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Tag: covid2019

  • Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    New Delhi: As the country struggles to combat the second wave of Covid2019 cases, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that journalists should also be treated as ‘frontline workers’ and be considered eligible for the ongoing vaccination drive.

    An increasing number of journalists are getting infected with the novel Coronavirus while reporting from the ground. Some of them even lost their lives in the past year. “Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They should be treated as frontline workers and should be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi government is writing to the Centre in this regard,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

    Uttarakhand has already announced Covid2019 vaccinations for journalists without any age restrictions and ordered to set up vaccination centres for them in the state. "During the ongoing pandemic, the journalists in the state worked like frontline workers in providing the required information to the people about Covid2019 which helped the government significantly," Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had said on 4 April.

    India had kickstarted the vaccination drive on 16 January with two vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin, which were administered to the frontline workers including doctors and hospital staff. The second phase of the vaccination drive began on 1 March, when persons above 60 years of age and those with co-morbidities were permitted to take the jabs. The third phase began on 1 April for people aged above 45 years.

    The government has recently approved another vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V, for emergency use.

    Meanwhile, in yet another alarming spike, India recorded over 1.84 lakh fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The daily average of caseloads across the country crossed 1.5 lakh last week. The country has lost as many as 1,000 lives during the last 24 hours. The soaring cases have left the hospitals over-burdened, with a shortage of medical supplies including hospital beds and oxygen cylinders.

  • Maharashtra shuts all TV, film shoots till 1 May

    Maharashtra shuts all TV, film shoots till 1 May

    New Delhi: With no slowdown in sight in the surge of Covid2019 cases, the Maharashtra government has decided to shut down all ongoing television and film shooting from 8 pm on Wednesday. The restrictions will remain in effect till 7 am on 1 May.

    The state is grappling with an alarming rise in the number of Covid2019 infections and has the maximum caseloads, more than any other state, amidst the second wave tearing through the country. Chief minister Udhav Thackeray said the current situation was “scary”, with hospitals across the state battling with acute shortage of beds, oxygen cylinders and lifesaving drugs.

    Thackeray stopped short of using the term ‘lockdown’, but said only essential activities and services will be permitted to operate for the next two weeks. The government has announced closure of all schools, colleges, restaurants, hotels, cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, gyms, sports complex, amusement parks and all religious places. E-commerce will be allowed for the delivery of goods. Section 144 will be imposed across the state from 8 pm Wednesday till 7 am on 1 May.

    Television producers and broadcasters who were already reeling under the economic fallout of the pandemic will now have to face the challenge of running daily shows amid these strict restrictions. Several TV and film shoots have already been bearing the brunt of the pandemic during the last two weeks, with an increasing number of artists and staff members testing positive for Covid2019.

    Shooting of TV shows like Wagle Ki Duniya, Anupamaa and films like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Mr Lele, Ram Setu were halted after several Covid-positive cases were reported on the sets. The Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) had also been urging the producers to ensure their staff is being regularly tested for Covid2019. The government had already announced the closure of cinema halls and multiplexes last week.

    The cases and fatalities have peaked sharply in Maharashtra over the last few weeks with as many as 60,000 cases being reported daily. The state has already lost as many as 58,000 lives to the pandemic. The capital city of Mumbai has reported as many as 7,898 new positive cases on Tuesday and reported 26 deaths, taking the total number of positive cases to 5,35,017.

  • Amid pandemic scare, ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ enjoys dream box-office run

    Amid pandemic scare, ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ enjoys dream box-office run

    NEW DELHI: Adam Wingard's Godzilla vs Kong was one of the most-anticipated films of the year, though with many big-budget movies getting pushed back due to the pandemic, stakeholders were jittery if the monster action flick would come to cinemas. However, the movie had its international theatrical release on 24 March 2021. Amid the Covid2019 scare, the film was warmly welcomed by audiences all across the globe, and viewers praised Legendary Pictures for expanding its 'Monsterverse' with another epic outing.

    Godzilla vs Kong creating a storm globally

    Even though the film had its international release on 24 March, Godzilla vs Kong hit cinemas in the US on 31 March. On the second weekend, the film topped the US domestic box office by collecting $13.4 million, thus bringing the monster mashup's stateside haul to $69.5 million, an impressive figure in the midst of a global pandemic. 

    On the first weekend, Godzilla vs Kong collected $32.2 million at the domestic box office. Industry experts consider this figure phenomenal as the film had a simultaneous OTT release on HBO Max. 

