Category: News Broadcasting

TV18 Q2 net profit at Rs 160 million, up 44% YOY

MUMBAI: The Raghav Bahl promoted Television Eighteen has posted its consolidated net profit at Rs 160.45 million up 44 per cent year on year (YoY) for the second quarter ended 30 September, as against Rs 111.55 million in the year-ago period.

The company’s revenue has also witnessed a jump of 70 per cent YoY to record at Rs. 530.08 million. Revenue from news operations rose to Rs 476.92 million, from Rs 295.31 million a year ago.

The TV18’s Internet business rose over 200 per cent YoY, according to an official release. The reveunes from the internet and software operations has gone up from Rs 17 million during the corresponding period a year ago to Rs 53.16 million this quarter. It is also worth noting that the internet business had crossed $1 million during the first quarter of this fiancial year.

The company’s operating profit surged to Rs 249.04 million, up from Rs 172.68 million. The operating margin dipped to 47 per cent largely on account of the consolidation of CNBC Awaaz revenues and costs in P&L.

The consolidated revenues including CNBC-TV18, CNBC-Awaaz, moneycontrol.com and commoditiescontrol.com. The current quarter’s revenue/cost strictly is ‘not’ comparable with the same quarter in the previous year, since revenue/cost of Awaaz are being included from this quarter onwards. The TV18 consolidated revenue includes revenues from CNN-IBN, IBN7 and other Web18 Portals.

Following the meeting of the board of directors Television Eighteen MD Raghav Bahl said: “This has been an exceptionally good quarter for us. As a Network, we have doubled revenues – while our listed entity has posted a 70 per cent year-on-year growth. We have successfully concluded our scheme of demerger, and set 24 November as the record date – this will unlock an enormous amount of value for our shareholders, who will now enjoy the fruits of ownership in all our businesses, including CNN-IBN, IBN7, Home Shopping Network and Studio18. With several exciting forays in news broadcasting, internet portals, motion pictures and other multi-media platforms on the anvil, our shareholders can continue to look forward to a period of sustained growth.”

October 30, 2006
Inox Q2 records 58% net profit at Rs 69.6 million

MUMBAI: Inox Leisure Ltd has reported 42 per cent year on year (YoY) growth in revenues at Rs 399.6 million for the second quarter ended 30 September 2006 versus Rs 282.4 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

According to an official release, for the half year, the growth registered at 58 per cent from Rs 508 million crores to Rs 804.9 million.

The profit after tax for the quarter amounted to Rs 69.6 million, as compared to Rs 56.4 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year – an increase of 23 per cent.

For the half year, profit after tax grew from Rs 97.2 million to Rs 153.3 million – an impressive 58 per cent.

This quarter has seen Inox launch its Nagpur property taking its tally up to 44 screens in 12 multiplexes across 11 cities. Inox has another 21 properties in different stages of implementation, which it expects to operationalise by March 2009. This will help Inox take its total count to 33 properties across 21 cities, 130 screens and 37000 seats by March 2009, informs the release.
In addition to the above, in September, INOX also entered into a definitive agreement for an all share swap deal with Calcutta Cinema Private Limited (CCPL) for acquiring CCPL & its brand of multiplexes – ‘89 Cinemas’ and merging the latter’s operations with Inox Leisure Limited. CCPL operates 2 properties as at present and has another 7 properties under different stages of implementation.

Inox Leisure Ltd Deepal Asher said, “We have been able to maintain our industry leadership position in revenues and profitability, due to better footfalls and pricing at our existing multiplexes as well as the addition of new properties to our portfolio. We expect to maintain the momentum of growth going forward, with another seven properties expected to open by March 2007, in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bharuch, Vijaywada, Lucknow, Faridabad and Jaipur. We have also been helped with a good spate of releases, and expect this trend of a continuous flow of big budget and good quality content to continue.”

October 30, 2006
Americans increasingly watching TV online

MUMBAI: One out of every ten online consumers in the US watches television broadcasts online, according to the latest Consumer Internet Barometer. The Barometer, produced by The Conference Board and custom research company TNS covers 10,000 households across the US.

Online viewers say that personal convenience and avoiding commercials are the top reasons for watching TV broadcasts online. Only a small percentage of consumers claim that their traditional television viewing has decreased, while three out of every four online viewers report no change in their viewing habits.

Many Consumers Use the Internet for Entertainment on a Daily Basis Today, more than two-thirds of online consumers log on daily for entertainment purposes and an additional 16 per cent log on for entertainment several times a week. One in ten online consumers are watching TV broadcasts via the Internet, and about one-third of these households consist of multiple viewers.

The Conference Board Consumer Research Center director Lynn Franco says, “Although online television viewing is not a widespread phenomenon the proportion of users is likely to increase over time given consumers’ penchant for entertainment.”

