ITV

Tag: ETV

  • IndiaCast/Viacom18 all set for MIPCOM 2013

    IndiaCast/Viacom18 all set for MIPCOM 2013

    IIf you thought shows such as Comedy Nights with Kapil, Uttaran or even Jhalak Dikhhla Ja have takers only in India, you couldn’t be more wrong. Indeed, there is a huge demand for these programmes even in faraway markets like Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe to name a few.
    Which is exactly what draws aggregators and distributors such as IndiaCast to MIPCOM, the world’s biggest market for content.

    So what does IndiaCast have on offer this year at MIPCOM? “While we already have a strong syndication portfolio with our dramas. movies  and reality shows from Colors, we will also focus on content from our regional channels, news channels as well as the MTV content, “replies IndiaCast group COO Gaurav Gandhi, who will represent the company along with four others at MIPCOM.

    More specifically, IndiaCast/Viacom18’s entire catalogue will be on offer. “We have more than 25 channels in our network and so, our booth will feature content from all of these channels. This will include Ballika Vadhu, Uttaran, Madhubala, Jhalak Dikhhla Ja, Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies and also content from ETV and the news channels,” informs Gandhi.

    We will be looking at a strong syndication portfolio in our dramas and reality, we will also focus on content from regional channels, news channels as well as the MTV portfolio says Gaurav Gandhi

    And what is IndiaCast hoping to achieve at MIPCOM? Says Gandhi: “Indian dramas are finally breaking into mainstream in many markets. We hope to find more buyers who are willing to experiment and try Indian dramas for the mainstream local audiences in the respective markets and we want to target buyers who want to remake our shows  (with script and format rights) in their respective countries .  Latin America and Turkey have been the predominant forces in exporting their drama series sales worldwide. There is an opportunity for us to break into that market in a big way. Having already licensed our content to Africa and Europe (to the mainstream market), I am hoping to tap markets like Latin America this year.”

    Gandhi believes that demand for the programming that IndiaCast is hawking will also be strong in areas where Indian and south Asian diaspora are present in large numbers. This apart, there is another chunk of viewers in several countries which enjoy watching Indian programming dubbed and sub-titled in local languages. “Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa are some of these nations,” he says.”We are looking at new distribution outlets and buyers from there for both our channels and programmes at MipCom this year.”

    Citing a couple of examples of how the event is a platform to help export content and reach out to a larger base, Gandhi says: “It was here that we sold the script of our show Uttaran, for a remake in Africa. While normally Indian channels buy formats/ scripts, we were the first ones to have sold the script to an international player. We recently sold the MTV Roadies format internationally. The discussions for this had started in MIPCOM only.”  

    MIPCOM makes it easier for exhibitors to meet people from different markets and sell content. “If it wasn’t for a market like these where would one find buyers from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Tanzania?” he questions.

    And considering there is a sizeable regional population around the world, the aggregator is concentrating on regional content as well. “We have sold Gujarati content to a local channel in the US and also to west African countries this year. So for our regional content, this year, we will focus on building on that and tapping new markets” says Gandhi.

    The frenzied buying and selling of content apart, several affiliate meetings will keep IndiaCast executives busy at MIPCOM. “This is where we will talk about distribution of our channels; like Colors, MTV India, Rishtey which is our second GEC in the UK, ETV,  and News18 among a host of other channels,” informs Gandhi.   

    IndiaCast will concentrate on all platforms like Cable, DTH, IPTV, terrestrial and all forms, both linear and non-linear (VOD, SVOD, NVOD and PPV). “We are amongst the largest suppliers from India to VOD platforms. Our content is on Netflix, Itunes, YouTube etc. We have a lot of meetings lined up for such platforms as well,” he adds.

    It looks likely to be whistlestop and tiring MipCom for Gandhi and his team. And in all likelihood profitable too. 

  • ETV Urdu hopes to score on the programming front

    ETV Urdu hopes to score on the programming front

    Going strong on its expansion plan despite the depressed media scenario, the Ramoji Rao owned Eenadu Television Network on Wednesday added “ETV Urdu” to their kitty of regional channels. The 24-hour free-to-air digital channel was finally launched on 15 August (Independence Day) after a long wait by the chief editor Eenadu group of publications and chairman of the Ramoji Film City (RFC), CH Ramoji Rao, at the RFC complex in Hyderabad.     

