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Tag: Covid19

  • Fox Corp profits shoot up in Q3, despite ad revenue dip

    Fox Corp profits shoot up in Q3, despite ad revenue dip

    New Delhi: Fox Corporation on Thursday reported increase in quarterly net income which rose to $582 million as compared to the $90 million reported in the prior year quarter.

    A change in how the TV broadcasting company valued some of its assets is being considered a key reason for the increase in net income.

    However, the total quarterly revenues dropped to $3.22 billion as compared to the $3.44 billion reported in the year ago quarter. According to the New York-based company, this was primarily due to the absence of the ad revenue from the broadcast of Super Bowl LIV. Advertising revenues fell 24 per cent to $1.20 billion as compared to the $1.57 billion reported in the prior year quarter. Fox News, too recorded a seven per cent drop in ad revenue.

    Though, it was partially offset by the consolidation of it’s free streaming platform Tubi and the impact of additional NFL regular season and playoff broadcasts in the current year quarter, said the company.

    The affiliate revenues increased 10 per cent with 18 per cent growth at the television segment and six per cent growth at the Cable Network Programming segment.

    Overall, the cable news giant Fox News continued to make vast majority of the Fox Corporation’s profits, said the company.

    Executive chairman and chief executive officer Lachlan Murdoch said the company has delivered operationally and financially with the year-to-date revenues, despite the impact of Covid and the comparison against a Super Bowl year. 

    “Consistent with our expectations, Fox News reclaimed its leadership position as America’s number one cable news network and the most watched cable network in primetime, while Fox Sports reached a landmark agreement with the NFL to extend our Sunday NFC rights package with expanded digital rights. These strategic milestones, coupled with a slate of complementary, high-growth, digital-focused assets, led by continued record growth at Tubi, provide a powerful platform to grow our business for the long-term,” he detailed.

    Murdoch went on to add that the company would lay emphasis on digital media and the new business was likely to be found in podcasting, digital venues, and a new weather-news unit Fox had been building in its Fox News Media unit.

    The net Income attributable to Fox Corporation stockholders was $567 million ($0.96 per share) as compared to the $78 million ($0.13 per share) reported in the prior year quarter. 

    The company also used the occasion to announce the acquisition of OutKick Media, the news outlet founded by Clay Travis.

  • Covid Care: Droom announces 1 cr budget to support fight against Covid

    Covid Care: Droom announces 1 cr budget to support fight against Covid

    New Delhi: Stepping up to take care of its employees during the devastating second wave of Covid2019, AI-driven online automobile marketplace Droom on Thursday announced Rs one crore budget for its new initiative – Droom Cares.

    As a part of this initiative, Droom will ensure sanitization of some healthcare facilities, police stations, clinics, pharmacies, and homes of healthcare workers in Delhi NCR using Germ Shield, its anti-microbial coating. It has also created a Covid SWAT team to verify all leads regarding oxygen supply, hospital beds, ICU availability, oximeters, food suppliers, plasma donors, and Covid-related life-saving drugs.

    The company has also launched programs for its 20,500+ dealers to assist with pharmaceuticals, Covid vaccination, medical assistance, and also provide isolation ward to asymptotic dealers with basic medical facilities. It has launched a telemedicine consultation for mental and physical health free of cost for Droomers. A unique Buddy Program has been initiated where Droom will assign one employee to another who is recovering from Covid2019 and requires assistance.

    “The second wave of the pandemic has triggered an unprecedented crisis for the country. We would like to show our commitment to society by trying to help people in these difficult times. We have also organized a Covid SWAT room for quick assistance and have converted one of our office facilities into emergency wards with basic medical facilities and doctor teleconsultation for our employees in times of need,” said Droom, founder and CEO, Sandeep Aggarwal.

    Among other relief measures, the company has announced a special insurance scheme for all its employees and dealers to have hassle-free treatment in these stressful times. The insurance scheme will give five times more cover to its employees and be also extended to their parents and current family members. “Our endeavor has always been to stand firmly united with our stakeholders in the most stressful times and we are confident to overcome these together,” Aggarwal added.

  • After Odisha, UP and Tamil Nadu declare journalists as frontline workers

    After Odisha, UP and Tamil Nadu declare journalists as frontline workers

    New Delhi: After Odisha, now Uttar Pradesh has declared journalists as frontline workers to be given priority in the ongoing vaccination drive and also directed authorities to allot separate centres for them where they can be inoculated.

    The new government formed in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal has also classified journalists as frontline workers, a day after emerging victorious in the Assembly elections. 

