ITV

Tag: Gemini TV

  • BARC week 13: ABP Ananda & Oscar Movies Bhojpuri enter top five Bangla & Bhojpuri GEC

    BARC week 13: ABP Ananda & Oscar Movies Bhojpuri enter top five Bangla & Bhojpuri GEC

    MUMBAI: In week 13 of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all India data, leaders of respective genres continued to dominate their respective genres while in Bangla general entertainment  channels (GEC) ABP Ananda entered the top five channels list while Colors Bangla exited it. On the other hand  in Bhojpuri genre, Oscar Movies Bhojpuri replaced ETV Bihar Jharkhand in fifth position while the latter exited the list in week 13.

    Bangla GECs

    Star Jalsha continued to be at the number one position in the Bangla GEC space with 195471 Impressions’ 000. Zee Bangla stood at the second berth with 135235 Impressions’ 000 followed by Jalsha Movies in the third position with 49868 Impressions’ 000. ABP Ananda entered the top five channels list and bagged fourth slot with 34496 Impressions’ 000 and pushed down Zee Bangla Cinema toat number fifth with 30274 Impressions’ 000 while Colors Bangla exited the list.

    Bhojpuri GECs

    Big Ganga grabbed the pole position with 27086 Impressions’ 000 followed by Bhojpuri Cinema at the second position with 15875 Impressions’ 000. Dabangg bagged the third slot with 7395 Impressions’ 000. Dangal TV with 5363 Impressions’ 000 on fourth slot and Oscar Movies Bhojpuri replaced ETV Bihar Jharkhand with 2537 Impressions’ 000 on the fifth position respectively.

    Kannada GECs

    Colors Kannada stood at the top position with 2254203 Impressions’ 000 followed by Zee Kannada at number two with 165469 Impressions ‘000 and Udaya Movies at number three with 162407 Impressions’ 000. Suvrana grabbed fourth position with 154575 Impressions’ 000 and Udaya TV stood at number five with 122339 Impressions’ 000.

    Malayalam GECs

    Asianet dominated the genre at the first position with 311526 Impressions’ 000. Mazhavil Manorama took the second position with 103422 Impressions’ 000. Flowers TV bagged third position with 65560 Impressions’ 000 followed by Asianet Movies on fourth position with 55961 Impressions’ 000. Surya TV grabbed the fifth position with 49895 Impressions’ 000.

    Marathi GECs

    Zee Marathi took the top spot with 126910 Impressions’ 000 followed by Colors Marathi in second position with 91661 Impressions’ 000. Zee Talkies bagged third position with 57027 Impressions’ 000 followed by Fakt Marathi at the fourth position with  27359 Impressions’ 000. Star Pravah stood at fifth position with 25044 Impressions’ 000

    Oriya GECs

    Sarthak TV bagged the number one position with 104044 Impressions’ 000 followed by Tarang TV at the second berth with 51784 Impressions’ 000. Colors Oriya garnered third position with 13962 Impressions’ 000 while Odisha TV grabbed the fourth position with 11292 Impressions’ 000. Alankar stood at the fifth position with 10220 Impressions’ 000.

    Tamil GECs

    Sun TV stood at the top position with 935340 Impressions’ 000 followed by KTV at second position with 219025 Impressions’ 000. Star Vijay held the third position with 155479 Impressions’ 000. Zee Tamil with 99504 Impressions’ 000 and Polimer with 74912 Impressions’ 000 grabbed the fourth and fifth position respectively.

    Telugu GECs

    Zee Telugu took the number one spot with 411328 Impressions’ 000 followed by ETV Telugu at second position with 378141 Impressions’ 000. Maa TV remained at the third berth with 365280 Impressions’ 000 while Gemini TV bagged the fourth position with 296840 Impressions’ 000. Gemini Movies took the  fifth position with 208001Impressions’ 000.

  • BARC week 13: ABP Ananda & Oscar Movies Bhojpuri enter top five Bangla & Bhojpuri GEC

    BARC week 13: ABP Ananda & Oscar Movies Bhojpuri enter top five Bangla & Bhojpuri GEC

    MUMBAI: In week 13 of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all India data, leaders of respective genres continued to dominate their respective genres while in Bangla general entertainment  channels (GEC) ABP Ananda entered the top five channels list while Colors Bangla exited it. On the other hand  in Bhojpuri genre, Oscar Movies Bhojpuri replaced ETV Bihar Jharkhand in fifth position while the latter exited the list in week 13.

