ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Dish TV, Tata Sky lock horns over DVRs

    Dish TV, Tata Sky lock horns over DVRs

    NEW DELHI: Existing DTH player Dish TV has locked horns with Tata Sky over interoperability — or its waiver — of digital video recorders to be made available to consumers of a DTH service in India.

    DTH license holder ASC Enterprises, which operates the Dish TV brand, has told the broadcast regulator that if digital video recorders (DVRs) are not interoperable, as mandated in DTH guidelines, it would “compromise” consumer interest.

    On the other hand, Tata Sky and technology company NDS (controlled by Rupert Murdoch) have said that “interoperability is not feasible on high end devices” like DVRs.
    “The technical specifications vary with the (DVR) models that are introduced and these were not envisaged when BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) drew up STB specifications,” Tata Sky has said in its submission to the regulator.

    ASC Enterprises has counter-punched by saying that existing clauses on interoperability of boxes protect the “consumer interests by ensuring they switch over their service providers for the basic functionality of watching the broadcast channels as per their option and choice.”

    If that was not enough, Tata Sky and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) have come out in support of multi-dwelling unit (MDU) technology, which has been strongly opposed by all sections of the cable industry, including Cable Operators’ Federation of India (COFI), which feels cable ops stand to become redundant.

    MDU technology, being tested by Tata Sky for its proposed DTH service in a few cities, envisages making available a DTH service to multiple homes through a common dish antenna, but separate set-top boxes.

    The technology is being touted by its supporters as cost effective for consumers and as a safeguard for “aesthetic” senses in concrete jungles that Indian cities are turning into.

    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had asked for comments on various issues related to DTH, including whether certain clauses in the DTH guidelines need to be amended to exclude DVRs from being interoperable.

    Fifteen individuals/organizations, including a clutch of RWAs, have submitted their feedback, baring the fact there isn’t consensus on matters like DVRs and MDU technology, which have the potential of changing the way people consume television fare in India.

    Even a company like Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infocomm, whose DTH license application hasn’t been processed by the government, feels that DVRs should be kept interoperable.

    “The clauses 7.1 & 7.2 of DTH license conditions need not be amended to exclude digital video recorders. All set top boxes whether simple STB or personal video recorder/ DVR-enabled set top boxes should be interoperable,” Reliance has stated

    The full text of feedback, peppered with technical jargons and occasional innuendoes hitting at opponents, can be seen on the regulator’s website, www.trai.gov.in.

     

  • Vikram Thukral appointed as VP distribution for Times Now and Zoom

    Vikram Thukral appointed as VP distribution for Times Now and Zoom

    MUMBAI: Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd. (BCCL) has fused the distribution team of the two channels Zoom and Times Now to drive in penetration and bring in revenues. The distribution will be overseen by the newly appointed VP- distribution Vikram Thukral.

    Thukral fills in the space vacated by Hitesh Sabharwal who was handling the distribution aspect of Zoom.

    Vikram Thukral will be reporting to the Times Now CEO Sunil Lulla and Zoom CEO Suresh Bala respectively. At Star, Thukral has led each of the regions of east, north and west expanding Star’s household reach and earning significant revenues from distribution, informs an official release.

    And the distribution teams of both the pay channels; the glamour and lifestyle channel Zoom and the English news channel Times Now will be reporting into Thukral.

    In a joint statement issued, Bala and Lulla stated, “We welcome Vikram’s leadership and believe both channels will be served better with combined efforts, in growing each channel’s household reach.”

    Over the next few weeks, both channel teams will be integrated for a common customer facing team. Time Now is owned by Times Global Broadcasting (A Times Group & Reuters Company) and Zoom is fully owned by Bennett Coleman & CO Ltd.

  • Sahara TV plans Rs 2 billion expansion plans

    Sahara TV plans Rs 2 billion expansion plans

    Sahara TV has earmarked Rs 2 billion for its expansion plans to set up a NFDC style film and television academy and a media club for media personalities. The funds for this venture will be raised mostly through internal accruals and the rest by tapping the balance.

