ITV

Tag: Ahmedabad

  • NBA condemns attack on media in Ahmedabad

    NBA condemns attack on media in Ahmedabad

    NEW DELHI: News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the attack on journalists and media persons who were covering the Ahmedabad bandh on 18 July. The bandh was called following the mysterious death of two boys residing in the ashram of religious guru Asaram Bapu.

    NBA says, “With more than 15 journalists being seriously injured, channels like Aajtak, Times Now and TV 18’s OB vans and television equipments were damaged completely”.

    NBA President and Aajtak CEO G Krishnan said that journalists and media workers provide a service that is essential for any democratic society and keep the public informed. There can be no acceptable reason for attacking the men and women who help make possible the fundamental right of freedom of expression. And preventing journalists from performing their duties are violations of the freedoms enshrined in and guaranteed by the Constitution.

    Krishnan has further urged the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Gujarat to restore law and order to ensure that journalists are allowed to perform their duties in a free and fearless manner. He hoped that the state administration would take action to book the culprits and would display that no individual or individuals are beyond the law of the land.

    The supporters of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu assaulted media persons at a press conference called by Asaram Bapu’s ashram. What triggered the attack were the unreciprocated questions over the deaths of two boys Dipesh Praful Vaghela (10), and his cousin Abhishek Shantilal Vaghela (11), whose bodies were found in the riverbed near the spiritual guru’s ashram on 6 July.

    The ashram has been facing protests since then. In addition, several organisations had called for shutdown in Ahmedabad on 18 July to protest against the flawed investigation.

  • UTV News CEO Arun Anant resigns

    UTV News CEO Arun Anant resigns

    MUMBAI: After serving a short period of seven months, UTV News CEO Arun Anant has resigned.

    Anant joined UTV news in November 2007. He was spearheading the business operations of UTV News’ English business news channels UTVi.

    Prior to joining UTV News, Anant was working with Economic Times as vice president.

    Ronnie Screwvala promoted UTV News runs the newly launched English business news channel UTVi. UTVi has a strategic content tie-up with ABC News. With the head office in Mumbai, UTVi has bureaus in Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai.

  • ‘Online consumption of content in India is more pervasive than we think it is’ : Kamal Gianchandani – BigFlicks COO

    ‘Online consumption of content in India is more pervasive than we think it is’ : Kamal Gianchandani – BigFlicks COO

     BigFlicks, Reliance Entertainment’s online film rental service, plans to invest $100 million over three years. The plan includes a strong offline presence as well. With 50 offline rental stores already dotting the landscape, the ramp up agenda includes 200 stores by the end of this year.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, BigFlicks COO Kamal Gianchandani talks about the company’s growth plans.

     

    Excerpts:

    What progress has BigFlicks made so far?
    We have over 1000 films on our online library. We have acquired TV content that runs into thousands of hours. We also have short form content. So the content part has grown exponentially. In terms of registrations which are free, we have 400,000 customers.

     

    We have done lakhs of streams. In terms of the rental business in India, we have reached 50 stores. We operate in 10 cities spread across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune.

    BigFlicks is investing $100 million over three years. Where will this mostly go?
    The key areas would be our rental service, followed by Video-on-Demand (VoD). We would also add community features as we go along. This will also take investments.

    What is the revenue model for BigFlicks?
    The model for the rental business is subscription. In VoD the model is two-fold. One can download films for a fee ranging from $2-$10. As we go along we will have ad revenue from free streaming. But it is too early to speak about revenue targets.

    What is BigFlicks’ USP vis-a-vis other film rental companies?
    We offer convenience, multiple access points. We offer stores in combination with an online service. Most competitors offer either online or offline. We offer both as an integrated service. Our presence is more pervasive. We have a call centre with a common number. Customers can also reach us through SMS. Typical mom and pop stores do not offer these multiple access points.

    What are the synergies that exist between Big Flicks and Reliance Entertainment’s other verticals?
    Some synergies are apparent. There is direct synergy with Big TV for instance. It offers VoD of limited titles. We have a broad spectrum of titles for VoD.

