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Tag: Aaj Tak

  • Aaj Tak brings back ‘Vande Mataram’ with Shatrughan Sinha

    Aaj Tak brings back ‘Vande Mataram’ with Shatrughan Sinha

    MUMBAI: India’s premier Hindi news channel Aaj Tak is all set to launch the second season of its successful show Vande Mataram which will be hosted by veteran Bollywood actor and parliamentarian Shatrugan Sinha. Eminent actor Om Puri will be seen lending his voice to the show.

     

    Through the 12 episodes, the channel plans to enlighten viewers about untold tales of bravery and valour of India’s freedom fighters. For example, the channel says little do people know that Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh was an avid reader and by the young age of 24 years he had read all the books of over 34 eminent authors.

      

    The saga will feature never seen before footage and stories of freedom fighters right like Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and many more. It will be telecast on the channel every Saturday and Sunday at 10 pm and will commence from 23 August

     

    Aaj Tak managing editor Supriya Prasad says, “The first season of Vande Mataram set benchmarks in news programming showing India’s wars after independence. Season two will feature stories of India’s war for independence and each episode will cover the struggle and the story of a revolutionary.” Season one was anchored  by Kabir Bedi in 2013.

     

    Prasad praised Sinha’s oratory skills and exemplary command over Urdu Shayari and Hindi poetry. “His screen image of a patriotic star, his aggressive image and deep baritone voice added to his choice as preferred face for the show,” he adds.

     

    Meanwhile speaking to indiantelevision.com, the actor says he wanted to do the show because he found it energetic, youthful and uncompromisingly patriotic.  He also carefully explains his previous stints on the small screen. “I did the Shotgun Show. Then I also hosted the Bhojpuri version of KBC. But this show defines me and I feel it is absolutely necessary for every Indian to watch it, to know our history.”

     

    The channel is going all out to promote the show extensively with a special emphasis on northern India.TV promos are being telecast on all the channels networks to woo audiences. Radio jingles are being aired across seven radio stations and ads have been placed in the newspaper Mail Today. Plans are afoot to place hoardings across Delhi in 30 to 40 major outdoor locations. Hoardings too will be put up in Mumbai the coming week. A source from the channel pegs the marketing cost to be between Rs 90 lakhs to Rs one crore.

     
    Prasad also says that the shows on patriotism have helped the channel build a strong bond with the viewers and the first season of Vande Mataram won critical acclaim by winning awards in three categories for best show, best producer and best editing.

  • Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    MUMBAI: Even as rumours of the Adani group wanting to buy out NDTV is looming large, another company has decided to exit from the media business. The one so charming industry doesn’t seem to be boding well for all, it seems.

     

    According to media reports, the Aditya Birla Group is planning to cash out its investment in Living Media India, the holding company of the India Today Group and is said to have appointed Bank of America Merill Lynch (BofA-ML) for exiting the two year old investment in the Aroon Purie controlled group.

     

    Living Media acts as a holding company and owns 57.2 per cent stake in TV Today Network. The listed company controls its broadcasting assets, including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, and operates its publishing business, which includes a host of magazines such as India Today.

     

    The Birla group bought 27.5 stake in May 2012 and had at that time said it saw media as a sunrise sector from an investment point of view and that Living Media offered one of the best opportunities for growth and value creation.

     

    Even though the companies never disclosed the price of the stake sale, according to experts, TV Today network was then valued at around Rs 1300-1400 crore and Birla paid about Rs 350 crore to buy the stake.

     

    Aditya Birla Group has also previously forayed into the media business through a production company Applause Entertainment in 2003 which shut down in 2009. The production house is known for Amitabh Bachchan starrer Black.

     

    The stake sale comes on the backdrop of Mukesh Ambani’s RIL taken over media house Network 18 gaining control over IBNlive.com, Moneycontrol.com, Firstpost.com, Cricketnext.in, Homeshop18, Bookmyshow.com and broadcast channels like Colors, CNBC TV18, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and CNBC Awaaz, all run by Network18.

  • Comedy Central launches the LOL CLUB

    Comedy Central launches the LOL CLUB

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central, India’s leading 24-hour English Entertainment channel, stands true to its philosophy of ‘laugh it off’. Taking this philosophy one step ahead the brand has recently launched its latest endeavor, the LOL CLUB with the objective of spreading happiness way beyond television. With this introduction, Comedy Central aims to make India smile a little more through a series of partnerships that will sure add to the happiness quotient in users’ lives.