    The academy will have all the modern equipment like four air-conditioned studio floors (two for films and two for video), 15 digital video cameras, three audio studios, telecine equipment, reverse telecine, 33 edit suites, DVD authoring, animation and a full-blown film processing laboratory. The annual capacity of the project will be 20 full-length feature films and 10,000 episodes of half-hour video.

    Sahara will also be launching its news and current affair channel soon. Besides this, the company also plans to launch a new magazine.

  • CNN Presents: Chasing Angelina – Paparazzi and Celebrity Obession

    CNN Presents: Chasing Angelina – Paparazzi and Celebrity Obession

    Insiders Talk about Desperately Seeking ‘Brangelina,’ Rosie, ‘TomKat’ for ‘Chasing Angelina’ Documentary

    Airtimes: Indian Standard Times

    Sat, June 3 at 1130am and 1930hrs

    Sun, June 4 at 1130am

    The celebrity hunt is on – and the target: mega movie star, Angelina Jolie. As stargazers await the birth of the “Brangelina” baby, CNN PRESENTS takes viewers on a wild ride during a paparazzi pursuit for money-making shots of Jolie. CNN PRESENTS: CHASING ANGELINA – PAPARAZZI AND CELEBRITY OBSESSION premieres in June.

    How far is too far to go for news of the stars’ lives? For CHASING ANGELINA, CNN talks to all sides of the celebrity media maze so viewers can decide for themselves.

    “The personal lives of Hollywood celebrities these days – it really is the best reality TV show out there,” multimedia celebrity gossip reporter Ted Casablanca said.

    But sometimes the stars write those reality show scripts themselves. In fact, many stars admit to cooperating with the entertainment press. During the documentary, Mariah Carey and Ashlee Simpson acknowledge they enjoy posing for celebrity photographer, Kevin Mazur, and he knows why.

    Larry Hackett, managing editor for People magazine, says that People avoid being deliberately “mean” to celebrities in trouble. Managing editor Peter Castro says People does hold back some stories out of a commitment to responsibility and fairness. This can translate into the magazine being rewarded with big scoops when stars do decide to go public.

    Power public relations consultants Ken Sunshine, of Ken Sunshine Consultants Inc., and Cindi Berger, managing director of PMK/HBH Inc., are at the top of the A-listers’ PR agencies. Between the two agencies, they have cultivated celebrity and managed media minefields for Paula Abdul, Tyra Banks, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and many more. Berger tells CNN how she helped long-time client, Rosie O’Donnell, navigate through negative press after being sued by her magazine publisher. People’s Castro also credits Berger with helping Mariah Carey emerge from whispers of a mental breakdown to a return to the top of the music charts.

    But not all media feel they need to work with a celebrity or publicist for the scoop on the stars.

    The sheer abundance of celebrity press and the Internet have changed the game for publicists. The top celebrity magazines now reach a combined circulation of at least 8.5 million. Star-studded entertainment television news programs add even more star watchers. And celebrity gossip blogs have kicked up the pace – and the sarcastic tone – of celebrity gossip. Defamer.com’s Mark Lisanti and Jossip.com’s David Hauslaib tell CNN they generally don’t care about offending stars or publicists to deliver their constant updates – it’s what their gossip-crazy fans expect.

    CNN PRESENTS is CNN International’s award-winning documentary series, showcasing compelling work of significant impact from esteemed filmmakers. For more CNN International programming information, please visit our website at www.cnnasiapacific.com.

    AIRTIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

  • News Corp appoints Dr. Paige to board of directors

    News Corp appoints Dr. Paige to board of directors

    MUMBAI: News Corporation has appointed Dr Rod Paige, the former US Secretary of Education to the board of directors with immediate effect. The addition of Dr. Paige increases the number of directors to 15.

    News Corporation chairman and chief executive officer Rupert Murdoch said, “Rod Paige’s life has been dedicated to raising standards and demanding accountability in education in the United States. In addition to his outstanding record of achievement as an educator and reformer, he has a great understanding of how big, complex institutions work – an expertise that will be invaluable to our board.”

    During his tenure at the US Department of Education from 2001 to 2005, Dr Paige was a fierce and innovative champion of education reform who led the way in setting new standards of achievement for all students in our education system. He spearheaded the implementation of the historic No Child Left Behind Act, with its goal of reinvigorating America’s education system.

