ITV

Category: Television

  • News reporting in the US is perceived as biased

    MUMBAI: Over six in 10 adults in the United States agree that there is a bias in the reporting of news. However, there is less agreement as to whether there is a liberal or conservative bias. Furthermore, viewers of talk shows say that the hosts of these shows are equally critical of Republicans and Democrats. Greater numbers of adults say they turn to CNN and Fox News mostly when seeking news or information about public affairs or politics.

    These are the results of a Harris Poll of 1,179 US adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive between 7 to 13 June 2006. Specific results from this poll include:

    * Almost four in 10 US adults (37 per cent) listen to talk shows on the radio at least once a week and about three in 10 (29 per cent) watch political or public affairs TV shows at least once a week.

    * CNN (20 per cent) and Fox News (18 per cent) are the television channels adults most often turn to when they want news or information related to politics or public affairs. These are followed by the networks, including ABC (nine per cent), NBC (eight per cent) and CBS ( seven per cent). Other channels include MSNBC (five per cent), C-Span (three per cent), PBS (three per cent) and CNBC (one per cent).

    * When comparing those who are ‘heavy’ users of the media (including talk radio and television) to ‘light’ users, a slightly different profile emerges. Among “heavy” media users, Fox News is the leading channel at 39 per cent, followed by CNN at 22 per cent. Among ‘light’ media users, CNN is at the top (21 per cent) followed by ABC (13 per cent), NBC (11 per cent), CBS (nine per cent) and Fox News (eight per cent).

    * When looking at the profile of viewers of TV channels that are watched most often for news about politics or public affairs, preferences emerge based on political affiliation and political philosophy. CNN’s viewers are more likely to be Democrats (42 per cent) or Independents (29 per cent) than Republicans (19 per cent.) Not surprisingly Fox News viewers are more likely to be Republicans (63 per cent) as compared to Democrats (12 per cent) or Independents (20 per cent).

    The potential biases associated with the media’s reporting have been discussed a great deal. This Harris Poll explores whether the public thinks that talk show hosts are more critical of Democrats or Republicans. Among those who watch talk shows at least once a month, 22 percent think that talk show hosts are more critical of Democrats and 25 percent say that hosts are more critical of Republicans. The remaining 52 percent say that the hosts are equally critical of both parties.

    However, over six in 10 (63 per cent) of Republicans agree that there is bias in the news reporting, with the remaining 36 per cent saying they are not sure (31 per cent) or think there is no bias (fiv per cent). Interestingly, the adult public overall thinks that there is more of a liberal bias (38 per cent) than a conservative bias (25 per cent). While this may not be altogether surprising, the fact that the findings don’t show an even greater liberal bias is noteworthy.

    * Furthermore, among those who are ‘heavy’ users of the media, a majority (54 per cent) say that there is a liberal bias in news reporting, compared to 24 per cent who say there is a conservative bias. Among “light” media users there is less of a difference, with similar numbers saying that there is
    a liberal bias (31 per cent) or conservative bias (25 per cent).

    * CNN viewers are split on this issue, with a third (33 per cent) saying that there is a liberal bias and another third (32 per cent) saying there is a conservative bias.

    * Fox News viewers, however, strongly feel that there is a liberal bias (69 per cent) as compared to 12 per cent who say there is a conservative bias. Among adults who say that there is bias in the media, television is perceived as having the ‘greatest bias in the reporting of news’ (41 per cent).

    17 per cent say that print media and seven percent say that radio is biased in their reporting. Three in 10 (31 per cent) say that the media overall are equally biased.

  • Zee News regains number 2 position

    Zee News regains number 2 position

    New Delhi – 3rd July’06: Zee News, the leading Hindi news channel regains the number 2 position according to the TAM Data for the week 25th. Zee news has always being doing a lot of innovations to give its viewers the right and accurate picture in the news segment.

    According to TAM wk 25 in the channel share Zee news is No.2 (Data enclosed) SEC ABC M 15+;HSM. This is primarily due to the new set, look, presentation and graphics. Also at the 10 PM slot the new program Badi Khabar is delivering and has become an instant choice for the viewers of Zee News.

    Commenting on this achievement Shri Laxmi Narain Goel, Director – Zee News Ltd., said, “Zee News, in its endeavor to update its viewers about the current trend of politics, is now presenting this unique show with a big difference called Badi Khabar which tells you about the big news of the day, highlights the Top Story of the day that concerns and affects the man on the street. Badi Khabar was launched along with the new ‘bold’ look of the channel using the latest technology in presenting news. It has been our constant effort to show the viewers of Zee News not just news but something more than that by constantly creating new shows.