TNS senior VP Edye Twer says, “As we have learned through our ongoing research, those content providers who communicate the value, context and capabilities of online programming will be positioned to grab the greatest share of the growing market for online entertainment.

“Additionally, this is representative of a larger trend toward, ‘anytime, anywhere’ viewing that includes the use of digital video recorders, video
on demand and portable video players, such as the iPod.”

News is the Most Widely Viewed TV Content Online : More than three out of five online TV viewers cite personal convenience as the major reason for watching TV broadcasts online. Another reason for viewing online is the ability to avoid commercials. Other reasons are portability and a preference for computer viewing.

Online viewers tend to watch news broadcasts more often than other types of broadcasts, with more than 62 per cent logging on for news content. Close to 50 per cent go online for entertainment viewing. Catching up on missed content, previews, sports, and watching entire episodes of shows are also among the top draws cited by more than a quarter of viewers.

Few Consumers Are Willing to Pay for Online Television Downloads: The most popular methods for viewing TV broadcasts online are streaming and free download, cited by 53 per cent and 49 per cent of viewers, respectively. Very few consumers are willing to pay per download or enroll in subscription services.

October 30, 2006
E! Networks fires two TV crew members following Brad Pitt complaint

MUMBAI: US entertainment channel E! Networks has fired two members of its television crew following a complaint by Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt.

Media reports state that Brad Pitt’s staff claimed that a television producer and cameraman trespassed at his Hollywood Hills home while the actor and his family were not home.

Pitt and Anjelina Jolie are in Pune shooting for the film A Mighty Heart. A producer and cameraman apparently walked onto the actor’s property in the Hollywood Hills. E! Networks says that it never instructed them to do so. It has however let go off the two crew members.

In a statement the channel says, “E! Networks did not instruct or authorise anyone working on its program to improperly intrude onto private property, and the individuals involved have been terminated.

“While neither Mr. Pitt nor his family were at the property when the incident took place, the network in no way condones or encourages such behaviour and would like to offer its most sincere apologies to Mr. Pitt and his family.”

October 30, 2006
Rainbow Media in representation deal with Zonemedia for Voom HD

MUMBAI: On the heels of the luanch of the channel Vom HD launch at the recently concluded television trade eevnt in Mipcom, France Rainbow HD Holdings, a subsidiary of Rainbow Media has broadened the global channel’s reach with a new distribution agreement.

Rainbow has tapped Zonemedia to sell the channel throughout much of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

Voom HD offers the international marketplace a lineup of high-definition (HD) programmes selected from Voom HD Networks’ 15 thematic HD channels in the US. Its content includes signature programming from Equator HD ( places and people), Gallery HD ( stories from the art world), Gameplay HD (video gaming in HD), Rave HD, (live music in 5.1 surround sound), Rush HD (adventure sports), Treasure HD (people with a passion for collecting) and Ultra HD (fashion and luxury lifestyle).

Rainbow Media senior VP business development Glenn Oakley says, “As we strategized the best possible distribution for Voom HD, Zonemedia emerged as a particularly solid choice because of its strong track record in successfully delivering third-party channels throughout the world. Voom HD’s vast array of quality high-definition programming has great appeal to the international marketplace, and we believe Zonemedia will exploit this to the fullest.”

TVOOM HD is already set for a November 1 launch in Scandinavia through a deal made by distribution company NonStop Television with Canal Digital. Today’s news opens the channel for business throughout even more of the world, with carriage deals already in the works for possible announcement over the next few months.

In addition to its impending launch in Scandinavia, three Voom branded channels have been launched in Canada, operated by High Fidelity TV: Treasure HD, Equator HD and Rush HD. Korea’s SkyHD recently deployed a daily primetime Voom HD branded programming block this past September.

Since launching its global expansion initiative at Mipcom last year, Rainbow Media has also sold over 1,000 hours of programming from its Voom HD, WE tv, Mag Rack and sportskool brands to broadcasters around the world, including India, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, UK and Australia.

October 30, 2006
Bangladesh Cricket Board to sell six-year rights

MUMBAI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has issued a tender to sell marketing rights including those for television and the Internet for six years until 2012.

ESPN Star Sports (ESS) is the incumbent. Its rights had expired last year. Speaking to indiantelevision.com this afternoon ESS India MD R.C. Venkateish says that the channel is certainly interested in renewing the rights.

The tender is expected to fetch about $40 million adds a Reuters report. Bangladesh is expected to play around 40 tests and over 100 one-day internationals during this period.

October 30, 2006
NDTV enters e-recruitment space with ndtvjobs.com

MUMBAI: E-recruitment seems to be the catch phrase for both portal companies and news broadcasters. NDTV Ltd has entered into this market by launching a job portal– ndtvjobs.com, post the announcement of launching a slew of TV channels, including a Hindi general entertainment channel through NDTV Ventures.

