ITV

Tag: B. Saikumar

  • Arré to launch provocative docu-reality series on gender-swap

    Arré to launch provocative docu-reality series on gender-swap

    MUMBAI: Come January 2016 and the Indian digital landscape is poised to get a new player Arré, which is the brainchild of media veteran Ronnie Screwvala and his A-Team B Saikumar and Ajay Chacko.

    The Arré digital media brand housed under UDigital, has already chalked up its content strategy and is looking at disrupting the Indian digital ecosystem by launching the first digital reality series. The provocative docu-reality series, which is based on the Israeli format Re-Gender distributed by Armoza Formats, gives men and women a chance to experience life as the opposite gender.

    While Arré has not yet zeroed in on the title of the show in India, it will begin shooting the series in two – three weeks’ time at Chhatarpur in Delhi.

    In Re-Gender  six men and women will explore their own nature and the other gender ‘s as well. The series is modeled on a psychological-social experiment, dealing with the essence of the male and female experience, through the other gender’s eyes . The show is a daring social experiment that breaks down the rules of gender perception and challenges society-defined gender stereotypes. In the series, men will become women and the women, men. Through their assignments out in the real world as well as through dynamics with each other in the house, where they will live cut off from the world for a month, the contestants will discover certain not-so-obvious truths about the opposite sex.

    The six participants will undergo intense gender training as well as emotional and physical transformations. Each participant will make a personal journey on the show to better understand themselves and their relationships.

    Armoza Formats founder and CEO Avi Armoza said, “We’re extremely excited about this venture with Arré and to see Re-Gender become the flagship series for this fresh new platform. The issues that the show deals with not only make for riveting viewing but also provoke important discussions in our society.”

    UDigital co-founder and managing director B. Sai Kumar added, “We are hoping to break new ground with a show like Re-Gender on digital media, in India. The definition of gender roles and expectations are evolving everyday and is a much talked about and debated subject in India. We wish to bring our lens to the topic through a first of its kind entertainment series with elements of drama, reality, emotion, new experiences with social learnings all rolled into one.”

  • UDigital launches new brand viz Arré

    UDigital launches new brand viz Arré

    MUMBAI: Ronnie Screwvala, B Saikumar and Ajay Chacko founded digital media venture UDigital has announced a new brand named- Arré. The venture plans to go live with it later this calendar year.

     

    Arré portrays a range of emotions; from the ‘surprised and the questioning’ to the ‘friendly thumbs up affirmative’ to ‘disagreement and protest’ to ‘Arré yaar!’ It crosses boundaries of language, audience groups and geographies. Arré  will be an original  content  destination  which will  be  a  unique  storytelling  platform  across  genres and formats.   

     

    Arré will express itself across mediums, from text to graphic art to podcasts and video in multiple genres such as reality and fiction, factual and opinionated as well as pure entertainment. It is working with collaborators across the spectrum in developing original content;   from   writers,   artists,   journalists   and   storytellers   to   independent   filmmakers, established production houses as well as upcoming talent in fiction, reality and non-fiction genres.

     

    UDigital, managing  director B Saikumar said,  “Arré  was  born  out  of  the  need  to  create  a  truly  disruptive  digital  product.  Our  philosophy  is  to  continuously  challenge  the ‘moulds’ of format, media and structure to create content that is reflective of good storytelling in a digital environment. Much like the name, we hope to make Arré, the brand, a part of daily conversation in India and globally!”  

     

     The word Arré is one of the most commonly spoken Indian colloquial term which signifies ‘Hey’. While its origins are in Hindi, it is an expression that’s not only understood throughout the length and breadth of the country but has also been included in the Oxford dictionary of the English language, as an ‘all purpose Indian-English interjection’.

     

     The accent on the é in Arré is reflective of the varied expressions and emotions that the brand will straddle, as well as its international outlook. 