    ETV has been building its programming content for the Urdu channel for more than one-and-a-half years now. The target audience will not only be the Urdu-speaking audiences in India but also the Gulf countries. The Urdu spoken on the channel will not be pure Urdu (which not many people understand) but that spoken by common people so as to give it a broader viewership, company officials say.

    The Channel will have a fair mix of entertainment and information with hourly news updates, telefilms, family dramas, daily soaps, devotional and musical programmes. The USP of the channel will be fresh and original programming rather than dubbed or outsourced programmes, say officials.

    Khaas Baat (Urdu News)

    Special efforts have been taken to strengthen the news section. Khaas Baat, a news capsule specially designed to cover Urdu speaking areas. ETV has tied up with Reuters Television, CNN International and Transworld International so as to ensure comprehensive coverage of international news and current affairs, according to a company release.

    Adakaar is a weekly acting competition hosted by well known actor Nirmal Pandey. And for those die-hard fans of Urdu poetry, Mushaira, a monthly mega event of lyrical excitement, will quench their thirst.

    To develop the channel’s indentity, films will not be shown in the initial period. Instead telefilms are being produced that will be telecast exclusively on the channel. Game shows, talk shows and song-based programmes like Mehfil, Gazal Sara, Qawwali are also going to be an intrinsic part of the programming.

    The majority of the programming is being done in-house though there are some programmes which are on commissioned basis. The network’s headquarters is in Hyderabad.

    On the ad rate front, the figures being quoted would appear a tad optimistic and it remains to be seen whether the channel will be able to get buyers for its time slots. Spot rate for prime time (7pm to 10pm) has been kept at Rs 20,000 as per the rate card. Industry sources say as of now no advertiser has been confirmed though talks are going on.

    A still from the serial Tumhara Intezar Hai

    Even on the distribution front, the channel is likely to face a long haul. According to industry sources, cable connectivity is going to be a major issue the channel will face. In this direction, channel executives have been contacting cable operators in Mumbai and also distributing set top boxes.

    That apart, looking at the past record of the group and the amount of homework done by ETV Urdu as far as its programming goes, the channel is certainly expected to make a difference in today’s cluttered scenario.

    ETV already has Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada channels. Next in the pipeline from the ETV stable are Gujarati and Oriya channels.

    Technical Specification :

    ETV Urdu:
    Satellite – APR-I (INSAT-2E) at 83.5 degree East
    Downlink frequency – 4005 MHz
    Downlink Polarisartion – Vertical
    Symbol rate – 27000 Kg Symbol/sec
    FEC – 3/4
    Downlink EIRP – 38 dbW
    Signal type Digital,MPEG 2/clear
    Free-To-Air.

  • Focus’s new campaign for brand ‘New Holland’ consolidates its position as a technology leader

    Focus’s new campaign for brand ‘New Holland’ consolidates its position as a technology leader

    Mumbai: New Holland Fiat (India), part of the CNH Global group (one of the world’s leading Agricultural and Construction Equipment Manufacturing Company), has entrusted Focus Circle with a responsibility of deriving a new positioning the brand with a 360 degree campaign. Focus has been the brand custodian for New Holland for the past two years for the Indian market, and with the growing mechanization needs of agricultural industry which are directly depending on latest technology, they realised that it was the right time for the brand to directly communicate with their target audience using the TVC and digital space as primary platforms.

    The first phase involved creation of the TVC campaign, which focuses on the integration of technology in the life of a farmer. Sharing greater insights on the overall campaign and the concept of the TVC, Rahool Talukdhar, National Creative Director, Focus Circle said “Using TVC to communicate to niche audience was extremely stimulating. To understand a brand like New Holland which is one of the global leader in its space, the core strategy and messaging enables us to build up connection with audiences leading to sustainable engagement unlike a B2C segment. Besides, it’s great to work with a brand that can give you the freedom of applying integrated services as the efforts can be synchronised well. The core objective of the campaign is to communicate to the direct and indirect audience that New Holland being the pioneer in tractor technology, it should be the ONLY choice of every progressive farmer in the country.”

