ITV

Category: People

  • Banijay appoints Peter Salmon and Lucinda Hicks as UK chiefs

    Banijay appoints Peter Salmon and Lucinda Hicks as UK chiefs

    MUMBAI: Endemol Shine UK CEO Richard Johnston, who looked after the merger of Endemol and Shine in 2015, is to step down following the recent acquisition of Endemol Shine Group.

    During his time as UK group CEO, he has driven an expansion strategy, overseeing years of consistent growth. Under his leadership, the UK group has seen growth across the board but notably within the scripted business, SVOD revenues and regional production. The business has also achieved industry-leading gender pay and diversity results.

    Banijay has appointed BBC Studios former director and Endemol Shine Group executives Peter Salmon and Lucinda Hicks as its UK chiefs. Salmon will lead Banijay UK as executive chairman, with former territory COO, Lucinda Hicks, by his side, taking up the post of CEO.

    Moving forwards, Salmon will oversee the company’s burgeoning portfolio of 25 unscripted and scripted production labels that also includes shows like MasterChef, Grantchester, Eat Well for Less, and The Island With Bear Grylls. Hicks will run the business’ day-to-day operations. In their new roles, the pair will work in unison to devise and implement the country’s integration plans in order to combine the entities by the end of 2020.

    Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti said, “The UK is now one of our biggest markets, with a plethora of multi-genre labels and an incredible catalogue that has travelled the globe. With this scale we needed robust leadership, which spanned both the creative narrative of the group, as well as the operational one. Already heavily engaged in the country’s business and tapped into much of its network, Peter and Lucinda were in a prime position to take the group through the next stage of its journey. Brimming with IP and some of the best minds in the business, I’ve no doubt Banijay UK, with them at the helm, will continue to be at the epicentre of devising original and innovative brands, which get the world talking. I’ll finish by thanking Richard for his incredible dedication, commendable service and significant hard work in putting the UK group and its labels in such great health.”

    Salmon said, “In Lucinda Hicks I also have a terrific partner – bright, hard-working and a lot of fun. Together, we are dedicated to building an inclusive and ambitious operation, where our teams have the support, direction and leadership they need but also the autonomy and freedom necessary to deliver the best ideas on the planet. The future here is very bright and given our producers have really shone throughout lockdown – they’ve been clever, innovative and resilient – I’ve no doubt we can go on to do great things together.”

    Hicks, who previously ran Endemol Shine producer Dragonfly was elevated to her role as COO in 2015. She said she was looking forward to working in an environment where there is a good combination of  tremendous talent, entrepreneurialism and IP all under one roof.

    She adds, “It has been a pleasure working with Richard over the last few years.  The power of our brands and the appetite for them globally has made ESUK such an exciting place to be, which is now bolstered further with more creative leaders and amazing IP. I look forward to working with Peter to build a combined creative portfolio renowned for its standout, world-class titles, driving innovation and originality and being at the forefront of positive change in the industry.”

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  • A+E Networks | TV18 appoints Karishma Dhawan as revenue head

    A+E Networks | TV18 appoints Karishma Dhawan as revenue head

    NEW DELHI: Karishma Dhawan will be taking over as the revenue head at A+E Networks | TV18 and will be in charge of the network’s factual entertainment cluster. She will be reporting to A+E Networks | TV18 managing director and CEO-broadcast for Network18 Avinash Kaul.

    Kaul said, “Karishma has been part of the Network18 family for more than a decade, and has a proven track record of high performance. I’m confident that her keen eye for analysis and extensive experience across mediums will add immense value to our revenue efforts, as we continue to grow our brands and gain leadership within the factual entertainment genre.”

    Dhawan has spent twelve years in Network18, spread over two career stints, and is known for her skill at team management and business development. She will now be responsible for spearheading Display and Focus Sales for the A+E Networks | TV18 brands.