This move may be an indication that the New Delhi based news broadcaster has set its’ eye on the growing internet opportunity. The new recruitment portal is in cooperation with Bangkok based Yello, the parent company of Yellojobs.com India and owner of multiple classifieds and jobs sites in South East Asia.

Television Eighteen, earlier this year, had picked up a stake in JobStreet.com India and Bharat Matrimony Group also expand its offering by adding the job portal, www.clickjobs.com.

According to an official release, NDTVjobs will simply not accept every job and every candidate. It has clearly defined criteria and is the first job site in India to do so: – only jobseekers with at least a Bachelor’s degree can register and – each job posting requires a minimum salary of Rs 1,50 lakhs per annum.

NDTVjobs uses blogs, reporting international and national news for recruiters and employers, as well as jobseekers. The training and education section is called Boot Camp and currently offers all training and educational institutes free postings of their courses.

NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak says: “NDTVjobs.com is a critical addition to our portfolio of online resources for our viewers and subscribers – and it just fits the values and style of NDTV.”

Yello CEO and founder Andreas Koestler thinks that NDTV is the ideal partner for our new job site – and so are NDTV’s viewers. Yellojobs is about forward thinking educated individuals, who are ‘ahead of the curve’, exactly NDTV’s audience.

NDTV Media EVP Niraj Dutt says: “Yello’s competency and experience in creating a great consumer experience in running their classifieds sites in Asia was one of the keys to our partnership – we simply wanted the best for our viewers.”

The e-recruitment market in India is currently estimated at Rs 1.5 billion and likely to grow over 50 per cent year on year. There are an estimated 6.5 million online job seekers out of the 38.5 million Internet users in India. This number is expected to double in the next few years. Job portals are catching on to be the most immediate, economical and comprehensive source of fulfilling the large job requirements that employers have to offer, informs the statement.

October 30, 2006
Sun TV brands FM radio stations as ‘S FM’; launches 3 more stations

MUMBAI: The southern media emperor Kalanithi Maran has finally made its official entry into the private radio FM operations under the second phase by unveiling the brand name and the frequency.

The FM radio operations managed through its subsidiaries Kal Radio Ltd and South Asia FM Ltd will run stations under the brand name ‘S FM’.

Starting 6 November, the company will launch three more FM stations on 93.5 MHz FM in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur.

Sun will be the fifth player in Bangalore and competing for mindspace with players like Radio City, Radio Mirchi, Radio One and Big 92.7 FM.

In Hyderabad too, Sun will be battling out with the existing players — Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Big 92.7FM. While, in Jaipur, Sun will be sharing the space with Radio City, Radio Mirchi, Radio Tadka and MY FM.

With this, the total FM Stations of Sun TV group operational goes to seven as it already operates FM stations in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Visakhapatnam.

Works of another 38 FM Stations are in progress as it has retained 45 FM Radio stations across India out of 68 FM stations successfully bid.

Maran will operate 46 stations across the country through Sun TV Ltd’s two subsidiaries, Kal Radio and South Asia FM. Sun TV owns 89 per cent in Kal Radio and 94.91 per cent in South Asia FM. Maran holds 10.5 per cent in Kal Radio and 5.1 per cent in South Asia FM.

October 30, 2006
Priyanka Shah triumphs on Zoom’s ‘Levi’s Diva Quest’

MUMBAI: In a ceremony at Intercontinental The Grand, Mumbai Priyanka Shah of Pune was declared as the winner of the Levi’s Diva Quest.

This was a hunt to find an anchor for Zoom.
The show was judged by a panel of style icons including ace photographer Subi Samuel, makeover specialist and choreographer Achla Sachdev, celebrity tarot-card reader and television host Sunita Menon, ad-film maker Prahlad Kakar, TV host Mini Mathur and fashion designer Rocky S,

Shah will be the new face of Zoom. She has won herself a 1-year contract to host shows on the channel. Dimple Anand from Delhi and Malvika Rane from Mumbai were chosen as the first and 2nd runner-up respectively. Parmita Katkar from Mumbai won the title of ‘The Worldspace Miss Talented’.

Diana Hayden and Zoom anchor Siddharth Kannan anchored the event whuch had performances by Anuradha Pal, Anaida, international artists Nic and Nicole as well as a dance performance by Yana Gupta. The contestants walked down the ramp showcasing the D’damas Vivaha collection and special costumes designed by Neeta Lulla after facing the judges with two rounds – ‘2 min of Fame’ – where the beauties exhibited their talent by doing a filler act to get the loudest applause followed by a rapid Q&A round with the judges.