    As a major global player in the agriculture equipment market, New Holland has been growing consistently in India. New Holland aims at customising and creating mass awareness through the digital platforms for effective impact & reach to the potential fraternity.

    Highlighting her brief to the agency and the core objective Ms. Seema Singh, GM- Corporate Communication, , New Holland Fiat India said “Agricultural sector in India is going through a transitional phase from traditional farming to mechanized farming; which is the need of the time due to various reasons such as labour shortage, need for faster crop cycles and quality food grains as an output of farming. And to cater to this growing need of the segment, which needs a whole range of solutions that would ease agricultural operations. Observing the scope and the willingness of the farmers to explore newer technology, we wanted to offer our global expertise to add value to the Indian agricultural sector. Searching for effective media to communicate the same to the direct and indirect audiences was a challenge. We jointly worked out an impactful road map with Focus, to ensure that we are able to successfully achieve our business objective of creating strong brand image and further strengthening it.”

    The focus is to stream line the core communication across all platforms and increase the scope of communication about the brand in the market to increase the awareness amongst direct and indirect audiences. With an objective to reach out to the farming and agricultural community across India the campaign was scheduled to running across PTC, Doordarshan, India TV, Aaj Tak and ETV with focus on agriculturally rich states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra. With the digital mandate in the pipeline the agency will aim at streamlining the core message through all communication & execution platforms for brand engagement.

  • Acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passes away at 49

    Acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passes away at 49

    NEW DELHI: Noted filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, who was expected to take on the mantle oficons like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak in West Bengal, died early this morning of cardiac arrest at his south Kolkata residence.

    Winner of 12 national and some international awards, the 49-year-old Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis and died of heart attack at 7.30 am, his family said.

    Ghosh had gained international fame for films like Dahan (1997),‘Asukh(1999), Chokher Bali (2003), Raincoat (2004), Bariwali (1999),Antarmahal (2005), Noukadubi (2010), and The Last Lear ((2007), all of which won him several awards.

    Born on 31 August 1963 in Kolkata, Ghosh was fortunate that both his parents were related to films, his father being a documentary film maker. He completed his schooling from South Point High School, and pursued economics from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

    Rituparno started his career in advertising. He had first gained fame for his direction of a children‘s film ‘Hirer Angti‘ in 1994 and his film ‘Unishe April‘ won him a national award in 1995.

    He won the National film award for Best Director for his Bengali film Abohoman starring Jishu Sengupta, Ananya Chatterjee, Dipankar Dey and Mamata Shankar. He made his first screen presence in an Oriya film Katha Deithilli Ma Ku which is directed by Himanshu Parija and released in 2003.

    He hosted two celebrity chat shows, namely Ebong Rituporno on ETV Bangla and Ghosh and co. on Star Jalsha. He also was the scriptwriter of Gaaner Opare.

    His film Just another Love Story in 2009 received rave reviews all over the world. He later made Kashmakash in 2011. His last films were Chitrangada in Bengali in which he also acted, and Sunglass in Hindi, both in 2012. In both Just another Love Story and Memories in March, he reprised the role of a homosexual.

    In fact, he never hid the complexities about his sexuality and said he wanted to live his life on his terms.

    Talking to indiantelevision.com over telephone, thespian Soumitra Chatterjee said he was too shocked to say anything. He said the nation had lost a very promising film director at a very early age.

    Eminent filmmaker Buddhadeb Das Gupta, speaking over the phone in Mumbai, said he had known Ghosh as a young man coming to his house with his father, and had also helped him when he turned filmmaker. He was therefore very saddened by the death. As a tribute, Das Gupta said Ghosh always lived life the way he wanted, without caring about what society would say.

    West Bengal State Commerce and Industry minister Partha Chatterjee visited his home in the morning.

    I&B minister Manish Tewari has condoled the untimely death of Ghosh.

    In his condolence message, Tewari said, "I am deeply shocked by the tragic and premature death of Ghosh. He was a creative genius who gave a new dimension to film making with every film that he was associated with. His films always left a deep imprint on minds of the audiences who were captivated by the honest portrayal of human emotions. Cinema has lost a visionary, as Ghosh was always innovative and bold in undertaking new themes for his films. His death has left a void which will be very difficult to fill.”

