ITV

Tag: Broadcast

  • Shark Tank to get an Indian adaptation, set to air on Sony TV

    New Delhi: Critically acclaimed business-themed reality TV series Shark Tank is all set to get an Indian adaptation. The show will be aired on Sony TV, the channel has announced.

    The popular series produced by StudioNext shows entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of investors or ‘Sharks’ who decide whether to invest in their company or not.

    The Hindi GEC announced the launch of Shark Tank India on its social media handles and opened the registrations for young entrepreneurs to participate in the show. The promotional video features a young man from a middle-class family who aspires to start his business. He shares the idea with his family and friends, who then joke about “his big dreams”.

     

     

    “World ka no.1 business reality show Shark Tank aa raha hai India mein! Jahan Sharks, yaani India ke experienced businessmen, aapke business aur business idea ko parkhenge, taraashenge aur bada banayenge…” read the social media post, “Shark Tank India mein register karne ke liye SonyLIV app download ya update kare ya bio mein diye gaye link pe click kare.”

    People can participate in the show by downloading the SonyLIV app, where they can register online. They can also visit: https://sharktank.sonyliv.com/

    The show first aired on ABC in August 2009 and has had 12 successful seasons for far. The last episode aired on 21 May. ABC has renewed the series for its thirteenth season.

  • Viacom18 and Zeel eyeing a merger?

    New Delhi: It’s the season for mergers. Following in the footsteps of  big media mergers globally, two entertainment giants back home- Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) are now reportedly looking to join hands to create a large firm, according to an unconfirmed news item in Mint on Monday.

    If  the reports are to be believed, the owner of the GEC Colors, Viacom18, and Subhash Chandra’s Zeel have initiated talks of a potential merger. It is too early to say, but, if the deal fructifies, the combined entity will end up owning and managing the largest number of TV channels in India, and probably globally. The combined media firm’s interest will span across broadcast, OTT, live entertainment, and movie production.

    However, it is not the first time that such talks of coagulating companies in the television business have floated. The buzz has been proven to be unfounded in the past.

    Last year,  similar talks of a  merger  between Viacom18 and Sony Pictures Network fell apart, after the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd pushed for a majority stake in the combined entity as well. RIL owns a majority stake in Viacom18, which is a joint venture between TV18 Broadcast Ltd and US-based ViacomCBS Inc. While Network18 owns a 51 per cent stake in Viacom 18, Viacom holds the remaining 49 per cent.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd was founded by Essel Group’s Subhash Chandra and is majority-owned by foreign institutional investors – Investco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund and Ofi Global Fund China LLC. The company is run by Chandra’s son and CEO & managing director Punit Goenka.

    A Zeel spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the speculative news item. Said a Zeel corporate official:  “The company does not comment on speculation and rumours.” 

  • Republic Network appoints Kishan Cheranda as EVP – Head Distribution & International Business

    New Delhi: Republic Media Network on Monday appointed Kishan Cheranda to take charge of the distribution and International Business for the Network.

    Cheranda’s previous role was with Turner International (Warner Media) as head of Distribution. In a career spanning over 26 years, he has assimilated a deep understanding and on-the-ground experience of Networks in both digital & broadcast distribution, and monetisation space, said the company. He has worked with leading broadcasters – Warner Media, Ten Sports, Zee, Viacom & MEN.

    Vikas Khanchandani, Group CEO at Republic Network said “We are delighted to have Kishan join the Republic team as we scale up our operations both in India and globally. The market is growing and simultaneously changing at a very rapid pace. I am confident that Kishan with his vast experience and capabilities will be able to build and grow the network both on broadcast as well as across online platforms. We wish him all the very best.”

    Kishan Cheranda, executive vice president – India Distribution & International Business said, “I am extremely delighted to be part of a successful & a genre leader such as Republic. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of an organisation driven by strong leadership & innovative thinking. I am hopeful of adding value to propel its growth and scale newer heights together.”