    About Zee News

    Zee News, the news and current affairs channel of the Zee group, has taken giant strides ever since its inception in 1992. Reaching millions of viewers in five continents, the channel revolutionized the way news was brought home to the viewers and absorbed by them.

    Zee News is a pioneer not just because it was the first private broadcaster news in South Asia but also because it created history in 1999 when it became the first 24 hours news channel of the country.

    Media Contacts:
    Chetan Saxena
    9811323282

  • Sa Re Ga Ma Pa announces ‘L’il Champs’

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa announces ‘L’il Champs’

    Mumbai, July 3, 2006: After the mega success of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 & Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Zee TV announces a completely new series – “L’il Champs” with twenty-two new young contestants. L’il Champs will provide a platform for the first time to young participants, all in the age group of 7 to 14 years. This series will have the little talents singing to a live band on the show. L’il Champs also marks the return of the extremely popular anchor Shaan, to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa after a brief hiatus.

    Speaking on the launch, Gajendra Singh, Creative Director, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa said, “Following Challenge 2005 & Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, we thought of L’il Champs, a completely different series from the earlier ones. Music is an integral part of Indian culture and talent should be nurtured from an early age, therefore, L’il Champs will identify young talent. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has always been a platform for the best talent in the country, L’il Champs will bring out the best in young talent from across the country.”

    Adding further, Ashvini Yardi, Head, Programming, Zee TV said, “L’il Champs will be an absolutely new experience for all of us, as we will be dealing with little children as participants. We look forward to providing our viewers a refreshingly new show with L’il Champs, some talented singing with loads of fun. We also have new judges – Alka Yagnik, Bappi Lahiri & Abhijeet. All of them established professionals from the music industry, who will guide & judge our little contestants.”

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs will be on Zee TV, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 to 11 p.m.

  • ‘Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology’ : Sameer Manchanda – Global Broadcast News Jt. MD

    ‘Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology’ : Sameer Manchanda – Global Broadcast News Jt. MD

    He is credited with having stitched some lucrative deals for NDTV — rather it’s said that the so-called one-sided deal that NDTV had with Star for content on Star News for five years was a combination of his ability to draft agreements and talk foreign partners into deals and NDTV promoter Prannoy Roy’s charm and credibility. In certain quarters, he is also described as the merciless corporate honcho who leaves no stone unturned to achieve success.
    Whichever way you look at it,     Sameer Manchanda is a go-getter, easily moulding himself according to varied situations. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, he has been with the television industry since 1984 — NDTV to be precise — and has seen major stages of evolution in this sector. He has considerable and varied experience and expertise in distribution, strategic and financial planning, capital structuring and restructuring, funding, business valuations, mergers and acquisitions, collaborations and joint ventures.
    No wonder, in 2005 the entrepreneurial bug bit him when Manchanda set up Global Broadcast News Ltd along with Television Eighteen Group promoter Raghav Bahl, TV18 CEO Haresh Chawla and managing editor of NDTV Rajdeep Sardesai. He was also instrumental in formulating and finalizing the alliances with CNN and Channel7.
    In a rare interview with     Indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra, Manchanda, the joint MD of GBN (managers of English news channel CNN IBN and its Hindi sibling Channel7), looks at the industry, peers into the crystal ball for the changes taking place, the challenges ahead and what makes him tick.
    Excerpts:

    What’s the big picture in the television industry as you see it?
    Digital television and various delivery platforms for content are certain to make things exciting. The new digital wave is going to change the consumption patterns of electronic content. Platforms like DTH, IPTV, mobile TV, podcast and broadband will all happen and audiences would not be just passive onlookers, but participants and partners in the business of packaging, delivering and consuming content.

    We will need to be ready for all these. For example, mobile video is going to be a big thing in India too in the near future.

    At a time when all these things are poised to happen — and happening — the biggest challenge for any management is to figure out ways to cope with technological advances. In India, there are over 100 million mobile phones, over 100 million TV homes out of which approximately 60 million are cable and satellite homes. Just look at the consumer power of these various platforms. I see this as the future.

    Any management that could figure out ways to make its content consumable worthy for people on such different platforms would be the real winner. In the next five years, I foresee Indian media companies scaling up their operations.

    Do you foresee multi-billion dollar Indian media companies, especially broadcasting companies, coming about in future?
    Why not? If they can do it in other parts of the globe, why not in India? With ramping up of operations, valuations too would go up. If you can have a Viacom being valued at $25 billion, CBS at $20 billion, Walt Disney at $65 billion, News Corp at $20 billion and NTL at $ 7 billion (all valuations mentioned are approximate), why not a multi-billion India broadcaster?

