ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • ET Now edges past UTVi in launch week

    ET Now edges past UTVi in launch week

    MUMBAI: ET Now has overtaken UTVi to land in the third spot among the English business news channels, posing a potential threat to its competitors right from the launch week.

    The channel, with The Economic Times advantage on television, has edged out UTVi both in the All-India market as well as the metros.

    While UTVi’s channel share has dipped from 6 per cent to 4 per cent (All-India) for the week ended 27 June, ET Now has actually doubled its market share to attain the third rank.

    ET Now opened with a three per cent market share pan India and doubled this to six per cent for the week ended 27 May.

    In the metros too, the channel doubled its slice from 4 per cent in the previous week to 8 per cent. UTVi’s channel share, in comparison, fell from 9 per cent to six per cent during the same period.

    So does UTVi foresee a severe damage to its ratings?

    Says UTVi COO Sumit Gupta, “Ratings are a function of both reach and time spent and the only gains that ET has witnessed have come from a reach upside. Time spent per viewer on the other hand is a far more dependable measure for smaller segments.”

    Meanwhile, it seems that the new entrant has also eaten into some share of NDTV Profit which has fallen to 20 per cent across India as against the 25 per cent that it held in the previous week. In the metros too, the channel has seen a dip from 26 per cent to 20 per cent.
    So how does ET Now predict this upward movement?

    Avers Times Global Broadcasting CEO Chintamani Rao, “These are early days for the channel as it is just one week old. I expect to get ourselves in place right now.”

    Interestingly, the period has seen CNBC TV18, the incumbent market leader in the space, take a jump from 66 to 70 per cent in the All-India market. The channel also climbed the ladder to capture 67 per cent of the market (61 per cent last week) in the metros.

    What may be encouraging is that the entry of ET Now is showing signs of expanding the English business news genre market pie.

    According to the latest Tam data (C&S 25+), the genre has seen an upward move in its All-India viewership with a 0.23 per cent market share for the week ended 27 June. The genre had commanded a 0.22 per cent share the previous week.

    In the metros too, the genre share has grown to 0.28 per cent, from 0.27 in the prior week. It is impertinent to note here that the genre had marked a 0.26 per cent share in week 24.

    So what kind of impact does the genre expect with the entry of a new player?

    Says Gupta, “The impact will largely be in terms of a wider choice for the viewer and the advertiser and also an additional buzz that will be created for the segment. All these factors bring in a renewed interest in the older players too. On the ratings side, for a genre that contributes to less than 1 per cent share of viewership, the shift is not expected to be tangible.”

    “The real impact of a new player will be gauged in terms of the differentiated programming that the entrant puts together. Path breaking ideas and new formats will be monitored closely by the industry than anything else,” Gupta adds.

  • Network18 FY’09 net loss at Rs 1.8 billion

    Network18 FY’09 net loss at Rs 1.8 billion

    MUMBAI: Network18 Media and Investments Ltd, which has gone on an expansion overdrive, has felt the slowdown effect and posted a net loss of Rs 1.8 billion for the year ended March 31 2009. In FY’08, the company had clocked a net profit of Rs 45.2 million.

    Revenue rose 18 per cent to Rs 7.65 billion (against Rs 6.47 billion in FY’08). Expenditure, however, shot up from Rs 5.68 billion in FY’08 to Rs 10.32 billion in FY’09.

    Network18 has raised over Rs 7.75 billion in equity related instruments to strengthen balance sheets across its group companies.

  • IBN18 ups stake in Viacom18 to 33.7%

    IBN18 ups stake in Viacom18 to 33.7%

    MUMBAI: IBN18 has invested Rs 2.63 billion to hold a 33.71 per cent stake in Viacom18 Media, the joint venture company with media conglomerate Viacom that runs channels such as MTV, Vh1, Nick, and Colors in India.

    IBN18 now has the option to purchase an additional 16.29 per cent stake in Viacom18, resulting in an aggregate stake of 50 per cent in the joint venture entity.

    Sources say IBN18 plans to raise Rs 1.50 billion through qualified institutional placement (QIP) to complete its holding of 50 per cent stake in Viacom18.

    IBN18 had earlier raised Rs 1.14 billion through QIP at a rate of Rs 102 per share, while the promoters had additionally infused Rs 2.41 billion in equity.