    According to a report published in Reuters, Godzilla vs Kong is now the top-grossing film of the pandemic era, bypassing Christopher Nolan’s science fiction action thriller Tenet, which grossed $58.4 million at the US box office. Ilya Naishuller's action thriller Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk is also enjoying a decent theatrical run, with $15.6 million in collections at the US box office after three weeks of release. 

    Godzilla vs Kong makes waves at Indian box-office

    Even though the country is battling a second Covid wave, Godzilla vs Kong is making bank at the Indian box-office as well. In the initial days of its release, most of the multiplexes in India that screened Godzilla vs Kong recorded an attendance of 30 to 35 per cent. Even though the exact collection figures of the monster movie in India are not available, industry experts reveal that the film is already a profitable venture for distributors. 

    Elara Capital vice president & research analyst (media & consumer discretionary) Karan Taurani noted that the success of Godzilla vs Kong hints at the fact that audiences will visit theatres to watch movies that demand a theatrical watch. 

    "OTT releases are the necessity of the current scenario. But at the same time, audiences are not hesitant to visit theatres to enjoy movies that demand a theatrical watch. Consider the example of Godzilla vs Kong. The film which offers a visual extravaganza is enjoying a spectacular run at the Indian box-office. If big movies like these continue hitting the theatres, it will surely revive the exhibition industry in India," said Taurani. 

  • Pay-TV revenue to grow at 7 per cent CAGR over 2020-25: MPA report

    Pay-TV revenue to grow at 7 per cent CAGR over 2020-25: MPA report

    New Delhi: India is among a handful of countries where there is great scope for further penetration of television. Since the turn of the millennium, pay-TV connections have more than doubled in Indian households, though data in the public domain indicates there still remain an additional 100 million homes to penetrate.

    Now, a new report published by Media Partners Asia (MPA) forecasts India’s pay-TV industry will grow at roughly seven per cent CAGR between 2020-25. The growth will be accompanied by a significant uptick in the total industry revenues, including subscription and advertising which will reach $12.3 billion by 2025, said the industry analysts.

    The report, entitled India Pay-TV Distribution 2021 released on Monday, predicts that more than 96 per cent of India’s pay-TV homes will be digitalised by 2025.  The total pay-TV subscribers will further expand from 127 million in 2020 to 134 million during the period.

    Distribution dynamics

    The MPA has pegged India’s active DTH homes to grow from 58 million in 2020 to more than 68 million in 2025. Meanwhile, cable’s share of pay-TV subscribers will decline from 54 per cent in 2020 to 46 per cent by 2025; IPTV will pick up a small share after rolling out later in 2021.

    MPA India vice president Mihir Shah said, “Robust backend systems, the ability to offer consumers flexibility in choosing channel packages under NTO and the exit of leading private channels from DD Free Dish helped the DTH pay-TV sector grow even after the new TRAI tariff regulations came into effect.”

    Going forward, DTH will be the key driver of growth fulfilling the needs of the majority of new TV households entering into the pay-TV ecosystem. “Premium cable subscribers in urban centers remain vulnerable to churn as uptake of quality fiber-based broadband services including IPTV grows in affluent pockets of urban India,” he added.

    Monetisation, investment and the outlook for broadcasters

    The total pay-TV industry revenue, including subscription and advertising, had declined 10 per cent year-on-year in 2020 to $8.9 billion as the economic downturn post-Covid eroded advertising. The projections show that the recommencing of fresh content and live sports together with improvements in consumer and economic sentiment will lead to a sharp recovery in 2021. Pay-TV advertising will grow at 12 per cent CAGR over 2020-25 after a 25 per cent contraction last year.

    During 2020, pay-TV broadcasters generated $4.4 billion in total revenue (62 per cent from advertising and 38 per cent from subscription), down 17 per cent year-on-year. A sharp recovery is expected over the next two fiscals with the channel business and advertising primarily driving this expansion.

    According to Shah, TRAI’s heavy spate of regulations in recent years depressed investment in pay-TV content, which could have a detrimental impact on the quality of content available for the mass market.

    “We expect that more consolidation will play out in the broadcasting industry as recent tariff amendments force incumbent broadcast networks to recalibrate existing channel portfolios. The economics of less popular channels and several niche channels are no longer viable. A new and less draconian regulatory framework will help revitalise content creation in the pay-TV industry while also helping to bolster pricing power for pay-TV platforms,” he stated.

  • Get crew members tested for Covid, IFTPC urges TV producers

    Get crew members tested for Covid, IFTPC urges TV producers

    MUMBAI: With no slowdown in sight in the number of Covid2019 cases in Maharashtra, the Indian Films and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) has urged all television producers to conduct RT-PCR/antigen tests of crew members working on ongoing projects. The statement comes at a time when the state government is mulling a complete lockdown for two weeks to combat the second wave of infections.

