ITV

Tag: Chennai

  • Worldspace Q12006 revenues up 35% to $3.5 million

    Worldspace Q12006 revenues up 35% to $3.5 million

    MUMBAI: For the first quarter of 2006, satellite radio player Worldspace reported revenues of approximately $3.5 million, representing a 35 per cent increase compared with revenues of approximately $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2005.

    Subscription revenue doubled to approximately $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2006 compared with subscription revenue of approximately $0.8 million for the first quarter of 2005, the company said in an official release.

    Worldspace recorded a net loss for the first quarter of 2006 of $29.2 million, or $0.79 per share, compared with a net loss of $9.2 million, or $0.40 per share for the first quarter of 2005. Sequentially, the net loss improved from the fourth quarter 2005 results of $33.2 million, or $0.90 per share. Worldspace had an EBITDA (earnings before interest income, interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) loss of $31.2 million for the first quarter of 2006, compared with EBITDA of $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2005, and an EBITDA loss of $44.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, the release adds.

    The company said it finished the first quarter of 2006 with 153,437 subscribers. The Company added 38,131 subscribers in the first quarter of 2006, an increase of 109 per cent over the 18,233 subscribers added in same quarter of 2005. In India, the Company had 111,723 subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2006, up 50 per cent from 74,574 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2005 and a five-fold increase from 21,730 at the end of the first quarter of 2005, it said in a release.

    At the end of the first quarter of 2006, Worldspace had rolled out its satellite radio services in ten cities in India – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Kolkata. It also signed Indian music impresario AR Rahman as a brand ambassador in India.

    Globally, Worldspace introduced three new programming channels, including Fox Sports Radio, and Ranin and Min Zaman, the latter two targeted to listeners in the Middle East, bringing the total number of channels broadcast on Worldspace’s global system to 223 by the end of the first quarter of 2006.

  • Radio Mirchi 95 FM launches in Hyderabad

    Radio Mirchi 95 FM launches in Hyderabad

    MUMBAI: Entertainment Network (India) Limited has launched its Radio Mirchi 95 FM radio station in Hyderabad. The station went on-air at 6 am today, with the voice of Southern superstar Chiranjeevi being the first voice on the station.

    Radio Mirchi 95 FM Hyderabad is the 10th station of ENIL to start operations. Radio Mirchi 105 FM Jaipur and Radio Mirchi 93.3 FM Bangalore went on air on 17 April, making them the first private FM radio stations to go on-air under the Phase II of radio privatization.

    In the Phase II bidding process, over 250 frequencies across 90 cities were successfully auctioned in a process that lasted 5 weeks in January and February 2006. ENIL was successful in winning 25 licenses in addition to the 7 stations it already operates.

    Speaking on the occasion, ENIL MD & CEO A P Parigi said that with these back to back launches, ENIL had managed to demonstrate its project management capabilities. He added that in all three stations detailed market research was carried out to provide inputs to programming – so that the station reflected the tastes and aspirations of each city.

    Under the Phase II rules, radio stations are permitted to commence broadcasting by way of interim transmission facilities in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur.

  • Rediffusion DYR makes appointments in Chennai

    MUMBAI: Ad agency Rediffusion DYR has appointed Sunil Thoppil as group creative director and Premdeep Gangadharan as GM for Chennai.

    Thoppil, with over 16 years experience, moves in from TBWA, where he headed creative duties of the agency at the regional level. He has previously worked on brands like Malayala Manorama, Kerala Tourism, Geojit Financial services, Asianet and Pondicherry Tourism. Thoppil is in charge of the creative duties in the agency.
    He says, “Its immensely satisfying to enter an office that places a strong emphasis on the creative product. This is also a great opportunity to build a team that believes advertising is fun.”

    Gangadharan joins Rediffusion DYR Chennai with over 13 years experience in advertising. Premdeep moves from Saatchi & Saatchi, Bangalore having worked on brands like Tata tea, Tata Coffee, TVS Motors, IFB home appliances, BPL appliances & BPL mobile. His strong FMCG experience would offer superior value to existing clients in Rediffusion DYR Chennai.