Attendees at the event included former-Miss India World Sindhura Gadde, the ‘celebrity’ choreographer Hanif Hillal, television actress Kanchi Kaul, choreographer Imam Siddiqui, Nicolo Morea, Rohit Verma, Sherrin Cheroke from the Band of Boys and Page 3 socialite Kishin Mulchandani.

Levi’s Diva Quest has been a seven episode series which has been airing on Zoom every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pmsince 21 October, 2006. The show is hosted by ramp model and an anchor of Zoom Aparna Kumar. The final episode will be a one-hour special and will air on Zoom on 11 November, 2006 at 9 pm.

Zoom business head MK Anand said, “Zoom has set highest standards in packaging and presentations on Indian Television ever since its launch where anchors have been an integral part of this. We are now poised to get into the next stage of our life cycle and there are host of new initiatives both in terms of content and marketing that is slated to launch in October-November this year. Diva Quest is a stepping stone in that direction that we have taken. The launch of Levi’s Diva collection couldn’t have been timed better. We are extremely happy to have them as our associates in this endeavor.”

The Presenting Sponsor for the event is Levi’s Diva Jeans while the Associate Sponsors are D’Damas Vivaah Diamond Jewellery, WorldSpace Radio, Lenovo, Samsung D 900, InterContinental The Grand, Mcdowell Signature & Planet M, and telecom partner for the event is BPL Mobile.

October 30, 2006
PCCW selects ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network for ‘now TV’ interactive services

MUMBAI: ICTV, which creates on-demand solutions that blend the choice and control of broadband video with the quality and responsiveness of television, and Hong Kong based telecom firm PCCW have announced that the ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network (AVDN) has been selected to enable interactive channels via television to subscribers of PCCW’s now TV service.

The first ActiveVideo channel offered by now TV is the completely interactive “Movie Trailer Channel” that PCCW has launched in partnership with United Artists, one of the leading cinema groups in Hong Kong. The Movie Trailer Channel allows subscribers to preview movies, choose cinema locations, check programme times, request seat locations, and buy tickets using just their standard remote controls. The channel is the first in a series of ActiveVideo channels and applications that will deliver more interactive services to now TV’s 654,000 subscribers.

The ActiveVideo Distribution Network is a usage-based content distribution service that enables operators, programmers and advertisers to bring video programming and advertising models from the Internet to the
television, including high-CPM ads that are targeted, auditable, interactive and actionable. AVDN delivers Web-driven programming and live and VOD streams – all with superior TV quality – over the existing two-way network infrastructure to any digital set-top box.

PCCW MD television and content Dominic Leung says, “ICTV has provided the quality and scalability that have enabled us to offer the most powerful interactive television platform in the world. ICTV has provided the quality and scalability that have enabled us to offer the most powerful interactive television platform in the world.

“The Movie Trailer Channel is the first example of how ActiveVideo Distribution Network will enable our subscribers to find and control an entirely new series of television channels of high-quality video with interactivity and
information that specifically meets their individual preferences.”

ICTV president and CEO Jeff Miller says, “Over the past two years, PCCW has established now TV as a world leader in the deployment of IPTV. We believe that the ability of ActiveVideo to bring standards-based, Web-driven programming and Internet-style advertising to the television will be a significant factor in helping operators like PCCW to dynamically
expand the scope of their offerings and capture new subscriber and advertising revenue.”

One of the world’s largest and most advanced IPTV deployments, now TV enables subscribers to choose their preferred programmes from more than 110 channels. The service provides 15 channels at no charge, and allows subscribers to select others using an “a la carte” pricing system.

Capitalising on the ability to deliver Web programming as MPEG video to any digital set-top box, the ICTV ActiveVideo platform is entirely standards-based, requiring no custom integration or proprietary development. Live and VOD programming can be blended seamlessly with content that is created and modified quickly using standard Web tools and
talent, and distributed via standard Web infrastructure.

The ActiveVideo platform utilises existing on-demand infrastructure, delivering all programming from the headend as MPEG video while using the on-demand return path to receive user input to control the programming and provide interactivity. This approach requires little set top resources and integrates with and extends existing set-top based interactive approaches.

With ActiveVideo Channels, network operators and programmers can enhance the value of existing channels by allowing viewers to take active control of what they see and when they see it. As an example, through simple clicks on their remote controls, television viewers can select an ActiveVideo Channel from the standard programme guide and enter a broadband experience that includes multiple video windows, navigational elements, channel branding, banner advertisements, and links to different video segments and images.

Screens can be manipulated to reflect personal viewing interests and purchasing preferences. Clicking on advertisements within the ActiveVideo experience enables interaction with sponsor messages, including “telescoping” to let consumers request more information, watch a demonstration or make a purchase.

October 30, 2006