ITV

Tag: Essel Group

  • Umesh Pradhan joins Zee Learn as CFO

    Umesh Pradhan joins Zee Learn as CFO

    MUMBAI: Zee Learn Limited (ZNL) has appointed Umesh Pradhan as the chief financial officer of the company with effect from 2 January.

     

    Pradhan replaces Arun Kabra who had quit the company on 5 December.

     

    As the CFO of ZNL, Pradhan will be responsible for all the companies and the trust associated with the education sector for the Essel Group.

     

    Zee Learn is also looking after content and channel management of the recently launched edutainment channel ZeeQ. The channel is housed under Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

  • Punit Goenka named Zee News MD

    Punit Goenka named Zee News MD

    MUMBAI: Zee News Ltd (ZNL) has appointed Punit Goenka as managing director of the company.

    Goenka has replaced Laxmi N Goel, whose resignation was accepted by the ZNL board. Goel will, however, continue as a non-executive director on the board.

    The change is effective 5 July. Goel will continue to drive Essel Group’s real estate business.

    Goenka, the eldest son of Subhash Chandra, is also MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel). He was designated as MD of Zeel starting 1 January.

    ZNL owns and operates the news channels of Zee network.

  • Zee Kannada’s kerchief campaign draws good response

    Zee Kannada’s kerchief campaign draws good response

    MUMBAI: The handkerchief signature campaign on Zee Kannada is said to have drawn a good response from people across the country.

    The campaign was kicked off by Essel Group and Zee Network chairman Subhash Chandra signing the first handkerchief followed by Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, other personalities in the state such as Home Minister M P Prakash, Infosys Member of the Board & Director HR Mohandas Pai, Jain Group of Institutions chairman, Chenraj Jain state artiste Umashree and swimmer Nisha Millet amongst others who wanted to express their solidarity with the Indian cricket team by signing wishes on their handkerchiefs.

    Zee Kannada’s ‘Handkerchief Signature Campaign’ team has been traveling across Karnataka collecting wishes to be passed on to the Indian players.

    The channel has already received good response from several schools, colleges, NGOs, institutes for the physically challenged, malls, theatres and Government offices.

  • Zee Kannada supports Men in Blue through signature campaign

    Zee Kannada supports Men in Blue through signature campaign

    Bangalore: Team India will appreciate all the support it can get. If the initiative is as novel as Zee Kannada’s signature campaign it will also bring in more cheer.

    The channel is launching a unique handkerchief signature campaign to support Indian players in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup.

    The campaign will be launched on Thursday 22 February with the first handkerchief being signed by Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra.

    The Zee Kannada team will travel across the state and put up collection boxes at select locations like schools, colleges, orphanages and institutes for the disabled, malls and coffee shops. People have to sign wishes on their hankies and drop it off in the collection boxes.

    Fans can also SMS or email their messages to the channel.

    All the handkerchiefs received will be tied together to form the biggest ever chain of signed handkerchiefs which will be handed over to the Indian Cricket team before the start of the tournament.

  • Delhi High Court protects ‘Zee’ trademark

    Delhi High Court protects ‘Zee’ trademark

    NEW DELHI: No other company selling anything or providing any service from now on will be able to use the trade mark “Zee”, the Delhi High Court has ruled last weekend.

    In the order passed on February 5 on a writ petition filed by c., the Court restrained the Registrar of Trade Marks of all branches from processing pending applications pertaining to trade mark “Zee”.
    The Registrar is forbidden also from advertising any further applications that may be filed pertaining to the Trade Mark “Zee” or “deceptively similar mark by any third party”, the court has ruled.

    Arvind Mohan, Executive Vice President of the Essel group told Indiantelevision.com today: “This is a landmark decision and establishes our sole right to use the brad and trade mark that the company has so painstakingly developed over the years.”

