ITV

Category: GECs

  • Business channels gain in Week 8: Chrome Data

    Business channels gain in Week 8: Chrome Data

    MUMBAI: In the Week eight of opportunity to see (OTS) collated by Chrome Data Analytics & Media, Business news channels in the eight metros at the top with 0.7 per cent rise. Zee Business topped the charts with 76.9 per cent OTS.

     

    The Kids genre was close on the heels as that too saw 0.5 per cent gain across the country with Cartoon Network leading the list with 85.9 per cent OTS.

     

    Even English News channels witnessed 0.5 per cent gain in the eight metros. Times Now led this genre with 87.4 per cent OTS.

     

    Religious channels too saw a minor rise of 0.1 per cent in the Hindi speaking market (HSM) with Aastha at the top as it garnered 98.5 per cent OTS.

     

    As for the bottom four, Hindi news genre in the HSM saw a drop of 0.6 per cent with Aaj Tak at top with 93.1 per cent OTS. Sports genre followed suit with 0.5 per cent loss across India. However, Ten Sports gained the most with 74.7 per cent OTS.

     

    Hindi movie genre with 0.2 per cent drop in the HSM was at third spot. Zee Cinema garnered 95 per cent OTS.

     

    At the bottom was the Music genre in the HSM with 0.2 per cent drop with MTV on the top with 86.3 per cent OTS.

  • High hopes for ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’

    High hopes for ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’

    MUMBAI: Aired two years ago, this television show hosted by Aamir Khan took the country by storm with its focus on social ills such as female foeticide, dowry, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, domestic violence and honour killings among others.

     

    Buoyed by the overwhelming response, the makers decided to take the franchise further. And so, starting 2 March, viewers can once again tune into Satyamev Jayate on Sundays at 11 am on Star Plus.

     

    With a tagline that reads: ‘Jinhe Desh Ki Fikar Hai’, season two promises hard-hitting content like before but the format will be different. Unlike the last time when all 13 episodes ran at a stretch, this time, the series has been broken up into three quarters with five episodes in March and the remaining eight episodes split into groups of four each.

     

    Airtel has been roped in as title sponsor while Axis Bank is the powered by sponsor this season. According to industry sources, the sticker price of the show is anywhere between Rs 3 crore and Rs 3.5 crore.

     

     

    Graphene Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty

    Marketing and promotion

     

    Host Aamir Khan and Star Plus have come out with six different promos that are already doing the rounds on the network.

     

    One of them begins with Khan asking the question, ‘Pata hai apna show kaun dekhega?’ later shifting his gaze to the cars and autos on the road below. He sees some of them breaking the traffic rules and shakes his head: ‘Yeh nahin dekhega’. Moments later, he breaks into a smile on seeing one of the cars paying heed to the red signal. ‘Yeh dekhega,’ he signs off…

     

    The promo, which urges people to be responsible citizens, went on air on 25 January and has since garnered 552,000 views.

     

    Apart from the promo, the show itself has set social media aflutter. From 1.6 million likes last season on Facebook, season two has garnered nearly 2.7 million likes. From close to 93,000 followers on Twitter last season, this time, there are around 143,000 followers.

     

    While initial conversations around SMJ were triggered by Khan’s popularity, later conversations are more around the causes espoused by the actor on the show. Plus, the channel shares and tweets these conversations and uploads videos on a daily basis to keep up the buzz.

     

    Havas Media managing director Mohit Joshi

    Industry Speaks

     

    Ahead of the launch of season two, indiantelevision.com spoke to a cross-section of industry about the return of SMJ and how it would fare in their opinion…

     

    “For me, a show like SMJ doesn’t need any promotions. The fact that it is coming back says a lot about it and the impact it has had on people. In one of the promos where Aamir is talking about who will watch SMJ and who won’t speaks of responsible behavior. SMJ is beyond television, it is meaningful TV!” said Havas Media managing director Mohit Joshi.

