ITV

Category: Music and Youth

  • GEC is not Disney’s priority, says Siddharth Roy Kapur

    GEC is not Disney’s priority, says Siddharth Roy Kapur

    MUMBAI: The more the merrier seems to be the chant of all networks, these days.

     

    It was in 2011 that Star India launched its second general entertainment offering, Life OK. The sister channel of Star Plus, which replaced the defunct youth-oriented channel Star One, made headlines for its bold steps and differentiating content from the usual melodrama shown on the leading ones.

     

    Soon, Zee, the number two channel as per TAM TV ratings, plunged into already congested market with Zindagi. The second GEC from the network brought in popular shows from across the border to please the niche premium audience.

     

    If the two big networks had ventured into second GEC place, how could Sony stay behind? With Sony Pal, launched on 1 September, the Multi Screen Media (MSM) network added one more channel to its kitty.

    However, Disney, which has created content for channels, has popular television channels as well as numerous successful movies in different genres in its bag, still doesn’t have a GEC on its mind.

     

    “With kids’ channel we have presence among 4 to 14 years old, with bindass offerings we will be strongly placed for 14 to 34 years old and movie channels capture all across the age segments,” says Disney MD Siddharth Roy Kapur. The network will soon launch bindass Play, a music channel, which will take forward the philosophy and brand values of its most revenue generating channel, bindass.

     

    So will we see a GEC coming from the network’s stable? “We want to only concentrate on categories which are profitable and work with our core strengths,” he replies while elaborating that though everyone expects it to come up with a GEC, the network is not even thinking about it.

  • Bindass to ‘Play’ on youth demand

    Bindass to ‘Play’ on youth demand

    MUMBAI: “We want to build on our strengths,” is what Disney India MD Siddharth Roy Kapur believes in and is the reason for the soon-to-launch music channel, Bindass Play, from the network.

     

    Disney India will replace UTV Stars with the new channel which will go on air from 1 October as it wants to build on the youth-targetted brand. “Currently, Bindass is at a very good place and the viewers are aware of our values. Hence, we want to expand on it with the new music channel,” says Kapur.

     

    Early this early Bindass had launched a new brand film – ‘B for Change – to reflect the sentiments of today’s youth who want to explore but at the same time don’t hesitate in going forward to bring about a change.

     

    “Bindass has always spoken the language of youth and it is the only homegrown youth entertainment channel in the genre to have won the loyalty of youngsters in the country. Music is very close to this section of the audience,” says Media Networks content and communication VP and head Vijay Subramaniam.

     

    He adds, “Hence, the unique thing about the channel would be that it will be inspirational and will celebrate the journey of adulthood as a friend and empower the youth.”

     

    But does this mean, Bindass will now only focus on storytelling? ‘No’, comes the response from Subramaniam. The youth entertainment channel will continue to showcase music but only for five hours (7 am to 12 pm) and on relationship based programmes rather than the edgy content like Dadagiri it focused on, earlier.

     

    The latest entrant in the Rs 900 crore business caters to the age group of 14-34 with the tagline ‘Saath hai toh baat hai’. The 13 shows are mood mapped with high energy song in the morning to slow tempo in the night, and with many of them like Tia’s Request, Tweet Meri Beat, Ishq Messenger among others allowing the viewer to choose his/her playlist through social media.

     

    Digital medium plays an important role for the brand and hence, it has tried to capture the youth through it. “As and when newer opportunities come from the medium we will try to engage with them as well,” says Subramaniam.

     

    The network is already in talks with four major brands for the channel. “Advertisers are happy and will want to associate with the channel as it is extension of the brand Bindass,” says Media Networks revenue vice president and head Nikhil Gandhi and will sell the ad slots at “healthy” rates.

     

    However, media planners consider it as ‘just another channel in the genre’ as there are too many players in the genre. “Rs 500 for a 10 second ad should be the rate for the channel,” says a media planner.

     

    UTV Stars was launched in 2011 and showcased popular Bollywood content including music and feature-based programming and since it was not able to catch viewers’ attention, the network now is playing safe by launching a channel focusing on the music genre, point outs another media analyst.

