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  • A Celebration of Inspiring Women

    A Celebration of Inspiring Women

    As we celebrate Women’s Day on Saturday, 8 March, Indiantelevision.com pays tribute to women who’ve broken the glass ceiling in Indian media even as they’ve managed to strike the right work-life balance.

    We recognise the achievements of these amazing, inspiring women from the world of media and entertainment in celebration of their invaluable contribution to the businesses they are in. 

    Anita Kaul Basu, Director, Big Synergy

    Anita Kaul Basu, the backbone of Big Synergy, has had a fairly different story compared to most of her contemporaries. She didn’t set her foot straight in the TV industry. She explored other areas like journalism before joining her quiz master husband’s TV production venture.

    However, she gave the company her own spin. As a director at Big Synergy, she is at the helm of taking all decisions along with hubby Siddhartha Basu. Her creative thought process helps her in coming up with great ideas. Combine that with her humble persona, wittiness, gutsy approach and you get a powerful woman who has been a gamechanger of sorts for the TV industry. Under her leadership, Big Synergy has scaled newer heights.

    Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India and South Asia

    The woman under whose leadership Havas Media Group (India) has grown six-fold in five years is Anita Nayyar. Armed with over 25 years of experience, she took charge of the agency in 2006 as CEO and made expanding the agency’s footprint in competitive emerging markets of the world her sole mandate. Since then, she has helped expand the agency’s offerings as an integrated communications hub. Arena was launched in India in 2013 under her guidance.

    She has a B.Sc in Microbiology (Honours), a post-graduate degree in Advertising and Marketing and a Masters in Management. She learnt the nuances of scientific media planning, management and marketing from none other than the first lady of advertising, Roda Mehta, at Ogilvy. That training during her formative years has helped her a great deal even as she scaled greater heights over the years.

    Nayyar is a seasoned player in the Indian media, having grown with it and become an integral part of its evolution. She has been voted and awarded numerous times and has remained among the top influential media persons. An inspiring, able, knowledgeable, supportive and responsive leader; she is viewed as dynamic, passionate, forthright and accessible by all in the fraternity.

    Annurradha Prasad, BAG films MD and CEO

    In 1993 when Ravi Shankar Prasad’s sister decided to venture into TV production, no one would have believed that a woman could achieve so much. But she was undaunted by the challenges when she started BAG (Bhagwaan Allah God).

    Balancing her personal and professional life, she has made sure that BAG Films & Media becomes has become a tour de force  in TV content production, TV broadcasting as well as film production.

    Nearly 15 years in the industry, she has received several awards including an Indian Telly Award and the FICCI Women’s Excellence Award.

    Her zeal and enthusiasm to make a difference and make a mark for herself is what established her rock solid career. 

    Anupama Mandloi, Head of Content, FremantleMedia India

    Her career spans a score years. And today Anumpama Mandloi is a name to reckon with even as the company – Fremantle Media India – she heads creatively churns out one successful reality show after another.  But the short haired Mandloi’s first tryst with TV was as a director and editorial coordinator with the Amit Khanna, Dilip Piramal, Mahesh Bhatt promoted Plus Channel in 1994.  And it has traversed channels such as  Sony Entertainment Television, Sab TV, and even the current entertainment space leader Star Plus.

    A large part of the success of Fremantle in India can be credited to her. The global production major had attempted to set up shop at least once in the previous decade but had to fold up when it could not get a buy-in from Indian broadcasters. However, under her leadership, FremantleMedia India has grown leaps and bounds in a little more  than four years, when it made another effort to break-in to India. Industry veterans swear by Mandloi’s attributes as a professional, her keen eye for detail, and the innovation that she brings to the table. 

    Arpita Menon – Executive Vice President & Head Media Planning & Buying at Star TV

    Arpita has more than 20 years of experience in the media and advertising world. She has worked across planning, media buying, research and client management.

    Arpita started her career with FCB Ulka as media supervisor. After spending four years with the agency, she joined Starcom in 1997 as media director. She also worked with 9:9 Media as VP and with ABP as head, business intelligence cell and strategic (group) sales for about a year.

    She had a successful stint with Lodestar Universal as VP for six years. Before joining Star, Arpita was managing partner at Quantemplate, a media analytics company.

    She is passionate about training and has conducted programs for various media organisations. She taught at MICA, NMIMS and XIC and has also authored a book ‘Media Planning & Buying’, which was published by Tata McGraw. She is a statistics graduate and has an MBA from IIM Bangalore.

    Barkha Dutt, NDTV group editor

    She is what most young, aspiring journalists aspire to be. Indeed, Barkha Dutt’s coverage of the Kargil war shot her to prominence and kept her high among the names of not just women but the entire journalist fraternity.

    Born to parents who were journalists, Dutt studied at Delhi’s Jamia Milia University and later, at Columbia University. A recipient of the Padma Shri Award, Dutt has also been a prominent name involved in the Nira Radia case that got her much criticism from the media as well as citizens.

    However, she continues to be one of the leading journalists of the country and a vociferous personality on TV. Her association with NDTV since the beginning of her career has made her a prominent face of the channel and one of the leading anchors as well.

    Deepika Warrier, Vice President (Po1 Marketing), PepsiCo India

    ‘Quieter than most marketing heads but very focused,’ is how the industry knows Deepika Warrier. An honours graduate from Lady Shri Ram College and a MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Warrier has been with PepsiCo for 14 years.

    She joined the company in 2000 as marketing GM working on their brand ‘Lays’, after stints in Britannia, Gillette, and Ogilvy and Mather. In her years with the cola giant, she worked across divisions, which includes a stint in Mexico from 2005 to 2007 and as category marketing director for the youth/fun and snacks portfolio on brands like Doritos and Cheetos.

    With the maximum number of brands – 22 to be precise – under her leadership, Warrier’s task is a challenging one. Yet, the PepsiCo vice-president, beverages and foods, is always in control. She has driven successful equity, activation and innovation programmes to make PepsiCo’s beverage brands even stronger. For instance, the iconic ‘Change the Game’ campaign for brand Pepsi, acquiring sponsorship rights, and powerfully activating the ‘Pepsi IPL’ among others.

    Ekta Kapoor, Joint Managing Director and Creative Director, Balaji Telefilms

    She is legend for the TV industry.

    In the mid-90s, a dreamy 17-year-old embarked on a journey to make it big in the world of television which was still evolving. Though she came from a film family, Ekta Kapoor fought her own battles and charted her own success path. Her first stake: a comedy series titled Hum Paanch which was a humorous take on middle class life of the 90s.

    Ever since, there has been no looking back for the then teenager for whom the title “queen of soap operas” was coined within a few years as the famous ‘K-serials’ started becoming household names. With her banner, Balaji Telefilms, Kapoor made shows that kept the Indian women glued to their TV screens. The successful run of her serials year-after-year (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasauti Zindagi Kay…) took Kapoor to newer heights. Her story is the stuff of dreams for many in the industry.

    Gayatri Yadav – EVP Marketing & Communications, Star India

    With more than 21 years of experience in marketing across consumer products and media, Yadav has proved to be a leader in her space. Yadav leads the channel marketing, media planning and buying, presentation, network brand strategy, consumer insights, affiliate marketing and events for Star.

     

    Gayatri joined the Star network in April 2011 and is responsible for steering the marketing and communication agenda for India’s most widespread media network touching 600 million viewers every week. She began her career as a brand manager with Procter and Gamble India for four years. Thereafter, she worked as a Marketing Director at General Mills for 14 long years where she was responsible for launching Pillsbury Atta and building and developing a portfolio of brands.