    Maharashtra is battling an unprecedented surge of Covid2019 cases, with nearly 60,000 cases being reported daily for the past few days. As many as 394 people lost their lives in the past 24 hours taking the death toll to 57,987.The state worst hit by the ongoing pandemic was forced to enforce a night curfew and a weekend lockdown last week. Except for essential services, it announced the closure of all other businesses, including theatres, cinema halls, and multiplexes till 30 April. However, the film and television shoots were permitted to continue amid restrictions.

    In a statement, the IFTPC said that it has asked the producers of 90 TV shows to conduct Covid2019 tests of their entire crew and submit a report. It has already received confirmation of as many as 9,000 tests, it stated further. The tests will be repeated after 15 days as per the ‘Break the Chain’ guidelines. The association has, however, mandated that antigen tests be done every week for additional safety.

    IFTPC chairman TV & web wing JD Majethia mentioned that broadcasters have borne the cost of the tests. "All the necessary guidelines are being followed scrupulously. We have also urged the producers to create a bio-bubble of the sets and post-production facilities for total safety,” he said, adding that the work on bio-bubble has already commenced and will fructify in a couple of days.

    Several on-ground productions including Ram Setu, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Dharma Productions-backed Mr. Lele were impacted after actors, as well as other members on the sets, tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. Filming of Wagle Ki Duniya and Anupamaa was also halted after some members on the sets tested positive. Mumbai itself has recorded nearly 10,000 positive cases in the past 24 hours and recorded 79 deaths. Other cities like Aurangabad, Pune, Nashik, Thane also remain badly affected.

    Majethia said the television industry has been continuously producing entertaining shows which help the people to stay at home and bring relief to their stressful life. “We hope the government will treat the industry as an essential service and its workers as frontline workers,” he stated.

    On Sunday, chief minister Udhhav Thackeray held a meeting with the Covid2019 task force to discuss the current situation and the duration of a state-wide lockdown and its potential economic fallout. Thackeray had earlier warned that a lockdown is imminent if there is no let-up in cases. Talking to reporters post the meeting, state health minister Rajesh Tope said most of those present at the discussion were of the view that a lockdown should be imposed in the state for at least two weeks. However, he added that a final decision regarding imposing a lockdown in Maharashtra will be taken after 14 April.

    The state has administered Covid2019 vaccines to over a crore people so far.

    The second wave of Covid2019 and another lockdown could land a serious blow to the entertainment industry, which is still recuperating from the damages incurred last year due to an extended shutdown. Apart from the loss of revenue and the impact on the workforce, the restrictions have also put a question mark over the revival of the film exhibition business.

    What the second Covid2019 wave means for Maharashtra

    The IFTPC had earlier cautioned the producers about a potential "September-2020" like situation developing again and urged them to avoid outdoor shoots with immediate effect. Meanwhile, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) formed a monitoring team to ensure that all Covid2019 shooting guidelines, including safety precautions on the set, avoiding filming of crowd sequences are strictly followed.

  • Thomas Cook’s Abraham Alapatt on looking beyond the pandemic

    Thomas Cook’s Abraham Alapatt on looking beyond the pandemic

    MUMBAI: Travel and tourism were among the first sectors to be hit in 2020, due to the outbreak of the Covid2019 pandemic and the resultant closure of borders. It has also been one of the most affected industries and probably will take the longest to revive, with both leisure and business travel taking the brunt. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTCC), the pandemic is likely to cost the tourism sector almost $22 billion and 50 million jobs. Last year alone, India's hospitality and tourism sector suffered an economic wipe-out estimated to be up to Rs 15 lakh crore. And just when it began to show signs of recovery, the country is witnessing a resurgence in cases, dimming the outlook for the sector.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Anupama Sajeet spoke to Thomas Cook (India) president and group head of marketing Abraham Alapatt about how the travel industry plans to beat Covid 2.0 and assuage consumer fears. Alapatt also talked about the company's roadmap to deal with the large-scale disruption caused by the second wave of the pandemic.

    Edited excerpts:

    On the humongous challenge facing the tourism industry.

    The travel and tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit due to the Covid2019 pandemic. Given the vaccine rollouts, we are now witnessing a growth in positive consumer sentiment and are seeing fear being replaced with cautious optimism. In the short to medium term, the opportunity for tourism will be dominated by a few new keywords — safety and hygiene, clear focus on less crowded, more open space, sunshine-oriented destinations, and as a result possibly more unexplored, undiscovered, destinations and experiences.

