ITV

Tag: Entertainment industry

  • Maharashtra CM assures support to TV, film fraternity to resume shooting

    Maharashtra CM assures support to TV, film fraternity to resume shooting

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday interacted with artistes and producers from the entertainment industry, especially Marathi film, theatre and television series, via video conferencing.

    He assured the members that the state will consider any action plan proposed by them for reviving shooting and post-production activities provided they exercise physical distancing norms and other precautions.

    The chief minister tweeted about the virtual meeting that the state government will stand firmly with the technicians, backstage artistes, workers, folk artistes and performers in this crisis. He also said that rent concessions for those who have erected sets at the Film City will be considered.

    The film and television producers and actors promised full support to all the decisions that will be taken by the state government.

    The chief minister has sought a draft proposal from the creative fraternity on what are all precautions they would take while filming. He assured them that he would think over their proposal.

    He informed that only after taking necessary precautions in green and red zones, production of films will be possible. Production shouldn't be in the containment zone. People involved in the production process, their stay and food requirements, and other things are also matters of concern.

    He said that the entertainment industry not only entertains, but also teaches us, and hence assumes significance. Since movie theatres are places where people do come in large numbers, it's difficult to give immediate relaxation.

    The other day the Federation of Western India Cine Employees appealed to the chief minister to grant permission to resume the post-production work of the media and entertainment industry. The federation sought the chief minister’s permission to continue with the post production activities, such as editing, sound recording, etc. of such projects nearing completion, so that it will give relief to the industry. It assured the chief minister that necessary guidelines pertaining to the health, safety and security of the workers involved in such post-production activities will be adhered to.

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  • Women who have shaped India’s TV landscape

    Women who have shaped India’s TV landscape

    MUMBAI: Diversity. That has been the buzz globally as the entertainment industry seeks to right the female-to-male ratio in the power structure of corporations that define it. In India’s large organised entertainment sector, most companies have had men in senior executive positions for  a while. But with the entrepreneurial fever running high and funding available, an increasing number of women have been setting up ventures operating in this space.

    Entrepreneurship aside, women have, over the past few decades, played a critical role in the evolution of the television industry. Right from the black and white television days, they have been involved in programming as well as content production. The credit to set the ball rolling for the TV revolution goes to late prime minister Indira Gandhi, who steam-rolled her way into launching colour television in 1982 around the time of the Asian games.

    But before that, in the era of  black and white TV, DD Mumbai Kendra’s Shukla Das was behind such iconic shows as Young World, Rich Heritage, Spotlight and Magic Lamp—shows that were way ahead of their time. There were other iconic figures like Luku Sanyal, Jane Swamy, Rini Simon and Usha Alburqueque who became the face of news in India when the only channel around was Doordarshan.

    public://karuna samtani_0.jpg Karuna Samtani

    Then came the satellite TV revolution and in came Zee TV in 1992, created by a rice and toothpaste tube manufacturer Subhash Chandra. And he hired an army of women to help him churn out TV shows that shook the nation. Among the first of them was Karuna Samtani, an ad-film maker, who was hired as the head of content at Zee TV.’She roped in unknown creators who produced content at Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 an episode that went on to redefine the viewing habits of Indian TV audiences, sparking off the satellite TV revolution-which had been initiated by Star—in India.

    public://meenakshi-madhvani_0.jpgMeenakshi Madhvani

    Chandra had the uncanny ability to pick the right women: his hiring of the then media whizkid Meenakshi Madhvani, now Menon, helped give the fledgling broadcaster a solid foundation to generate ad revenue from by creating an advertising rate card.

    Urmila Gupta

    Even as this was going on, at public broadcaster Doordarshan, a programming explosion was being set off by the team of DD director general R Basu and deputy generals RK Singh and Urmila Gupta in 1994. Reeling from declining viewership following the onslaught of Zee TV and a few other private TV channels, the government-owned TV network also got into entertainment and openness hyperdrive by launching a separate channel called DD Metro and revamping DD National. In charge of the news and current affairs division, Gupta brought in private producers like Prannoy and Radhika Roy, Raghav Behl, Nalini Singh, Madhu Tehan to churn out news programmes that, at times, were critical of the government at that time. DD Metro became a success and helped spawn a clutch of producers.

    public://tata_0.jpgMegha Tata 

    Around the same time, Star was going local and Monica (now Megha) Tata joined the sales team of Star India as vice president advertising sales in 1992. At Star, she was responsible for advertising revenue for Star Movies, Star World, Channel V, National Geographic Channel and History Channel. Tata subsequently joined Turner International in 2004 where she served as general manager, entertainment networks South Asia. She was responsible for steering and overseeing all network initiatives across Turner’s brand portfolio in South Asia and was overseeing the advertising sales, research and marketing communication functions. In 2016, Anil Ambani Reliance group-owned business broadcast network appointed Tata as chief operating officer to manage the relaunch of its 24-hour business news channel following the exit of Bloomberg News from the venture. Bloomberg TV India was rechristened BTVI, which is helmed by her.

    public://manisha-sharma-colors_0.jpgManisha Sharma

    When Manisha Sharma joined the team in 2012 as head of the non-fiction category, Hindi GEC Colors was in its initial years. At Colors, Sharma brought out some distinctive, out-of-the-box reality programming and contemporary dramas, exposing the Indian television audience to a whole new world of entertainment. She created some of the most critically acclaimed properties that Indian television ever witnessed including shows such as 24, Comedy Nights With Kapil, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi.