    As India globalises and broadcasters scale up operations, in the next five to six years we could see several multi-billion dollar media companies in India.

    How is Global Broadcast Network, managing CNN IBN and Channel 7, gearing up to take advantage of the developing scenario?
    The first thing for us was to get CNN IBN on track and build it up as a strong, credible news source. After having done that, we are going in for increased interactivity as audiences are our partners and their involvement is very necessary. The programme Citizen Journalist is just one such initiative. Once people get used to that, then the advertising revenue will follow.

    Second, as a news company we decided not only do we have to be present in the English space, but also in the Hindi segment. For this we decided to go the acquisition route for Channel7. From a management perspective, while CNN IBN is on a growth path — our ratings have been good — Channel7 gives us presence in the vast Hindi market. In future, we’ll launch more channels, but getting Channel7 up there with the big boys and increasing its market share is the big task ahead of us all.
    ‘Getting Channel7 up there with the big boys is the big task ahead of us all‘

    How do you want to consolidate your position as a company?
    As a group — GBN is part of the Television Eighteen Group — we do have synergies and from the management’s perspective it’s to build up an organization that would be present in all spheres of general and business news in both English and Hindi. (Television Eighteen runs CNBC TV18 and Hindi channel Awaaz).

    As a bouquet of channels, over a period of time we’d go pay to exploit the various distribution platforms. When that happens, we would also tie-up with one of the existing distribution bouquets (Zee Turner, Star, and One Alliance).

    When will the group channels actually align with an existing distribution bouquet?
    Pretty soon. We would engage in a dialogue and tie up with one of the existing distribution platforms. All such platforms need good content and we feel that our channels make compelling viewing. Within a year you’d see developments on this front.

    Would that mean both CNN IBN and Channel7 become pay channels?
    CNN IBN certainly would as all other English news channels are. CNBC TV18 draws in a substantial amount of subscription revenue. We’d keep Channel7 free to air (like other Hindi news channels) till the time leaders in this space decide to make some radical moves.

    Has GBN given up altogether an option of foraying into non-news segment of TV broadcasting?
    AT GBN, the charter is to concentrate on the news segment. Over a year’s time, we’d continue to launch more channels, but within the news segment. News is not just as we see it. It can be lifestyle and sports too as news encompass all these things. GBN would continue to operate within its core strength and there I don’t see an entertainment channel fitting in.

    How much of the expansion will depend on technologies like CAS and DTH proliferating in the Indian industry?
    Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology. Things like CAS and DTH are already making their presence felt. However, we do assume that newer technologies will come in and we should be ready for the situation. But if the future doesn’t also arrive over the next 12-18 months, our expansion plans are unlikely to get affected.

    How would you describe the present distribution scenario? You are considered a wiz in that field having, reportedly, done wonders in your previous organisation, NDTV?
    At this point of time distribution is an important component of the business. It’s like having good content. Look at FMCG companies like Coke and Pepsi. They are doing well because not only do they have popular products, but also great distribution and marketing strategies. The television business too is like that; at least evolving into one where it is important to not only have compelling content, but also good distribution. People are realizing this and have started investing in distribution to have the right mix.

    Distribution will also play a key role as the TV business goes forward with newer technologies and platforms coming up. Whether a TV channel needs to be on all platforms, whether podcast is good for only news and not entertainment, whether long term deals are good…questions like these would have to be asked by a management and answered.

    At GBN, we have decided that our channels should be on all platforms and available everywhere with the final aim of building up a rapport with the consumer in whichever way he wants to consume news. With India presently facing bandwidth problems where one TV channel is less clear than the other on a cable network, for example, it’s very important to be available on other platforms too. It’s all about building relationships with consumers, distribution partner(s) and clients.

    Though you said the company is planning to join hands with an existing distribution partner, there are reports that GBN and TV18 Group would like to build up a distribution team of its own. Comment.
    As far as GBN is concerned, we’d join a bouquet as of now. We do have an in-house distribution team, which services the clients. But that’s more from the point of view of relationship building. You need a different arm to collect money from the market and a different set-up to build relationships. We feel it’s better to have two arms doing (seemingly) separate work.

    Star, One Alliance and Zee Turner have built up an expertise in the area of collecting money and the feeling at GBN is that we should go along with it, even as an in-house team works on affiliates and relationships with them. Both can be complementary to each other.

    You mean to say the in-house distribution team would just concentrate on building relationships, while the actual work is outsourced. Seems a bit strange to me, but what do you feel? That’s how the Indian market has developed so far and we are not here to change things overnight. Our distribution team may help a foreign client, which we are doing. We have just signed up to be the Indian agent of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), an infotainment channel with large doses of news and travel shows. We don’t mind forging relationships with such foreign channels.