    Bangla GECs

    Star Jalsha continued to be at the number one position in the Bangla GEC space with 195471 Impressions’ 000. Zee Bangla stood at the second berth with 135235 Impressions’ 000 followed by Jalsha Movies in the third position with 49868 Impressions’ 000. ABP Ananda entered the top five channels list and bagged fourth slot with 34496 Impressions’ 000 and pushed down Zee Bangla Cinema toat number fifth with 30274 Impressions’ 000 while Colors Bangla exited the list.

    Bhojpuri GECs

    Big Ganga grabbed the pole position with 27086 Impressions’ 000 followed by Bhojpuri Cinema at the second position with 15875 Impressions’ 000. Dabangg bagged the third slot with 7395 Impressions’ 000. Dangal TV with 5363 Impressions’ 000 on fourth slot and Oscar Movies Bhojpuri replaced ETV Bihar Jharkhand with 2537 Impressions’ 000 on the fifth position respectively.

    Kannada GECs

    Colors Kannada stood at the top position with 2254203 Impressions’ 000 followed by Zee Kannada at number two with 165469 Impressions ‘000 and Udaya Movies at number three with 162407 Impressions’ 000. Suvrana grabbed fourth position with 154575 Impressions’ 000 and Udaya TV stood at number five with 122339 Impressions’ 000.

    Malayalam GECs

    Asianet dominated the genre at the first position with 311526 Impressions’ 000. Mazhavil Manorama took the second position with 103422 Impressions’ 000. Flowers TV bagged third position with 65560 Impressions’ 000 followed by Asianet Movies on fourth position with 55961 Impressions’ 000. Surya TV grabbed the fifth position with 49895 Impressions’ 000.

    Marathi GECs

    Zee Marathi took the top spot with 126910 Impressions’ 000 followed by Colors Marathi in second position with 91661 Impressions’ 000. Zee Talkies bagged third position with 57027 Impressions’ 000 followed by Fakt Marathi at the fourth position with  27359 Impressions’ 000. Star Pravah stood at fifth position with 25044 Impressions’ 000

    Oriya GECs

    Sarthak TV bagged the number one position with 104044 Impressions’ 000 followed by Tarang TV at the second berth with 51784 Impressions’ 000. Colors Oriya garnered third position with 13962 Impressions’ 000 while Odisha TV grabbed the fourth position with 11292 Impressions’ 000. Alankar stood at the fifth position with 10220 Impressions’ 000.

    Tamil GECs

    Sun TV stood at the top position with 935340 Impressions’ 000 followed by KTV at second position with 219025 Impressions’ 000. Star Vijay held the third position with 155479 Impressions’ 000. Zee Tamil with 99504 Impressions’ 000 and Polimer with 74912 Impressions’ 000 grabbed the fourth and fifth position respectively.

    Telugu GECs

    Zee Telugu took the number one spot with 411328 Impressions’ 000 followed by ETV Telugu at second position with 378141 Impressions’ 000. Maa TV remained at the third berth with 365280 Impressions’ 000 while Gemini TV bagged the fourth position with 296840 Impressions’ 000. Gemini Movies took the  fifth position with 208001Impressions’ 000.

  • BARC week 7: Fakt Marathi makes maiden entry in Top 5 Marathi channels list

    BARC week 7: Fakt Marathi makes maiden entry in Top 5 Marathi channels list

    MUMBAI: As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India’s week 7 ratings, the leaders of all the regional channels including Bangla, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Oriya, Tamil and Malayalam genres continued to have a stranglehold on their respective genres. 

    After marking its presence on the DD Free Dish DTH platform, Marathi channel Fakt Marathi made its maiden entry in the top five channels list in the genre.

    Bangla GECs

    Though Star Jalsha witnessed a fall in ratings, the channel maintained its number one position in the Bangla general entertainment channel (GECs) space with 220355 (‘000s) as against 247291 (‘000s) in week 6. 

    Zee Bangla bagged the second berth with 147283 (‘000s) followed by Jalsa Movies on the third spot with 66704 (‘000s) and Zee Bangla Cinema with 37709 (‘000s) stood at number four pushing down Colors Bangla to number five with 31284 (‘000s). 

