ITV

Tag: Andhra Pradesh

  • Eastern Condiments to spend Rs 20-25 crore on marketing and selling expenses

    Eastern Condiments to spend Rs 20-25 crore on marketing and selling expenses

    BENGALURU: Indian spice powder manufacturer and exporter Eastern Condiments (ECPL) plans to spend between Rs 20 to 25 crore towards marketing and selling expenses during this fiscal.

     

    The company recently brought on board FCB Ulka as its creative agency. It also has a special arrangement with the agency for media buying.

     

     “Unlike most other condiments brands, we plan to target rural India, because we see a big opportunity there. As disposable incomes go up in tier II and tier III cities, and more and more family members seek employment, even rural India will have no time to buy the condiments and then spend time processing them for kitchen use. We already see it starting to happen with edible oils and wheat flour,” reveals EPCL managing director Navas Meeran.

     

    Initially, though the push will be BTL, the company is chalking out plans for TV spots on channels like Asianet and Manorama in its home state Kerala. Media plans will be drawn for television commercials in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the main TG for the company for now. Other states that the company plans to target are Haryana, Punjab as also pan-India.

     

    ECPL’s revenue last fiscal was Rs 560 crore, of which Rs 150 crore came through exports, Rs 125 crore from Kerala and the balance across various markets in India. Karnataka, which contributed Rs 70 crore to ECPL’s revenues is an important market for the company. To that extent, it launched three spice mix flavours that are a part of the staple food in the state – Vangi Bath, Bisibele Bath and Puliogare Bath.
     

    “We will have campaigns in the state for these new products,” said ECPL’s other managing director Firoz Mareen. “These products are more to the local tastes and media plans are under process for a campaign here. In spices and condiments we are already the number three player.”

     

    A few years ago, McCormick & Company, the US-based global leader in spices, herbs and flavourings picked up a 26 per cent stake in ECPL. “McCormick estimated the branded and the non-branded size of the spice and condiments market in India as Rs 45,000 crore,” reveals a source at ECPL. “The approximate size of the organized branded market is about $ 1 billion (about Rs 6000 crore),” adds the source.

  • Andhra Pradesh: A chaotic news market

    Andhra Pradesh: A chaotic news market

    According to the Ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), there are nearly 800 satellite channels in India, of which about half are news channels. With an already crowded market, an increasingly loud general election has added to the number of news channels mushrooming across the country.

     

    Andhra Pradesh, which till recently was in turmoil because of the imminent bifurcation into Telangana and Seemandhra, is no exception. Counted as the state with the highest number of satellite TV channels, the last one year has seen newer additions (V6 News, Express News, 10TV and ETV3) to the existing list (ETV2, TV9, TV5, NTV, Mahaa News, HMTV, Studio N, Raj News Telugu, I News, 4TV, Sakshi TV, Gemini News, 4TV, Vanita TV, ETV Urdu, CVR News, ABN Andhra Jyoti, the now shut Zee 24 Gantalu).

     

    It is not as if the number of TV viewing homes is on the rise but that doesn’t deter these newbies from popping up. Indeed, AP has the highest number of cable TV homes in India at 15 per cent. At a national level, channels are deploying cost-cutting measures but in AP, newer channels are being spawned. So, what is the survival strategy of these channels? Apparently, they are all backed by political muscle though no politician will openly come out in support of them. More than anything, it is about party views being propagated through the media, sometimes openly sometimes subtly.

     

    Only two of the 20-odd channels – TV9 and TV5 – have major market share, followed by the likes of ETV, NTV and Sakshi TV. According to local people, YSR Congress funds Sakshi TV, NTV and TV5, while V6 is backed by six politicians affiliated to Congress.  Rumours are that ideologically, HMTV seems pro-Telangana though may not be backed by any party while ABN Andhra Jyoti is pro-Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Let’s not forget Gemini News of the Sun group under Kalanidhi Maran who has the backing of DMK leader M Karunanidhi. The office of Telangana News channel is actually located within the headquarters of the party office in Hyderabad. Now that’s called risk! According to the public, only TV9, Raj News Telugu, CVR News and the newly launched Express TV are apparently among the channels without political bias.

     

    Again, owning a channel may be a power trip but running it is an altogether different ballgame. Approximately Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.5 crore per month is required to run a channel in the state and this includes cost of infrastructure and technology and staff salaries. On the other hand, revenues don’t exceed Rs 70 lakh and typically, a channel takes nearly three years to break even (under good financial condition), which means an initial investment of Rs 40 crore is required.