    Prior to joining Colors, she was the non-fiction head at Sony Entertainment Television and was responsible for shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Dus Ka Dum, Comedy Circus, Crime Patrol and fiction properties including Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi and Kkusum.

    public://supriya sahu_0.jpgSupriya Sahu

    Supriya Sahu has been credited for giving a shape and direction to India’s community radio movement. It was under her leadership that community radio was included in the 12th Five-Year Plan of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) opened its doors and increased engagement with the community radio sector. Having worked as a joint secretary at the MIB, Sahu has extensive experience in the ministry; she had earlier served as the director at the ministry. In February this year, she was selected by Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, to be the director general of state broadcaster Doordarshan after which the broadcaster had recommended her name to MIB for approval.

    public://Smriti Irani 3x2.jpgSmriti Irani

    For many years, Smriti Irani along with Ekta Kapoor and Star India contributed to the rise of Indian television thanks to the hugely popular Kyuunki Saas Ki Kabhi Bahu Thi–a series in which Irani played the role of a dutiful Indian daughter-in-law, who had sanskaars yet was willing to stand up for herself when she was wronged. 

    Now, 17 years later, Smriti sits over the entire broadcast sector as India’s TV content regulator as Minister of Information and Broadcasting, a position none of the executives or professionals in Indian television even envisaged she would one day hold.

    Irani acted quickly following her appointment: she put a halt to the process of e-auctions of DD’s free-to-air direct-to-home platform DD FreeDish.  She even stopped the privatisation of time slots on national broadcaster DD National and even said no to two productions (one by Gajendra Singh and the other by Balaji Telefilms) that had got the go ahead. That did not augur well for at least Singh as it allegedly caused him grievous losses.

    Then, under her watch, the ministry has been demanding that the world’s most valued cricket league, the IPL, is of national importance and that Star India needs to share its feed with DD, something which the Fox group company sees as not being fair. Additionally, the ministry has also raised the fees for live uplinking–a move that many see as targeted at making things dearer for Star India as it is going to have a summer packed with several days of IPL cricket matches in six languages.

    Irani also left her stamp on this year’s IFFI, which was probably the most glamorous in its history with A-list Bollywood stars winging it to Goa. Her ministry lifted the bar for the festival in terms of scale and quality. She also clamped down on steamy condom commercials that were flooding TV channels during the day. They were ordered to telecast them only between 10pm and 6am.

    public://swati mohan_0.jpgSwati Mohan

    Swati Mohan, business head – India, for FOX Networks Group (FNG) is one of the youngest faces in the industry to head such a large and profitable broadcast network. She is a seasoned professional with over 16 years of experience across a wide spectrum ranging from television content and Programming, to film and TV production, content marketing and advertising. A literature graduate from Lady Sri Ram College, Mohan has a master’s degree in Film and Television from Goldsmiths College, London and a diploma in film making from the New York Film Academy.

    Prior to taking on the role of business head for India, Swati led the programming and content portfolio for the National Geographic and Fox Networks Group.

     

    Before her time at FNG, Swati spent five years at Group M leading the brand content and  partnerships piece at Mindshare Fulcrum, post which she set up the division in Maxus. During her time at Fulcrum (2007 – 2010), at a time where branded content was still fairly nascent, she led the wave of strategic brand building through content and was responsible for award winning work both in India and the region for brands like Wheel, Sunsilk, Ponds etc. She was then elevated to a national director ESP at Maxus where she was tasked with setting up a division from scratch and also ensure a healthy revenue stream. Within 12 months of setting up this division, she not only managed to grow advertiser demand in the area, she managed to make it one of the most profitable non-core revenue stream for the agency.

    Prior to Group M, she had had successful stints at Endemol and FBC Media as executive producer, and started her career in advertising and worked in Ogilvy and Red Ice Films.

    public://Anurradha prasad_0.jpgAnurradha Prasad

    Anurradha Prasad is the owner of BAG Films and Media Ltd that owns news channel News 24 and music entertainment channel E24. Prasad launched the news channel in 2007 and recently repackaged and revamped the channel in February. Although she does not have any formal education in journalism, she began her anchoring career as early as 1990. Her company BAG Films and Media has been credited with pulling off shows like Poll Khol, Red Alert, Kumkum, Khullja Sim-Sim and Khabrein Bollywood Ki on Doordarshan.