    Dr. Paige has devoted his life to transforming the state of education by improving the way that children learn on all levels, a passion that has manifested itself most recently when he co-founded the bi-partisan Chartwell Education Group, LLC. This group is a consulting firm devoted to offering solutions to the 21st Century challenges faced by the public and private sector enterprises that focus on pre-K, K-12 and post-secondary education, both in the United States and throughout the world.

    Prior to his time at Chartwell, and after he left the administration in 2005, Dr. Paige served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. There he was able to explore a more global perspective of education

  • earthTV launches in New Zealand

    earthTV launches in New Zealand

    MUMBAI: Programming produced by earthTV, which operates a remote-controlled broadcast camera network, has been launched across New Zealand on its free-to-air public service broadcaster, TVNZ.

    earthTV produces daily live programming from destinations around the world and its programme, The World LIVE will air daily during the morning block on TVNZ’s main channel TVOne, titled Good Morning, informs an official release.

    TVNZ’s head of news and current affairs Bill Ralston said, “earthTV’s innovative programming will enhance our morning programming, and is exactly the kind of dynamic content New Zealanders expect from their national network. We look forward to developing a significant and lasting partnership with earthTV.”

    earthTV’s president Thomas Hohenacker added, “earthTV is undergoing exceptional growth at this time, and our launch in New Zealand highlights our focus on growing earthTV across the Asia Pacific during 2006.”

    Launched three years ago, earthTV currently has broadcast partnerships with more than 40 channels worldwide and a worldwide network of more than 60 cameras across five continents, adds the release

  • News reporting in the US is perceived as biased

    MUMBAI: Over six in 10 adults in the United States agree that there is a bias in the reporting of news. However, there is less agreement as to whether there is a liberal or conservative bias. Furthermore, viewers of talk shows say that the hosts of these shows are equally critical of Republicans and Democrats. Greater numbers of adults say they turn to CNN and Fox News mostly when seeking news or information about public affairs or politics.

    These are the results of a Harris Poll of 1,179 US adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive between 7 to 13 June 2006. Specific results from this poll include:

    * Almost four in 10 US adults (37 per cent) listen to talk shows on the radio at least once a week and about three in 10 (29 per cent) watch political or public affairs TV shows at least once a week.

    * CNN (20 per cent) and Fox News (18 per cent) are the television channels adults most often turn to when they want news or information related to politics or public affairs. These are followed by the networks, including ABC (nine per cent), NBC (eight per cent) and CBS ( seven per cent). Other channels include MSNBC (five per cent), C-Span (three per cent), PBS (three per cent) and CNBC (one per cent).

    * When comparing those who are ‘heavy’ users of the media (including talk radio and television) to ‘light’ users, a slightly different profile emerges. Among “heavy” media users, Fox News is the leading channel at 39 per cent, followed by CNN at 22 per cent. Among ‘light’ media users, CNN is at the top (21 per cent) followed by ABC (13 per cent), NBC (11 per cent), CBS (nine per cent) and Fox News (eight per cent).

    * When looking at the profile of viewers of TV channels that are watched most often for news about politics or public affairs, preferences emerge based on political affiliation and political philosophy. CNN’s viewers are more likely to be Democrats (42 per cent) or Independents (29 per cent) than Republicans (19 per cent.) Not surprisingly Fox News viewers are more likely to be Republicans (63 per cent) as compared to Democrats (12 per cent) or Independents (20 per cent).

    The potential biases associated with the media’s reporting have been discussed a great deal. This Harris Poll explores whether the public thinks that talk show hosts are more critical of Democrats or Republicans. Among those who watch talk shows at least once a month, 22 percent think that talk show hosts are more critical of Democrats and 25 percent say that hosts are more critical of Republicans. The remaining 52 percent say that the hosts are equally critical of both parties.

    However, over six in 10 (63 per cent) of Republicans agree that there is bias in the news reporting, with the remaining 36 per cent saying they are not sure (31 per cent) or think there is no bias (fiv per cent). Interestingly, the adult public overall thinks that there is more of a liberal bias (38 per cent) than a conservative bias (25 per cent). While this may not be altogether surprising, the fact that the findings don’t show an even greater liberal bias is noteworthy.

