ITV

Category: GECs

  • Star Bharat refreshes its brand identity with new logo and slogan ’Dil Deke Dekho Zara’

    Star Bharat refreshes its brand identity with new logo and slogan ’Dil Deke Dekho Zara’

    Mumbai: Star Bharat unveiled a refreshed brand identity, with the tagline – ‘Dil Deke Dekho Zara’ to reflect the channel’s evolution. The channel also developed a new anthem that brings alive the new brand proposition. The new brand identity represents the emotion of following one’s heart, and aims to encourage viewers to fall in love and express themselves.

    The channel also announced the launch of two new shows: Na Umra Ki Seema Ho, a unique love story of pure love that transcends all boundaries of age and social background and Ajooni, a beautiful love story between two drastically opposite people and their journey of falling in love.

    These two compelling stories will strike a chord with the audience and examine the evolution of romantic relationships in modern-day India, from rural to major cities.

    The new line-up of content will cater to every part of India and feature shows that will reinforce the brand promise.

    The channel welcomes this change by positioning it as a one-stop destination for content themed around romance. The refreshed identity will reflect in its programming bringing to light stories of love and romance keeping universal relationships at the forefront.

    The channel spokesperson said, “Star Bharat is at a juncture where it needs to reinvent and bring forth refreshed look and feel combined with renewed programming. Romance is a universal language and cuts across age, gender, culture and we are happy to progress in this space. We intend to make television viewing a cohesive experience for our viewers. With the new brand promise we will continue to offer compelling content and create characters and formats that resonate with the masses.”

    Star Bharat’s programming celebrates the many facets of growing India, and the channel’s revamp is a celebration of love and connection. Reflecting the new thought, the programming is built from existing shows like Radha Krishn, Gud Se Meetha Ishq, Woh Toh Hai Albelaa to the recently launched Swayamvar Mika Di Vohti, Channa Mereya and Bohot Pyar Karte Hai, all of which emphasise on love and romance.

  • Atrangii TV to telecast shows ad-free

    Atrangii TV to telecast shows ad-free

    Mumbai: The newly launched Hindi GEC, Atrangii TV, has announced that shows will be available break-free, without any additional premium charges.

    Audiences across the country can enjoy their favourite shows on the channel without any breaks and experience premium OTT-style viewing while watching a television channel with their family.  

    This is the very first time that a Hindi GEC will run their entire programming line-up break-free without any premium subscription.  

    Atrangii TV has come up with its first-ever pricing benchmark from 1 August 2022. The unique and varied content targeting different genres of audiences is the USP of the channel and hence makes it different from other GECs who prefer to showcase only regular family soap dramas. From historical and mythological to comedy and romance, Atrangii TV provides a varied range of shows for all its audiences.  

    Speaking about a first-of-its-kind roll-out, Atrangii TV founder and group CEO Vibhu Agarwal said, “Since the launch of the channel, our endeavour has been to curate gripping, cutting-edge concepts with high production values. “We want our viewers, who are Hindi-speaking and understand audiences across the length and breadth of the country, to enjoy quality content. Adding to the experience, we want our viewers to enjoy premium viewing without paying anything additional. Hence, the Atrangii channel is break-free, which further enriches the viewing experience of the audience.”

  • Rachin Khanijo joins Sony Entertainment Television as marketing head

    Rachin Khanijo joins Sony Entertainment Television as marketing head

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India has appointed Rachin Khanijo as the marketing head. Earlier, he was associated with Beginnen Media as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). He was responsible for on-air promotions, marketing, and corporate & digital communications. Beginnen Media runs Hindi GEC Azaad TV.

    He has over 17 years of experience in the industry. Prior to this, he has worked with Eros Now as vice-president-marketing; Zeel as marketing head; Viacom18, Ogilvy & Mather and SET.