    Ritu Dhawan

    India’s veteran anchor Rajat Sharma of Aap Ki Adalat fame is the public face of India TV. But the backbone of the channel is his wife Ritu Dhawan as she runs the business with Sharma helming the editorial. The duo launched the channel in 2004 just as the BJP’s tenure at the Centre was ending.As managing director of the Independent News Service, Ritu has played a key role in taking the company’s valuation to an impressive Rs 1,000 crore.

    Fazilla Allana and Kamna Nirula Menezes

    This one  is a great example of how business partners can also be good friends! Fazila Allana and Kamna Nirula Menezes – the duo who founded and run Sol Production From boss and subordinate, to business partners and now family, their relationship has moulded into many shapes over the years. However, none of it has affected their friendship.

    Kamna and Fazila met over fifteen years ago, when Kamna was working in UTV and Fazila was her boss at the time. The duo then decided to launch their production company Sol in January 2003. In a short time, Sol was recognised as a producer of high quality non-fiction programming as well as live and televised events.

    Sol has been one of the pioneers for non scripted shows in the country, very often starting trends and blazing trails for people to follow and winning many awards in the process. In 2007, Sol became part of the Zodiak group. Today, Sol is a well established and respected producer of high quality shows, producing in multiple genres, including, reality shows, talent shows, talkshows, kids programming as well as drama and daily soap.

    Ravina Raj Kohli

    Ravina Raj Kohli started her career  from an advertising firm called HTA (now known as JWT) in Singapore. At that time, advertising was a field not very conducive to women. But Ravina took up the challenge bravely and excelled. She worked in advertising, radio and television all over Asia Pacific region during her stay in Singapore from 1990 – 1996. She went on to join Sony Entertainment Television as Programming Head – God seemed to have crafted her destiny. She was holidaying in Lakshwadeep Islands with her friends, Mitali and Prahlad Kakkar where she was introduced to one of the directors of the channel just as a matter of chance. The rest is history and soon, Ravina was offered the position of programming head with Sony. She had limited idea about the needs of the Indian television viewers, but she took up the challenge. She was given single handed responsibility of the programming department with the authority to take decisions. Sony was ranked 56 in the charts at that time, and under her able leadership, the channel shot to the top slots.

    She decided to launch her own production house cum multimedia company by the name of Sundial. Hardly had she got things going, her paths crossed with Rupert Murdoch, who placed the daunting task of converting an English news channel, Star News into a Hindi one, and that too, in just 11 months. At that time, the channel had absolutely nothing, not even a screw. So it was literally like launching a new channel for Ravina. She hired the team, trained and oriented them towards the goal and embarked on taking up the challenge thrown at her. And she did complete her task within the stipulated and the channel was aired on the penultimate day of the deadline. She worked with Star News for about another year till 2004, hand holding the channel to become one of the most successful news mediums in the terrestrial space.

    She is motivated to contribute her bit to the benefit of society at large, having founded Jobcorp Company., a company dedicated for empowerment of women. She has also been actively involved in th education space  by setting up chools and educational institutions.

    Sneha Rajani

    A Sony Pictures Television Networks India veteran Sneha Rajani has been working with the firm since 1999, probably the longest tenure for a woman television professional at a single company. Sneha has  previously been business head, MAX, which she launched and led for 10 years, before assuming responsibility of the flagship GEC, SET. She has played a key role in MSM’s movie buying strategy and was also instrumental in leading its cricket properties, such as, the ICC World Cup and IPL.

    Following that she was appointed deputy president & head, MSM Motion Pictures.  She made her debut as a producer with the film Piku  that got audience an critical acclaim.

    Early on in her career, Sneha worked with the Star India DTH venture iSkyB and for the Asia Television Network.

    Ekta Kapoor

    The Czarina of TV – Ekta Kapoor – has played a key role in the evolution of content on TV, film and OTT. Her shows have contributed tens of thousands of crore to the top line of TV channels such as Star India, ZeeTV, Sony Entertainment Television, DD Metro, and Colors. The  Mithibai College alumni has reshaped the Indian television industry with shows like Kyunkii, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kasuati Zindagi Kay, Naagin, Jodhaa Akbar, etc.  She also has a few box-office hit films like Shootout at Wadala, Half Girlfriend are from under the Balaji banner. Her latest initiative OTT platform AltBalaji is what is keeping her preoccupied these days having got in Reliance as a strategic equity partner, her group can only head further north.

    Ashvini Yardi

    Ashvini Yardi is a producer of Bollywood movies. After having a 20-year-long career in television, she formed Grazing Goat Pictures with actor Akshay Kumar in December 2011.