    Dhawan said, “I’m excited with this opportunity. I’ve been with the company for the better part of my career and it feels like family. I am looking forward to building on the strengths of our sales team and the iconic brands of A+E Networks | TV18”

  • “Time to discuss IP ownership”: Contiloe Pictures’ Abhimanyu Singh

    “Time to discuss IP ownership”: Contiloe Pictures’ Abhimanyu Singh

    MUMBAI: Television producers, after a long hiatus, have started shooting with limited cast and crew members. However, taking care of the team and the implementation of other SOP measures has escalated production cost.

    Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh says that most companies are at a vulnerable stage. Production has come to a standstill where revenue is zero with underlying assets to depend on.

    Singh believes that the IP-based system needs to start so that creators can benefit from reusing, reworking and reutilising their assets. He adds that the entire ecosystem needs to prepare itself to be able to create world-class content.

    He further explains that apart from owning studios, having a stronger production fraternity is good for the creation environment. “Smaller units will always have a problem and the system will remain fractured in the way it functions. If you have a strong infrastructure and strong production companies it will be always helpful to fight any natural disaster.”
     
    Singh is currently shooting with his team in Amgaon and Naigaon where he has arranged a living accommodation for his cast and crew members. The entire arrangement was done within 20 days since the lockdown was imposed. The team at Contiloe Pictures worked overtime to make this transition happen. Nearly 75 people are staying within the studio in Amgaon. Everything from their living cost to food is taken care of by the studio. In the same manner, close to 30 people are staying at the other set in Naigaon.

    Contiloe Pictures has hired an external agency called Momentum India that looks after all the sanitisation, fumigation and other safety measures.

    Singh highlights that shooting is running smoothly with not limited challenges. He shares, “We had over 100 animation people and VFX supervisors because most of our shows require visual effects. Now there are fewer people in one slot. We have two floors where people were working in different shifts which have reduced now. Most of the post-production work is happening remotely.”

    The studio has introduced Adaptra lines, where data transfer happens at a higher speed. He also highlights that even if the cost goes up it is safe for the environment as people are working from home. This will help to stop the mitigation of viruses on the set. Singh says that these added costs will have to be taken for the time being since there isn’t any other option. 

    Singh has introduced very limited changes in the scripts. Storytelling has changed to a certain extent, but the plotline remains the same. A lot of crowd scenes, darbaar sequences are done through CGI (Computer-generated imagery).

    Singh credits the entire industry for coming together in this time of crisis.  He shares, “Most of the industry is shooting for over 40 days now and people are being responsible for their working environment and their units.”

    Contiloe's currently running shows on television include Tenali Rama and Vighnaharta Ganesh. It has also previously created shows like Veer Shivaji, Jhansi ki Rani, Mahabali Hanuman, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Maharana Pratap, Ssshhhh…Koi Hai amongst others.

  • Zeel company SugarBox makes senior level appointments

    Zeel company SugarBox makes senior level appointments

    MUMBAI: Content distribution network (CDN) services provider SugarBox –  in which Zee Entertainment Enterprises infused Rs 522 crore recently – has announced  a series of appointments at senior leadership levels to take the company to the next level.

    SugarBox has installed 200 CDN edge servers at key places of interest (PoI)  – including public transport, public place, rural area, hotels and co-living spaces and malls – in nine cities which allow users to connect to a local wifi network. Users have to look for “sugarbox” in their wifi settings and connect, open their Zee5 or Freeplay app, register using their mobile number  and stream and download movies and shows  without buffering or data charges. The service provider counts Railtel, Hyderabad railway station, CMRL, CSC WiFi, Central Railway and NMMT among its partners.

    Amongst these:

    ·       Ashish Kulshresth  who has come on board as business head. Ashish has over 20 years of strategic experience in strategic alliances, sales and marketing across edtech, e-commerce, telecom and media. Most recently, he was the VP – partnerships & online growth at WhiteHat Jr. At SugarBox, he will take up P&L responsibility and oversee the network expansion, as well as  revenue functions.