    Going forward in the new normal, marketers have talked of the post-pandemic ‘3C’ customer, who is effectively going to be constrained — mentally, physically, and financially and will be connected to what’s happening in their country and the world. The post-pandemic customer is going to be defined by 4Ds, especially for travel:

    · Will Deliberate more on decisions on leisure travel

    · More Discerning about the choice of destinations

    · Demanding/Detail-oriented regarding all aspects of the travel programs

    · Discovery-oriented

    On marketing strategies for the upcoming summer holiday season.

    Summer is one of the primary seasons to travel for families given that most school vacations are during this time. While our marketing strategy in 2020 had been primarily digital, we have now reintroduced print to our mix of promotions. We believe in an omnichannel approach, giving the customer the choice to connect with us digitally, at our outlets, or via our toll-free numbers. Customers have now become more digital-savvy post-2020. We have seen an increase in the web traffic on our sites as well as walk-ins at our stores for final discussions and closures. We will continue to invest digitally and boost our retail network across the country.

    Also, we quickly adapted to the new normal and created products and services in line with the requirements of the Covid2019 era. The consumer wish-list had changed and our teams worked accordingly to create easy to book, practical holidays such as workations, staycations, drivecations, affordable luxury holidays. We focused on quick breaks to counter the stress of work from home and home chores at convenient short drivable distances.

    As international borders reopened, our teams negotiated deals with our vendors/partners to offer customers the best rates at Dubai and Maldives’ luxury and super-luxury resorts. The reopening of borders for additional countries has boosted outbound demand to destinations like Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Seychelles. We have added the exciting Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights experience in Murmansk and launched our Nepal tours with a special offer. We are seeing growing confidence in international travel and the return of group travel. 

    On Thomas Cook’s roadmap for 2021 and beyond.

    We conducted a survey with over 2500 customers across India’s metros and tier-1 and tier-2 cities to understand key consumer behaviours and trends. Our Holiday Readiness Travel Report – Future of Travel post-Covid2019 revealed key drivers in this new era of travel. Health and safety ranks as the primary concern for 75 per cent of respondents. We took this challenge head-on and put together a three-pronged customer confidence-building program in the form of 'Assured-Insured-Secured', that covers every aspect of physical safety, as well as mental and financial security to give the customer complete peace of mind.

    We also launched the Assured Safe Travel Program and Doctor on Call 24×7 service in partnership with Apollo Clinics; a free-service offering expert guidance and assistance for safe holiday planning via a tie-up with ICMR accredited labs.

    Given the situation, the demand for virtual and contactless sales and services has accelerated. Our survey also revealed that given the prevailing uncertainty, a significant 71 per cent of respondents stated that they require the guidance of a holiday expert and preferred to visit an outlet/Virtual Store/video chat while planning their holidays. We introduced Virtual Holiday Store and our dedicated team of travel experts will be available over video chat to guide customers with contactless and convenient holiday planning. This is in addition to our retail outlets pan India, that are operational where permitted by local authorities.

    (In addition to Thomas Cook, the Thomas Cook India Group operates leading B2C and B2B travel brands including SOTC, Asian Trails, AlliedTPro (ATP), Australian Tours Management (ATM), Desert Adventures, Luxe Asia, Kuoni Hong Kong, TC Travel, Private Safaris East & South Africa and Sterling Holidays.)

  • Big FM onboards as official radio partners of Rajasthan Royals

    Big FM onboards as official radio partners of Rajasthan Royals

    New Delhi: It's that time of the year again, which cricket fans have been waiting for with bated breath. The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is here and the excitement is palpable. Radio channel Big FM has partnered with the IPL team Rajasthan Royals for the second consecutive year as its official radio partner.

    The second wave of Covid2019 cases continues to pose a challenge and once again, all the matches will be played in empty stadiums, with no enthusiastic fans to cheer their favourite teams. Big FM has announced that it intends to broadcast the stadium experience and ensure that fans can enjoy the revelry from the comforts of their home.

    As a part of the association, Big FM will become Radio Stadium for an hour every day, serving exclusive trivia, conducting exciting contests and quizzes, and hosting an expert panel that will speak on the team and players, and give royal updates on pre or post matches of the Rajasthan Royals team.

    The radio network will also give a chance to their listeners to come up with a ‘royal chant’ for team RR. Listeners will be asked to describe each Rajasthan Royal player in a word. Shortlisting 11 words that best describe each player, Big FM will compose a royal chant using them as core lyrics. The chant will be played on the radio network during each match of the team.