    * Furthermore, among those who are ‘heavy’ users of the media, a majority (54 per cent) say that there is a liberal bias in news reporting, compared to 24 per cent who say there is a conservative bias. Among “light” media users there is less of a difference, with similar numbers saying that there is
    a liberal bias (31 per cent) or conservative bias (25 per cent).

    * CNN viewers are split on this issue, with a third (33 per cent) saying that there is a liberal bias and another third (32 per cent) saying there is a conservative bias.

    * Fox News viewers, however, strongly feel that there is a liberal bias (69 per cent) as compared to 12 per cent who say there is a conservative bias. Among adults who say that there is bias in the media, television is perceived as having the ‘greatest bias in the reporting of news’ (41 per cent).

    17 per cent say that print media and seven percent say that radio is biased in their reporting. Three in 10 (31 per cent) say that the media overall are equally biased.

  • Sa Re Ga Ma Pa announces ‘L’il Champs’

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa announces ‘L’il Champs’

    Mumbai, July 3, 2006: After the mega success of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 & Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Zee TV announces a completely new series – “L’il Champs” with twenty-two new young contestants. L’il Champs will provide a platform for the first time to young participants, all in the age group of 7 to 14 years. This series will have the little talents singing to a live band on the show. L’il Champs also marks the return of the extremely popular anchor Shaan, to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa after a brief hiatus.

    Speaking on the launch, Gajendra Singh, Creative Director, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa said, “Following Challenge 2005 & Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, we thought of L’il Champs, a completely different series from the earlier ones. Music is an integral part of Indian culture and talent should be nurtured from an early age, therefore, L’il Champs will identify young talent. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has always been a platform for the best talent in the country, L’il Champs will bring out the best in young talent from across the country.”

    Adding further, Ashvini Yardi, Head, Programming, Zee TV said, “L’il Champs will be an absolutely new experience for all of us, as we will be dealing with little children as participants. We look forward to providing our viewers a refreshingly new show with L’il Champs, some talented singing with loads of fun. We also have new judges – Alka Yagnik, Bappi Lahiri & Abhijeet. All of them established professionals from the music industry, who will guide & judge our little contestants.”

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs will be on Zee TV, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 to 11 p.m.

  • ‘Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology’ : Sameer Manchanda – Global Broadcast News Jt. MD

    ‘Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology’ : Sameer Manchanda – Global Broadcast News Jt. MD

    He is credited with having stitched some lucrative deals for NDTV — rather it’s said that the so-called one-sided deal that NDTV had with Star for content on Star News for five years was a combination of his ability to draft agreements and talk foreign partners into deals and NDTV promoter Prannoy Roy’s charm and credibility. In certain quarters, he is also described as the merciless corporate honcho who leaves no stone unturned to achieve success.
    Whichever way you look at it,     Sameer Manchanda is a go-getter, easily moulding himself according to varied situations. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, he has been with the television industry since 1984 — NDTV to be precise — and has seen major stages of evolution in this sector. He has considerable and varied experience and expertise in distribution, strategic and financial planning, capital structuring and restructuring, funding, business valuations, mergers and acquisitions, collaborations and joint ventures.
    No wonder, in 2005 the entrepreneurial bug bit him when Manchanda set up Global Broadcast News Ltd along with Television Eighteen Group promoter Raghav Bahl, TV18 CEO Haresh Chawla and managing editor of NDTV Rajdeep Sardesai. He was also instrumental in formulating and finalizing the alliances with CNN and Channel7.
    In a rare interview with     Indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra, Manchanda, the joint MD of GBN (managers of English news channel CNN IBN and its Hindi sibling Channel7), looks at the industry, peers into the crystal ball for the changes taking place, the challenges ahead and what makes him tick.
    Excerpts:

    What’s the big picture in the television industry as you see it?
    Digital television and various delivery platforms for content are certain to make things exciting. The new digital wave is going to change the consumption patterns of electronic content. Platforms like DTH, IPTV, mobile TV, podcast and broadband will all happen and audiences would not be just passive onlookers, but participants and partners in the business of packaging, delivering and consuming content.