     

    The LOL CLUB gives reasons for people to be happy by offering special discounts at India’s leading restaurants, bars, youth hang out spots and spa chains across the country. Fans can register for free on Comedy Central Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/comedycentralindia?ref=br_tf and join the LOL CLUB to avail the privileges. 

     

    Ferzad Palia, Executive Vice President and Business Head, English Entertainment, Viacom 18 said “At Comedy Central our objective is to spread happiness & the Lol Club is another step in that direction. We have introduced the card after mapping the different lifestyle demands of our fans & are hopeful of adding some more smiles to their lives via the various offers & discounts on it”

     

    Comedy Central India will be promoting the LOL CLUB on-air on both Comedy Central and Vh1 along with radio spots and promoting the property in their partner locations as well.

     

    Spreading joy to viewers, Comedy Central plans to add more dimension to the LOL Club by giving away tickets for gigs, comedy shows and other activities across cities.

  • TVPlayer adds Aaj Tak to its Desi pack

    TVPlayer adds Aaj Tak to its Desi pack

    MUMBAI: Aaj Tak, the number one Hindi News channel in India, is the latest channel to join the DESI pack on TVPlayer.

        

    The launch of Aaj Tak on TVPlayer will enhance its channel reach via multi-platform viewing opportunities across web, mobile and tablet, making the channel available to a wider audience of the Indian population residing in the UK.

     

    Aaj Tak was launched in India in December 2000 as a 24-hour Hindi News channel, which coversIndia with insight, courage and plenty of local flavors. Within 6 months of its launch, Aaj Takemerged as India’s number one news channel. Beginning with an impressive connectivity of 5.2 million homes when launched, Aaj Tak today boasts of a reach of over 50 million homes and a channel share of more than 55% among the news channels. Its unique style of passionate storytelling and live coverage has become its hallmark.

     

    Aaj Tak telecasts programmes viz Dharam, Movie Masala, Mumbai Metro, Seedhi Baat, Saas Bahu aur betiyaan etc.  The editorial panel of Aaj Tak includes many renowned journalists including Anjana Kashyap, Shams Tahir Khan, Sweta Singh,Punya Prasun Vajpayee and many more.

     

    Speaking on the occasion India Today Group Digital COO Salil Kumar said, “It is great to expand our offering on to a new OTT/ IPTV platform in the United Kingdom. This partnership will engage more audiences globally. “

     

    TVPlayer platform manager Lewis Arthur says, “Our Desi pack has been an incredible success since it launched this year; its content often representing over 10 per cent of all total viewing, in any given day.  Our new partnership with India Today means that we have topical and breaking news from Aaj Tak, further strengthening our overall channel offering.”

  • Aaj Tak adds an animation edge to Singham Returns

    Aaj Tak adds an animation edge to Singham Returns

    MUMBAI: Aaj Tak the nation’s most watched News Channel has taken movie partnerships to the next level with an exclusive tie up with the upcoming mega movie – ‘Singham Returns’ starring Ajay Devgan and Directed by  Rohit Shetty.

     

    Aaj Tak leverages on the larger than life role of Ajay Devgan in the film for promotions of the popular show – Halla Bol on the channel. High quality animations have been used in the series of cobranded promos that drive the message of ‘Halla Bol’ and encourage people to boldly take on the burning issues of today.

     

     

    Speaking on the partnership, the Director of the film Rohit Shetty said: “It is a great and unique video conceptualized by Aajtak and we all are quite happy to see the way it has been created as it will further spread social   awareness amongst the people.”

     

    The first video shows the animated character of Singham helping an Ambulance to get out of traffic to reach the hospital. The video is already running01 across TV Channels and digital platforms of the group. Ajay Devgan the lead star of the film has also tweeted about this unique association (All of us have a Singham inside us. 

     

    The show Halla Bol runs on weekdays at 6 PM on Aaj Tak and has covered crucial topics of public relevance. The episodes highlight the issues faced by the society and economy while also suggesting on a roadmap to a lasting solution with recommendations from expert panellists.

     

    Ashish Bagga, Group CEO India Today added, “Animation is amongst the most expressive forms of communication and I’m glad that with a strong social message hidden behind the initiative, this will be appreciated across classes.”

