ITV

Tag: COO

  • Rana Barua joins Contract Advertising as COO

    MUMBAI: Rana Barua, the former Chief operating officer (COO) of Law and Kenneth, has joined Contract Advertising India in the same position.

    Barua succeeds Umesh Shrikhande, who recently left to pursue other opportunities. He will partner the senior leadership team at Contract to ensure the best value proposition for clients.

    JWT South Asia CEO Colvyn Harris said, “Rana has diverse management experience with a proven track record that makes him an ideal choice for Contract, one of India‘s leading independent integrated advertising agencies. I am confident that Rana with his experience across advertising and integrated brand solutions will ensure that Contract continues to be a very successful agency.”

    Barua said, “I am excited with the opportunity of being a part of the Contract story. It is a wonderful time for our industry as it continues to evolve so rapidly. Contract is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this and I am confident I will be able to facilitate this process by partnering with the senior management team.”

    In his 19 years of experience Barua has served varied roles like COO of RED FM and the head of marketing for Radio City where he successfully repositioned the radio station to make it amongst the top two stations in the country.

    He started his career in advertising having worked at HTA (JWT), Ogilvy, McCann and Y&R. His category experience includes working with brands like Renault, eBay, ING Life, Godrej, Reckitt Benckiser, J&J, Gillette Parker, Microsoft, HP, Tata Tea, Zydus Cadila, Levers, Tata AIG & AIA, Marico, Virgin Atlantic, and ITC.

  • Debashis Paul joins Percept/H as COO

    MUMBAI: Percept/H has announced the appointment of Debashis Paul as its chief operating officer (COO).

    Indiantelevision.com had reported on 17 August that Paul is joining Percept/H.

    Paul will be based in New Delhi and will have a national role at Percept/H. He is responsible for six offices including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Lucknow.

    Percept/H CEO Prabhakar Mundkur said,” We are happy to welcome Debashis at Percept family. He has worked in advertising across global brands and across wide range of categories for 25 years. We are impressed with Paul‘s team building skills and with him on board I am sure we can forge a new path ahead for Percept H.”

    Paul said, “In my long standing innings in the advertising field, I have played many roles and have had the good fortune to have worked with some of the best professionals in the field, both on the agency‘s side and the client‘s side. I was now seeking a genuine national role and this opportunity from Percept was a perfect fit.”

    Also read:

    Debashis Paul to join Percept H as COO

  • Dish TV appoints Salil Kapoor as COO

    Dish TV appoints Salil Kapoor as COO

    NEW DELHI: Zee’s direct-to-home (DTH) company Dish TV has appointed Salil Kapoor as its chief operating officer (COO).

     

    The appointment follows Vinay Agarwal‘s joining Dish TV as its CEO in June-end.

     

    Kapoor will be taking the charge from the company’s headquarters in Noida from today. He brings with him an experience of over 17 years spanning across Information Technology, Consumer Durable and Engineering Industries.

     

    Prior to joining Dish TV, Kapoor was associated with Samsung Electronics as the national sales head.

     

    He was responsible for Consumer Electronics Revenue and Sales operations through 50 branches. He was also leading the senior level multi disciplinary teams.

  • MTV networks COO Michael Wolf quits

    MTV networks COO Michael Wolf quits

    MUMBAI: There seems to be no end to the executive departures at Sumner Redstone’s Viacom Inc. A day after Gail Berman resigned as president of Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, putting in less than two years in the organization, MTV Networks president and chief operating officer Michael Wolf is also leaving Viacom’s MTVN.

    Wolf left McKinsey to join the media group’s transition to the digital age but is leaving barely a year later.
    According to the company’s website, Wolf and MTVN president of affiliate sales and marketing Nicole Browning will be leaving the company.

    Wolf led the company’s business and technology operations, including advertising sales, affiliate sales and marketing, business and strategy development, business and legal affairs, finance, information systems and technology and production operations.

    Browning oversaw the distribution activities of MTV Networks including MTV: Music Television, MTV 2, mtvU, MTV Tr3s, MTV World, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Spike TV, Comedy Central, Logo, TV Land, Noggin/The N, CMT, VH1 Classic, The Digital Suite from MTV Networks, and BET Networks including BET, BET Gospel, and BET J.

    Earlier last week Wolf had revealed to the media that there was a “gap in perception” in the market about Viacom’s internet activities. He also added, ‘We’ve been able to accomplish a huge amount in the 15 months I’ve been here’. During his tenure, Viacom acquired a slew of internet gaming and film startups, including Xfire and Atom Entertainment.

    Wolf’s departure had been a subject of speculation since Redstone, Viacom’s chairman and controlling shareholder, ousted Tom Freston in September 2006 from his post as chief executive and replaced him with board member Philippe Dauman.

    It was widely believed that Freston, one of the MTV founders, was blamed for the company’s failure to acquire MySpace, the popular social networking site, and the perception that the cable group was being eclipsed by a new generation of youth-oriented media companies.

    In early 2006 Viacom’s research maven Betsy Frank exited the company after nearly a decade. Company sources pointed out that they would be working with Frank on a consultancy basis over a number of projects. MTVN president ad sales Larry Divney also stepped down on 1 April but would continue to be exclusive consultant to the network on their various projects.

    This is the latest in a long line of top ranking executive exits at Viacom’s MTV Networks which in hindsight could now be said to have begun with the resignation of MTV COO Mark Rosenthal in 2004 following Judy McGrath’s promotion to chairman and CEO of MTV Networks.