     

    Then there are synergies that are not so apparent and which are diverse. For instance in Delhi and Mumbai, Reliance Energy has a huge base of consumers who use the power that they supply. This offers us bundling opportunities.

     

    Which company in Reliance Entertainment acquires films for various platforms?
    We have a central acquisition team. They acquire films for all platforms and also make sure that each department’s interests are looked after. If, however, a title’s rights are broken up, then we will acquire it for VoD directly from the producer.

    Who are the major content owners that Big Flicks has deals with?
    We have deals with several parties. Shemaroo is one of them. We also have deals with smaller players. On the television side, we have deals with the likes of NDTV, Raj Television, Zoom. Most of them are revenue sharing deals. Some of them are also fixed amount deals. In our VoD business, we have over a thousand titles. For rental we have 15,000 titles.

    What strategy has BigFlicks followed to create awareness?
    In India we will be doing a 360 degree marketing campaign. This will encompass television, print, online, radio, outdoor. We will also look at alliances as we move forward.

     

    For the overseas markets, we have done a lot of search related marketing. We have done things like banner displays. We have also done alliances with services that target the same audience. We have tied up with Reliance India Calling Cards. They are big in the US which is also our main market abroad. We do a lot of marketing and promotional activities with them. On television, we have a tie up with below.tv. They are a broadband site that offers cricket subscription.

     

    We recently did a deal with Willow TV for the IPL. We also have a deal with Remit2India which is a Times of India Group company. They target NRIs who send money to India.

    When you talk about the online space, piracy is a big headache. How is Big Flicks approaching this challenge?
    We monitor this actively. We keep a track of the rights we have and we are vigilant. If a site is offering downloads of a film illegally, then we inform the producers and right owners. We let them take action against the concerned parties. BigFlicks also has DRM software to prevent illegal downloads.

    What trends have been noticed in terms of how films are consumed online?
    Films are the dominant form of online media consumption. They also offer repeat value. While we offer new titles that are popular, the older titles like Golmaal also get consumed a lot.

     

    What we are also seeing is that there is preference in consuming short form content which could be three minutes in duration. This is consumed when people are on the move or when they are in the home and wish to break the monotony. We have music videos and other kinds of short form content.

    Is the TG mainly the net savvy youth or do older people also go online?
    Our main TG is in the 18-35 year age bracket. People who are on the older side also visit, but they are a small portion.

    Could you give me examples of unique promotions that BigFlicks does?
    When we launched Jab We Met we had free streaming for 24 hours. We advertised this move. The reception was positive. We also did a Laughter Riot Week where comedies were showcased.

     

    We have weeks where we focus on an actor and we pull out all his films and put it for our users. Going forward, we will be doing interactive initiatives involving film stars. This could be in the form of contests.
    ‘If you want to have business of a certain scale in India, then you need to be offline as well‘

    How is BigFlicks leveraging the online social networking phenomenon?
    We will be adding community features. The idea is to create more stickiness on the site. While consumers come to rent or watch streaming movies, they also have their need to express opinions.

     

    Some elements like reviews and ratings given to movies are already present. But web 2.0 features like having a forum, tagging are being introduced so that consumers will not feel the urge to jump onto another site to express their viewpoints.
    In terms of allowing people to transfer downloaded content to the mobile, what arrangement has been made to facilitate this?
    We already have the backend to support this. We are looking at doing this in the next three months.
    Why did Big Flicks feel the need for an offline presence in India?
    At the current level if you want to have business of a certain scale in India, then you need to be offline. If you are only an online player, then you will target a smaller segment.

    What were the logistical challenges faced in setting up stores?
    The biggest challenge is the lack of an organised delivery mechanism. The postal service and courier companies deliver goods one way. The return path, though, is complicated for them. We have had to hire delivery boys on our own. They have to be trained. Inventory has to be managed. We do not have an efficient third party solution yet in the country.

     

    We also have a customer relationship management (CRM) team that focusses on the consumer. They look at feedback, complaints and issues that customers raise. Our call centre is a part of it. In any case training is in the DNA of Reliance Entertainment. We constantly train our people and ensure that their skills get upgraded. This is an on-going process.