     

    Nonetheless, the channel is very upbeat about its new offering and believes that it will be able to strengthen its position in the category.  An in house team worked on the look for the channel and Subramaniam believes that it will be the ‘sexiest looking channel’ on television.

  • Shemaroo IPO opens on 16 September

    Shemaroo IPO opens on 16 September

    BENGALURU: India integrated media content house Shemaroo Entertainment Limited’s 100 per cent Book Built Initial Public Offer (IPO) opens tomorrow. The company has activities across content acquisition, value addition to content and content distribution. The issue sized Rs 120 crore closes on 18 September 2014. The promoters of the Company are Raman Maroo and Atul Maru.

    The face value of each share is Rs 10 in the price band of between Rs 155 to Rs 170. A 10 per cent discount is offered to retail investors. The minimum number of shares per lot is 85 and in multiples of 85 thereafter. The maximum bid for retail customers is Rs 2 lakh. The equity shares will be listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

    Note : 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore.

    The total size of the issue is between 71 and 77 lakh shares. The break up is: Qualified Institutional Bidders (QIB) including Anchor Investors who may be allocated 60 per cent of the QIB portion is 50 per cent of the issue, non-institutional investors 15 per cent and retail investors 35 per cent of the issue size.  The objects of the Offer are to fund, working capital requirements and expenditure for general corporate purposes and achieve the benefits of listing the Equity Shares on the BSE and the NSE and to carry out the sale of 22,555,124 Equity Shares by the Selling Shareholders. 

    Data by Karvy Stockbrokers of the company over a five year period in an IPO note says that the company’s Earnings per share (EPS) has gone up by 20.4 times from Rs.0.69 (PAT Rs 1.26 crore) in FY-2010 to Rs 14.08 (PAT Rs 27.95 crore) in FY-2014. Shemaroo’s revenue has gone up 2.6 times from Rs 103.57 crore in FY-2010 to Rs 264.68 crore in FY-2014. Its net worth has gone up 2.2 times from Rs 79.27 crore in FY-2010 to Rs 177.45 crore in FY-2014. The figures released by Karvy Stockbroking indicate a PE ratio of between 11 (Price Rs 155 per share) and 12 (Price Rs 170) based on an EPS of Rs 14.08 in FY-2014.

    A Shemaroo press release says:

    “ Shemaroo’s Content Library consists of more than 2,900 titles spanning new Hindi films like Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Dedh Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, OMG: Oh My God!, Black, Ishqiya, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Omkara, Dil Toh Baccha Hai, Bheja Fry 2, amongst others. Hindi films classics like Zanjeer, Beta, Dil, Disco Dancer, Mughal-e-Azam, Amar Akbar Anthony, Namak Halaal, Kaalia, Madhumati etc., titles in various other regional languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali among others as well as non-film content.

    Shemaroo is one of the largest independent content aggregators in Bollywood. Currently, the Company distributes content over which it has either complete ownership rights or limited ownership rights.

    The Company distributes its content through various mediums such as (i) television such as satellite,

    terrestrial and cable television; (ii)New Media platforms consisting of mobile, internet, direct to home (“DTH”) and other applications; (iii) home entertainment; and (iv) other media.

    Shemaroo’s recent initiatives include tying up as an official channel partner for Google Inc.’s You Tube where it is managing 32channels. It is also moving beyond providing just content, to providing content management solutions to partners including Reliance Communications Re 1 WAP store and Airtel digital television in connection with an interactive devotional service, namely “iDarshan”.

    Shemaroo’s key strengths include an established brand name; vast, diverse and growing Content Library; diversified distribution platforms; de-risked business model; experienced directors and management team; and strong relationships in the industry. Shemaroo’s overall strategy is structured around its Content Library and its successful exploitation to ensure that it can be monetized through diversified platforms on a worldwide basis and designed to address predictability, scalability and sustainability, ultimately resulting in profitability.”