    “All journalists working in newspapers and the visual media risk their lives and their work will be considered as frontline workers in Tamil Nadu,” said Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday.

    The devastating second wave of Covid2019 has taken a severe toll on news mediapersons, many of whom have been reporting from the ground. According to the Delhi-based Institute of Perception Studies, more than 100 journalists have died since 1 April 2020. Over 52 scribes from various parts of the country lost their lives in April alone.

    The decision comes amid several appeals by the Editors Guild of India (EGI) to the central government to give journalists priority in vaccination along with frontline workers. While several states, including Uttrakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab have already declared journalists as frontline workers, the Centre has not yet made any provision in this regard.

    “Despite the support from various state governments and media organisations, the central government has not responded to this request. Now, even though vaccination has been technically opened for all above 18 years of age, there is an acute shortage of vaccines. Therefore, the Guild’s urgent demand that journalists be given priority along with other frontline workers,” said the Guild in a recent statement, while condoling the death of mediapersons.

    Welcoming the UP government’s decision on Tuesday, News Broadcasters Association president Rajat Sharma said UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed his officials to open special vaccination centres exclusively for media personnel.

    Sharma had earlier written a letter to the UP CM to make the vaccines available to all media personnel and their family members on priority. “Noida has emerged as a big centre for national electronic media, and most of the TV journalists and camerapersons work and live here. In most of the cases, TV reporters and camera persons have to work in the midst of crowds, and meet Covid2019 patients, doctors and health care workers in hospitals. Hence, the need for vaccinating them and their family members on priority,” wrote the senior journalist.

  • Vaccinate journalists on priority, Editors Guild urges government as Covid death toll rises

    Vaccinate journalists on priority, Editors Guild urges government as Covid death toll rises

    New Delhi:  As the country battles the deadliest wave of Covid2019, with a record four lakh positive cases recorded in the last 24 hours, the challenges faced by journalists and media organizations continue to intensify. Over 52 journalists from various parts of the country lost their lives due to Covid2019 in April alone.

    As India opened the vaccination drive for all adults (18-45 years), here on Saturday, the Editors Guild of India (ECI) urged the government yet again to consider journalists as frontline workers and ensure they are vaccinated on priority.

    “The Guild is extremely distressed that the central government has not yet taken any steps to hasten the vaccination of journalists over the last few months. Many of them (who succumbed to Covid2019) were freelancers and hence, were not insured. Others who worked for media organizations did not enjoy the assurance and comfort of being insured by their companies,” it stated.

    The Guild condoled the death of journalists due to Covid2019 in the past year. According to the Delhi-based Institute of Perception Studies, more than 100 journalists have died since 1 April 2020. “Many of them were reporting on the worsening pandemic and bringing to fore stories of the great human tragedy that has been unfolding before us,” said ECI. “The Guild pays homage to the fortitude and commitment to work that these journalists have displayed over the past year.”

     

     

    ECI had earlier demanded that journalists be considered as frontline workers and vaccinated on priority.  “Despite the support of various state governments and media organizations, the central government has not responded to this request,” it asserted while highlighting that that issue of shortage of vaccines has now hit Phase-3 of vaccination drive. It also urged the media organizations to ensure the safety of their journalists.

     

     

     

     

    On Saturday, two more journalists, Assam Tribune’s Delhi correspondent, Kalyan Barooah and his wife and senior journalist Nilakshi Bhattacharyya succumbed to Covid19.

    Meanwhile, Mumbai Press Club also urged the government to consider journalists as frontline workers. “It’s urgent, all lives matter,” it appealed to the government on Saturday

  • Covid sweeps TV Land: Rupali Ganguly, other actors test positive

    Covid sweeps TV Land: Rupali Ganguly, other actors test positive

    MUMBAI: The second wave of the Covid2019 pandemic has hit India hard. The country is struggling in its attempt to curb the spread of the deadly virus, and despite vaccine roll-out, cases are on the rise with every passing day. Today, India became the second nation, after the US, to report one lakh new cases in a day.

    This turn of events has precipitated a crisis in the television industry, with more and more actors testing positive every day. The lead actor of Apna Time Bhi Aayega, Megha Ray, is the latest TV celeb to test positive for the novel Coronavirus.

    Balaji Telefilms’ producer Ekta Kapoor recently updated fans about Yeh Hai Chahatein actor Abrar Qazi.