    * Ishan Choudhury is the growth head. With 14 years of experience across diverse strategy roles, including co-founding a hyperlocal services venture, he brings a balance of start-up exposure and key insights from running micro-ventures in large enterprises like Jio. He joins SugarBox from Weddingz, where he worked as the director of customer strategy. He will be responsible for driving strategic initiatives and customer traction for the company.

    * Rupsa Sinha as the brand head. With 12 years of experience across consumer brands like ICICI and Thomas Cook, Sinha has undertaken the unique challenge of creating a category defining brand – aLL from scratch, prior to SugarBox. She will be primarily responsible for building the SugarBox brand and creating awareness for the unique value proposition and disruption that the company creates.

    * Ashish Rana as the head of app partnerships. He has more than 15 years of experience, primarily across media & consumer businesses. He will be responsible for evangelism of SugarBox across digital industries with a key focus on OTT, e-commerce, fintech, edtech, mobility and foodtech.

    * Vishwanath Kulkarni  as the head of network rollout. He brings with him over 15 years of experience in the IT & Telecom domain, having been instrumental for the rollout of 2G, 3G and 4G networks for a telco in UAE and Reliance Communications. At SugarBox, he will own the network rollout and network maintenance function enabling the company to scale operations rapidly.

    Says SugarBox co-founder & CEO Rohit Paranjpe said, “We welcome AK, Ishan, Rupsa, Ashish and VK to the team and I’m grateful for the rich and diverse experience they bring to the company. We are at a very interesting juncture in our journey and their arrival brings fresh energy, expertise and perspective that will be pivotal in our rapid scale-up aspirations. We have an exciting couple of years ahead of us as we kick-start our association with the Indian railways and these key appointments will play a vital role in shaping our future.”

  • James Murdoch resigns from News Corp board

    James Murdoch resigns from News Corp board

    MUMBAI: Truly, a saga has come to an end. James Murdoch once considered to be the successor to Rupert Murdoch has resigned from the News Corp board yesterday. James, who helped his father build his Asian empire under Star TV and later at 20th Century Fox and then Fox, was associated with his father’s businesses for more than 20 years.

    The reason for his resignation according to a filing by the company with the US regulators: “My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.”

    Rupert and James’ elder brother Lachlan accepted his resignation saying: We’re grateful to James for his many years of service to the company. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

    James’ departure brings to the forefront the differences that have arisen between him and Lachlan and Rupert. Rupert has been a pretty strong supporter of Donald Trump and has conservative views, while James has Democrat leanings and has been rooting for Joe Biden through donations.

    This apart, the newspapers under News Corp have been pretty blasé in their coverage of the Australian wildfires, something that has irked James and he and his wife Kathryn have protested against the media conglomerate’s stance on climate change.

    James was CEO Twenty First Century Fox before its entertainment assets were sold to Disney a couple of years ago.

    News Corp owns publications such as Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Sun and The Sunday Times in the UK, as well as a stable of Australian newspapers, including The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun.

    Raj Nayak who worked with him at Star TV tweeted that he has fond memories of working with him during his tenure there. “A fabulous human being & a wonderful boss,” he added.

    Former Hathway Cable CEO K Jayaram said he had a tough time on the board with James during his tenure as he could not achieve his numbers. “But he was good at heart,” he concluded.

  • BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia resigns

    BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia resigns

    NEW DELHI: BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia has decided to move on from the ratings provider. He joined the organisation in 2014 as a chief business officer and was elevated to COO role about two years back.

    “Romil Ramgarhia has resigned from the services of BARC India effective 31 July 2020,” shared BARC India.

    Ramagarhia was one of the founding members of BARC India. In his previous stints, he had worked with Zee Entertainment Enterprise as CCO, Viacom18 Media as head of the commercial, Bharti Airtel as manager and at Asian Paints as an account executive.

    An affable executive, Ramgarhia was instrumental along with former CEO Partho Dasgupta to help establish BARC as the de facto viewership ratings standard in India.

