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Tag: 9X Media

  • ZEEL acquires 9X Media for Rs 1.6 bn

    ZEEL acquires 9X Media for Rs 1.6 bn

    MUMBAI: Rumours around this acquistion have been doing the rounds for sometime. And they were denied for reasons of corporate and stock market compliance. But now  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has finally announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire  the Pradeep Guha-headed 9X Media and its subsidiaries from private equity firm New Silk Route and other shareholders for an all cash consideration of Rs. 1,600 million.

    9X Media, along with its subsidiaries, operates a bouquet of six music channels – 9XM (Latest Bollywood), 9X Jalwa (Evergreen Hindi), 9X Jhakaas (Marathi), 9X Tashan (Punjabi), 9XO (English), 9X Bajao (Hindi Classics). 

    On completion of the acquisition, these channels will be added to ZEEL’s current portfolio of 33 channels. The acquisition is in line with the company’s strategy to cater to a diverse audience by offering targeted products. Besides significantly expanding its Hindi music portfolio, it gives ZEEL access to the regional music genre. It also increases its regional footprint with foray into the Punjabi market. 

    9X Media’s bouquet of channels has established a strong viewership on the back of the unique brand identity created over the years. In addition to strengthening ZEEL’s television bouquet, these channels will complement the music label and movie production businesses. 9X Media’s popular Bollywood news portal, SpotboyE, will also be a part of the transaction. The Company is confident of utilizing network synergies to bring down the costs and significantly improve the profitability of these channels.

    ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said, “Continuing with our strategy of expanding into regional markets and niche genres, we are pleased to announce this acquisition which strengthens our music portfolio. Music is an integral component of consumer’s entertainment pie and we will offer our consumers a wider array of choices through these channels. 9X channels enjoy leading market shares in their respective segments and will benefit immensely from our network’s strength to achieve higher growth potential and cost synergies. I am confident that these channels will make our entertainment bouquet even more compelling for the audience.”

  • Dekkho expands regional language content offering

    MUMBAI: Dekkho has partnered with some of the top online content creators in the country such as ScoopWhoop, Pinkvilla, 9X Media, Put Chutney, Being Indian and East India Comedy. In a bid to create an entirely alternate destination and divergence from YouTube and Facebook, and to increase its reach in tier II and III cities, Dekkho will expand its regional language content offerings through these collaborations in addition to mainstream content in English and Hindi.

    Through a long-term content strategy, Dekkho aims to reach 100 million users over the next five years, focussing on the vernacular segment of viewers who do not consume videos on Facebook or YouTube. It will also venture into content translation, dubbing, and voiceover of content for this segment, creating a new, non-overlapping market for creators. Additionally, Dekkho will localise its UI for different markets as well as the newsfeed for regional content.

    Commenting on its strategy, Tanay Desai, co-founder, said, “Dekkho’s initial strategy, which focussed on young urban viewers, has helped us carve a niche in the online entertainment market. Our next phase of expansion is targetted at a much larger viewer base that resides in the smaller towns, highlighting our larger focus at becoming a default social video network for the masses. Unlike incumbent platforms like Facebook and YouTube, which are highly fragmented in terms of content, we want to position Dekkho as a hyper-local, curated video platform. This will be supplemented by an engaging social layer aiming to represent India’s first large-scale video network. To effect, the platform will have a unique, localised avatar for each region and leverage the rising digital penetration across tier II and III towns in India.”

    Around 65 per cent of users on Dekkho belong to tier II and III cities. Around 30 per cent of these users have been acquired through focused regional marketing and do not consume videos on YouTube. As part of its marketing strategy, Dekkho has tied up with leading telecom operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to offer greater exposure to content developed by independent creators. Users streaming videos through Jio Internet subscriptions constitute nearly 30% of the total video consumption on the platform, contributing significantly to the growth among this demographic.

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  • 9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as SVP

    9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as SVP

    MUMBAI: Rajitta Hemwaani has joined as senior vice president 9X Media and will head SonicX, a new business division initiated to tap the business potential and talent of independent music content.