     

    “The promos this time are a little tongue in cheek. They’re quite subtle. Even the timings are correct, with elections coming near and what is happening in Delhi, these things are tying in very relevantly. It’s really bang on to start conversations around it especially Aamir Khan in this style,” said Lodestar UM vice-president Deepak Netram.

     

    However, about the change in format, he said: “A show always works if you have continuity; appointment viewing builds up after a certain period of time certainly for GECs. Having gaps is not going to help, but I guess in the grain of what the show is I am sure it is possibly going to be an objective which will have people looking forward to the show.  The challenge will be to maintain the momentum and keep the excitement going, because there will be so much happening in between.”

     

     

    Lodestar UM vice-president Deepak Netram

    “The promos are more interesting than the previous season. If someone is watching it for the first time, they will be inquisitive about it. But for people who have already watched the previous season, they know the format of the show. This season the promos are much more focused, straight to the point and more subjective,” believes Graphene Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty.

     

    Commenting on the break pattern Chakrabarty asserts: “Since the topics are relevant and very engaging, people will consume the content in dozes so break won’t affect the viewership.”

  • Q3: Digitisation boosts broadcasters’ revenues

    Q3: Digitisation boosts broadcasters’ revenues

    MUMBAI: Digitisation of cable TV services in major cities has helped broadcasters improve their income from subscriptions in the third quarter ended 31 December, 2013, but the cap on advertising has hit some of them badly as the regulation got implemented at the beginning of the quarter.

     

    The advertising revenues of the industry rose by about 10 per cent in the third quarter, largely on account of robust growth at general entertainment channels (GECs), according to analysts.

     

    ADVERTISING REVENUE

     

    Sun TV saw its advertising revenue fall 7.2 per cent on year to Rs 272 crore in the third quarter, as the cap on advertising hurt the leading television network from south India. The fall in Sun TV’s advertising revenue was despite an increase in advertising rates, analysts said.

     

    GroupM’s Senior Director, Analytics, Central Trading Group, Harsh Deep Chhabra, says news channels are expected to take a bigger hit than the GECs because of the ad cap. While the impact of the advertising cap on news channel could be as high as up to 35 per cent, it could be 10-15 per cent on GECs.

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ ex-sports advertisement revenue growth was more than 20 per cent year on year, due to gains in market shares and launch of new channels.

     

    Barring the short-term impact of reduction in advertising inventory, advertising spends on television are expected to grow in healthy double digits over the next many years, according to Zee Entertainment Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Punit Goenka.

     

    The advertising revenue growth at Zee Media, which has a group of general and business news channels, was 3.1 per cent at Rs 61.39 crore in the third quarter, against its subscription revenue growth of 21.6% at Rs 270 crore.

     

    The third quarter had seen relaunch of Zee News channel with refreshed programming and look.

     

    TV18 Broadcast’s consolidated advertising revenues grew 3 per cent year on year, as entertainment channels led by Colors and MTV delivered strong double digit advertising revenue growth. Advertising environment for news and infotainment continued to be sluggish.

     

    In the first half of 2013-14 too, advertising revenues at TV18 Broadcast had grown by 3 per cent year on year, with the advertising revenues at Colors growing by more than 15 per cent.

     

    SUBSCRIPTION REVENUE

     

    Sun TV’s subscription revenues rose 27% year on year to Rs 167 crore in the third quarter, basically driven by a 45.9% increase in analogue subscription revenue and a 19.6% rise in direct-to-home subscription revenue. The company expects robust growth in subscription revenue to continue as the full benefits of phase I and Phase II digitisation of cable TV are yet to be reflected as Chennai and Coimbatore are yet to be fully digitised.

     

    The Chennai-based broadcaster’s operating profit margin came under pressure because of higher cost of content, in addition to a decline in advertising revenue.  Multiple non-fiction shows telecast during the quarter led to a 428 basis points year-on-year contraction in operating margin to 73.6%, according to a results update by Angel Broking.

