Category: GECs

  • Conviction comes from the society & your country, says Star India’s Uday Shankar, E&Y’s ‘Entrepreneurial CEO’ award-winner

    MUMBAI: “The conviction comes from the society, the world and the country you live in,” Star India chairman and CEO Uday Shankar said to a question on the conviction of taking billion-dollar bets on various major steps in the industry after winning the “Entrepreneurial CEO’ award of the year 2016 by EY, the consulting firm formerly known as Ernst & Young.

    The citation for the “Entrepreneirial CEO” stated: With a background in journalism, he seemed to be an unconventional choice to be a CEO of a global media corporation. But, his deep curiosity, disruptive thinking, and restless sense of pace sparked off a series of bold moves across digital platforms, regional entertainment, sports leagues and differentiated content which resonates with a varied audience, and all this has helped his organisation become an undisputed leader in India’s media and entertainment sector.

    On convincing STAR’s global shareholders, he said, “I have to do just one thing — to convince them about the possibilities and potential in India. The rest followed. I am very lucky to work for an entrepreneurial company where the promoters’ genes itself is about (the promoters believe) taking risks in a democracy with a billion people.” “It all boils down to the potential that my company sees in India, which we have been able to harness,” Shankar said.

    A distinguished independent jury led by Sun Pharmaceuticals MD Dilip Shanghvi had selected the finalists. Other members included Tata Communications chairman Subodh Bhargava, Info Edge (India) executive vice-chairman Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Max Financial Services chairman Naina Lal Kidwai, Kotak Mahindra Bank MD Uday Kotak, and JP Morgan Chase CEO – south Asia and India Kalpana Morparia.

    Motherson Sumi Systems chairman Vivek Chaand Sehgal has been named Indian entrepreneur. Sehgal will also be in the running for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year award in Monte Carlo in June where he will contest with world business leaders.

    Infosys Ltd co-founder Nandan Nilekani was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for spearheading India’s Aadhaar project as head of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

    Force Motors chairman Abhay Firodia bagged EY’s business transformation award and Balaji Wafers whole-time director Chandubhai Virani won the award in the consumer products and retail category.

    Also Read: TED Talks to get Hindi version on Star with SRK as host

    Media distribution infra needs to change: Star India CEO Uday Shankar

  • Big Ganga shows now available on ZEEL’s OZee

    MUMBAI: Nowadays, a marketing strategy simply wouldn’t help a television channel succeed. It would need the right distribution strategy and a worthwhile social media presence.

    Lately, almost all channels are extending their availability digitally. From linear feed on television to pick and choose (and pay) for select content on the go. Examples abound — Star group has a presence on Hotstar, Zee on ditto and Ozee, Sony Pictures Network on SonyLiv and Viacom18 on Voot.

    Going with the flow, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL) has now partnered with ZEEL’s VOD platform Ozee to expand the reach of its Bhojpuri regional channel, Big Ganga.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “We are partnering with Ozee and deploying all the content to their platform. We are surprised of whatever happened on digital. On Youtube, a lot of our content is being watched. Our show ‘Birha Muqabla’ has crossed one lakh views on YouTube.”

    Last year, ZEEL acquired the TV business of RBNL which includes two operational channels, one is Big Magic, a comedy channel that has now turned into a variety entertainment channel. On the other hand, there is Big Ganga, a Bhojpuri regional channel, which has also acquired four TV licences.

    Also Read:

    RBNL all set to relaunch Big Magic

    Big Ganga strengthens weekend programming; four shows planned in Jan

    Big Ganga available on Tata Sky now

  • RBNL all set to relaunch Big Magic

    MUMBAI: Indeed, good decisions lead to great success.  Getting into the stable of one of India’s leading media conglomerates has opened up several opportunities for Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL).  

    After the acquisition deal with ZEEL, RBNL is all set to relaunch its Hindi general entertainment channel, Big Magic with a new programming line-up in March.

    ZEEL acquired the TV business of RBNL which includes two channels — Big Magic and Big Ganga. Big Magic, a comedy channel catering to the Hindi-speaking markets, has now been revamped into a variety entertainment channel. On the other hand, Big Ganga is a Bhojpuri entertainment channel which caters to the television audience of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

    The channel has already started revamping the content and its latest offering ‘Akbar’ is a part of the new offering.  The show aims to unravel the prodigious journey of the Mughal emperor right from the days of his childhood, and traces his path to the throne in a manner that has never been projected before, on Indian television.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “We are prepared and gung-ho about relaunching Big Magic. Recently, we launched Akbar which is a historical show. Three-four big shows are in the pipeline for the relaunch.”

