ITV

Tag: Cinevista Communications

  • Balaji apart, book built media IPOs continue stumbling run

    Balaji apart, book built media IPOs continue stumbling run

    Sporadic spurts apart, media firms’ IPOs made through the book building route between 1999-00 and 2001-2002 have not exactly set the stock exchange ablaze.

    Of the seven media IPOs that made their appearance in the period, only one issue – that of Balaji Telefilms is being currently traded above its issue price. Balaji Telefilms tops the list of three gainers among the total of 19 IPOs that came out during the period, registering an appreciation of 269.23 per cent since listing date 22 November, 2000. The stock is being currently traded at Rs 480 compared with the issue price of Rs 130.

    For the others, its been an uphill task all the way, with the television and media industries in a churn for over the last one year. Cinevista Communications is currently traded at a 84.08 per cent discount, while Pritish Nandy Communications is being traded at a 77.68 per cent discount. Together, the aggregate loss in terms of investor value has been nearly 30 per cent of total resource mobilisation, say analysts.

    How they fare

    Company
    Issue
    price (Rs)
    Current close(Rs)
    % change
    Cinevista Communications
    300
    47.75
    -84.08
    Pritish Nandy Communications
    155
    34.60
    -77.68
    Mid day Multimedia
    70
    26.65
    -61.93
    Tips Industries
    325
    141.25
    -56.54
    Mukta Arts
    165
    85.50
    -48.18
    Creative Eye
    50
    28.25
    -43.50
    Balaji Telefilms
    130
    480.00
    269.23

    Source: Business Standard

  • Will Sanjivani be Star’s lifeline for 2002?

    Will Sanjivani be Star’s lifeline for 2002?

    If a show takes up the time slot occupied earlier by the celebrated gameshow Kaun Banega Crorepati, it better be BIG! That seems to be the line that Star Plus has taken by pulling out all stops to ensure that its new weekly soap Sanjivani grabs eyeballs in a big way.

    The one-hour show, produced by Cinevista Communications, and airing 9 – 10 pm on Wednesdays, is definitely not cutting any corners in scale or concept. Spread out over 18,000 square feet of space in a suburban studio is a permanent hospital set that has taken over Rs 10 million to put up. The standard betacam has been given the go-by; the entire filming and editing is done digitally. The cost of digital beta filming is four times that of the betacam (which hovers around Rs 3000 per episode) and the resultant picture quality 20 times better. Each episode of the series that explores the human side of hospital life costs over Rs 1 million to produce, avers Cinevista creative director Siddharth.

    Set designer Omung Kumar has created a hospital set that is stylish, colourful and very hip – very unlike a hospital, but one with a ‘hopeful feel’, says director Kaushik Ghatak (because it is loosely based on Chicago Hope?). A veteran of such hit serials like Kyunkii and ShhhKoi Hai, Ghatak says Sanjivani has the potential to tap a variety of emotions and relationships in the wider canvas of hospital life. Authenticity has been maintained to the last detail in buying original operating and scanning equipment and infrastructure worth millions. Cinevista has also retained a panel of around eight doctors who advise the crew on medical terms and shots. Ghatak says the team spent eight months of research on assimilating 800 case files from various hospitals to ensure that the incidents portrayed have a ring of truth to them.

    And for some star appeal, middle-rung Bollywood actor Mohnish Behl has been signed on for a central character in the serial.

    Star Plus too is ensuring that the investment in the series fetches due returns. Hoardings and innovative front and back page advertisements in major English and regional language newspapers marked the launch of the serial. The channel tried another innovative promotion – distributing Band-Aid medicated strips in local trains in Mumbai on launch day (yesterday), stamped with the Sanjivani logo to get the medicine message across.

  • Cinevista rolls into the red in H12001

    Cinevista rolls into the red in H12001

    The bad times in the television business have got to Cinevista Communications as well.

    Cinevista, a leading television programme producer, has reported negative results with a net loss of Rs 34.50 million in the first half (H1) ended September 2001. Total income for the half-year ended 30 September 2001 stood at Rs 110.2 million as against Rs 253 million for the same period last year.

    The company has posted a net loss of Rs 34.5 million, against a net profit of Rs 30.80 million for the same period last year. Cinevista had posted a sales growth 55 per cent and a growth of 44 per cent in profit after tax for the half year ended September 2000 over the same period the earlier year. The current year’s figures stand out in stark contrast with these figures.

    The Cinevista scrip was down 4-7 per cent yesterday on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The scrip moved beteen Rs 45 and Rs 42 and closed even lower at Rs 42.50 with close to 6200 shares changing hands.

    The television industry has started feeling the heat of deteriorating market conditions as is evident by the half yearly results shown by many media related companies. The bad times are probably just beginning for the industry.