     

    25 per cent of the Rs 1,000 crore advertisement market is from news channels. Of which, the top five news channels make up for Rs 200 crore while the smaller channels scramble for the left over Rs 50 crore. The ones with high viewership such as TV9, sources say, command up to Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 for a 10 sec slot. On the other hand, the not-so-high-on-viewership channels get just about Rs 600 for every 10 sec. Channels with political backing rarely have to bother about ad revenue since money will flow in anyway…

     

    In such a scenario, it is not surprising that rumours of channels unable to pay their employees have been doing the rounds. While Raj News Telugu has been stuck in revamp for months, ETV has already launched its Telangana-specific channel, ETV3.

     

    With 80 per cent of the state being dominated by Hathway Cable and Datacom, distribution woes are not unheard of. And yet, channels keep growing year on year.

     

    To add to it, soon, many new Telangana centric channels will crop up to add to the existing chaos. The existing channels will be rearranging their distribution and editorial strategies to suit the needs of two states.

     

     It’s time channels realised that the market is oversaturated before it’s too late. Surely the MIB can look into the state of news broadcasters in the state and rethink before giving out licences like freebies.

  • Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages elevates Gaurav Chaturvedi

    Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages elevates Gaurav Chaturvedi

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the company owned bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company in India, has appointed Gaurav Chaturvedi as the new Human Resource vice president.

     

    Chaturvedi is currently the zonal VP, operations, Andhra Pradesh, the largest zone for HCCBPL in sales terms.

     

    Chaturvedi will take charge from 15 April and continue to report to HCCBPL CEO T Krishnakumar. This is the first time in two decades since Coca-Cola’s re-entry into India that a senior operations manager has been designated to take over the Human Resource responsibilities in the company. Chaturvedi replaces P V Ramna Murthy, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside the company.

     

    Speaking on the appointment, Krishnakumar said, “The bottling business is exemplified by intense operations where people are the most important asset and hence it helps to have a person who has worked through operations to be head of the people’s function. Gaurav has spent 16 years in various parts of operations of HCCB and hence is an excellent fit to manage the people’s function and take it to the next level of excellence”.

     

    Chaturvedi joined Coca-Cola in 1997 and over the last 16 years has held positions of responsibilities across functions and geographies. During the course of his career with the Coca-Cola System in India, he has headed a large plant (Wada), a sales territory (Nasik), two bottling units (East UP and West UP), and set up the Operational Excellence function across the country.

     

    As a part of the vision 2020 for India, HCCBPL is focusing on becoming a world class organisation, building a culture of execution excellence and driving returns.

     

    India is a key growth market for The Coca-Cola Company and the company envisages India as amongst the top five markets at the end of 2020. India is currently, the seventh largest market for The Coca-Cola Company, globally.

  • Exit Polls, Opinion Polls banned on eve of first phase of LS and assembly elections

    Exit Polls, Opinion Polls banned on eve of first phase of LS and assembly elections

    NEW DELHI: With the first phase of Lok Sabha polling on 7 April, the Election Commission has banned the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind from that day to 12 May when the last phase of polling ends.

    The Commission said the ban or “restriction” on exit polls will also be applicable for elections to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies which are being held along with Lok Sabha polls.

     

    The exit polls will be banned from 7 am on 7 April when polling in the first phase starts till 6.30 PM on 12 May when the polling in the ninth and last phase ends.

     

    Using its powers under the Representation of the People Act, an EC notification said, “Conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicising by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any manner, whatsoever, the result of any exit poll….shall be prohibited.”

     

    The Commission has also banned the publication of results of any opinion polls, 48 hours before polling in respective areas under the existing law.
    The poll panel had proposed that there should be a prohibition on publication and broadcast of the results of opinion polls starting from the date of notification of elections till the completion of the last phase of polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.  

     

  • CNN-IBN & IBN7 set off on Election Yatra

    CNN-IBN & IBN7 set off on Election Yatra

    MUMBAI: As we draw closer to the 16th General Elections, CNN-IBN & IBN7 bring to their viewers a special election based show called ‘Election Yatra’, a unique programme that brings forth the true flavour of elections from Ground Zero.

     

    Fronted by IBN Network’s expert team of anchors and journalists, the show will be a combination of vox pops, walk throughs, chaupals and campaign trails. Throughout the next month and a half, ‘Election Yatra’ will examine the mood of the nation by covering key constituencies in 15 states that will play a major role in government formation. The states to be covered in this unique initiative include Andhra Pradesh,  Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Bengal & Karnataka.

     

    Speaking about this new show, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “With the World’s biggest democratic exercise around the corner, we as the leading news network of the country believe in delivering viewer centric content and Election Yatra is a leap in that direction. The show will capture the real picture of all key constituencies across the country and present it to our viewers to help them make the right choices.”