    She has a strong marketing functional experience across brand building, communication development, strategy planning, market research/consumer insight, new product development and launch support, and trade marketing/sales support.

    Jagi Mangat Panda, co-founder and managing director, Ortel Communications

    The adage ‘Beauty with brains’ fits Jagi Mangat Panda, co-founder and managing director of Ortel Communications. Panda, with her more than 15 years of experience in the media and broadcasting industry, was awarded and recognised as ‘Young Global Leader’ at the World Economic Forum in 2008.

    A bachelor’s degree holder in Biology and Chemistry from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Panda also has a master’s degree in business administration from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

    Panda, the first Gladrags supermodel, always wanted to be independent and it was this need which turned her into an entrepreneur. While she started Ortel Communications with three people in the company, it has now grown for over 15 years and has a professional team that runs the company that’s growing at more than 30 per cent. Despite her varied and vibrant career graph, Panda has not yet stopped exploring. After completing a filmmaking course from the New York Film Academy, Panda is now exploring the opportunity of even directing a movie. 

    Juhi Ravindranath, Turner International South Asia VP ad sales

    Juhi Ravindranath is based in Mumbai and spearheads South Asia’s ad sales operations for Cartoon Network, Pogo, HBO and WB. In South Asia, she is responsible for driving ad revenues for existing brands and strategising and setting up ad sales for new launches in the market. This includes digital revenues from the channel sites as well. She has played a pivotal role in setting up Turner Media Solutions locally in 2011, a division responsible for delivering innovative ad sales solutions to Turner’s clients.

    Prior to joining Turner in 2010, Juhi was responsible for setting up and heading the ad sales division at NDTV Imagine since its launch in 2008. She then also took over the ancillary revenue division, including national and international content syndication. Juhi began her broadcast career with Star India, where she spent a crucial 10 years. Her last role there was heading ad sales for Star Plus and Star One.

    A post-graduate in Mass Communication, Juhi is married and has a 17-year-old son. She is a film buff and an avid consumer of English entertainment and music.

    Kavery Maran, Sun TV Network executive director

    In 2012, Fortune listed her as the country’s highest paid businesswoman. With Rs 57 crore as her annual pay package, Kavery Maran has handled the dominant Sun Empire’s business across TV, radio, publications, cable, airlines and mainly the Sun Foundation.

    Married to Kalanidhi Maran, Kavery is known to have a liking for cricket and is always seen at the stands when the Sunrisers Hyderabad (owned by the Sun group) team is playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), sporting the team jersey.

    Although not much is known about her, sources in the industry who have worked with her say that she is dedicated to work and is known to give a lift to young talent. While Maran is a visionary, Kavery is quite an inspiration to the people in the Sun Group.

    Meenakshi Menon, chairman, Spatial Access

    “Accelerating change was part of my DNA,” says Meenakshi Menon. Don’t get fooled by the demure, sari-clad persona; she can give any man a run for his money. From being a pioneer in private broadcasting (she was with Zee at the time of its launch), to setting up Carat – the first media independent in India, to setting up Spatial Audits – the first media audits and analytics company, Menon has not only embraced change but served as a catalyst in all the areas she has been involved in ranging from communication to environmental conservation.

    Her commitment goes beyond business to embrace the environment. She set up a NGO (www.vanashakti.in) in 2007 and in 2013, along with yet another powerful woman in media, Lynn De Souza, launched Social Access Communication, a full service agency that works with NGOs and corporate entities to drive social change.

    It is her endeavour to get marketers to invest marketing dollars and not just spend them. The change from expenditure to investment will cut wastage dramatically while increasing accountability to stakeholders.

    Besides being on the Board of Studies at St. Xavier’s college, Mumbai, and teaching at some premier post graduate colleges across the country, she is also a gourmet cook, an organic farmer and an experienced scuba diver. Her work may define her but her passion for scuba diving and the environment completes the picture.

    Mona Jain – EVP – cluster head, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited

    The soft-spoken Mona Jain is a leader in her field. After her stint as CEO of Vivaki Exchange for more than three years, it came as a pleasant surprise to many when she made her way out and joined Zee as EVP-cluster head. In total, Jain has spent over eight years at Vivaki.

    Jain, who has more than two decades of experience in marketing communication, began her career as a media trainee with Hindustan Thompson Associates (now JWT) in Delhi.  Jain proved her might when she took up her first big assignment – the launch of Pepsi in the country. Post that, she has been associated with Samsung and was also a part of the launch of Samsung in India in 1995.

    For Jain, it was a huge learning experience when she got an opportunity to set up the in-house media unit for Samsung under the umbrella of their creative agency, Cheil Communications. She also did a short stint ‘at the client’s end’ – as agency folk call it, with GSK, where she worked as general manager, media. Over the years, Jain has worked with agencies including Contract Advertising, Mudra Communications, ZenithOptimedia and Cheil. Brands that Jain has worked on through the course of her career include PepsiCo, Horlicks, McDonald’s, Whirlpool, Frito-Lay, Hyundai, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Nokia, Nestle and Samsung, among others.

    Monica Tata, HBO South Asia MD

    With over 23 years of experience behind her, Monica brings expertise in management of television networks operations in the media and entertainment industry.

    She has worked as part of the leadership team at Turner and has had a consistent record of increasing sales, effective negotiations, profit and loss analysis and strategic implementation of business operations. Her performance with Star India and Turner stand testimony to Monica’s path of excellence. 

    An ability to overcome obstacles and capture opportunities by closing exclusive deals and creating and implementing savvy marketing strategies has been her forte. Monica’s efforts have been validated in the past, when she was recognised as the ‘Next 30’ most powerful women to look out for in 2010; and adjudged as one of India’s hottest young executives of the media industry in 2009 by Business Today as also among the top 50 influential women in media, marketing and advertising by a leading industry magazine – IMPACT in 2012.

    Myleeta Aga Williams, SVP and General Manager India and Content Head for Asia, BBC Worldwide

    Myleeta Aga, BBC Worldwide’s SVP and General Manager India and Content Head for Asia, has a success story of her own. An international television executive with extensive experience in broadcasting, production and new media, the industry recognizes her as a highly creative and effective producer and a hardcore businesswoman. She is also known for being an excellent manager and mentor – creative and innovative at the same time.

    In her career spanning more than 21 years, Myleeta has worked with different organizations in different capacities leaving an indelible mark with almost all of them. She started as a vice-president production in 1993 with UTV and moved on to become the VP of UTV International.

    After a two-year stint, she joined Discovery Communications and later, Travel Channel, where she was the executive producer of Emmy Award winning series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Riding on her success, Myleeta also co-founded the channel What’s On India where she was involved with the start up of the channel and content side for India’s first EPG company.

    Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP and Business Head, Kids Cluster, Viacom 18

    Surviving in an industry where everyone is ready to bog down the other is not child’s play. But Nina Elavia Jaipuria makes it look like that.

    As the EVP and business head kids cluster Viacom 18, Jaipuria has been at the helm of planning and executing the content of all channels in the kids cluster in the last eight years with Viacom 18. According to her, the kids’ segment has huge potential to grow and that is why she has taken up risks for the segment to grow. She has always believed that it’s important to feel the pulse of the kids to develop the segment and thus, she, along with her team, has always tried to get content that Indian kids connect with.

    However, it is not just kids’ content that Jaipuria excels at. Prior to this, she had a three-year successful stint with Sony Entertainment Television, where she was involved in launching properties such as Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul and Fear Factor. Earlier, she has even worked with companies such as BPL Telecom, Colgate and Lintas.