    Hemwaani would be reporting to 9X Media managing director Pradeep Guha.

    Prior to joining 9X Media, Hemwaani was with a digital radio platform Audioboom UK as the India head. With a career spanning over 20 years, Hemwaani has worked with Star TV Network for two years from 2013 to 2015 as VP content and was also associated with Universal Music Group from 2008-11.

    “9X Media has always nurtured and encouraged talent by providing them appropriate platforms through the Network’s properties of music channels and content portals. As the Company gears up to discover, nurture and proliferate independent music content and talent, Rajitta’s rich and diverse experience will be of immense value,” said Guha.

    Also read

    9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as Sr. Vice President for SonicX

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports
     

  • 9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as SVP

    9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as SVP

    MUMBAI: Rajitta Hemwaani has joined as senior vice president 9X Media and will head SonicX, a new business division initiated to tap the business potential and talent of independent music content.

    Hemwaani would be reporting to 9X Media managing director Pradeep Guha.

    Prior to joining 9X Media, Hemwaani was with a digital radio platform Audioboom UK as the India head. With a career spanning over 20 years, Hemwaani has worked with Star TV Network for two years from 2013 to 2015 as VP content and was also associated with Universal Music Group from 2008-11.

    “9X Media has always nurtured and encouraged talent by providing them appropriate platforms through the Network’s properties of music channels and content portals. As the Company gears up to discover, nurture and proliferate independent music content and talent, Rajitta’s rich and diverse experience will be of immense value,” said Guha.

    Also read

    9X Media appoints Rajitta Hemwaani as Sr. Vice President for SonicX

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports
     

  • 9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    MUMBAI: The entities that were said to be involved in acquisition talks have no clue about the development. It seems to be pure speculation.

    The media and entertainment industry was since morning rife with speculation that India TV promoter Rajat Sharma is acquiring a controlling stake in the New Silk Route (NSR)-backed 9X Media. Reports emerged in the last few hours that also state the value of the deal was Rs 200 crore (Rs. 2,000 million).

    9X Media’s CEO Pradeep Guha, however, rubbished this news. He told Indiantelevision.com, “All the reports are absolutely rubbish. We are not selling 9X Media.” When Rajat Sharma was contacted, he retorted: “I have no idea where these reports are coming from. I am out of the country. All these reports are absolutely false.”

    Though, Sharma has been keen on evaluating several opportunities to diversify the business portfolio of Independent News Service, which depends entirely on advertising revenue from India TV, acquiring 9X Media is not in his list. Yet. Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan are the largest shareholders of INS, which is the parent company of India TV. They own close to 60 per cent stake in the company.

    According to reports that are making the rounds in the industry, Sharma may seek help for the fund transaction from existing investors in INS like the Silicon Valley-based media investor Keyur Patel who also owns a stake in NDTV through his CV Global Holdings, a Mauritius based investment arm.

    NSR was earlier looking to sell its 80 per cent stake in 9X Media to Sony Pictures Networks in August. Its CEO Pradeep Guha directly owns five per cent stake whereas 9X Media Employee Trust has a 13 per cent stake. NSR has Drag Along/Tag rights over Guha’s shareholding and can cause him to sell his entire holding if the transaction materialises.

    9X Media was founded in 2007 by Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea and owns a bouquet of music channels that include regional language channels in Marathi and Punjabi. Its flagship channels are 9XM and 9X Jalwa.

    The rise of India TV as India’s leading news channel within a fairly short span of its existence owes a lot to the vision of its chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma who, along with his wife Ritu, leads a team of professionals.

    Sharma, considered close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, co-founded India TV with his wife Ritu Dhawan in April, 2004 from a swanky studio-cum-office in Film City, Noida. Sharma and Dhawan had set up their own production house, Independent News Service (INS), the parent company which owns India TV, in 1997 that has now transformed into a broadcasting company — a la NDTV and TV18/Network18.

  • 9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    MUMBAI: The entities that were said to be involved in acquisition talks have no clue about the development. It seems to be pure speculation.

