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Tag: CNN-IBN

  • Anna obsession boosts TV news channels

    Anna obsession boosts TV news channels

    MUMBAI: Anna Hazare’s indefinite hunger strike has not only created a stir among the political class and the common man but has also gripped the news industry. The obsession is so complete that the news television channels have forgotten about the existence of other news.

    Anna’s movement against corruption hogged the limelight, occupying 88.5 per cent of primetime content on news channels for the period between 16-24 August, according to data from Centre For Media Studies’ TV news monitoring division CMS Media Lab.

    The data consists of total per day news average of four channels – NDTV 24X7, CNN-IBN, Star News and Aaj Tak.

    Among these channels, Star News gave maximum footage to Anna’s fast –97.1 per cent or 1,310 minutes in the week; its focus on other news was just 2.9 per cent.

    On Aaj Tak, news coverage on Anna was as high as 92.2 per cent, while 7.8 per cent was other news. NDTV 24X7 and CNN-IBN gave 85 and 81 per cent of their primetime to Anna’s cause.

    Interestingly, on 24 August all the four channels aired news related to Anna only and no other news was covered, CMS Media Lab’s data revealed.

    The whole news genre, which is under tremendous revenue stress, has seen a dramatic rise in viewership, thanks to Anna. As per TAM data for the week ended 20 August, the genre share of Hindi news channels has seen an 87 per cent jump in the viewership, while the English news genre saw a boost of 74 per cent.

    In the Hindi speaking market (HSM), the share of Hindi news genre grew to 11.02 per cent compared to 5.9 per cent in the preceding week.

    The genre share of English news channels stood at 0.54 per cent, as against 0.31 per cent in the trailing week.

    TAM data also suggests that not just more people viewed the news channels but they watched it longer. The average daily time spent on Hindi news channels increased to 16.9 minutes from 8.5 minutes in the HSM. The time spent on English news channels rose to 0.72 minute (from 0.30 minute earlier) at a pan India level.

  • IBN18 Q4 standalone net loss at Rs 110 mn, rev up 25%

    IBN18 Q4 standalone net loss at Rs 110 mn, rev up 25%

    MUMBAI: IBN18 Broadcast has reported a standalone net loss of Rs 110 million for the quarter ended 31 March, from a net loss of Rs 220 million it had posted in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    The standalone results constitute the financials of English and Hindi news channels CNN-IBN and IBN7.

    Total income of the company during the quarter under review surged to Rs 690 million, up 25.45 per cent from the earlier year.

    Expenses rose to Rs 690 million, as against Rs 620 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal and Rs 640 million in the trailing quarter.

    IBN18 managed to be Ebitda positive, as compared to an operating loss of Rs 60 million in the year-ago period. In the trailing quarter, the Ebitda profit was at Rs 80 million.

    For the full fiscal ended 31 March, the company’s net loss has come down to Rs 490 million, from Rs 820 million in FY’10.

    Total income from news operations increased 16.19 per cent to Rs 2.44 billion, from Rs 2.10 billion a year ago, while expenses also surged to Rs 2.50 billion (from Rs 2.22 billion).

    Ebitda loss for the fiscal narrowed to Rs 50 million, from Rs 120 million a year ago.

    On a consolidated basis, IBN18’s net loss for the fourth-quarter stood at Rs 130 million, down from Rs 220 in year ago quarter. Total income was at Rs 2.06 billion, while expenditure stood at Rs 1.98 billion for the quarter. Operating profit was at Rs 80 million.

    For the full fiscal, the company posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 170 million, significantly lower than a net loss of Rs 1.10 billion in previous fiscal. Total revenue jumped to Rs 8.04 billion, while expenses were at Rs 7.57 billion. Operating profit was at Rs 480 million, as against loss of Rs 290 million.

    The consolidated results include financials of Viacom18 and IBN Lokmat. The company consolidated the financials of The Indian Film Company into Viacom18 from the third quarter of the fiscal.