    It was only last year, that BARC had roped in Sunil Lulla as  CEO to replace Partho Dasgupta who resiged to set up his own venture. It is not known where Ramgarhia is headed, at the time of writing.

     

  • “Looking at creating multinational co-funded and co-financed content”: Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair

    “Looking at creating multinational co-funded and co-financed content”: Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair

    Many believe this is the golden age for content creators. Applause Entertainment is one of those at the forefront of creating digital content today. However, the company’s ambition isn’t just restricted to India but rather a global audience. Some of the recent names that can be credited to the Sameer Nair-run company are Hostages, Criminal Justice, Rasbhari, Hasmukh, The Office, etc. Under development are an Israeli thriller adaptation for India – Fauda, as well as Luther.

    In the second part of this interview, Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, in a virtual fireside chat with indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari spoke at length about content creation for global audience, co-production in different countries, short-form content, TikTok, the role of streamers in today’s digital world and much more.

    Read the first part here

    Edited Excerpts:

    The pandemic has been longer than what we have suspected, do you think it will change the way viewers live. Due to lack of fresh content at their disposal audiences are moving from GECs to OTT now.

    I think what the pandemic has done, in India especially, is that it has exposed a new giant audience to the OTT platform. It is a forced thing that has become a habit now. I think it’s a good thing; the distribution of content via the internet is a golden age of content consumption and content creation. Television, theatre and OTT are very important parts of our business. I don’t think any one part of the business can or should replace the others. From a content creator point of view what you want to have is multiple revenue channels. If it gets monopolised then it will create distortion in the market. 

    Do you think that Indian content has not travelled the world? Also the broadcast industry is heavily dependent on advertising and subscription is not coming to the level it was expected.

    I think from our scheme of things the world is an open playground. For now, we are an Indian studio but thankfully due to streamers content is travelling globally. The US market exists all over the world but in the next 15 or 20 years, the Indian market will have the same influence. Initially, Chinese had a lot of power with their technology and the Koreans have done that but as India seems to have a large market one can be happy because it is such a huge market. But now what global streamers have automatically created is a system where content can be viewed in any part of the world.

    Certain animation studios have set outposts in Hollywood and they are starting co-production and are hiring locals from there. So are you looking at penetrating American market with American style shows rather than doing Indian shows alone?

    It is definitely a possibility and different people in different ways have done that. The story of Hollywood is like when they run out of money they find a new investor. Originally, it was run by Jews then Germans and Russians came and the Indians went for some time. If you talk about co-production in America, I believe they are already more qualified than Asians. It is more about growing together, partnerships, collaborations because they are already doing great stuff and maybe we can contribute to it.

    Is there a chance to do a co-production between India, France and the UK?

    Yes, in fact, we have been approached by a documentary company to figure out if we can co-produce some documentaries which would be partly financed by the French and partly financed by Applause Entertainment. We were looking at monetising it in a way where France would take care of Europe and we could take care of the rest of the world and India. Actually streamers while arriving are shaking up the global content. Originally what used to happen in the  West is that anyone in the US or Europe is completely aware of how these whole syndication licencing models work, how multiple financing models work or how to create content in one market and sell in different countries. Streamers have put a planner in place and they are doing this very effectively.

    We are looking at these partners and seeing how to create a multinational content which is co-funded and co-financed. Finally, what has to work is the economy, the business of it, who pays and the ways to recover money.

    What is your opinion on 15-second 30-second and 90-second short-form story format? Are they lending good storytelling?

    I think the whole TikTok revolution and before that what YouTube did and a lot of short-form content has democratised storytelling. Before the internet and social media came along, only a few could create that content. Either you have to be a filmmaker or a media and TV producer. Then YouTube came and TikTok took it even further. I think storytelling is a form of expressing creativity. I don’t believe it is right to judge anybody. With millions of pieces of content on YouTube some things rise up some things catch our attention and that is how a YouTube star or TikTok star is created just like any other platform. Story of content and its quality remains fundamental. People should be allowed to express their story.

