ITV

Category: People

  • Rolly Kapoor joins The Quint as VP & national sales head

    Rolly Kapoor joins The Quint as VP & national sales head

    Mumbai: Online news portal The Quint has appointed Rolly Kapoor as vice president and national sales head.

    Kapoor took to LinkedIn to share the news. “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Vice President and National Sales Head at The Quint,” she wrote in her post. 

    An experienced professional in the broadcast media industry, Kapoor has worked across functions such as advertising sales, customer relationship management and market research.  She was previously associated with Times Network as vice president and cluster head since March 2017.

    In a career spanning almost two decades, Kapoor has been the national sales head of India Today Group and national sales head for UTV Movies and UTV Action at The Walt Disney Company. She has also had stints at Tensports, Star TV Network, Times of India Group, and Bluestar.

  • Shemaroo expands Prasanna Patil’s role to head of global telecom business

    Shemaroo expands Prasanna Patil’s role to head of global telecom business

    Mumbai: Shemaroo Entertainment has expanded the role of Prasanna Patil from handling domestic telecom business to head of global telecom business. Outside of India, Shemaroo is entrenched in markets such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East among others.

    “Shemaroo is looking to expand its presence in international markets through strategic partnerships with leading global telecom operators, ISPs, and OEMs,” said the company in a statement. “Shemaroo will not only look for last mile access through B2B2C partnerships but will also widen the reach and visibility in these territories. It will specially focus on ShemarooMe OTT to expand further with telco as well as non-telco partnerships in the international market.”

    Patil has an experience of two decades in the telecom industry in the content and revenue domain.

    “Partnerships with Global telecom businesses is an important pillar of growth for us,” said Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada. “With Prasanna’s proven track record of devising effective strategies for augmenting business, identifying and penetrating newer regions with a keen focus on content, I am confident that we will be able to become an entrenched player on the global stage.”

    “I am excited to take up this new role and steer the company’s growth plans globally,” said Prasanna Patil. “Shemaroo has a strong brand lineage and a robust content repository that caters to the evolving taste of consumers. The last couple of years have shown the consumer’s insatiable appetite for Indian content and I am sure that through our content offering, we can tap into newer audiences who are looking for authentic Indian content globally.”

    Shemaroo is present in 14 countries with more than 23 international telecom operators. Etisalat and Du in UAE, Celcom and Digi Telecommunications in Malaysia, and Ooredoo in Qatar are some of the major existing telecom partners worldwide.

  • Rahul Madanan joins Zee as director of marketing

    Rahul Madanan joins Zee as director of marketing

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has appointed Rahul Madanan as the new director of marketing, according to his LinkedIn update.

    In this new role, he will be based out of Kerala and oversee brand strategy, management and show launch marketing for the Malayalam TV business – Zee Keralam, across ATL/BTL/digital/PR.

    Madanan is a brand strategist, business management and integrated marketing communication specialist.  

    Before joining Zeel, he was associated with Bhima Jewels, where he worked as senior manager – marketing for a year. He has also worked with media companies such as Sun TV Network, Star TV Network, Carat Media, Maxus, Lodestar Universal, and DDB Mudra Group.

  • Srishti Behl Arya takes over as Phantom Films CEO

    Srishti Behl Arya takes over as Phantom Films CEO

    Mumbai: Film production company Phantom Films has appointed Srishti Behl Arya as its new CEO. She has moved from Netflix India as director – international original films, after a three-year-long stint, that ended in May last year.

    During her tenure with Netflix, Srishti played a key role in building the platform’s original film bouquet including more than 35 original films like “Guilty,” “AK vs AK,” “Bulbbul,” “Serious Men,” and the first Tamil and Telugu films “Paava Kadhaigal” and “Pitta Kathalu,” respectively. Prior to this, she was an independent producer in the Indian film and television industry.

    Founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, and Vikramaditya Motwane, Phantom Films has produced landmark Bollywood films like “Queen,” “Masaan,” “Lootera,” “Udta Punjab,” among others. The company was launched in 2012 in a 50 per cent partnership with Reliance Entertainment.

  • Vibhu Agarwal announces foray into TV broadcasting with Hindi GEC

    Vibhu Agarwal announces foray into TV broadcasting with Hindi GEC

    Mumbai: OTT app founder Vibhu Agarwal has announced his foray into the broadcasting space with the launch of a new Hindi general entertainment channel whose name is yet to be revealed. The channel will primarily cater to the target audience of 15 plus years. 