    Big FM country head product – marketing & THWINK BIG Sunil Kumaran said, “This year, the celebrations are a little different, with fans gearing up to enjoy the matches from their homes. However, we don't want them to miss out on the frenzy, and hence through our campaign, we are presenting a multi-platform immersive and engaging experience that will take the excitement and the entertainment quotient a notch higher.”

    The association will allow fans to know more about their favourite RR team players, inside trivia, anecdotes, and fun stories with the Royal Camp, through smart speakers and Android phones. Players will be asked to share stories about teammates, which will be available on the smart assistant in an exclusive format. Big FM will also curate special playlists for some of the top players of the team that match their on-field persona. These playlists will be available on music streaming platforms as the Royal Playlist.

    Rajasthan Royals COO Jake Lush McCrum said, “Our fans mean everything to us. With no fans in the stadium, we need to find different ways to bring them as close to the action as possible. Through this partnership with Big FM, we are excited to bring our fans the joy, excitement, anticipation, and entertainment of IPL from the comfort of their homes.”

  • ABP Network rejigs its sales leadership team

    ABP Network rejigs its sales leadership team

    New Delhi: ABP Network has recalibrated its sales leadership team by imparting additional responsibilities to its leaders, to keep up with the ever-evolving dynamics of the market and foster innovation within the organisation.

    The media company has elevated Amitosh Pal to national sales head – ABP Ananda. Pal will continue to assume the role of regional director, east zone, apart from driving sales for the Bengali channel.

    Parul Kamra has been promoted to national sales head – ABP Ganga. She will continue to assume the role of regional director, north zone, while also driving sales for ABP Ganga. 

    Rakesh Kumar has been elevated to national sales head – government. In his new role, he will be responsible for all government-related business across broadcast and digital, while Amit Kumar Singh, who currently handles digital sales –  government will directly report to him.

    All three members within the sales leadership team will continue to report to Munish Atrey, who will further report to ABP Network chief revenue officer Mona Jain who joined the organisation in 2019 and carries experience of over 30 years in media marketing and promotions, stated the company on Thursday.

    “2020-21 was full of unpredictability and unsurmountable challenges as far as business goes but despite all the odds – ABP Network’s sales leadership team performed and delivered targets consistently. The sales team has been instrumental in driving steady growth for the network. Their strong capabilities coupled with their dedication to helping the organisation reach its business and financial goals led to this well-earned promotion. We are confident that ABP Network will continue to grow many folds in the future,” said  Jain. 

    The network stated that it has been able to overcome the initial uncertainty and tumultuousness of the Covid2019 crisis, and has successfully maintained business continuity.

  • Tonic Worldwide offers free vaccination to employees

    Tonic Worldwide offers free vaccination to employees

    MUMBAI: Independent digital marketing agency Tonic Worldwide said today that it will cover Covid2019 vaccination costs for all its employees and their family members. Apart from covering inoculation costs, the company has also offered one day leave for all employees to get the jab. 

    The announcement from Tonic Worldwide comes at a time when the nation is combating the second wave of the Coronavirus. In the context of surging cases and increased testing, several Indian states have imposed curfews and lockdowns to curtail the spread of the virus. 

    Amid the rising risk of infection, the organisation has urged all eligible employees to avail vaccination at the earliest, in order to ensure the safety of their family members as well as themselves. 

    The Centre has said that approximately 80 million doses have been administered across India – primarily to frontline workers and citizens above the age of 60. Starting 1 April, the minimum age to avail the vaccine was lowered to 45.

  • MIB directs private TV channels to spread Covid awareness

    MIB directs private TV channels to spread Covid awareness

    NEW DELHI: After showing strong signs of flattening the curve, India is again struggling to bring Covid2019 to heel. On 6 April, the country recorded more than 1,15,000 positive cases; a strong indication that the pandemic has returned with a vengeance. 

    Amid the second wave of Covid cases, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has written a letter to all private channels, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), and the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) urging them to disseminate messages for Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccination of the eligible age groups to generate greater awareness among people. 

    The ministry's advisory sent to private channels cited a meeting under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi on 4 April taking stock of the current pandemic situation in India. During the meeting, it was also decided to focus on a five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccine roll-out to curb the spread of coronavirus. 

    "It is, therefore, imperative that all stakeholders take forward the communication strategy with a renewed emphasis on Dawai Bhi, Kadai Bhi (medicines and preventive measures)," said the MIB in its letter. 

    The ministry also lauded the leadership role played by private media houses in spreading messages in the public interesinterest.

    ​​​​"Private TV channels have always been at the forefront of spreading important messages in the larger public interest. It is, therefore, requested that private channels may appropriately disseminate messages for Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccination of the eligible age group so as to create greater awareness among the citizens of the country," stated the advisory.