    What do you think about the TikTok ban, now a lot of indigenous brands that have come up or do you think Indians will create a better version then TikTok?

    TikTok is more than a brand and replacement; it is an ecosystem that has been built over so many years. It has been built on very clever insight and how audiences and market works. It is not something that is replaceable; it was also an economic model that needs financial backing. In the end, a lot of social media platforms have huge financial resources that look at building customer acquisition. Personally, I think the TikTok ban will be revoked and it will be sorted out

    Do you think it is important to entertain and impact society at the same time with content?

    I think in a way we are already doing this. What we are today is the outcome we have created for ourselves. Different creators, filmmakers are trying to influence society. One can influence society in a good or a bad way. There are many movies that make you sit and think and there are also some dumb comedies. I don’t think one size fits all or there is a right way. That goes into a dictatorial regime which is against creativity. If I want to laugh about something, then I should be allowed to do so. I don’t have to be meaningful all the time. Television has been the biggest influencer in India but to what extent it has influenced, that we don’t know.

    How do you choose a story or a subject of a story and what is the process of greenlighting the project? Also, which are the genres you are looking at developing further?

    One filter for our selection process is to do something which we are already not doing or have just done. If I have three to four thriller series in development then maybe I won’t do the fifth one right now. There are some broad genres we want to focus on: thriller, crime, homeland security, military biopic, inspirational stories, romance, family drama and historical.

    For us, the process is very simple. The idea of a story comes to us, sometimes it comes through a producer or a writer, then we get into development. We are always involved in the process. We are responsible for every product that comes out of Applause Entertainment. Sometimes the idea comes attached with the producer who then comes with his own director then actors come on board. This is the overall process but it starts with writing.

    Tell us more about your joint production with Gurinder Chadha and Sunder Aaron for Seeker?

    Locomotive Global’s Sunder Aaron was already in talks with Bend it Films & TV’s Gurinder Chadha. They have developed an idea after which they approached Applause Entertainment. I have met Sunder a couple of times where I explained to him about our work. It took some time to complete the paperwork and now we are creating a multi-country writers room. There is a writer in New York then there is a writer’s room in India  and all of us at Applause Entertainment are putting this together. I am very excited about this project.

  • Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair on disrupting creativity & redefining storytelling

    Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair on disrupting creativity & redefining storytelling

    Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, who was once a hotel management student, went on to discover his true passion for storytelling and eventually landed up in the media and entertainment industry. He spent close to three decades in understanding the TV business and created some great shows during his time at Star. Nair, credited for creating daily soap operas and bringing Kaun Banega Crorepati in our lives, is now focussed on creating premium content for modern-day audiences. According to him, premium cinematic television is something which India is missing and that is the void Nair is hoping to fill. The aim is also to create binge-worthy content for leading streaming platforms. Applause Entertainments upcoming projects include Udan Patolas, Avrodh- The siege within, Taj – A Monument of Blood and The Scam. The studio is also developing the original, multi-season series Seeker with partners Gurinder Chadha and Sunder Aaron.

    Nair, in a virtual fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com group founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari, offered key insights into his company’s plans, creating content in today’s age and the importance of storytelling. Nair was always determined to set up his own creative studio and do all formats of content. He enjoys storytelling and loves working with creative minds. He is also positive about doing multinational collaborations in order to deliver quality content that can transcend boundaries.

    Edited Excerpts:

    Do you consider yourself a content pioneer?

    I think I have had a long career in this industry. I got acquainted with the media and entertainment business in the late eighties. I have been a content creator since then and I used to do advertising, documentaries and then I moved on to TV. Most people are unaware that I did a show called Chennai Doordarshan. After that, I spent many years with Star TV and then the famous Kaun Banega Crorepati happened. I have been lucky enough to be part of the television industry when it was in a pioneering stage. We started with a few hundred TV homes to now 200 million TV homes. I am fortunate to continue with the work that I enjoy doing. We did a lot of pioneering things. Whether I am a pioneer or someone doesn’t matter. As far as content disruption is concerned, I think it has been a natural evolution of what I have always been. This is something that I always wanted to do as a creator and I enjoy working with creative minds. Our business is a creative art-form and it takes a lot of moving parts to create what you are seeing on screen. So, I am having the time of my life.