    Did GBN pay carriage fee when it launched its first channel?
    We did pay some amount, but that’s a standard practice. Whenever a new product is launched, one pays for visibility. Even abroad TV channels pay for visibility in the initial stage. These are considered part of the overall expenses.

    Would GBN go in for CNN-type of licensing deals as it expands its portfolio?
    We are very clear that we want to build on our existing relationships and forge new ones. We have learnt a lot from CNN at CNN IBN. Would we do similar deals as we move ahead? It depends on the value a foreign partner, or for that matter any partner, brings on the table. If for a future channel, we feel a partner can bring some value on the table, we’d explore all possibilities.
    ‘We have just signed up to be the Indian agent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation‘

    Was it a tough task integrating the working of Channel7 with the group?
    Some of the integration process is still on, but on the whole the exercise has been smooth and quite seamless. People have been busy with the re-launch, but over a period of time the management would concentrate on the integration in its entirety. The former owners understand our goals and appreciate that a lot of effort is being put in to build value.

    How did GBN/TV18 Group zero down on Channel7 for acquisition?
    I think it just happened. But two things contributed to the deal going through. One, the promoters of Jagran (which formerly owned Channel7) were professionals and, second, there was hardly any baggage in the sense that the channel was barely one- year old. We felt that the management expertise at GBN and TV18 Group could do wonders with Channel7 and, as I said, it just happened.

    What’s the next stage for Channel7?
    When we took it over, Channel7’s market share was between 6-7 per cent. Not bad for a year-old channel, but Hindi is a very competitive market. That it’s also big, makes us optimistic. So, we started off with 6-7 per cent market share of Channel7 and have managed to ramp up the share up to slightly over 10 (based on data of a week before the interview took place). The need is to carry on growing.

    From a management perspective, do you foresee any trend emerging in the mass Hindi news market?
    Aaj Tak continues to be the leader, remarkably hanging on to the advantage it took when it started several years back, but the viewership pattern for other channels are changing. In recent times, Star News has occupied the No. 2 slot, which was earlier ruled by NDTV India. This changing viewership pattern gives us some hope. It’s a long haul for Channel7, but we would certainly like to build it up as the next most credible platform for news in Hindi.

    As subsets of the TV business, what are the other revenue streams being tapped by GBN?
    Making content enabled and customized for different platforms is certainly one. Syndication of programming from the archives is another. And, taking the channels international would be a big thing. Especially if we can manage to strike lucrative deals abroad in markets like the Middle East, the US and the UK.

    We have signed a non-exclusive pact with a telecom major to make mobile handset-enabled content and feel that such relationships with other telecom companies would bring in substantial revenue over the years.

    I also feel the company needs to have a separate division where people think and make customized content for various delivery platforms. It’s not easy to encapsulate 30-minute news bulletins into one and two-minute capsules. All over the world, people are experimenting and so are we on various aspects of this business like which content will work on mobile TV, for example, and what will not.

    What percentage of the overall revenue do you think is likely to accrue from such subsets of the business?
    Quite significant over the years. In the next five to six years about 10-12 per cent of the revenue would come from content tailored for various platforms. At the moment, we are trying to form relationships for the convenience of the consumer. Going forward, this would increase also. It’s all in the future, but for that we need to be prepared. We are very clear that we are doing it and that’s why we are also building up a strong tech team.

    What sort of investment has gone into GBN up till now?
    I think in the excess of Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion), excluding the acquisition cost of Channel7).

    As the management head of a young company what’s your priority — the topline growth or would you rather watch the bottomline?
    We would do both. First, we’d build value, which we are doing. Second, we are also focused on the balance sheet. We are very clear that apart from building values and credibility, we are here to do business too.

    It’s too early to comment on the topline growth, but it’s picking up and doing better than our expectations. By the time we complete a year around January 2007, as a company our financials should be healthy. Unless, of course, something very dramatic happens with the economy and it goes into a tailspin over the next six months.

    When do you think the company would reach a breakeven point?
    Very soon. I am confident that by March 2007, we should be in a position to tell our shareholders some good news. Presently, we are doing well quarter-wise and the company is fairly comfortable even now. We have got the viewership, which will lead to revenues. It’s amplified in the fact that we have about 80-100 brands on our channels.

    What made you get into the entrepreneurial mode? Was it lack of due recognition at NDTV where you spent almost two decades engineering lucrative deals for the company?
    It was a combination of various factors. As a distribution and finance person, I could foresee the changes that would take place in India — changes where you need to move in and be part of. Such opportunities don’t come every day.