  • Some channels yet to join IBF ad clampdown

    Some channels yet to join IBF ad clampdown

    MUMBAI: Is the Indian Broadcasting Foundation‘s (IBF) diktat ordering its members to take TV commercials off the air waves being adhered to the T? While TV commercials have done the vanishing act from a majority of channels and networks, some were still airing them, which include regional channels.

    Multi Screen Media (MSM), Star India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Times Television Network, Big CBS, ETV and the Viacom18 group are among the big daddies of the TV biz which are strictly following the clampdown.

    But networks such as Discovery and Turner International India still had TV commercials running between programming, even as recently as the evening of 2 May. As had other regional players in the south. These included: the Sun Group channels (Udaya and Gemini), Raj TV channels, Maa TV, Kasthuri TV V3 (Kannada), Makkal (Tamil), Janashree (Kannada), and KF (Kannada music channel).

    Why have these channels not joined in the TV commercial ban as the IBF seeks to force the AAAI to change the advertising billings system from gross to net?

    IBF secretary general Shailesh Shah told Indiantelevision.com that hardly one in twenty channels have not fallen in line. He said that even these will comply in a day or two should the impasse continue. “Channels being uplinked from overseas have also assured compliance,” he said. At the same time, he further stated, channels were free to carry ads of those agencies which agree to the net billing system.

    “It is our endeavour to always uphold the best practices and compliance standards of the industry. As members of the IBF we will comply with the stand taken by the federation,” explained Discovery South Asia senior VP and GM Rahul Johri. “Since Discovery‘s offerings are being uplinked from outside the country, we have been given more time to stop carrying ads and we should stop by 6 pm tomorrow.” He stated.

    RBNL CEO Tarun Katial confirmed that the Big CBS channels have toed the line. “We as an industry have to stand together,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Shah said that talks are on at various levels in Delhi and Mumbai with the agencies and office bearers of the AAAI to resolve the issue.

  • ‘Sharper market segmentation a must in digital India’ : CEO of Viacom18 Sudhanshu Vats

    ‘Sharper market segmentation a must in digital India’ : CEO of Viacom18 Sudhanshu Vats

     Sudhanshu Vats couldn’t have walked into the crease at a better time to start his innings as the Group CEO of Viacom18, a 50:50 joint venture company between TV18 and Viacom. Colors had settled as one of the leading Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) while MTV was also sustaining growth.

    Vats’ task was to grow Colors to a new level, chalk out expansion plans and clock faster growth for the company. His focus was also on profitability and a step in that direction was to shelve the launch of a Hindi movie channel.

    Viacom18 saw opportunity in launching segmented channels at a time when India’s cable TV networks were asked by the government to digitise. So Sonic, Comedy Central and Nick Jr. were launched in quick succession.

    Vats’ next big growth pillar could be the addition of the ETV GECs. TV18 Group has offered Viacom the option to acquire the remaining 50 per cent stake in ETV’s five GECs and 24.5 per cent equity interest in ETV Telugu.

    This is a follow-up to the acquisition deal inked by TV18 in January 2012 to acquire 50 per cent stake in ETV‘s Marathi, Bangla, Kannada, Gujarati and Oriya entertainment channels, along with the option of picking up the balance 50 per cent interest. It also has 24.5 per cent stake in ETV Telugu and can add a similar equity interest in the Telugu GEC.

    After getting Viacom’s equity participation, the ETV GECs will get housed under Viacom18. The new owners will, thus, get full ownership of the five ETV GECs (ETV Marathi, ETV Bangla, ETV Kannada, ETV Gujarati and ETV Oriya) while half of ETV Telugu’s equity will get transferred.

    An FMCG industry veteran with over 21 years of experience, Vats feels that the Indian broadcasting industry has huge growth potential with the onset of digitisation and opportunity to correct advertising rates.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Sibabrata Das, the Group CEO of Viacom18 talks about the company‘s portfolio of channels and its growth plans in the backdrop of digitisation.