    IBN18 shares closed Monday at Rs 88.45 on the BSE, down 0.39 per cent down the previous close.

  • Times TV Network to up ad rates by 20% across channels

    Times TV Network to up ad rates by 20% across channels

    MUMBAI: Times Television Network (TTN), which claims a reach of 90 million urban affluent Indians with Zoom, Times Now, ET Now and Movies Now, has decided to increase ad rates across the four channels by over 20 per cent from today.

    TTN MD and CEO Sunil Lulla said, “Times Television Network is a very uniquely positioned television bouquet which offers distinctive entertainment and quality information to urban affluent audiences and reaches 35 per cent more viewers than the previous year. Each of our channels has a successful track record and has contributed to growing its category. The ad rates reflect the true value we offer to our very valued customers. We will continue to be differentiated, competitive and ahead of the curve.”

    A total of 2000 brands are present across the four channels. “Movies Now is off to a strong start while Times Now has been dominating in its genre. This, coupled with the completely distinctive offering of Zoom and the rapid rise of ET Now, seems only appropriate for the Network to command a premium over its competitors,” Lulla added.

    A media buyer said that while he hasn‘t received the proposal from TTN increasing ad rates by over 20 per cent, it is a challenge at a time when there are many players. “Due to the fragmentation of viewership, it is already costing more to reach the same number of viewers. From our point of view, delivering efficiency while maintaining costs is a challenge. Right now we are in a complex web. It is not a simple equation. There would have to be a serious justification for a client to agree to such a hike.”

    In the news genre, there are many players and Times Now has had a see-saw fight with CNN IBN.

    The media buyer also noted that while Movies Now has been doing well with its HD quality of broadcast, it might be too soon to go to the market for a hike as it has been operating for less than a year.

    Earlier, Movies Now channel head Ajay Trigunayat had told Indiantelevision.com that the aim would be to double rates. He argued that the rates it charges were not comparable with competition. “Competition gets Rs 3500-5000 per-10 second spot. We want to reach Rs 3000 per spot by increasing the effective rates by 100 per cent over the next three months,” Trigunayat had said in the interview.

  • Self-regulation has to come from within

    Self-regulation has to come from within

    NEW DELHI: The government should restrict itself to penalising inaccuracies in reportage while allowing the television news industry to regulate itself, senior journalists said here today.

    India’s news channels, which had faltered in the Mumbai terror coverage, have worked out stronger internal checks and that seems to be working.

    Speaking at the fourth Indian News Television (NT) Summit here today, MCCS editor Shazi Zaman said that the only way to protect the freedom of the media is self-regulation and that has to come from within. “Neither an organisation nor an editor can impose self-regulation; it is something that everyone has to practice.”

    Commercial considerations, however, have forced news channels to have a high-quotient of entertainment and trivial content.  
         
      “In primetime, news channels have an equal proportion of entertainment and political content. Sports takes up 15 per cent of the primetime space, while issues related to agriculture and development stories get less than a five per cent share,” said CMS director PN Vasanti, who was moderating the session on “Making an Impression”.

    Even staying objective is an arduous task. TV Today Network news director QW Naqvi quoted examples of how all the news channels aired stories on “Delhi getting drowned with floods” which was far beyond the scope of objectivity.

    Naqvi said that with the mushrooming of news channels, quality has taken a hit.
    “With the increase in quantity, the quality has gone down,” he rued.

    NewsX co-promoter and Editor-in-Chief Jehangir S Pocha, however, disagreed. “The Indian media industry needs enough media so that viewers have options and there is no cartelisation. What is needed on the other hand, is stringent laws that can penalise those who disseminate inaccurate information.”

    CNN IBN managing editor Vinay Tewari emphasized on the need to rigorously train the new crop of reporters and journalists.

    The time has arrived for the industry to go back to the basics. “While dealing with serious issues, there is sometimes fear and mistrust, even in legitimate cases,” said Tewari.
     