    By the end of December 2008, IBN18 had acquired 6.6 per cent of Viacom18. For the 50 per cent stake, the price is fixed at $62.5 million ($50.5 million for the transfer and $12 million as option premium – inclusive of costs of funding).

    Meanwhile, IBN18, which houses news channels CNN IBN, IBN7 and a JV Marathi news channel IBN Lokmat, has posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 920.01 million for the fiscal ended 31 March 2009.

    The net loss has expanded as in FY’08 the company had suffered a loss of Rs 234.45 million.

    Revenue rose 38.96 per cent to Rs 1.83 billion for FY’09, as against Rs 1.32 billion a year ago. Expenditure moved up 94.34 per cent to Rs 2.57 billion, compared to Rs 1.32 billion in FY’08.

    The results of Viacom18 Media will get consolidated once IBN18 holds 50 per cent in the JV.

  • Surgery starts at NewsX, 78 face the axe

    Surgery starts at NewsX, 78 face the axe

    MUMBAI: It was a black Saturday for the NewsX staff, the English news channel which came under financial cloud and saw ownership change hands within a year of launch as the original promoters, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, exited after struggling to fund the high-cost operations.

    The new owners, NaiDuniya promoter Vinnay Chhajlani and former Businessworld editor Jehangir S Pocha, have started the surgical process. They have asked 78 people to submit their resignations and take three months salary in advance, multiple sources say.

    The trimming includes staff from editorial and technical divisions. “We were given current month’s salary along with an advance of three months and asked to sign the resignation letter,” says a senior editorial staff.

    Clarifying the position, a company spokesperson said: “When NewsX was purchased by IndiMedia in January this year, it was carrying the infrastructure and resources that were originally created to enable the launch of multiple channels. We are now focusing on NewsX and streamlining and strengthening its operations. All previous plans to launch multiple channels have been put on hold. This has made it imperative for NewsX to prune and rightsize its operations, both in terms of infrastructure and people.”

    “Many of us joined the channel before it launched. We worked in leading TV news brands like CNN IBN, NDTV 24X7 and Times Now. We have worked hard for the channel and it is heartbreaking to know that after putting in all the efforts, we have been asked to leave in such a manner,” another senior editoral executive said.

    Meanwhile, the new management is reviewing the business and planning an overhaul of the channel. Multiple sources say the channel will don a new look, have a new name and relaunch sometime in September.

    NewsX, however, will not stop hiring. “We will continue to hire talent in specific positions and strengthen the channel’s operations, distribution and branding,” the spokesperson explains.

    NewsX landed into trouble very early in life with editor-in-chief Vir Sanghvi leaving the company amid controversies. The channel failed to make an impact and ratings stayed elusive. After the buyout, the new owners introduced a slab-structured pay cut policy to stave off 10 per cent of employee cost.

    NewsX has a tough road ahead as the general English news channel space is being fought fiercely among Times Now, CNN IBN and NDTV 24X7.

  • CNN-APSA inviting viewers to showcase their creative talent

    CNN-APSA inviting viewers to showcase their creative talent

    MUMBAI: As part of CNN’s association with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the news broadcaster is seeking submissions from viewers for their photos or videos that best represent Asia Pacific cultural diversity.

    CNN will bring these awards and the ‘outstanding’ works of the region’s filmmakers to its global audience through a series of television programmes titled ‘Scene by Scene’ to be broadcast in October and November. The works will also be showcased through an edition of the network’s monthly film show, The Screening Room.

    The selected images will be featured in CNN’s ad campaign on print, online and television.

    The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) acclaim, at a global level, the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative honours the works of filmmakers across a region representing four billion people, 60 per cent of the global population and 70 countries.

  • News channels gear up with specials for Budget 2009

    News channels gear up with specials for Budget 2009

    MUMBAI: As the date for Budget 2009 nears, leading business channels are gearing up with a comprehensive line up of special shows to analyse the impact of this year’s budget and the expectations from it.

    For CNBC Universe, which includes CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and Moneycontrol.com, the focus will be on a singular theme – “Will this be the Big B – the biggest budget ever?” The theme epitomises the expectant mood of economic stakeholders and the markets as they look forward to a reform ushering and growth inducing budget from the Finance Minister.