    The court has also stayed the order dated 11.9.2000 and 15.9.2000 of Registrar of Trade Mark, Mumbai, by virtue of which the company Shri Venkateshwara Group of Industries obtained the registration of trade mark or logo “Zee” for its products known as Zee Gutkha and Zee Pan Masala.

    Zee Telefilms had filed a writ petition under Article 227 invoking extraordinary jurisdiction of Delhi High Court, challenging acceptance orders directing advertising passed by Registrar of Trade Mark permitting advertisement of at least 100 trade mark applications for registered mark or logo “Zee” or deceptively similar marks filed by Shri Venkateshwara Group of Industries, which is completely violative of the statutory provisions and contrary to the law.

    Various offices of the registrar situated at Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi have also been made respondents in the case, apart from the Union of India through Secretary, Information & Broadcasting and Copyright Board, New Delhi.

    The counsels for Zee, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar and Prathiba M. Singh pointed out that trade mark registrars have permitted advertising of around 100 trade mark applications for registration as “Zee”, or look-alike, deceptive marks and they continue to do so despite the detailed representation made by the Zee Telefilms Ltd.

    The argued also that this is also in complete disregard to the prevailing injunction order dated September 4, 2001 of the Division Bench of Mumbai High Court against the Shri Venkateshwra Group, restraining them to use the mark Zee Gutkha or any other deceptive look-alike mark.

    Zee Telefilms Ltd. had said that they are registered proprietors and lawful owners of the trade mark in India as well as in several other countries abroad., Besides, they also own the Common Law Rights, Statutory Rights as well as Copyrights in the “Zee” logo, written in any manner whatsoever.

    Zee reminded the court that it has several channels with the “Zee” mark, which are watched by 180 million viewers out of which 120 millions are in India. In fact, the broadcaster owns the trade mark since 1992.

    The most significant of the court’s orders are that it said that “before the Registrar of Trademarks proceeds to advertise a mark registration whereof is sought, the Registrar is obliged to cause a research to be made amongst the registered trademarks as also pending applications for purposes of ascertaining, whether there are on record, in respect of same goods or services or similar goods or services, any mark identical with or deceptively similar to the mark sought to be got registered.

    “The principle of the dilution of the trademark has been extended for the mark in question. Yet, in spite thereof, Registrar of Trademarks is admitting for registration, applications by hundreds of individuals who seek registration of the trademark “Zee” for purposes of sale of their goods.”

    In the meanwhile the court restrained all branches of the Registrar of Trademarks from processing pending applications pertaining to registration of the trademark “Zee”.

    “Further injunction is issued restraining Registrar of Trademarks from advertising any further application which may be filed pertaining to the trademark “Zee”, the court ruled.

    The court also stayed the order of the Registrar under which the other respondents had been allowed to use the Zee trade mark.

    Mohan opined that a brand is one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme, as it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace. “Brand experience develops expectations creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities and characteristics that make it special or unique,” he explained.

    He said also that the court order will help the consumers stay clear of false impressions about the identity of those companies not related to Zee’s activity, that is, providing healthy entertainment on television.

  • ‘Twenty20 injects new life into sports broadcast’

    The sports genre will be known for four key things in 2007. Firstly, the upheaval that happened regarding cricket. Second, a breakaway initiative by the Essel Group forced the BCCI to wake up from its deep slumber. Third, a new format emerged that rejuvenated the bat and ball game. Fourth, even if cricket goes down there is no other sport to replace it.

    As regards the first point, there was a huge build up for the World Cup in March. Everyone from broadcaster Sony to marketers, advertisers had a calypso tune on their lips. Pepsi, one of the ICC’s partners, even went Gold for the event. Two matches into the World Cup and things went into free fall. India was eliminated. Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that Sony lost at least Rs 800 million as a result of unsold inventory. The overall loss to the economy from the World Cup debacle is believed to have been in the region of Rs. 2.5 billion.