  • ZEE unveils metaverse induction program in Bengaluru

    ZEE unveils metaverse induction program in Bengaluru

    Mumbai: Media & entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises on Wednesday conducted its first-ever induction in a metaverse environment by welcoming 100+ campus graduates from top tech institutes across the nation; at its Technology and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. The company’s Technology & Innovation Centre is focused on building the metaverse platform by leveraging augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and relevant data models for its digital platforms.

    The initiative was led by ZEE president – digital businesses and platforms Amit Goenka and ZEE president – technology & data Nitin Mittal, addressing the fresh batch of recruits. The metaverse induction was conducted by leveraging the Technology and Innovation Centre’s state of the art infrastructure and cutting-edge technology solutions: thereby offering an immersive mixed reality experience to the fresh recruits.

    Speaking about the initiative, Goenka said, “At ZEE’s Technology and Innovation Centre, we are imbibing a sharp strategic focus on enhancing our tech capabilities through a confluence of technology, data and talent. As we break new grounds and redefine entertainment by providing robust experiences across platforms, we are delighted to converge ZEE’s collaborative and entrepreneurial culture in the physical and digital realms through an immersive environment such as the metaverse. We aim to provide intuitive experiences across all aspects of an individual’s consumption, creation and transactional journey, and the first-ever metaverse induction program at ZEE, will not only help enhance our employee experience by boosting innovation and productivity, but also our consumer experience by several notches.”  

    Mittal added, “For over three decades, we have been a pioneer in breaking the norms of the industry and creating path-breaking content for more than 1.3 billion viewers across the globe. Our focus now remains on building capability for ZEE by leveraging technology to provide our consumers with extraordinary entertainment experiences. Our quest is to shape the next chapter of India’s media & entertainment Industry and the Metaverse Induction Program is yet another major step in that direction. Inducting, nurturing and retaining the right talent is key to any organisation’s success and we are committed to giving a world class experience to our tech enthusiasts right from day one.”  

    Commenting on the induction program, ZEE president – HR and transformation Animesh Kumar said, “As digital transformation continues to accelerate globally, the Technology and Innovation Centre at ZEE will play the lead role in driving the next era of innovation in content consumption. ZEEverse, is another major stride in a string of initiatives launched by the company in recent times towards our internal digital transformation that will enable the organisation to become future-ready and win in the emerging digitalised economy. Our focus is on building a collaborative, high-capability driven environment for our tech enthusiasts, who are the innovators of tomorrow. As we reimagine the future of our workplace, we are also elevating our employee experience by adopting a new induction module that will deliver an immersive and unique on-boarding experience to our fresh batch of recruits.”  

    ZEE is focused on offering a holistic environment to its talent workforce through the adoption of innovative and path-breaking technology. The company aims to enhance and widen its digital footprint, as it continues to cater to the global community and redefine the future of entertainment by leveraging a technology and innovation led strategy.

  • TV9 Network’s Money9 unveils India’s first multilingual personal finance OTT App

    TV9 Network’s Money9 unveils India’s first multilingual personal finance OTT App

    Mumbai: TV9 Network announces the launch of Money9, India’s first multilingual personal finance OTT Channel. A unique proposition, the Money9 OTT App is now live on android and IOS platforms with seven language options Hindi, English, Bangla, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Kannada.

    The app is packed with over 19 app-exclusive pioneering daily, weekly and monthly shows arranged in seasons and episodes, aimed at financial wisdom, inclusion, empowerment, and financial freedom.

    Money9 is committed to de-jargonize, decluttering and democratising financial wisdom leading to financial inclusion, wealth creation and financial freedom for the Indian population, especially in the hinterland, hitherto underserviced.

    The Money9 App is loaded with ground-breaking personal finance content while offering a great user experience.

    TV9 Network managing director & CEO, Barun Das, said, “The Money9 App aims to fill a huge gap in the Indian consumer market by offering an unrivalled product that truly makes a positive difference to the lives of 130 crore citizens of this country.”