    In the past, Agarwal has produced a Bollywood film and numerous web series content.

    The GEC is slated to launch in the first half of the new financial year and will have both fiction and non-fiction series spanning genres like action, comedy, and thrillers. Unlike other GECs, however, the channel will run finite series where each show will have a limited number of episodes.

    Television revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of four to five per cent and reach Rs 826 billion by 2024, as per EY-FICCI media and entertainment 2022 report. The revenue from subscriptions for TV channels is expected to reach Rs 415 billion in 2022. Pay TV will continue to grow as states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal get electrified. Free TV subscribers are expected to cross 50 million in 2025. 

    The report predicted overall growth of TV connections at a pace of five per cent per year to cross 67 per cent of Indian households by 2025.

    “We have experienced tremendous success in terms of subscription and popularity with our unique offering on our flagship OTT Platform,” said Vibhu Agarwal. “Over the last three years, we have built a formidable content library spanning multi-genre content and age groups. While the digital entertainment space is poised to grow exponentially, the broadcasting industry is here to not just stay but also grow.”

    He added, “Our new Hindi general entertainment channel will have a varied bouquet of shows targeting all segments of society. It will be heavy in both fiction and non-fiction which will have genres like thriller, crime, comedy, horror, and suspense, and star some of the most renowned actors. We will be working with the best of production houses and the most noteworthy talent across to bring content-rich hours of programming. Each show will have slick production value, a novel concept, differentiated narrative, characterisation, and a finite run time. The shows will also be available on the television channel’s own new OTT App wherein the audiences will be able to watch them at their own leisure. This is our commitment to bring entertainment to the household of every Indian across the country that enjoys and understands Hindi.”

    The channel will be distributed across Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV and d2h, and cable networks such as Hathway, Den, and GTPL in India, as per the statement.

  • India TV appoints Vinay Maheshwari as group CEO

    India TV appoints Vinay Maheshwari as group CEO

    Mumbai: India TV has appointed Vinay Maheshwari as group chief executive officer. In this role, Maheshwari will lead strategic initiatives in broadcast and digital media.

    He is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience out of which 17 were spent in the media industry. 

    Prior to joining India TV, Maheshwari was associated with Sakshi Media Group as executive director and CEO. 

    In the past, he worked with companies such as DB Corp Ltd and HT Media.

  • Shashi Sinha takes over as new Barc India chairman

    Shashi Sinha takes over as new Barc India chairman

    Mumbai: IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha has been unanimously elected as the new chairman of Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India, following the board meeting held on Friday. 

    Sinha takes over from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd MD and CEO Punit Goenka, who served as Barc chairman for the last three years.

    Sinha, who also represents the Advertising Agencies Association of India as its board member, has played a key role in the formation of Barc, said the industry body in a statement.

    He is also actively involved in various industry bodies such as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI); past chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC); past president of The Ad Club; current chairman of Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and till very recently, before becoming a board member, was the first chairman of the technical committee of Barc India. 

    Sinha is also an honourable member of Facebook India Client Council.

    “I am excited to be given this opportunity as the chairman of Barc at a time when the industry is undergoing many changes and the measurement body continues to grow,” said Shashi Sinha. “Over the last decade, Barc has evolved to become a robust currency and developed into a strong base for decision making for all stakeholders. I look forward to continue working with the team at Barc and I am confident that together we will be able to add and bring in more value to the broadcast ecosystem.”

    “It has been a privilege to lead and serve Barc India as the chairman, for two terms. The organisation has indeed grown and progressed substantially since its inception,” commented Punit Goenka. “I would like to welcome Shashi as he takes the helm of an industry-critical operation in a fast-changing landscape. I am sure that Barc India will soar to newer heights under his guidance. I also wish Nakul and the team at Barc all the very best.”

    “It gives us great pleasure to welcome Sinha as our new chairman. He is recognised for his deep understanding of the media industry, especially the broadcast sector and has been an integral part of Barc’s journey as well as India’s M&E industry,” stated Barc India CEO Nakul Chopra. “It was under his leadership that the Barc tech comm played a significant role in the formation of the world’s largest television measurement system. We look forward to working closely with him.” 