    We will need to be ready for all these. For example, mobile video is going to be a big thing in India too in the near future.

    At a time when all these things are poised to happen — and happening — the biggest challenge for any management is to figure out ways to cope with technological advances. In India, there are over 100 million mobile phones, over 100 million TV homes out of which approximately 60 million are cable and satellite homes. Just look at the consumer power of these various platforms. I see this as the future.

    Any management that could figure out ways to make its content consumable worthy for people on such different platforms would be the real winner. In the next five years, I foresee Indian media companies scaling up their operations.

    Do you foresee multi-billion dollar Indian media companies, especially broadcasting companies, coming about in future?
    Why not? If they can do it in other parts of the globe, why not in India? With ramping up of operations, valuations too would go up. If you can have a Viacom being valued at $25 billion, CBS at $20 billion, Walt Disney at $65 billion, News Corp at $20 billion and NTL at $ 7 billion (all valuations mentioned are approximate), why not a multi-billion India broadcaster?

    As India globalises and broadcasters scale up operations, in the next five to six years we could see several multi-billion dollar media companies in India.

    How is Global Broadcast Network, managing CNN IBN and Channel 7, gearing up to take advantage of the developing scenario?
    The first thing for us was to get CNN IBN on track and build it up as a strong, credible news source. After having done that, we are going in for increased interactivity as audiences are our partners and their involvement is very necessary. The programme Citizen Journalist is just one such initiative. Once people get used to that, then the advertising revenue will follow.

    Second, as a news company we decided not only do we have to be present in the English space, but also in the Hindi segment. For this we decided to go the acquisition route for Channel7. From a management perspective, while CNN IBN is on a growth path — our ratings have been good — Channel7 gives us presence in the vast Hindi market. In future, we’ll launch more channels, but getting Channel7 up there with the big boys and increasing its market share is the big task ahead of us all.
    ‘Getting Channel7 up there with the big boys is the big task ahead of us all‘

    How do you want to consolidate your position as a company?
    As a group — GBN is part of the Television Eighteen Group — we do have synergies and from the management’s perspective it’s to build up an organization that would be present in all spheres of general and business news in both English and Hindi. (Television Eighteen runs CNBC TV18 and Hindi channel Awaaz).

    As a bouquet of channels, over a period of time we’d go pay to exploit the various distribution platforms. When that happens, we would also tie-up with one of the existing distribution bouquets (Zee Turner, Star, and One Alliance).

    When will the group channels actually align with an existing distribution bouquet?
    Pretty soon. We would engage in a dialogue and tie up with one of the existing distribution platforms. All such platforms need good content and we feel that our channels make compelling viewing. Within a year you’d see developments on this front.

    Would that mean both CNN IBN and Channel7 become pay channels?
    CNN IBN certainly would as all other English news channels are. CNBC TV18 draws in a substantial amount of subscription revenue. We’d keep Channel7 free to air (like other Hindi news channels) till the time leaders in this space decide to make some radical moves.

    Has GBN given up altogether an option of foraying into non-news segment of TV broadcasting?
    AT GBN, the charter is to concentrate on the news segment. Over a year’s time, we’d continue to launch more channels, but within the news segment. News is not just as we see it. It can be lifestyle and sports too as news encompass all these things. GBN would continue to operate within its core strength and there I don’t see an entertainment channel fitting in.

    How much of the expansion will depend on technologies like CAS and DTH proliferating in the Indian industry?
    Our expansion plans are not too dependent on CAS or DTH or any other new technology. Things like CAS and DTH are already making their presence felt. However, we do assume that newer technologies will come in and we should be ready for the situation. But if the future doesn’t also arrive over the next 12-18 months, our expansion plans are unlikely to get affected.

    How would you describe the present distribution scenario? You are considered a wiz in that field having, reportedly, done wonders in your previous organisation, NDTV?
    At this point of time distribution is an important component of the business. It’s like having good content. Look at FMCG companies like Coke and Pepsi. They are doing well because not only do they have popular products, but also great distribution and marketing strategies. The television business too is like that; at least evolving into one where it is important to not only have compelling content, but also good distribution. People are realizing this and have started investing in distribution to have the right mix.