     

  • Sunburn Goa announces the phase Two Early bird tickets

    Sunburn Goa announces the phase Two Early bird tickets

    MUMBAI: With just under five months to go until Sunburn returns to the stunning shorelines of Goa for its eight season, the festival has announced that its Phase Two Early Bird Tickets are now on sale. Famed for its exotic climate, idyllic beachfront and affordable price tag, Sunburn has rejuvenated the Goan party scene and is the perfect destination for festival-goers hoping to escape cooler climates and experience something unforgettable.

    Raising the bar for its 2014 edition, Sunburn will play host to over 150 artists across 8 colossal stages on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December. With past headliners including dance music heavyweights Above & Beyond, Axwell, Afrojack, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren, Fedde le Grand, Paul Van Dyk and Markus Schulz, Sunburn has had a profound influence on the Indian electronic scene since its inception in 2007, with Mixmag hailing it “one of the wonders of the clubbing world”. With Sunburn clocking an attendance of over 160,000 fans from across the globe in 2013, the upcoming line-up announcement for 2014 promises to be even bigger and better than ever before.

    The festival also boasts jaw-dropping production; with Sunburn’s main stage harboring an impressive 200-foot structure – the largest ever stage construction in Asia. The legendary Cubezoid stage will also return for its fourth year at Sunburn, providing a multi-sensory sensation that brings together world class LED lighting and video projection that make for a high-octane fusion of space and sound. Sunburn has tied up with India’s biggest brands like Hero, Micromax, Kingfisher, Quikr and Jabong to create unique experiences including augmented reality environments and Xylo bands also on offer, Sunburn revelers will light up the sky in what will be a 360-degree sonic experience.

    Thrill seekers can also expect to find a whole host of activities at their disposal such as stunt biking, zorbing, volleyball and bungee jumping, with more adrenaline-fuelled surprises in store. Early bird ticket holders can also gain first access to on-site activities, plus new for 2014, the festival will provide exclusive packages (including camping and cruise options) to guarantee affordability.

    Sunburn will also provide even more music, dancing and unforgettable moments with their ‘Afterdark’ parties set across the North of Goa. Taking place in multiple locations and exploring various genres of electronic music, Sunburn will ensure the party never stops and offer fans the experience of a lifetime.

    Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn said, “Offering the audience a never-seen-before experience, Sunburn has become the definitive identity of international electronic dance music.  Continuing the legacy, this year SunburnS8 will take the festival experience to the next level where we aim to create a maniacal musical atmosphere. With SunburnS8, we will surely redefine the dance music experience of the country, and promise to give the audience a sound, which they have never heard earlier. SunburnS8 will be the biggest & best yet.” 

  • 9XM celebrates Bollywood with ‘9XE’

    9XM celebrates Bollywood with ‘9XE’

    MUMBAI: From the latest and the hottest buzz of the B-town to celebrity interviews, from trending story of the day to spotting celebs late at night, from the celebs’ twitter updates to their other escapades, music channel 9XM is ready to celebrate Bollywood with its new offering ‘9XE’.

     

    A show for all the accurate news on Bollywood in true 9XM style, the channel aims to be a differentiator from the crowd. The 30-minute show claims to be witty, edgy and fast paced. It will be hosted by the Canadian actor and former Kingfisher Calendar model,  Mia Uyeda and air every Monday and Friday at 9pm.

     

    With the new property, the channel breaks away from its set pattern of just showcasing Bollywood music. According to 9X Media content head Amar Tidke, it wants to build the channel as a destination. “Being a music channel and playing the latest Bollywood songs, launching a property around Bollywood only makes sense. This destination will further be a differentiator for us as well.”

     

    The show will feature original content shot by the channel itself and will also see a host of fresh talent faces (in terms of presenters).  The packaging, styling and tonality of the show is very youth centric.

     

    The strategy adopted by the channel was pretty much clear. Monday’s will be more like a preview by airing box office collections over the weekend and Friday’s will be more from a movie reviews perspective.

     

    “It is not going to be either like a straight reportage or sensationalise things for the heck of it,” adds Tidke on the tone of the show. He further reveals that the programme takes almost two to three days to shoot and a day to edit.

     

    To engage with the large base of Bollywood fans on the internet, 9XE will have a strong presence across various digital platforms where the viewers can further continue to interact and get more of it.