     

    Don’t miss the special show from Monday to Friday @ 8.30 PM on CNN-IBN & 7.30 PM on IBN7.

  • Express TV to launch in Andhra Pradesh

    Express TV to launch in Andhra Pradesh

    MUMBAI: As the country gears itself for what is being called the ‘Election of the Century’ by many existing news channels, another new News channel is set to make space for itself in Andhra Pradesh.  Backed by industrialist Jayaram Chigrupati, Express TV will see the light of the day on 31 March that coincides with the Telugu New Year.

     

    With 280 employees on board, the channel will have Bhaskar Nemani as the editorial head and Sai Ramakrishna as the business head. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the channel will operate out of Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati and Warangal with two journalists and two camerapersons in each office. With its launch coinciding with the election season, the channel is looking at providing detailed election coverage through its election related programmes along with Nemani, who will be anchoring the primetime news at 9:00 pm.

     

    The TG is men and women between 23 to 45 years of age. However, Nemani says that the channel will focus on women stories for at least two hours a day.

     

    Broadcasting from Intelsat 17, Express TV has three OB vans and 10 backpack gears on 2mbps 3G for its journalists in the various bureaus and one in Delhi.

     

    “There are nearly 16 news channels in Andhra Pradesh and most of them owned by political parties which is not the case with us. Our goal is development and responsible journalism,” says Nemani.

     

    The marketing campaign has begun across the states on outdoor buses and hoardings. The creative has been done by an in-house team. With an investment of above Rs 20 crore, the channel is looking at breaking even in the next two years.

     

    Currently, the channel has no advertisers on board but it is looking at gaining a decent viewership through elections. The channel will be available on Tata Sky and Hathway for the start and will soon get on board other platforms as well. However, it says that distribution may take a little while.

  • New Ku-band Telugu channel Manna TV launched

    New Ku-band Telugu channel Manna TV launched

    The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh yesterday witnessed the launch a new Telugu channel christened Manna TV on state-of-the art Ku band-based satellite communication network.

     

    The state’s chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu did the honours on the occasion of Ugadi, Telugu New Year, according to the Press Trust of India.

     

    As part of pilot transmission, Manna TV will commence telecasting long distance education programmes of Dr BR Ambedkar Open University and the University Grants Commission (UGC) respectively. It will also provide information about various state government departments and help farmers with prompt and timely update on weather and seasonal conditions.

     

    In his inauguration address, Naidu thanked the Indian Science Research Organisation (ISRO) for agreeing to his government’s request for providing the Ku band linkage. He said apart from literary and informative programmes, the channel would also focus on beaming entertainment programmes. The Ku band connected channel – which now caters to the needs of students belonging to 46 junior colleges, 12 degree colleges, 56 high schools and 94 government departments – will be expanded to more university colleges and schools from the next academic year.

  • Tollywood to woo Telugu movie lovers

    Tollywood to woo Telugu movie lovers

    MUMBAI: After Hindi films, south Indian movies occupy the largest share of the Indian market and going by Deloitte, Andhra Pradesh happens to be one of the biggest contributors down south.

     

    Looking to carve a niche in the Rs 1750 crore Telugu film industry aka Tollywood is the Tollywood Channel, a general entertainment channel focused on films, launched in August last year.

     

    With nearly 250 films certified each year, the channel plans to differentiate itself by running regular film news and bulletins. “Andhra people are keen to know about the pre- and post- happenings of films but unfortunately, no one is bringing them such news except for certain magazines. Tollywood Cinema aims to bridge this gap,” says Tollywood Channel MD Seetaram Avvas.

     

    Funded by construction and infrastructure major Agri Gold Group, which has invested close to Rs 100 crore in the channel, Tollywood Cinema has adopted an appointment viewing strategy targeting mainly females in the 15+ age group as well as youth interested in movies.

     

    Current shows include a cookery show called Tollywood Vantakam, a dance show named Ragada and a celebrity cricket show. New shows in the pipeline include Brain of Tollywood with SP Balasubramanayam, Antakshari with singer Sunita and game show Ravamma Mahalaxmi with Ashwini. Two new sitcoms – Kishkinda and Chitram Bhalare Victram – are also lined up.

     

    Presently, the focus is Telugu movies but the channel plans to foray into other language films as well. A relative newcomer, Tollywood Channel is confident of not only becoming popular but also generating a good turnover.

     

    “The GEC market space is close to Rs 600 crores and we plan to become a Rs 100 crore channel within three years. For this year, the target is Rs 25 crores. We also plan to bring in some new fiction shows,” says Avvas.

