ITV

Category: People

  • Network18 strengthens digital arm with two top level appointments

    Network18 strengthens digital arm with two top level appointments

    MUMBAI: News18 Network’s digital arm, News18.com, has strengthened its top-level management by appointing Mitul Sangani and Amit Vichare to expand the horizons of its digital reach in Indic/regional languages. 

    Sangani has joined Network18 digital as business head- News18 langauges and Vichare has joined the network as national sales head for News18 languages. According to the numbers provided by the broadcaster, News18.com, recently crossed the milestone of over 100 million unique visitors in May 2018.

    Sangani was previously working with Dailyhunt, where he was responsible for setting up the overall business function. He can be credited to have led Dailyhunt to becoming one of the top revenue drivers in non-English space. He has done his post-graduation in commerce with a major in marketing. He will be directly reporting to Manish Maheshwari.

    Commenting on his appointment, Sangani said, “I am excited to join Network18. I believe that going forward the user growth in digital will be driven by non-English content. News18.com which is one of the top news platforms with presence across 15 Indian languages, is well positioned to ride the next wave of growth. I look forward to work with the team, to establish News18 as the most preferred source for news on digital medium in all 15 Indian languages.”

    Prior to Network18, Vichare was the head of sales at Bhaskar Digital. Amit has also worked with other successful brands such as Mid-Day, Red FM and Rediff. He holds a post-graduate degree in Marketing & Advertising from Rizvi Management Institute. He will report to Sangani.

    Commenting on the new appointments, Network18 digital CEO Manish Maheshwari said, “News18.com has grown from strength to strength with a record rise in readership, unique visitors and engagement. One of the strong pillars of this property is that it has reporting teams in almost every district of India. This unparalleled reach helps us in bringing news, as it happens, in 10 languages including English and Hindi. It is estimated that 75 per cent of the new internet users will be from rural India and 75 per cent of these will consume content in local languages. With the appointment of Mitul and Amit, we are gearing up to tap these upcoming opportunities in Indic languages.”

  • Discovery India boss Karan Bajaj brushes aside claims of challenges in the infotainment genre

    Discovery India boss Karan Bajaj brushes aside claims of challenges in the infotainment genre

    MUMBAI: Is there a leadership scuffle going on in the overcrowded Indian infotainment genre? If you were to look at the last four weeks’ numbers as provided by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), it apparently looks like there may be the makings of one. Though it might be a minor one.

    Let’s lay out the facts first: market leader Discovery enjoys a 23 per cent All India Urban (2+) market share in the infotainment genre, which is a healthy eight per cent over second placed Animal Planet, another Discovery property. Interestingly, when Discovery Tamil is factored into the numbers game, the channel’s share of the pie grows by four per cent. That places the Discovery network miles ahead of anyone else with a national market share of a massive 42 per cent. 

    Now on to the minor round of fisticuffs that is taking place. Yesterday, Sony BBC Earth laid out some data claiming that it had edged out Discovery. There was a caveat here: the Tushar Shah-led channel is marginally leading in only the six metros, with  5291 impressions (000s) sum as compared to Discovery with 4965impressions (000s) sum. 

    One of the reasons why – industry sources point out – the Discovery India boss Karan Bajaj should not be perturbed by this is because Sony BBC Earth has acquired the market share recently by investing aggressively in distribution on different distribution platforms in the six metros, which he has refrained from doing. While aggressive distribution ploys are indeed becoming standard practice in the competitive Indian TV distribution marketplace, the marginal lead has come to Sony BBC Earth at a cost.

    Hence the lanky, bespectacled young professional, who has been helming Discovery India for the past two years, is pleased with how the team is performing at the moment. 

    “I just feel incredibly proud with what the organisation has achieved in these two years because our employee strength has remained the same and we launched big initiatives and have also created original content for kids,” he told Indiantelevision.com during an exclusive chat.

    He proudly pointed out to the fact that in the year 2018 so far, Discovery has reached 30 million audiences per week, while Animal Planet reached 24 million. The other players: National Geographic and Sony BBC  Earth have managed a reach of 23 million and 19 million per week respectively. 

    Bajaj’s enthusiasm about his brand and its growth stems from the fact that the network has expanded despite making big bets and taking bold steps like launching Jeet and Veer, a digital channel over the past twelve months.

