ITV

Tag: Faye D’souza

  • Mirrow Now aims to engage viewers in 34-36 urban cities

    MUMBAI: A short-term void is being turned into an opportunity. Times Network seems to be upping its news game with more, distinct and differentiated channels, creating more intellectual properties, with the involvement of the most critical stakeholder – the viewer. Strategies and leadership at the network have seen a significant change in the last few months which has enabled them to achieve sustainable growth despite growing competition in the news space. 

    With Mirror Now reaching to 3,65,000 viewers per week in five weeks and Times Now leading the general news category week by week, the nation’s most affluent television network is geared up for another successful year. “Mirrow Now’s aim is to involve and engage the viewers in the 34-36 urban cities with a million-plus population in India,” Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand told indiantelevision.com.

    Mirror Now, which claims to have a relative percentage growth of 6% since its launch on 22 March, is committed to making lives better for the people of the nation each day. Being a channel which takes up the consumer’s issues and discussing and analysing government policies which directly impact the common man, it is differentiated by its content. “Discussing the everyday issues of life, from crime and corruption to roads and traffic congestion and to grave issues such as women’s safety, Mirror Now aims to demand accountability from powers that can drive improvement,” Mirrow Now editor Faye D’Souza said. Her distinctive news reporting with the ability to simplify complex concepts with ease has made every news story impactful. 

    With an aim to mobilise and actualise the plans, Mirror Now takes into consideration the citizen’s opinion to look for an opportunity for action and ensures accountability at all levels. Mirror Now is striving to work on the agenda for change and works towards giving better living conditions to the citizens of India. “We would actually track how much time it takes for an office-goer driving from Churchgate or Bandra to reach his home, say, in Borivali — and bring this to the notice of the concerned authorities,” D’Souza said.

    The channel has already started making the difference that it set out to make with a lot of results driven through impactful stories on Mirror Now. As viewers relate to stories that have closely have a bearing on them — physically and emotionally, Mirror Now is aiming to reach the ideal average viewership per week required to stabilise a channel (4,50,000 – 5,00,000). To a question on a general lack of rigorous follow-ups of news stories, Anand reassured that all the critical stories were being definitely followed up.

    Discussing threadbare and questioning policies that impact people at the city-level and taking up the real-life issues of the common man is uncommon on a national English channel. Mirror Now seems to be doing just that.

    Also Read:

    Times Now leadership continues, new launches notwithstanding, says MK Anand

    Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab 

  • “60% of ad inventory on Property Now already sold”: MK Anand

    “60% of ad inventory on Property Now already sold”: MK Anand

    MUMBAI: The growing number of skyscrapers and commercial parks in the country and the announcement of initiatives like ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Affordable Housing’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the ball rolling in the real estate sector. But, for dreams to be accomplished, transparent dialogues between various stakeholders is needed and to give the desired impetus, Times Network is set to launch a 24 X 7 real estate channel Property Now, starting October, 2015.

     

    The real estate industry sees over Rs 3000 crore of advertisement, which is mostly dominated by print. Times Network CEO and MD MK Anand, at the ongoing Big5 Construct India, 2015 said, “Real estate is the industry which produces 20 per cent of India’s employment and contributes 6 per cent to India’s economy, but is never spoken about. All the stories that we see about the real estate sector are negative and no one speaks about the positive side of the fraternity which builds India. Now, through Property Now, the top of the pyramid will know the positive stories of the sector.”

     

    Reports and survey indicate that around 11 crore homes need to be constructed to fulfill the dreams, and hence infrastructure is indeed a key sector. Also, the sector has no regulatory body and consumers have often suffered because of the loop holes in the self regulatory system. In such a scenario, Property Now can emerge as a perfect medium to ensure reduction of incumbency. Mumbai, for example, has several unoccupied affordable houses and illegal chawls. The existence of both at the same time indicates there are some flaws in the system which need to be converted to a dialogue and Property Now, being a venture from the largest media conglomerate in India, can easily indulge into that.

     

    “Dialogues, debates and awareness about the real estate sector will ensure smoother growth and that’s what is in the agenda of the channel. Property Now will educate, inform and make people aware about the sector,” asserted Anand.

     

    The network has tied up with Amagi for separate beams in separate regions. There are a very few builders who are present all over the country and so having a pan India channel with same feed and inventory might pose limitations when it comes to revenue generation. The to-be launched channel will have multiple feeds and will thus be able to rope in different advertisers for different regions. “We already have the infrastructure ready in Pune and now we can have different feeds for not only Property Now, but also Times Now and ET Now,” informed Anand.

     

    Property Now is currently eyeing the target audience of ET Now and thus will be working on similar distribution strategies. “The distribution process will be gradual and we will eventually expand our base. We have already signed deals with a few multi system operators (MSOs) and we will be gradually present on all the platforms,” said Anand.

     

    Times Network plans to back the channel digitally and will thus launch an app too.

     

    According to Anand, over 60 per cent of the ad inventory for the upcoming real estate channel has already been sold. “It is a record of sorts. The response has been amazing and we have a few launch partners already with us. We are yet to start selling FPCs and I already see a lot of positives,” he said.

     

    Times Network Real Estate and Personal Finance editor Faye DSouza will be heading the channel. “Faye has been a great resource and her experience and insights played a vital role in our decision to launch Property Now. In-depth debates and analysis will be immensely prominent on the channel. Faye will report to Times Now and ET Now news president and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami,” said Anand.

     

    Talking about the editorial strategy, DSouza said, “It’s still early days. We will have bulletins, but the focus will be on advices regarding tax, home loans etc. There will be debates and a lot of dialogues involving Urban Development Ministry. We will also have weekend features on interior designing, Fenshui, Vastu and other after possession developments. Fundamentally we will help consumers invest smartly.”