    However, a few months later things had come full circle. This was due to two things. India won the T20 World Cup. Additionally, Twenty20, which was initially looked upon with some scepticism, proved to be a perfect fit for today’s attention-challenged youth. As a format it has proved to be a win-win situation for all parties involved – TV channels, advertisers and viewers.

    In the ultimate analysis, India’s unexpected showing in the T20 World Cup in South Africa looks like having the kind of long term impact that India’s even more unexpected victory in the 1983 ODI World Cup did.

    The biggest reaper of the T20 windfall was of course ESPN Star Sports (ESS). The T-20 success also means that ESS will get more bang for its buck that had been anticipated when it won the ICC rights late last year with a $ 1.1 billion punt.

    That apart, there is the BCCI’s ‘officially sanctioned’ Indian Premiere League, which if it takes off in the manner that IPL chairman Lalit Modi is envisaging, could well be to cricket what the Uefa Champions League currently is to soccer.

    It is worth recalling here though that it was Subhash Chandra’s Essel Group that first bet on the Twenty20 format when in April it announced the launch of its breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL). The stated aim of the ICL, behind which Essel put in an initial investment of $ 1 billion, was to unearth talent from India and also to raise the standards of domestic cricket.

    And despite the Indian cricket board’s best efforts to ensure that the ICL remained stillborn, the fact that the inaugural tournament was staged with moderate success highlights one point. Carping apart, ICL has clearly validated itself. Suffice to say that the ICL’s calendar of five events for 2008 speaks for itself as regards Chandra’s intent to stay the course.

    What the IPL and ICL will likely do is that just as Europe is where the world’s best soccer talent congregates, the same will happen in India vis-?-vis cricket.

    The BCCI’s response to Chandra may have in initially been borne out of its outrage at the ‘temerity’ of a private body’s to take it on, but the positive fallout was that it increased the pay packet of domestic cricketers to prevent further exodus. Additionally, when it does launch its IPL, it will go that extra mile to ensure that it’s a success for all those involved in it.

    The upcoming IPL in April is structured as a franchisee-based Twenty20 Series with top international players. The likes of Russell Crowe, Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya have bid to own a team.

    Lodestar Media CEO Shashi Sinha feels that there is room for both. Also there are clients who will get in as the risk factor is less. Numbers may not be too high but they will not shoot down as was the case with the World Cup. A loyal audience is what clients will pay for as long as the price is right. Even a sixes event will work as long as it is pushed at a national level.

    As far as the rest of the sports broadcasters are concerned, 2008 will be key for Ten Sports as a host of cricket rights it has including Pakistan and Sri Lanka come up for grabs. Whether its association with Zee affects its position with cricket boards remains to be seen. Still, WWE has ensured that the channel remains steady in terms of weekly reach.

  • UFO to raise $25 million, taps VCs

    UFO to raise $25 million, taps VCs

    MUMBAI: United Film Organizers (UFO) Moviez, a subsidiary of Apollo International Ltd, is in the process of raising venture capital (VC) funding of $25 million (Rs 1.13 billion).

    The company plans to spread its digital cinema network to 2,000 screens by 2007-08, for which it is going to invest Rs 3 billion. UFO has already invested close to Rs 800 million and its digital system runs across 550 theatres.

    UFO has mandated Ernst & Young to arrange the VC funding. “We are in talks with a few VCs. We will be raising $25 million. We have already pumped in around Rs 800 million. The balance will come from debt and internal accruals,” UFO Moviez CEO Sanjay Gaikwad tells Indianteleviievision.com.

    Apollo International holds 60 per cent in the company while 25 per cent is with the founder-promoters (including Gaikwad) and initial investors. The balance 15 per cent is held by Singapore-based DG2L Technologies. “After receiving the VC funding, all of our shareholdings will get diluted proportionately. We will know the new shareholding structure only when we finalise our VC partner,” says Gaikwad.

