ITV

Category: People

  • Jyoti Deshpande appointed RIL’s president of the chairman’s office for media

    Jyoti Deshpande appointed RIL’s president of the chairman’s office for media

    MUMBAI: Jyoti Despande has been appointed as the president of the chairman’s office for the media and entertainment business at Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). 

    With this appointment, Deshpande has stepped down from her current position of executive director at Eros International Media (Eros) but will continue as non-executive non-independent director at the company.

    Kishore Lulla will continue to hold his position of group chairman and CEO of Eros.

    In her new role at RIL, Deshhpande will lead the company’s initiatives in media and entertainment to organically build and grow businesses, such as broadcasting, films, sports, music, digital, gaming and animation, around the content ecosystem as well as integrate RIL’s existing media investments such as Viacom18 and Balaji Telefilms with a view to build, scale and consolidate the fragmented USD 20 billion Indian M&E sector.

    Earlier this year, RIL acquired 5 per cent stake through its subsidiary, in Eros with a view of producing and acquiring digital originals and Indian movies across all languages. 

  • A+E Networks makes top-level APAC appointments

    A+E Networks makes top-level APAC appointments

    MUMBAI: A+E Networks has announced a slew of management changes for the Asia Pacific region. Alan Hodges is exiting as managing director of Asia Pacific, with Saugato Banerjee selected to run North Asia and Leena Singarajah joining the company to oversee Southeast Asia and Australia.

    Banerjee, as managing director for North Asia, and Singarajah, managing director for Southeast Asia and Australia, both report to A+E Networks executive managing director for international Edward Sabin.

    Banerjee has been with A+E Networks since 2011 as head of strategy and business development for Asia. He will continue to manage growth in Korea and Japan and will chart A+E’s continued expansion in China.

    “Saugato has brought to bear his excellent relationships and deft strategic vision to our Japanese and Korean businesses, driving A+E’s unparalleled innovation and strong execution in the region,” Sabin said. “I am excited to see him apply these unique skills to the further growth of our Chinese business. We anticipate great success under his sage guidance and leadership.”

    Banerjee–who joined A+E in 2011–has played a key role in the rapid expansion of the South East Asian business, overseeing the digital, operations and research functions for the area. He also carried out responsibilities as a caretaker GM of AETN18 in India during a crucial period of change.

    Prior to A+E Networks, Banerjee held various senior roles in media and advertising in his previous jobs at ESPN Star Sports, CNBC Asia Pacific, Contract Advertising and FCB India.

    “Expanding my role in North Asia is a welcome challenge as we forge ahead to optimise the media landscape,” said Banerjee. “This is truly an exciting stage in A+E Networks’ evolution and I am pleased to be working with such a talented group of executives, in market and internationally.”

    Former Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI) executive, Singarajah has joined A+E Networks as managing director for Southeast Asia and Australia. Based in Singapore, Singarajah will be responsible for managing and growing A+E’s channels and media assets across Southeast Asia and Australia. She will also be tasked with expanding A+E’s digital strategy to fuel further growth in the regions.

    Most recently, Singarajah served as MD for Asia at SNI, where she was responsible for developing and executing the growth strategy for the company’s lifestyle brands. Prior to this, she was head of sales and business development for Asia-Pacific at IMG Media where she oversaw content and channel distribution.

    “Leena is an aggressive, experienced and whip-smart executive whose vast knowledge of the industry and acute business skills will help extend the reach of the A+E Networks on every entertainment platform throughout Southeast Asia and Australia,” said Sabin.

    “I am thrilled to be joining the team at A+E Networks and to lead the continued expansion of the company’s globally recognised brands in these exciting markets,” said Singarajah.

    Hodges has been with A+E Networks in Asia since 2002. “Over the past 12 years, our team has built A+E Networks into one of the top media companies in the region. It has been a privilege working on such a dynamic business with such a talented team. I leave with full confidence that our new leadership will be well positioned for another decade of growth.”