    Distribution will also play a key role as the TV business goes forward with newer technologies and platforms coming up. Whether a TV channel needs to be on all platforms, whether podcast is good for only news and not entertainment, whether long term deals are good…questions like these would have to be asked by a management and answered.

    At GBN, we have decided that our channels should be on all platforms and available everywhere with the final aim of building up a rapport with the consumer in whichever way he wants to consume news. With India presently facing bandwidth problems where one TV channel is less clear than the other on a cable network, for example, it’s very important to be available on other platforms too. It’s all about building relationships with consumers, distribution partner(s) and clients.

    Though you said the company is planning to join hands with an existing distribution partner, there are reports that GBN and TV18 Group would like to build up a distribution team of its own. Comment.
    As far as GBN is concerned, we’d join a bouquet as of now. We do have an in-house distribution team, which services the clients. But that’s more from the point of view of relationship building. You need a different arm to collect money from the market and a different set-up to build relationships. We feel it’s better to have two arms doing (seemingly) separate work.

    Star, One Alliance and Zee Turner have built up an expertise in the area of collecting money and the feeling at GBN is that we should go along with it, even as an in-house team works on affiliates and relationships with them. Both can be complementary to each other.

    You mean to say the in-house distribution team would just concentrate on building relationships, while the actual work is outsourced. Seems a bit strange to me, but what do you feel? That’s how the Indian market has developed so far and we are not here to change things overnight. Our distribution team may help a foreign client, which we are doing. We have just signed up to be the Indian agent of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), an infotainment channel with large doses of news and travel shows. We don’t mind forging relationships with such foreign channels.

    Did GBN pay carriage fee when it launched its first channel?
    We did pay some amount, but that’s a standard practice. Whenever a new product is launched, one pays for visibility. Even abroad TV channels pay for visibility in the initial stage. These are considered part of the overall expenses.

    Would GBN go in for CNN-type of licensing deals as it expands its portfolio?
    We are very clear that we want to build on our existing relationships and forge new ones. We have learnt a lot from CNN at CNN IBN. Would we do similar deals as we move ahead? It depends on the value a foreign partner, or for that matter any partner, brings on the table. If for a future channel, we feel a partner can bring some value on the table, we’d explore all possibilities.
    ‘We have just signed up to be the Indian agent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation‘

    Was it a tough task integrating the working of Channel7 with the group?
    Some of the integration process is still on, but on the whole the exercise has been smooth and quite seamless. People have been busy with the re-launch, but over a period of time the management would concentrate on the integration in its entirety. The former owners understand our goals and appreciate that a lot of effort is being put in to build value.

    How did GBN/TV18 Group zero down on Channel7 for acquisition?
    I think it just happened. But two things contributed to the deal going through. One, the promoters of Jagran (which formerly owned Channel7) were professionals and, second, there was hardly any baggage in the sense that the channel was barely one- year old. We felt that the management expertise at GBN and TV18 Group could do wonders with Channel7 and, as I said, it just happened.

    What’s the next stage for Channel7?
    When we took it over, Channel7’s market share was between 6-7 per cent. Not bad for a year-old channel, but Hindi is a very competitive market. That it’s also big, makes us optimistic. So, we started off with 6-7 per cent market share of Channel7 and have managed to ramp up the share up to slightly over 10 (based on data of a week before the interview took place). The need is to carry on growing.

    From a management perspective, do you foresee any trend emerging in the mass Hindi news market?
    Aaj Tak continues to be the leader, remarkably hanging on to the advantage it took when it started several years back, but the viewership pattern for other channels are changing. In recent times, Star News has occupied the No. 2 slot, which was earlier ruled by NDTV India. This changing viewership pattern gives us some hope. It’s a long haul for Channel7, but we would certainly like to build it up as the next most credible platform for news in Hindi.

    As subsets of the TV business, what are the other revenue streams being tapped by GBN?
    Making content enabled and customized for different platforms is certainly one. Syndication of programming from the archives is another. And, taking the channels international would be a big thing. Especially if we can manage to strike lucrative deals abroad in markets like the Middle East, the US and the UK.

