ITV

Tag: Abhay Ojha

  • News Nation Network launches a new channel

    News Nation Network launches a new channel

    News Nation Network has taken another step towards expansion of its portfolio of news channels. The latest entrant from the house of News Nation Network is News State Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh. A regional Hindi News channel specifically programmed for the audience of MP/CG.

    The uniqueness of channel lies in fact that it delivers news with a new outlook incorporating the pride, views, outlook ,problems and solutions of the inhabitants of these states. The channel presently goes with the theme of “ Khabren Naye Nazariye se”. With a strong network of reporters and news providers the channel aims to cover almost every part of these states. BARC data for Wk33’18 shows that it  has already displaced strong channels of the state like Bansal News, India News MP/CG, Sadhana News MP/CG.

    The programming of the channel is designed to cover all aspects of daily local news. Its programming mix comprises of speed news, special programs, political debates and discussions, general bulletins, reporter led stories etc.

    Speaking on the occasion ,the Editor-in-Chief of the network  Mr. Sanjay Kulshrestha said

    “ The two states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh can be well seen as a crucible of vibrant learning, where people, even politicians and those in public life, have a strong yearning for excellence and they even respect their critic as a teacher and a torchbearer. If Madhya Pradesh is a state adorned with a mix of mythological and scientific fervor, the younger Chhattisgarh has been bestowed upon with the best of the tribal innocence and a rich and thriving natural habitat. News State MP/CG brings to the fore front the uniqueness of these states through pure news , right from the hinterland to the much sophisticated urban centers,  I am sure that News State  MP/CG will touch new heights in times to come  .”

    The network’s revenue head and President -Sales & Marketing, Mr. Abhay Ojha commented

    “ MP/CG is the heart of the Hindi Speaking Market , about 15 % of National Hindi news viewership comes from this region which is almost equal to that of Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata combined, it indicates to a higher  news consumption in these markets , since News State MP/CG serves news with a highly localized content keeping in view the dynamics of national news environment as well its  sure to become popular among viewers here. From the revenue perspective both the states have good potential in terms of tourism, education , real state , heavy industries and  start-up as well. In the first week itself ,we have displaced some of the established players  in terms of viewership .In spite of existing competition we feel confident to achieve good revenue figures. The marketing campaign for the channel is under process and you will soon see this on the ground ”.

    News state MP/CG is widely distributed across all major MSOs of MP & CG including DTH platforms of Airtel TV and Tata Sky. Its noteworthy to mention that the network’s National Hindi News channel “ News Nation” had already positioned itself amongst Top 5 channels in the Hindi News genre while its regional news channel of Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand , News state UP/UK has remained No.1 since its launch.

  • News’ Nation’s Abhay Ojha among top-50 influential persons

    News’ Nation’s Abhay Ojha among top-50 influential persons

    MUMBAI: News Nation Network Pvt. Ltd. launched a National Hindi News Channel -News Nation in February 2013 with a basic premise of “ideal viewer connects”. The channel aims to address the ground realities and complexities of diverse and multi-layered India and demystify news into relevant absorbable facts. The channel’s ideology is to respect viewer’s intelligence and provide them with “News they can use”. Adding to the bouquet News Nation Network Pvt. Ltd. launched a regional Hindi News channel by the name of News State Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand in Feb 2014.  The differentiation of its regional offering stands out in the fact that it carries mostly regional news which is thoroughly covered to the level of every district of both the states. As per BARC ratings while the National Hindi News channel “News Nation” ranks amongst Top 5 , its regional channel “ News State UP/UK” has been No.1 in the twin states since many weeks. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Abhay K Ojha ,President – Sales & Marketing, shared his views in Q & A session.

    News Nation has completed 5 years – How was the journey so far?
    The journey till date is on the growth trajectory. Since the launch of the channel it has scaled up the ladder and today it is amongst Top 5 Hindi News channels. In terms of revenue also every year we have been growing steadily.

    With new Hindi news channel being launched in already cluttered Hindi News genre- How difficult was it then to make inroads into sales?
    We did not face much problem in establishing in the sales front.  The Product offering was different from all other existing Hindi News channels. Apart from Top 3 channels , most of the other news channels that time were me too product. We analyzed that programming and news delivery of all other channels were revolving around Top three channels only with no distinctive offerings. We, therefore, came with programmes  like Bharat Ek Khoj, Idea India ka, Khana Gana. These programs helped us create a brand identity and delivered good ratings.   

    Do you think TRPs are really that important for sales and what are your views on allegations of BARC panel homes tampering?
    TRPs do play a vital role in revenue because it gives an indication of ROI. With regards to tampering BARC authorities are competent enough to handle these issues and I am sure they are taking utmost care to ensure robustness of data, having said that there are also instances where data defies logic. 

    After 5 years how do you say that News Nation is different from other Hindi News channel?
    News Nation has not deviated from its Brand Promise. Today where one can see a clear tilt of every news channels towards a pro or against sentiment, News Nation stands as an observer and reports news as it is un-opinionated, unbiased. We respect the intelligence of viewers and provide them with news they can use. We still have no dedicated show on astrology, crime or religion. 

    Lately you have been facing strong competition from a couple of channels – How do you tackle that?
    We are focusing on our core strengths and assuring clients to look at value for their money. Evening Prime Time is one area where the concentration of audience is highest and if a broadcasters decides to reduce commercial FCT in these band ,their programming ratings might go up but break ratings tentatively will go down. Apart from these for some broadcasters a couple of bands in prime time delivers about 30-40 % of their entire viewership unlike News Nation which generally has an equal distribution of viewership.  