    “Alan Hodges has been a pioneer in A+E’s Asia Pacific business, with big shoes to fill,” Sabin said. “In a little over a decade, he has nurtured and grown A+E’s brands in the region and has in the process created tremendous value for us commercially. He has also attracted, mentored and led countless top rank executives in the A+E fold, including Prem, who will also leave behind a legacy of great successes in the region.”

    A+E Networks deputy managing director Prem Kamath is also leaving. He will remain with the company through the end of October before moving on to pursue opportunities in the digital space.

    Also Read :

    A+E Networks appoints two execs, bolsters international biz

  • Zee’s A Mohan named legal ‘icon’ of the year

    Zee’s A Mohan named legal ‘icon’ of the year

    MUMBAI: India’s first home grown media conglomerate with presence in over 170 countries Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) now has bagged two prestigious legal awards in the media and entertainment category.

    While an award was bestowed on the Zee legal team for the ‘Best Media and Entertainment Legal team for the year 2017-18’, company’s president (legal and regulatory) Avnindra Mohan was declared the ‘Legal Icon of the Year’ at the seventh annual Legal Era Awards 2018. Both the awards were recognition for Mohan and Zee chief legal counsel Viresh Dhaibar’s contributions to the legal-media interplay in general and for having led the company’s legal team to be one of the best in the industry.

    The jury consisted of eminent persons from the legal fraternity like former justices of Supreme Court Deepak Verma and AK Patnaik, president of Bar Association of India Dr Lalit Bhasin, solicitor and senior partner at Crawford Bayley & Co. RA Shah and chairman and editor-in-chief of Legal Media Group AK Raizada. The selection was based on weight-age given for quantity of work, diversity, quality delivered and display of business-oriented vision. The jury also looked for clear and specific evidence of teamwork and signs of how the team has found a way to achieve excellence, professionalism and high ethical standards.

    Mohan, one of the early entrants to the Subhash Chandra-founded Zee family that was still in its formative stages, was recognised for his legal works and contribution to the broadcasting sector, including dialoguing with the government to formulate India’s viewpoint at international forums on issues like the global broadcasting treaty.

    In his post-award address, Mohan said: “In Zee, we do not have a ‘team’, we have a ‘family’. The award is a formal recognition of an informally accepted fact – ‘East or West, Zee family is the best’. We are extraordinary together.”

    The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, an apex body of chartered accountants, had earlier in January 2018 conferred on Mohan (also a CA and a management graduate) a prestigious award in the category of  ‘CA Distinguished Achiever-2017’ for exceptional performances and achievements.

    Also Read :

    ZEEL’s Punit Goenka receives Young CEO award

    Zee Business Awarded as Best Commodity Channel

    Dr.S.Radhakrishnan award to Ms. Mimansa Malik, Zee news senior anchor & producer

  • Uday Shankar sole media exec in top-100 powerful Indians list

    Uday Shankar sole media exec in top-100 powerful Indians list

    MUMBAI: Sharing the space with the likes of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mukesh Ambani and Virat Kohli is the torchbearer of the Indian broadcast sector, Star India’s Uday Shankar. Indian Express’ list of most powerful Indians has ranked him at 69, making him the sole representative of the entire broadcast industry of the country.

    Those who made the top 100 include people from various walks of life–politicians, Bollywood actors, businessmen and cricketers. In December 2017, Shankar was bumped up from the position of Star India CEO and chairman to 21st Century Fox Asia president. Taking pride in Shankar’s work, 21 Century Fox executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch and CEO James Murdoch commented, “Uday’s new role will enhance our strategic focus across all of Asia and enable us to further capture opportunities, building on the transformation Star India has driven in our most important growth market.”

    Under Shankar’s leadership, Star India has grown by leaps and bounds. In September, Star successfully won a Rs 16,347.50 crore bid for IPL’s global media rights across platforms. He also leads the company’s video business across entire Asia for both Fox and Star and is closely involved with the parent company’s key leaders, including Rupert Murdoch and his sons, on key strategic initiatives in the region.

    Holding the reigns of a global media powerhouse, Shankar has expanded Star India into regional language channels and produces close to 17,000 hours of content each year in eight languages. Shankar’s mantra for success has been to string together a group of high-calibre executives who understand the territory and carry out the work precisely.