    “So every level that we look at, we are very proud of the organisation that despite taking big bold leaps, the core infotainment television focus continues to be unchallenged,” he said.

    Bajaj  points out that the ratings of Discovery Kids have grown by 360 per cent since the start of the year, with the channel being the home to two out of the top three Indians local IPs (Little Singham and Bandhbuk Aur Burbak).

    In the lifestyle segment, TLC is ranked number one, with a 33 per cent share (2+, urban). The channel has witnessed a growth of over 10 per cent over the last year when it was placed second on the list with a 30 per cent share. With a 14 per cent upswing in impressions over the past year, eight out of the top 10 shows in the lifestyle genre are from the TLC stable, points out Bajaj.

    “Overall if I look at the channel, the majority is global content and talking about the recent shows, there are very strong human interest stories which have knowledge and information that are at the heart of every one of them,” Bajaj said explaining the channel’s storytelling style and narrative.

    The one blip on Discovery’s progress chart has been Jeet, the bold bet Hindi fictionalized factual entertainment channel that didn’t exactly pan out as planned. That should soon be forgotten because the bubbling with energy Bajaj has a lot more planned going forward for Discovery India with new shows and another digital foray on the anvil. And of course he has the full support and confidence of his Europe-based boss JB Perrette that should aide him greatly as the network goes about doing its business in the quickly evolving Indian total video (which is how JB defines the TV acronym) marketplace.

  • TRAI releases recommendations for privacy & protection of consumer data

    TRAI releases recommendations for privacy & protection of consumer data

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come out with its recommendations on ‘Privacy, security and ownership of data in the telecom sector’.

    It says that since digital ecosystems that collect user data are just custodians and don’t have privacy rights over it, TRAI recommends that a study should be undertaken to formulate the standards for annonymisation/ de-identification of personal data generated and collected in the digital ecosystem.

    All entities in the digital ecosystem, which control or process the data, should be restrained from using meta-data to identify individual users. The existing framework for protection of the personal information/ data of telecom consumers is not sufficient. Therefore, to protect telecom consumers against the misuse of their personal data by the broad range of data controllers and processors in the digital ecosystem, all entities in the digital ecosystem, which control or process their personal data should be brought under a data protection framework.

    Till a government notified law is passed, the existing rules/ licence conditions applicable to TSPs for protection of users’ privacy should be made applicable to all the entities in the digital ecosystem.

    Consumers should be given the right to choice, notice, consent, data portability, and right to be forgotten. The right to data portability and right to be forgotten being restricted rights should be subjected to applicable restrictions.

    Multilingual, easy to understand, unbiased, short templates of agreements/ terms and conditions should be made mandatory for all the entities in the digital eco-system for the benefit of consumers. Consumer awareness programs be undertaken to spread awareness about data protection and privacy issues so that the users can take well informed decisions about their personal data.

    Data controllers should be prohibited from using ‘pre-ticked boxes’ to gain users’ consent. Clauses for data collection and purpose limitation should be incorporated in the agreements. Devices should disclose the terms and conditions of use in advance, before sale of the device. It should be made mandatory for the devices to incorporate provisions so that user can delete pre-installed applications if he/she so decides. Also, the user should be able to download the certified applications at his own will and the devices should in no manner restrict such actions by the users.

    To ensure the privacy of users, National Policy for encryption of personal data, generated and collected in the digital ecosystem, should be notified by the government at the earliest. For ensuring the security of the personal data and privacy of telecommunication consumers, personal data of telecommunication consumers should be encrypted during the motion as well as during the storage in the digital ecosystem. Decryption should be permitted on a need basis by authorised entities in accordance to consent of the consumer or as per requirement of the law.

    A common platform should be created for sharing of information relating to data security breach incidences by all entities in the digital ecosystem including telecom service providers. It should be made mandatory for all entities in the digital ecosystem including all such service providers to be a part of this platform. Data security breaches may take place in-spite of adoption of best practices/ necessary measures taken by the data controllers and processors. Sharing of information concerning to data security breaches should be encouraged and incentivised to prevent/ mitigate such occurrences in future.

  • Paramount TV chief Amy Powell fired over alleged insensitive remarks

    Paramount TV chief Amy Powell fired over alleged insensitive remarks

    MUMBAI: After 14 years, chief of Paramount TV Amy Powell has been fired over alleged insensitive remarks – which she has emphatically denied.