    The channel is not only changing its programming but also expanding its time band. “We are making it wider and deeper as we are increasing the number of hours of programming. We will add variety to it,” he added.

    Also Read:

    Big Magic to air ‘Akbar’ from 20 Feb

    BIG Magic acquires ‘Boonie Bears’ exclusive FTA rights

    Big Magic launches ‘Big Mahotsav’ on 9 September

  • Zee’s ‘Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan’ emerges as top-ranking TV show in UAE

    MUMBAI: Zee Middle East’s second, locally produced fiction series Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan which follows the storyline of a UAE based real estate tycoon, has emerged as the top-ranking TV show among south Asians in the UAE for two consecutive months.

    The show, which started off with the highest rating recorded for any show in UAE for 2016 (Average 12.1 TVR) has now bettered its own performance in January by clocking 14.5 TVR.

    The show was also pitted against high-profile programs like The Kapil Sharma Show (Average 2.2 TVR) on Sony TV and Bigg Boss (Average 2.1 TVR) on Colors which were airing at the same time. [Source: IPSOS, Target Group: All South Asians in UAE, Month: Jan 2017, Time Band: Sat, 21:30 to 22:30 UAE]. In addition, the show was also declared the Best International Show at the Zee Rishtey Awards 2016 aired on 19 February 2017.

    Zee Middle East and Asia Pacific CEO Mukund Cairae said,“Creating differentiated local content has given ZEE Middle East an edge over competition in the market. It’s also a great tool for advertisers as they have the opportunity to look at brand integration and other in-programming benefits. We are indeed thrilled with the response to ‘Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan’ from viewers. Recognition on a platform like Zee Rishtey Awards too is a great honour and we look to continue the same success in the coming years”.

    With a star cast featuring renowned Bollywood actor Javed Sheikh and television stars Aryan Vaid, Garima Goel, Riyanka Chanda and Sachiin Kkhurana among others, Khwaboon Ke Darmiyaan was shot across Dubai in a packed 45-day schedule.

    “Just like ‘Parwaaz’, our first drama series, which was also well-appreciated by the audience, the storyline of ‘Khwaboon Ke Darmiyaan’ was well-researched to ensure that the audience could relate to it. The star cast and core production crew were handpicked to ensure that our product is a notch above what we usually see on television. We are glad that ‘Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan’ has shaped up well and it deserves all the accolades for the efforts put in by the team.” said Zee Middle East Chief Operating Officer Manoj Mathew.

    Zee Middle East has always been at the forefront of creating path-breaking local content with a mix of fiction and non-fiction shows that include the weekly magazine show – Zee Connect, an inter-school talent show Rangoli Gulf, a path-breaking singing reality show with no age or geographical boundaries – Asia’s Singing Superstar and many other such engaging initiatives.

    After the success of Parwaaz in 2014, Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan, a finite series of 13 episodes of one hour each, airing every Saturday at 9:30pm (UAE time) was launched on Zee TV Middle East last December. The grand finale episode will air on 25 February.

    Going ahead, Zee Middle East also plans to launch the series on Zee Alwan dubbed in Arabic.

  • Big Magic to air ‘Akbar’ from 20 Feb

    MUMBAI: BIG Magic, a variety general entertainment channel, adds yet another unique offering to its bouquet of shows with the launch of a first-of-its-kind historic drama, ‘Akbar’. The show aims to unravel the prodigious journey of the Mughal emperor right from the days of his childhood, and traces his path to the throne in a manner that has never been projected before on Indian television. The show boasts of a stellar cast, including child actor Bhavesh as Akbar, in addition to talented artists Ankur Nayyar, Rishina Kandhari, Hetal Yadav, andKareem Hanjee among others. ‘Akbar’ will be aired from February 20, every Monday to Friday at 7 PM on BIG Magic.

    Speaking about the new show, spokesperson from BIG Magic said, “We are extremely happy to announce our new offering ‘Akbar’, which is relatable, inspiring and laced with unknown facts from Mughal history. People have always known Akbar as a powerful emperor, but this show unveils the struggle he went through as a child, before going on to acquire the throne. The show is unique because it offers a side of the emperor that has never been portrayed before to popular masses. Catering to all age groups, the show promises to be a family entertainer, and we hope to continue catering to the aims and aspirations of a large and steadily growing audience base.”