    “Actor Abrar Qazi who is an integral part of the TV show Yeh Hai Chahatein has tested positive for Covid2019. As soon as the symptoms were detected, he received medical help and quarantined himself. Immediately thereupon the entire cast and crew were isolated and tested. The BMC is informed and the sets will be fumigated and sterilised as per the protocol. Currently, the artist is receiving medical attention and under home quarantine. We are constantly in touch with the entire team as their health is our priority. We stand by our commitment to safety and will continue to ensure that all measures prescribed by the authorities are being adhered to,” the producer shared.

    Actor Narayani Shashtri, who is currently seen on Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha, is also one of the actors who has come down with the virus.

    Full House Media producer Sonali Jaffar informed that the entire cast and crew were immediately isolated and tested. The BMC was notified and the sets were to be fumigated and sterilised as per the protocol.

    Several TV actors who also recently tested Covid2019 positive include Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal, Mishkat Verma, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai's Kanchi Singh, Ankit Siwach, Namak Issk Ka actress Monalisa, Anupamaa actors Rupali Ganguly, Sudhanshu Pandey and Aashish Mehrotra, and Aap Ke Aa Jane Se actor Karan Jotwani. Other names include Molkki actors Toral Rasputra, Amar Upadhyay and Priyal Mahajan, Nikki Tamboli, Neil Bhatt, Manit Joura, Ariah Agarwal and Daljiet Kaur. TV producer Rajan Shahi also contracted the novel coronavirus.

    This, when TV land was trying to get back on its feet after braving a challenging 2020 marked by production in limbo, viewer migration and scarce ad revenues. But in the face of these troubled times, the industry is determined to weather the situation together and survive. 

  • Maruti Suzuki clocks 1% net profit in Q2

    Maruti Suzuki clocks 1% net profit in Q2

    NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India has reported a net profit of Rs 1,371, a slim growth of one per cent year-on-year for the quarter ended 30 September 2020.

    The Q2 bottom line of India's largest car manufacturer is still an improvement from a year-on-year loss of Rs 249.5 crore in the previous quarter, owing to Covid2019 related disruptions and lockdowns.

    Production across the company’s factories and supply chain was progressively ramped up, with total sales of 393,130 vehicles during the quarter, higher by 16.2 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Sales in the domestic market stood at 370,619 units, higher by 18.6 per cent. Exports were at 22,511 units, lower by 12.7 per cent.

    During the quarter, Maruti Suzuki registered net sales of Rs 17,689.3 crore, higher by 9.7 per cent compared to the same period previous year. The operating profit for the quarter was Rs 1,167.7 crore, a growth of 71.7 per cent over the same period previous year on account of higher sales volume, lower sales promotion expenses, lower operating expenses and cost reduction efforts partially offset by an increase in commodity prices and adverse foreign exchange movement.

    The net profit in quarter two of the previous year FY19-20 was higher due to mark-to-market gains on the invested surplus and lower tax provision. As a result of this, while the operating profit increased by 71.7 per cent over the same period the previous year, the net profit increased by one per cent.

  • Kannada news channels clocked 10% hike in ad revenues during Covid2019 period

    Kannada news channels clocked 10% hike in ad revenues during Covid2019 period

    NEW DELHI: While most of the markets witnessed a slump in ad revenues across genres on television, Kannada news market was surprisingly on an upward spree during the past three months. While the overall Kannada market witnessed a dip of close to 72 per cent, compared to April-June 2019, when the overall ad spends were Rs 145 crore, news genre maintained a steady hold on advertising revenues, data in the possession of Indiantelevision.com reveals. 

    The Media Ant co-founder Sameer Choudhry tells Indiantelevision.com that the news genre witnessed an increase of about 10 per cent during the lockdown period. 

    Sharing an in-depth data, Vizeum Chennai associate general manager R Kumaran revealed that as compared to the same period in 2019, the ad revenues for Kannada news channels grew 18 per cent in April’20, 20 per cent in May’20, and 15 per cent in June’20. 

    mPlan CEO Parag Masteh attributes this growth to the increased news consumption in the state during the lockdown. He shares with us, “The audience in the state of Karnataka is more educated and even before Covid2019, the viewership on news channels used to give tough competition to other genres including the GEC. The number accelerated more in the Covid2019 times as the need for information grew more.”

    As per BARC+Nielsen weekly report on consumption trend during the lockdown, in week 20 (starting May 16), the growth in viewing minutes for Kannada news channels was a whopping 148 per cent. 