    UFO installs the digital equipment at cinema theatres which cost Rs 1.7 million. Theatres using the UFO digital system do not have to pay for the equipment but are charged Rs 450 per show. The company uses Mpeg 4 digital cinema solutions.

    “We plan to increase the fee to Rs 525 per show. We also expect the usage of digital systems in the theatres whiere we have installed them to go up from 60 per cent to over 90 per cent as the business matures,” says Gaikwad.

    UFO has competitors like Adlabs and Essel Group’s E-City Digital Cinemas. “We expect our revenues to touch Rs 2 billion by 2008-09,” says Gaikwad.

  • Zee News, WWIL to list by February 2007; Dish TV likely by March

    Zee News, WWIL to list by February 2007; Dish TV likely by March

    MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) expects its two demerged entities, Wire & Wireless India Ltd (WWIL) and Zee News Ltd, to be listed by February 2007. This follows the approval of the demerger scheme by the Bombay High Court.

    The listing of Dish TV, Zee’s demerged direct-to-home (DTH) business, is likely to be by March. The scheme relating to the de-merger of DTH has not yet been listed for hearing at the Bombay Stock Exchange or in the Delhi Stock Exchange and will take some time. The listing date will be known only after the court gives the nod.

    “WWIL and Zee News Ltd should list by February 2007. We expect to list Dish TV by March,” says Essel Group CEO, corporate strategy and finance, Rajiv Garg.

    ZTL today announced the approval of its demerger scheme by the Bombay High Court. This paves the way for setting the record date for the demerger of the cable distribution and news and regional broadcasting businesses of Zee into WWIL and ZNL respectively.

    The Record Date is likely to fall in the latter half of December.

    The shareholders of Zee as on the Record Date shall be allotted shares in WWIL and Zee News. The respective companies would then be applying for listing of such shares to the BSE, NSE and CSE, in compliance with SEBI guidelines.

    Zee expects this process to be completed by February 2007.

  • Essel Shyam Communication plans to raise Rs 600 million via IPO

    Essel Shyam Communication plans to raise Rs 600 million via IPO

    MUMBAI : Essel Shyam Communication Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Essel Group and Shyam Group, is looking at an initial public offering (IPO) size of Rs 600 million to fund its expansion plans.

    The company plans to set up four teleports, three of which are to be funded from the IPO proceeds. While it has obtained licenses for Mumbai and Noida (in the outskirts of Delhi), the other two teleports will come up at Cochin and Chennai or Hyderabad. The company has earmarked Rs 130 million from the IPO towards installation of teleports and Rs 15 million for playout facilities.

    “We hope to come out with the IPO in January-February. The final size will be decided through the book building process. We are looking at Rs 600 million and if there is a necessity, we will fund it through internal accruals,” Essel Shyam Communication ED and whole time director Lalit Jain tells Indiantelevision.com.

    The new facility at Noida will be for Ku band. Essel Shyam has an existing teleport in Noida where Zee and several other channels are uplinked. The new teleports in Mumbai and Noida are expected to be completed by 2007.

    For the expansion of VSAT operations, the company plans to invest Rs 85 million. Essel Shyam, which has seven hubs, proposes to add another three.

    The fund requirement for expanding deployment of DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) vans is Rs 80 million. These services are offered to customers for the purpose of news gathering, content transfer, live coverage and live uplinking of events. A further investment of Rs 175 million is planned to extend its existing BPO of 32 seats to a BPO/KPO of 500 seats. This will include KPO of 70 seats. New businesses will need Rs 50 million (Rs 10 million for system integration and Rs 40 million for radio frequency identification).

    Post-IPO, the promoters’ holding, which stands at 97 per cent, will faill to 70 per cent. Essel Shyam has filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus for an IPO with SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) and proposes to offer 55,00,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each through the book building process.