    Moreover, the equation and mix was just perfect to try taking advantages of the changes happening in the Indian industry. Rajdeep (Sardesai) brings in the editorial strength, I bring in the business acumen, while Raghav (Bahl, the promoter of TV18 Group) and Haresh (Chawla, the CEO of TV18) bring in the group synergies and infrastructure. It was a combination of like-minded people.

    Let me make things clear that it was not that NDTV was giving me a short shrift or not agreeing with my vision. NDTV is a fantastic company. It was pure entrepreneurial spirit where one wanted to chart out one’s own path and take some risks. It has worked fairly well till now and let’s hope that in future also it does so.
  • Broadcast Worldwide to rework on Tara Bengali programming

    Broadcast Worldwide to rework on Tara Bengali programming

    The Rathikant Basu promoted Broadcast Worldwide’s Tara Bengali channel is being rejigged by its programming team.

    This decision comes in the wake of the recent survey conducted by IMRB at the behest of BWW for its regional channels (read: Broadcast Worldwide initiates broad-based research programmes). The survey found out that the viewers were overall satisfied with the kind of programmes being shown on the channel, but said that the programming was “too intellectual”. Tara Bengali officials claim that the channel enjoys 100% awareness in the Bengali audience.

    Speaking about the Tara Marathi channel, the channel officials said that they were expecting the results of the IMRB research in a short time. As far as the awareness about the channel was concerned, officials said that Tara Marathi has been accepted and appreciated in areas like Pune and Nashik. As far as Mumbai was concerned, the channel is not being received by too many households because the Hinduja-run InCablenet is proving a hurdle. It is reportedly demanding high carriage fees for retransmitting the signal.

    It can be mentioned here that Star TV has been roped in as the distribution partner for Broadcast Worldwide but the details of the deal are still being worked out.

    Meanwhile BWW also has plans to launch a comprehensive regional cultural portal aimed exclusively at the NRI audience. Webcasting its original television software on the Internet will be one of its activities.

  • HBO presents ‘Troy’– a classic tale of triumph and tragedy this April

    Mumbai, March 31, 2006: HBO, the world’s leading movie channel welcomes the summer with a cool and captivating line-up all through April. The eventful month with Blockbuster of the Month, HBO Saturday Nights, Sunday Super Hits, will also feature the all new HBO Cruise Control, premiere of HBO Original Movie along with HBO original series and a collection of comedy, action, drama and romance.

     

    Watch Brad Pitt in one of his finest performances ever as Achilles, the great warrior, go to war for power, honor and love in the griping classic TROY in the HBO Blockbuster of the Month on Friday 21st April at 9:00 pm.

     

    All time favorite movies lined up on HBO Saturday Nights at 9:00 pm every Saturday. The breezy, fun-filled “Looney Tunes: Back In Action”, on 1st April, will have both kids and adults rolling with laughter. In the suspense thriller on 8th April, “The Forgotten” starring Julianne Moore as a single mother, who after losing her 8-year-old son, seeks psychiatric help and is told that her son is merely a figment of her imagination – or is this all a mysterious conspiracy! Tim Burton brings an enchanting, fantasy-filled adventure on 15th April, “Big Fish” that garnered an Oscar and 4 Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture. Enjoy the family adventure “Second Hand Lions”, described as a “comedic fantasy with a big heart” on 22nd April. Will Ferrell stars as the big and clumsy elf in “ELF”, who journeys to New York City in search of his father, played by the legendary James Caan, and stepmother, Mary Steenburgen on 27th April.

     

    HBO Sunday Super Hits on Sundays 8:00 pm brings “Anger Management”, on 2nd April, which might just be the movie to blow your blues away. In “The River Wild”, on 9th April, a troubled couple, on a vacation face a nightmare as they run into two escaped convicts. “Lethal Weapon 3” sees sparks fly as the unforgettable duo, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, team up in the dynamic, action-packed movie on 16th April. “Romeo Must Die”, on 23rd April, is an electrifying new version of the Romeo and Juliet tale set in the backdrop of a gangster between the American Mob Boss. “The Chambers”, on 30th April, based on Grisham’s bestseller, is a griping film on the compelling tale of an idealistic lawyer who’s forced to confront the secrets of his family’s dark past.

     

    HBO Original Movie “American Splendor”, to be showcased on Tuesday, April 4th at 9:00 pm, is the true saga of a working-class Everyman who pursues self-expression without self-censorship – and finds a grateful audience, critical admiration and that most remarkable of happy endings, a loving family.