    BIG Magic’s ‘Akbar’ will inspire viewers with its effective storyline, by showcasing the hardships of a young boy who went on to become a brilliant ruler, thereby contradicting popular belief that the throne did not come easily to him. The show will be driven by a 360-degree marketing approach, to reach out to the target markets through its various multi media campaigns on TV, radio, on-ground and digital.

    BIG Magic is available across all DTH players such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV along with all cable operators including Hathway, DD Free Dish, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

    Promo link- https://we.tl/Vdwhskvm7P

  • BT Media distributing Colors HD to Sky UK subs

    MUMBAI: BT Media & Broadcast, the global media services business of BT last Friday evening announced its association with Viacom18, one of India’s fastest growing entertainment network, to bring its flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, Colors, to Sky TV subscribers in the UK in High Definition (HD) format starting 14 February 2017. 

    BT will manage the channel’s distribution into London’s BT Tower via its dedicated, high capacity Global Media Network (GMN), and fully manage the uplink and downlink of the signal to and from the satellite which will beam the channel into people’s homes.

    Colors is renowned in India and other markets around the globe for its Indian adaptations of popular UK entertainment formats like Big Brother and Dancing with the Stars. Its availability in HD starting this week, marks the first time that Viacom18 has brought HD content to the UK market. This move is expected to not only attract new viewers but also enhance the overall viewing experience for its existing UK audience. Viacom18 broadcasts more than 36 channels in India, including some of the top performing channels such as Colors, MTV, Rishtey, etc.

    Commenting on the HD feed, Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “Over the past few quarters we have been focused on accelerating the expansion of our global footprint. Our maiden association with British Telecom will take our flagship channel Colors HD into the homes of Sky TV subscribers, providing them with access to not only the best of Indian content but also an enhanced viewing experience.”

    Adding further, Viacom18 CEO – Hindi Mass Entertainment, Raj Nayak said, “The quality of the viewing experience is so much better in HD, offering customers a more compelling and higher quality viewing experience. With Colors introducing HD feed in the UK market, we are looking forward to a deeper connect with not only the viewers in the region but also the advertisers.”

    Commenting on the launch of the HD feed, IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi said, “Colors UK has been providing quality content options to the audience in the UK for over seven years. Our partnership with Sky and BT for the launch of the HD feed is testimony to our commitment towards showcasing top-notch video quality to viewers, making Colors UK HD the top-of-mind entertainment destination for viewers.”

    BT Media and Broadcast VP Mark Wilson-Dunn said, “Today’s deal with Viacom18 is a significant one for our growing Asian business. Viacom18 is one of India’s biggest and most recognized entertainment brands and we’re really excited to be helping it to capture larger UK viewing audiences by supporting its new HD offering. Culturally, TV plays a major part in keeping people of Asian origin living in Europe and other parts of the world connected with their families and heritage. Our role in helping to do that is something we are very proud of.”

    “Our Global Media Network helps broadcasters and entertainment companies from all over the world to expand and succeed in new markets. Any by providing a future-proof path to upgrade to HD and UHD content distribution services, industry leading levels of reliability and 24/7 performance monitoring, there’s no better choice of partner than BT.”

    BT Media and Broadcast is active in the Asia-Pac region, where the bulk of its business involves carrying local TV channels across it GMN for distribution to people of Asian origin in UK, Europe, USA and Canada, where they are broadcast to air by companies such as SKY, Comcast, DirecTV, Dish and Rogers Cable. Currently, BT Media and Broadcast carries more than 100 TV channels from India for this purpose alone.

    BT’s GMN is a purpose built network designed to meet the needs of media and broadcast companies and is capable of delivering fast, reliable and secure LIVE TV and media files to major locations across the globe. It is a proven, high-capacity IP based network that has already successfully delivered live international transmissions of 4k UHD events. Using the latest MPLS and IP technologies, it delivers LIVE, high quality, uninterrupted video content to over 40 major media gateways worldwide.

    Also Read:

    VH1 Supersonic ’17 to hit big, 20 sponsors on board, more IPs in pipeline

    Vh1 to air Grammys, Beyoncé leads: pub screenings in 12 cities

    Free Colors HD on Sky in UK from 14 Feb

     

     

  • Viacom’s Colors & Rishtey lead the charts in BARC week 6

    MUMBAI: Colors continued to be the leader this week of both Hindi GEC and Hindi GEC Urban market whereas Rishtey emerged as the number one channel in week 6 of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data.