     

    It said Sun TV management expects content cost to go down in the next quarter as no non-fiction shows are planned to be telecast in the fourth quarter of 2013-14.

     

    TV18’s net distribution income (subscription revenues minus carriage/placement fees) continued to grow steadily. In the third quarter, the net distribution income was  Rs 43.6 crore, a growth of 145 per cent year on year.

     

    Zee Entertainment’s subscription revenues were up 11.4 per cent year on year to Rs 456.50 crore in the third quarter. The company’s domestic subscription revenues grew by 12.2 per cent year on year to Rs 332.20 crore in the third quarter.

     

    ZEE Media’s subscription revenue was up 21.6 per cent year on year at Rs 270 crore in the third quarter.

     

    New Delhi Television did not provide a break-up of its revenues from its broadcast operations. The news broadcaster said its Hindi news business remains buoyant with NDTV India reporting robust revenue growth. NDTV only said its revenues from broadcast operations in the third quarter were up 22 per cent year on year at Rs 131.02 crore.

     

    B.A.G. Films & Media reported improved a 29.1 per cent year on year rise in operating revenue to Rs 23.60 crore in the third quarter. The break-up of the revenue was not available.

     

    OPERATING PERFORMANCE:

     

    TV18 Broadcast reported its highest ever quarterly operating profit at Rs 77.5 crore, up 61 per cent year on year. Its net distribution income continued to grow steadily. In the third quarter, the net distribution income was  Rs 43.6 crore, a growth of 145 per cent year on year.

     

    On a proforma basis, including the results of ETV Entertainment, TV18 Broadcast’s operating profit was Rs 108.1 crore. ETV Entertainment reported a sharp reduction in losses compared to the previous two quarters as programming and marketing investments made in the first half led to an upswing in ratings and revenues.

     

    NDTV’s reported Rs 3.29 crore of operating profit in the third quarter against an operating loss of Rs 1.98 crore a year ago.

     

    B.A.G. Films too had an operating profit (of Rs 8.56 crore) in the third quarter against operating loss of Rs 1.51 crore a year earlier.

     

    Zee Entertainment’s operating profit in the third quarter was Rs 290.70 crore, up 11.3 per cent despite operating profit margin contracting to 24.5 per cent from 27.8 per cent a year ago.

     

    Sun TV’s operating profit fell 1.1 per cent year on year to Rs 372 crore in the third quarter, as its revenues were impacted by fall in advertising revenue and increase in content cost due to reality shows.

  • Chrome week 7: English movie genre is the biggest gainer

    Chrome week 7: English movie genre is the biggest gainer

    MUMBAI: The opportunity to see (OTS) data collated by Chrome Data Analytics & Media for week seven has been released with the highest gainer of the week being the English movie genre in the eight metros. The genre witnessed a 5.4 per cent rise with Pix on top as it gained 76.8 per cent OTS.

     

    English entertainment channels also saw a rise of five per cent in the eight metros with AXN topping the charts. The channel scored 70.9 per cent OTS.

     

    In the eight metros, the business news genre also grew as it witnessed a rise of 3.7 per cent. CNBC Awaaz was again on top with 76.7 per cent OTS.

     

    English news in the eight metros followed suit and witnessed a rise of 3.7 per cent. Times Now was the highest gainer with 87.5 per cent OTS.

     

    In the bottom four, Hindi speaking markets (HSM) witnessed a minor drop. Religious genre witnessed a 0.8 per cent drop with Aastha remaining at the top with 98.5 per cent OTS.

     

    Hindi GECs lost 0.6 per cent in the HSM with Colors gaining the most. The GEC gained 96.4 per cent OTS.

     

    Hindi movie channels also saw a drop of 0.4 per cent in the HSM. Zee Cinema topped the charts with 95.7 per cent OTS.

     

    At the bottom of the chart is Kids genre across the country with 0.3 per cent drop. Cartoon Network was at the top in the genre with 85.2 per cent OTS.