     

    He’s cool, he’s good looking and the most sought after actor in Hollywood. He’s also making a big presence in the highly anticipated “Mission: Impossible 3” coming to your theaters next month. Catch him this month first when we bring you a selection of his top box office hits including the hit that started it all – “Mission Impossible” on April 17th. Also catch “The Last Samurai”, on April 24th, the all time favourite “Top Gun” on 3rd April & the latest release “Collateral”, on April 10th, in HBO’s ‘Cruise Control’, every Monday night at 9:00 pm.

     

    HBO brings the best of Hollywood by premiering the top blockbuster movies on television first in South Asia through exclusive licensing deals with four major Hollywood studios – Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros.

     

    Prime time viewing on HBO includes HBO Blockbuster Of The Month, a special television event that premieres a mega blockbuster movie every month, HBO Saturday Nights, which premieres a new box office hit each week throughout the year; HBO Superstar Sunday, which showcases outstanding performances by Hollywood’s hottest stars in their most memorable roles. In addition, HBO features at least 3- 4 new movie showcases every month to offer viewers an interesting mix of Hollywood movies based on exciting themes.

     

     

    For further information, please contact:
    Aparna Arora, Communications HBO Asia
    Tel: 011 – 51668405
    E-mail: arora_aparna@hboasia.com.sg

    Nimisha Bhargava, CMCG India
    Tel-fax: 022– 24450991-6
    Email: nimisha.bhargava@cmcgindia.com

  • Dopfner elected to join Time Warner Board of Directors

    Dopfner elected to join Time Warner Board of Directors

    MUMBAI: Time Warner Inc. has announced that Mathias Dopfner has been elected to join its Board of directors. Dopfner is chairman, CEO and head of the Newspapers Division of German publishing giant Axel Springer AG.

    Dopfner becomes the 12th member of Time Warner’s Board. His election is part of the company’s previously announced plan to add two new independent directors to its Board. Under the leadership of the Nominating and Governance Committee, the company is continuing the process of recruiting an additional independent director, informs an official release.

    Robert C. Clark, who chairs the Time Warner Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee, said, “We’re delighted that Dopfner has joined Time Warner’s Board. He’s an energetic and widely respected executive, with a solid record of leadership in the media industry. Dopfner not only brings the personal qualities that we seek in directors, but also enhances our Board’s independence and geographic diversity.”

    Time Warner Chairman and CEO Dick Parsons said, “Mathias Dopfner has done a terrific job of running one of the leading media companies in Europe, which is a key region of growth and opportunity for our company. In doing so, he has emerged at the top of a new generation of media industry leaders. He has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing media businesses around the world as well as the intelligence and character to enable him to serve the interests of our shareholders effectively.”

    Dopfner added, “I’m honoured to join Time Warner’s Board of Directors. I look forward to the opportunity to work with my fellow Board members and management in helping this great company achieve its strategic objectives and provide superior returns for its shareholders.”

    Since 2002, Dopfner has been CEO of Axel Springer which publishes more than 150 newspapers and magazines in 32 countries. He joined Axel Springer in 1998, as editor-in-chief of Die Welt. From 2000 to 2002, he served as the member of Axel Springer’s Management Board responsible for the company’s Multimedia and Newspapers Divisions. Before joining Axel Springer, Dopfner waseEditor-in-chief of Hamburger Morgenpost (1996-1998) and Wochenpost (1994-1996), adds the release.

    The other members of Time Warner’s Board are Richard D. Parsons, James L. Barksdale, Stephen F. Bollenbach, Frank J. Caufield, Robert C. Clark, Jessica P. Einhorn, Reuben Mark, Michael A. Miles, Kenneth J. Novack, Francis T. Vincent, Jr. and Deborah C. Wright.

  • Regional, News: Zee’s growth road

    Laxmi Goel is taking time to settle down in his new role as Zee News Ltd. (ZNL) director. Now in his baggage will fall a clutch of regional channels which he has to manage along with the news business he has been in charge of.

    Sitting on a revenue of Rs 2.01 billion, the task cut out for Goel is to grow the size of the egg. As the startup channels have to be nurtured and funded, he will also have to worry about the profitability of the company Though ZNL posted a net profit of Rs 161 million for the 2005-06 fiscal, this did not include the loss of Rs 460 million from Zee Telugu.

    The southern language channels will continue to perplex Subhash Chandra‘s younger brother for a longer time. While Kalanithi Maran‘s Sun Group channels hold fort in the region, Asianet is powerful in Kerala. Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada, the only two channels from the Zee stable so far, have yet to stamp their mark in a market they have newly entered.