    How many stores will there be by the end of the year?
    We will have 200 stores by the end of the year. The first 50 stores are our own. The next 75 will be with Reliance World. We will do a shop-in-shop model.

     

    The remaining 75 will come through franchisees. We have received a lot of queries in this regard but we have not formulated a franchise plan as of now.

    The dynamics of the home video market are changing due to aggressive pricing. What is the strategy of BigFlicks in this regard?
    Aggressive pricing is good for the market as it encourages consumers to buy DVD players and consume more content at home. It also fights piracy. We focus on our quality of service.

     

    We want to aggregate as much content as possible. People want access to a huge catalogue in one place. Our monthly charge schemes are Rs 250, Rs 399 and Rs 499. There is no restriction on the number of DVDs one can take in a month and there is no time limit to return a DVD.
    What would be more popular in India – downloads or rentals?
    In the near to mid term, monthly rentals would be more popular. But the future lies in digital copies being downloaded.

    Will offline or online be more important down the line?
    Our main business will be online. The broadband bottleneck will have been broken by then. Already companies like Reliance and Tatas are working to achieve this goal.

     

    The offline space will become more of a customer acquisition point and more about customer relationship management. But servicing and watching films will happen more online.

    What have the learnings been from servicing consumers?
    Indian consumers want a dependable service. They do not just want a cheap service. At the same time, price elasticity is less in our business. Online consumption of content in India is more pervasive than we think it is. Eighty per cent of our members use the online service.

     

    Overseas, the phenomenon of the long tail is visible. People consume content that has been seen repeatedly. Niche content also has a lot of takers overseas.
    What kind of tie ups and alliances are you looking at in India?
    We are talking with DVD manufacturers. We are also talking with retail outlets for cross promotional tie ups. We will offer subscription as a bundle like when somebody buys DVDs or say a data card for the laptop which has a net connection, they get a monthly subscription. For a retail store if the customer’s billing reaches a certain amount, then he/she gets a monthly subscription from BigFlicks.
    Are you looking at acquiring companies operating in the home video space?
    At the moment we have nothing on the table. But if a suitable opportunity comes, we will look at it. It would depend on the strategic value that the other company brings to the table.

    In the US a film that does not fare too well in cinema halls, can recover the rest through home video, PPV and even make a profit. How far away are we from seeing this happen in India?
    In developed markets like the US, the home video business is bigger than theatrical. The cinema route is used to set up a film and build a brand. The money comes from other avenues like VoD, television rights, etc.

     

    In India we still depend heavily on theatrical revenues. I don’t see the situation changing drastically in the near term. But the home video segment is growing. The amount of revenue a film gets from theatres has come down to around 60 per cent from 80 per cent earlier.

     

    As entertainment economies get more mature, the trend globally is that people increasingly watch movies at home. A similar trend will happen in India.

  • Right wing religious outfit ransacks NDTV’s office in Ahmedabad

    MUMBAI: Right wing religious outfit called Hindu Samrajya Sena ransacked NDTV’s office in Ahmedabad to protest against the news channels running a SMS poll on M F Husain as a contender of Bharat Ratna.

    A group of 15-20 people destroyed the office property and assaulted one of the staff members. The group broke furniture, destroyed studio equipment and even smashed the air-conditioners and other electrical fittings.

    The attackers plastered NDTV’s office with poster and banners describing the channel as traitors and demanded an apology.

    Meanwhile Congress condemned the attack on NDTV’s office in Ahmedabad by a right wing Hindu outfit, deploring the “climate of intolerance” and alleged “ultimately this is what fascism all about”.

  • News channels back on cable networks in Ahmedabad

    MUMBAI: After facing a blackout in Ahmedabad for showing the Tehelka sting expose, the seven news channels are back on air since late Saturday.

    Aaj Tak, NDTV India, NDTV 24X7, IBN7, CNN-IBN, Tez and Headlines Today were put off air since 26 October.

