other just as their individual marriage plans get in the way. Ably supported by Madhu Nandan and Rao Ramesh in supporting roles, Chal Mohan Ranga is a laugh-by-the-minute riot and is an ode to tender romance.

    Enjoy blockbusters in the comfort of your family with only on Zee Cinemalu SD and Zee Cinemalu HD at 6:00 PM this Saturday, 19th September.