    So, what is Goel‘s plan of attack? Launch local language news channels in the southern region and create a bundle along with the general entertainment channels. He has already executed that in the Bengali market (Zee‘s cable TV arm enjoys over 60 per share in Kolkata) by entering into a 50:50 joint venture with Akash Bangla (said to be funded by supporters of the Left party) to launch Chobbees Ghanta. “We have planned for the south Indian regional news channels which will take shape at a time we consider to be right,” he says.

     

    Zee News Ltd director Laxmi Goel

    Also in the pipeline is the launch of Tamil and Malayalam language channels, the two lucrative and most difficult markets to penetrate. But without it, Goel knows, the regional bouquet will not be complete. He has to take the dive into these markets, no matter what odds the company has to face. “The capex investment of each channel could be in the range of Rs 250-400 million. The launch of these channels will happen at the appropriate time,” he says.

    Zee‘s task gets tougher with Maran controlling the movie library and spinning out popular soaps from TV producers who work exclusively for the Sun Group. This forced Zee Telugu to experiment with alternate programming, aimed at younger audiences. “We launched prime time game shows and events in an attempt to get audiences veer away from soaps shown on the top three channels. The task is to break the old viewing habits of audiences. We are succeeding, albeit slowly,” says Zee South Channels business head Ajay Kumar.

    Zee Kannada has adopted a different programming plan and, with the market size being small, is tailoring programming for the mass audiences. The focus right now for this almost two-month old infant channel is to secure broad distribution as, without reach, it will not be able to build the audiences for tapping ad sales.

    Outside the southern region, all the Zee regional channels are profitable except Gujarati. Zee Bangla will see major investments on programming, marketing and film buying. So will Zee Gujarati which has already been launched in UK and US. Says Zee (Marathi, Bangla & Gujarati) business head Nitin Vaidya, “We are on a major investment drive to spruce up the Bengali and Gujarati channels. We want to turn around and establish Zee Bangla, which is in second spot, as a clear leader in that market. With Zee Gujarati available in the UK and US, we are investing to take care of those audiences.”

    In a meeting with analysts, Chandra admits Zee Gujarati is suffering small losses. “But all the regional channels in the bouquet are making marginal profits. The profits this year should grow. And we expect all the new businesses to break even by the fourth quarter of this fiscal,” he says.

    ZNL is expected to grow over 25 per cent this fiscal. Says Essel Group CEO of corporate strategy and finance Rajiv Garg, “We are projecting a revenue of Rs 2.5 billion in FY07 and Rs 2.9 billion in FY08.”

    For speedier growth, the challenge will be to up the revenues even in those regional markets where Zee is one of the leading players. This means Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Zee Gujarati and Zee Bangla will have to take the tough stance of hiking advertising rates which have grown only at a snail‘s pace. Analysts put Zee‘s ad revenues from regional channels at around Rs 800 million, and only growing slowly.

    “Regional channels have a growth potential in the long term. The regional ad market is growing faster in the southern region, but there the Zee channels have a feeble presence. We see better prospects for these channels in an addressable environment. With ETV, which has a strong Marathi channel going pay, subscription revenues for Zee will also improve,” says an analyst.

    Size, though, will have to come from the news channels. As Goel says, “The news genre has seen appreciable growth in the last few years.”

    No wonder NDTV‘s total income has jumped to Rs 1.94 billion for FY06, up from Rs 1.57 billion a year ago. TV Today Network‘s turnover rose to Rs 1.68 billion while Television Eighteen, which owns and operates CNBC TV18 channel, posted a revenue of Rs 1.27 billion last year. Though Hindi channel Zee News stood firm ground in this fragmented environment, it barely managed to reap from the windfall that spread across the news networks as the ad market for this genre exploded over the last few years.

    Zee News is investing in news automation systems as it plans to gain audiences with, as Goel says, investigative journalism and focus on hard news in prime time. “We have changed the look and feel of the channel. We are also putting money in field resource augmentation. We expect our new automation systems to be working by July-August. The channel is gearing up to face the next level of competition,” says Goel.

    Muscling its way to stay head of the pack of Hindi news channels is a mission impossible at this stage, analysts say. “The Hindi news space is seeing very aggressive play from all the players including market leader Aaj Tak. But to the credit of Zee News, it must be said that it has managed to stay stable,” they add.

    In the financial TV news, Zee Business stands almost eclipsed. CNBC TV18 dominates the space and has supplemented its English channel with Awaaz to lap up Hindi viewers. NDTV has launched Profit which has much better distribution than Zee Business.