    Do you believe you are disrupting creatively?

    The biggest disrupter happening in the past 20 years is the growth of the internet and how it is changing consumer behaviour and the pandemic has accelerated that. The things which were predicted that it will happen in the next seven to eight years is happening now. I think different people are doing different models but I am looking at investing money in creation and then taking it forward for licensing. Applause Entertainment is the movie hybrid business studio that looks after operating finance, attracting capital to content creation and then processing to licensing and monetisation.

    You had a well stretched out journey, after leaving Star TV you did quite a few films also, so how has it helped in your journey with the streamers now? Have you had to re-learn everything when you are making streaming shows?

    Way before the daily soap opera revolution happened, India used to present weekly programs. In the nineties, India produced some excellent shows. I have been a voracious consumer of all this content. I have grown up watching Hindi and English movies and American television.

    So, it is not so much about relearning, but it is a different style of storytelling which is popular in the West. They have done this kind of premium drama series that we are talking about now. So, it is a function of aligning the creative people we work with to deliver on that front. I think it is more about re-disciplining as in you get used to producing content in a way. At heart, I am a creative producer; I make things happen and execute them. As they say, history goes in a circle, it repeats itself, storytelling and universal truth remain the same but what changes are people, audiences, platform, modernity, social taste and social context. So, it is a variety of content that I like.

    If you go back in time, storytelling was happening in America and then came HBO which changed the way storytelling was done in television. Later, Netflix came and magnified what HBO was already doing.

    HBO redefined cinematic television. It attracted a lot of filmmakers and not just TV producers. I think the advantage India has is that currently, we have our HBO moment. The whole rise of OTT and devices in the last two to three years are HBO moments. The advantage is that we have a reference point as HBO. We have seen what they have done and are able to learn best practices from them. Also, the world has become a much smaller place, the scope of global learning, global understanding, adapting new shows, working with Indian and international writers is possible today. I believe creating global content is much more accessible now. At the end of the day no matter what the technology is it needs a compelling story to attract attention.

    What inspires you the most? Is it films, lives, books or to say whose work inspires you?

    I never went to film school but I have always been a fan of what we call as popular culture. While growing up my mother and I used to watch Hindi movies every week for the entire seventies. I watched a large amount of TV, Hollywood cinema, I am a big fan of Spielberg and I love the Rocky series. I am not fixated with any kind of thing, I love watching documentaries as much as I love watching comedies. I like reading books, especially short biographies. I derive inspiration from the lives of other people.

    What books do you love reading and what books you will recommend to our readers?

    I am reading a book called IBM and the Holocaust. It is about the Nazi journey and the Holocaust. I am reading 16 Stormy Days, about the creation of our constitution. Then there is a book called Within an Empire, it is my all-time favourite. I am also reading a book named Way Finder, then there is a book called A Case For God, The Unknown Man

    Do you have the ambition to become a writer, director or a showrunner?

    As a producer, we are anyway showrunners. The most important thing is the producer and executive producer which I am. I have done a few pieces but I think it requires a lot of effort and focus which I am not able to give now. About being a director, I have directed in the past but currently I am happy doing this producing business. Writing is a passion; it is something I want to do in the future.

    You were quite busy in the pandemic. You had Your Honour, Undekhi, Avrodh, Hostages season 2, Scam. Is it what you want the life at Applause Entertainment to look like? Are you looking at creating a studio like America, churning out stories every month?

    Last year we released one show every month. We did 12 releases before the pandemic happened and proceeded to do more three to five in the last four months. So that has been our plan in any case. We want to produce a large number of high-quality shows. Our goal at Applause Entertainment is to create a diversified content pipeline that includes long-form animation shows, movies, documentaries, short stories and many other stories. We are also collaborating with international partners where we are happy to co-produce and co-fund.