     

    The channel has created a dedicated website -www.9xe.com, a dedicated social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube ( /9XETheShow) and on Instagram (/9XE_THE_SHOW).

     

    9X Media SVP and digital head Vibha Gosher believes that for the first time it has created a destination. “We have never done this before and hence, have treated it like an individual entity, like a separate company.”

     

    Doing justice to it on the digital platform, it has also created a lot of exclusive content available only for the digital buffs.

     

    “You design a television show keeping the television audience in mind. The digital audience is used to have a lot of fun and in a casual manner. The way we are presenting our content on the digital front is different from the show. There is a lot more that one can see on the digital platforms,” adds Gosher.

     

    For instance, on the YouTube channel, it will have news desk every single day which is a news story. “Again news will be news and we know everyone else will also have the same story to tell, but what we are striving towards is a unique take on that event by giving our own perspective,” states Gosher.

     

    Also, the channel has rolled out an Android application. “We have launched it and it is currently available for download. We are empowering it as and when we get more and better content,” says Gosher while adding that in a month’s time, it will also launch an iOs app.

  • Max Life Insurance launches ‘i-genius Young Singing Stars’

    Max Life Insurance launches ‘i-genius Young Singing Stars’

    MUMBAI:  In a bid to nurture young talent in the country, Universal Music India has partnered with Max Life Insurance to launch ‘i-genius Young Singing Stars’ aiming to recognise and reward young singing talent in the country.

     

    Commenting on the collaboration, Universal Music & EMI Music, South Asia managing director Devraj Sanyal said, “The i-genius Young Singing Stars initiative from Max Life Insurance is one where the return on emotional quotient clearly outweighs the brand’s requirement for a return on investment. At Universal Music, nothing matters more to us than finding the right talent; the younger the better. This platform is backed by great mentors Salim Merchant & Shraddha Sharma, a technology layer by Sensibol Technologies and a robust platform by Hungama.”

     

    Collaborating on the venture to discover music stars in the making, Universal Music and Max Life Insurance will scout talented children between the ages of 8-11 years (i-genius Junior) and 12-15 years (i-genius Senior). Salim Merchant and Shraddha Sharma will feature as brand ambassadors and jury of the talent hunt. Winners will get a chance to be signed on by Universal Music India.

     

    Commenting on becoming a brand ambassador, Salim Merchant said, “It brings me great pride to be a part of an initiative like this. Working with kids brings me great joy, and I am absolutely looking forward to mentoring them” 

     

    Universal Music India will offer one lucky winner from each category an album contract. Also, four finalists from each category, win a singles contract with Universal Music for a compilation. Registrations to the talent contest are now open and will end on the 31 October 2014 , wherein those interested can register via IVR on 092500 32222 or visit the i-genius website www.igenius.org. The grand finale of Max Life Insurance i-genius Young Singing Stars is scheduled to take place in December.

     

    Max Life Insurance CEO and managing director Rajesh Sud said, “We are glad that this property has become a legacy and reached out to over 20 lakh children across the country. The overwhelming response to all our i-genius initiatives in the past has prompted us to extend the programme in the field of music as well.”

     

  • 9X Jalwa join hands with Lays

    9X Jalwa join hands with Lays

    MUMBAI: To provide an extra dose of entertainment to music lovers, 9X Jalwa has partnered with Ruffles Lays to present viewers with a special integrated show titled ‘Lays Magical 15’. In every episode of the show it will feature 15 blockbuster songs from Bollywood’s most prominent production banners like Rajshri Productions, Mukta Arts, Dharma Productions, RK Films etc.

     

    Besides the popular tracks, Lays Magical 15 will also feature interesting trivia around the film and its music.

     

    9X Media chief revenue officer (CRO) Pawan Jailkhani believes that the special show will provide the viewers with forever young flavour of Bollywood and help the brand reach out to its target consumers (15-24 age group).

     

    He further says: “Being the country’s largest music television network, 9X Media through its five channels is a big influencer amongst the youth. Our innovative and compelling content has always resonated well with our viewers. Majority of the big marketers and advertisers engage with us through cutting edge brand integration campaigns featuring our animated characters.”