  • ‘The ad market will grow by 13-15% this year’ : Lodestar Universal CEO Shashi Sinha

    ‘The ad market will grow by 13-15% this year’ : Lodestar Universal CEO Shashi Sinha

    Cricket is expected to earn an advertising revenue of Rs 18 billion from its television telecast this year, up from Rs 15 billion in 2010, as it showcases the World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in back-to-back events.

    The World Cup will be bigger for ESPN Star Sports than it was for Sony in 2007. Digging into the game are a lot more advertisers, offering the telecast rights owner a wider plate to bargain from. The telecom and auto categories, which are the two big cricket spenders, have also grown.

    Ad monies will not shift dramatically from other genres to the World Cup. There is no real worry for the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) as the ad market is expected to grow between 13-15 per cent. Cricket will get its share of ad revenue growth, but it will not substitute the Hindi GECs.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, Lodestar Universal CEO Shashi Sinha talks about the advertising opportunities cricket throws up and the impact it could have on the other genres of television content.

    Excerpts:

    The cricket genre is expected to get a big boost with the World Cup and the IPL happening in the same year. Will we see a big ad shift to cricket this year?
    Our estimate is that this year cricket will earn Rs 17-18 billion from television telecast. The World Cup and the IPL will each get around Rs 6-7 billion.

    How much will ESPN Star Sports make from the World Cup?
    Eighty per cent of the figure I earlier mentioned will go to them. The balance will be shared between Doordarshan and news channels.

    The World Cup this year will be far bigger than in 2007. There is an 80 -100 per cent increase in rates compared to what was paid in 2007.

    The logic is that today there are more advertisers. In 2007, there were three telecom companies; today, there are 15. There were five auto companies then; today there are 15. Reach has also gone up. There are at least 60 per cent more TV homes today compared to 2007. I expect ESPN Star Sports to make at least double of what Sony managed to garner in 2007.

    Cricket is pre-sold. Eighty per cent of the ad inventory has been pre-sold for this World Cup, which is what also happened in 2007. It is the client and agency‘s gamble on the property when it is pre-sold.

    Was there hesitation on the part of advertisers after the disaster of 2007?
    It is a question of demand and supply. Also, the issue of India going out after two games does not arise this time (Last time in seven days India was out and people lost interest in the remaining games). Now the schedule has been done smartly. If India goes out, it will be in the third week of March. You are not just sustaining India but also the other teams around India. People, for instance, will follow Australia in anticipation of India meeting them later on, though they are not in our group. Advertisers see a great opportunity in the World Cup. They look at what the scene is today.

    The advantage of the World Cup is that there is more inventory for clients to get on-board. It is not like the 20:20 format; there are more secondages here.

    When people talk about how so much inventory will be sold, they have to keep in mind the fact that the advertising landscape has changed. Advertising was a Rs 160 billion business industry in 2007. Today, it is sized at Rs 280-290 billion. The male dominated categories have grown faster than the female categories. The telecom and auto categories, which are the two big cricket spenders, have also grown.

    Is there any performance guarantee in deals done with ESS?
    There isn‘t any in cricket. It is easy to say that there should be. If supply outstrips demand, then a broadcaster will ensure that there is performance guarantee. If 10 companies are waiting to take sponsorship, why would there be a performance guarantee? Some Indian advertisers don‘t understand that the dynamics of advertising has changed. It is about the supply and demand ratio.

    Are we going to see ad monies shifting from other genres to the World Cup?
    I don‘t think that the shift will be dramatic. There will be a temporary blip, but overall the ad market will grow by 13-15 per cent this year. That makes a big difference. If it was static, I would worry. Around Rs 35 billion will be added this year. It is not like it is not growing like the US – or is shrinking. Cricket is getting its share of ad revenue growth; it is not that it is substituting the Hindi GECs.
    ‘Our estimate is that this year cricket will earn Rs 17-18 billion from television telecast. The World Cup and the IPL will each get around Rs 6-7 billion‘

    How will news channels fare during the World Cup?
    They have built specials around it. CNN-IBN, for instance, is doing programming that is different.