    The media and entertainment industry was since morning rife with speculation that India TV promoter Rajat Sharma is acquiring a controlling stake in the New Silk Route (NSR)-backed 9X Media. Reports emerged in the last few hours that also state the value of the deal was Rs 200 crore (Rs. 2,000 million).

    9X Media’s CEO Pradeep Guha, however, rubbished this news. He told Indiantelevision.com, “All the reports are absolutely rubbish. We are not selling 9X Media.” When Rajat Sharma was contacted, he retorted: “I have no idea where these reports are coming from. I am out of the country. All these reports are absolutely false.”

    Though, Sharma has been keen on evaluating several opportunities to diversify the business portfolio of Independent News Service, which depends entirely on advertising revenue from India TV, acquiring 9X Media is not in his list. Yet. Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan are the largest shareholders of INS, which is the parent company of India TV. They own close to 60 per cent stake in the company.

    According to reports that are making the rounds in the industry, Sharma may seek help for the fund transaction from existing investors in INS like the Silicon Valley-based media investor Keyur Patel who also owns a stake in NDTV through his CV Global Holdings, a Mauritius based investment arm.

    NSR was earlier looking to sell its 80 per cent stake in 9X Media to Sony Pictures Networks in August. Its CEO Pradeep Guha directly owns five per cent stake whereas 9X Media Employee Trust has a 13 per cent stake. NSR has Drag Along/Tag rights over Guha’s shareholding and can cause him to sell his entire holding if the transaction materialises.

    9X Media was founded in 2007 by Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea and owns a bouquet of music channels that include regional language channels in Marathi and Punjabi. Its flagship channels are 9XM and 9X Jalwa.

    The rise of India TV as India’s leading news channel within a fairly short span of its existence owes a lot to the vision of its chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma who, along with his wife Ritu, leads a team of professionals.

    Sharma, considered close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, co-founded India TV with his wife Ritu Dhawan in April, 2004 from a swanky studio-cum-office in Film City, Noida. Sharma and Dhawan had set up their own production house, Independent News Service (INS), the parent company which owns India TV, in 1997 that has now transformed into a broadcasting company — a la NDTV and TV18/Network18.

  • 9X Jhakaas ropes in Ashwinikumar Patil as programming head

    9X Jhakaas ropes in Ashwinikumar Patil as programming head

    MUMBAI: 9X Media Pvt. Ltd has announced the appointment of Ashwinikumar Patil as head of programming for 9X Jhakaas. Patil would be reporting to 9X Media chief programming officer Amar Tidke.

    Commenting on the hire, Tidke said, “9X Jhakaas has grown manifold times since its launch 4 years ago. Today, the Channel is a major player in the Marathi music and entertainment industry. I welcome Ashwinikumar on board. I am sure his rich and diverse experience will be of immense value to 9X Jhakaas as the Channel enters the next phase of growth.”

    With over 12 years of experience in programming and production, Patil has worked across a broad spectrum of media and entertainment companies including Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, etc. He started his career as a Radio Jockey on Big FM Mumbai station. Later he went on to launch the Solapur, Indore and Gwalior radio stations at Big FM. He has also held the position of regional non-fiction head at Reliance Big Productions.

    Speaking on joining 9X Jhakaas, Patil added, “I am extremely pleased to be a part of the young and vibrant team at 9X Jhakaas. The Channel has achieved an unprecedented growth in a very short span of time and has played a crucial role in reviving the Marathi film & music industry. I look forward to a very productive and successful future with 9X Jhakaas.”

  • 9X Jhakaas ropes in Ashwinikumar Patil as programming head

    9X Jhakaas ropes in Ashwinikumar Patil as programming head

    MUMBAI: 9X Media Pvt. Ltd has announced the appointment of Ashwinikumar Patil as head of programming for 9X Jhakaas. Patil would be reporting to 9X Media chief programming officer Amar Tidke.

    Commenting on the hire, Tidke said, “9X Jhakaas has grown manifold times since its launch 4 years ago. Today, the Channel is a major player in the Marathi music and entertainment industry. I welcome Ashwinikumar on board. I am sure his rich and diverse experience will be of immense value to 9X Jhakaas as the Channel enters the next phase of growth.”