    Punitha Arumugan, Director – Agency Business, Google India

    Punitha Arumugam is more than a known name in the industry.

    She has received several accolades and recognitions, least of which is being ranked among the top influential media persons many times over. Currently, vice president of Agency and Advertiser Relations at Google, Arumugam joined the search engine giant in 2012. The news did come as a shock to many when Arumugam decided to move out of Madison Media Group after working with the agency for 13 years.

    She joined Madison in January 1999 as media services director and then served as Chief Operating Officer from 2001, leaving it as Chief Executive Officer in 2012. Arumugam has close to 25 years of experience in all facets of media – strategy, planning, buying, research and operations and has seen Madison Media grow from a two-client agency, when she joined in 2000, to around 50 clients.

    She began her career with O&M Media in Chennai in 1990. She has worked with agencies across markets like Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. Her experience spans a wide range of products including FMCGs, durables and financial services. She was voted the fourth most influential person in the Indian Media Industry in 2005.

    Ritu Dhawan, India TV MD and CEO

    She isn’t the most boisterous of media professionals but people who have worked with Ritu Dhawan surely attribute one quality to her- clarity of thought.

    The ten years in which India TV has positioned itself as one of the front-runners in the Hindi news channels have Dhawan’s perfectionist attitude to thank. Even the recent change in India TV’s image was helmed by Dhawan along with husband and India TV editor-in-chief, Rajat Sharma. Her co-professionals know her as someone who is very respectful towards others and approachable.

    In 2009, Dhawan assumed double responsibilities; that of being the CEO apart from the existing MD position. This only renewed her optimism at work. Although she had opined once that she would like to start an entertainment channel, going by her character, it would only be based on strong business logic. She has been awarded ‘Entrepreneur in the TV business’ by The Indian Television Academy Awards.

    Sagarika Ghose, CNN IBN Deputy Editor

    Think CNN-IBN and two names instantly come to mind – Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghose. Having spent time in both print and broadcast journalism, Ghose has now made a mark as one of India’s staunch journalists on TV.

    After graduating from St Stephen’s College in New Delhi, she left for UK, armed with a scholarship. Working her way up through the Times of India, Indian Express and Outlook, she was also one of the anchors of the BBC World show ‘Question Time India’.

    Known for her colourful sarees as well as heated discussions, Ghose also made waves when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of her show on being questioned too much, making it a popular show in 2012. Ghose has also had her share of controversies and accusations of favouring the right wing. But it doesn’t stop her from being a name that will be remembered.

    Shereen Bhan, CNBC TV18 managing editor

    Business journalism is all about money and seriousness but when she appears on television screens she’s also beauty personified. Shereen Bhan started her career as a producer in UTV under Karan Thapar for shows such as the BBC’s ‘HardTalk India’ and ‘We the People for Star’.

    After 15 years as a journalist, she is now the managing editor of CNBC TV18.

    She’s interviewed some of the top personalities including Benazir Bhutto, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Narayana Murthy.

    Bhan has spent long hours in office, sacrificing her social life to achieve what she wanted. The icing on the cake was when in 2008, Vogue featured her as one of the 50 beautiful women in the world and then in 2009, the World Economic Forum named her as one of the young global leaders.

    Sneha Rajani, deputy president and head, Multi Screen Media Motion Pictures

    From starting as an accountant in the late 80s to becoming the deputy president and head at MSM Motion Pictures, Sneha Rajani, has come a long way.

    Having held senior management positions at various leading channels of the country, the lady has carved her own success path. Industry veterans praise her managerial and negotiation skills. Her in-depth knowledge about the TV business is another aspect that makes her a strong professional.

    With the MSM Network for almost 15 years, Rajani has had a successful stint with Star India and Asia Television Network (ATN). Some of her smaller stints, earlier on in her career include Chief Executive – Programming with Sri Adhikari Brothers and head of programming with TV Asia London, U.K.

    Sunita Uchil, Global Head, Syndication at Zee Entertainment Enterprises

    Known for her chirpy and pleasing personality, Sunita Uchil has been associated with the Zee group for more than eight years. She is currently the global head of syndication always looking out for better content to create a better bond between viewers and the network.

    Prior to joining Zee, she was National Sales Director at Adlabs Films Ltd – BIG FM for almost two years. Prior to joining Big FM, Sunita was with The Times of India. She has also worked with Hum FM, UAE, as director, sales.

    In her long association with the industry, Sunita has dabbled in languages such as Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam.

    Supriya Sahu, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

    Whatever ministry of information and broadcasting joint secretay Supriya Sahu chooses to do, she does with oodles of commitment and passion. Whether it is spreading the gospel of community radio – which is her pet subject – or the government mandated cable TV digitisation rollout, she puts her heart and soul into it. The 1991  Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer has earned kudos for her efforts.

    Prior to this she was  director – broadcasting in the MIB, and was directly involved with drawing up of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill and the Content Code for TV channels.

    The lady has a strong eco and social conscience. In her earlier posting as the collector, Nilgiris district, she was the force behind the ‘Say no to plastics’ campaign to protect the ecosystem of the hill town of Ooty. And her efforts to  implement Operation Blue Mountain in the Nilgiris helped cleanse the hilly area of the plastic menace. Before that, she was additional collector of Vellore district and project director, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS).

     

    Tista Sen, NCD & senior vice president, JWT

    Ranked the 20th most creative person in Asia, Tista Sen, has come a long way since she started her career with Whitelight, where she learnt a whole lot about shooting advertising commercials and why film people hate agency types. After assisting on over 60 commercials, she served as a writer in Lowe Lintas, where she worked on Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and then at Ogilvy, followed by a second innings at Lintas. Same clients, same brands, but different advertising… then a move to JWT.

    Currently, National Creative Director and senior VP, she has contributed to making the Mumbai office the most creative branch in the JWT network in Asia. For her, anything and everything that touches a human chord is insightful and relevant. From taking home numerous awards, she has been part of various juries at events across the globe.

    Sen is a student of English Literature and life. Her split personality includes creative director and harrowed mom. She enjoys creative challenges as much as helping with her kids’ homework. “If I didn’t love what I do, I’d be miserable and it would show in my work,” she says.

    Vandana Das, President, DDB Mudra Group Delhi

    After more than 17 years with Ogilvy, Vandana Das joined the DDB Mudra Group (Delhi) as president in 2012. She will soon complete two years with the group that boasts a clientele like Wrigley, Bata, Marico, Yamaha and Dabur, among others.

    Das now works closely with different units, but all was not well when she joined. The agency saw a lot of exits after it re-structured itself. However, the group’s and management’s faith in her capabilities helped the agency work like well-oiled machinery. For Das, the mantra is to follow the spirit of integration. She believes that the group offerings and its close functioning network of operations gives her a great opportunity to work jointly with so many bright people across units to fight challenges and work out solutions to problems.

    Her key challenge is to keep Delhi buzzing with the name DDB Mudra Group. And in her free time, the mother of one teaches poor children living around her area. She also loves cooking, watching movies and travelling.

    Vasudha Misra, sr. Creative Director, Draftfcb+Ulka Advertising

    Vasudha Misra started her career in social communication as a proud Welham-ite, armed with a degree in Mass Communication.

    However, realising that she was more suited to selling soap than starting a movement for popularising vasectomy as a population-control initiative, she switched over to the more capitalist branch of communication.

    In over a decade, she has created a lot of well-received work, a few iconic campaigns, and even an occasional turkey. Over the years, some of the brands she has worked on include Naukri.com, jeevansathi.com, 99acres, John Players and KFC. She is currently responsible for creating one of the most maverick telecom brands in the country, Tata DoCoMo.