    Bhojpuri GECs

    Big Ganga retained its numero uno position with an increase in its rating with 16346 (‘000s) as against 14575 (‘000s) in week 6, followed by Bhojpuri Cinema at second position with 16300 (‘000s) and Dangal TV with 7456 (‘000s) stood at number three.

    Dabangg bagged the fourth berth with 7206 (‘000s) and ETV Bihar Jharkhand with 3193 (‘000s) stood at number five in week 7.  

    Kannada GECs

    Colors Kannada saw dip in its rating compared to previous week but managed to retain the first berth with 217260 (‘000s) as against 254250 (‘000s) in week 6. Suvarna climbed up to second position from last week’s fifth spot with 170074 (‘000s) and pushed Zee Kannada down to the third place with 145912 (‘000s). Udaya Movies bagged the fourth position with 130904 (‘000s), while Udaya TV stood in the fifth spot with 119542 (‘000s).

    Malayalam GECs

    Asianet continued to hold the top slot with a rise in ratings with 340204 (‘000s) as against 333827 (‘000s) in week 6, followed by Mazhavil Manorama with 99654 (‘000s) in the second place as against 103484 (‘000s) in previous week. Flowers TV maintained its place at number three with 88537 (‘000s) with a slight dip in its rating from the previous week. Asianet Movies with 62851 (‘000s) stood at number four and Surya TV with 49259 (‘000s) was at number five.

    Marathi GEC

    Zee Marathi retained its numero uno position with 139810 (‘000s) with a slight rise in rating as compared to the previous week. It was followed by Colors Marathi with 95409 (‘000s), whereas Zee Talkies maintained its third position with 89848 (‘000s) and also saw an increase in rating as against 668724 (‘000s) in week 6. 

    Star Pravah retained the fourth berth with 46968 (‘000s) with a slight dip in rating as compared to the previous week. The Marathi genre witnessed a new entrant Fakt Marathi in the fifth slot with 24396 (‘000s) while Maobili made an exit this week. 

    Oriya GEC

    Sarthak TV maintained its position on top with 92440 (‘000s) as against 109559 (‘000s) in week 6 followed by Tarang TV with 56243 (‘000s) in the second slot. Colors Oriya retained its third berth with 20538 (‘000s) with a slight dip in rating whereas Odisha TV retained its fourth position with 17000 (‘000s) as against 20103 (‘000s) in the previous week followed by Alankar with 7187 (‘000s) in the fifth place.

    Tamil GECs

    Sun TV remained the leader in the Tamil space with a minor spike in ratings at 953616 (‘000s) as against 962984 (‘000s) in week 6. KTV was at number two with 264009 (‘000s) whereas Star Vijay continued to hold its third spot with 177117 (‘000s).  

    Polimer climbed up to fourth slot with 77343 (‘000s) and pushed down Zee Tamil to the fifth place with 75617 (‘000s) in week 7. 

    Telugu GECs

    ETV Telugu continued to lead the Telugu genre with 417220 (‘000s) followed by Zee Telugu in the second position with 382931 (‘000s) and Maa TV in the third spot with 350918 (‘000s). 

    Gemini TV retained its place in the fourth rung with 286818 (‘000s), while Gemini Movies with 182659 (‘000s) stood in the fifth position.

  • BARC week 7: Fakt Marathi makes maiden entry in Top 5 Marathi channels list

    BARC week 7: Fakt Marathi makes maiden entry in Top 5 Marathi channels list

    MUMBAI: As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India’s week 7 ratings, the leaders of all the regional channels including Bangla, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Oriya, Tamil and Malayalam genres continued to have a stranglehold on their respective genres. 

    After marking its presence on the DD Free Dish DTH platform, Marathi channel Fakt Marathi made its maiden entry in the top five channels list in the genre.

    Bangla GECs

    Though Star Jalsha witnessed a fall in ratings, the channel maintained its number one position in the Bangla general entertainment channel (GECs) space with 220355 (‘000s) as against 247291 (‘000s) in week 6. 

    Zee Bangla bagged the second berth with 147283 (‘000s) followed by Jalsa Movies on the third spot with 66704 (‘000s) and Zee Bangla Cinema with 37709 (‘000s) stood at number four pushing down Colors Bangla to number five with 31284 (‘000s). 