    With the fast-changing landscape for content distribution, Republic Network too has been working to make its content easily accessible and available across all consumers in India as well as to the diaspora across the world. The organisation has been building capabilities and technology for the distribution of content online across Video OTT platforms, Telco Content Apps, and Device manufacturers along with new OS players across smart Television.

  • Times Network launches 2nd edition of Living Room Conclave – India Health Mission

    Mumbai: Times Network has announced the second edition of Living Room Conclave – India Health Mission, a conclave series that will focus on combating the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    As India moves ahead while battling the cruel second wave, it is pertinent to continue following the safety protocols and avert the threat of a possible third wave. Addressing these imminent challenges through a course of discussions with eminent figures, who are at the epicentre of the pandemic management, India Health Mission will air from 19 June, every Saturday at 6.30 pm on TIMES NOW & TIMES NOW WORLD and at 7:30 pm on ET NOW. 

    The five-part series will feature key stakeholders from healthcare and health ministry including Cipla MD & CEO Umang Vohra, The Calcutta Medical Research Institute director & HOD, Pulmonology Dr. Raja Dhar, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation director & chief Dr. V Mohan, Gleneagles Global Hospital – Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Chennai director Dr. Subramanian Swaminathan, amongst others.  

    The launch episode will witness a special panel discussion on India’s Vaccine Roll Out with B Medical Deputy CEO Jesal Doshi, Nephron Clinic Chairman Prof. Dr. Sanjeev Bagai and Neuberg CMD Dr. GSK Velu. 

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand said, “The catastrophic COVID-19 second wave has led to a dramatic loss of human lives and presented immense challenges to a strained medical infrastructure. As the country stabilizes with measures including accelerated nationwide vaccination drive and gradual unlocking of States, it is critical to stay focused and brace ourselves to combat possible new waves. Focusing on Covid-19 pandemic preparedness, India Health Mission, is an initiative to empower citizens with critical health and safety advisories through discussions with key stakeholders from the healthcare sector and the health ministry.” 

    Led by Times Network’s leading news anchors, India Health Mission will cover all the critical questions related to COVID-19 and offer important updates to the viewers including steps required to preventing the virus from spreading, vaccination drives, unlock phase across cities, key measures undertaken by the government to combat the situation and how we can prevent the third wave.

  • WTC Finals: Star Sports picks ‘The Greatest of All Time’ Test Cricketers

    New Delhi: Test cricket has occupied a special place in the hearts of every cricket aficionado. For the past 144 years, the longest format witnessed several success stories highlighting the physicality and mental toughness from players across the 22 yards. There have been memorable victories and hard-fought fabled battles, but a world champion was never crowned.

    That debate will be put to rest when the top two nations in Test cricket – India and New Zealand square off in the ICC World Test Championship Final. The match will be broadcasted LIVE and exclusive on the Star Sports Network from 18-22 June, 2 PM onwards.

    To celebrate the historic feats in Test cricket, Star Sports has strung together a promotional activity to pick the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T) of the 21st century in Tests from among Batsmen, Bowlers, All-rounders and Captains. The winners for all the categories will be announced during the lunchtime show Cricket Live during the ICC WTC Final from 18-22 June, on the Star Sports Network.

    “The nominees for the categories were carefully selected through a rigid process which included a set criterion for each of the categories. An elite 50-member jury was formed comprising legends of the game like Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Bishop, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Scott Styris, Gautam Gambhir among others, renowned sports journalists and coaches,” said the channel in a statement.

    Star Sports has also given fans a chance to be a part of the jury, as fan polls will be conducted between 15-17 June on Twitter. The polls for Captain and All-rounder will take place on 17 June. All stats considered for the nominees are from or after 1 January, 2000 only.

  • Sun TV Network’s outlook for FY22 remains positive despite short-term headwinds

    KOLKATA: Sun TV Network has navigated the pandemic well through the FY21 despite initial setbacks as it ended q4 with Rs 449.88 crore profit, 80 per cent up year-on-year. While there could be short-term headwinds in ad revenue due to the second wave of the pandemic, the company remains positive that the performance would be much better than the last lockdown.