    Excerpts:

    Q. Has TV18 Group offered Viacom the option to buy the remaining 50% stake in five of ETV’s regional general entertainment channels and 24.5% equity interest in ETV Telugu? 

    Viacom has the option to acquire stake in ETV’s entertainment channels. A due diligence is being conducted.

    Q. Will the ETV GECs be housed under Viacom18?

    That will depend upon Viacom’s approval to pick up equity in the ETV assets.

    Q. So the next pillar of growth for Viacom18 will be the regional channels?

    We have been aggressive all along. We have launched three channels (Sonic, Comedy Central and Nick Jr) within a year’s time to take our total bouquet offering to seven. When the ETV channels integrate, we will have a new growth area in regional-language entertainment broadcasting.

    Q. Will we see regional movie channel launches as well?

    We are not looking at that at this stage. We will, however, be acquiring movies for the regional GECs when they come our way.

    ‘We will definitely evaluate the regional music broadcasting space. We are entering into regional movie production’

    Q. Even the launch of the Hindi movie channel was shelved. Does this mean that there is a focus on segmented products rather than mass entertainment channels that consume huge capital?

    We are committed to most of the genres. We have no immediate plans to look at sports or movies in the broadcasting space.

    The business case for a Hindi movie channel from us looks weak at this stage. We can’t come out with a product that is differentiated enough. The other question we ask ourselves is whether we have the right library. The answer is in the negative. The acquisition prices have also climbed steeply. And our studio business, which can provide captive content for the channel, is growing but needs to size up more.

    Q. So the growth strategy at this stage also fits into your overall philosophy of segmentation and psycho-graphic market approach which you carried out so well during your long stint at HUL?

    We have been sharply segmenting the market, particularly in the kids television space. We have Nick Jr, which targets the preschool segment. Nick addresses the 4-14-year-olds while Sonic has a skew towards young boys. MTV appeals to the youth and so does Vh1. You could probably see us working immediately on more segmentation as the market moves towards digitisation.

    Q. Have the early results of digitisation shown any benefits?

    Digitisation has actually been a shot in the arm for channels like MTV. We are also bullish on the kids TV space as it is a low-powered ad index category. Besides subscription gains, we can build in ancillary revenue streams by developing the ecosystem.

    Having Viacom as a partner also helps as we can leverage on the international parent in terms of content and research. Kids internationally is a hugely researched category and the best part is that the segment is more universal in nature.

    Q. Is the youth genre like MTV showing a particular level of saturation on the ad revenue front?

    Apart from the organic ad growth, an ecosystem can be created to build ancillary revenues. There is scope for live concerts and advertisement-funded programmes. We are taking MTV Block Party to five towns. MTV Video Music Awards India is taking place on 21 March. The youth-cum-music genre will also be able to increase subscription revenues in a digitised environment. But yes, the genre will see more of youth than music content.

    ‘Viacom has the option to acquire stake in ETV’s entertainment channels. A due diligence is being conducted’

    Q. Will Viacom18 also explore the regional music broadcasting space?

    We will definitely evaluate this space.

    Q. Don’t you have to work on the English content side as Comedy Central has a long way to go?

    English entertainment is better indexed on both the revenue counts – ad as well as subscription. Segmentation will happen in these genres. Comedy Central is picking up well.

    Q. What is the growth path for Colors in a digitised climate?

    We will have more genres to widen the appeal of the channel. Colors is more urban now; we are making it all inclusive. We are rounding up the genres for the channel – crime, comedy and mythology. We have already demonstrated that we can come out with good fiction and non fiction shows.

    Q. Is there scope for correction in advertising rates?

    I am bullish over a five-year horizon. India is one of the cheapest ad markets in the world. The time regulation on commercial time (as defined by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) will have a positive impact on rate inflation. However, it should be introduced after digitisation matures. I also see media buyers differentiating between reach and quality reach.

    Q. At a macro level, what are Viacom18’s key thrust areas?

    Sharper segmentation is a must as India moves from a collective to an individualistic content consumption habit. Technology and multiple screens will be available to consume that content. The third force will be digitisation. With the distribution pipe becoming broader, the system will allow a channel to launch and at a lower cost of carriage. This will make the business model viable. The dependence on advertising revenue will reduce as an alternative income system grows.