    The network has grown into two major areas–entertainment and sports. The latter has seen the inclusion of several non-cricketing properties, thanks to Star, such as Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League and leagues for sports like table tennis, badminton, etc. Lately, the network has even carved a niche for itself in the OTT space with Hotstar.

    Also Read :

    Comment: The rise and rise of Uday Shankar

    Uday Shankar becomes president of 21st Century Fox, Asia

  • Turner APAC appoints Vikram Sharma as VP of CNE

    Turner APAC appoints Vikram Sharma as VP of CNE

    MUMBAI: Turner Asia Pacific has appointed Vikram Sharma vice president of Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), its regional licensing and merchandising division.

    Sharma is tasked with driving sales across the whole region for its branded toys, apparel, home entertainment, publishing and lifestyle products, as well as live events and themed entertainment. He will join the network in March.

    His remit also includes the management of Tuzki, the digital IP and emoticon of choice in China and beyond. In South Asia, Turner acts as a representative for Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

    Major franchises and IP under CNE’s management from the Cartoon Network portfolio of shows including Ben 10, We Bare Bears, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball and The Powerpuff Girls, as well as Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty.

    EMEA President Giorgio Stock, who also spearheads Cartoon Network Enterprises for Turner internationally, will work closely with the CNE team in the Asia Pacific to maintain consistency and strategic direction for the business outside of the US.

    Before joining Turner, Sharma held various key positions in Disney across Asia including Singapore and India. He’s a proven commercial leader with successful stints in overall P&L management and in different aspects of sales and distribution, with a special focus on retail and franchise monetization. Most recently he led Disney’s consumer products business in Thailand, a key location for Turner’s CNE business.

    Also read:  Zee, Turner to work independently for subscription revenue

    Turner appoints IndiaCast as exclusive distribution agent

  • Aditi Bhatnagar to join Network18 as EVP special projects

    Aditi Bhatnagar to join Network18 as EVP special projects

    MUMBAI:  In a restructuring mode, Reliance Industries-controlled Network18 has not only been shuffling senior executives vesting in them newer responsibilities, but also bringing in professionals from outside. The latest is Aditi Singh Bhatnagar who is joining the group as EVP of special projects.

    Bhatnagar was previously COO-cum-head of special projects and events at NDTV.

    Earlier, Network18 announced the elevation of Avinash Kaul as the chief operating officer of the group with continued and additional responsibility as managing director at A+E Network at TV18 Broadcast, a subsidiary that runs and manages the TV channels of Network18.

    According to company sources, even as more restructuring in Network18 is gradually affected after the controlling stake in Viacom18, Bhatnagar will report to the group’s president for marketing and special projects Priyanka Kaul.

    Having spent about two decades at NDTV, Bhatnagar, an alumnus of Delhi’s prestigious SRCC, has held leadership positions in her previous company driving business and strategies in areas such as content development, revenue and business development, production and sales.

    Network18 Media and Investments Ltd is a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, digital business, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. The company manages various digital businesses, including portals such as moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, burrp.com, in.com and firstpost.com. It also operates digital commerce properties like HomeShop18 and bookmyshow.com. In addition, Network18 is a leading player in the publishing space having under its wings titles such as Forbes India, Overdrive, Better Interiors and Better Photography. Network18 has also allied investments in Colosceum, Toppers, 24X7 Learning, Yatra and Ubona.

    Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the group operates news channels such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18, IBN7, ETV channels and IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group).

    TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr, Teen Nick and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group’s filmed entertainment business. TV18 operates a factual entertainment channel History TV18 and FYI TV18 through a joint venture with A+E Networks.

    Also Read :

    Network18 appoints Avinash Kaul as COO

    Turner appoints IndiaCast as exclusive distribution agent

    TV18 to increase Viacom18 stake to 51%

  • Network18 appoints Avinash Kaul as COO

    Network18 appoints Avinash Kaul as COO

    MUMBAI: Network18, one of India’s most diversified media conglomerates, has elevated Avinash Kaul as chief operating officer. In his new role, Kaul will oversee the operations of all national and regional news channels.