    Bhojpuri GECs

    Big Ganga retained its numero uno position with an increase in its rating with 16346 (‘000s) as against 14575 (‘000s) in week 6, followed by Bhojpuri Cinema at second position with 16300 (‘000s) and Dangal TV with 7456 (‘000s) stood at number three.

    Dabangg bagged the fourth berth with 7206 (‘000s) and ETV Bihar Jharkhand with 3193 (‘000s) stood at number five in week 7.  

    Kannada GECs

    Colors Kannada saw dip in its rating compared to previous week but managed to retain the first berth with 217260 (‘000s) as against 254250 (‘000s) in week 6. Suvarna climbed up to second position from last week’s fifth spot with 170074 (‘000s) and pushed Zee Kannada down to the third place with 145912 (‘000s). Udaya Movies bagged the fourth position with 130904 (‘000s), while Udaya TV stood in the fifth spot with 119542 (‘000s).

    Malayalam GECs

    Asianet continued to hold the top slot with a rise in ratings with 340204 (‘000s) as against 333827 (‘000s) in week 6, followed by Mazhavil Manorama with 99654 (‘000s) in the second place as against 103484 (‘000s) in previous week. Flowers TV maintained its place at number three with 88537 (‘000s) with a slight dip in its rating from the previous week. Asianet Movies with 62851 (‘000s) stood at number four and Surya TV with 49259 (‘000s) was at number five.

    Marathi GEC

    Zee Marathi retained its numero uno position with 139810 (‘000s) with a slight rise in rating as compared to the previous week. It was followed by Colors Marathi with 95409 (‘000s), whereas Zee Talkies maintained its third position with 89848 (‘000s) and also saw an increase in rating as against 668724 (‘000s) in week 6. 

    Star Pravah retained the fourth berth with 46968 (‘000s) with a slight dip in rating as compared to the previous week. The Marathi genre witnessed a new entrant Fakt Marathi in the fifth slot with 24396 (‘000s) while Maobili made an exit this week. 

    Oriya GEC

    Sarthak TV maintained its position on top with 92440 (‘000s) as against 109559 (‘000s) in week 6 followed by Tarang TV with 56243 (‘000s) in the second slot. Colors Oriya retained its third berth with 20538 (‘000s) with a slight dip in rating whereas Odisha TV retained its fourth position with 17000 (‘000s) as against 20103 (‘000s) in the previous week followed by Alankar with 7187 (‘000s) in the fifth place.

    Tamil GECs

    Sun TV remained the leader in the Tamil space with a minor spike in ratings at 953616 (‘000s) as against 962984 (‘000s) in week 6. KTV was at number two with 264009 (‘000s) whereas Star Vijay continued to hold its third spot with 177117 (‘000s).  

    Polimer climbed up to fourth slot with 77343 (‘000s) and pushed down Zee Tamil to the fifth place with 75617 (‘000s) in week 7. 

    Telugu GECs

    ETV Telugu continued to lead the Telugu genre with 417220 (‘000s) followed by Zee Telugu in the second position with 382931 (‘000s) and Maa TV in the third spot with 350918 (‘000s). 

    Gemini TV retained its place in the fourth rung with 286818 (‘000s), while Gemini Movies with 182659 (‘000s) stood in the fifth position.

  • Gemini TV & Telugu Film Industry to raise funds for cyclone Hudhud Relief Fund

    Gemini TV & Telugu Film Industry to raise funds for cyclone Hudhud Relief Fund

    MUMBAI: On 12th October 2014, Hudhud cyclone struck the beautiful Coastal Andhra Pradesh City of Vizag and Uttara Andhra causing massive destruction. The cyclone is estimated at a minimum of INR 70, 000 crores (over $11 billion). Lakhs of people became homeless and Villages were inundated with flood water.

    ‘Memu Saitam’ to be held on 30th November 2014 is a Gemini TV and Telugu Film Industry initiative to help raise funds for the cause of raising funds that will be generated through a series of online and offline events and will be donated to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Relief Fund.

    “Memu Saitam” will be a star studded fund raising live show for the Vizag Hudud victims and to be exclusively telecast live on Gemini TV on Nov 30th from 10 am to 10 pm. As a humble gesture, the channel will do its bit by contributing Rs 3.5 crores to the Fund on the day of the function.

