ITV

Tag: Asia

  • Airtel to acquire Warids Congo Brazzaville Operations

    Airtel to acquire Warids Congo Brazzaville Operations

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel (Airtel), a leading global telecommunications services provider with operations in over 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has entered into a definitive agreement with the Warid Group (Warid) to fully acquire Warid Congo SA. The agreement is subject to regulatory and statutory approvals.

     

    The agreement marks the second in-country acquisition by Airtel in Africa. It had acquired Warid’s Uganda operations earlier this year. The latest acquisition will make Airtel the largest mobile operator in Congo Brazzaville with around 2.6 million customers. At present, Airtel is the second largest operator in the country with over 1.6 million customers, while Warid is the third largest with around one million customers.

     

    The agreement looks at bringing together the strengths of Airtel and Warid in Congo Brazzaville and benefit customers in the form of affordable tariffs, superior 2G/3G network, affordable voice and data services and superior customer care. In addition, existing Warid customers in Congo Brazzaville will join Airtel’s global network of over 280 million customers and enjoy the benefits of ‘One Airtel’ network with affordable roaming rates across Africa and South Asia, besides other exciting bouquet of innovative 2G and 3G services.

     

    Speaking on the agreement, Bharti Airtel MD and CEO (International) Manoj Kohli says: “This acquisition is in line with our stated strategy of strengthening our market position through in-country acquisitions, as and when suitable opportunities come along. We are at an advance stage of successfully integrating Waird’s Uganda operations with that of Airtel and look forward to a similarly swift transition in Congo Brazzaville as well. As already demonstrated in Uganda, the merger will bring more value for the customers in the form of affordable data and roaming tariffs, innovative products, Airtel Money, world-class networks and customer care. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the government and look forward to its support to this deal.”

     

    Speaking on the agreement Warid, Congo Brazzaville board member Sriram Yarlagadda says: “This agreement creates a win–win situation for the customers and provide them with an opportunity to be part of one of the largest mobile services providers in the world. The customers can look forward to enjoy affordable voice tariffs and 3G data services on the most extensive network. On this occasion, we would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the government for its support and look forward to its continued cooperation towards a successful transaction.”

     

    With presence across 17 African countries, Airtel is the largest telecom service provider across the continent in terms of geographical reach and had over 66 million customers at the end of quarter ended September, 2013. Globally, Airtel is ranked as the fourth largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers.

  • Prime Focus appoints Vikas Rathee as group COO

    Prime Focus appoints Vikas Rathee as group COO

    MUMBAI: Prime Focus today announced the appointment of Vikas Rathee, an investment banking and corporate finance professional as its group chief operating officer.

     

    Rathee brings with him more than a decade of experience working with leading companies in the TMT (telecom, media and technology) sector with proven relationships and in-depth understanding of industry dynamics across US, Europe and Asia.

     

    In his new role, Rathee, will work as part of Prime Focus’ corporate leadership to position Prime Focus among target customers as a key strategic partner as well as the investor and financial community as an incredible growth story that is moving rapidly towards realising its full potential in the global media and entertainment universe.

     

     Announcing the appointment, Prime Focus founder Namit Malhotra said, “Vikas is a seasoned professional with unique combination of industry knowledge, corporate finance and capital markets experience, and M&A expertise who joins us at a perfect time, when we are at the cusp of our next aggressive wave of growth.  His inter-cultural global work experience and eye for investment opportunities are in-sync with our planned growth strategy. I have huge confidence in Vikas’ ability to accelerate Prime Focus’ growth momentum in the coming years.”

     

     Prime Focus India CEO Ramki Sankaranarayanan said, “Vikas coming on broad has strengthened our leadership team and will accelerate our next wave of growth. He comes with strong knowledge of both media and IT that is a key differentiator for PFT as well. As Prime Focus grows from strength to strength, Vikas’ addition will be important in helping the team manage the business with discipline, diligence and dynamism. His industry networks and relationships globally will act as catalyst to the growth of Prime Focus”  

     

     “I am delighted to be part of the world leader in media and entertainment industry services, Prime Focus. As an investment banking professional focused on the TMT space, I have closely watched the growth, consolidation and evolution of this dynamic sector on a global scale. Prime Focus, through the last decade and a half, has made a significant contribution to this evolution not only in India, but is now also having a profound impact on the international media and entertainment industry as well. Today as a unique service provider straddling creative and technology domains, and working with some of the biggest names in this seamless global industry, Prime Focus is all set to fuel growth to the next level. I look forward to working with Namit and Ramki in making this vision a reality.” said Rathee, on his appointment.