    The news channels will make some money, but the genre is a small part of the overall television advertising expenditure; they earn Rs 8 billion of ad revenue in combine. They will gain but in the larger scheme of things, the gain will be small.

    News channels will make around 10 per cent of what the live World Cup broadcast earns. It is a complementary activity for some clients; others take it as it is less expensive.

    Hindi GECs say that they will hold on due to the women audience. What do you see happening?
    There will be a problem as 75-80 per cent of the Indian homes are single TV. But it depends on who controls the remote. If it is the woman, then the Hindi GECs will be watched. If it is the man, then cricket will gain.

    From an ad revenue perspective, due to competitive pressures people are advertising more; there are more companies coming in. There is no problem in the larger scheme of things. If this was 2009 or five years back, I would have spoken differently.

    How does the World Cup compare to the IPL?
    They are different properties and they do not happen simultaneously. I don‘t know why people compare them. If extra money is coming into cricket advertising, then how are they competing?

    Both properties have relative strengths. If a company is in one property, then its rival will be in the other. IPL gives sustained viewership. In the World Cup, you have to factor in the non India viewership. If India wins, the hype will be much bigger and there will be more eyeballs.

    What difference will there be between India and non India games?
    There will be a dramatic difference. When India plays, there will be an expectation of a national rating of six to seven. If the hype is generated to ensure that non India games deliver a rating of two, then we will be alright. It should not be that non India games give a rating of just 0.5 or 1.

    How do you see this event faring vis-?-vis 2003 and 2007?
    2003 was very good as India reached the final and the tournament was held in South Africa; the telecast timings were very good. 2007 was a disaster and we went out in the first round after two games. This time India would have to be unlucky not to reach the quarter-finals. We play six to seven matches.

    The problem is that with the World cup taking place in India, the hopes are higher. In South Africa, the ratings built up slowly and picked up when India played Pakistan and England. With the event being in India, there is more hype. You are seeing different commercials being created. The bad news is that India has to perform. That is the issue.

    How important will the audience delivery of World Cup be for the ODI format?
    I feel that ODIs are here to stay. People earlier said that Tests would disappear. But it remains healthy, if you look at the India versus South Africa ratings. All depends on the contest and the performance of the teams. In 2009 when Australia came here, people wondered what would happen. Each game was thrilling.

    Your client Amul has sponsored the Holland team. Could you talk more about this?
    It was a bit of a punt taken, but at this point of time the sponsorship is paying off. Holland is a milk producing country. And this is a low cost sponsorship that has been done.

    What kind of activation is being done by companies?
    The ICC should be better organised from an activation standpoint. A key component of activation is tickets. Castrol and other companies are running competitions where people can get tickets. Then you go to the stadium and make a noise, generate excitement.

    The fact, though, is that there are not enough tickets available. I have sat in meetings where ICC sponsors have jumped around and said that tickets are not available. Activation is a weak area in this World Cup.

    Sony is using Dhoni in a campaign while Coca-Cola is doing gully cricket. Can this be construed as ambush marketing?
    No! Coca-Cola did the initiative in the past also and it is for the IPL. Ambush marketing is when you are doing activities in a stadium. While Reliance is an ICC sponsor, if a competitor does something in the stadium that is ambush marketing. It is very direct. These examples that you have given do not constitute ambush marketing.

    There was ambush marketing done in the past. Now the rules are very tight and corporates realise that it is not worth the risk. Big corporates are careful about their reputations. For brands that want recall, it boils down to how good the commercial is. Does it have a good story to tell? That is what consumers will react to rather than anything else.