    She produced the films like OMG – Oh My God!, 72 Miles, Bhaji in Problem, Fugly and Singh Is Bliing. At Zee TV she conceptualized the cult singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge and Lil’ Champs before leaving to join Colors. At Colors, she brought in path-breaking shows such as Uttaran, Balika Vadhu, Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Veer Shivaji, Laado and took the new channel zooming to the No 1 spot.

    Sapangeet Rajwant

    Sapangeet Rajwant, senior vice president of Viacom18,  joined as head of marketing in Viacom18 media after quitting ng as a marketing head of Zee TV. She replaced Rajesh Iyer who quit to join ZEEL as business head, new initiatives, Hindi broadcast in March 2014. She has around 17 years of work experience. She had joined ZEEL in 2004 and worked with various brands of the company since then. She has also worked as the brand head of the Hindi movie channels of the network – Zee Cinema, Zee PAC.

    Rashmi Sharma

    Writer and creative director Rashmi Sharma, launched her production company that bears her name, around a decade ago and has not looked back since. A darling of most channels, Sharma has been known to consistently deliver block busters on TV.   Among them: Saath Nibhana Sathiya, Sasural Simar Ka. This apart, she has been a producer of films like Pink and Days of Tafree..

    Shashi Mittal

    Born and brought up in Gujarat, Mittal has completed her bachelors from Ahmedabad. Mittal is an Indian TV and film producer and founded her own production house with husband Sumeet Hukamchand Mittal. At Shahsi Sumeet Productions, she is pivotal for the creative of the various fictional content shows that the production house delivers. She started her career in TV production in  2009 and produced numerous soap operas including Sajan Ghar Jaana Hai, Haar Jeet, Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki, Dil Ki Nazar Se Khoobsurat, Kairi, Punar Vivah and Punar Vivah – Ek Nayi Umeed, Tu Mera Hero, Muh Boli Shaadi, Dream Girl — Ek Ladki Deewani Si, Tum Hi Ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi and Diya Aur Baati Hum.

    There has been a galaxy of women in the television business that has helped set up the platform for rising stars. With the stage set, radical strides by a bigger number of passionate men and women are on the horizon.

  • DD reaches 92 per cent of India; FreeDish 30 million homes

    DD reaches 92 per cent of India; FreeDish 30 million homes

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan in terrestrial mode is estimated to be available to about 92 per cent population spread over 81 per cent area of the country, the Parliament has been told.

    However, in satellite mode, multichannel TV coverage of Doordarshan reaches all the areas of the country through Doordarshan’s free-to-air DTH service FreeDish. It is possible to receive DTH signals anywhere in the country with the help of a small-sized dish receive unit, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

    Modernisation of Doordarshan network by utilising modern techniques and equipment is a continuous process. Schemes in this regard have been formulated and implemented from time to time. The modernisation plan covers a broad spectrum, which includes digitalisation, adoption of new technologies, upgradation and replacement of old ageing equipment, etc.

    According to industry estimates, DD FreeDish has reached about 20 to 30 million homes with 80 TV channels and 32 radio channels. This information is based on the KPMG- FICCI (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016.

    The minister said there was no restriction on any channel for obtaining a slot on DD FreeDish through e-auction as DD Free Dish Platform was Free-to-Air and no subscription was charged by Doordarshan from viewers.

    The minister said, in the e-auction held so far by Doordarshan, no pay channel had participated. (However, it is learnt that Zee News and Big TV which are pay channels successfully bid for beaming free to air on FreeDish).

  • DD reaches 92 per cent of India; FreeDish 30 million homes

    DD reaches 92 per cent of India; FreeDish 30 million homes

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan in terrestrial mode is estimated to be available to about 92 per cent population spread over 81 per cent area of the country, the Parliament has been told.

    However, in satellite mode, multichannel TV coverage of Doordarshan reaches all the areas of the country through Doordarshan’s free-to-air DTH service FreeDish. It is possible to receive DTH signals anywhere in the country with the help of a small-sized dish receive unit, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

    Modernisation of Doordarshan network by utilising modern techniques and equipment is a continuous process. Schemes in this regard have been formulated and implemented from time to time. The modernisation plan covers a broad spectrum, which includes digitalisation, adoption of new technologies, upgradation and replacement of old ageing equipment, etc.

    According to industry estimates, DD FreeDish has reached about 20 to 30 million homes with 80 TV channels and 32 radio channels. This information is based on the KPMG- FICCI (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016.

    The minister said there was no restriction on any channel for obtaining a slot on DD FreeDish through e-auction as DD Free Dish Platform was Free-to-Air and no subscription was charged by Doordarshan from viewers.

    The minister said, in the e-auction held so far by Doordarshan, no pay channel had participated. (However, it is learnt that Zee News and Big TV which are pay channels successfully bid for beaming free to air on FreeDish).