    Will Zee launch a general English news channel? Goel skirts the question. “It has been the declared mission of Chandra that you must be present in every genre and segment that has potential for growth. We will decide on this later,” he says.

    The reality is that this genre is too crowded and thin a market to accommodate many players. The operating cost, at the least, would be upwards of Rs 700 million a year and with distribution and ad revenues an issue, it is hardly likely that Zee will take the plunge now. “In the Hindi and English news space, the process of consolidation has already started because the market can‘t sustain so many players in a healthy manner. The next battle will be fought in the regional language space in the news genre,” he says.

    So, take the warning. Zee News will probably come up with more regional news channels, gobbling up some if and when they are available.

  • AXN gets over 200,000 votes for its Action Awards initiative

    AXN gets over 200,000 votes for its Action Awards initiative

    MUMBAI: Looks like AXN’s decision to do an initiative around Bollywood is paying dividends. The channel has announced that it received with over 200,000 votes for different action categories in the first ever Indian Action Awards.

    From biker stunts and enthralling on-ground activities to responses on SMS and on the AXN website fans have voted for their stars who they want to see get an award.

    As had been reported by indiantelevision.com earlier AXN had introduced the first ever Action Awards in India last month. These awards will felicitate the tough guys of Bollywood. Dino Morea will present these awards to the much deserving action stars of Bollywood who have come a long way from the ‘dishoom dishoom’ to international quality special effects, high speed action sequences and the finest editing.

    Voting was via SMS, ballot paper and logging on to www.axnactionawards.com. AXN and and main sponsor Thums Up also co-ordinated on ground activities in eight cities in India. At each of the events, on-ground paper ballot voting was conducted where a form was filled by the audience to cast their vote for their favourite action hero.

    The AXN Action Awards is presented by Thums Up with Associate Sponsorship by Mahindra Scorpio and Sony Ericsson K750i. The promotion partner for the event is Inox.

  • Nick US’ education network Noggin celebrates 10 years of ‘Blues Clues’

    Nick US’ education network Noggin celebrates 10 years of ‘Blues Clues’

    MUMBAI: US kids channel Nickelodeon has announced that Noggin its commercial-free, educational network for preschoolers goes ‘Blue’ this month.

    The network invites American kids and their families to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Blue’s Clues a show that the broadcaster says changed the way preschoolers watch television.

    Throughout this month Noggin will pay tribute to the blue puppy with Blue’s Clues-themed activities at Club Noggin in General Growth (GGP) malls across the US. In addition to appearances by series host ‘Joe’ (Donovan Patton) in select malls. Noggin will also kick off a month-long on-air celebration of Blue’s Clues with a ‘Red, White and Blue’ marathon on independence Day 4 July 2006.

    The Club Noggin celebration will lead up to the August anniversary of Blue’s Clues, when Nick Jr. and Noggins will introduce viewers to a new character — Blue’s new brother — on the hour-long movie Meet Blue’s Baby Brother on 6 August on Nickelodeon.

    For the first time, the special melds the two worlds of Joe and the classic animated world of Blue’s Clues with the puppets on Blue’s Room. Meet Blue’s Baby Brother will feature a game of Gold Clues as preschoolers help search for Blue’s baby brother and share another milestone with their favourite blue puppy.

    Blue’s Clues will take over Club Noggin, the network’s interactive educational in-mall experience for preschoolers and their parents. Participating malls will present special Blue’s Clues-themed activities throughout the month of July. Club Noggin reaches consumers in 78 GGP malls across the US. Blue’s Clues host Donovan Patton is scheduled to appear for “meet and greets” and book readings in New York, Chicago, San Jose, Houston and Dallas. Throughout July, GGP and NOGGIN will also launch “Club NOGGIN On the Go!” a take-away extension of Club NOGGIN’s in-mall experience for parents to help entertain and educate their kids wherever they are.

    Club Noggin’s Blue’s Clues educational curriculum will focus on themes from the hit series including:

    Letters: Activity to feature the Blue’s Clues book “Alphabet Power”

    Numbers: Activity to feature a Blue’s Clues video clip with a corresponding lesson

    Shapes: Activity to feature an arts and crafts project — build a sailboat — which mirrors a lesson on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother

    Colors: Coloring activity based on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother

    The earlier mentioned Red, White and Blue on-air marathon will feature the following Blue’s Clues milestones: the three-part special Meet Joe where Steve goes to college and viewers are introduced to new host Joe, the half-hour special Legend of the Blue Puppy where Blue talks for the very first time; Blue’s 100th Episode Celebration a retrospective look at the first five seasons with Steve, Joe and Blue; and the 90-minute movie Blue’s Big Musical.