    Vinita Bali, MD, Britannia

    “There is no fun in doing the doable,” is Vinita Bali’s motto. The managing director of Britannia is an economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College and a MBA from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, who joined the company in 2005 as the CEO.

    The petite executive opted to come back to India after an international stint with Coca Cola in Atlanta, USA.

    Bali, like many of her friends, had always wanted to join the foreign services after graduating but destiny had other plans. And so, she started her career with Voltas, a Tata Group company, focusing on consumer products, where she launched the then extremely popular Rasna soft drink concentrate. In 1980, Bali joined Cadbury India, where she had a successful run with roles of increasing responsibility, not just in India, but also in the UK, Nigeria and South Africa. She served on the Cadbury boards in Nigeria and South Africa.

    Under Bali’s nine-year watch, Britannia strived to live up to its corporate slogan, “Eat Healthy. Think Better” while the revenue tripled. In 2009, she founded the Britannia Nutrition Foundation, which combats malnutrition by distribution of fortified biscuits to kids in Indian schools. Bali was awarded ‘Business Woman of the Year’ at the 2009 Economic Times Awards. She won a Corporate Social Responsibility Award for her work with the foundation. In 2011, she was named on Forbes’ list of ‘Asia’s 50 Power(ful) Businesswomen’. 

  • 14 years of Indiantelevision: What industry has to say

    14 years of Indiantelevision: What industry has to say

    MUMBAI: This day fourteen years ago, the idea of Indiantelevision.com was born. It became the one-stop information resource for the blossoming television industry and also for its surrounding ecosystem.

    Indiantelevision.com has witnessed the evolution of the television entertainment business in India and it growing into a Rs 17,000 crore industry today.

    Indiantelevison.com chronicled the rise of Rupert Murdoch’s Star in 2000 with the grand success of Amitabh Bachchan-hosted ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and the emergence of dominance of Ekta Kapoor shows in 2003, to the game-changing events of 2013 – digitisation in the top 42 cities, 12-minute per hour cap on advertisements, and the setting up of Broadcast Audience Research Council, a joint initiative of all the stakeholders for their own television ratings service.

    Before we entered our fourteenth year, the Indiantelevision.com website was re-launched, giving it a new look to be in tune with the prevailing times.

    Innovation has been the only constant at Indiantelevision.com and it will continue to be.

    On our 14th anniversary, this is what the industry leaders have to say about the journey of Indiantelevision.com so far…

    Life OK, general manager, Ajit Thakur 

    It has been an incredible 14 years for the television industry. Indiantelevision.com is a great place for people like us to stay up-to-date on what is happening. A few things that come to my mind when it comes to Indiantelevision.com are that it is driven by Mr. Anil Wanvari who is one of the most influential and knowledgeable people in the industry on television. Also, the website stays abreast with any news in the industry and you can rely on Indiantelevision.com to report it. Most importantly, the journalists are very insightful and they know what is happening 24*7. 

    Everest Brand Solutions, president, Dhunji S Wadia

    Indiantelevision.com is the most comprehensive and speedy information site, especially the MAM section which is most relevant for our industry.  No other site covers the all aspects in this detail.

     

    Hathway Cable & Datacom, chief executive officer, Jagdish Kumar

    Indian Television Dot Com is an integral part of the television growth story in India. The first thing that every professional in this sector does is log on to the Indiantelevision.com’s website to get the update on what is happening in the industry. I wish that the website continues with the good work.

    Indian Film and Television Producers Council, co-chairman JD Majethia

    Indiantelevision.com is a pioneer. I wish great success to the entire team. It’s a good source, where people can get day-to-day updates and we are incomplete without Indiantelevision.com. The team working there is doing a fabulous job.

    NBA president and NDTV executive vice chairperson K V L Narayan Rao

    Indiantelevision.com is a very good site. It has grown at the same pace as the industry has. It has done a great service to keep the industry updated and has been a reasonably important voice from the point of view of influencing people.

    BARC, chief executive officer, Partho Dasgupta

    Congratulations to Anil and the whole team for this landmark achievement. I enjoy the level of detail that goes into every story. There is aggression in the team to get the stories. The website has been really helpful for the entire ecosystem.

    Provocateur Advisory, principal, Paritosh Joshi

    For a lot of communications industry professionals, Indiantelevision.com has been a daily port of call for as long they can remember. Whether it is staying abreast with the latest news particularly that which impinges on the sector or understanding the views of well-regarded opinion leaders, the site provides a quick digest of critical information. Novices to the industry find an endless mine of learning while thoroughbreds too take away fresh inspiration. Indiantelevision.com has led innovation in trade journalism focused on the communications industry and spawned several copycats too. But then imitation is flattery so that can’t be bad!

    Dish TV, CEO, R C Venkateish

    Indiantelevision was the first such portal that gave information on major industry developments. Over the years it has evolved to be a definite destination for people who want to keep up with all the goings on in the industry and also a valuable source of information and opinion on a lot of things. It is fast off the block in terms of being able to provide latest and quick developments. Wish you all the best for years to come.

    Colors, CEO, Raj Nayak

    Indiantelevision.com started in front of me. I remember the days when Anil used to report and write the copies himself. He has come a long way from where he started. It is a story to be told.

    IBF, secretary general, Shailesh Shah

    I have dealt with Anil Wanvari and five other journalists working at indiantelevision.com.  Their enthusiasm and energy are invigorating.  Their youthful brazenness gives the team the right to call themselves a “free-speech-user” of the fourth estate.  I think the time has come to become a mature participant in the industry, showing responsibility without losing the enthusiasm, energy and youthful brazenness.

    Madison World, chairman and MD, Sam Balsara

    Over the years Indiantelevision.com has played a very useful role in the lives of advertising and marketing community. I wish the team all the very best for the next 140 years!

    DEN Networks CEO, SN Sharma

    I congratulate indiantelevision.com family on successful completion of 14 years of service. Indiantelevision.com has been one of the oldest and a one of a kind source for disseminating information and promoting the cause of the media and broadcasting industry. I am sure that you will carry on with the good work and wish you all the best for your future endeavors.

    AXN Networks India, business head, Sunil Punjabi

     

    Indiantelevision is my everyday destination for the most precise, relevant and trustworthy media and entertainment news. My best wishes to them for celebrating success and credibility for the last 14 years and many more to come.

    Sony Pix, EVP and business head Saurabh Yagnik

     

    Congratulations to Indiantelevision on completing 14 years of impactful reporting. The team believes in delivering resonating stories which aptly represents the television industry. Each story dwells on the topic long enough to provide wholesome and holistic information on that particular topic. I wish them the very best and hope they continue with the wonderful work they are doing. Indiantelevision.com gives a good insight in to the Indian TV industry. Also, the way the company explored in other areas is also a very commendable thing. Wish you guys all the best. May you scale greater heights…

     

    (There is no harm in self-flattering, once in a while, Thank you for the support)

  • FICCI FRAMES 2014’s theme is “Media and Entertainment: Transforming Lives”

    FICCI FRAMES 2014’s theme is “Media and Entertainment: Transforming Lives”

    MUMBAI: FICCI FRAMES 2014 (March 12 -14, 2014, Mumbai) will be a landmark event marking the 15th chapter of the convention which has always been an unparalleled platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge between individuals, countries, conglomerates.