  • KPMG-FICCI: TV industry to touch Rs 1,09,700 crore by 2020

    KPMG-FICCI: TV industry to touch Rs 1,09,700 crore by 2020

    MUMBAI: If 2015 was a good year for media and entertainment industry with a growth rate of 12.8 per cent taking it to Rs 1157 billion,(RS 1,15,700 crore) with advertising revenues touching Rs 475 billion (Rs 47,500 crore), 2016 promises to be even better. Estimates show that the industry is to touch  Rs 1315 billion by this year end, with television alone commanding Rs 617 billion (Rs 61,700 crore). And the industry stalwarts project even rosier tidings for 2020.

    As per KPMG- FICCI Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016 that was released on 30 March at FICCI Frames 2016, the sector is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.3 percent to be valued at Rs 2260 billion (Rs 2,26,000 crore) by 2020, with advertising revenue touching a whooping Rs 994 billion (Rs 99400 crore) at a CAGR growth of 15.9 per cent.

    Television continues to thrive:

    While 2015 saw the growing stress on the need to transport from traditional media to digital options, the current report reassures the continued importance and relevance of television as a medium, which is projected to grow at a rate of 15.1 CAGR between 2015- 2020, and touch Rs 1,09,760 crore by 2020, out of which Rs 364.5 billion (Rs 36,450 crore) will be contributed by advertising revenue. TV ad revenue is expected to touch Rs 210.3 billion (Rs 21,030 crore) by the end of 2016. On the other hand, subscription revenue for broadcasters is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent between 2015- 2020, to Rs 733 billion (Rs 73,300 crore). Subscription revenues for TV is estimated to have grown at 13 per cent to reach Rs 361 billion (Rs 36,100 crore). While the figures show a positive growth in advertising revenues, a delayed digitisation process would slow down the subscription growth.

    Digital, the fastest growing medium:

    Digital Advertising will continue to grow at a high CAGR of 33.5 per cent, the highest growing medium of all. The evident shift would be towards mobile and video advertising backed by the opening up of bandwidth in the country by 2020. The report estimates that by 2020 digital advertising will touch Rs 255.2 billion  (Rs 25,520 crore) and contribute 25.7 percent of the total advertising revenue.

    Impact of BARC India ratings on Television:

    There are no two opinions about the fact that roll out of BARC ratings was a major event that changed the face of the industry, and perhaps its rules as well.  The implementation of BARC was a major theme in 2015. While inclusion of rural markets and increase in sample size led to a reshuffle of rankings in the ratings of TV channels, particularly highlighting the viewership of FTA channels, there was no immediate impact on ad budget allocations among channels or genres. Going forward, sustained trends in ratings could lead to advertisers re-thinking their ad spend mix and broadcasters their content strategy.

    Paid C&S penetration of TV:

    The number of TV households in India has increased to 175 million (17.5 crore), at 62 percent growth rate. The figures are estimated to touch 200 million (20 crore) by 2020, with paid cable and satellite subscriber base growing to 174 million (17.5 crore) and command a lion share of 87 per cent of total TV households. However, when considering distribution, challenges in improving addressability, increasing monetisation continues to plague the industry, the report foretells. Meanwhile, competition in the TV distribution space is expected to intensify with Reliance Jio coming in the cable TV business.

    ARPU continues to back DTH growth:

    As per industry observations shared in the report, DTH has seen an ARPU growth of 10 per cent in 2015, driven by price hikes,  and increased HD feed penetration which constitutes 15 percent of the total subscriber base in the sector. This trend is expected to rule the sector in the upcoming years as well, with average ARPU of HD subscriber estimated to grow to 1.5 to 2 times that of a non HD subscriber. The report also hints at a growth in demand and adoption of 4K STBs, though lack of enough 4K content could be a disadvantage to this growth.

  • KPMG-FICCI: TV industry to touch Rs 1,09,700 crore by 2020

    KPMG-FICCI: TV industry to touch Rs 1,09,700 crore by 2020

    MUMBAI: If 2015 was a good year for media and entertainment industry with a growth rate of 12.8 per cent taking it to Rs 1157 billion,(RS 1,15,700 crore) with advertising revenues touching Rs 475 billion (Rs 47,500 crore), 2016 promises to be even better. Estimates show that the industry is to touch  Rs 1315 billion by this year end, with television alone commanding Rs 617 billion (Rs 61,700 crore). And the industry stalwarts project even rosier tidings for 2020.

    As per KPMG- FICCI Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016 that was released on 30 March at FICCI Frames 2016, the sector is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.3 percent to be valued at Rs 2260 billion (Rs 2,26,000 crore) by 2020, with advertising revenue touching a whooping Rs 994 billion (Rs 99400 crore) at a CAGR growth of 15.9 per cent.

    Television continues to thrive:

    While 2015 saw the growing stress on the need to transport from traditional media to digital options, the current report reassures the continued importance and relevance of television as a medium, which is projected to grow at a rate of 15.1 CAGR between 2015- 2020, and touch Rs 1,09,760 crore by 2020, out of which Rs 364.5 billion (Rs 36,450 crore) will be contributed by advertising revenue. TV ad revenue is expected to touch Rs 210.3 billion (Rs 21,030 crore) by the end of 2016. On the other hand, subscription revenue for broadcasters is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent between 2015- 2020, to Rs 733 billion (Rs 73,300 crore). Subscription revenues for TV is estimated to have grown at 13 per cent to reach Rs 361 billion (Rs 36,100 crore). While the figures show a positive growth in advertising revenues, a delayed digitisation process would slow down the subscription growth.

    Digital, the fastest growing medium:

    Digital Advertising will continue to grow at a high CAGR of 33.5 per cent, the highest growing medium of all. The evident shift would be towards mobile and video advertising backed by the opening up of bandwidth in the country by 2020. The report estimates that by 2020 digital advertising will touch Rs 255.2 billion  (Rs 25,520 crore) and contribute 25.7 percent of the total advertising revenue.

    Impact of BARC India ratings on Television:

    There are no two opinions about the fact that roll out of BARC ratings was a major event that changed the face of the industry, and perhaps its rules as well.  The implementation of BARC was a major theme in 2015. While inclusion of rural markets and increase in sample size led to a reshuffle of rankings in the ratings of TV channels, particularly highlighting the viewership of FTA channels, there was no immediate impact on ad budget allocations among channels or genres. Going forward, sustained trends in ratings could lead to advertisers re-thinking their ad spend mix and broadcasters their content strategy.

    Paid C&S penetration of TV:

    The number of TV households in India has increased to 175 million (17.5 crore), at 62 percent growth rate. The figures are estimated to touch 200 million (20 crore) by 2020, with paid cable and satellite subscriber base growing to 174 million (17.5 crore) and command a lion share of 87 per cent of total TV households. However, when considering distribution, challenges in improving addressability, increasing monetisation continues to plague the industry, the report foretells. Meanwhile, competition in the TV distribution space is expected to intensify with Reliance Jio coming in the cable TV business.

    ARPU continues to back DTH growth:

    As per industry observations shared in the report, DTH has seen an ARPU growth of 10 per cent in 2015, driven by price hikes,  and increased HD feed penetration which constitutes 15 percent of the total subscriber base in the sector. This trend is expected to rule the sector in the upcoming years as well, with average ARPU of HD subscriber estimated to grow to 1.5 to 2 times that of a non HD subscriber. The report also hints at a growth in demand and adoption of 4K STBs, though lack of enough 4K content could be a disadvantage to this growth.

  • 2014: Industry hopes high

    2014: Industry hopes high

    MUMBAI: A year of risks and several speed breakers has come to an end and the horizons of the New Year are already showing a silver lining. Every member of the media and entertainment industry in the country is expecting magical spells to be cast in 2014. Let’s look at what to anticipate from the next 12 months.

     

    Starting with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) the eagerly awaited forecast is that phase I and II of Digital Addressable System (DAS) are completed without any obstructions or delays. And phases III and IV flow smooth like silk so that India can boast of a digitised environment by the next New Year (2015).

     

    Broadcasters are expected to follow content norms as well as invest more in creating better content. With general elections coming up, channels are set to heat up their mercury levels to prove who is the best in the genre. Prasar Bharati is getting Rs 3,500 crore funding from the MIB which should enable modernisation of the pubcaster with high quality production and better quality shows as well as yield more revenues and profit.

     

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has had a tough time this year dealing with the multi-system operators (MSOs), local cable operators (LCOs), direct-to-home (DTH) players, aggregators and broadcasters. With the year seeing too many conflicts between all the players of the industry, TRAI will surely want that all the stakeholders to find solutions. The regulator will also hope for smooth role out of DAS phase III and IV and gross billing to begin for phase I and II.   

     

    The regulator that recently came out with a consultation paper to curb monopoly of MSOs will be looking at curtailing excessive power clout and monopolies in every sector of television – cable TV, content aggregation and broadcasting.

     

    Moreover, TRAI will hope that all that it started in 2013 sees light in 2014. One such initiative is the acceptance of the ad cap regulation by all broadcasters. It would also hope that the quality of service for TV viewers is consistently kept in mind by broadcasters. Last, but not the least, it would also want that the new regulations for DTH licences are passed.

     

     Broadcasters are the happiest of the lot as they see better revenues flowing in the next year as digitisation pans out across India. Channels will be embroiled in acquiring or producing new innovative shows that will give them an edge over their competitors. Generating better TVTs either through new shows or hit movies that will help them dislodge the leader. Broadcasters are seeing much potential in the soon to be launched new rating system Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) which is expected to show their performances in true light.