    Cable operators were ordered by the District Collector of the city, Dhananjay Dwivedi, to put the channels off air, following Tehelka’s ‘Operation Kalank’ sting expose of the Gujarat riots.

    Dwivedi, who is also the District Election Officer, on 26 October issued an order to all cable television operators not to telecast the Tehelka expose of the Gujarat riots “Operation Kalank.”

    The Friday order quoted the cable television network rules and regulations, 1995, clause five, sub-sections 1(C) and 1(E), under which the operators must not telecast any programme that could incite communal hatred or come in the way of maintenance of the law and order.

  • Tehelka fallout: News channels off air in Ahmedabad

    MUMBAI: Following Tehelka’s ‘Operation Kalank’ sting expose of the Gujarat riots, seven news channels have been put off air in Ahmedabad since 26 October.

    Ahmedabad District Collector Dhananjay Dwivedi, who is also the District Election Officer, on Friday issued an order to all cable television operators not to telecast the Tehelka expose of the Gujarat riots “Operation Kalank.”

    As a result, news channels including Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Tez, CNN-IBN, IBN7, NDTV 24X7 and NDTV India are off air since Friday.

    The Friday order quoted the cable television network rules and regulations, 1995, clause five, sub-sections 1(C) and 1(E), under which the operators must not telecast any programme that could incite communal hatred or come in the way of maintenance of the law and order. 

  • Janmat to don new look as Live India

    MUMBAI: Donning a fresh look, Broadcast Initiative Limited’s Hindi ‘views’ channel Janmat is being re-christened as Live India with effect from 3 August. Shedding its old look which positioned it as a ‘views’ channel, Live India will now mainly focus on live news-bulletins. In tune with its new name, the channel’s tagline is ‘Khabar Hamari Faisla Aapka.’

    “With the shift in positioning the re-vamped channel will have live-bulletins all round the day. It will catch up with all the events and live happenings across the country,” says a source close to the development.

    As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the channel will dedicate 70 per cent of its content to news, while 20 per cent will be based on analysis and 10 per cent on interviews. The upgradation will involve an investment of Rs 400 million.

    “We are re-launching the channel. We will be news rather than programme-driven. Analysis will supplement the news and not the other way round,” Janmat editor and CEO Sudhir Chaudhary had earlier told Indiantelevision earlier.

    As part of its expansion plan, Janmat has added bureaus in Srinagar, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and Guwahati to its existing ones in Mumbai and Delhi. The Marathi reporters of sister channel Mi Marathi will also pool in their resources.

  • Pirated software worth $2.1 mn seized in 2006 raids

    Pirated software worth $2.1 mn seized in 2006 raids

    BANGALORE: The total value of software seized in 2006 in the more than 200 anti-piracy raids carried out across the country is $2.1 million.

    The raids were conducted by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and its member companies collectively and individually. BSA has vowed to step up enforcement actions in 2007 to further bring down piracy rates.

    Jeffrey J Hardee, BSA vice president and regional director, Asia-Pacific, said, “In over 200 actions that have been conducted by BSA and its member companies in 2006, we had found widespread use and sale of pirated software across Indian cities. With the high software piracy rate in India, it is important to highlight efforts of the industry in combating piracy through enforcement.”

    The BSA and its members have carried out raids in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad in 2006.

    As per the findings of the BSA-IDC study of 2005, the rate of PC software piracy in 2005 was 72 per cent. According to the statistics, the Indian software industry lost revenue to the tune of of $566 million in 2005.

     
    Hardee added, “BSA adopts a three pronged strategy i.e. spreading the awareness on the perils of piracy, training and education of users including use of specialized tools like software asset management (SAM) and enforcement, in addressing software piracy around the globe. Whilst enforcement is a last resort, it is an important part of our approach as it serves to underline the seriousness of the matter.”

    Pirated software that has been seized includes those from Adobe, Autodesk, McAfee, Microsoft and Symantec.

     
    The BSA maintains a close working relationship with the government and industry associations in India such as Nasscom. According to an economic impact study conducted by IDC, if the piracy rate is reduced by 10 points by 2009, India could benefit with an additional 115,000 new IT jobs; an additional $ 5.9 billion pumped into its economy and increased tax revenues of $ 386 million.