    The company is into the business of providing various services related to satellite communication such as VSAT, teleport, SNG/DSNG and BPO facilities. The company is providing teleport services to channels of Zee Group, Janmat, Zoom (Times Group), IBN 7, Hungama TV. Several regional channels like Shalom TV, MM TV, Sangeet Bangla, Total TV and Sudarshan TV are also using Essel Shyam’s teleport. The company has recently set up a modern facility for TV Channels from studio to the cable distributor.

  • Zee Telefilms picks up 50% stake in Ten Sports

    Zee Telefilms picks up 50% stake in Ten Sports

    MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd. has acquired 50 per stake in Ten Sports in an all-cash deal for $57.15 million.

    Confirming the development Essel Group CEO of corporate strategy and finance Rajiv Garg said, “The acquisition has been made with the enterprise value of Ten Sports at $114.3 million.”

    Ten Sports was in prolonged discussions with Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India, but talks were called off as differences on valuations could not be ironed out.

    Zee will have controlling interest in Taj TV as in the seven-member board, it will have four representatives while Abdul Rahman Bukhatir (Taj TV promoter) will have three.

    Zee has the option to hike its stake in Taj TV after 2009. The price of the balance 50 per cent will be decided at that stage by the two companies and an independent valuer.

    “This acquisition is an important step from Zee towards consolidation in the media industry. We are confident that this will add significant value for the shareholders of Zee. The acquisition of a stake in Ten Sports not only gives us a strong foothold in the arena of sports broadcasting across Asia but also strengthens our operations in the Middle East.

    “I have known Bukhatir for some time now and have the greatest respect for him as a businessman and his leadership as one of the most successful conglomerates in the Middle East and more particularly, the achievements that he has had in the areas of manufacturing, retail, construction, and especially the way he has popularised cricket in the Middle East. I am certain that our joint partnership will result in a mutually beneficial relationship,” said Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra.

    Taj TV’s average annual revenue for the next three financial years will be around $50 million, Zee said in a statement today. The average annual EBITDA is expected to be $14 million during this period. The Taj TV financial statements shall be consolidated on a line by line basis in Zee’s books.

    Ten Sports operates separate beams in the Middle East, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Hong Kong. Besides, it has rights to leading cricket properties like Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket Board. “These rights combined with the BCCI neutral venue rights that Zee Sports has, creates the single largest repertoire of cricket programming. Among the other sports, Ten Sports also has rights to the UEFA Champions League, WWE, US Open, Hockey World Cup, which rate amongst the most popular programs in India. Zee Sports also has the rights to Indian football, Davis Cup, WTA, Italian Serie A. Both the sports channels will be able to leverage these properties to its maximum potential across both the platforms,” the release said.

    Ten Sports is distributed by SET-Discovery’s One Alliance and is guaranteed minimum subscription revenues.

    Commenting on the deal, Bukhatir said, “Sports television is an extremely challenging business, and yet we have in a short time established ourselves as a major player. I believe that we will now take Ten Sports to unprecedented heights by joining hands with Zee and Chandra. I have the utmost respect for him as a business man and I have been very impressed by the leadership position he and his team have staked out in every line of the media business, from content to cable to DTH to international. Ultimately, I see our partnership as one which will change the industry.”

    Zee Sports and Ten Sports will draw synergies from each other in operating in the Asian market place. The two will work out plans to share the sports properties between the two channels. Also sharing of different language commentaries will be worked out. “This move would consolidate the number of sports broadcasters in India, thereby bringing about a price correction in the burgeoning rights fees for various sports properties,” the release pointed out.

    Expanding on the benefits of the deal, Zee Sports business head Himanshu Mody said,”The addition of Ten Sports gives us a significant strength, enabling further effective exploitation of all our sports properties. The operational synergies between Zee Sports and Ten Sports would be tremendous and we should be able to run the two channels at much better economies of scale.”

    The Zee scrip reacted positively today, gaining 3.33 per cent to close at Rs 341.65, after touching an intra-day high of Rs 345.50.