    While the ad revenues were scaling up for news channels during the past three months, as per TAM AdEx data, apart from Kasthuri News 24, which recorded a 15 per cent increase in the count of advertisers too, none of the other news channels witnessed positive growth. Overall, there was a 33 per cent drop in the tally of advertisers. 

    However, during the Covid2019 period, the numbers kept growing month-on-month. While comparing the count of advertisers in June’20 and April’20, TAM AdEx witnessed a 19 per cent growth, reveals the TAM AdEx data. 

    Masteh states that these numbers will continue to grow if the Covid2019 numbers stay on the lower margin in the state during the coming months. “However, with GECs slowly claiming their stake back, we can witness slight dips in the ad revenues on news channels, but the growth will remain upward if the pandemic remains contained.” 

    Kumaran adds, “In Karnataka, retail clients have started spending from June onwards compared to pre-Covid2019 on TV (across genre) followed slowly by other regional/national clients. If continues in July–Aug, Karnataka market will see more ad spend if relaxation continues. The upcoming festive season of Dussehra and Diwali will expectedly revive the overall industry.” 
     

  • Magazines and in-app communication to promote Marriott’s welcome-back discounts

    Magazines and in-app communication to promote Marriott’s welcome-back discounts

    NEW DELHI: The Covid2019 pandemic has led to many businesses within the country shut their shops completely, including the $22billion hotel industry. For the past two months, with stringent travel restrictions in place, the industry faced clumps of losses. However, as the lockdown starts easing, the players are slowly prepping to get back on their feet.

    Recently, US-based Marriott International announced the launch of an interesting deal as a welcome-back offer curated specially for South Asian countries including Asia, under which people can make the hotel bookings now within the month of June, choosing between three different complimentary offers, and avail them any time by June 2021. They will be able to save 30 per cent and above on these bookings.

    Sheraton Hyderabad GM Vikas Sharma told Indiantelevision.com that it is an initiative by the hotel chain to get the cash flowing within the hotels. He said that just within five days of the announcement of the offer, his hotel has already received bookings for 50 room nights.

    “In fact, the whole Marriott chain has been receiving queries and bookings. People have reacted to it pretty well,” Sharma added.

    Most of the bookings received are for the month of June and July 2020. “My hotel is an area where most bookings are made for business purposes. However, another trend that I am seeing is people booking the hotel for staycations.”

    Marriott is also preparing all its hotels to ensure complete safety for its team members and guests and has been ensuring proper sanitisation of the spaces, and introducing touch-free options for facilities like check-in, bill payments, and food & dining experience, etc.

    “The hotels have been working with partners like Ecolabs and Diversey to get the best sanitisation practices in place. We have stringent quality control over each other product that will be used in our hotel, as well,” Sharma said.

    Marriott is also working on in-house technologies to provide keyless check-in to its guests using QR codes and innovating to introduce maximum touch-less experience at shared spaces like elevators.

    The hotel chain is looking at utilising print media, like magazines, personalised communication to its patrons, and in-app notifications on its Bonvoy platform to communicate about this offer. Sharma added that they are also looking forward to a lot of word-of-mouth publicity about the offer.

    While he is expecting a positive response to the discount and thinks people will soon start travelling for business and staycation purposes, he believes that it won’t be before the first quarter of CY2021 that the industry will be able to get back on its feet.

    “I have at least 75 per cent occupancy at my hotel in this time period (June-July) and I will consider myself lucky if we manage to get even 25 per cent this time. The industry will take some time to get back to normal,” Sharma concluded.

  • HUL donates over 74,000 testing kits to tackle spread of Covid2019 in India

    HUL donates over 74,000 testing kits to tackle spread of Covid2019 in India

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has donated 74,328 RT-PCR Covid2019 testing kits worth Rs 13 crore to help ramp up testing of patients in the country. The Maharashtra government has received about 28,800 RT-PCR testing kits to help in the early detection of Covid2019. Others who received the RT-PCR kits include Indian Council of Medical Research (20,160 kits), Metropolis Labs (8088 kits) and Apollo Hospitals (17,280 kits).

    The RT-PCR testing kits consist of nucleic acid diagnostic kit, sample release reagent, throat swab, PCR tube and sample storage reagent. The testing kits are approved by international certification bodies such as CE IVD, US-FDA and EU CE, and are also listed in FIND, a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaboration Centre.

    Hindustan Unilever chairman and MD Sanjiv Mehta said, “Sufficient supply of testing kits and other medical equipment will help frontline warriors competently tackle the Covid-19 virus. This will not only allow for free testing in critical regions, but also accelerate the process of testing asymptomatic patients, supplementing Government efforts to flatten the curve and arrest the spread of the pandemic in the country.”