    Says CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz VP marketing Neel Chowdhury said, “To deliver a truly value adding utilitarian offering to millions of our consumers, we’ll endeavour to exploit substantial synergies within our business ecosystem ranging from Moneycontrol.com to offerings from Mobile18 as well as DVD’s from our content retail brand, Bestsellers.”

    CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz have laid out a series of editorial shows, ground events, on-air segments and specials throughout their budget coverage with a strong emphasis on interactivity and audience involvement.

    The special shows on the channels include India Economy Debates With Karan Thapar, 1st Century – 100 days and beyond, Imagining The Indian Economy, Past FM’s, Present Budget Young Turks In Government, Budget Behind The Scenes and Budget Gets Real.

    Apart from on-ground events, the channel will also air special segments like Industry Wishlist, If I Were FM, What The World Thinks, Budget Trivia, Tax Minute, Budget Barometer Poll, Economic Survey Special.

    On CNBC Awaaz, the special lineup include Budget Caravan, Budget Expectations, Tax Express, Har Ghar Ki Ummeed and Budget Aur Youth.

    NDTV Profit, meanwhile, has partnered with The Outlook Group wherein the two parties have agreed to leverage their combined editorial reach to produce a complete budget package across print, internet and television. Outlook Group will use the combined editorial strengths of their publications – Outlook Business, Outlook Money and Outlook Profit – to power this relationship with NDTV Profit.

    As far as the programming lineup for the budget is concerned, NDTV Profit will feature shows such as Deloitte presents Budget Watch, India’s Budget, Tax Roundtable, We the SME’s, Budget for Bankers, The Lobby, Sector Watch, Budget for Investors, Ghar Ghar Ka Budget and Your Taxes.

    Two minute vignettes, CEO Wish List, Desh Ki Dhadkan and Tax in 2 minutes, highlighting the expectations of different stakeholders, will run at various time slots throughout the day on the channel.

    Said NDTV Profit managing editor Shivnath Thukral, “It is great that we have come together. This is a relationship that will add tremendous value to both NDTV Profit’s viewers as well as readers of Outlook group magazines.”

    The association will also include articles, columns and expert views in the forthcoming issues of the three Outlook group magazines.

    UTVi will have special shows with top industry honchos, discussing the budget in detail. Also, the channel will have their anchors stationed in the South Mumbai localities to take consumer views.

    Interestingly, CNN IBN and IBN7 are also lining up shows around the budget. The shows on CNN IBN include Budget of Hope, Axe The Tax, Face The Budget Devil’s Advocate, Pre-Budget Show, Budget on Campus.

    IBN7 will have Budget’ 09 Dreamz Unlimited, Economic Survey Special, Hot Seat Budget Special, Yuva – Budget Special and Budget Special with the team of popular TV soaps.

    IBN18 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai said, “CNN-IBN’s special budget programming has been designed in a way to benefit all stratas of the society ranging from the common man to industry giants. CNN-IBN, with its finest experts, will simplify and decode the Union Budget’s effect and impact for our viewers.”

    Meanwhile, with a title ‘Budget 2009- Promises to keep,’ NewsX will present its analysis, insights and study of the budget from the perspective of the audience – analyzing and debating every aspect from every angle.

    The budget programming on the channel began on 23 June and will be spread over two weeks bringing forward a programming line up covering various aspects of the Union Budget including the Railway Budget on Friday, 3 July. The channel will cover the pre budget stories and the implications thereof throughout the day on Monday, 6 July.

    Avers NewsX marketing director Gautam Mukerjea, “With ‘Budget 2009- Promises to keep,’ NewsX will take a macro look at what the Budget 2009 means to India and the Indians. The NewsX budget programming will serve the viewers the most comprehensive coverage of all issues that affect citizens directly and not just the big corporates. Our focus will be on simplifying the Budget and its implications for the common man.”

    NewsX will air short programmes based on different topics such as tax, education, defense, health care, power, agriculture, industry and infrastructure, subsidies and waste. On the day of the budget, NewsX will capture the essence through in studio discussion, analysis, and reactions from across the nation and sectors.

    The programming will be accentuated by special guests including leading economists, former ministers and secretaries, representatives from the government and the opposition, members of the Planning Commission, experts on taxation, markets, social sector, agriculture and commodities.