    Didn‘t LG make a mistake by not taking on-air sponsorship for the World Cup?
    I am sure that LG would have thought about it. Being an on-ground sponsor, the first right of refusal for on-air would have been theirs. As sport gets more official, ambush marketing is getting difficult. LG would have realised that if they did not take the on-air sponsorship, there would be five other television manufacturers waiting.

    In terms of ROI, how is cricket faring?
    Cricket gives instant reach, eyeballs and passion. The disadvantage is that the entry cost is high. With cricket you do activities in a four-to-six-week period. If you want to do activities for a sustained period, then you have to look elsewhere. Cricket is too expensive to use across the year.

    Has there been a fatigue in cricket viewership?
    In India, there is no sport apart from cricket. In the US, you have four games competing; there is an audience for all of them. Here there is a lack of sporting content. The Indian cricket team cannot play for more than 150 days.

    Are advertisers looking at other sports?
    As sports develop, advertisers will come; they chase eyeballs. In the 15-18 demographics, EPL has become big in Mumbai and Delhi. Clients are looking at it. Tennis and F1 may be very niche, but for certain clients associating with them makes a lot of sense. I expect football to become big here – as it has globally.

  • IBN18 narrows Q3 standalone net loss to Rs 10 mn

    IBN18 narrows Q3 standalone net loss to Rs 10 mn

    MUMBAI: IBN18 Broadcast has curtailed its standalone net loss to Rs 10 million for the quarter ended 31 December, from a net loss of Rs 109.63 million in the year-ago period.

    The standalone results constitute the financials of English and Hindi news channels CNN IBN and IBN7.

    Total income surged to Rs 720 million, up 24.14 per cent from the earlier year, on ad gains due to the festive season during the quarter.

    Meanwhile, expenses were under check at Rs 640 million as compared to Rs 525.98 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.  
         
    IBN18 has reported operating profit of Rs 80 million for the quarter under review compared to an operating profit of Rs 60 million in the prior-year period.

    IBN18‘s consolidated net profit stood at Rs 200 million. Total income was at Rs 2.36 billion, while expenditure stood at Rs 2.04 billion for the quarter. Operating profit was at Rs 320 million.

    The consolidated results include financials of Viacom18, The Indian Film Company (50 per cent each) and IBN Lokmat.

  • ‘CNN-IBN is a win-win partnership’ – CNN International Managing Editor – Asia Pacific Ellana Lee

    ‘CNN-IBN is a win-win partnership’ – CNN International Managing Editor – Asia Pacific Ellana Lee

    Based at the network‘s regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Ellena Lee is one of the most dynamic and successful young executives working in Asian television. She manages the on air and online news and feature programming produced in Hong Kong, in addition to CNN‘s correspondents and newsgathering teams across ten bureaus in the Asia Pacific region that stretch from Islamabad to Tokyo.

    Some of the programming initiatives under her tenure include taking CNN‘s Asia-produced programming to Beijing, Delhi, Mumbai and Seoul for dedicated weeks of coverage. She has overseen the launch of a new weekday business program from Hong Kong, World Business Today and also managed the network‘s Talk Asia program as it has travelled across the Asia Pacific.

    Named as a Young Global Leader in 2008 by the World Economic Forum, Lee has steered CNN in the Asia Pacific to received a variety of awards, including a 2008 Peabody for the network‘s global coverage of the US presidential primary campaigns and debates and two Asian Television Awards for best news program for ‘CNN Today‘ (now renamed ‘World Report‘) and best talk show for ‘Talk Asia‘.

    In an email interview with Indiantelevision.com, Lee shared her views on the state of journalism in India, CNN‘s viewpoint and the changes she has brought in her three year tenure as managing editor.

    Excerpts:

    How do you see India as a news market? How different is it from other Asian countries? When it comes to news gathering, how different do you see India among other countries around world? Your take on the exploding media scene in India what so many news channels that have launched?