    To know more details please log on to www.memusaitam.com

  • Dubbed ‘Fear Factor’ will sell: SJ Clement

    Dubbed ‘Fear Factor’ will sell: SJ Clement

    MUMBAI: The land which sleeps, eats and breathes action has another reason to jump with joy.

     

    Sun Network has decided to treat its viewers to high octane visuals in the form of the popular Hindi show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi.

     

    The show will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam; the one hour episodes will be aired on its general entertainment channels (GECs). Dhil Dhil Dhil- Fear Factor will air on Sundays at 12 pm on Sun TV starting 29 June, Fear factor: Sahasa Veerulu- Veelu Denikaina Ready will be telecast on Gemini TV, Monday to Thursday at 9:30 pm from 23 June and Sahasigam- Fear Factor can be caught on Surya TV, Thursday and Friday at 8 pm.

     

    Sun TV Network programming head for GEC channels SJ Clement says that the network is confident on garnering audiences from the show. “Immaterial of being dubbed content, it is the gut-wrenching action/adventure that the viewer wants and through the show we are giving them that entertainment,” he says dismissing any concerns related to the content being dubbed.

     

    The only channel excluded from the dubbed version is the Kannada channel, Udaya TV. As a rule in the state, no dubbed content can be aired on any channel.

     

    Agreeing on it, says DDB MudraMax AVP and head of south Anil Sathiraju, “Just as how dubbed south Indian movies work well on Hindi channels, the same can be said about the reverse. People have accepted dubbed content because of the novelty factor in it. Advertisers will also be keen on the show.”

     

    Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5 will be shown continuously till the entire stock is exhausted. Season 3 has been excluded since it had Priyanka Chopra as host and to keep the continuity of Akshay Kumar as anchor the decision was taken. However, it will slowly move on to the season 5 which had Rohit Shetty as the host.

     

    “However, the effect Akshay and Rohit will have on the audiences will surely vary as Rohit is more popular down south,” adds Sathiraju.

     

    The network however is not looking at recreating the show for the southern market anytime soon. The reason behind so is the high budget that needs to be pumped into creating one. Says Clement, “It is an expensive show. If this works, we shall certainly go in for producing the show in the respective languages.”

     

    A cross channel promotional activity is planned along with radio spots and selected outdoor campaign. Digital activity through Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Google+ is also in the pipeline.

     

    Talks are currently on with sponsors and advertisers for the adventure show.

  • Telugu crorepati on Maa TV seals the south for Big Synergy

    Telugu crorepati on Maa TV seals the south for Big Synergy

    MUMBAI: The latest in a long line of regional language adaptations spawned by the runaway hit, Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati, is the Telugu version.

     

    Titled Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu (MEK), the show is tentatively scheduled for a June 9 premiere on Maa TV and will be hosted by popular Telugu actor, Nagarjuna Akkineni. Slated to run for a minimum 40 episodes for now, the 90 minute show will be aired four days a week from Monday to Thursday.

     

    Ten to fifteen people from Big Synergy, the production house for the format in India, and Maa TV, are already working on the show. Entry will be open to Telugu speaking people across India, beginning April 24. Viewers will be able to answer questions both via SMS and IVR. This is the first time that a big-ticket show is being adapted for the state of Andhra Pradesh. “We have been wanting to get into the Telugu market for the past two years, but we needed a broadcaster to take the call. Maa TV has gained number one status and they want to retain that position. Through MEK, they will be setting a benchmark in this market, and we hope it will change the dynamics of the industry,” says Big Synergy COO Indranil Chakraborty.

     

    Currently, teams from both Maa TV and Big Synergy’s Hyderabad arm are being groomed for the show. “It is a compelling program. Our objectives are to raise the channel stature and make viewers feel good about the channel and the show,” says Maa TV group head, C Ratnakar Rao. Apparently, Gemini TV and ETV were also contenders in the race to get MEK on board but it was Maa TV which finally landed the show.  

     

    Auditions are expected to go on for almost a month in the cities of Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam and Vijayawada and the final selection will rest with an independent jury of producers and broadcasters in the state. At least a couple of million registrations are expected for the prize money of Rs 1 crore.