     

    Vikas is an MBA in Finance and CFA, and comes with over 16 years of experience covering stints at Suzlon, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and ABN AMRO.

  • Oneworlds latest fare makes middle east easier and better valu

    Oneworlds latest fare makes middle east easier and better valu

    MUMBAI: Visiting the Middle East is to be made easier and better value for international travellers with the launch by the oneworld alliance of its new Visit Middle East fare – offering attractive flexible fares on flights within one of the world’s fastest growing regions for air travel demand.

    The latest offering in oneworld market-leading range of alliance fares will be available for sale from Friday (1 November 2013), following the addition tonight of Qatar Airways to oneworld , as the first of the major Gulf carriers to join one of the global airline alliances.
    With Royal Jordanian the first airline from the Arab world to become part of any global airline alliance when it joined oneworld in 2007, the addition of Qatar Airways makes oneworld the leading alliance in the Middle East.

    The oneworld Visit Middle East pass features all their flights within the Gulf, Levant and Egypt – and also those of the otheroneworld partners operating within this region, British Airways and Cathay Pacific – giving unrivalled coverage of the area.

    It offers flights to 30 destinations in 12 countries – providing just the ticket to take in the wonders of Petra, the riches of Luxor, cosmopolitan Doha or the sandy beaches of Muscat.
    The oneworld Visit Middle East pass must be purchased in conjunction with an international flight to the region with any oneworld member airline.  It can include from three to ten sectors in the region.  Prices are based on the cabin selected – Business or Economy – and the length of each sector, with prices of each flight from US$ 75, excluding taxes and fees.

    oneworld offers an extensive ranges of alliance fares, enabling customers to fly on multiple airlines with attractive savings on regular published fares, whether they want to fly right around the world, or explore one or more continents or regions.  These include Visit passes for Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Japan and Malaysia

  • Yahoo partnering with Samsung to provide latest news and weather reports on TV

    Yahoo partnering with Samsung to provide latest news and weather reports on TV

    MUMBAI: For most of us, TV is part of our everyday lives. Whether you turn it on first thing in the morning when you wake up or prefer to watch it after a long day, it’s one of our most familiar habits. That’s why we’re excited to share that Yahoo is partnering with Samsung to bring our latest news and weather information to your TV screen. Rolling out in select markets around the globe, the “NewsON” panel delivers the latest local news articles, videos and weather to Samsung Smart TV users with the click of a remote.

    Now, when you need instant information about current events, you can click over to “NewsON” for a snapshot of the latest headlines. Once a story gets your interest, click through to see the summary, full article, or streaming news video. Or check the weather with weekly forecasts combined with location and weather based photos from Flickr.

    The “NewsON” panel is available on Samsung Smart TVs in select countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. It’s the first product from a new, multi-year partnership to bring more Yahoo content and services to Samsung Smart TVs worldwide. Stay tuned!

  • Srinivasan K Swamy to lead Indian delegation at AdAsia 2013

    Srinivasan K Swamy to lead Indian delegation at AdAsia 2013

    MUMBAI:  The Indian delegate will be represented by RK Swamy BBDO and president India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) Srinivsan K Swamy in the bi-annual advertising conference that maps the ascent of Asia’s vibrant market.

     

    Reacting to the news Swamy said, “It is a privilege to represent the country at such a prestigious international event.” He added that India had a very special place in the recent history of the AdAsia movement having hosted two of the best events in India in 2003 and 2011. He said that Adsia 2013 would be very interesting and informative.

     

    Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) chairman Pradeep Guha welcomed the announcement and said, “This year AdAsia is being held in Hanoi between 11 and 14 November. There is great interest in this event as there is a galaxy of very good confirmed speakers and Vietnam is an emerging economic leader. Besides, the region is known for its natural beauty and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay.”

     

    The festival continues to expand over the course of its illustrious history spanning more than 55 years attracting 1200 advertising professionals from member countries, as well as the leaders of many of the most influential advertising and marketing communications enterprises in the world.

     

    This year, the festival will see a melange of all new things. There is special impetus on uncovering what will be the next agency business model, considering a lot of business structures are now creaking.  Also equally thrilling will be the understanding of how fast mobile advertising is penetrating the east of Asia, heralding the digital age at a faster than expected pace.