    As in previous years, the world’s media & entertainment industry will be in full attendance at FRAMES 2014 with nearly 2000 Indian and 600 foreign delegates, encompassing the entire sector. FRAMES 2014 will have plenary and parallel sessions on a broad spectrum of issues covering the entire gamut of media & entertainment like Films, Broadcast (TV & Radio), Digital Entertainment, Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects, etc. over a period of three days.

    The theme of FRAMES 2014 will be “Media and Entertainment: Transforming Lives” with the aim being highlighting the role of media and entertainment as a vehicle for social change.

    The convention will discuss reforms and regulatory endeavours along with working on ideas on socially meaningful and quality content. The inaugural keynote will be by FCC Commissioner, Mr Ajit Pai who will touch upon content in the regulatory landscape in the US. Mr Raghav Bahl, Controlling Shareholder and Managing Director of the TV 18 Group will make the theme keynote address on Media and Entertainment as  a Vehicle for Social and Economic Change. Mr. Aroon Purie , Chairman India Today Group,  to give a Keynote on The Print Industry: Surviving All Odds in the digital era . Justin Osofsky, VP – Media Partnerships, Facebook will talk on Establishing Social Networks as the Primary Online Forum for Public Conversations .

    Apart from the core theme, FRAMES 2014 will focus on the key avenues for monetising the sector such as Talking Numbers: Hard Facts about M &E’s Economic Contribution; TV 3.1: Content, Strategies and the Future of Broadcast; De-bottlenecking the Regulatory Hurdles, The Changing Dynamics of the Film Exhibition Landscape.

     Stakeholders and thought leaders such as Uday Shankar , CEO , Star India Pvt. Ltd & Chairman FICCI Entertainment committee , Mr. Karan Johar , Chairman , FICCI FRAMES , Mr. Punit Goenka , MD& CEO , Zee entertainment Enterprises Ltd. , Mr. Sudhanshu Vats , Group CEO Viacom 18 Pvt. Ltd. , Mathieu Bejot Executive Director , TV France International , Roger Fisk, Presidential PR Guru from President Obama’s electoral campaign; Jim Egan, CEO, BBC Global News, Andrew Lack, Chairman, the Bloomberg Group; Bill Livek , CEO Rentrak ,  Kim Dalton, Chairman, Asian Animation Summit; Hiromichi Masuda, Vice Chairman Business Committee, The Association of Japanese Animations,Todd Miller, the CEO of Celestial Tiger Entertainment (A Lionsgate joint venture) and former head of Sony Pictures Television, are slated to speak at FRAMES 2014.

    FRAMES  2014 has been planned with a some off-the-cuff sessions to broaden the conventional boundaries of the summit. Sessions such as “Internet & Democracy: Interloper or Catalyst? ” ., “The Film that Changed My Life”; The Indian Electronic News Media: On Fine Balance?” promise to be intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking.

    A discussion specific to attracting the influx of private equity for the sector has been planned and film funding is a subject which will be deliberated upon. A Producers’ Masterclass wherein acclaimed producers like Andy Paterson and Guneet Monga will discuss the overarching role of a producer in taking a film from start to finish. Masterclasses with acclaimed Hollywood VFX supervisors such as George Murphy , Oscar winner and Chief Creative Officer, Reliance Media works , Jon Cowley and Ben Murray  of Prime focus world are also in the offing. The cinema exhibition sector will be dealt with at a very interesting session Cinema Advertising & Alternative Models: The Changing Dynamics of the Film Exhibition Landscape. Creative sessions on “The Past Present and Future of Good Cinema: Film-making for a Cause” and “Cuts so Deep: Are we Sacrificing Creativity at the Altar of Morality” will focus on meaningful cinematic content.

    Australia to be the partner country and Karnataka is the “Partner State” at FICCI FRAMES 2014 . Mr. Srivatsa Krishna , Secretary Deptartment of IT , BT & S and T , Govt. Of Karnataka will touch upon how Karnataka has been doing much to promote growth and development of its M&E industry

    An innovative feature of FRAMES 2014 will be the FICCI-INK Salon, an exclusive by-invite only daily hour-long session with speakers from the Indian part of TED talks. The BAF award show and networking evenings will as usual be the hallmarks of the after-hours.

    Media and entertainment’s role in public consciousness as an umbrella which shapes and sustains opinion and juxtaposes fact with utopia is an objective which FRAMES 2014 intends to reinforce.

  • Now MipTV roadshow to hit Bengaluru today

    Now MipTV roadshow to hit Bengaluru today

    BENGALURU: Today is the turn of India’s garden city Bengaluru (Bangalore)  to get insights on  how its animation, gaming, TV channel and production and film executives can take audiovisual content from Karnataka global through markets such as MipTV and MipCom which have been organised in Cannes for decades now.

     

    An intimate audience in Chennai  (having a similar profile) engaged with Reed Midem representatives Ted Baracos, Paul Barbaro and India representative Anil Wanvari on 20 January.

     

    “Bengaluru has built up its reputation as India’s Silicon Valley,” says Baracos. “We, at Reed Midem, would love to see it known for its prowess in the media and entertainment space too. MipTV and MipCom offer the biggest gatherings of buying and selling executives from TV and digital from all over the world, and can work well to catapult Bengaluru in front of these folks. It could well serve as a good starting point to start the Karnataka content export engine to new markets.”

     

    “For that to successfully happen, Karnataka’s industry will have to take a bold step in wanting to be a part of a content export  economy which runs into billions of dollars each year,” adds Barbaro. “In recent times, Korea, Russia, Turkey and even provinces in China have been step by step increasing their initiatives in this direction. There is a huge pie out there in the 100 or so countries that participate in MipCom and MipTV respectively.”

     

    To reach out to the community in Bengaluru, a partnership was struck by Reed Midem  with the Association of Bangalore’s Animation Industry (ABAI) a couple of years ago. And today’s get together will see that relationship bearing fruit as ABAI is sending scores of its representatives to attend the seminar entitled “Content without boundaries.”

     

    “MipTV offers scores of opportunities: right from simple syndication to co-production to licensing to co-creation,” says Wanvari. “The neighouring state of Andhra Pradesh has already taken strides in that direction and its government has been encouraging producers and creators to go global. I believe Karnataka’s content production industry can use these opportunities to gradually get their revenues moving northward.”

     

    The industry get together will take place this evening at the Hotel Aloft in the swanky IT district – the Whitefield area – from 7:00 pm onwards. 

     

    The road show will next move to Mumbai where a seminar is planned for 24 January.

  • MipTV roadshow to hit Chennai on 20 January

    MipTV roadshow to hit Chennai on 20 January

    MUMBAI: Paris-based Reed Midem, which produces the world’s biggest and most successful content markets MipTV and MipCom in the French Riviera seaside town of Cannes, is all set to begin a series of road shows in India which will feature seminars and interactions in three cities  – Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai – explaining how India’s content community can build its international sales and presence.

     

    The first of these will be hitting Chennai on 20 Januray 2014. To be held at the Hotel Benzz Park in the T. Nagar business area,  it is slated to be attended by a select group of invited professionals  from the southern India city’s animation, TV, film distribution and value-added services sectors.

     

    The theme of this year’s roadshows is “Content without boundaries.”

     

    Down for the second time in about six months from the Paris headquarters  of Reed Midem are director of new market development Ted Baracos and Asia sales head Paul Barbaro. Accompanying them is Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO Anil Wanvari, who is MipTV, MipCom and Midem India representative.

     

    Says Baracos: “We were quite delighted with the response from  India’s talented content creators when we had road shows in Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai last year.  Our theme then was: Can Indian content leave its stamp on the world? And India responded with a big yes. Attendance from the country was up almost 20 per cent as Indian companies came to MipCom in October 2013 to strike deals and pursue international market opportunties. So we decided to come back once again to connect with the community here.”