    Hindi GEC

    Colors continued to take the leadership position with 625658 Impressions (000s) followed by Star Plus on second position with 609140 Impressions (000s) and Rishtey with 437837 Impressions (000s) stood on number three.

    Zee TV maintained its position in top five channels and grabbed number four spot with 410432 Impressions (000s).

    Star Utsav, Sony Entertainment Television and  Zee Anmol  bagged fifth, sixth and seventh position with 405037 Impressions (000s), 404351 Impressions (000s) and 376640 Impressions (000s) respectively.

    Life OK stood on number eight with 373056 Impressions (000s).  Sony Pal and Sab TV garnered ninth and tenth spot with 367942 Impressions (000s) and 332092 Impressions (000s).

    Hindi GEC Rural

    In week 6, Rishtey emerged as the number one channel in rural market  with 328788 Impressions (000s) followed by Star Utsav on number second with 298881 Impressions (000s) and Zee Anmol on third with 286533 Impressions (000s).

    Sony Pal on number four with 260068 Impressions (000s) and Colors stood on fifth position with 198180 (000s) impressions. Star Plus was on sixth slot this week with 181851 (000s) impressions.

    Zee TV grabbed the seventh spot with 170538 (000s) impressions followed by Life OK with 132654 (000s) impressions on eighth and Sony Entertainment Television on ninth with 121982 impressions (000s).

    Big Magic stood last with 115966 (000s) impressions.

    Hindi GEC Urban

    In Urban market, Colors continued to be the leader with 427478 Impressions(000s) followed by Star Plus on second 427289 Impressions (000s) and Sony Entertainment Television with 282368 Impressions (000s) stood on number three.

    Sab TV grabbed fourth spot with 244145 Impressions (000s). Life OK  stood on fifth slot with 240402  impressions (000s) and Zee TV on sixth with 239893 Impressions (000s).

    With no further change in the ranking order &TV, Rishtey and Sony Pal stood on seventh, eighth and on ninth with 131591 impressions (000s), 109048 impressions (000s) and 109048 impressions (000s) respectively. Star Utsav bagged the tenth spot with 106156  impressions (000s).

    Also Read :

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/viewership/zee-studio-exits-hbo-enters-top-5-170216

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/viewership/times-tv-gets-into-a-gunfight-with-cnbc-tv18-on-budget-day-claims-170214

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/brands/fmcg-companies-bjp-in-barcs-top-ten-list-170210

     

  • TED Talks to get Hindi version on Star with SRK as host

    MUMBAI: Ted is coming to your TV. We are talking about the thought-provoking TED Talks that most of us have got used to watching on YouTube as it features out of this world thinkers who deliver their ideas or thoughts in 18 minutes or less talks. And it’s coming to the small screen courtesy Star India which has greenlit “TED Talks India: Nayi Soch” – a talk show series that will be hosted by the evergreen glib host Shah Rukh Khan.

    The series will be telecast in Hindi and is being created in partnership with the TED organisation. The collaboration is a global first for the latter as it is the first time it is partnering with a network and a mega star for a TV show in a language other than English.

    TED Talks India: Nayi Soch which translates into new thinking will be devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading,’ just like its international parent.

    Star India chairman & CEO Uday Shankar said, “At Star, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries with new ideas, creativity and fresh thinking. Nobody reflects this belief more than TED and we are thrilled to collaborate with them in bringing the power of ideas to our audience with ‘TED Talks India Nayi Soch.’ In an age of high volatility the role of ideas to fuel positive change cannot be overstated. We are delighted to have Shah Rukh Khan share our vision and lend his charisma to this exciting endeavour.”

    Shah Rukh Khan added, “Star India’s legacy of using television as an instrument of social change, and TED’s unequivocal drive to showcase simple but unique ideas in an effort to spark debate and conversation are a very powerful combination. I believe ‘TED Talks India- Nayi Soch’ will inspire many minds across India. It is a concept I connected with instantly, as I believe that the media is perhaps the single most powerful vehicle to inspire change. I am looking forward to working with TED and Star India, and truly hope that together, we are able to inspire young minds across India and the world.”

    “It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing TED to India in this form,” said TED curator Chris Anderson. “The country is teeming with imagination and innovation, and we believe this series will tap into that spirit and bring insight and inspiration to many new minds. We’ve been so impressed by the passion of our partners at Star TV and our host Shah Rukh Khan. We cannot wait for the launch.”