    “More people (as a matter of fact everyone) are interested to know how to make their money better than they are interested in news. Personal finance proposition in regional languages – covering all aspects of saving, investment and financial planning – aimed at aiding financial freedom up to the grassroots level is a billion-dollar proposition. Money9 has been a long-cherished dream for me. I am delighted to see the dream turning into reality,” Das added.

    Talking about the launch Money9 editor Anshuman Tiwari said, “Money9 App offers unique shows for the entire gamut of personal finance categories i.e. Savings, Insurance, Loans, Gold, Property, Mutual Funds, Stocks, Spending, Fintech, Crypto and Policy analysis in short videos, audio formats, including comics and stories from history.”

    “Its uniqueness lies in the idea, the format and the treatment made richer by the availability in seven languages and more in the pipeline via text, video and audio,” Tiwari observed.  

    TV9 chief growth officer Raktim Das, said, “The Money9 videos have already made a mark with their simple, candid and empowering content across seven languages. The content has grossed over 1 billion views in the last six months, across platforms and growing. Apart from exclusive content the Money9 App has a studded library of 5,000 evergreen videos and podcasts for repeated viewing.”

    The Money9 App aims to empower its audience with innovative and interactive content lineup. Notable shows currently on air include Money Central, MoneyTime, Chain Ki Saans, Jagte Raho, Assi Nabbe Poore Sau, Formula Guru, Makan Dukan, Bura Na Mano Tax Hai, Kharch Bahadur, Finomoney, Insurance Central, Gold Central, Stocks Central, Mutual Fund Central, Companynama, Economicom, MoneyComic and Kisson Ke Sikke.

  • SPNI acquires exclusive media rights for World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    SPNI acquires exclusive media rights for World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired the exclusive media rights for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

    This deal will give SPNI rights to broadcast the upcoming edition of the World Athletics Championships on its sports channels across India and the subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The association will also allow SPN to showcase all video-on-demand content for its viewers.

    The series, scheduled from 15 July to 24 July 2022 in Eugene, Oregon and United States, will be live telecast across Sony Ten  channels in India as well as livestreamed on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The 2022 World Athletics Championships will be the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships and will mark the first time the US hosts the most prestigious event in the sport. The ten-day grand sporting competition will host 2000 athletes representing more than 200 nations, who will aim to give their best performance across 49 track and field disciplines & realize their lifelong dream.

    For India, Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra will lead the country’s charge, heading a strong contingent that will include: Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Men’s Shot Put), Kamalpreet Kaur (Women’s Discus Throw), Priyanka Goswami (Women’s 20km Race Walk), Rahul Rohilla (Men’s 20km Race Walk), Sandeep Kumar (Men’s 20km Race Walk), Murali Sreeshankar (Men’s Long Jump), Jeswin Aldrin (Men’s Long Jump), Abdulla Aboobacker (Men’s Triple Jump), Avinash Sable (Men’s 3000m Steeplechase), Praveen Chitravel (Men’s Triple Jump), Seema Punia (Women’s discus throw) along with a team for the men’s 4×400 relay and more.

    Currently, former long jumper Anju Bobby George’s bronze in Paris in 2003 is the only medal won by an Indian athlete at the World Championships. The nation will be rooting strongly for the contingent and hope to extend the medal tally in this outing.

    Speaking on the partnership, SPNI chief revenue officer, distribution & head of sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “We are pleased to have acquired the media rights of World Athletics Championships Oregon22 for India and the subcontinent. The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 is anticipated to be a gathering of the world’s best athletes and we are proud to see a strong Indian contingent qualify for the competition, backed by their exceptional performance at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With the broadcast of World Athletics Championship, our viewers will get an opportunity to watch India’s finest at this prestigious sporting event and cheer for the athletes to finish at the podium.”  