  • CNNs leadership cemented among audiences in asia pacific

    CNNs leadership cemented among audiences in asia pacific

    MUMBAI : CNN International continues as the leading news and business brand in Asia Pacific, with an unrivalled connection with the region’s affluent and senior executives, according to the latest findings from Ipsos. The Pan-Asia Pacific Cross-Media (PAX) and Business Elite Asia (BE:Asia) surveys both confirm the network’s undisputed regional reach and leadership in news and business on TV, web and mobile platforms.

    The latest PAX results for the period Q3 2012 to Q2 2013* show that CNN is the clear frontrunner among other international news and business brands across all metrics:

    •    As a TV brand, CNN’s daily audience is 59% greater than BBC World News and 2.6 times the size of CNBC’s audience. 

    •    CNN is far more effective than any other news/business channel in connecting 
    international business travelers (42% monthly reach vs. 29% for next placed channel)

    •    In the digital sphere, more of the PAX population visit CNN via web or mobile than any other media brand.

    Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President of CNN International, said: “It’s most gratifying to see that our increased editorial output from Asia Pacific continues to resonate with viewers. They want intelligent, in-depth coverage and analysis, both from their region and globally. 

    Programming such as ‘CNN Newsroom Live from Hong Kong’, ‘On China’ and ‘Talk Asia’ delivers this in clear and compelling ways. ”

    Duncan Morris, Vice President of Research at Turner International Asia Pacific, said: “Coming out on top in one of these independent media surveys would be a great achievement, but to be so consistently strong in all metrics and on all platforms on both studies is clearly very pleasing. CNN has yet again demonstrated that when it comes to targeting hard-to-reach elite groups, as well as broader affluent populations, the brand is the obvious news and business leader.”

    The most recent BE:Asia research# highlights that whether via TV, web or mobile, the majority of Asia’s business elite (71%) consume CNN every month. A remarkable 6-in-10 (58%) are weekly CNN brand users, while over a third (35%) are daily CNN consumers. Other highlights include:

    •    BE:Asia 2013 findings show clearly that CNN is the leading media brand among Asian Elites on all platforms: TV, web and mobile, and for all metrics: daily, weekly and monthly reach.

    –    CNN TV reaches 61% more Asian Elites each day than its closest TV news rival

    –    CNN Digital has 45% greater monthly reach than the next largest media brand

    •    Mobile is a key platform for Asia’s Business Elites, as reflected in their high smartphone and tablet ownership levels (82% and 55% respectively), and by the fact that CNN alone is able to reach almost a third (30%) of them via mobile devices.

  • Cheil Worldwide SW Asia expands its digital team in India

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia expands its digital team in India

    MUMBAI: The agency has brought in Ranjan Nautiyal as group creative director and P. Murali Gopal as senior creative director.

    Nautiyal moves from Ogilvy & Mather where he was sr creative director and Murali from Rediffusion-Wunderman, where he was creative director. Both will be working closely with the creative and digital teams at Cheil India. They will be reporting to digital services – SVP and head Rajesh Bhatia and creative head and executive creative director Nima DT Namchu.

    This latest infusion of talent is a strategic move by Cheil India, to address the growing role of digital media in the overall advertising pie. The changing role of digital media necessitates a shift from executors to thinkers. The 50-member digital team at Cheil India, with the addition of this talent, is all set to become one of India’s strongest digital outfits.

    Speaking on the appointments, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia COO Hari Krishnan said, “Ranjan and Murali are valuable additions to Cheil’s integrated creative team. They bring with them combined sensibility of insights, ideas and technology – all these dimensions are critical to create sparkling digital work within the context of the overall consumer journey. We will be able to better deliver our promise of ‘Ideas That Move’ with these new talent additions.”

    According to Cheil Worldwide SW Asia SVP and head digital services Rajesh Bhatia, “We have always believed that excellence in digital can be truly achieved only if a layer of creativity is added to technology. These two appointments are in keeping with our goal of becoming the foremost digital and integrated set ups in the country.”

  • HBO Asia to air first original series

    HBO Asia to air first original series

    MUMBAI: Viewers of HBO Asia – a channel so far synonymous with Hollywood films and original US series – have reason to smile.

    Starting 22 September, the Asian arm of HBO will premiere its first original series – Serangoon Road – a detective noir set in Singapore of the swinging 60s, every Sunday, from 9:00 to 10:00 pm.

    According to HBO Asia head, programming and production Erika North, unlike earlier international series, Serangoon Road, which she describes as ‘the right mix of mystery, romance, action and politics’, sees Asians playing a significant role.

    “It portrays both international and Asian characters, who find themselves in mysterious situations which need to be solved,” says North, pointing out that the series brings together Asian and western characters that are equally strong.