    TED head of TV and series’ executive producer Juliet Blake added, “The sheer size of Star TV’s audience, with more than 650 million viewers, makes this a significant milestone in TED’s ongoing effort to bring big ideas to curious minds. Global television is opening up a new frontier for TED.”

    Star India said in a press release that it has always believed in disruptively powering social change through the power of its content to influence and impact people’s lives and thinking. Continuing with this journey ‘TED Talks India: Nayi Soch’ will take forward Star’s commitment of creating social impact with Nayi Soch in India. Inspiring a billion imaginations is much more than a tag line, it’s a promise Star India delivers every day in ways that break away from the conventional, spark national debate and help shape the new India.

  • Life OK targets men through its marketing campaign for ‘Har Mard Ka Dard’

    MUMBAI: Life OK is all set to add twist this Valentine’s Day as they launch its brand new show ‘Har Mard Ka Dard’.

    Protagonist Vinod Khanna seems to be blessed with super powers to understand and answer the most crucial question in this history of mankind, ‘What is going on in a woman’s mind’. If the 360 degree marketing and promotional initiatives across various cities are something to go by, the show seems to give a ray of hope to men as it gives a break from the regular saas- bahu serials.
    The channel has left no stone unturned in reaching out to their male audiences. Life OK has innovatively activated radio networks, print media, on ground activations and social media to promote the show.

    Starring Faisal Rashid (Vinod Khanna) and Jhinal Belani (Sonu) in lead roles the sitcom is produced by Tony and Deeya Singh of DJ’s Creative Unit. Directed by Parmeet Sethi, the show premieres on 14th February and will be airing Monday to Friday at 8:00pm.

    TV as a medium was utilized to the fullest to promote the show. Three very distinct promos were used. The first promo is set across 3 decades citing instances of a typical husband-wifenok-jhokwhere the wife feels her husband just doesn’t get her. The second promo showcases the various meaningin woman’s dictionaryof the sentence ‘Ok fine go’ and the third promo gives a glimpse of Vinod going to a temple and pleading to a goddess with his prayers being answered. The promos were an instant hit amongst the male audiences as it was a very honest and relatable communication.

    Life OK has always tried to push the envelope further and for the first time in the history of Indian radio, Life OK and Red FM will be getting 50 male RJs fromacross cities to talk about Har Mard Ka Dard. Unlike every year where the radio channel celebrates Valentine’s Day with its ardent listeners, Red FM this year will give thisday of love a skip and will be dedicating this day to men to share their ‘Man’ Ki Baat’. The RJs will be speaking their heart out aboutpersonal experiences of understanding women. They will be seeking Vinod Khanna, the protagonist’s help in decoding women. The RJs have already started promoting the activity and the feedback so far has been phenomenal. An interesting video with RJ Malishka, RJ Rishi Kapoor and RJ Nasar who rule the radio space has been created and is doing its rounds across social media platforms. The video gives an insight into how women think and how men react to what they have to say.

    Taking the marketing innovations a notch higher, Life OK launched a rap song titled Dard-E-Rap video which is a tribute to all men on the occasion of Valentine’s Day.The song gives an insight into various ways in which men struggle tounderstand women. The video provides a humorous take on how a woman’s mind works. Every man will be able to connect and nod in agreement to the video. The lyrics of the rap narrate Vinod Khanna’s life with the words, ‘No means no, yes means no and maybe kamatlab is also no’. Vinod raps on the fact that ‘there are 99 shades for the wordfine, whereas ok has 100 different meanings’. For the first time ever the focus ofValentine’s Daytowards men and their plight in relationships.

    With Life OK tilting towards male audiences, the channel was on the look out to promote the show at touch points that are conversation starters for men, where men connect. A research carried out by the channel came out with the inference that Barber shops is one of the places where men spend their time. Taking this outcome forward, the channel has put up stickers on the mirrors across barber shops in Delhi, Gujarat and Punjab with a tagline that reads ‘Bina blade ke shave karnamumkinhain, par Aurtonkosamajhnamushkil hi nahinnamumkinhai’ and ‘Sarkesaarebaalginanamumkinhai, par Aurtonkosamajhnamushkil hi nahinnamumkinhai’. The whole idea of having stickers on the mirror is to catch the men’s attention and draw them to a conversation with other men on the concept of the show.