     

    However, nothing is as eagerly awaited as the fate of the ad cap that is currently hanging mid air with the Delhi High Court. Even as some broadcasters are more than happy with the 12 minute advertising air time limit, most of them feel it is a hindrance to their functioning and will hamper their revenues if put to effect before digitisation is complete. At the same time they are also looking forward to strike better deals with their advertisers as well as better syndication for their programmes in the international market providing them a global exposure.

     

    As digitisation sets in, distribution should also be easier and transparent. Even as channels will engage with domestic DTH and cable TV platforms for better carriage and revenue share deals, they will look forward to reaching out to more audiences through international platforms.

     

    Bottomlines will be managed better as broadcasters will control their costs by trimming their staff, scaling up their programming, enhancing distribution and controlled marketing. With several TV channel licenses being stuck with the MIB, new channels are waiting to see the light of the day in 2014.

     

    The cable TV sector which has undergone immense change in 2013, will surely expect great returns in the coming year. One thing which they will be hoping for is internet on cable TV to spread thereby generating VAS revenues.  Their long wish list will also include reduction in import duties on STBs, preferably subsidies from the government for promoting digitisation, higher ARPUs from consumers, better synchronisation with other MSOs, fair entertainment and service tax – preferably service tax holidays, fair charges for usage of public utilities for distribution, higher carriage fees from broadcasters, lower content costs from broadcasters and aggregators and longer licensing norms from I&B. The year also witnessed a few announcements by the MSOs for acquiring content for their cable channels. These MSOs will hope that the venture is successful and helps them reap benefits with better revenue flow.

     

    On the DTH front, operators have high hopes that the tag of having the lowest ARPUs in the world will fade away as higher ARPUs will flow in. The dream is that content costs will be lowered which will help them generate better revenue as well as invest in getting innovative technologies for the future of TV and mobile.

     

    Digitisation for DTH players means high net addition of subscribers and lower churn in 2014 as some subscribers will shift from cable TV to the DTH platform. Leading players want to offer better packages to their subscribers with more availability of channel which can only come with more capacity bandwidth that is in the hands of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

     

    At the production front, 2013 wasn’t really big on experiments; at least as far as TV shows are concerned. Only a few like the adaptation of the international format – 24, the reality show Connected Hum Tum and Comedy Nights with Kapil made some difference in programming. As we usher in to the New Year, we obviously expect more newness in the shows produced. But for that, the production houses need to get respite from the issues that keep bothering them.

     

    One of the major issues that cripple the production houses is the restrictions by broadcasters on the budget per episode. And then, it is for sure that the production houses in the New Year would wish for a better budget approval from the broadcasters. Another issue is the ever-rising demands of the crew unions, including the technicians and other crew members. The crew members have not just been fighting for a raise in their salary but have demanded many other privileges that have kept the production houses on their toes. Because of this, some production houses prefer working outstation than in Mumbai in order to cut down on costs.

     

    The year 2013 witnessed a really interesting case — there was a huge hoopla when an actor portraying the popular character, Gutthi (from Comedy Nights with Kapil on Colors) decided to pull out of the show over few differences with the production house and the channel. While the actor said the right to the character belonged to him, the production house thought otherwise. By the end of the year, nobody got a clear picture about who really owned the character. However, we hope the New Year doesn’t just bring clarity to this particular case but the industry also works in order bring a system in place about the entire intellectual property rights (IPR).

     

    The wish list for the New Year would never end. But some of the other desires that the production houses perish include better following of discipline by the actors on the set, better creative people with improved ideas that grabs the eyeballs, less interference from broadcasters in the production process and of course, many more new and intriguing shows that not only brings more viewers but good business that would improve the functioning of entire industry.

     

    The expectations are high but they aren’t too farfetched. With time, discussions and a little bit of a push we can see much of it becoming a reality.

  • Gaian launches Maya Platform for enhanced programming content delivery

    Gaian launches Maya Platform for enhanced programming content delivery

    NEW DELHI: The satellite broadcasters may have a reason to rejoice. Gaian Solutions India, a leading Technology and Consulting company that develops products and solutions for the Media and Entertainment industry, has launched its Maya Platform.

     

    The technology offers exciting real time localised cloud content services thus offering powerful tools to enhance Broadcasters programming content. Maya has the potential to change Satellite Broadcasters revenues by orders of magnitude. It also offers innovative solutions to free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters.

     

    1. Maya’s localisation technology integrates internet feeds and cloud content delivery mechanisms right into the uplink broadcast eliminating the need for internet connectivity at the edge devices. This liberates broadcasters from any kind of ecosystem challenges in commercialising localised data services.

     

    2. Maya is platform agnostic ensuring seamless localisation across all delivery channels be it a satellite broadcast or an OTT platform.