    India is a fascinating television news market thanks to the number and diversity of channels and the press freedom that the media enjoys. The Indian media is a powerful force to be reckoned with, which makes the need for responsible journalism even more necessary. Indeed, there are clearly some quality control issues regarding journalistic output while the lines between journalism and advertising have too often been blurred. From a domestic Indian perspective, the concept of news has undergone a transformation over the past five years due to key factors including the entry of private (non-governmental) players in the news space and the speed of technological innovations, so there will doubtless be many more changes ahead.

    How is CNN‘s coverage different than other international players like BBC? What is your DNA?

    Production and ownership of our content is our cornerstone and it has allowed us to expand the depth and breadth of coverage. It is very important for us that CNN provide original news to its audiences and not aggregate third party material which people can get from elsewhere. In 2009, we embarked on the biggest newsgathering expansion in our history, a multi-million dollar investment in staff and resources to bolster our world-class, award-winning journalism as well as give us the power to move swiftly into developing new business models.

    CNN also continues to evolve to meet the needs of our international audience through platforms including online, broadband, mobile and interactive television. Our strategy is to make use of most of the growing digital technologies and platforms to enhance our reach and be in continuous touch with our audience. That‘s why we offer multiple touch points for the consumer to access CNN content anytime, anywhere.

    The issue of paid news and plagiarism have been raised in the Indian media repeatedly and quite often in the recent past. Your comment?

    Journalism should always be responsible, impartial and unimpeded by any external factors, be they financial or otherwise. There have been examples of plagiarism and paid media within India which raise serious questions about the independence and objectivity of some reports.

    What is CNN‘s policy on paid news and journalistic ethics?

    We adhere to the highest standards of journalism and never compromise on journalistic ethics. We have never and will never accept any payment for any news coverage, period.

    CNN has adopted a broader perspective on global matters. Can you throw some light on the same?

    In 2009, we embarked on the biggest newsgathering expansion in our history, a multi-million dollar investment in staff and resources to bolster our award-winning journalism and give us the power to move swiftly into developing new business models. This also reflects our philosophy of “Go beyond borders”, our commitment to delivering intelligent news in a connected world where stories and people are not defined or limited by geography.
    ‘Journalism should always be responsible, impartial and unimpeded by any external factors‘

    You were promoted as managing editor of the APAC region in 2007. In the last three years, what changes have you brought in the editorial during this time?

    Rigorous editorial discussion and accountability, clarity of thought and speed of action from all our journalists. As Asia itself grows in influence, we strive to reflect its rise through smart story telling. In my short time as managing editor, we have seen explosive growth in the digital and social media sphere and so we make sure our journalists are comfortable on all platforms and work across divisions to maximize a story‘s impact.

    What about CNN‘s ambitions to go regional and local? You have CNNj in Japan, then Turkish and Korean CNN, why not in India? And if you say partnership with CNN-IBN, the editorial content is all under IBN18?

    CNN-IBN and CNN International have enjoyed a very fruitful newsgathering relationship. For our CNN-IBN audience, we are able to offer a window into key international stories such as the Chilean miners story. And in turn, CNN-IBN offers our international viewers key stories making headlines in India. It really is a win-win partnership.

    How has the tie-up with IBN18 helped CNN in India?

    CNN-IBN and CNN International have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with respect to content sharing, helping us provide even more complete and rounded journalism from India for our global audiences.

    How will you position CNN in Indian context vis-a-vis other APAC countries?

    We don‘t ‘position‘ India or other countries. We report the stories that matter for our hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. We have bureaus in Delhi and Mumbai and are proud of our coverage from India.

    How many people you have in your Indian editorial team?

    The CNN Editorial team in India is led by New Delhi Bureau Chief, Phillip Turner. CNN boosted its presence in India with the appointment of Sara Sidner as the New Delhi-based international correspondent. Then, in 2008, as part of CNN‘s international newsgathering expansion and content ownership strategy, the network announced the opening of its editorial operation in Mumbai as well as the appointment of Mallika Kapur as the network‘s Mumbai-based international correspondent. We have dedicated newsgathering teams to support these bureaus.