    Serangoon Road promises mystery that reaches a climax in the last episode, with characters drawn from different sections of the society. “You will see gangsters, secret service agents, people working in China Town among others, who have their own unique and compelling stories to tell in the backdrop of 60s Singapore,” informs North.

    Rich in narrative as well as the visual department, shooting of the series began in August last year and was completed this February. “Prior to that, we were working on the script.” says North and adds: “The journey began nearly three years ago when Paul Barren, the original producer of the show, came to the HBO Asia office and pitched the concept.”

    The series is part of HBO Asia’s larger objective of creating an Asian dimension to an essentially US-based brand. “We are looking at making something which is far more premium and international than what is produced in Asia, and is still more authentic,” exults North.

    Serangoon Road breaks ground in more ways than one. “It’s wonderful to have a series that represents a lot of firsts. One, it is HBO Asia’s first original series. Second, it is the first ever co-production of HBO Asia with ABC TV Australia. Also, it is ABC TV Australia’s first prime-time drama, shot in Asia. Last, it is the first biggest co-production in both Singapore and Australia on TV,” elaborates North, adding “Also, with it, we hope to pave the way for more such originals for HBO Asia.”

    A co-production, the series’ lead partners are HBO Asia and ABC TV Australia, and it has received considerable support from both the governments. “In Singapore, the MDA and IFW, which is a local production house, have supported us with investments. And in Australia, while ABC is the national broadcaster, Screen West Australia is another partner. We have also tied up with Content Media Corporation as the international distribution partner,” says North.

    The world premiere of the series will be telecast on HBO Asia, HBO Defined and ABC TV Australia, the channel “thereafter, hopes to sell it internationally too,” she adds.

    About looking at India for producing more such HBO Asia originals, North says: “It all depends on finding the right stories and getting the business model right. There are wonderful stories coming out of India. Stories which I know we can tell well and package it well for our Indian viewer base.”

    Directed by Peter Andrikidis and Tony Tilse and written by Michaeley O’Brien and Tony Morphett, Serangoon Road is HBO Asia’s attempt to create a connect with its Asian viewers. We wish them every success.

  • LatAm, Asia lead global ad growth

    LatAm, Asia lead global ad growth

    MUMBAI: Global ad revenues rose just 1.9 per cent to $76.6 billion in the first quarter of 2013 as compared with the year-ago period, according to Nielsen‘s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report, as gains in Latin America and Asia were offset by a reduction in Europe and flat spending in North America.

    Latin America showed particularly strong growth of 11.9 per cent in Q1, with increases reported in all countries across the region. In Asia, there was 5.8 per cent growth, led by China, Indonesia and the Philippines, all up by about 20 per cent. There were gains across all Asia markets except for Japan, which reported a 1.1 per cent decrease.

    Europe was down by 4.4 per cent, with Nielsen noting it is unlikely there will be any improvements in the short term. North American ad revenues were stable. In the Middle East and Africa, meanwhile, there was a 2.9 per cent improvement. Problems persist for the region though, with Egypt‘s ad revenues dropping 20 per cent in the past year.

  • Epic TV to experiment with long and short duration content

    Epic TV to experiment with long and short duration content

    MUMBAI: Here’s more dope on Epic TV, the new historical, folklore and mythological channel that is being wet-nursed by former Walt Disney India head Mahesh Samat and funded by Anand Mahindra personally.

     

    As revealed yesterday, the channel is expected to launch in August sometime. Currently, the company has applied to the I&B ministry for a broadcast license, which it hopes to have in its pocket in a couple of months. It is also negotiating for transponder space – one on the Insat series and the other with a south east Asia based vendor.

     

    Additionally, Samat says that the channel has plans to do narratives and programming of varying duration. “We are focusing on programming based on long form fiction narrative of an hour’s duration, non-fiction shows and short form fiction. Long form will have two-three hour episodic shows in a day. These will focus on new situations, supernatural content, drama and crime. Whereas narrative non-fiction will consist of one to two hours programming in a day, underlining narrative documentaries including contemporary, recreational and reenactment styles. And the last short form content will be seen as short vignettes, explaining interesting facts, and short ‘behind-the scenes’ videos.”

     

    Samat says all the shows will be shot in HD and with high production values. “We will be looking at monetising the content even across digital platforms, eking out revenues from wherever we can,” he reveals.

     

    Apart from Ravina Kohli and Aparna Pandey other professionals who have come on board include Niharika Kotwal as head production and Manish Thukral as chief financial officer.