  • Q3: Sri Adhikari Brothers PAT up 40%

    Q3: Sri Adhikari Brothers PAT up 40%

    BENGALURU:  Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network reported a net profit of Rs 3.10 crore for Q3-2013, 40 per cent higher than Rs 2.21 crore a year ago and 36.1 per cent more than Rs 2.28 crore a quarter ago. The company’s 9M-2014 net profit rose 10.6 per cent to Rs 7.21 crore from Rs 6.52 crore a year ago. For FY-2013, the company had reported net profit of Rs 3.50 crore.

     

    The company’s income from operations for Q3-2014 rose 10.4 per cent to Rs 19.13 crore from Rs 17.33 crore in Q3-2013, and was 5.5 per cent more than the Rs 18.13 crore in Q2-2014. For 9M-2014, Sri Adhikari Brothers reported Rs 54.78 crore as income, which was 24.6 per cent more than the Rs 43.96 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, Sri Adhikari Brothers reported Net Sales/Income from Operations at Rs 60.19 crore.

     

    Let us look at the other Q3-2014 numbers reported by Sri Adhikari Brothers:

     

    The company reported Total expense of Rs 15.47 crore in Q3-2014, which was 8 per cent more than the Rs 14.33 crore in Q2-2013 and 0.3 per cent more than the Rs 15.42 crore in Q2-2013. YTD, total expense was Rs 46.17 crore, 30.7 per cent more than Rs 35.32 crore in 9M-2014. For FY 2013, Sri Adhikari Brothers reported Total expense of Rs 53.60 crore.

     

    Sri Adhikari Brothers Production expense was up 16.3 per cent to Rs 11.59 crore in Q3-2014 from Rs 9.97 crore in Q3-2013 and was up 4.8 per cent from Rs 11.07 crore in Q2-2014. During 9M-2014, Sri Adhikari Brothers Production expense was up 49.7 per cent to Rs 33.35 crore from Rs 22.28 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, Production expense was Rs 37.17 crore.

     

    The company paid (19.2) per cent lower finance cost in Q3-2014 at Rs 0.74 crore as compared to the Rs 0.91 crore in Q3-2013, but 66 per cent more than the Rs 0.44 crore in Q2-2014. During the nine month period of the current financial year, Sri Adhikari Brothers paid (46.5) per cent lower finance cost at Rs 1.6 crore as compared to the Rs 3 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, finance cost was Rs 3.39 crore.

     

    Sri Adhikari Brothers Employee cost at Rs 0.37 crore in Q3-2014 was 18.4 per cent less than the Rs 0.45 crore in Q3-2013, but 2.5 per cent more than the Rs 0.36 crore in Q2-2014. YTD, Employee cost at Rs 1.10 crore was 13.2 per cent lower than the Rs 1.26 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, employee cost reported by the company was Rs 1.45 crore.

     

    Click here for full financials

  • Convert DD regional channels into 24-hour channels in Hindi belt: Prasar Bharati

    Convert DD regional channels into 24-hour channels in Hindi belt: Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati is in favour of converting some of Doordarshan’s regional channels in the Hindi belt into round-the-clock cable and satellite channels.

     

    These include Chandigarh, Dehradun, Shimla, Ranchi, Hussar, Raipur, and Jammu regional channels. At present, some of these channels are put on the terrestrial network for around four hours when DD National goes off the National Network. At such times, Delhi’s Doordarshan Kendra transmits its programmes terrestrially.

    Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar said at a meeting of the Prasar Bharati Board yesterday that an optimisation committee would study the various aspects related to carrying out of this transition. “The board has given in-principle approval to the scaling up of these channels,” an official said.

    Sircar said turning them into round-the- clock channels would not require much of additional resources.
     

    The Board is also in favour of monetising the excess land available around fifty radio transmitters all over the country that are not being adequately used to generate revenues for Prasar Bharati. (It is understood that the Government has earlier opposed this on the ground that this was public property and also for security reasons.) Prasar Bharati feels this land can be given out to public sector companies or banks as this will not compromise the security aspects.