    Zee Business, on the other hand, under the aegis of India Ahead: Budget ‘09, has charted a lineup of special programming as a run-up to the Union Budget 2009.

    Says Zee Business business head Raktim Das, “Budget 2009 could very well be the landmark event in Indian business and economy. It can help India take its rightful place amongst the global economic superpowers. Zee Business brings you the best coverage of Budget 2009 with a series of powerful programmes leading up to the budget day.”

    The pre budget lineup includes Budget Yatra, wherein the channel staff will travel across the country to give a voice to the local population as well as SME’s from various clusters to discuss their expectations from the forthcoming budget. The other shows include Union Budget Forum, India Ahead Leadership Series, Meri Job Mera Budget (in association with Monster.com) and weekend show Bahu, Beti aur Budget.

    On the Budget day, the channel will live telecast Budget speech, followed by a detailed analysis and possible implications of the Budget on the economy. Also, the channel will invite over 100 stock market analysts for a round table discussion on the immediate impact of the budget across sectors.

  • India more lenient towards media’s coverage of economic downturn: Study

    India more lenient towards media’s coverage of economic downturn: Study

    MUMBAI: While the world stands to blame the media for keeping them blindsided to the severity of the economic crisis, about a third of Indian respondents do not rest all blame on media, reveals the latest 52-nation online survey conducted by The Nielsen Company.

    India figures ninth on the list of countries who disagree with the view that news media did not do a good job of informing them of issues that led to the economic downturn in India.

    The general consensus among consumers across much of the world is that the media did a poor job informing the public about the issues leading up to the current financial crisis. In India too, 45 per cent of the respondents agreed that media coverage was inadequate but the number of people who disagree is also quite large.

    The two regions where consumers were most dissatisfied were Europe and North America. Not surprisingly, these were the areas hit the most by the current economic crisis. On the other hand, consumers in many Asia Pacific nations, where the impact on the economy hasn’t been as harsh, were generally less critical of the media.

    “In the recent Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence study India was ranked third on confidence levels. The comparatively high level of confidence that Indians have in their economy might be a reason why Indians have shown more mercy towards media coverage during the downturn than the rest of the world. Also the fact that India didn’t face a full blown downturn helped the media to save itself from consumers’ ire,” said The Nielsen Company India associate director – consumer research Vatsala Pant.

    The study states that not only do fewer Indians blame media for its past coverage of the downturn, but with 70 per cent votes, India is ranked third in the list of countries who think that the current media is doing a good job in helping them understand the issues affecting the global economy. Indian respondents also agree that media is helping them to better understand what the governments are doing to solve the economic problems at hand (61 per cent – 6th highest globally).

    Attitudes about early media coverage were most positive in the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Venezuela and India, all of which scored above the global average.

    Factors that drove the failure to communicate were varied.

    Some critics have argued that the financial media was too close to those it covered. Moreover, the speed of negative events following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy filing caught not only journalists by surprise, but also economists and government officials.

    Globally, many of the 25,000-plus consumers polled believe media performance has improved over time. In much of the Asia Pacific region, the public thought the media was doing a good job in providing information about what the issues are and what governments are doing to address them.

    57 per cent Indian respondents think that the amount of current news coverage of the global financial crisis is just about right for them, 23 per cent think it’s not enough for them and 20 per cent think there is too much coverage.

  • ET Now ready to unmute business news

    ET Now ready to unmute business news

    MUMBAI: English business news channel ET Now was launched today with the promotional tagline “unmute business news.”

    Indiantelevision.com had earlier reported that the channel from the Times Global Broadcasting Co Ltd (TGBCL) stable would launch on 22 June.

    Says TGBCL CEO Chintamani Rao, “The Economic Times is India’s premier source of news for and about business and now it’s on television. Together The Economic Times and ET Now have unmatched news gathering prowess and unparalleled access to people who matter in and to business. All day ET Now will bring viewers not just market data but a 360-degree understanding of the markets, with news, analysis and commentary for investors and market professionals. And, of course, with the credibility of The Economic Times.”

    On the programming front, ET Now will focus on the markets during morning hours, interspersed with regular business updates and bulletins on leading business and corporate developments of the day.