    This contribution comes on the back of 29 ventilators worth Rs 3 crore that HUL is donating to government hospitals in Maharashtra. Last month, HUL had also donated 5000 sets of PPEs, 20,000 N95 masks, 2,00,000 gloves, 112 pulse oximeter and 28 oxygen concentrators worth Rs 2 crore to the Maharashtra Public Health Department.

    Beside states like Maharashtra and New Delhi which have a high Covid2019 patient count, HUL is also extending product donation and other support across India around its manufacturing locations and offices in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

    HUL recently committed Rs 100 crore towards helping India fight the Covid-19 pandemic, undertaking various initiatives to ensure the safety of people and communities, product sourcing, and business continuity. The initiatives include large scale awareness campaigns, providing free sanitation and hygiene products to Covid2019 frontline workers and underserved sections of the society, upgrading health care facilities in hospitals & testing centres, and setting up isolation centres to help local authorities curb Covid2019 spread. The company is supporting around six lakh migrant labour families with food kits and essential hygiene and nutrition products post-lockdown to help fight Covid2019.

    HUL also partnered with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) to create a public awareness campaign on social distancing and personal hygiene to prevent Covid2019.

  • Covid2019 communication: Is it time to change OOH messaging?

    Covid2019 communication: Is it time to change OOH messaging?

    NEW DELHI: It has been close to three months since the announcement of a nationwide lockdown in the wake of Covid2019 and even longer since the governments across states have been trying to promote the necessary social distancing and other precautionary measures via advertising. While there has been constant innovation in digital and TV commercials, with the constant addition of newer faces and updating of messaging with changing scenarios, OOH hoardings are still covered in the initial set of messaging. Case in point, the following hoardings spread across Mumbai, which have been a constant for months now!

    Posterscope India director Fabian Cowan believes that for communication to be effective it needs to be refreshed with time, based on the current environmental cues and prevalent truths. Therefore, a refreshed set of creatives and communication is most certainly required to be promoted by the civic bodies.

    “The elements and tone need to be in line with the current stage of the pandemic. If staying at home was the single-minded focus at the start of the pandemic, maintaining the right kind of social distancing could be the line of thought in the current context as restriction begins to ease.”

    Laqshya Media group CEO Atul Shrivastava adds, “The Covid2019 communications had utilised the OOH space for over two months. However, awareness is still needed especially in the larger cities where the curve is still climbing. Therefore, a few strategic locations with high visibility should be chosen for specific Covid2019 communications. As people start going back to offices across the country and supply chains open up, there needs to be a healthy balance between public service and commercial activity.”

    Kinetic India co-CEO Charanjeet Arora feels while it is important to refresh the messaging, it is totally the government’s call to do it or not. “Honesty, it is a pandemic and the government understands the magnitude of it. In their long list of priorities, I think saving lives is on top right now.”

    He continues, “If I talk about just Delhi and Mumbai, they are much evolved markets and internet penetration is quite high. People are aware but there is a constant need for communication because the memories in our country are constantly shuttling. It is important to have this (Covid-centric) communication but there is a need to work on the frequency as we have to build the sentiments of businesses back. For example, in Delhi, at least 30 per cent of all OOH billboards should have this communication but the areas should be chosen based on the need.”
    So, should the brands be taking the onus of acquiring OOH space and share Covid-related messaging?

    Arora doesn’t think it will be wiser for brands to constantly keep talking about the pandemic in their messaging. “Brands need to be subtle and empathetic in their communication, surely. It shouldn’t look like a high-decibel sales pitch. But they should be talking about their own brand experience and usage.”

    If Cowan as to be believed, brands too are looking forward to incorporating the same style of out-of-home messaging going ahead. He says, “Currently there are encouraging signs with regards to the increased number of enquiries and considerations being made on possible open markets, especially with respect to green zones. We see this as a positive development. While these discussions currently are in the realm of media possibilities and its deployment our sense is that the communication will largely be centred around sales and benefits of ownership of such products given the current context.”

    Shrivastava says that most brands are trying to strike a balance between awareness and sales pitch and the pure commercial advertising will take a few more weeks to come back. “They are keeping marketing communications sensitive, meaningful, relevant and optimistic. Many companies have launched new initiatives to give them an edge in the age of the New Normal. The brands are communicating these initiatives more to portray to the consumers that they care for their employees and their consumers.”