     

    Informing that the channel is presently following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) 12 minute ad cap regulation, he adds: “We are eagerly looking forward to what the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) will be coming out with. The furore over TV ratings is a transitory setback and a temporary phase.”

     

    As far as advertisers go, the Tatas are already on board and discussions are on with the likes of Hindustan Unilever, PG, RB GSK and Cadbury among others. A 30 second slot would cost anywhere between Rs 4000 and Rs 5000. Mediahouse Entertainment is handling adsales while creative is being taken care of in-house.

     

    Available with MSOs such as Hathway and Digicable, plans are being firmed up for availability on the DTH platform.

  • Telecast blacked out even as Telangana formation gets Lok Sabha clearance

    Telecast blacked out even as Telangana formation gets Lok Sabha clearance

    NEW DELHI: And suddenly the screens went dark at 3:03 pm. Yesterday’s black out of the telecast of the Lok Sabha proceedings on the passage of the Andhra Paradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014 has opened a hornet’s nest politically. The allegation is that democratic norms have been dustbinned  and the Congress (I)-led UPA government’s move is reminiscent of the Emergency days of 1975 when the nation’s media was put on a leash and muzzled.

     

    There was no clarity at the time of writing on who took the decision to black out the telecast of vote by voice of the controversial bill – which envisages the creation of the 29th Indian state of Telangana – from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Early reports were that the speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar ordered the switching off of the cameras and the transmission. But the speaker was silent on this issue. What muddied the waters further was a statement later in the evening by the Lok Sabha secretary general S. Bal Shekar that the switchoff happened on account of a technical glitch and that an investigation had been ordered.

     

    Lok Sabha TV put out a message that the telecast would resume, which did not come to pass. TV news channels – which normally carry LS TV signals – instead chose to carry the proceedings in parliament on their tickers.

     

    Almost every political party lambasted the disruption of the telecast. Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj called it a tactical glitch, even as TMC leader Mamta Banerjee said it smelled of hanky-panky. Telangana opponents called it the death of democracy.

     

    But Telangana leaders said that the blackout was necessitated to prevent the unruly protests which have marred the proceedings over the past few days, and they  did not want  them to be retelecast worldwide as they were when pepper spray  rained on members of parliament and knives were flashed on 13 February. Additionally, they stated that the Andhra Pradesh media are known to be sensationalist and that the footage could have been misused by the close to 20-odd Telugu news channels, which could have led to law and order problems there.

  • Raj TV looking at raising Rs 200 crore through stake sale

    Raj TV looking at raising Rs 200 crore through stake sale

    MUMBAI: Raj TV Network is keen on further strengthening its presence in its core market of south India and also expanding its reach to the diaspora from the four states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

     

    The television network is on the lookout for equity investors – financial or strategic – to fund its growth plans. The company has appointed Destimony Securities as its advisor for the equity stake sale.

     

    “By getting in investors, we are looking at raising approximately Rs 200 crore,” Destimony Securities MD and CEO Sudip Bandhopadhyay told Indiantelevision.com.

     

    Raj TV Network plans to revamp its clutch of south Indian GECs, music and news channels and also on furthering its brand in the Telugu market.

     

    The network operates 12 channels – four in Tamil, three in Telugu, two in Kannada, two in Malayalam and one in Hindi.

     

    Raj TV Network also has a large library of Tamil movies which has not yet been tapped gainfully.

     

    “We have a huge inventory of Tamil movies that needs to be monetised. Alongside, the large diaspora of the four states in the South needs to be captured,” Bandhopadhyay said.

     

    Ernst & Young had in 2007 valued Raj TV Network’s movie collections at Rs 325 crore.

     

    The network is currently busy revamping its Telugu channels  —  Raj Musix Telugu, Raj Telugu News and Vissa.  The relaunch of the Telugu channels is expected sometime next month. Raj TV Network also plans to rebrand Vissa to prefix the Raj brand.

     

    Apart from this, Raj TV Network has ambitious plans to make its presence felt in northern parts of the country.

     

    “We don’t just want to build the brand name in the south but also move to other regional markets as well,” says Raj TV MD M Raajhendhran.

     

    The network is already present in a few Hindi speaking markets with Raj Parivar, which currently features only songs. It has long term plans to start GECs and other regional music channels as well in north India. Bhojpuri is one of the markets Raj TV Network is considering. Additionally, it is also looking at the Bengali market.

     

    In the third quarter ended 31 December 2013, Raj TV Network reported a 53.98 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 4.99 crore (20.01 per cent of revenue during the quarter) from Rs 3.24 crore (18.55 per cent of revenue of that quarter) a year ago.