     

    The logo and visual identity of Arré is being designed and developed by AREA 17, an interactive agency based in Paris and New York. AREA 17 has an acclaimed body of work on international brands in media such as Vice, Quartz, The Atlantic, Style.com, Facebook, Pinterest and more.

  • NBA makes changes in its board of directors

    NBA makes changes in its board of directors

    MUMBAI: Even though the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) holds an election for office bearers every year, a few changes have been made mid way due to various reasons.

     

    With Zee Media CEO Alok Agrawal stepping down from his position, Zee Media Group CEO Bhaskar Das has been appointed in his place on the board of directors (BOD) of NBA. The replacement for NBA honorary treasurer B Saikumar, the former Network 18 Group CEO has not yet been finalised.

     

    Another change in the board of directors is Times Television Network MD and CEO MK Anand taking charge in place of the network’s former MD and CEO Sunil Lulla.

     

    Other members on the BOD include president and NDTV executive vice chairperson KVL Narayan Rao, vice president and MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani, India TV chairman Rajat Sharma, India Today group CEO Ashish Bagga, BAG network chairperson and MD Anurradha Prasad, Mathrubhumi director MV Shreyams Kumar and Odisha Television MD Jagi Mangat Panda.

  • TV18 reports PAT of Rs 104 crore in FY-2014

    TV18 reports PAT of Rs 104 crore in FY-2014

    BENGALURU: TV18 Broadcast Limited (TV18) has reported a PAT of Rs 103.63 crore (5.27 per cent of net total income from operations or Op Inc)   in FY-2014 as compared to a loss of Rs (-25.45) crore in the previous fiscal. The company reported a (-30.51) per cent drop in Q4-2014 PAT to Rs 35.91 crore (6.37 per cent of Op Inc) from Rs 51.68 crore (9.83 per cent of Op Inc) in the immediate trailing quarter, but more than double (2.08 times) the PAT of Rs 17.30 crore (3.44 per cent of Op Inc) of the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

     

    Note :  100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million.

     

    TV18 reported Op Inc of Rs1968.13 crore in FY-2014, which was 15.83 per cent more than the Rs 1699.13 crore in FY-2013. Op Inc in Q4-2014 at Rs 563.29 crore was 7.2 per cent more than the Rs 525.47 crore in Q3-2014 and 18.67 per cent more than the Rs 474.68 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    Two segments – Media Operations and Film production and distribution contribute to TV18’s revenues.

     

    TV18’s Media operations segment reported operating revenue of Rs 1895.46 crore in FY-2014, 20.85 per cent more than the Rs 1568.45 crore in FY-2013. The segment reported an operating profit of Rs 185.05 crore which was more than double (2.22 times) the Rs 83.23 crore in FY-2013. For Q4-2014, the segment reported operating revenue of Rs 579.41 crore which was 15.05 per cent more than the Rs 503.59 crore in Q3-2014 and 33.2 per cent more than the Rs 434.98 crore in Q4-2013. Media operations segment reported an operating profit of Rs 54.33 crore which was (-33.12) per cent lower than the Rs 81.24 crore in Q3-2014, but 2.55 times the Rs 21.30 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    Let us look at the other Q4-2014 and FY-2014 numbers reported by TV18

     

    The company’s film production and distribution (film) segment reported an operating loss of Rs (-24.20) crore in FY-2014 as compared to a loss of Rs (-0.42) crore in FY-2013. Revenue reported by this segment in FY-2013 at Rs 101.77 crore was (-41.32) per cent lower than the Rs 173.43 crore in FY-2013. Loss reported by TV18’s film segment in Q4-2014 was Rs (-4.59) crore against a negative operating revenue of Rs (-14.61) crore. The segment had reported operating revenue of Rs 35.53 crore and a loss of Rs (-14.28) crore in Q3-2014, while in Q4-2013, it had reported  operating revenue of Rs 54.20 crore and an operating profit of Rs 6.16 crore.

     

    TV18’s Total Expense (Tot Exp) in FY-2014 at Rs 1813.19 crore (92.13 per cent of Op Inc) was 11.30 per cent more than the Rs 1629.04 crore (95.87 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Tot Exp in Q4-2014 at Rs 513.76 crore (91.21 per cent of Op Inc) was 11.66 per cent more than the Rs 460.12 crore (87.56 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 11.66 per cent more than the Rs 450.97 crore (95.01 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    TV18’s programming cost in FY-2014 at Rs 508.64 crore (24.84 per cent of Op Inc) was 7.74 per cent more than the Rs 472.10 crore (27.78 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. In Q4-2014, the company spent Rs 155.28 crore (27.57 per cent of Op Inc) towards programming cost, which was 8.9 per cent more than the Rs 142.58 crore (27.13 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 47.34 per cent more than the Rs 105.39 crore (22.20 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    The company paid Rs 60.53 crore (3.08 per cent of Op Inc) towards finance cost in FY-2014 which was less than half (42.15 per cent) of the Rs 143.61 crore (8.45 per cent of Op Inc). Finance cost in Q4-2014 at Rs 13.16 crore (2.34 per cent of Op Inc) was (-23.09) per cent lower than the Rs 17.10 crore (3.26 per cent of Op Inc) it paid in Q3-2014 and (-42.66) per cent lower than the Rs 24.46 crore (5.15 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    Network18’s marketing expense in FY-2014 at Rs 597.44 crore (30.36 per cent of Op Inc) was 5.18 per cent more than the Rs 568.03 crore (33.43 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Marketing expense in Q4-2014 at Rs 150.48 crore (26.71 per cent of Op Inc) was 6.89 per cent more than the Rs 140.78 crore (26.79 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and (-16.87) per cent lower than the Rs 181 crore (38.13 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    Other expense in FY-2014 at Rs 366.61 crore (18.63 per cent of Op Inc) was 25.67 per cent more than the Rs 291.73 crore (17.17 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. TV18’s other expense in Q4-2014 was 11.55 per cent more at Rs 108.36 crore (19.24 per cent of Op Inc) as compared to the Rs 97.14 crore (18.49 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 34.1 per cent more than the Rs 80.81 crore (17.02 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    TV18’s take on its results:

     

    Note: Reported results are inclusive of the financial consolidation of ETV News (100 per cent) and ETV Entertainment (50 per cent) from 22 Jan 2014 till 31 March 2014. On 22 Jan 2014, post receipt of required regulatory approvals, TV18 completed the acquisition of the ETV channels – 100 per cent of ETV News, 50 per cent of ETV Entertainment and 24.5 per cent of ETV Telugu. In accordance with the accounting policies, ETV News and ETV Entertainment have been consolidated at 100 per cent on a line by line basis.

     

    FY-2014

     

    Reported annual revenues on a consolidated basis are up 15.8 per cent to Rs 1,968.1 crore and operating profits (EBITDA) have nearly doubled to Rs 210.5 crore.

     

    On a consolidated basis, advertising revenues grew 11 per cent year on year. Net Distribution Income (NDI) continued its steady climb to close at Rs 178 crore, up from Rs 15.7 crore in FY13.

     

    Operating profits from television operations doubled from Rs 114.2 crore to Rs 233.6 crore. General News delivered a 6.9x growth in annual operating profits and grew to Rs 22 crore. Business News remained stable despite a downturn in the markets and the absence of the Union Budget.

     

    Infotainment broke into positive territory and entertainment television business registered a 2.9x growth in operating profits (EBITDA) which stood at Rs 108.4 crore.

     

    Q4-2014

     

    Reported revenues on a consolidated basis are up 18.7 per cent YOY. Advertising revenues stood at Rs 357.8 crore. The Entertainment and General News businesses witnessed encouraging advertising revenue growth. Net Distribution Income (NDI) continued its strong financial performance through the quarter.

     

    The company successfully launched MTV Indies and Rishtey in the entertainment segment and ETV Bangla, ETV Kannada and ETV Haryana in the regional news segment.

     

    On a consolidated basis, operating profits (EBITDA) grew 2x to Rs 69.7 crore, with television operations delivering a 2.4x growth from Rs 31.6 crore to Rs 74.4 crore.

     

    TV18 Head Honcho Speak:

     

    Network18  managing director Raghav Bahls said, “We are enthused by the outstanding performance of TV18 for this financial year. All our businesses contributed positively to achieve our highest ever post-tax profits of Rs 103.6 crore, despite the continued uncertainty in the macro-economic environment. We are confident of sustaining our growth trajectory, as we continue to extract value from our existing operations as well as profitably grow our newer initiatives.”

     

    Network18Group former CEO B. Saikumar said, “We are extremely pleased that all our broadcast operations continued to deliver their margins despite softness in the advertising environment. IndiaCast has delivered a stellar swing in net distribution income. While our Business news operations remained stable, our General news operations, led by CNN IBN, have turned around this year, due to a strong focus on operational synergies, further aided by the elections. Infotainment operations at A+E Networks I TV18 broke into positive territory. Our broadcast entertainment business at Viacom18, led by Colors, profitably grew operations along with the successful launch of Rishtey and MTV Indies. We are focused on delivering a strong performance in the coming year, as we look forward to an improving media landscape.”

     

    Viacom18 

     

    Viacom 18 Media is a 50/50 joint venture operation in India between Viacom Inc and the Network18 Group, (with interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, mobile content & allied businesses, comprising brands like CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz, Newswire18, moneycontrol.com, CNN-IBN, IBN 7, Homeshop18 and E18 amongst others).

     

    Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. operates six  general entertainment channels – MTV, Nickelodeon,  Vh1, Colors, Sonic, Comedy Central and film business through Viacom18 Motion Pictures, that produces, acquires and distributes Hindi films, This apart, Viacom18 also runs Viacom’s consumer products division in India.

  • IBN18 Network ropes in Avinash Kaul as CEO

    IBN18 Network ropes in Avinash Kaul as CEO

    MUMBAI: Times Television Network (TTN) CEO Avinash Kaul has decided to move on from the Network. The former TTN CEO has joined Network18 group as IBN18 Network CEO.  In his new role, Kaul will be responsible for the day-to-day operational, strategic and financial management of the general news network. Amongst the key tasks mandated for Kaul is the consolidation and diversification of TV18’s general news network.

     

    Network18 group CEO B Saikumar said, “Avinash brings a very successful track record as a leader and a wealth of knowledge about the media and broadcasting industry. Now, as we gear up for an ambitious phase of growth, I am convinced that he has the inclusive skills and leadership that are needed to steer us through. He has our best wishes and support.”

     

    Network18 COO Ajay Chacko added, “The IBN18 Network has over the years consolidated its leadership in the news space. I am confident in Avinash’s ability to play a significant role to sustain the growth and leadership momentum of these stellar brands.  He will be working closely with the talented and resourceful marketing, editorial and sales teams to achieve this.”

     

    With a career spanning over 16 years, Kaul has rich experience in a variety of roles in sales, marketing and general management across genres like news and entertainment , movie and lifestyle in India.

     

    Asserted Kaul, “With the heightened interest in general news among the populace as is evident in the highest turnout percentage in the general elections the timing of me joining Network18 couldn’t have been better.  My mandate is to ensure leadership of the brands and continued business success with a clear focus on general news across various languages.”

     

    Prior to this, Kaul held the position of CEO – TV Division of BCCL, managing Times Now, ET Now and zoOm. He has also worked in leadership and various capacities in networks like Star, NDTV Media and Discovery Networks among others.

  • TV18 Broadcast consolidated Q3 net profit up 142%

    TV18 Broadcast consolidated Q3 net profit up 142%

    MUMBAI: TV18 Broadcast Ltd’s consolidated net profit in the quarter ended December 31, 2013 rose 142 per cent from a year earlier on a fall in programming cost and marketing, distribution and promotional expenses and as its consolidated revenue increased.

     

    TV18’s reported revenues on a consolidated basis stood at Rs 525.5 crore in the third quarter of 2013-14, up 3 per cent from a year ago.

      

    TV18’s consolidated programming cost in the third quarter fell to Rs 142.58 crore from Rs 155.52 crore a year ago. Its marketing, distribution and promotional expenditure in the third quarter was down to Rs 140.78 crore from Rs 166.01 crore a year ago.

     

    The company reported its highest ever quarterly Operating Profit (EBITDA) at Rs 77.5 crore, up 61 per cent year-on-year with both the entertainment and news businesses turning in strong quarters.

     

    On a consolidated basis, the company’s advertising revenues grew 3 per cent year-on-year. While the news and infotainment advertising environment continued to be sluggish, entertainment led by Colors and MTV delivered strong double digit advertising growth.

     

    Its net distribution Income continued its steady growth at Rs 43.6 crore, a rise of 145 per cent year on year.

     

    TV18’s broadcast operations turned in a very strong quarter with an operating profit of Rs 91.1 crores, up 110 per cent on a year over year basis.

     

    TV18’s proforma results assuming financial consolidation of 100 per cent of ETV News  and 50 per cent of ETV Entertainment, showed its revenues were up 5 per cent at Rs 595.9 crore in the third quarter and pperating profit (EBITDA) was up 79 per cent year on year at Rs. 94.5 crores  led by a strong performance in ETV News.

     

    TV18 said on a proforma basis, this was a landmark quarter for TV18 with broadcast operations turning in an EBITDA of Rs 108.1 crore. ETV Entertainment reported a sharp reduction in losses compared to the previous two quarters as programming and marketing investments made in the first half led to an upswing in ratings and revenues.

     

    On 22 Jan 2014, after receiving the required regulatory approvals, TV18 completed the acquisition of the ETV channels  –  100 per cent of ETV News, 50 per cent of ETV Entertainment and 24.5 per cent of ETV Telugu.

     

    Raghav Bahl, Managing Director of Network18, the promoter of TV18, said, “…..the strong performance of TV18 (was) despite the continued uncertainty in the macro-economic landscape…. The environmental risks may continue in the medium term.”

     

    Bahl said the company’s pre-tax profits almost tripled due to the robust operating performance of the broadcast operations and a significantly deleveraged balance sheet.

     

    Network18’s Group CEO B. Saikumar, said, “Entertainment operations at Viacom18, led by Colors delivered a healthy performance even as Motion Pictures saw losses in this quarter. Infotainment operations at A+E Networks I TV18 broke into positive territory and IndiaCast continued on its robust growth trajectory.

     

    Click here for full report

  • Television business props up Network 18 Q1-2014; prevents further reddening

    BENGALURU: Network 18 Media & Investments Limited (Network 18) reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs18.9 crore in Q1-2014, as compared to a loss of Rs 90 crore in Q1-2013.

    Results from three of the four revenue segments of the media and entertainment player reported losses, with television playing the lone hand in keeping profits for Q1-2014 buoyant and positive. Though Network 18 reports combined figures for Television and Motion Pictures, company officials confirmed that Motion Pictures had also added to Network 18 losses.

    Despite showing revenue growth, the other two segments -digital content and e-commerce business; and allied businesses also pulled down profits for Q1-2014.

    Let us take a look at the figures for Q1-2014

    Operating revenue for Q1-2014 stood at Rs 556.6 crore on a reported basis.

    The corresponding figure for Q1-2013 was Rs 435.6 crore, hence showing a 28 per cent growth for Q1-2014. Operating revenue during Q1-2014, was however lower by 18 per cent as compared to the Rs 679.6 crore for the preceding quarter Q4-2013.

    Revenue from the television and motion business at Rs 437.4 crore was 47.2 per cent higher than the Rs 297.2 crore for Q1-2013 but about 8.6 per cent lower than the Rs 511.3 crore for Q4-2013.

    Revenue from digital content and e- commerce at Rs 106.9 crore grew 46.8 per cent as compared to the Rs 72.8 crore in Q1-2013, and was about 3.2 per cent lower than the Rs 110.4 crore during Q4-2013.

    Revenue for Q1-2014 from allied businesses fell 37.7 per cent to Rs 65.6 crore from Rs 105.3 crore in Q1-2013 and 36.7 per cent from Rs.103.6 crore in Q4-2013.

    Digital content and e-commerce reported a loss of Rs 43.5 crore. Allied businesses reported a loss Rs 9.9 crore and Rs 9.2 crore were contributed to the losses from discontinued operations. Television and Motion picture business propped up the company with an operating profit of Rs 23.8 crore. The company turned in a profit after tax of Rs 18.9 crore for the quarter.

    Network18 managing director Raghav Bahl said, “The macroeconomic environment continues to be challenging and growth prospects remain uncertain. Despite this backdrop, our core TV and digital businesses turned in a steady performance. We continued the profitable monetisation of our investments and raised growth capital in HomeShop18. There were pockets of weaknesses in our portfolio and we are committed to improving segments that are not meeting expectations. We have a strong portfolio of media businesses and remain confident of unlocking its value for our stakeholders”.

    Network 18,group CEO B. Saikumar said, “The core television and digital businesses got off to a stable start in the new fiscal year. Our entertainment broadcasting business showed strength and the e-commerce businesses grew strongly. While our news and infotainment businesses have seen distinct softness in advertising, our entertainment businesses led by Colors have performed well on this front. Motion pictures have seen losses this quarter and the management is confident of stemming them in the immediate term. Net distribution revenues from IndiaCast are on a strong growth trajectory and we continue to be enthused by its growth potential. Our e-commerce businesses continued their stellar growth and the digital content business grew steadily as well. We remain confident of delivering a strong year ahead.”

  • Network18 Media on a turnaround trail

    MUMBAI: The Network18 group is doing very well, thank you. The group’s media holding company Network18 Media & Investments has reported results which show that the management led by managing director Raghav Bahl and group CEO B. Saikumar is slowly but surely driving it back to profits.

    The company has reported revenues of Rs 679.5 crore in Q4 FY 2013 as against Rs 697.4 crore in Q3 FY 2013. Revenues for the full financial year ending 31 March 2013 are at Rs 2400.8 crore as against Rs 1943.8 crore – a jump of 23.51 per cent. This was driven primarily by an almost doubling in revenues from its digital content and ecommerce vertical to Rs 400.9 crore (from Rs 233.8 crore) for the whole year. Its television and motion picture vertical too leaped ahead 36.62 per cent in revenues to Rs 1725.5 crore (Rs 1262.9 crore).

    The company shaved off its operating expenses for Q4 2013 to Rs 666.8 crore from Rs 686.8 crore in Q3 FY 2013. For the whole year ending 31 March 2013, its operating expenses rose to Rs 2440.1 crore (Rs 2239.9 crore).

    Operating profits for the group during Q4 2013 were at Rs 12.8 crore against Rs 10.6 crore during Q3 FY 2013 keeping its operating margin at 2 per cent. During Q4 FY 2013, there was a drop in the company’s television and motion picture unit’s operating profits to Rs 34.6 crore (from Rs 48.1 crore). The operating losses for its digital content and e-commerce vertical fell to Rs 24.3 crore from Rs 31.3 crore in this period. The operating margins for its television and motion picture business in Q4 FY 2013 decreased to seven per cent (nine per cent in Q3 FY 2013).