    The fourth area is something we have to shape up and, to my mind, is more difficult to execute. This is what I call behavioural research, which allows us to move from just idea and gut feel to something more scientific. No doubt the first two are very important to have and will always remain core to the media business. But we need to also have a system that can develop and test the power of that idea.

    Within Viacom18, we are also keen to drive in internal synergies. The challenge is to develop the different lines of businesses into one company – family entertainment channels, music content and movies. We are also seeing experimentation in TV properties like Bigg Boss which are moving across regional channels.

    Q. How much is Viacom18 investing on its movie production business and what is the plan to scale up?

    For us the issue in the film production business is not funding but profitability. The risk-reward ratio today is heavily skewed towards the stars than the studios.

    The peak funding requirement for our movie business is Rs 1 billion. We have a slate across small, medium and big-budget movies. We have decided to do more co-productions and to get early involvement into the project. This will allow us to have control on costs, influence to some extent the creativity of the product, understand the movie better and, hence, be able to market it better.

    We are also looking at entering into regional film production. For starters, we will be doing a few Punjabi and Bengali movies.

  • DigiVive in deal with IndiaCast to live stream 20 channels

    DigiVive in deal with IndiaCast to live stream 20 channels

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast, the distribution joint-venture between TV18 and Viacom18, is swiftly increasing the presence of TV18 and Viacom18 bouquet on digital platforms.

    After signing a deal with OTT platform Ditto TV and online TV service provider istream.com, the distribution company has signed a deal with mobile TV platform nexGTv to live stream twenty national and regional channels.

    The channels include – Colors, MTV, CNBC-TV18, IBN7, CNBC Awaaz, IBN Lokmat, CNN IBN, History TV18, ETV Gujarati, ETV Marathi, ETV Bangla, ETV Kannada, ETV Oriya, ETV UP, ETV MP, ETV Rajasthan, ETV Urdu, ETV Bihar, ETV and ETV2. nexGTv had recently added History TV18 channel to its existing bouquet.

    The partnership further enhances nexGTv regional channels bouquet which comprises of more than 100 channels which includes top channels from Star and Sony bouquet.

    The mobile TV platform has features like – replay TV, EPG guide, on screen controls, option of deleting and listing the channels as per their choice. It also boasts of adaptive streaming feature which enables seamless live streaming even on 2G network.

  • TV18 Broadcast returns to profitability in Q3

    TV18 Broadcast returns to profitability in Q3

    MUMBAI: TV18 Broadcast turned profitable in the third quarter ended 31 December on fall in operating expenditure and a small rise in operational income from a year earlier.

     

    TV18 Broadcast, which owns news channels CNBC TV18, CNB Awaaz, CNN IBN and IBN7, reported a net profit of Rs 223 million in the third quarter against a loss of Rs 138 million a year earlier. In the second quarter of this financial year, it had reported a loss of Rs 252 million.

     

    The company’s operating revenue rose 5 per cent to Rs 1.47 billion in the third quarter from Rs 1.40 billion a year earlier.

     

    The news broadcaster was able to report a profit in the third quarter as its operating expenses fell 16 per cent to Rs 1.09 billion from Rs 1.30 billion a year earlier, on lower staff costs, marketing and distribution expenses and flat production expenses.

     

    The company’s interest cost in the third quarter was Rs 216 million, flat compared to a year earlier but down by a sharp 51 per cent from a quarter earlier (Rs 365 million).

     

    The fall in interest cost was a result of part repayment of debt from the large flow of funds into the company through a rights issue in the previous quarter.

     

    Raghav Bahl, managing director, Network18, the holding company of TV18, said, “I am delighted …. that TV18 has returned to profitability this quarter. Our recast balance sheet has helped us rationalise our interest payouts.”

     

    “We are now entering an exciting phase in our journey as we strengthen our existing operations and consolidate our regional acquisition,” Bahl added.

     

    The rights issue was largely meant for the acquisition of ETV non-Telugu news and entertainment channels from Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

        
    B Saikumar, Group CEO at Network18, said, “We are extremely pleased that all our broadcast operations grew their margins despite softness in the advertising environment. The News Network will further consolidate its leadership position with the addition of ETV News to the stable.”

     

    Business News operations had a strong quarter with margins expanding almost three-fold from a year earlier.

     

    In the third quarter, revenues from business news channels were up nearly 10 per cent at Rs 780 million. Operating profit from business news was Rs 307 million, nearly three times a year earlier and two times a quarter earlier.

     

    The significant improvement in margins in business news operations came on the back of expansion of net distribution income, the company said.

     

    TV18’s general news operations broke into positive territory with 10 per cent margins. In the third quarter, revenues from general news operations were Rs 723 million, nearly flat compared with a year earlier. Operating profit from general news was Rs 69 million in the third quarter against a loss of Rs 16 million a year earlier and loss of Rs 33 million a year earlier.

  • Vizeum wins ETV Network’s media biz

    Vizeum wins ETV Network’s media biz

    MUMBAI: Recording its second win in two days, Aegis Media‘s Vizeum India has been appointed as media AoR for Prism TV Private Limited to handle five of ETV‘s regional channels – ETV Marathi, Bangla, Kannada, Gujarati and Oriya.

    Vizeum managing director – Indian subcontinent S Yesudas said, “All I would say with pride is, our dream of attracting clients and talent to Vizeum automatically in our fourth year of operation, rather than us having to go out, is becoming a reality. I take this opportunity to welcome ETV Network into the Vizeum family. We are thankful to the client management for considering us worthy.”

    “We are delighted to partner with Vizeum in our attempt to redefine the next phase for ETV channels. Building a brand around the network can present a lot of interesting challenges and we look forward to work with team Vizeum in getting people hooked to our regional channels,” Prism TV said.

    On 27 August, the agency revealed that it has been brought on board by Amrutanjan for its brands – Amrutanjan Care and Fruitnik and also will be working on new launches by the brand.

  • ”We have created a basket of Marathi channels to dominate our position in this market’ : Nikhil Sane – Zee Marathi and Zee Talkies business head

    ”We have created a basket of Marathi channels to dominate our position in this market’ : Nikhil Sane – Zee Marathi and Zee Talkies business head

    Subhash Chandra realised as early as 1999 that the next wave of Zee network’s growth would be in the regional broadcasting space. Up came a clutch of channels including Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Punjabi and Zee Gujarati.

     

    Chandra has cemented his leadership position in the Marathi market with the launch of a news channel, Zee 24 Taas, and a movie channel, Zee Talkies.

     

    Following the vertical integration model, Zee has also got into the Marathi film production business.

     

    Starting as the first private Marathi channel on 15 August 1999, the initial years were slow. With the launch of ETV Marathi in 2001, Zee Marathi, in fact, even lost its leadership position. But it was in 2005 that things paced up as Zee Marathi scaled up its distribution and programming. Reality content through shows like Saregamapa, Eka Peksha Ek and Hasya Samrat gave the channel a big boost in ratings.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Gaurav Laghate, Zee Marathi and Zee Talkies business head Nikhil Sane talks about the 10-year journey of Zee Marathi.

    Excerpts:

    Zee launched its Marathi general entertainment channel on 15 August 1999. How has the 10-year journey been?
    Everyone was skeptical at that time about Zee’s decision to launch a Marathi channel. In Maharashtra, Hindi channels – Zee TV, Sony Entertainment TV and Star Plus – were dominating television viewership. The only available Marathi content then was on Doordarshan – that also for four hours. So launching the channel way back in 1999 was a big, big step.

    But wasn’t it a big advantage to be the first private Marathi channel?
    In 1999, the Marathi TV industry was non-existent. So you can say that we created the Marathi TV viewing audience. What we got was a lot of talent. Maharashtra has produced ace directors, writers and actors, who supported us in this endeavour passionately. And we offered them a robust platform. So, Zee Marathi played a pivotal role in shaping the Marathi entertainment industry.

    What was the programming mix for the channel then?
    As I said earlier, there was no scarcity of talent, but it was scattered. With our launch, people from Marathi theatre and cinema joined us. That time we were experimenting a lot. We were the first channel to launch a daily show, Abhaalmaya, at 8.30 pm. The competition was against Amaanat on Zee TV, Heena on Sony TV and Saas on Star Plus.