    To top it all Chetan Bhagat who has interviewed over 100 women as a research for his book ‘One Indian girl’ which he wrote from a women’s perspective was roped in to launch a life size book with lead protagonist Faisal Rashid titled ‘A Guide to Understanding Women’. Chetan Bhagat, was the first man to write on the book followed by Faisal Rashid. While men would be documenting their experiences of failing to understanding women, their counterparts can also come forth and share their views on what men must do in order to understand them better. The 4ft book will be travelling across the lengths and breadths of the country to reach as many people as possible.

  • Balaji Telefilms reports operating profit for third quarter

    BENBALURU: After a few consecutive quarters during which the Ekta Kapoor run Balaji Telefilms Limited (Balaji Telefilms) reported consolidated operating losses, the company is showing signs of return to profitability. Balaji Telefilms reported operating profit of Rs 2.8 crore for the quarter ended 31 December 2016 (Q3-17, current quarter). In the current fiscal, the company had reported consolidated operating losses of Rs 26.2 crore and Rs 3 crore for the Q2-17 and Q1-17 respectively. In Q3-16, the company had reported an operating profit of Rs 18.05 crore (as per its older accounting practise – since 1 April 2016, the company has adopted IND-AS).

    The company reported increase in programming hours for the current quarter due to higher number of serials – 10 in the current quarter as against 9 in the immediate trailing quarter Q2-17. In Q3-17, Balaji Telefilms reported 262 hours of programming as against 231 hours in Q2-17. Though the company reported 294 hours of programming in Q3-16, its net realisation per hour for the current quarter is much higher at Rs 31.9 lakh as compared to Rs 24.2 lakh in the corresponding year ago quarter and Rs 26.3 lakh in the immediate trailing quarter. Revenue from Balaji Telefilm’s Commissioned Programs segment in Q3-17 was Rs 83.74 crore, while for Q2-16 it was Rs 72.01 crore.

    Further, though year-over-year (y-o-y) gross margin per hour has declined in the current quarter to Rs 7.10 lakh from Rs 8.7 lakh in Q3-16, it is higher than the Rs 6.8 lakh in Q4-16; Rs 5.2 lakh in Q1-17 and Rs 6.4 lakh in the immediate trailing quarter.

    The company had no film releases in the current quarter as compared to four in the immediate trailing quarter during which the company says that it incurred significant losses due to piracy.

    Balaji Telefilms reported a consolidated loss of Rs 1.78 crore in Q3-17, as compared to Profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 6.63 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter. Loss in the immediate trailing quarter was higher at Rs 28 crore.

    The company reported 40.7 percent higher revenue (TIO) in the current quarter at Rs 102.96 crore as compared to Rs 73.15 crore in Q3-16, but 2.5 percent lower than the Rs 105.91 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q2-17.

    On a standalone basis, Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) – the television arm reported higher a net profit of Rs 8 crores in the current quarter versus Rs 4.4 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. Standalone revenues for Q3-17 and Q2-17 were Rs 83.9 crore and Rs 61.2 crore respectively.

    ALT Digital

    Revenue from Balaji Telefilms digital business – ALT- was Nil as the company is getting ready to launch commercial services in early Q4-17. Other Income from ALT was Rs 1.6 crore in Q3-17 versus Rs 3.3 crore in Q2-17.

    Balaji Telefilms says that it will continue to add original, exclusive and disruptive content in preparation for launch. It reveals that its content library at launch will have 6 original shows and some curated content totalling over 200 hours of content
    It says further that it has entered into marketing and distribution tie ups with leading smartphone OEMs / telco / ISP / eCommerce and payment partners.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Balaji Telefilms

    Revenue from Balaj Telefilms movie business for Q3-17 was Rs 19.2 crore against Rs 43.2 crore in Q2-17. The movie business had an operating loss of Rs 1.7 crore in the current quarter. Operating loss in the immediate trailing quarter was Rs 28 crore. Total amount invested as of 31 September 2016 in movies that are under production was Rs 50.2 crore says the company.

    Total Expenditure in the current quarter increased 51.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 103.98 crore (100.3 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 68.69 crore (87.3 percent of TIO) in Q3-16. Cost of Production/Acquisition and Telecast Fees in Q3-17 was Rs 77.37 crore (74.6 percent of TIO), 13.7 percent more than Rs 68.04 crore (86.5 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Employee Benefit Expense in the current quarter increased 35 percent y-o-y to Rs 6.63 crore (6.4 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 4.92 crore (6.2 percent of TIO).

    Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion…