ITV

Tag: Bala Iyengar

  • Epic entrusts Helios Media with revenue mandate

    Epic entrusts Helios Media with revenue mandate

    MUMBAI: India’s first genre specific Hindi entertainment channel, Epic has assigned the revenue monetisation duties to Helios Media. With a clear focus to create unique and original content within the Indian history, folklore and mythology genre, in a very contemporary story telling format, the channel will be launched by the end of this year.

     

    Speaking on the appointment Epic Television Networks founder and managing director Mahesh Samat says that the segmented content will allow viewers to choose and consume genre-specific content of their liking. “The channel is on the anvil of revolutionising the way television is being consumed in our country. This therefore becomes an ideal destination for brands to reach out to the appropriate TG. Helios Media has the understanding of the space and the skill to position brands in the right environment. I am certain that this partnership will add value to an unconventional brand like ours that is creating a new category altogether.”

     

    The channel will have action, drama, comedy, and thrills set against the backdrop of Indian history and mythology. The programming line-up will be a mix of fiction and narrative non-fiction shows, short form content, as well as period films. An original style of storytelling with high production quality, it will have a look and feel that is distinct and appealing to both men and women. Shot in HD, the shows will capture the historical settings in all their glory.

     

    Helios Media MD Divya Radhakrishnan said, “At Helios Media, it’s ingrained in our DNA to look beyond obvious and see more. We always swim against the tide and have created success stories of the channels we have been assigned to. It’s our honour to partner with this new leap in broadcast history that will be written by the Epic channel.”

     

    Helios Media COO Bala Iyengar added, “Our expertise lies in brand positioning and our team orientation has been to create solutions for both brands and the channel. We are very excited to be a part of establishing a brand new genre for Indian television.”

     

    Launched in 2011, Helios Media has been providing broadcasters with critical expertise in the areas of revenue management and several allied business solutions. Helios Media currently manages monetisation mandates of MTunes HD, Channel X, FoodFood, Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana, Fashion TV and Life Mantra.  

  • Helios Media elevates Bala Iyengar as COO

    Helios Media elevates Bala Iyengar as COO

    MUMBAI: Helios Media, a specialty services company for the broadcast sector, recently completed two years in operations. And with the television industry undergoing critical developments with digitisation, regulations in inventory management, growth of niche genres and evolving dynamics of how viewers consume entertainment, the media brands are exploring newer avenues for engaging with audiences while advertisers are on a constant search for platforms to maximise reach. Traditional practices are being reviewed and the market is in a constant state of innovation.

     “With the changing social fabric, growth of internet penetration and the change in consumer behaviour, the means to reach the viewer have increased manifold. As we move forward, our focus will be on getting into deeper partnerships with relevant platform creators to enhance the solutions we offer our clients. A TV channel is not just for TVCs anymore, and we will work with them in the overall revenue management space, going beyond traditional commercial inventory. In addition to inventory sales, we have enhanced our teams to include talent in the areas of content syndication, custom events, celebrity management and strategic digital initiatives. To take this scale of operations forward, it’s only natural that Bala steps up to take charge of our complete offering and provide seamless service to our clients”, says Helios Media founder & MD Divya Radhakrishnan.

    Commenting further on his elevated role and plans ahead, Helios Media chief operating officer Bala Iyengar added, “The team has been groomed as idea generators and solutions providers who can offer expert advice on how to connect the advertiser with the audience. And this has helped us bring in the 150+ advertisers on MTunes HD, develop a market strategy for Channel X, exponentially increase the revenue base for FoodFood and set to motion the revenue agenda for FTV India. We will shape ourselves to be the go-to destination for advertisers seeking innovative ways to connect with audiences, and for channels seeking breakthrough strategies to boost revenue.”

    The company was launched with a vision to provide broadcasters with business critical expertise in the areas of revenue management, brand consulting and creative development. And has demonstrated results for brands such as MTunes HD, Channel X, FoodFood and Fashion TV.

  • Divya Radhakrishnan launches Helios Media

    Divya Radhakrishnan launches Helios Media

    MUMBAI: Divya Radhakrishnan, who had quit in February this year as president of TME, the media arm of Rediffusion-Y&R, has launched her own venture, Helios Media.

    Helios Media, an integrated ancillary service company for television broadcasters, has collaborated with specialised partners to complement services in all allied areas. It has set up Sales, Marketing, Research and Traffic management verticals and will offer the services as a composite piece or as a stand-alone, based on the requirements of the broadcasters.

    The company has set up offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

    The company has also roped in former business head of Zoom, Bala Iyengar as business director. He will lead the sales and content syndication function at the company.

    According to the official communique, the vision of this company has been crafted on the premise that the increasing number of TV channels in India is facing a key business challenge. While content is the primary scope of these channels, a lot of effort has to be invested in creating a robust eco-system to run the business. This puts in a lot of stress on the channel business head, resulting in dilution of focus from the key delivery, which is content. Also, the proliferation will lead to further slicing of the revenue pie making the all-encompassing business model non-viable.

    The company has already signed up two music channels — MTunes and Music Express — as clients. It has also partnered with World Media Connect (WMC) as its Asian arm. WMC markets Indian Channels to the ethnic population based in US and UK. The portfolio includes six channels of the Sun TV Network (Sun TV, KTV, Gemini TV, Udaya TV, Gemini Movies, Surya TV) and Punjjabi TV at present.

    Helios Media said that with the above contracts already in place, it is in advanced stages of negotiations with four speciality channels coming into India.

    Radhakrishnan has over 24 years of rich experience in the business of media management. She has worked with leading advertising agencies like Publicis and Rediffusion Y&R. In her last assignment, she headed the Contact Practice at Rediffusion Y&R wherein the Media company TME, Public Relations company Rediffusion PR and the Event Management company Showdiff Worldwide were under her leadership.

    Meanwhile, Iyengar, who has over 14 years of experience, has worked with leading media networks like Times of India, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Network and MTV.