     

    We got a humongous response for the show. Soon after, we launched the afternoon slot with Maansi, which again got a good response from viewers.

     

    Step by step, we increased our prime time, which at present is from 6 pm till 11 pm. We launched weekend programming, reality shows, events and even entered into film production business.

     

    Meanwhile, we launched the news channel (Zee 24 Taas) and the Marathi movie channel (Zee Talkies) to create a basket of channels and dominate our position in this market.

    When did you extend your prime time?
    We had a prime time from 7.30 to 10 pm till 2006. We extended this to a four-hour band starting 7 pm. We also had hourly news bulletin, which were very popular. Later, as we launched our own news channel, we shifted news from Zee Marathi.

     

    Earlier we used to air weekend movies on Zee Marathi. But as we launched Zee Talkies, the movies were shifted and we started daily soaps from Monday-Saturday.

    ‘It was in 2005 really when Zee Marathi scaled up its production, distribution and programming’

    You said initial years were experimental. So when did you manage to strike the right formula for growth?
    We launched some very good shows in our first five years. But it was in 2005 really when Zee Marathi scaled up its production, distribution and programming. It was like a channel revamp.

     

    We created reality shows like Saregamapa (singing talent hunt), Eka Peksha Ek (dance reality show) and Hasya Samrat (comic reality show). Recently, we launched Hapta Band, a quiz-based show.

     

    Also, we organised grand scale events like finale of reality shows, Zee Gaurav Puraskaar (awards for films and theatres) and Zee Marathi awards (viewer’s choice awards for Zee Marathi shows).

    What were the milestones in programming?
    We experimented with different genres. Our comedy show Hasa Chakatful saw performances from the best performers of the industry. Shriyut Gangadhar Tipre was also one hugely popular comic fiction.

     

    Among fictions, Abhaalmaya, Avantika, Asambhav, Vaadalwaat and recently launched Kulvadhu got us good viewership. Our reality shows and events also are some of the most popular properties on Marathi television.

     

    Apart from these, we had shows devoted to literature (Pimpalpaan), poets and musicians (Nakshatranche Dene) and horror (Gahire Paani).

    ETV, which launched in July 2001, emerged as a strong competitor and even surged ahead of Zee Marathi at one stage. What were the reasons?
    After a fabulous three-year ride, we had a tough patch for two years. ETV Marathi launched with a very strong distribution and this impacted us. We were popular in towns, though. But after 2005, we focused on every aspect of the business.
    Now there is new competition from Star Pravah. While other channels like Mi Marathi and Saam Marathi have launched, they haven’t really been able to shake things up. So do you see a three-player fight in the Marathi GEC landscape?
    If you see our current ratings in Maharashtra, we are only below Zee TV while outnumbering Star Plus, Colors and other national GECs. That is what our competition is. Today, Hindi viewership amounts to 26 per cent while Marathi is 20 per cent in the state. We have a lot of space to grow here. Also, competition gives advantage to viewers ultimately as they get variety. And it grows the market.

    You talked about entering into the film production business and have so far released six movies. How are you scaling this up?
    After establishing Zee Marathi, the natural progression was to launch a movie channel. So we launched Zee Talkies. The next logical step was to enter into the film production business ourselves.

     

    We have, in a big way, led the revival of the Marathi cinema industry. So far, our movies have done good business.

     

    We have released Saade Maade Teen, followed By De Dhakka, Galgale Nighale, Dudgus, Ek Dav Dhobi Pachaad and Gallit Gondal Dillit Mujra.

     

    The next movie we are ready with is Hai Kai Nai Kai. We have signed five directors for three films each.

    So how do you see the Marathi broadcasting space evolving?
    The time ahead is surely challenging. We have to be open to change and need to continuously evolve to stay ahead of competition. And by competition I do not mean Marathi or even Hindi GEC channels. The main competition is with new media. With so much available on different platforms, attracting viewers to TV will be a challenge.

     

    From now on, the biggest question to ask ourselves would be ‘what next’. Hindi GECs will survive as their base HSM (Hindi speaking market) is very big. Innovation is the only way to keep ahead in this Marathi TV broadcasting space.