  • There is no foundation funded journalism in India: Shekhar Gupta

    There is no foundation funded journalism in India: Shekhar Gupta

    MUMBAI:  Social media is the new hub for news breaks.  The role that the platform played during the recently concluded ‘election of the century’ set the tone for the future of journalism in the country.  And stressing on the same was India Today group editor in chief of news properties and vice –chairman Shekhar Gupta at a session on ‘Media and Governance’ at Indian Merchants Chamber.

     

    Gupta said that social media like Twitter will affect governance in India. Calling social media as the new form of journalism that is used to break many stories, he also cautioned that it spreads urban mythologies. He went on to add that  if a war like situation arises, leaders having mass following on Twitter will find it difficult to control a “Twitter storm” from the Twitterati.  Gupta also expects the new government to make phone calls to media owners and it is during this time the media will be tested he said.

     

    Speaking about the turnover of the Indian media industry he quoted  a press article which mentions that the total turnover of the Indian media industry including entertainment is less than that  of telecom giant Bharti Airtel.

     

    He pointed out that India’s demographics and an aggressive literate policy were fuelling the growth in Indian media. He compared the outburst of channels and publications in the media to the 1962 war where the Indian army had expanded suddenly. He also lamented about the fact that today’s TV journalist were inadequately trained in classrooms as well as newsrooms and as such the media is going down the value chain.

     

    At a time when serious discussions are taking place about media ownership with the latest one being Reliance Industries’ acquisition of Network18, Gupta said that the media has always been owned by the corporate and stated, “There is no foundation funded journalism in India”. He also said that large corporate companies are not in the business to milk money out of media organisations as for them the investment is too less.  Gupta said the only worry for him was “funny people” owning the media. He explained how a particular political family at the regional level controls the distribution of media in a north Indian state.

     

    Speaking about the ad revenue of news channels, he explained that FMCG advertisers like soaps, toothpastes and aerated drinks first go to general entertainment channels (GECs) like Star Plus, Colors or Sony where they get high viewership. The second option is sports channels which again have high viewership and last in line are news channels that have no choice left and have to offer ad slots at cheaper rates.

     

    Gupta was previously the editor in chief of Indian Express and a well known host on NDTV for his show Walk the Talk. When asked what will be his new role at India Today group, he said that his essential job was still the same although it was a different universe. “It is still what it was, except it is not a broadsheet daily. This group is diverse as it has 36 titles including magazines and channels like Headlines Today and Aaj Tak,” he said.

  • Aaj Tak launches new show ‘Har Har Gangay’

    Aaj Tak launches new show ‘Har Har Gangay’

    MUMBAI: Indian Hindi news channel, Aaj Tak, has launched a special series on India’s most revered river, the Ganga, titled Har Har Gangay. The series promises to give an in-depth perspective on the state the river which has seen an onslaught of pollution owing to rampant negligence and public apathy.  

     

    According to Aaj Tak managing editor Supriya Prasad the thought behind this show is to take these issues to millions of viewers while also suggesting a roadmap to the recovery.

     

    Through the 12 part series which began on 14 July Har Har Gangay will start from the source of Ganga at Gomukh at a height of 13,200 feet and will follow the river through Gangotri, Uttarkashi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Farakka and will finally culminate at Ganga Sagar. The series is being led by Aaj Tak’s senior anchor and editor Sweta Singh.

     

    The series has several big names associated with it such as the 87 year old environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, Swami Ramdev and Swami Chidanand Saraswati of the Ganga Action Parivar. “We also plan to interview Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharati,” adds Prasad.

    A team of around 10 people were involved in the project along with others. In addition to the regular cameras, a special drone camera was also used . Aaj Tak had used drone cameras for its election programme Election Express as well.

     

    To mobilise audiences, the news platform will be leveraged in addition to SMS service, a dedicated website for the cause of the show and other media to create a people led movement towards the cause.

     

    The show will air from Monday to Saturday at 8:30 pm.     
     

  • Contract hires senior CDs to beef up Tata Docomo team

    Contract hires senior CDs to beef up Tata Docomo team

    MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has brought on board Abhishek Chaswal and Rupesh Sahay as VP and senior creative directors on the Tata Docomo business. Both Chaswal and Sahay will be reporting to Contract Delhi executive creative director Mayur Hola.

     

     “Rupesh and Abhishek together bring a unique blend to Contract. Chaswal has his own special blend of madness and indeed an unfettered, entrepreneurial spirit. His approach to communication is unique and media agnostic. Rupesh on the other hand is a multi-talented and supremely gifted individual. A national award winning documentary film maker, he is also a brilliant art director and one of the most responsible leaders I have come across. I am sure that together they will make Contract proud and enjoy their time here as much as Contract will enjoy having them,” said Hola.