    With over 12 years of experience in programming and production, Patil has worked across a broad spectrum of media and entertainment companies including Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, etc. He started his career as a Radio Jockey on Big FM Mumbai station. Later he went on to launch the Solapur, Indore and Gwalior radio stations at Big FM. He has also held the position of regional non-fiction head at Reliance Big Productions.

    Speaking on joining 9X Jhakaas, Patil added, “I am extremely pleased to be a part of the young and vibrant team at 9X Jhakaas. The Channel has achieved an unprecedented growth in a very short span of time and has played a crucial role in reviving the Marathi film & music industry. I look forward to a very productive and successful future with 9X Jhakaas.”

  • 9X M’s Audience – Brand Connect ties with Pepsi for campaign

    9X M’s Audience – Brand Connect ties with Pepsi for campaign

    MUMBAI: 9X Media has partnered with PepsiCo for its campaign around Emoji’s Jaisa mood, waisi Pepsi. This partnership with the Audience – Brand Connect (ABC) division of 9X Media will provide the brand customized solutions across 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO.

    As part of the campaign, 9XM will launch Pepsi Jaisa Mood Waisa Song from 16 June 2016. The song calls for selfies from viewers expressing their various moods and the channel will match a song reflecting these moods.

    9X Media Pvt. Ltd chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani said, “After the success of Asktrack and Shopclues, we are delighted to announce our latest association with Pepsi through A-BC. We will be promoting the Pepsimoji campaign through customized programming innovations across our channels 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO. At 9X Media, it is our constant endeavor to provide well researched solutions to our Clients, after taking into consideration data analytics, brand ethos, TG and the geographies for the campaign. Pepsi Jaisa Mood Waisa Song emphasizes on music and emoticons, which is the universal language of the Youth. We are confident that our offering will resonate with the fans and viewers of the channel.”

    Similarly to this song on 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO, it will air the weekend property titled Jo Mood Wohi Song and Songs for Every Mood respectively. These hourly bands will play the latest songs complementing viewer’s selfies and moods.

    PepsiMoji partnership across channels will be promoted across our digital platforms. Our 15 million plus fans across Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook can celebrate their moods with PepsiMoji. Entries can be posted via Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter platforms. Moods like Happy, love struck, naughty and party can be posted using #JMWS on the 9XM digital platforms.

  • 9X M’s Audience – Brand Connect ties with Pepsi for campaign

    9X M’s Audience – Brand Connect ties with Pepsi for campaign

    MUMBAI: 9X Media has partnered with PepsiCo for its campaign around Emoji’s Jaisa mood, waisi Pepsi. This partnership with the Audience – Brand Connect (ABC) division of 9X Media will provide the brand customized solutions across 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO.

    As part of the campaign, 9XM will launch Pepsi Jaisa Mood Waisa Song from 16 June 2016. The song calls for selfies from viewers expressing their various moods and the channel will match a song reflecting these moods.

    9X Media Pvt. Ltd chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani said, “After the success of Asktrack and Shopclues, we are delighted to announce our latest association with Pepsi through A-BC. We will be promoting the Pepsimoji campaign through customized programming innovations across our channels 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO. At 9X Media, it is our constant endeavor to provide well researched solutions to our Clients, after taking into consideration data analytics, brand ethos, TG and the geographies for the campaign. Pepsi Jaisa Mood Waisa Song emphasizes on music and emoticons, which is the universal language of the Youth. We are confident that our offering will resonate with the fans and viewers of the channel.”

    Similarly to this song on 9XM, 9X Tashan and 9XO, it will air the weekend property titled Jo Mood Wohi Song and Songs for Every Mood respectively. These hourly bands will play the latest songs complementing viewer’s selfies and moods.

    PepsiMoji partnership across channels will be promoted across our digital platforms. Our 15 million plus fans across Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook can celebrate their moods with PepsiMoji. Entries can be posted via Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter platforms. Moods like Happy, love struck, naughty and party can be posted using #JMWS on the 9XM digital platforms.