    He will continue to remain the managing director of A+E Networks at TV18.

    Kaul joined TV18, one of India’s leading television broadcast networks, in mid-2014 and since then has been responsible for the overall profit and loss responsibilities of all the brands managed by him.

    Network18 recently unveiled India’s largest News Network–News18 Network at a highly successful event Rising India in New Delhi. The event marked an important milestone in the journey of the group as it transitioned the entire general news network under one brand.

    Kaul has nearly 20 years of experience across advertising sales, distribution, programming and marketing. Prior to joining TV18, he was the CEO at Times Television Network managing Times Now, ET Now and Zoom.

    According to his LinkedIn profile, Kaul is a board member of the Media Research Users Council (MRUC), an industry body that owns and manages the IRS (Indian Readership Survey).

    Also read:

    Regional to be at the forefront of content

    Network18 unveils new identity for all news channels

    Network18 emerges as the most viewed news network on youtube in india

  • Promaxbda India announces Time [V]achine – The Bootcamp

    Promaxbda India announces Time [V]achine – The Bootcamp

    MUMBAI: After announcing Memory Makers as this year’s theme, the PromaxBDA India show have begun registrations for their much sought-after BOOTCAMP, THE TIME [V]ACHINE to be held on 22nd May, Day 1 of the PromaxBDA India 2018 at the Indian School of Design and Innovation, Mumbai.

    THE TIME [V]ACHINE offers to be a unique drill where three hardcore creative geniuses come together and dive into the technicalities of creating promos that are versatile and relevant for all platforms.

    Rob Middleton has been the force behind shaping Asia’s promo gene pool-training, running and pushing promo teams everywhere to become world-class and evolving to a multi-platform audience base.

    Arnab Chaudhuri is the director of the 2012 Indian Disney animated feature ‘Arjun The Warrior Prince’. Having worked with multiple TV works, Arnab now runs his own production shop-Banabo.

    Pete Bishop has directed commercials for Coca-Cola, Duracell and other leading brands and has created idents and broadcast design for amongst others, MTV America, Hallmark, Nickelodeon, Disney, Star TV and Channel [V].

    All three had worked together and created ground-breaking stuff for Channel [V] and will now join forces again to teach the delegates useful tips and tricks to take on the digital world and thrive.

    Speaking about the Boot Camp, Conference Chair, Raj Nayak said, “The trend shows that our viewers love to consume long format content on television and go on digital for shorter formats. Hence there is room for both mediums to co-exist. It’s a healthy sign that content consumption overall is growing. With more content being created and more emerging platforms, discoverability of content is going to be of utmost importance and therefore the role of promos become even more substantial.”

    PromaxBDA represents more than 10000 companies and promotion and marketing professionals at almost every major media organization.

    The Tier 1 rates for the BOOTCAMP are applicable till April 29th, 2018 so hurry and register !

  • Dr. Subramanya Kusnur Joins iTV Network as Senior Director

    Dr. Subramanya Kusnur Joins iTV Network as Senior Director

    MUMBAI: “SwachhShree” Dr Subramanya Kusnur, an Indian next generation social entrepreneur and the architect of Swachhagraha, a movement to create a culture of cleanliness in India, has joined iTV Network as Senior Director. His presence and support will inspire the network to further leverage its prominence in the Indian news space as it continues to create differentiated, c-suite relevant products that drive sustainable performance across the network’s businesses and geographic regions.

    Dr. Subramanya Kusnur is known for his advocacy for water and sanitation and is also the Founder Chairman and CEO of Aquakraft Projects, an entity that creates actionable solutions to drive improvements in areas of sanitation, clean drinking water, health and hygiene across India. He has spearheaded a movement that has been able to successfully leverage innovation, advocacy and capacity building.

    He has been recognised with several awards and recognition both in India and globally.Having garnered positive corporate participation for several projects he has been associated with in the past, Subramanya Kusnur’s presence will further amplify the network’s vision and efforts towards developing impactful media services and products.