    What are the plans for India, how are you going to consolidate your position?

    CNN International has a long and special relationship with India spanning more than two decades. We were the first International broadcaster to interview Dr. Manmohan Singh. Our programming in India runs the gamut from political and business news to stories that bring out the human dimension of India. For example, our coverage of the Commonwealth Games highlighted some of the problems in the preparation, while also focussing on stories which bought out a different and uniquely Indian flavour of the games for our viewers. For instance we covered how authorities were using langurs to deal with the macaque monkeys of Delhi in the run-up to the games.

    In the past, we‘ve focussed in-depth on India through special theme weeks like ‘Eye on India‘ (2004, 2005 & 2007) and ‘India Means Business‘ (2008). India is a nation with one of the youngest populations globally and we examined its youthful essence by giving a voice to ‘Generation Next.‘ In October 2010, ‘CNNGo‘ the monthly travel show on CNN International featuring a unique take on global destinations, visited Mumbai and took viewers beyond Bollywood and the bulls and bears of Dalal Street to explore some unique aspects of this vivacious city.

    Going forward we are looking at further expanding our coverage from India and continuing with our investments in technological innovations. We are also keen to work alongside the remarkable talent pool that is India‘s youth.

  • Sport18, TI Cycles announces 2nd edition of Bangalore Cyclothon

    Sport18, TI Cycles announces 2nd edition of Bangalore Cyclothon

    BANGALORE: Sport18, the sports marketing arm of the Network 18 group and TI Cycles of India (TI Cycles), announced the second edition of the BSA Hercules India Cyclothon (Cyclothon), a mass mobilisation cycling event to be held in Bangalore on 23 January.

    Parts of the event will be broadcast live on CNBC Awaz and Suvarna News 24X7, besides which the radio partner 92.7 Big FM will run live updates.

    The organisers aim to reinforce a cycling momentum in the city and establish that a few other activities can match this on the fitness and environment consciousness parameter. The previous edition in of the Cyclothon in Bangalore in October 2009 attracted around 6000 participants.

    The brands associated with the event include LG (Green Ride partner), Deccan Chronicle (Associate partner) and Kingfisher Premium (Good Times partner). The event partners are MahindraREVA, 92.7Big FM, Suvarana News 24X7, CNBC TV 18, CNN-IBN, Talwalkars, Café Coffee Day and bookmyshow.com. The event will be conducted under the aegis of the CFI (Cycling Federation of India) and Network 18.

    “Brand BSA and Hercules have touched millions of lives over the past 60 years. We have been promoting cycling in India through various programs like the Hercules MTB Himachal, BSA Hercules Duathlon, mountain biking tracks and rental programs at tourist destinations in India,” said TI Cycles General Manager-Marketing Rajesh Mani.

    TI Cycles spends around 3 per cent of its revenues towards brand building, mass media communications, marketing, BTL and ATL activities. Based on its last year’s revenues of Rs.9.5 billion, the company spent approximately Rs 300 million towards these activities.

    “About a third of our spends goes towards advertisement, and a major chunk of the Rs 100 million that we spent towards advertisement was on television,” revealed Mani.

    JWT handles the creative duties for TI Cycles. The company has recently appointed Vizeum Media as the media buying agency.

  • Rediffusion-Y&R CEO Chauhan quits, Rajappa is new prez

    Rediffusion-Y&R CEO Chauhan quits, Rajappa is new prez

    MUMBAI: Rediffusion-Y&R has announced a key change in their senior management. Mahesh Chauhan, who was Group CEO, and has been with the Rediffusion Group for 8 years, has decided to move on. He is being replaced by D Rajappa as Rediffusion-Y&R president.