    The channel will commence the day with Morning Mantra at 7 am to air exclusive ET stories. At 9 am there will be Pitch Report, to be followed by Opening Shots at 9.30 am hinting at the market moves.

    At 12.30 pm a show on personal portfolio will come in From The Stands to be followed by Closing Shots at 2 pm. Garam Masala, a show on commodities, will follow next at 4 pm.

    Markets Tomorrow at 5.30 pm will review the day’s activity to crack the maket code for ‘tomorrow’. At 8 pm, ET Now will recap the day’s biggest corporate stories with Business First while ET Inc at 9 pm will get an in-depth analysis of the biggest and most important stories of the day. 10 pm, meanwhile, will be the time to look at the 10 biggest stories of the day across Indian and global business, politics, entertainment and sports with Top 10 @ 10.

    On weekends, the channel programming will offer a blend of features, special reports and reviews covering diverse subjects ranging from technology and automobiles to marketing and advertising.

  • ET Now launches on 22 June

    ET Now launches on 22 June

    MUMBAI: ET Now, the English business news channel from Times Global Broadcasting Pvt ltd (TGBPL), will officially launch on 22 June.

    The channel, which witnessed soft launch on 17 June, has already signed up with major multi-system operators (MSOs) for distribution on their cable networks.

    TGBPL CEO Chintamani Rao confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com and said that the distribution is in place. However, he refused to divulge more details ahead of the launch.

    ET Now will be pumping in Rs 400-500 million as carriage fee, according to multiple sources in the cable industry. The channel has signed up with MSOs such as Hathway Cable & Datacom, Incablenet and Den.

    “In networks where Times Now is negotiating for renewals, ET Now is yet to sign carriage deals. In Mumbai and Delhi, ET Now is looking for a place close to rival channel CNBC-TV18,” the CEO of a leading MSO told Indiantelevision.com.

    Another industry source said that ET Now would be spending for carriage on DTH unlike most of the other news channels who had launched earlier. “Leading DTH operators Tata Sky and Dish TV are asking for carriage,” he added.

    Indiantelevision.com had reported first that ET Now would be launching in the June quarter.

  • Advertising sets heart racing: CNN Study

    Advertising sets heart racing: CNN Study

    MUMBAI: Brands who choose multimedia campaigns to communicate their advertising messages are more memorable to consumers and are likely to enhance perception of their brands, reveals a case study conducted by CNN International.

    The results carry weight for brands that place their advertising in an engaging environment, prompting an emotional response from the audience.

    The case study (Cross-platform Advertising Study on Effectiveness and Engagement) consisted of a two-stage approach. Stage one involved a multinational online study of cross-platform effectiveness in which consumers were exposed to diverse media experiences. Stage two measured attention and engagement through a variety of techniques including biometrics, eye tracking and in-depth interviews.

    Turner International Asia Pacific VP reserach Duncan Morris says, “We wanted to show that by complementing advertising on CNN TV with ads on CNN.com and CNN mobile, an advertiser can markedly increase campaign recall leading to positive shifts in brand attitudes. The fact that these respondents were not primed for an advertising study makes these results even more poignant.”

    Engagement and Biometrics : Body responses such as heart rate, motion, respiratory rate and galvanic skin response (sweating) were translated into measures of “attention” and “engagement” – the Holy Grail for advertisers. These were collected by using a lightweight ‘smart vest’ which respondents wore while watching CNN programming and advertising.

    Contrary to popular belief that viewers disengage once scheduled programming ends, the study results showed that engagement actually can increase during ad breaks, as much as 10 per cent.

    CNN International VP ad sales Asia Pacific William Hsu says, “This study shows it is content that provides the springboard for advertisers to secure meaningful connections with audiences. In conjunction with our recent PWC study, it provides valuable industry insight to help brands market smarter.”

    The level of attention an advertisement receives impacts the ability of respondents to remember the brand. When respondents viewed advertising online and on mobile, they were more attentive, increasing the likelihood of advertising being noticed and adding to the re-call of the overall campaign.

    The research also showed that despite the high cross-over between the audiences of all the CNN properties, the audience is in a different state of mind when online or using a mobile phone versus watching television. Generally audiences were more attentive (though not necessarily more engaged) when online or mobile than when watching television.