    Gangadharan says, “The Integrated and holistic communication approach at Rediffusion DYR along with the exciting growth plans the agency has drawn up are challenges that interested me enough to accept this role.”

    The agency adds that last year, the branch registered high growth – both organic and inorganic. It added Nutrine –Maha Lacto, Fresh & Honest Café and Vijay Shanthi Builders. The branch today has a pretty good mix of categories ranging from consumer banking to telecom to confectionaries.

    The agency says that it is committed to set higher standards for creative product and raising the quality of account management. Rediffusion DYR in Chennai handles Airtel, Citibank, MRF, Vijayshanthi Builders, Nutrine and Fresh & Honest café.nes/y2k6/apr/aprmam59.htm

  • Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    The Indian government (read the information and broadcasting ministry) is suddenly finding itself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, which more often than not takes great pleasure in turning red.

    Sandwiched between a strident judiciary — justifiably so in the present circumstances — and the politics of running a coalition government with vocal allies (who seem to have a view on anything and everything), the Manmohan Singh regime is bound to find it difficult to implement a recent Delhi High Court order that in short says: implement conditional access system in the areas notified earlier by a previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition regime over 18 months ago.

    State-level elections in April-May would compel the government to give a deep thought to the so-called concerns of regional politicians. And, decision-making gets that much tougher when one of the states going to the polls, West Bengal, is ruled by a Left party, which is also a crucial ally of the federal government in New Delhi.

    The I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders
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    Though the Delhi High Court order exhorts the I&B ministry to rise above regional level party politics and not use ‘public interest’ to influence an executive order (the notification related to CAS rollout) passed by the federal government, reticent politicians would definitely try to have their own way. Don’t forget that the I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi’s parliamentary constituency lies in West Bengal and the street-smart politician has cut much of his political teeth in Bengal.

    With Kolkata in West Bengal, one of the metros targeted for CAS rollout, already swinging to the election tune, the I&B ministry would have to see how New Delhi’s Left-oriented allies react to the issue of CAS or ‘watching TV channels via a black box that would cost around Rs 3,000 (approximately $ 67),’ as some politicians are explaining addressability to the people.

    It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline
    _____****_____

    Though it hasn’t reached a crescendo, already there are murmurs amongst politicians of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), especially the local ones, on how CAS’ introduction around election time can be ‘disruptive’ and have telling effects on the electoral fortunes of the party in West Bengal.

    It is pertinent to note that the I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders to discuss the issue in the light of the court’s observation.

    Apart from the West Bengal politicians, those representing the seven constituencies of Delhi in Parliament have already been petitioned by some cable operators on the ground that implementation of CAS might upset cable TV consumers of the National Capital Territory.

    With Delhi’s aam junta (hoi polloi) totally clueless on what CAS is all about — apart from what has been fed to them by politicians and the media — scepticism is bound to run all across on something new, which is not part of the basic infrastructure that is severely lacking here and making daily life that much more worrisome.

    And, the Congress-led Delhi government, trying to battle its own intra-party differences on demolition of illegal constructions all over Delhi (as directed by Delhi HC) that has left the denizens of the Capital fuming, the will to immediately implement another court order (on CAS) is definitely lacking.

    It would also be interesting to see how New Delhi could read the Delhi court order, which is not as simple as is being made out by many industry stakeholders — the benefits of CAS or addressability, notwithstanding.

    For the I&B ministry to plan a rollout of CAS as per the court order, it has to first revoke an executive order that suspended implementation of CAS.

    Now, here is the piece de resistance: the court order is silent on the fact whether addressability should be introduced, as per the prayer of the petitioners, ONLY in the south zones of the metro cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai in Maharashtra or the whole of the cities.

    After revoking an earlier notification, the federal government can stick to CAS’ introduction only in the south zones of the metros or interpret the court order as rollout in the whole of the cities. A clarification on the interpretation hasn’t been sought yet by the I&B ministry as there is a section that feels an appeal should be made against the present court order.

    If the government goes in for an appeal, which can turn out to be time consuming, then the timing of it would also be important. It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline.

    As things stand today, the government is keeping things fluid — deliberately so — to weigh all options, including the biggest challenge: political compulsions.