     

    Adds Barbaro: “Several Indian companies such as Shemaroo, Green Gold, Viacom18, Zee TV, DQ Entertainment, AVCGI have understood the power of MipCom and MipTV and have  successfully been using the platforms we provide to expand their content syndication, production and co-production businesses. We would like India’s  new content creators to understand, be a part and exploit the new entertainment economy in which content is likely to cease having borders, it will travel everywhere. Hence we  are here continuing our conversation with them through these road shows.”

     

    “I have been attending Mipcom and MipTV for more than 14 years and have seen Indian broadcasters, animation studios, service providers simply grow thanks to the contacts and deals they strike there,” says Wanvari. “The entrepreneurialism and hunger to conquer new markets can only see India’s content being consumed and even co-produced in markets never thought about before. It is important that more and more Indian firms understand and exploit this opportunity. It can bring home hundreds of millions of dollars in much needed forex into the Indian economy and probably grow the next Endemol or Fremantle out of India.”

     

    From Chennai, the team will then move to Bengaluru on 22 January and to Mumbai on 24 January. The entire road show has been put together and organised by Indiantelevision.com’s ITV 2.0 Productions division.

  • Sports broadcasting: A sticky 2012 wicket

    Sports broadcasting: A sticky 2012 wicket

    It’s the festival of lights. And for many the festival of noise courtesy exploding fireworks. In the hope of reducing the number of those belonging to the latter tribe, we, at indiantelevision.com, decided to put a display of firecracker articles for visitors this Diwali. We have had many top journalists reporting, analysing, over the many years of indiantelevision.com’s existence. The articles we are presenting are representative of some of the best writing on the business of cable and satellite television and media for which we have gained renown. Read on to get a flavour and taste of indiantelevision.com over the years from some of its finest writers. And have a happy and safe Diwali!

    (Written By Ashwin Pinto in 2013. He continues to write on sports television and English Entertainment)

    Posted on : 02 Feb 2013 08:41 pm

    Sports broadcasters ensured that live sports remained attractive in 2012. Even as the revenue side looked tough, prices touched the roof as Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp and Sony were willing to bet more. Zee-owned Ten Sports did not lose ground and retained the cricket rights that came up for renewal. Neo redrew its strategies and decided to stay away from the high-cost cricket rights.

    A number of key cricketing properties came up for grabs. In most cases, however, the incumbent broadcasters ended up retaining the rights despite strong competition.

    The entry of Multi Screen Media‘s (MSM) much awaited sports channel Sony Six only exacerbated the situation on the acquisition front.

    Owning the lucrative telecast rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL), MSM‘s keenness to add other key properties like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), England Cricket Board (ECB) and English Premier (EPL) only helped jack up the prices.

    The keenly contested BCCI media rights were bagged by Star India for Rs 38.51 billion till 2018. MSM, which had bid Rs 37 bilion, lost the rights by a whisker.

    Another case in point is the ECB rights which were retained by ESPN Star Sports (ESS) for $200 million till 2019. ESS had earlier secured the rights for $80 million.

    However, it was not just cricket that saw record money being splurged on acquiring rights. Football, too, had its share of penny. ESS retained the English Premier League (EPL) rights for three more years but not after committing a mind-boggling $145 million. In the previous three-year cycle it had committed $46 million.

    While it is true that an aggressive Sony Six had the incumbent rights holder on its toes to retain the rights at any cost, it is also true that the sports broadcasters had the impending digitisation as part of their plan while making the bids.

    Digitisation was the key theme for sports broadcasters because subscription is the way forward. Sports broadcasters in India, like their counterparts elsewhere, are still heavily dependent on ad revenue while subscription revenue is still inadequate to correct the lopsided business model that has taken a toll on their P&L.

    While the broadcast industry will be waiting with bated breath to see which way the digitisation piece moves, no one knows better about the significance of the exercise other than the sports broadcasters.

    Even as the broadcasters splurged money on acquiring rights, certain rights like the New Zealand and Bangladesh cricket rights did not find any takers since the broadcasters saw little value in them. NZC rights were earlier held by MSM while Bangladesh rights were with Nimbus Communications.

    Away from the big properties, the new sporting leagues too found favour with broadcasters who are happy to partner the rights owners in building these leagues that have potential to become big in future.

    ESS acquired the global media rights for Hockey India League (HIL) that was launched with much fanfare as a rival to Nimbus Sport and Indian Hockey Federation‘s (IHF) World Series Hockey (WSH). The five-team HIL is a Hockey India property with the backing of International Hockey Federation.

    The IPL fever spread to other countries with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan coming with their own IPL-styled leagues.

    ESS, which had lost out big time by not bidding for the IPL rights in 2008, went all out to acquire the rights for Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). The Pakistan T20 league is expected to take off in 2013.

    Ten Sports, which has been airing local tournaments like Chennai Open and I League, acquired the rights of Elite Football League of India (EFLI) that finally kicked-off after a period of uncertainty.

    The broadcaster also holds the rights for i1 Super Series which is in limbo due to the exit of co-promoter Anjana Reddy, all thanks to the financial mess that her family-promoted media company Deccan Chronicle finds itself in.

    Ten Sports further fortified its territory by renewing rights with West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for a period of seven years. In 2011, the sports network had renewed rights for South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    The challenge for Ten Sports would be to protect the Sri Lanka and Pakistan cricket rights in the face of an aggressive Sony Six which is looking at having some cricket properties outside the IPL.

    In line with its strategy of having specialised sports channel, Zeel launched Ten Golf, a pay-driven channel priced at Rs 200. With Ten Golf, Zeel has five sports channels in its bouquet which includes Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action+ and Ten HD.

    Six, the sports entertainment channel from MSM, has identified Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and National Basketball Association (NBA) as the properties with which it plans to build its sports channel.

    What about Neo Sports? The Nimbus Communications-promoted sports network has not thrown in the towel yet while at the same time agreeing that meeting revenue targets in an analogue environment has been challenging.

    After losing the rights for India cricket, it is focusing on non-cricket sports which saw the cricket-focussed channel Neo Cricket being rebranded as Neo Prime.

    The broadcaster had Asia Cup and Uefa Euro 2012 as its saviour as it reworked its distribution deal with TheOneAlliance.

    Neo Sports Broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan says, “We are focusing on five sports- tennis, soccer, badminton, hockey and golf. Euro was our first major non cricket event and it was a good experience. We had renewed our deal with One Alliance for two years. We had also re-branded Neo Cricket as Neo Prime. Earlier if you did not have cricket, you were switched off. However, in a digital world this content has more value which is why we are present on all the DTH platforms despite the absence of cricket.”

    Bundesliga is currently the main driver property for Neo apart from Badminton World Federation (BWF) events. The broadcaster is also experimenting with Raj Kundra and Sanjay Dutt promoted Super Fight League (SFL).

    Krishna believes that with digitisation the rights of non cricket will fetch more money as broadcasters see the opportunity to unlock value. “But we will not go madly after rights. We will take properties if it makes business sense. There is no pressure on us to acquire properties. Our current deals are long term.”

    News Corp‘s big-bang sports play in India

    The biggest development of the year was News Corp‘s acquisition of ESPN‘s 50 per cent stake in ESPN Star Sports, thereby bringing down the curtain on the 16-year old joint venture that was formed with the intention of exploiting the nascent Asian market together.