    The broadcaster saw its ad revenue bounce back in the January to March quarter. However, the second wave hit the performance in the first quarter of FY22. It is still not known if a third wave would be more fatal. Hence, the company has not given any definite guidance for the coming year but its endeavour for the year is to at least reach the levels of FY20, a company spokesperson said in an earnings call.

    In FY 21, the company’s subscription revenue grew by about 11 per cent in FY21. The company is confident to maintain double-digit growth in FY22 as well, especially as it hopes to see a higher purchase of set-top boxes by a related party distribution company. Despite uncertainty around NTO 2.0, the company sees enough visibility on the subscription side.

    The company has improved primetime viewership in the Tamil market from 37 per cent to 42 per cent. As it is eying to come close to 50 per cent, it is taking steps to improve content quality, the overall narrative of storytelling. On the other hand, its overall fiction share has gone up by 36 per cent in the Kannada market as compared to the last two, three quarters. Hence, Sun TV wants to stay focused on gaining market share in these two markets.

    Additionally, it has lined up “some huge launches” in Telugu and Malayalam market in the next one-two months.

    However, its plans for Sun NXT, the over-the-top arm, have been pushed back again, albeit it has seen 40-50 per cent growth in the last six months. Although the company is in talks with a lot of potential producers for OTT originals, it is not going to start anything on that front at least before Q2. But the company can continue with small-medium movie digital premiers on the platform. Whenever the platform uploads a new movie on the platform, the subscription goes up immediately.

    For this financial year, the company has ambitious plans for movie production. It is looking at eight movies, costing nearly Rs 1200 crore. Four movies are under production as shooting has started and in multiple stages and one among those is almost nearing completion, a company spokesperson said. Because of the delay in the first four movies being completed, the remaining might be taken up in the second half of the year.

    Despite the strong performance in q4, the company’s dividend payout policy has attracted sharp criticism from investors in the conference call. For FY 21, the dividend payout dropped to Rs 5 per share from Rs 25 per share in FY20. The investors raised the question around management taking regular commission but not looking at shareholders’ interest. Sun TV Network management has not been able to give any forward-looking statement but has assured that it would share the concern with the board.

  • BharatPe seals strategic, long term partnership with ICC

    New Delhi: BharatPe on Monday announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with International Cricket Council (ICC).

    The agreement will ensure BharatPe’s involvement and integration at all ICC events throughout the term, beginning with the final of the ICC World Test Championship between India and New Zealand in Southampton. As a prestigious partner of ICC, BharatPe will promote the association across broadcast and digital platforms, as well as execute in-venue brand activations at all the ICC events it said on Monday.

    These include the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (India, 2021), ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (Australia, 2022), ICC Women’s World Cup (New Zealand, 2022), ICC U19 Cricket World Cup (West Indies, 2022), ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (South Africa, 2022), ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (India, 2023) and ICC World Test Championship (2023).

    The partnership will also enable BharatPe to roll out innovative campaigns to connect and engage with millions of cricket fans and shop owners across the country.

    BharatPe’s co-founder and CEO, Ashneer Grover, said, “We believe that cricket is one of the biggest unifiers – that cuts across geographies and/or languages. I am confident that this association will enable us to build a stronger relationship with our existing merchants, as well as engage better with millions of new, small merchants across the length and breadth of India. It is a matter of immense pride for us that BharatPe, a truly Indian company that started its journey just 2.5 years ago, will be representing the nation on global platforms of ICC.”

    According to the company, the partnership is an organic extension to its existing brand strategy centred around cricket. It has its own ‘Team BharatPe’ comprising of eleven Indian cricket stars as its brand ambassadors, namely, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shubhman Gill.