    World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon said, “We are delighted that Sony Pictures Networks India has come on board to provide such extensive coverage of our most prestigious championships to our Indian and subcontinental fans. India is an important and growing market for athletics, partly as a consequence of the rising performance level of Indian athletes at our major championships. As a global organization we want our sport to be available to athletics fans in every country in the world and this agreement with Sony Pictures Networks India will help us achieve that.”

  • Colors Bangla to air new show ‘Indrani’ starting 18 July

    Colors Bangla to air new show ‘Indrani’ starting 18 July

    Mumbai: Colors Bangla has announced a new show Indrani that depicts an unconventional romance between an older woman with a younger man. Produced by Shashi Sumeet, special partner Dear Lotteries, Indrani will go on air from 18 July every day at 8 p.m on the channel.

    The show features Ankita Chakraborty and Rahul Ganguly playing the lead roles. It also boasts of a stellar starcast including Soma Chakraborty, Bikash Bhowmick, Sambhabi, Sumanta Mukherjee and Arijit Chowdhury amongst others.

    Colors Bangla business head Sagnik Ghosh said, “We have always strived to create narratives that are very different and fresh in comparison to what our audience gets from other channels. In our society, even today, for a man to fall in love with a woman who is older than him comes with its own set of challenges. Our new show Indrani not only highlights that but also etches a beautiful and unconventional love story of Aditya who takes the brave step of shattering the prejudices by falling in love with a woman who is much older than him. I am glad to bring in such an impactful concept and I am sure that the show will make a place for itself in the hearts and minds of viewers. “

    The channel has planned a robust marketing campaign for the launch of the show across television, radio, and print. It will also involve high-impact properties in multi-system operator (MSO) networks and activate social media through interest-based targeting, enabling content engagement with the core Bangla general entertainment channel (BGEC) audience. There will also be multiple on-ground engagement activities, along with artist integration, to amplify the concept and drive in the show’s key messaging.

  • OMTV looks to widen audience outreach with Jain specific content

    OMTV looks to widen audience outreach with Jain specific content

    Mumbai: ‘Ahimsa Parmo Dharma’ is not merely a term for Jains; it is a way of life, and OMTV is using its platform to promote this idea and knowledge of Jainism throughout society. 

    With the broadcast of the Jain Mahaparv live event, OMTV enters into the Jainism content space and takes a step towards fulfilling its commitment of spreading knowledge on sanatan dharma which includes Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. 

    India, the broadcaster noted, is a land of many festivals, and celebrations occur throughout the year. However, the four-month period beginning with Shravan is the most significant in sanatan dharma, as this is when the most important festivals of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths are celebrated.

    The great gurus, sages, and sannyasis of India have all endeavoured to preach peace and love to all living beings. To commemorate the concept of nonviolence, Jainism’s spiritual leaders have this yearly event of Vyakhyaan.

    The platform will broadcast the knowledge and teachings of Jainism’s greatest gurus in real time. Lord Mahavir’s teachings will be disseminated by diverse gurus from all throughout India. OMTV is aggregating the live feeds of several gurus from various regions of India so that anyone in the world can view the Vyakhyan on the OMTV mobile application.

    Chaturmas is characterised as ‘Vihar Chariya Isinam Pasattha’ by Lord Mahavir. The four months Shravan, Bhadrapada, Ashwin, and Kartik comprise the sacred period of Chaturmas in the Hindu calendar. It begins with Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadhi Ekadashi) and culminates with Prabodhani Ekadashi. It is a season of devotion, penance, and spiritual pursuits. According to Jainism, all insects and microorganisms that are not visible to the naked eye become extremely active during the monsoon season. In such a scenario, these creatures may be damaged owing to the excessive human movement. The most significant Jain holiday, Pajushan, is observed in chaturmas. The most significant Jain holiday, Pajushan, is observed in chaturmas. OMTV aims to introduce these concepts to the world’s youth.