    ESPN got $335 million for its 50 per cent stake in the company that valued ESS at $770 million. The deal meant ESPN‘s exit from the Asian market with a two- year non- compete clause. ESPN‘s presence is limited to digital products like ESPNcricinfo and ESPNFC amongst others.

    The divorce saw veteran sports broadcasting executive Peter Hutton take charge of ESS replacing the long serving Manu Sawhney who moved to iconic football club Manchester United as director.

    Star India, under whose watch the sports broadcasting business is expected to fall in India, has become a formidable player in the Indian market. Minus IPL, Star and ESS own the four big ticket cricket properties like BCCI, England, Australia and ICC rights.

    Ad spend at Rs 19 billion

    On the ad revenue front, the genre degrew to Rs 19 billion from Rs 21 billion in 2011 with the absence of the 50 over World Cup. The year, however, had bi-lateral home series against New Zealand, England and Pakistan in addition to the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

    According to GroupM Maxus Client Leader Jigar Rambhia, cricket delivered well for advertisers and the rates across the three formats held steady.

    As far as non cricket events were concerned, the Olympic Games stood out. “It helped advertisers build brand saliency. India won six medals which earlier had not been expected. So companies that were present benefited,” says Rambhia.

    The IPL saga

    For a sports broadcaster, the IPL continues to be the most lucrative property with a high return on investments (ROI).

    Even from a sponsors point of view, the IPL delivers value notwithstanding controversies happening off the field. Cola major Pepsi‘s bid of Rs 3.96 billion for the IPL title rights is a testament of IPL‘s value. The amount is almost double of what DLF, which decided not to renew the costly IPL sponsorship deal, was paying.

    In fact, it was IPL‘s value proposition that made Southern media conglomerate Sun TV bid Rs 4.25 billion for the Hyderabad team. The bidding was necessitated following the termination of Deccan Chargers from IPL after a prolonged legal battle.

    While the BCCI found itself in healthy position selling its properties at record price, the same cannot be said about the franchises except for teams like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders.

    The King XI Punjab team, which had earlier expected to breakeven in the fourth year, will only do so next season thanks to the legal fight. The good news though is that the dispute with the BCCI has been resolved. It has to pay a fine of Rs 10 million which is basically a slap on the wrist.

    Brand Finance India director Unni Krishnan, however, maintains that the valuation is very much in keeping with the trends being seen.

    “The IPL ecosystem‘s long-term value has been steadily coming under pressure and is tracking back to its base value of $2 billion from the heights of $4 billion. Further the Deccan Chargers team had come under a cloud due to misconduct and poor governance, in a sense mirroring a lot of ills which the IPL as a whole faces,” he says.

  • Koouka wins 2013 Mip Junior International Pitch

    Koouka wins 2013 Mip Junior International Pitch

    CANNES: Apart from content, Mip Junior’s biggest draw is an opportunity to present new intellectual properties (IPs) to a larger, more discerning audience. This year, of the 60 new projects vying for top honours at the international competition, Mip Junior International Pitch – New Projects for Kids TV, five made it to the final round and one of them was declared winner i.e. Koouka by Aldebaran Distribution and Vallaround, Italy.

     

    Presented by distributor Anna d’ Alessandro and producer Federico Vallarino, Koouka is the story of a chameleon, which changes the colour, shape and size of the things it touches. Replete with funny gags and sans any dialogue, the series’ theme is identity and how a natural desire to be accepted by others can stop people from expressing their real selves. Interestingly, there are 26 episodes, each of one minute duration. The other four who made it to the top five include Being Zeth by Source Animation, India; Goris the Gorilla by Split, Brazil and Chile; Nelly and Nora by Geronimo, Ireland; and The Little Train Choo Choo by JM Animation, Korea. The jury comprised BBC head of CBeebies production, animation and acquisition Alison Stewart; Canal+ head of children programmes and channels Laurence Blaevoet; The Walt Disney Company (South East Asia), India head of acquisitions, programming, branded media and content Anand Roy; Globosat Programadora head of content and programming Paula Taborda dos Guaranys; and Kenn Viselmann Presents CEO/owner Kenn Viselman.

     

    The jury looked for projects with potential for TV and multi-platform brand extensions, as well as originality and overall appeal in the storytelling technique, and Koouka bagged the award. Winners will get free access to Mip TV 2014 and a chance to interact with buyers during the main networking event on 6 October.

  • Greymatter to debut at MIPCOM 2013

    Greymatter to debut at MIPCOM 2013

    Greymatter Entertainment – a 360 degree media company offering end-to-end creative solutions and production services for broadcast, celluloid and digital platforms – is debuting at this year’s MIPCOM with a host of new and innovative formats.

     

    For a company which produces content across genres, including reality, music, travel, lifestyle, game show and documentary, participating in the world’s largest content market is possibly a natural next step. Says Greymatter Entertainment owner Rahul Sarangi, “MIPCOM helps you network with global content buyers. The market is also a platform for companies with new formats.”

     

    So what’s on offer at the fest? “We will launch a factual documentary titled ‘Tribes of the World’, an award winning show ‘Bikini Café’, a never-seen before music reality format named ‘Remix’ and a series about unconditional love christened ‘Thanks Maa’,” Sarangi answers.

     

    For the uninitiated, Tribes of the World is a factual documentary which explores the unexplored and unseen faces of tribal India. Bikini Café is about testing one’s entrepreneurial skills of owning a shack while Thanks Maa gives mothers a chance to relive their dreams.

     

    Elaborating on his plans, Sarangi says: “We are looking at co-producing interesting formats/content under the genres we specialise. As far as selling is concerned, one of our music formats ‘Remix’ has been sold to a few markets and is distributed by Global Agency. We have also recently concluded a very successful co- production deal with Novovision on 52 x 30 min non-dialogue humour episodes for the global market.”

     

    What does Greymatter expect to achieve at MIPCOM 2013? “As you would be aware, Indian broadcasters don‘t give rights to producers, but we have figured that if we have a global partner, then we can retain rights and make it a global success. We believe most of our formats are very differentiated yet palatable to the global audience,” explains Sarangi, adding: “We expect to strike some interesting co-production, distribution or strategic partnership with global companies that suit our profile.”

     

    On the subject of markets, Sarangi says the company is open to any market, from America and Europe to the Middle East and Asia, as long as it shares Greymatter’s sensibilities. The firm will concentrate on platforms like IPTV, mobile and free to air.

  • India’s first HD travel channel at MIPCOM 2013

    India’s first HD travel channel at MIPCOM 2013

    Ask any traveller the meaning of a journey and he/she is likely to say it’s something where you never know how far you’ve reached till you go back to where it started.

    Indeed, this is the very core of what they call wanderlust, and who better to know it than travelxp HD, India’s first high definition travel channel.

     

    Presently, the channel stands strong as a premium lifestyle with 400+ hours of original HD travel content – shot across 35+ countries and growing, expanding at 150 hours each year, and covering all genres of the travel space. Shot in English, with hosts from across the globe, the channel boasts a truly international look and feel. Exactly what draws it to this year’s MIPCOM.

     

    travelxp now in its third year at MIPCOM, feels that exhibiting in a market like MIPCOM has added to its learning. The channel has not only tapped market demands and understood buyer requisites, but has also understood the latest trends, practices and technology which in turn have laid the guidelines for content that the channel creates in the future.

     

    Says travelxp HD director Nisha Chothani: “An international platform like MIPCOM is the year‘s most anticipated global market for entertainment content across all mediums. Our content finds the perfect fit with the needs of travel content buyers across the globe. It provides us an opportunity to reach out to our buyers, leading to ground-breaking partnerships.”