    Rajappa has been a Rediffusion Group veteran, having served the group for over 15 years in various capacities. He started out as an account director in 1995 and went on to head the Delhi branch of Rediffusion. He later moved to Rediffusion Sri Lanka as president and CEO in 2003. In 2006, he returned to India as president of Everest Brand Solutions.

    Rajappa has worked on many Indian and multi-national brands – Airtel, ACC, CNN IBN, Ericsson, Emami, GPI, LIC, Maruti Suzuki, Parle, Pepsi foods, Tata Housing, to name a few, and has been associated with memorable and result-oriented communication for them.

    He was one among the five professionals from all over India to win the “Advertising Leader of Tomorrow” Award in 1997 conducted by Advertising Association of India and Home TV. In 2005, he completed the Global Advanced Management Program (GAMP) from ISB Kellogg School of Management, a two-phase residential program aimed at CEOs and entrepreneurs. He is today a visiting faculty at Amity School of Communication, IIMC and Indian Institute of Event Management.

    Commenting on Rajappa’s appointment, Rediffusion-Y&R chairman and managing director Diwan Arun Nanda said, “Raja’s clarity of purpose and his integrity have always succeeded in attracting and retaining high talent. The relationships he forms are always meaningful and long term, with colleagues and clients.”

    Said Rajappa about his new role, “I’m no stranger to the group, and I’m here because of the entrepreneurial freedom it offers talented people. I’ve had the opportunity to exercise this freedom in various capacities and this new function definitely offers me further scope to do so. Mr. Nanda has been a great role model. My immediate focus would be to inspire the talented team we have and grow the business and scale of Rediffusion.”

  • Dilip Venkatraman is CNN-IBN CEO

    Dilip Venkatraman is CNN-IBN CEO

    MUMBAI: Network18 has promoted N Dilip Venkatraman to a newly created post of CEO, CNN-IBN. He will lead Network18‘s English news channel with immediate effect.

    In his new role, Venkatraman will be responsible for the strategic, financial and operational management of the channel.

    Network18 is going through a restructuring phase as it is preparing for its next phase of growth. The company had recently elevated Anil Uniyal to the newly created post of CEO – CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz. It had also moved Ajay Chacko, who was playing a critical role in looking after CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and Forbes India, to its new joint venture company, AETN18, as its president.  
         
      Earlier in his role as chief marketing officer of CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, Venkatraman was leading marketing operations for all existing and upcoming IBN channels and managing IBN Focus, the alternative media solutions unit for the channels, as COO.

    Network18 Group COO B Saikumar said, “We believe that the English news market is poised for tremendous growth and CNN-IBN would be best placed to lead this emerging trend. In Dilip, we entrust the responsibility of managing this growth, ensuring sustained profitability and leading the drive to further enhance the brand’s equity and audience franchise.”

    Venkatraman is known for conceptualising properties at Network18 including CNN-IBN Indian of the Year, Real Heroes, IBN7 Diamond States Awards, Citizen Journalist Awards and IBN7 Super Idols.

    CNN-IBN, IBN7, IBN-Lokmat Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai said, “Dilip has been a core member of the team instrumental in building the IBN news network into a leadership position, beginning with the launch of CNN-IBN in 2005. His remarkable success in communicating our values of inclusive journalism has helped us grow CNN-IBN into a clear leader in English news and ensured that CNN-IBN, IBN 7 and IBN Lokmat evolve into the stellar editorial brands that they are today and we’re confident that he’ll continue to contribute immensely in the next level of growth for CNN-IBN.”

    Venkatraman has over 19 years of corporate experience and prior to joining Network18, he held leadership positions at the India Today Group and Zee Network. He is a graduate in public administration and holds management qualifications from IIM Bangalore and Harvard Business School.

    Venkatraman added, “I believe that, right from the outset, CNN-IBN has set the agenda for news in the country with its unique brand of inclusive and passionate journalism which has inturn powered its growth. I hope to work closely with team CNN-IBN to further strengthen our editorial and market leadership.”