     

    Chaswal, who joins in from Cheil was responsible for the work on Delhi Daredevils, Halonix and the Samsung TV range. With an experience of close to 14 years, Chaswal started his career in a direct marketing agency as a copywriter. Eventually he moved into main stream advertising where he worked with agencies such as Everest, Euro RSCG (now, Havas) and Leo Burnett. During the course of his career he has worked across a broad spectrum of brands such as PSI, Aaj Tak, Mortein, MakeMyTrip, Max New York Life, Voltas, Minute Maid, The Indian Express, Bilt and Tetra Pak to name a few. A well awarded creative, Chaswal’s work has received recognition in national and international advertising award shows like Goafest, New York Festivals, Adfest and The Work.

     

     “I join Contract with the hunger to realise brave ideas that work for the brand as well as for the audience and the agency; and with Ashish Chakravarty leading the creative, I am sure the journey to the sweet spot will be memorable,” said Chaswal.

     

    It’s a homecoming of sorts for Sahay for whom this is a second stint at Contract.  Sahay joins in from DDB Mudra where he was the senior CD. A graduate of the Banaras Hindu University, he has worked at McCann Erickson, Rediffusion-Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi & RK Swamy BBDO during the course of his career. His brand roster includes Coca-Cola, Reebok, Aircel, Videocon, General Motors, Nescafe, and Domino’s Pizza to name a few. A very talented and highly awarded creative, Rupesh has won the 61st National Film Award for his short film ‘The Lost Behrupiya’.

     

     “This is my second stint at Contract and this place has always been very energetic. I am really excited to join good talented bunch of people. For me joining Contract is joining strong creative people such as Ashish Chakravarty, Vineet Mahajan and Mayur Hola,” said Sahay.

     

    Contract Advertising won the creative mandate for Tata Docomo in April. Post which the agency has made some very senior level hires to service the business which includes the hiring of Shruti Verma, who came on board last month as senior VP to head the Tata Docomo business.

  • Aaj Tak touches highest ever News Channel Reach in Counting Week at 60 Mln (CS 15+)

    Aaj Tak touches highest ever News Channel Reach in Counting Week at 60 Mln (CS 15+)

    MUMBAI: Aaj Tak continued with its glorious streak of retaining the status of the No. 1 News Channel in India with a clear leadership on 16th May, the counting day, the counting week and the entire election season. Election week GVTs stood at 526676, translating into a mkt share of 21% (20.7%) within Hindi news channels with the no.2 trailing at 19% (19.1). For comparison, (All India, CS 15+, Avrg TVT 000s) – Aaj Tak is 19 times of Times Now and over 6 times the total Eng News genre put together.

     

    In what was the most keenly followed Election, Hindi News genre attained the highest ever absolute reach of over 104 million, with an absolute share of 6.8% viewership.

    Commenting on the performance, Mr. Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today, said, “The stride that Aaj Tak has been making is the result of a focused approach towards our viewers. The maximum reporters on the  ground, the most innovative use of technology in the form of holograms and teleportation, maximum LIVE sources, a never before build up, focus on grand visuals through the use of drones and obviously the definitive edge of trust in the Aajtak brand made us the preferred choice. We are sure the brand will keep upping the ante and raise the bar like it has always done.”

     

  • Hindi News channels see massive viewership spike on 16 May

    Hindi News channels see massive viewership spike on 16 May

    MUMBAI: The last two months have been a festival for news channels as elections took place across the country. It all boiled down to the orgasmic climax of counting day, 16 May. Let’s have a look at how Hindi News channels fared in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM).

    As per TAM data provided by a news channel, ABP News led in the HSM market but overall India was led by Aaj Tak. India TV on the other hand was third in both but India TV showed highest viewership from the five HSM metros as well as Delhi and Mumbai.

    Let’s have a look at the data for HSM markets, all India market and the five HSM metros(Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune).

    Source: TAM 16 May 2014, 24 hours CS ABC 15+

    A channel source says that on an average day, the viewership tends to be 30 per cent to 40 per cent less than what it was on the counting day.

    In the five HSM metros, India TV had 10489 GVTs, Aaj Tak had 8253 GVTs and ABP News 8344 GVTs.

    As most channels began their election coverage, prime time news began at 6:00 am and went till midnight. What usually is the bastion of business news channels was taken by general news channels for the crucial day.