    Speaking on Dr.Subramanya Kusnur’s new role,Kartikeya Sharma, the founder and promoter of iTV Network said, “We are happy to have Dr. Subramanya Kusnur in the team as we set long-range goals and strategise ways to grow the business. We believe his insights will be instrumental in further developing the diverse perspective of our media services, leverage and integrate the capabilities of our network and accomplish complex, multiple-level objectives.”

    Upbeat about his association with iTV, Subramanya Kusnur said, “The greatest thing about iTV is that it is built on strong fundamentals of innovation and has demonstrated the highest standards of journalism.

    It is my great privilege to be a part of the leadership team and contribute towards nation building & democratizing information far and wide.”

    Dr.Subramanya, 47, is a Graduate in Science from the University of Mumbai and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Software and Applications. He started his career with CANFINA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canara Bank, a leading Indian Public Sector Bank and subsequently moved to the private sector in the area of Equity Broking, Debt Market Operations, Resource Mobilization and Structured finance. He then leveraged his experience in the BFSI segment to the IT arena where his experience spans from e-business strategies to Enterprise Banking Software, Enterprise Risk Management and Payment Systems. He was also involved in developing a comprehensive strategy for a nationwide project enabling financial inclusion of rural masses leveraging a Mobile Transaction Platform. He brings in rich experience of over 25 years in the BFSI, IT & Public Affairs spanning through both Public & Private Sector, domestically and internationally. He has travelled extensively across rural India and has a strong international exposure by virtue of having traveled across the Middle East, South East Asia, Africa and United States of America. He has held several leadership roles in the past including his position as the Managing Director and CEO of Riskraft Consulting, a provider of risk management services, and General Manager of C-SAM, a mobile wallets and payment solutions company that was later acquired by MasterCard.

    He serves as the Chairman of US India SME Council, Co-chairman of the Youth Development and CSR Committee, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, (Government of India) & Member – Foreign Affairs of the Bihar Investment Promotion Committee dedicated to promoting the state of Bihar as an investment and business destination globally. He has been awarded with the prestigious title of the Goodwill Ambassador by the State of Maryland, USA and has won several national & international awards.

  • Balaji Telefilms appoints Jyoti Deshpande as non-executive additional director

    Balaji Telefilms appoints Jyoti Deshpande as non-executive additional director

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has appointed Jyoti Deshpande as the non-executive additional director. The appointment, which was approved following a circular resolution by its board on 22 March, is in compliance with share subscription agreement entered into between Balaji and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on 22 July 2017.

    Deshpande was the head media entertainment (M&E) business as president of the chairman’s office at RIL. The company said Deshpande is not liable for retirement by rotation and accordingly suitable proposal for her continuation will be put up for the approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting.

    On Thursday, the company had announced that Jyotindra Thacker, non-executive additional director of the company, has tendered his resignation with effect from 22 March due to his other pre-occupations.

    In her new role at RIL, Deshpande will lead the company’s initiatives in M&E to organically build and grow businesses around the content ecosystem such as broadcasting, films, sports, music, digital, gaming, animation as well as integrate RIL’s existing media investments such as Viacom18 and Balaji Telefilms with a view to build, scale and consolidate the fragmented $20 billion Indian M&E sector.

    Deshpande has over 25 years of experience in media and entertainment across advertising, media consulting, television and film. She has been part of the leadership team of Eros International Plc since 2001 and as Group CEO & MD has spearheaded Eros’ growth as a global leader in Indian filmed entertainment.

    Prior to joining Eros in 2001, Deshpande has worked for five years in the field of advertising, media consulting and television with companies such as J Walter Thompson India, Mindshare, Zee TV and B4U. She has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics from Mumbai University and a master’s degree in business administration from SPJIMR, Mumbai University.

    Shares of Balaji Telefilms were last trading at the Bombay Stock Exchange at Rs 129.05 as compared to the previous close of Rs 127.5. The total number of shares traded during the day was 38934 in over 304 trades.