  • MTV celebrates the Asli Roadie spirit of Mumbai Police, distributes raincoats

    MTV celebrates the Asli Roadie spirit of Mumbai Police, distributes raincoats

    Mumbai: Viacom18’s youth, music, and English entertainment (YME) cluster MTV has donated 1,000 raincoats to the Mumbai Police on the anvil of monsoons.  

    The initiative recognises the spirit of ‘Asli Roadie’, personified by the Mumbai Police while keeping the city of dreams unencumbered by challenges, including those of the rainy season.  

    The high-quality protective raincoats provided by MTV and created by Yashlok Welfare Foundation, are created by marginalised sections of society such as the unemployed youth, women, rural population, and differently-abled individuals.

    As MTV Roadies journey in South Africa, India’s biggest genre-defining adventure reality show nears its grand conclusion, the brand celebrated the quintessential Roadie code of indomitable resolve, pluck and fellowship demonstrated by the Mumbai Police in safeguarding its citizens.

    Viacom18 youth, music, and English entertainment head Anshul Ailawadi said, “An ‘Asli Roadie’ is not just defined by adventure, but also a spirit of compassion and camaraderie to take everyone along on the journey. This is embodied by Mumbai Police every day. As they brave the monsoons yet again, this is our token of gratitude for their ceaseless commitment towards keeping the city safe.”

    Speaking about the initiative, superstar, philanthropist and the host of MTV Roadies – Journey in South Africa Sonu Sood said, “I have the utmost respect for our Mumbai Police and thank them for their extraordinary hard work, which makes our ordinary lives safe. This contribution of a thousand raincoats from MTV Roadies is our way of saluting them and further equipping them for their duties.”   

    The latest power-packed season of the show, Infinix Smartphones MTV Roadies journey in South Africa, co-powered by CoinSwitch, Paree Sanitary Pads, Leverage Edu, and Lakmé Sun Expert is all set to pit the best of the best in its thrilling grand finale on 10 July at 7 p.m.

  • Zee Theatre brings the endless magic, innocence and wonder of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ to India

    Zee Theatre brings the endless magic, innocence and wonder of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ to India

    Mumbai: Scottish novelist and playwright J. M.Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’ is about a boy with eternal childhood who lives on a mythical island called Neverland. The narrative revolves around Peter’s quest to find stories that can entertain his co-inhabitants. Along the way, he faces many odds and blurs fantasy and reality to make us all realise that with imagination and courage, we can rewrite our destiny and defeat evil. This tale has lent itself to various adaptations across decades; from animation to live-action and theatrical interpretations at West End and Broadway. And now Zee Theatre brings to India, all the joy and magic of this tale via ‘Peter Pan Live!’ a production inspired by a 1954 Broadway musical. The delightful entertainer will be screened on 10th July on Tata Play Theatre at 2 pm & 8 pm

    ZEEL chief creative officer – special projects Shailja Kejriwal said, “There is a Peter Pan in all of us refusing to grow up. This story is a perfect respite from a world that tells us constantly to wise up, lose our naivety, and our sense of wonder. J.M. Barrie was a masterful storyteller and this version does full justice to the glorious world he created for all of us. I am sure that audiences of all ages will enjoy this family entertainer also for its rich musical score and much-loved songs like ‘Tender Shepherd,’ ‘Never Never Land,’ and ‘Distant Melody.’ Reality must be dealt with but Peter Pan reminds us to never stop dreaming, to hope and to rediscover our inner child.”

    In 1955, the Tony Award-winning musical attracted an audience of 65 million viewers and was then the highest-rated single television program in the history of television.  One major highlight of this current version is Christopher Walken, the winner of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Walken plays Captain Hook with great flair while Critics’ Choice Award nominee Allison Williams stars as Peter Pan in this Rob Ashford and Glenn Weiss directorial.  

    The musical also stars Christian Borle, Kelli O’Hara, Alanna Saunders, Taylor Louderman, and Jake Lucas and will be screened on Tata Play Theatre.