     

    The show will air every Thursday at 7pm and repeats will be shown every Friday at 7pm.

  • Britain’s Got Talent Season 8 to premiere on Vh1 on September 1, 2014

    Britain’s Got Talent Season 8 to premiere on Vh1 on September 1, 2014

    MUMBAI: This September, Vh1 is set to exhilarate its viewers with the all-new Britain’s Got Talent Season 8.  Veteran judges, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, return to scrutinize performances with their feedback and discover the best talent in Britain.

     

    The highly anticipated reality show returns with its new season that features abundant talent from across Great Britain, all competing to stand out. With a talent-hunt open to acts of all ages, Britain’s Got Talent celebrates the spirit of aspiring performers by showcasing a variety of novelty acts from across several genres. Season 8 features an array of aspiring dancers, singers, comedians, magicians and more, vying to win over hearts and reach for the coveted prize.

     

    Commenting on Vh1 airing Britain’s Got Talent Season 8, Ferzad Palia, EVP & Head – English Entertainment, Viacom18 says, “Britain’s Got Talent is one of the world’s top unscripted properties. Across television sets and other platforms. In our quest to bring to India, the world’s best entertainment across genres, we’re delighted to announce the arrival of BGT for the first time ever on Indian television. We’re confident that this and other soon to be announced initiatives now firmly propel Vh1 to clear leadership in English Entertainment in India”

     

    The new season of Britain’s Got Talent will see an additional, exciting twist with the introduction of ‘The Golden Buzzer’. For the first time ever, each judge will be given one chance to hit the Golden Buzzer and directly send an act to the semifinals, overriding the other judges’ decisions. Each judge can only use this power once during the season and hence, must use it wisely.

     

    In the all-new Britain’s Got Talent promo, we get a peek at Britain gearing up to entertain the Indian audience with their talent, while judges dissect each act with their caustic reactions.

     

    So don’t forget to tune into Vh1 on 1st September 2014 9 pm for an all new season of Britain’s Got Talent for an awe-inspiring experience!

  • 92.7 BIG FM’s BIG Green Ganesha is back in its seventh successful year!

    92.7 BIG FM’s BIG Green Ganesha is back in its seventh successful year!

    MUMBAI: 92.7 BIG FM’s mega successful green campaign – BIG Green Ganesha enters its seventh year! With a vision, a thought for a better eco-friendly future was laid down in 2008 and the campaign was created.  BIG Green Ganesha aims at creating social consciousness towards making one of India’s largest and most popular festivals more ecologically sound and has so far touched over millions of Indians.

     

    With a massive on-ground newspaper collection drive already underway in 14 major cities across India, tons of newspapers collected from residential areas, celebrity houses, offices, shops and other commercial establishments will be supplied to renowned sculptors to transform them into artistic and beautiful Ganesha idols through paper mache and clay. The idols will be placed at prominent locations across cities where lakhs of people can come to pay their obeisance.

     

    With the aim to enrich content and build a stronger local connect, this year’s festivities get bigger and better with a 7-day radio marathon including special performances by popular local talents; inspirational short stories narrations on Lord Ganesha by Bollywood celebrities; dedicated time slots for devotional aarti and bhajans sung in local pandals with Musical Benchmarks; special vignettes of Baal Ganesha promoting eco-friendly celebrations and lots more.

     

    As a unique initiative, listeners will be asked to write about the obstacles they want to eliminate from their path of progress. The old newspapers contributed for Green Ganesha will be scribed with these obstacles.

     

    Furthermore, 92.7 BIG FM will also commence the BIG Green Ganesha Pandal Awards from 29th August 2014 with RJs and celebrities making the rounds to select some of the best and most eco-friendly pandals in the city.