    The incident occurred during a studio notes call for Paramount Network’s First Wives Club reboot, which is being penned by Girls Trip co-writer Tracy Oliver and will feature a predominantly black cast.

    Paramount CEO Jim Gianopulos was quoted stating, “Last week, multiple individuals came to us to raise concerns around comments made by Amy Powell in a professional setting, which they believed were inconsistent with our company’s values. Having spent the past several days conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and speaking to those who were present, our human resources and legal teams came to the same conclusion, and we have made the decision to terminate Amy’s employment, effective immediately,” according to Hollywoodreporter.com.

    The company immediately started looking for Powell’s replacement. In the interim, Paramount COO Andrew Gumpert will provide operational support.

    “There is no truth to the allegation that I made insensitive comments in a professional setting — or in any setting. The facts will come out and I will be vindicated,” Powell responded in a statement.

    Powell joined Paramount in 2004 and was appointed as chief of its relaunched TV division in 2013.

  • CNBCTV18.com appoints Rohit Gandhi as national sales head

    CNBCTV18.com appoints Rohit Gandhi as national sales head

    MUMBAI: CNBCTV18.com, the digital arm of CNBC has appointed Rohit Gandhi as national sales head. Prior CNBCTV.com, he has worked with digital brands like Times Internet, Condé Nast India, Rediff.com and he had also been part of the CNBC-TV18 channel a decade ago.

    Gandhi comes with 14 years of experience in print, TV and digital media. His responsibilities in the new role comprise developing effective strategies and leading the team to maintain high sales performance in the organisation.

    Speaking about his new role at CNBCTV18.com, Gandhi said, “Having been a part of CNBC-TV18 in the past, and having seen the platform grow year after year, it gives me immense pleasure to again join the CNBC family and work with an outstanding team. I am looking forward to drive innovation and creativity through robust strategies, towards elevating the sales department at CNBC Digital.”

    At Times Internet, he was working as national head in content marketing and native advertising and was responsible for driving ‘Demand Plus’ business nationally across Times digital platforms. At Condé Nast India, he was actively involved in scaling up its digital business by bringing innovative offerings like branded video content, native advertising and programmatic advertising.

    Commenting on the new appointment, CNBCTV18.com business head Ranjita Sehgal said, “We are happy to welcome Rohit to the CNBC Digital family. His extensive experience in the digital sphere, along with his in-depth understanding of branded content both on business and lifestyle platforms is an excellent fit. His understanding of TV sales and CNBC TV18 is an added advantage for the integrated approach we are adopting.”

  • SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    SPN India elevates Aditya Mehta as head – corporate strategy

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India has elevated Aditya Mehta as the head – corporate strategy from head of business development.

    Aditya has over 14 years of extensive experience in varied roles across investment banking, venture capital and media and entertainment. His expertise lies in corporate strategy, business-scaling and evaluation, content strategy, operational execution, strategic and financial analysis.

    He has played an instrumental role in the network’s growth and expansion. Besides network expansion, Aditya has worked on some key content acquisition deals such as media rights for Cricket Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board, and other key sports and non-sports rights. Some notable strategic initiatives include the acquisition of Ten Sports from ZEEL, joint venture with BBC, re-entry of ESPN in India and Kids channel foray.

    In his new role, Aditya Mehta will plan and manage the development of business strategy at SPN. Key aspects of the role would also include strategic roadmap for the long-term and implementation of it.

  • Mr. Sachidanand Shetty elevated as Business Head at Mukta A2 Cinemas

    Mr. Sachidanand Shetty elevated as Business Head at Mukta A2 Cinemas

    MUMBAI: Mukta A2 Cinemas, a well- known chain of cinemas from the brand Mukta Arts Ltd has appointed Sachidanand Shetty as the Business Head after his operations in Vice President at Mukta A2 Cinemas. Sachidanand possesses an overall experience of 20 years across Hospitality and Entertainment segments and has been associated with Mukta A2 Cinemas since August 2014.

    Sachidanand’s current role will be to drive the team and aim at brand building, developing strategies and revenue growth for Mukta A2 Cinemas. He will be responsible for managingall the initiatives and alliances that will lead to the brand’s growth.

    Previously, he has been associated with Inox Leisure Ltd. as the General Manager Operations and Support Team handling Food & Beverage Sales, Controls and Inventory Management, Set Up of New Properties, Projection Digitization, Industrial Relations along with CRM & VAS channels across India from the Mumbai office.