    News consumption is gradually becoming higher on 2nd screen i.e digital –What are your views on this and what advancements has News Nation made in the digital domain?
    Yes, eventually not only news but almost all content will see a higher rise in consumption on mobile. With the penetration of smart phones into smaller towns/rural and affordable data plans, this sector is poised for a massive growth. News Nation is already geared up for this, it has two websites www.newsnation.in (English) and www.newsstate.com( Hindi). It also has News Mobile App for these websites available on android and iOS. The mobile apps are equipped with latest GUI and some unique features like “Quicky”- The Quicky feature lets you watch news from 1 minute up to 5 minutes to save your time and also we are facilitating live audio news feature to our users. 

    Can you detail some future plans of News Nation Network and do you think that there still exists some space for any other Hindi News channel?
    News Nation is evaluating business potential in different genres , some expansions plans are already under consideration and will be able to share some news soon.

  • Maharashtra One names Abhay Ojha as chief biz officer; network to launch movie channel

    Maharashtra One names Abhay Ojha as chief biz officer; network to launch movie channel

    MUMBAI: Marathi news channel Maharashtra One has roped in Abhay Ojha as chief business officer. 

     

    According to a source close to the development, Ojha will oversee the distribution of the channel. 

     

    “His vast experience is widely important for the organisation. He will also play a vital role in the planning and execution of the marketing strategy drawn for the channel,” the source adds.

     

    Maharashtra One owned by Fearless Media has Nikhil Waghle as the editorial face of the channel. “Besides Waghle, the network has roped in many other fearless journalists to strengthen the team and a good number of them have been recognised by the Ramnath Goenka awards. The company’s motto is simple To stay fearless.” 

     

    Fearless Media is not only restricting itself to one news channel. The network aspires to emerge as the front runner in the regional space. “Plans are afoot to launch a Marathi movie channel too sometime soon,” informed the source.

     

    Ojha was previously associated with Star CJ Alive, which was later rebranded as Shop CJ as vice president & head, new business initiatives & special projects. He played a vital role in the setting up of the channel’s India operation. Prior to that he worked with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd as senior manager.

  • News Nation UP/Uttarakhand strengthens sales team

    News Nation UP/Uttarakhand strengthens sales team

    MUMBAI: By virtue of its size and population, Uttar Pradesh is an important state not only for politicians but also for news channels.

     

    So, in February this year, before the Lok Sabha elections took off, News Nation launched its first regional channel, News Nation Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand.

     

    Now that the polls are over, the channel plans to boost its sales team and increase the number of advertisers on board.

     

    “The Uttar Pradesh market is a priority due to its population. We are looking at hiring about four to five people to deal with UP clients,” says News Nation senior VP head of sales and marketing Abhay Ojha. The appointees will be based out of Kanpur, Noida, Gurgaon, DehraDun and eastern UP.

     

    Advertisers being targeted include educational institutes, tea companies, small and medium enterprises and hosiery and footwear manufacturers, among others. Apparently, 40 per cent of national advertisers have already decided to be part of the regional channel while the rest would be roped in by the new team expected to be in place within a month’s time.

     

    “Currently, our focus is on improving content. We adopted the same strategy for the national channel and went without ads for a while to up the ratings,” says Ojha, claiming that the national channel has 85 brands currently.

     

    Ad rates for prime time in the state fall between Rs 500 and Rs 1200. With big players likes ETV UP/Uttarakhand, Zee Sangam, Sahara Samay Uttar Pradesh, India News UP/Uttarakhand and Samachar Plus UP/Uttarakhand in the fray, it’s going to be a challenging road ahead for News Nation UP/Uttarakhand.

  • News Nation’s Radio Campaign

    News Nation’s Radio Campaign

    MUMBAI: Country’s premium Hindi News channel News Nation has once again embarked on a brand campaign. The activity will start with a burst on top radio stations across the country. The theme of the campaign is to empower and educate people to take their own informed decision at the ballot box for Lok Sabha election 2014.

     

    The target audience of the campaign is youth and decision making audience who want to bring a change in the society. The campaign will start form 3rd March’14.

     

    Speaking of the campaign Mr. Shailesh Kumar, CEO & Editor in Chief said, “Radio is one of the popular mediums which address our target audience. Our creative conveys the significance of empowerment and informed decisions at the onset of the most important democratic process…Lok Sabha Elections 2014”

     

    It may be noted that News Nation which celebrated its 1st anniversary on 14th Feb’14 has walked up the ladder of ratings and is well placed in the Hindi News genre. News Nation had decided to make itself a reporter led channel with extensive field reporting. The channel has gradually emerged as a serious player with pure news content and traditional style of presentation.

     

    Mr. Abhay Ojha, Sr. VP- Sales & Marketing said “Radio was one of mediums which were used in our launch campaign; the current campaign is aimed to act as reminder of the values of News Nation. This is the most appropriate time for the activity as general elections are close by.”

     

    News Nation today is available on DTH platforms like Tata Sky (LCN-472), Airtel DTH(LCN-294), Dish TV(LCN-568), Videocon D2H(LCN-304),DD Free Dish (LCN-59) apart from all major MSOs/LCOs across the country like DEN, Hathway, GTPL, Fastway, Digicable, Siti Cable, In-digital etc.