    The company’s January 2006 split from CBS has led to a huge upheaval in its top management ranks. Wolf’s departure is the latest in this series. MTVN will begin searches for a new COO and a new head of Affiliate Sales and Marketing immediately it has said.

  • HBO, AOL launch a comedy site in the US

    HBO, AOL launch a comedy site in the US

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster HBO and internet service provider AOL, which offers online programming for over 100 million users each month, have joined forces on the new broadband website This Just In.

    The site is slated to launch in the first quarter of next year.

    This Just In will feature humour through the lens of current events ranging from pop culture to politics. It will reflect the broad range of comedy that HBO is known for including cutting edge social commentary, urban comedy and the most current new comedic voices. Leveraging AOLs leadership in online video and innovative web programming, This Just In will feature extensive video content, as well as a blog format that will enable users to tap into the days events as they are happening. This Just In will also be a platform to incubate new programming for other HBO platforms.

    The venture will be accessible at www.thisjustin.com. This Just In will replace the existing AOL Comedy channel.

    AOL Media Networks will represent This Just In to marketers, offering advertisers the opportunity to associate their brands with an HBO property for the first time ever with the site clearly identified as powered by HBO. In addition to traditional ad units, the venture will work closely with advertisers to create programming that incorporates marketing messages in a way that is as engaging as the content itself. AOL will support the site with all of the tools and technologies of its content publishing, video and social networking platforms as it has with TMZ.com, the successful 24/7 entertainment news website that AOL launched last year with sister company Telepictures.

    AOL executive VP, consumer and publisher servicesJim Bankoff says, “This venture will leverage AOL’s online expertise and HBO’s established reputation for comedy to provide a unique, engaging site for audiences across the web. What’s more, for advertisers, this is the first time they can connect to the HBO brand.”

    HBO executive VP, new media programming Group Carmi Zlotnick says, “Our goal is to create a robust destination that can have the potential of becoming part of the water cooler pop culture like many of our network programs have become. With our heritage and relationships in the comedy space, this platform is ideal for showcasing new forms of entertainment to todays savvy audience and allows us to discover fresh talent and ideas indigenous to new media.

    Running the venture is Steve Stanford who was the founder and CEO of Icebox.com, an early Internet comedy site that created programming with many top television writers, and was a co-founder and COO of the edgy, content-driven cell phone service Ampd Mobile. He says, “This is about creating a new kind of entertainment experience that couldnt exist in a non-interactive medium. We will be trying new things and taking risks in the process of developing great Internet comedy.”

    This Just In is an extension of HBO’s commitment to comedy and recognition that many of the most interesting things happening in comedy today are originating on the Internet. Content from the site may also be used across multiple platforms including HBO, HBO multiplex channels, HBO On Demand and HBO Mobile. The broadband comedy venture is only the most recent step HBO is taking to discover and develop up and coming talent.

  • Ronald D’Mello appointed COO of UTV; Zarina Mehta is COO Hungama TV

    Mumbai: UTV Software Communications, India’s leading and most respected integrated media and entertainment companies announced that Mr. Ronald D’Mello, Director – Operations & Finance, will now take on the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer of UTV Software Communications Ltd.

    In his new role, Mr. D’Mello will be fully responsible for the day to day operational management of the Company, including running of each of the profit centres as also all aspects of implementation, Finance, HR, Legal, cost management and business servicing. Mr. Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of UTV, will now focus on providing strategic direction in the areas of content development, revenue generation and new opportunities through organic and inorganic growth across all lines of businesses. Mr. Screwvala and Mr. D’Mello will work jointly on corporate strategic initiatives, investor management and business development.

    A professional Chartered Accountant, Mr. D’Mello has more than 15 years of post qualification experience in the manufacturing, hospitality and media industry and enjoys the distinction of being one of the longest serving finance professionals in the media industry. Associated with the industry since 1991, he has played a key role in its evolution and been an active participant in industry initiatives at various levels including State and Central Government. Mr. D’Mello joined UTV in 1992 and has played a crucial role in the Company’s evolution.

    In another development, Ms. Zarina Mehta, Founder Director of UTV and Head of Programming, Hungama TV, will now take on the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer, Hungama TV. In her new role, Ms. Mehta will oversee all aspects of Channel operations and management.

    A graduate in Economics (Honours) from the Mumbai University, Ms. Mehta is one of the three founding members of the company. Over the last 15 years, she has been responsible for the start-up and creation of some of UTV’s major divisions and has produced over 3500 hours of high TRP, award-winning television programming in multiple languages. A multi-award-winning director of corporate documentaries with a passion for children’s television, her initial training was as a theatre actor, where she performed in several leading productions.

    Commenting on these developments, Mr. Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of UTV, says, “UTV is one of the largest fully integrated media companies in the region, and it is our relentless endeavour to ensure constant focus on our key business areas, with an eye to future opportunities. These new responsibilities for Ronald and Zarina will ensure that our current businesses continue to have a single-minded focus, while I can drive creative development, revenue maximization and new business opportunities.”

    About UTV:-
    Incorporated in 1990, UTV has today emerged as one of India’s leading and most respected integrated media and entertainment companies. From a Television Production house, it has grown into an integrated media house with interests in Television Content and Air-time Sales, Movie Production and Distribution, and Broadcasting through their group company United Home Entertainment, which recently launched Hungama TV. In fact, in the last 15 years UTV has established its presence across Asia for its creativity and professional approach to the business. Website: www.utvnet.com

    For further information please contact:-
    Purnima Subbiah / Pooja Nikam
    Good Relations (India) Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai
    Tel No: 022-23535971 / 77
    Mob: 9833100866
    Fax: (022) 3535980
    Email: purnimas@gri.co.in