    ICC, chief commercial officer, Anurag Dahiya, Chief Commercial Officer said, “Our women’s and men’s events provide leading brands an unparalleled, high-reach platform for conversations with very involved and passionate fans. Our commercial partners have greatly benefitted from working with us on our events and 2021-23 presents a unique opportunity with five senior level World Cups taking place, which will set the stage for reaching out to an unprecedented number of cricket fans.”

  • Times Network’s English Entertainment channels transitions to Planetcast Cloud

    Times Network’s English Entertainment channels transitions to Planetcast Cloud

    Kolkata: Planetcast Media Services, a key player in cloud-based technology for the television broadcast industry announced that Times Network has successfully implemented the transition of its English Entertainment channels and Zoom to  it’s cloud platform – Cloud. X.

    The turnkey solution includes end-to-end management of broadcast operations including satellite uplinking of Times Network’s channels.

    Cloud X, a state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure, which offers an advanced platform along with flexibility for cloud-based operations is deployed to Times Network’s English Entertainment channels – Movies Now SD, Movies Now HD, Romedy Now SD, Romedy Now HD, MNX SD, MNX HD, MN+, and Zoom.

    The services are hosted at Planetcast’s advanced cloud data center based out of Noida. As part of the long-term engagement, PMSL also re-distributes the channels to various digital platforms across India.

    Times Network Corporate Strategy and Digital Transformation EVP and head Jignesh Kenia said the transition to Cloud was a strategic step in the digital transformation of its broadcast operations. “We are committed to adopting technological and digital solutions that enhance our business expertise through state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities, and we are delighted to partner with Planet cast for this critical part of our operations. I am confident that we can enhance our audience reach by delivering a reliable and world-class TV viewing experience.”

    According to Planetcast founder-director M N Vyas cloud adoption will drive business recovery from the pandemic across media and entertainment industry. “Our engagement will not only reduce their operational cost but will also streamline broadcast operations across Times Network’s entertainment and news channels. We are on a mission to drive business recovery from the pandemic through cloud adoption,” added Vyas.

  • US Network NBC drops broadcast of 2022 Golden Globes

    US Network NBC drops broadcast of 2022 Golden Globes

    New Delhi: US television network NBC has announced that it will drop its broadcast of the Golden Globes ceremony in 2022. The decision comes after the Hollywood backlash over the lack of diversity and the ethics of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), whose members vote on the annual awards for film and television.

    It is for the first time since 1996 that NBC has decided not to broadcast the awards.

    Actor Tom Cruise joined a revolt led by a host of streaming platforms and top studios, and urged others to join the call for action. The Mission Impossible star also returned the three awards he won for his roles in the movies Jerry Maguire, Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July to register his protest, Variety magazine reported on Tuesday.

    The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has been facing severe allegations of corruption and impropriety, and lack of diversity. The members have also been accused of making sexist and racist remarks

    Streaming giants Netflix, Amazon Studios, WarnerMedia and several top PR companies have earlier said they would no longer work with the HFPA unless it made far-reaching changes.

    WarnerMedia, which includes cable channel HBO and movie studio Warner Brothers, had even written to HFPA expressing concerns over “racially insensitive, sexist and homophobic questions” at press conferences and events during the nominations and awards process.

    In wake of the criticism, the HFPA had agreed to make some changes over the next year, which were initially welcomed by NBC. But later, the network said it would wait to see if the reforms worked.

    “Change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organisation executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023,” NBC said in a statement, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

    Soon after the announcement, the HFPA said it is implementing “transformational change”  on priority and also reiterated that by August 2021, it would approve a new code of conduct and provide diversity and sexual harassment training among other steps.

    The annual Golden Globes ceremony has become one of the biggest Hollywood awards shows in the run-up to the Oscars. But it has been under close scrutiny following an investigation published in February by the Los Angeles Times that showed the group of 87 journalists had no Black members. The association has faced further criticism for this year’s slate of nominations, which did not include several Black-led Oscar contenders such as Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Judas and the Black Messiah in the nominees for the group’s top award.