     

    3. Maya’s IRD integrates cloud and satellite reception into one device.

     

    4. The full HD IRD player and streamer ensures savings on broadcasters HD migration budgets.

     

    5. It offers a full featured Back Office and Self-Care portal to automate the work flow of sourcing, delivery, approval, distribution, proof of play and billing of local advertisements

     

    6. Maya allows broadcasters to report breaking news, latest events and trending topics, as they happen on Social Media platforms

     

    Gaian Solutions President and CEO Chandra Kotaru said, “From the outset we have set the bar for technological innovation in digital TV, achieving an unrivalled array of industry firsts. As our knowledge and expertise has grown, so the technology we use has been renewed and redefined. And that process continues today, with rapid changes in the way TV is broadcast, enjoyed and combined with other services.”

  • Sea TV Network reports higher income, higher pay channel charges lower PAT for Q2-2014

    Sea TV Network reports higher income, higher pay channel charges lower PAT for Q2-2014

    BENGALURU: UP based Agra headquartered media and entertainment industry player Sea TV Network Limited (sea TV) reported a 43.13 per cent increase in its standalone net income from operations for Q2-2014 at Rs 4.88 crore as compared to the Rs 3.41 crore for Q2-2013 and 11.15 per cent higher than the Rs 439.1 crore for Q1-2014.

    PAT for Q2-2014 at Rs 0.0773 crore was a little over one fifth the Rs 0.3658 crore for Q2-2013 and a little more than a fourth of the Rs 0.3024 crore for Q1-2014. Exceptional items at Rs 0.2134 crore added to the company’s profit.

    Pay channel charges form a major portion of Sea TV’s expenditure. The company paid Rs 1.56 crore during Q2-2014 against this head, 63.6 per cent higher than the Rs 0.9533 crore for Q2-2013 and 64.4 per cent higher than the Rs 0.9463 crore for Q1-2014.

    Let us look at the other results recorded by Sea TV for Q2-2014

    Expenditure for Q2-2014 at Rs 4.32 crore was 55.9 per cent higher than the Rs 2.78 crore for Q2-2013 and 17.7 per cent more than the Rs 3.67 crore for Q1-2013.

    Depreciation for Q2-2014 at Rs 1.1343 crore jumped up almost six-fold (5.78 times) as compared to the Rs 0.20 crore for Q2-2013 and was almost flat (lower by 0.28 per cent) as compared to the Rs 1.1375 crore for Q1-2014.

    Other expense for Q2-2014 at Rs 1.0625 crore was 1.9 per cent lower than the Rs 1.0832 crore for Q2-2013 and 1.5 per cent lower than the Rs 1.0469 crore for Q1-2014.

    Reserves, excluding revaluation reserves at Rs 48.80 crore were 2.24 per cent higher than the Rs 47.73 crore for Q2-2013 and almost flat (0.16 per cent more) than the Rs 48.72 crore for Q1-2014.

  • Balaji quintuples y-o-y PAT for Q2-2014; EBIDTA more than doubles

    Balaji quintuples y-o-y PAT for Q2-2014; EBIDTA more than doubles

    BENGALURU: Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL), the blue-eyed entity of the Indian media and entertainment industry, reported consolidated PAT of Rs 12.33 crore for Q2-2014, more than quintuple (506 per cent) the Rs 2.43 crore reported for Q2-2013 and  more than triple (342 per cent) of the Rs 3.61 crore for Q1-2014.

     

    The improved performance was driven essentially by its motion picture operations. BTL reported EBIDTA for Q2-2014 at Rs 10.95 crore, more than double the Rs 4.63 crore for Q2-2013. BTL’s EBIDTA for Q1-2014 was negative at Rs (-5.02) crore

     

    The company’s consolidated revenue from operations for Q2-2014 at Rs 194.16 crore was more than triple (329 per cent) of the Rs 58.96 crore for Q2-2013 and more than double the Rs 84.04 crore for Q1-2014.

     

    Let us look at the other figures reported by BTL for Q2-2014

     

    BTL has reported revenue from three streams: Balaji Telefilms (Television content production-Balaji); Motion Pictues – Balaji Moption Pictures Limited (BMPL) and BOLT Media Limited (BOLT).

     

    Its television content production stream reported revenue of Rs 30.33 crore for Q2-2014, which was 33 per cent higher than the Rs 22.80 crore for Q1-2014. Rs 32.32 crore were spent in Q2-2014 towards cost of production, acquisition and cost of telecast fees, staff cost, depreciation and other expense resulting in loss from operations of Rs (-1.99) crore. Other Income brought in Rs 3.02 crore and hence a PAT of 0.804 crore.

     

    BMPL with revenue of Rs 164.05 crore for Q2-2014, which was more than double (2.66 times) the Rs 61.67 crore for Q1-2014. Expense totaling Rs 152.23 crore resulted in a PAT of Rs 11.81 crore.

     

    BOLT had revenue of 0.27 crore and total expense of 0.59 crore resulting in a net loss of Rs (-0.32) crore.