     

    Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head – 92.7 BIG FM said, “We are elated to enter the seventh year of one of our biggest campaigns. Growing strength to strength each year and garnering tremendous popularity among the masses along the journey, the campaign has set a benchmark to associate with, for environment friendly celebrations. As we aim to create social consciousness for greener celebrations, we always hope that people across the nation will also walk with us shoulder to shoulder to do their bit for a better, cleaner and greener environment. With the support from partners we hope we can make this campaign bigger, better and greener each year”

     

    BIG Green Ganesha 2014 is being conducted across 14 major cities in India including Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Sholapur, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Surat, Baroda, Mysore, Tirupati, Vishakhapatnam and Mangalore along with a paper collection drive in the towns around these cities like Virar, Vasai near Mumbai, Hoskote & Tumkur, near Bangalore, Kapra & Jeedimetla around Hyderabad, Navsari near Surat etc.

     

    One of the biggest green initiatives in the country, BIG Green Ganesha has over the years won awards for excellence in on-ground activations and creativity including the prestigious India Radio Forum Excellence in Radio Award and Golden Mikes.

  • Channel V’s ‘Gumrah’ aims to make 1 pm a destination slot

    Channel V’s ‘Gumrah’ aims to make 1 pm a destination slot

    MUMBAI: What if your kid desires to be a murderer or a rapist when he/she grows up? Bringing home uncomfortable realities of teen crimes, Channel V is back with its fourth season of its crime-based property – Gumrah – End Of Innocence.

     

    Though television serials showcasing prevalent evils in society are not uncommon, the 13 episode series through its multiple seasons has always given a new outlook to how crime is perceived by viewers.

     

    The show tackles issues like peer pressure, the need to fit in, materialism and the dilution of morals, thus initiating a dialogue for the youth to express and address their problems. Taking a step ahead from the earlier versions, season four will focus on what actually makes the person a criminal, because nobody is born one!

     

    Come 31 August, the one-hour episode will showcase 13 episodes every Sunday at 1pm.

     

    Talking about the show Channel V vice president marketing Nipa Asharam believes that for it, Gumrah is more a brand than just a TV show. “Our realisation came after Gumrah season three that people are actually concerned about safety, so this season we thought about what new can we offer?”

     

    Staying true to its philosophy -‘to be politically incorrect and emotionally correct’, the channel has penned the series on the same line. According to Asharam, young kids talking about becoming a rapist or a drug dealer is unusual and hard hitting. “We are trying to make people see that criminal qualities have their roots in childhood so it is important to identify them,” she says.

     

    Produced by Balaji Telefilms, season four will be hosted by Abhay Deol with real life stories involving first hand research. Then, second hand research is done by talking to people who fit into those stories. With four episodes in the bank, the show has got on-board a few celebrities who will share any teen crime story that they have experienced or witnessed in the course of their lives.

     

    Channel V EVP and business head Ajit Thakur believes that the show is about the youth’s tryst with crime and the circumstances which led to the incident, rather than sensationalising the crime or the criminal himself. “Over the years, the show has gained popularity with its exceptional content and execution and we are upping the ante this time around, hoping to really get the message across,” he says.

     

    According to Asharam, the USP of the show is honesty. “In every way, we have tried to maintain the honesty of the initiative right from the first time we conceptualised Gumrah. Honesty is the big reason I think the series has been successful,” she quips.

     

    The channel is leaving no stone unturned to promote the series. It was created into a strong digital campaign along with TV. On the digital campaign front, it had an interactive banner ‘when I grow up I want to be a ————‘ and when people put in various positive career options, what comes up is only murderer, rapist etc just to let them know that no one is born a criminal and there are kids who are becoming that.

     

    At present, the show enjoys huge fan following on Facebook with 24 lakh likes at the time of penning this article.

     

    Asharam believes that the response of advertisers has been very encouraging season after season. They have started to view the show as a brand and want to endorse the message that Gumrah sends out. It has also opened up whole new categories as well like education, mobile and technology. She further goes on to say that in the first season, there were a lot of apprehensions, but this season, advertisers were open to it.

     

    The idea to air it at 1 pm was because it is a virgin slot when others usually show only repeats and movies. It aims to make it a destination slot.

     

    A highly placed media planner believes that though the channel took a bold move of airing at 1 pm, it won’t attract much younger people on-board. “Though the channel targets the youth, in the end it is the content that is king. If the content is the same as shown before, it will lose its charm and audiences,” he says.