    We have signed a non-exclusive pact with a telecom major to make mobile handset-enabled content and feel that such relationships with other telecom companies would bring in substantial revenue over the years.

    I also feel the company needs to have a separate division where people think and make customized content for various delivery platforms. It’s not easy to encapsulate 30-minute news bulletins into one and two-minute capsules. All over the world, people are experimenting and so are we on various aspects of this business like which content will work on mobile TV, for example, and what will not.

    What percentage of the overall revenue do you think is likely to accrue from such subsets of the business?
    Quite significant over the years. In the next five to six years about 10-12 per cent of the revenue would come from content tailored for various platforms. At the moment, we are trying to form relationships for the convenience of the consumer. Going forward, this would increase also. It’s all in the future, but for that we need to be prepared. We are very clear that we are doing it and that’s why we are also building up a strong tech team.

    What sort of investment has gone into GBN up till now?
    I think in the excess of Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion), excluding the acquisition cost of Channel7).

    As the management head of a young company what’s your priority — the topline growth or would you rather watch the bottomline?
    We would do both. First, we’d build value, which we are doing. Second, we are also focused on the balance sheet. We are very clear that apart from building values and credibility, we are here to do business too.

    It’s too early to comment on the topline growth, but it’s picking up and doing better than our expectations. By the time we complete a year around January 2007, as a company our financials should be healthy. Unless, of course, something very dramatic happens with the economy and it goes into a tailspin over the next six months.

    When do you think the company would reach a breakeven point?
    Very soon. I am confident that by March 2007, we should be in a position to tell our shareholders some good news. Presently, we are doing well quarter-wise and the company is fairly comfortable even now. We have got the viewership, which will lead to revenues. It’s amplified in the fact that we have about 80-100 brands on our channels.

    What made you get into the entrepreneurial mode? Was it lack of due recognition at NDTV where you spent almost two decades engineering lucrative deals for the company?
    It was a combination of various factors. As a distribution and finance person, I could foresee the changes that would take place in India — changes where you need to move in and be part of. Such opportunities don’t come every day.

    Moreover, the equation and mix was just perfect to try taking advantages of the changes happening in the Indian industry. Rajdeep (Sardesai) brings in the editorial strength, I bring in the business acumen, while Raghav (Bahl, the promoter of TV18 Group) and Haresh (Chawla, the CEO of TV18) bring in the group synergies and infrastructure. It was a combination of like-minded people.

    Let me make things clear that it was not that NDTV was giving me a short shrift or not agreeing with my vision. NDTV is a fantastic company. It was pure entrepreneurial spirit where one wanted to chart out one’s own path and take some risks. It has worked fairly well till now and let’s hope that in future also it does so.
  • Broadcast Worldwide to rework on Tara Bengali programming

    Broadcast Worldwide to rework on Tara Bengali programming

    The Rathikant Basu promoted Broadcast Worldwide’s Tara Bengali channel is being rejigged by its programming team.

    This decision comes in the wake of the recent survey conducted by IMRB at the behest of BWW for its regional channels (read: Broadcast Worldwide initiates broad-based research programmes). The survey found out that the viewers were overall satisfied with the kind of programmes being shown on the channel, but said that the programming was “too intellectual”. Tara Bengali officials claim that the channel enjoys 100% awareness in the Bengali audience.

    Speaking about the Tara Marathi channel, the channel officials said that they were expecting the results of the IMRB research in a short time. As far as the awareness about the channel was concerned, officials said that Tara Marathi has been accepted and appreciated in areas like Pune and Nashik. As far as Mumbai was concerned, the channel is not being received by too many households because the Hinduja-run InCablenet is proving a hurdle. It is reportedly demanding high carriage fees for retransmitting the signal.

    It can be mentioned here that Star TV has been roped in as the distribution partner for Broadcast Worldwide but the details of the deal are still being worked out.

    Meanwhile BWW also has plans to launch a comprehensive regional cultural portal aimed exclusively at the NRI audience. Webcasting its original television software on the Internet will be one of its activities.