     

    Speaking at a World Radio Day function organised by the News Services Division of AIR, Sircar had said yesterday that even the Parliamentary Standing Committee had favoured monetisation of this land.

     

    The Board also recommended that Doordarshan towers could be utilised all over the country to carry FM radio transmission to strengthen the FM network.

    Earlier Prasar Bharati had turned four Doordarshan channels from part-time to round-the-clock channels in the Hindi heartland states of Bihar, UP, MP and Rajasthan.

    Officials said the Board also favoured putting the historical speeches of national leaders in Prasar Bharati’s archives on the internet. 

  • MSM’s “new initiative”: A Hindi GEC?

    MSM’s “new initiative”: A Hindi GEC?

    MUMBAI: It was around 10 days ago that Multi Screen Media (MSM) announced the reshuffling and restructuring of its senior management. At that time the press release had said: “Anooj Kapoor will assume additional responsibilities as senior EVP and Business Head, SAB TV, and also a new initiative in the Hindi entertainment space.”

     

    When we contacted Kapoor, he was quite enigmatic when quizzed about the new initiative. Ditto with MSM president Rohit Gupta who confirmed that the Network is in the process of putting together “something new” but the details about it would be shared when the time comes.

     

    But we, at Indiantelevision.com, were not willing to be stonewalled and continued to dig around. So far what we have gathered is that the new Sony Entertainment Television offering will be another general entertainment channel – the third in the bouquet after SET and SAB. And it will have mainly fiction shows on its FPC. A senior media planner disclosed that he had been told by Sony executives that the launch is slated to take place within the next six weeks – that is before the financial year ends. 

     

    Sony Entertainment Television is likely to continue to air its existing successful shows such as C.I.D., Crime Patrol (in the crime/thriller genre), Boogie Woogie, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (talent and reality show genre), Comedy Circus (comedy genre) and Kaun Banega Crorepati (quiz genre). SAB, which is among the more profitable services in the Sony Entertainment Television Network, will of course continue with its focus on lighter fare and comedies. 

     

    Industry sources reveal that an example of the type of programming the new channel will air are the shows it has signed on with Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachachan and their under-revival production house Saraswati Creations.

     

    Interestingly, headhunters are reportedly scouting for new hires to fill up the positions that are cropping up courtesy Sony’s new foray, and the mandate has been put out to strengthen the MSM communications team. 

     

    The Network has already got the required government licences for the upcoming channel, confirms a highly placed source, who goes on to say that the launch might be hurried if the TV ratings blackout becomes a reality by March when the High Court is supposed to announce its decision on TAM’s and Kantar’s future.

     

    Star India already has three Hindi GECs – Star Plus, Life Ok, Channel V – while a fourth, Star Utsav airs reruns from it old TV show catalogue. Zee Entertainment has the successful Zee TV and launched Zee Anmol last year, work on a third GEC is believed to be on currently. 

     

    Clearly, India’s TV networks believe in dishing out more to the country’s entertainment hungry TV viewers.

  • VAM Hussain to continue in Prasar Bharati as Principal Advisor

    VAM Hussain to continue in Prasar Bharati as Principal Advisor

    NEW DELHI: Brig (Retd) V.A.M. Hussain, until now Member (Personnel) in Prasar Bharati, has been designated Principal Advisor (Personnel and Administration) at Prasar Bharti.

    Hussain’s tenure as Member (Personnel) came to an end today.

    His continuance as Principal Advisor was unanimously decided at a meeting of the Prasar Board this morning.

  • Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed Chairperson of BCCC

    Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed Chairperson of BCCC

    MUMBAI: The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has got a new Chairperson in Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal, the former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court and former Judge of the Delhi High court. The Board of Directors of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has approved Mudgal’s appointment for the self-regulatory body of the IBF.

     

    Justice Mudgal succeeds Justice (Retd.) Ajit Prakash Shah, who demitted office as the Chairperson of BCCC after being appointed the Chairperson of the Twentieth Law Commission of India in November, 2013.