    For the whole year, there has been a drastic reduction in its operating losses to Rs 39.2 crore (Rs 296 crore). Its television and motion picture business which reported operating profits of Rs 107.1 crore (Rs 1.6 c rore) and allied businesses (publishing), which saw a decrease in losses to Rs 46.9 crore from Rs 118.8 crore, helped staunch the red ink. Its digital and e-commerce business continued to lose money operationally with an operating loss of Rs 125.4 crore (Rs 126.3 crore). The operating margins for its TV and motion pictures have improved from 0 to 6 per cent for the full year.

    Network18‘s consolidated debt as on 31 March 2013 stood at Rs 211 crore, down 90 per cent from Rs 2130 crore at the end of FY12.

    Interest costs for Q4 FY 2013 were reduced to Rs 38.9 crore (Rs 53.1 crore in Q3 FY 2013). For the whole year it managed to keep its interest cost under control at Rs 272 crore (Rs 270.7 crore in FY 2012).

    It managed to report a net profit of Rs 50 lakh in Q4 FY 2013 (Rs 6.8 crore in Q3 Fy 2013). For the full year, it managed to improve its bottomline with a reduction in losses to Rs 105.5 crore (Rs 392.7 crore).

    During the year, Network18 profitably sold its entire stake in Newswire18, divested its Yellow Pages and Askme businesses and diluted its majority stake in Book My Show. These transactions, in line with the strategy to exit non-core businesses, added Rs 180 crore to the annual profit and raised Rs 235 crore for the Network18 Group.

    Says Bahl: “We are delighted to inform our investors and stakeholders that at both Network18 and TV18, we have successfully deleveraged our balance sheets and have delivered strong operating performances. Network18s and TV18s net debt now stands at less than one-fifth of the peak levels and our interest payments have come down sharply. We are confident that we are now entering a sustained value creation phase in our journey as we continue to strengthen our existing operations and consolidate our regional acquisition.”

    Adds B. Saikumar: “We are extremely pleased that our digital and broadcast operations have turned in a sustained and healthy operating performance during the year despite softness in the advertising environment. Our e-commerce businesses have turned in another stellar year and our digital content businesses continue to grow steadily. We are now on a solid net distribution income trajectory and while our flagship channels like CNBC TV18/Awaaz, Colors and CNN IBN continue to perform admirably, we are also enthused by the performance of recent launches and the motion pictures business. Inspite of near term challenges given the macro-economic headwinds, we are hopeful of delivering a strong year ahead.”

  • Anil Uniyal is CNBC-TV18 and Awaaz CEO

    Anil Uniyal is CNBC-TV18 and Awaaz CEO

     NEW DELHI: Network18 will have a chief executive officer for its two business news channels, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, as it prepares for its next phase of growth in a marketplace that is crowded with new entrants.

    The company has elevated Anil Uniyal to the newly created post. He will be responsible for the strategic, financial and operational management of the channels and will report into Network18 Group COO B Saikumar.  
         
      Earlier, as Network18 Media COO and TV18 Media Operation business head, Uniyal was leading the commercial arm of the Group, with responsibilities for driving the topline for the CNBC channels and Forbes India.

    As part of the restructuring, the company recently moved Ajay Chacko, who was playing a critical role in looking after CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and Forbes India, to its new joint venture company AETN18 as its president.

    On Uniyal’s promotion, Saikumar said, “Anil has been one of the key executives involved in the growth of Network18‘s business news channels – CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz since their respective launches. He is now expected to steer the channels into a whole new phase of leadership and profitability and I am sure that he will be equal to this challenge.”

    Added Uniyal, “I believe that, as in the last decade, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz will lead a new phase of innovation and growth in the business news space and I look forward to working with the channel editorial and business teams to further strengthen our market “

    Uniyal has over a decade of experience in sales and strategy and has been with Network18 since 2001. He has played a leadership role in building different revenue verticals for Network18 – from inventory sales to setting up the customised solutions business for the CNBC channels and other business brands in the Group.

    He began his career as an entrepreneur, running a media services and consulting enterprise.