    Chopra further said, “We would like to thank Goenka, who has also been the founder chairman of Barc India, playing an instrumental role in setting up this measurement system. His strategic guidance and contribution made to Barc India, as its chairman for two tenures, has added immense value.”

  • Abhay Ojha joins Zee Media as CRO

    Abhay Ojha joins Zee Media as CRO

    Mumbai: Zee Media Corp Ltd (ZMCL) has roped in Abhay Ojha as the new chief revenue officer for all of its 14 news channel properties. Ojha was previously with News Nation Network as president sales and marketing. 

    He takes over from Manoj Jagyasi who moved on recently.

    Ojha is a broadcast industry veteran with more than 22 years of experience. An alumnus of Delhi University, he began his career with TV Today Network, and has subsequently worked with Network18, Reliance Broadcast Network, TV9 and News Nation before joining Zee Media.

    At ZMCL, he will be responsible for the performance of all revenue-generating avenues, driving growth through strategic decisions, partnering with different stakeholders, and steering leadership on behalf of the sales team of all TV channels of Zee Media.

    He will closely work with senior leadership teams across the organisation with a focus on achieving long-term goals of the company.

    “It gives me great pleasure to join the robust team of Zee Media. The brand has been doing some great work and I look forward to collaborating with the stakeholders and focussing on achieving our long-term goals,” said Ojha on his appointment.

    ZMCL president group strategy and innovation Bibek Agarwala stated, “We have immense faith in the capabilities that Abhay brings to the table. We look forward to driving growth and revenue for the brand and taking it to greater heights every day.”

    “Zee is a media pioneer, the first private channel of India, and is now driving the transformation of media into a tech-enabled world,” remarked Zee News CEO Sudhir Chaudhury. “As we embark on to the next phase of growth for the network and the industry, the entry of Abhay in the team gives it a big boost. I’m confident that a seasoned professional like him will further accelerate our growth in a competitive business landscape.”

  • International Art Machine ropes in Karishma Naina Sharma to head international TV

    International Art Machine ropes in Karishma Naina Sharma to head international TV

    Mumbai: Global entertainment studio International Art Machine has appointed film and TV executive Karishma Naina Sharma to head international television.

    In her new role, Sharma will “bring her vast experience in the Indian and global marketplace to help curate a creative vision with an international perspective,” said the statement. She previously worked at Balaji Motion Pictures as the head of development and creative vice president where she developed and produced over 20 feature films under Ekta Kapoor and Sameer Nair.

    Sharma, who will be based globally and in Mumbai, will be steering the studio in Asia and “take International Art Machine to its next phase of growth,” the statement said.

    “To be a part of a truly international studio, headed by an innovator like Roy Price whose vision has carved out a legacy of award-winning shows and cutting-edge technology is both exciting and invigorating,” said International Art Machine head of international television Karishma Naina Sharma. “Our visions are aligned in recognizing that content is key and nurturing story tellers and story makers across the globe is at the very core of what we aim to cultivate at International Art Machine. I look forward to the journey ahead. I look forward to absorbing India’s myriad of talent and I look very much forward to curating a brand for International Art Machine that carry’s powerful, entertaining stories across borders that prove to be high in quality, innovative, relevant and commercially viable.”

    “Karishma is a world class executive with a talent for story and strong talent relationships. We look forward to having her spearhead efforts from Mumbai,” said International Art Machine CEO and founder Roy Price.

    International Art Machines recently announced its foray into India picking up the rights to Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy and partnering with talent such as Shekhar Kapur, Preity G Zinta, Dibakar Banerjee and Suparn S Varma.

  • Varun Kohli steps down as ITV Network CEO

    Varun Kohli steps down as ITV Network CEO

    Mumbai: After an eight-year long stint, media veteran Varun Kohli has decided to step down as ITV Network CEO.

    “Varun Kohli will move on as ITV Network’s CEO effective 31 March and ITV Network wishes him all the best for his future endeavours,” an official statement read.

    With a professional experience spanning over 25 years, Kohli is a seasoned sales specialist and is credited with creating sustainable business development and management strategies that have increased top and bottom lines and enhanced efficiency in organisations.

    He has worked with media houses like Network 18, Bennett and Colman Ltd, HT Media Ltd, Amar Ujala Prakashan.

    Kohli is a management graduate from SIMS, Ghaziabad and post graduate from YMCA, besides being a certified coach from Results Coaching Systems.