     

    Justice Mudgal will chair the 32nd Meeting of BCCC towards the end of this month.

     

    A BSc (Hons) graduate from Delhi University’s Hindu College and LLB from Law Faculty, DU, Justice Mudgal has a lot of interest in classical music, sports and reading. He was appointed the Judge of Delhi High Court on Delhi on 2 March, 1998 and elevated as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on 5 December, 2009 from where he retired on 3 January, 2011.

     

    After retirement, he chaired a committee set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to propose changes in the Cinematograph Act, 1952. He also chaired a committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India to inquire into the allegations of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

  • SAB TV adds another key ‘Free-to-Air’ market with San Francisco

    SAB TV adds another key ‘Free-to-Air’ market with San Francisco

    NEW YORK: Sony MSM Network is proud to announce the addition of San Francisco as the next key free-to-air territory for SAB TV through its tie-up with KFTL TV28. SAB TV will be available on Channel 28.10. 

     

    SAB TV a 24/7 South Asian television channel in the United States and India’s premier family comedy channel is already available on channel 23.4 in USA’s largest Designated Market Area (DMA) of the New York metro area and channel 44.4 in the fifth largest DMA of Dallas/Fortworth, TX, with a combined reach of over 10 million households.

     

    San Francisco, USA’s sixth largest DMA adds another 1.7 million households including key ethnic groups in the Bay Area. This new digital initiative makes SAB TV the first free-to-air South Asian channel with the largest reach in North America.

     

    Viewers can now enjoy SAB TV programs for free within the NYC, DFW and the Bay Area areas with no monthly subscription or fees. To access this free-to-air channel, viewers in the coverage area will need a low-cost UHF antenna hooked to their television sets that are DTV-capable. UHF antennae are available at most electronic retail stores.

     

    SAB TV reinforces its brand message ‘Asli Mazaa SAB ke Saath Hai’  with a current programming line-up that includes a host of popular shows such as ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’’, ‘Baal Veer’, ‘Chidiya Ghar’, ‘Jeannie Aur Juju’, ‘Lapataganj’, ‘FIR’, “Pritam Pyaare Aur Woh, and other popular comedy shows. This light-hearted fare makes for an enjoyable family-viewing experience.

     

    KFTL’s General Manager, Ian Milne commented, “SAB TV is a strong addition to KFTL’s high quality line-up of programming reflecting the cultural diversity of the San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose community that we are so proud to serve.”

     

    Jaideep Janakiram, SVP International Business-Head of North America, said, “With the success of SAB TV’s free-to-air model in New York and Dallas and in line with our strategy to be a forerunner in distributing our programming to the widest audience possible, it gives us great pleasure to bring the best in entertainment – SAB TV to the people of San Francisco who reside in the KFTL coverage area and to local advertisers who can now target the expanding South Asian audience in these markets”.

     

    About Sony Entertainment Television Asia:

     

    Since its launch on the Indian subcontinent in 1995, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has enjoyed rapid success, leading to the establishment of European, North American and African feeds known as SET Asia. SET and SET Asia are now available in over 150 countries. The channels offer their viewers a distinctive blend of entertainment programs twenty four hours a day, including, soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, concerts, movies, and game shows.  Besides SET Asia, SEN also has four other leading channels, as part of its bouquet: MAX, India’s #1 premier movies and special events channel, SAB, the only dedicated comedy channel, MIX, the recently launched Hindi Film Music channel and Aath, the only dedicated Bengali Movie channel.

     

    About KFTL:

     

    KFTL offers companies, media professionals, programmers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to lease digital broadcast spectrum on free-to-air Channel 28 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reaching over 5 million people and 1.7 million households, including key ethnic groups, KFTL leverages the power of free digital television to offer diverse programming to Bay Area viewers using nothing more than an inexpensive set-top antenna (such as “rabbit ears”), available online or at any electronics retailer.