    The team at Applause Entertainment is looking at working with a variety of content, marketing and distribution partners. We are getting better with what we do, the learning process and after doing close to 16 shows, one gets to know the pitfalls, costs and other important aspects.

    What is your parameter of success? What is your runway to make the profit?

    We are a young company, maybe after five years, we will talk about year on year growth. We are a studio and part of showbiz; we have our business plan and the runway. The two big things that should come out of this is that we want to become a studio that is known for its creative output, quality of its product and then make money while doing so and also have fun while doing it. We are obviously not into the subscriber business; we are not a platform, so we are looking at working with a wider variety of content creators. Also, if the streamers get more subscribers, the company is automatically benefited. We are looking at a bigger horizon in the coming five to seven years. Our focus is to go local for global.

    Applause Entertainment wants to become a studio that is known for its creative output and quality shows. We are also looking at creating subsequent seasons of the existing shows as it gives more insight. We continue to develop things that we are currently doing, we are looking at engaging with streamers at an earlier stage for some specific things.

  • ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ host Regis Philbin passes on at the age of 88

    ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ host Regis Philbin passes on at the age of 88

    MUMBAI: Life is strange and ironical. Even as Amitabh Bachchan, the Indian superstar and host of Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian adaptation of Who Wants to be a Millionaire), is fighting the SARS Cov2 virus in a Mumbai hospital, Regis Philbin, the host for many years of the American original, passed away on late Friday night in the US. He was all of 88.

    For those who don’t know, Philbin was associated with television for nearly six decades. His was a struggle to rise to the pinnacles that he finally did. In the beginning, he was a stagehand or spot boy as they are called in India. He then moved on to become a news writer-cum-sportscaster for some years in the sixties, hosted his own show on local television, moved onto acting,  then became part of comic Joey Bishop’s entourage before getting the full limelight later in his life.

    It was in 1988 that he burst out on the national scene on ABC with the talk show Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee that followed The Morning Show which he hosted alone between 19833 and 1988. His partnership with Kathie Lee Gifford ran for 12 years until 2000 when he once again got his own routine Live with Regis between 2000 and 2001. After that followed a decade of a jointly presenting with Kelly Ripa until 2011.

    In 1999, he was called to additionally host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which became a major hit in the US, drawing an audience of 30 million – a record for a game show. He hosted it until 2002, when it started seeing a drop in viewership and ratings, coming back for specials later over the next 10 years. Bachchan had met the host of the UK original Chris Tarrant on taking up the assignment and had watched Regis in 2000 when Star India acquired the rights to remake it in India. In fact, Bachchan was also a guest on the Regis Philbin Morning Show when he was on a concert tour in the US.

    In between his television assignments, Philbin acted in more than 25 films.

    Philbin was known to ad-lib, write his own material throughout his career. He had a particular sense of humour which worked well with baby boomers in America.

    Industry showered him with awards galore: he was the recipient of daytime Emmys for Live! With Regis and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2001. A lifetime achievement award followed in 2008 and then he got another Emmy for Live! With Regis and Kelly in 2011. For his contribution to television, he got inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2006.

  • BCCI appoints Hemang Amin as interim CEO

    BCCI appoints Hemang Amin as interim CEO

    NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Hemang Amin as interim CEO. BCCI secretary Jay Shah informed the affiliates in an email on Monday. Amin has been serving as the CEO of IPL. His appointment comes days after BCCI accepted Rahul Johri's resignation last week. The board will likely appoint a permanent CEO soon.

    “As you might be aware, Rahul Johri who was the CEO has resigned and is now no longer with BCCI. We have appointed Hemang Amin, COO, IPL as the interim CEO of the BCCI,” Shah wrote in an email to all the BCCI affiliates late on Monday evening, as per media reports. 

    After short stints at the Bombay Stock Exchange and Deutsche Bank, Amin joined the IPL operations team in June 2010. He was appointed the COO soon after Sundar Raman resigned in November 2015.