     

    So what’s the channel offering at MIPCOM 2013? It will launch five new shows including Quest, City Breaks, Bliss, Food Highway and World Spas for participants this year.

     

    Apart from these, travelxp HD will also present shows like XP Guide, Xplore World, Xplore India, Great Indian Hotels, Great World Hotels, Foodicted, Strictly Street, Heritage, Landmark, Best from the Rest, Bada Weekend, Hills and Valleys, and Divine Destination at the content sale market. “With this, we are looking forward to cracking deals and partnerships with our buyers. Also, networking with content buyers and aggregators across the globe will be an add-on,” says Chothani.

     

    And it’s not just travelxp HD, the entire travel industry stands to benefit from MIPCOM. “Travel content caters to a large international audience due to its geographical spread. MIPCOM provides us a platform with immense selling opportunity; it helps us to reach out to around 4,400 buyers from 100 countries across the globe. Travel content demand is growing globally, platforms like MIPCOM help two ends meet, thereby leading to the growth of the genre,” elaborates Chothani.

     

    Meanwhile, travelxp HD shows will be accessible to viewers on various multi-media platforms from DTH systems to in-flight screens, TV networks to IPTV networks, VOD to AVOD systems and websites to mobiles.

     

    The channel claims its content finds resonance with travel connoisseurs the world over.

  • IDOS 2013 to kick off in Goa on 27 Sep

    IDOS 2013 to kick off in Goa on 27 Sep

    MUMBAI: The countdown to the ninth edition (and second under its current
    nomenclature) of the annual India Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) has begun with the two-day event kicking off tomorrow at The Leela in Goa.

    A joint initiative of the Indiantelevision.com Group and Media Partners Asia, the summit will discuss and debate the hot-button topic of the digital television opportunity in India, what with the implementation of Phase II of digitisation nearing completion in three major metros – Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and in another 38 cities all over India.

    IDOS 2013, themed ‘Harvesting the fruits of digitisation’ will highlight pertinent issues faced by industry and offer valuable insights into how other key Asian markets have succeeded in their digital transition.

    Participants include leaders from regulatory, cable distribution, DTH, broadcast, TV distribution and technology segments as also content providers and investors in the broadcasting and pay TV industries.

    Flagging off the summit will be Indiantelevision.com Group founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Anil Wanvari, who will share the vision behind the event. Following suit will be Media Partners Asia executive director Vivek Couto with a presentation on India’s digital TV ecosystem and lessons learnt from other global markets.

    Day one’s inaugural session titled ‘Opening Keynotes and In Conversation’
    will discuss how digitisation is no longer a goal but the means to a critical end, where national economic benefit, advanced infrastructure and content democratisation converge to create a win-win for all. The panelists include TRAI principal advisor N Parameswaran, DEN Networks chairman & MD Sameer Manchanda, Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal and Star India president & general counsel Deepak Jacob. They will share their views on the progress so far in Phase II of digitisation. The session will be moderated by Couto and Wanvari.
        
    The second session, ‘Cable 2.0 – Profits across the pipe’ will see leaders across the cable and distribution industry share insights into the key challenges faced by industry as it moves into billing, tiering and rolling out of new services. The session will be moderated by NDTV head-affiliate sales & network distribution Rahul Sood while the panellists include Hathway Cable and Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar, Den Network CEO S N Sharma, HSBC Securities lead analyst – telecom & media Rajiv Sharma, Media Pro COO Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, Digicable MD & CEO Jagjit Singh Kohli, SITI Cable Network ED & CEO VD Wadhwa and Indiacast Group COO Gaurav Gandhi.

    Next up, ‘DTH – Driving the value equation’, will be moderated by Couto with panelists including Dish TV India’s Gaurav Goel, Videocon D2H CEO Anil Khera, Kotak Securities senior analyst Amit Kumar and Macquarie Capital Sr
    VP Ausang Shukla. The session will seek to answer the question: What are the key catalysts for the next phase of DTH’s value creation story?

    Titled ‘The business of specialised and premium channels’ and powered by BBC World News, the fourth session will study the proliferation of niche channel launches. To be moderated by BBC Global News COO – Indian Operations Preet Dhupar, the participants include Viacom18 SVP & GM – English Entertainment Ferzad Palia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific SVP and GM -South Asia Rahul Johri, FoodFood promoter & director Sanjeev Kapoor, Disney UTV Media Networks MD MK Anand and HBO India MD Monica Tata.

    This will be followed by a session on ‘HD as a mass driver for distribution platforms’ chaired by Castle Media director Vynsley Fernandes along with Videocon D2H deputy CEO Rohit Jain, Times Television Network CEO – English Entertainment Channels Ajay Trigunayat, Dolby Laboratories India country manager Pankaj Kedia and Chrome Data Analytics & Media founder & MD Pankaj Krishna.

    The next session, ‘Hidden gems riding the digital wave’ will look at how on the back of digitisation, distribution majors (MSOs and DTH) hold the promise to create ample value. The panelists include What’s-On CEO Atul Phadnis, Amagi Media Labs co-founder Srinivasan K A and Cisco Sr. business development manager – APAC Fabien Gauthier with Castle Media director Vynsley Fernandes as moderator.

    Day one’s closing session, ‘New media monetisation’ will discuss how Hindi GECs and youth channels are increasingly making content available across newer media platforms. Chaired by Wanvari, the discussion will see participation from Zenga TV CTO & MD Shabir Momin, IBM India ED & partner Raman Kalra and Exset global head – sales and marketing Rahul Nehra.
        
    Day two will start with a presentation on ‘Sports & Pay-TV – The Path to Value Creation’ by Couto followed by a Q&A session. The Last mile operator community will be represented by a presentation by Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation head Arvind Prabhu, who will talk about their role in a digitised ecosystem.

    The closing session ‘Driving digitisation deeper’ will be moderated by Wanvari and Couto and will analyse how action is going to shift next to India’s heartland which houses nearly 70-80 million TV homes among other key issues. The panellists include DEN Networks CEO S N Sharma, Hathway Cable and Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar, TRAI principal advisor N Parameswaran, Indian Broadcasting Foundation secretary general Shailesh Shah, Chrome Data Analytics & Media founder and MD Pankaj Krishna, Founder & MD, Magnaquest CMO Ramakrishna Mashetty and HSBC Securities lead analyst – telecom & media Rajiv Sharma.

    “As organizers of IDOS, our aim is to provide unity and strategic vision to drive forward digitalization and bring new value, profit and sustainable growth across the television ecosystem,” read a joint statement by Indiantelevision.com group founder Anil Wanvari executive director and cofounder Media Partners Asia Vivek Couto.

    “The next year is critical as the cable industry steps up on its B2C execution with billing, tiering and subscriber management,” added VivekCouto.”IDOS will explore the issue of co-operation with last mile local cable partners to create a valuable ecosystem for the consumer; one in which differentiated content, customer service and value added offerings are at the highest level. That will be worth paying more for and will drive ARPUs higher.”

    “It’s an important evolution,” said Wanvari, “as it helps scale and grow the cable industry and enables broadcasters and content providers gain the ROI they so desperately need to invest. It also eases the burden on the DTH sector and provides effective competition at the ground and consumer level And the entire evolution gives the regulators to mull over deregulating pricing.”

    *IDOS 2013 is powered by Star India, while summit partners include Discovery Channel, Dolby, CISCO, Hathway Cable and Datacom, SES, and Videocon d2h. The associate partners are BBC World News, Exset, Indiacast and Media Pro. 24 Frames is the webcast partner.