    After his stint with BIG Cinemas for over 3 years since 2007, he joined Mukta A2 Cinemas earlier in 2011 as Regional Manager Operations for almost a year and handled operations in locations like as Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Gulbarga, Bhopal, and Vasai.

    In his past, Sachidanand initiated his Career in the Exhibition industry in 2005 with Cinemax India Pvt. Ltd as a Theatre Manager and later moved on to Adlabs Films Pvt. Ltd in 2007 which was later branded at BIG Cinemas (ADAG group).

    Commenting on the appointment, Rahul Puri, MD said, “We are glad to have Sachidanand on board, his skills and expertise in this segment will add value to our brand and its growth. He is strongly proficient with multiple team management and has a great track record of successfully executing projects. His experience under operations, food & beverages, brand and strategy has been appreciated and we look forward to work together once again.”

    Speaking about his stint at Mukta A2 cinemas, Sachidanand Shetty, Business Head at MuktaA2 Cinemas added, “Mukta A2 Cinemas is a brand that has seen a speedy expansion in terms of business in a very short span of time. Our shared Vision, beliefs and ideology will encourage me to further uplift the brand and its offerings. I’m very excited to get into sync with a renewed energy and do some really great work together.”

    When in Leisure mode, Sachidanand enjoys listening to music, travelling, he is also a huge movie buff.

  • Times Television Network elevates Nivedita Oak to DGM

    Times Television Network elevates Nivedita Oak to DGM

    MUMBAI: Times Television Network (TTN) has elevated Nivedita Oak to deputy general manager – influence. Earlier, Oak was the regional head for Zoom, FCT and branded content. She has been working with the Times Network for the last 11 years.

    Oak started her career at Glitterati in 2005. Before joining TTN, she worked with ABP News as an account director.

    Oak has also worked with TTN as an associate account director – branded content avenues (Times Now, ET Now) for close to two years.

    She holds a B.Com degree from Mumbai University.

  • Andrew Marshall joins HOOQ as general counsel

    Andrew Marshall joins HOOQ as general counsel

    MUMBAI: HOOQ, Asia’s first video-on-demand service, has appointed Andrew Marshall as the new general counsel. Marshall, who will be  based out of the company’s headquarters in Singapore, will bring his legal and regulatory expertise to the streaming platform.

    Speaking about his new role, Andrew said, “HOOQ presents an exciting opportunity, given the brand’s commitment to evolve in response to consumers’ needs and the promising growth of the industry overall.  I look forward to working closely with the management team to provide strategic, effective advice that will help HOOQ achieve its ambitions.”

    Marshall has got 20 years of experience in legal, regulatory, and public policy, and has worked with leading media companies like ESPN, STAR Sports and The Walt Disney Company.  This wealth of experience has fostered his deep understanding of the regulatory landscape for media and entertainment, protection and exploitation of intellectual property, and evolving disruptive technologies in Asia Pacific.

    He has served Disney as the regional counsel for all lines of business in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia with a focus on content licensing, including theatrical distribution, studio marketing, and home entertainment.  He has provided legal and business development support at Eleven Sports. 

    With deep experience in both technology and media companies, Andrew also has a unique perspective on evolving disruptive technologies in the media industry.

    Also Read :

    BBC Studios, HOOQ India sign content deal for three British dramas

    Hooq to maintain its Hollywood focus in India

    Zulfiqar Khan joins Hooq India as MD

  • Abhishek Upadhyay joins &TV as marketing head

    Abhishek Upadhyay joins &TV as marketing head

    MUMBAI: Abhishek Upadhyay, who headed marketing for OLX until recently, has joined &TV, the Hindi language GEC of Zee Entertainment Enterprise Limited (ZEEL). He’s been appointed as marketing head.

    Upadhyay joined OLX India as brand marketing manager in July 2013 and was elevated as senior marketing manager within two years. He was promoted to marketing head in 2017.

    Upadhyay brings with him more than 13 years experience across e-commerce, travel auto and consulting. He is a specialist in strategic brand management, product marketing, retail marketing among others.

    Upadhyay started his career with UTV as a media sales executive. Apart from OLX,  he has led several teams and managed large agencies at MakeMyTrip,Carnation Auto and the likes.