ITV

Tag: Balaji

  • TV18, Balaji scrips shine on strong Q1 results

    TV18, Balaji scrips shine on strong Q1 results

    MUMBAI: This is a result investors may have been waiting for. Television Eighteen put up a robust first quarter performance, pulling the scrip up by Rs 13 to close today in the BSE at Rs 605 in a market that slipped 61 points after four days of continuous rise.

    On the television front, TV18 has doubled its revenues over the year-ago period while net profit has jumped 65 per cent to Rs 138.21 million. The company now has four channels – two in the business space and two general news channels.

    The Group’s internet business is also poised for a scale up, having crossed $1 million (Rs 46.75 million) in the quarter. TV18 is eyeing acquisitions and will soon re-launch jobstreet.com and yatra.com. The company has already announced plans to hive off the internet business which will make it attractive for strategic investors.

    “The scrip could lift up further, based on these results. The valuation of the internet business will also be interesting,” a market analyst says.

    Balaji Telefilms, which announced its first quarter results yesterday, is the other media scrip which climbed 4.34 per cent to close the day at Rs 109.45 in the BSE. Analysts say this was on the back of a 39 per cent jump in the TV content producer’s net profit to close the quarter at Rs 173.77 million.

    The market is yet to be enthused by UTV’s deal with Walt Disney Company, shedding marginally in the BSE to close 1.8 per cent down at Rs 168.65. The global media major had bought out Hungama TV and taken a 14.9 per cent stake in UTV for a total consideration of $44.5 million (approximately Rs 2 billion).

    “The scrip will gain value once Disney chalks out a joint plan with UTV. It is not clear yet where Disney wants to take UTV forward,” says a market analyst.

    Among the other media stocks to fall are Zee Telefilms (2.24 per cent to Rs 257.20) and NDTV (from Rs 156.2 to Rs 155.30). TV Today almost stayed flat to close at Rs 76.60.

  • Star India split into two separate units under Nair, Mukerjea

    Star India split into two separate units under Nair, Mukerjea

    MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: In what is a major organisational revamp within Star India, the functions and management of the group have been split between CEO Peter Mukerjea and COO Sameer Nair.

    Nair has been given the role of CEO Star Entertainment India while Mukerjea is now the CEO of Star Group India.
    Essentially, what has happened is that Star India has been split up into an operational entity and a corporate entity.

    Mukerjea will lead Star Group in India as its CEO, responsible for all corporate functions such as legal, finance, government affairs, corporate communications as well as managing Stars investments including Tata Sky, Hathway, Balaji and MCCS.

    He will also spearhead the development of new business opportunities in India. Mukerjea will continue to report to Star Group CEO Michelle Guthrie.

    Star Entertainment India, which is now fully under Nair’s charge, will oversee day-to-day programming, marketing, advertising sales and distribution functions.

    Nair has also been given the remit of expanding Star’s media presence from its existing TV channels Star Plus, Star Movies, Star Gold, Star News, Star One, Channel [V], Star Utsav and Star Vijay, into new media including wireless and broadband internet platforms.

    Nair will be reporting directly to Star Group COO Steve Askew.
    The changes are part of a reorganisation emanating from Star’s headquarters in Hong Kong with Askew being given additional charge as president of Star Entertainment. Askew has been Star COO since December 2003.

    Askews appointment is effective immediately. In his expanded role, he will oversee Stars operating divisions across the region, with his portfolio expanding from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the Middle East to India.
    Commenting on the announcement, Guthrie said, The reorganization reflects the scale to which our operations have grown in India. The new structure will enable us to optimize our resources in expanding our leadership position in the television landscape while aggressively creating new opportunities in Indias thriving marketplace.

    According to Guthrie, Sameer was the key driving force to our ratings turnaround in India in 2001. Since then, Sameers intuitive knowledge of television entertainment has helped Star India deliver record results in ratings and revenues.

    “His promotion is a testament to the contribution he has made to build Star into the number one network in India. The new reporting structure aligns our creative forces and operational teams across the region, enabling us to continue developing compelling and successful content across different delivery platforms for years to come.

    Guthrie continued, Peter has done an exceptional job in leading our highly talented local team to grow our businesses exponentially in India. Under the spin-off, we will be able to exert a greater impact on our existing investments in India, particularly with the imminent launch of the Tata Sky DTH service.

    “Peters unique insights, extensive experience and strong business acumen will be invaluable as Star actively pursues new business opportunities to serve consumers throughout India.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com late in the evening, Nair expressed happiness at the confidence the top management of Star had shown in him.

    Quizzed on his agenda after the promotion, Nair said, “The basic aim of the company remains unchanged and that is to continue making entertaining content and find ways to monetise them more effectively across all delivery platforms.”

    Though Nair was not forthcoming on the company’s plans relating to Internet and wireless (medium), he did admit that these are two areas that will get some focussed attention.

  • Will the new scripted dramas make an impact?

    Will the new scripted dramas make an impact?

    After two years, finally, some light ahead on the narrative television sightscreen? Hindi entertainment certainly needs it. 24 April will witness the launch of five new scripted dramas across the GEC channels, with three other prime time shows subsequently lining up for launch during this April-May phase.

     

    The K-shows continue to have a clamp on share of audience, but on share of mind, it has been the reality and gameshow genres that have held sway since 2004
    _____****_____

    One would really hope that some of these offerings hit bulls eye since it’s been a while since scripted drama got front row mindspace on Hindi entertainment television. It was way back then, in September 2003 to be precise, that narrative entertainment made headlines and IMPACT when Star Plus’ Kahiin To Hoga and Sony Entertainment’s Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin debuted almost simultaneously on the small screen.

     

    What of Balaji’s K-serials, one might ask? True, the K-shows (let’s not forget Kahiin To Hoga is one as well but it is different) continue to have a clamp on share of audience, but if one were to look at a share of mind + audience combo, it has been the reality and gameshow genres that have held sway since 2004.

     

    If end-2004 and beginning 2005 belonged to SET’s Indian Idol, the second half of 2005 belonged to Star Plus’ KBC2 and Star One’s Nache Baliye and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (TGILC), with Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge also making a year-end splash.

     

    Barely have the viewers gathered their collective breaths on these shows, we’re already into Star One’s TGILC 2, Sony’s Fear Factor India and Zee’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu.

     

    It is pertinent to note that even Star, which has had by far the most success on its narrative offerings, would have reported a rather flat year had it not been for the success that KBC2, TGILC and Nache Baliye provided.

     

    Now coming back to the narrative tale, it has happened abroad, with scripted drama making a grand comeback thanks in particular to extremely strong and successful worldwide successes such as Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Lost.

     

    Star, which has had by far the most success on its narrative offerings, would have reported a rather flat year had it not been for the success that ‘KBC2’, ‘TGILC’ and ‘Nache Baliye’ provided
    _____****_____

    In India meanwhile, it is refreshing therefore, to know that in the middle of all this format overdose, Zee TV has been able to build a scripted success in Saath Phere – Saloni ka Safar (not your regular saas-bahu weepy) that rode beyond the spike provided by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge. That is critical if such efforts are to get acceptance. Because while mind share is fine, the brutal truth is that the moolah is in audience share.

     

    To quote Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair: “Going by the theory, ‘People watch programmes and not channels,’ you require really strong magnetic programming to be successful. TV programmes and channels are going to further focus on the differentiation.”

     

    More power to the drama is what we say. And since so much of television in India gets its cues from cinema, here’s hoping that the box office success of offerings as different and diverse as Rang De Basanti, Malaamal Weekly and Being Cyrus is reflected on the small screen as well with the new shows that are set to debut. And those which follow.