  • Radio One launching in Chennai Wednesday

    Radio One launching in Chennai Wednesday

    MUMBAI: Radio One 94.3 launches operations in Chennai tomorrow after 9 days of test runs in the southern city.

    The past few days have seen the station gearing up for the Chennai launch with promotional activities which included branding its name and logo on tea stalls across Chennai to garner more visibility.

    A Mid Day Multimedia Limited and BBC Worldwide venture, Radio One is already present in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Chennai will be the FM station’s fourth foray.

    Speaking on the issue of how it would take on some of the bigger more established radio stations like Surya and Radio Mirchi, Radio One station head LV Navaneet said, “These are major players and more established as they had the first mover advantage. Radio One will concentrate on 
    content and attitude to position itself. In fact content is at the centre of our universe.”

    The channel is looking at a target group of 20 to 30-year-olds and the content and the feel of the radio station leans towards the youth.

    “The focus will be on fast tempo Tamil music because this is what the youth in Chennai are more interested in. And this fast, racy music will be played throughout the day. Even if you switch on the channel at 6 o’clock in the morning, the music that will greet you will be up tempo not slow spiritual sounds,” according to Navaneet. In fact he goes on to mention that no melodies pre 1990 will be played on the station.

    The sound of the station is also young in keeping with its youth centric theme. Most of the RJs on the station were selected through a RJ hunt and the criteria was to have the right attitude to be part of Radio One.

    On D-day, the station plans to start the day with a celebrity RJ hosting a 2-hour show where the celebrity will talk about issues that affect him in the city and grouses faced by the city’s denizens. “Mumbai and Delhi are perceived as rocking cities by people who live there and even outside.

    Chennai, on the other hand, is not considered cool enough. With this initiative we want to instill a sense of pride within Chennaiites, make 2007 a year to celebrate Chennai.”

    The celebrity RJ concept sure seems to be catching on as the show will be flagged off with television actor Vijay Adhiraj taking on the airwaves and over the weeks 50 other celebrities will host the show. Other stars lined up on the station include film stars like Vikram and Surya.

    Another unique initiative is a team of journalists who will scour the city in search of news, views and opinions focused on the Chennai youth. This will be used as part of regular programming by the various RJs on their shows.

    Radio One will soon launch more stations in Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

  • Zee News to launch two interactive shows

    Zee News to launch two interactive shows

    MUMBAI: Zee News is coming up with two interactive discussion programmes this weekend, Kitna Bole Baba and Main Azaad Hoon.

    These programmes will primarily focus on two issues – Have religious gurus become the role models of the society today; and Is the society in Gujarat accepting the liberal women. Viewers can send in their queries through SMS.

    The two programmes have been designed in a way to have the highest possible viewer’s interactivity. Main Azaad Hoon initiates the discussion on today’s liberal attitude of women, whereas it is commoner’s increasing dependency on the religious gurus takes the center stage in Kitna Bole Baba.

    The programmes are aimed at clarifying the prevailing misconceptions about the issues. Kitna Bole Baba will focus the society’s current mindset of making larger than life picture of their religious gurus.

    It is going to be a discussion between today’s famous gurus and the social scientists with a view to bring a clearer picture of the thought process the gurus put in, while advising their disciples in their day to day affairs. It will be telecast on 23 December at 8 pm.

    Main Azaad Hoon will focus on the pragmatic situations, which today’s women often find them into. From having a boyfriend to having an extra marital affair, no question is going to be hypothetical, asserts an official release.

    The discussion will further cover the morality factor in the women’s action from society’s viewpoint. Apart from survey and field stories, the guests in the studio will also contribute with their views. Guests would include some social activists, young girls and a psychologist. This will be telecast on 24 December at 8 pm. The survey was conducted in four cities – Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot.

    A deep research was conducted, before zeroing down on these topics. The channel has been frequently providing a platform to discuss the important topics, which will pave way to an open-minded society, adds the release.