     

    It’s a big challenge for Maa TV, considering production costs of a show like MEK would be many times higher than those of normal shows. “The kind of investment that we make in Hindi is not very apt for regional markets. Regional markets are usually 40 per cent of the production cost in Hindi,” points out Chakraborty.

     

    Sources say the production cost of MEK, which is being shot at Annapura Studios in Hyderabad coupled with the sound system and technical skills of Maa TV, could be anywhere Rs 5 to Rs 7 crore for 40 episodes. However, the production house may look at extending it depending on the dates for the Hindi KBC, which is to follow MEK. “The idea is to keep the property alive through different markets throughout the year,” adds Chakraborty.

     

    Not only will the Telugu version retain the essence of the Hindi version, things like customizing questions for the Telugu audience and playing the short film about the contestant before the game begins will be part of MEK as well.

     

    Maa TV is presently scouting for advertisers for the game show. “We have made good investments in Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu and we hope to break even. I am sure the advertisers see potential in the show and our channel,” says Rao. Though Maa TV has appealed against the ad cap regulation, it will still comply with the rule. The ad rev market of Andhra Pradesh in 2013 was Rs 1030 crore making it the second biggest in the south after Tamil Nadu. In terms of viewership share of regional channels too, Telugu stood second at 24 per cent after Tamil with 27 per cent.

     

    As for visibility, a full-fledged marketing campaign will hit the state mid-May, around the time shooting begins. Orchard Advertising has been assigned the task of creatives while planning is being done by Maa TV itself.

     

    The Telugu adaptation comes after KBC has already been adapted in the remaining three major markets in south India i.e. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. These apart, there are Marathi, Bhojpuri and Bengali versions of the show as well.

  • Raj TV Telugu COO Swapna Sundari moves to Sun Group

    Raj TV Telugu COO Swapna Sundari moves to Sun Group

    MUMBAI: She is one of the leading ladies in the Telugu news market and not to forget a classical singer as well. After a three month stint at Raj TV Network as its Telugu market COO, Swapna Sundari has decided to shift to the popular Kalanidhi Maran run giant Sun Group.

     

    She joined as a consultant for the Sun group yesterday and viewers of leading Telugu GEC Gemini TV will be able to catch her every night at 10:30 pm on its new show Newsroom. The show will be a political discussion that has been timed to suit the election mood in the country. “Sun is a wonderful group to work with. The assignments are exciting and since elections are soon approaching it will be enriching to work during this time,” says Swapna.

     

    Her decision to leave the company comes in the wake of Raj TV Network’s delay in relaunching its Telugu bunch of channels. Although the network targets a March relaunch, Swapna has decided to focus on the upcoming election season through the new show on Gemini TV. The show, she adds, may stick around even after the elections are done.

     

    The strategy to place the news show at a late night slot on a GEC is a strategic move by the Sun group to get viewers hooked to it. Gemini TV also claims to have the best distribution in Andhra Pradesh.

     

    Prior to Raj TV, Swapna was executive editor at Sakshi TV. Apart from this, she has also worked with TV9 and Reliance ADAG’s FM department.

  • Now a talent show for the differently-abled

    Now a talent show for the differently-abled

    MUMBAI: There are reality shows and then there are reality shows. This one’s about celebrating differently-abled people and showcasing their talents to the rest of the world.

     

    Already on air, Champions will be telecast in all four South Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada on the respective Sun GECs including Sun TV, Gemini TV, Surya TV and Udaya TV.

     

    The one-hour show will have four rounds where differently-abled people will display their talents such as singing, dancing, pantomime, martial arts, stand-up comedy, acrobatics, gymnastics and magic among others. Every second of every round will have a monetary value attached to it so that participants will take home some prize money, no matter which stage of the show they get eliminated at.

     

    Produced in-house, Champions has Aldam Jacob as its creative director along with individual directors for each of the four languages including Jeyakumar (Tamil), Saravanan (Telugu), Naufel (Malayalam) and Bhuvan Shastri (Kannada).

     

    The judges include Pattimandram Raja for Sun TV, Gauthami and Naga Babu for Gemini TV, Laxmi and MG Sreekumar for Surya TV, and Laxmi and Srinath for Udaya TV. While the anchors are: Tejeswani for Sun TV, Shamala and Abhinaya Krishna for Gemini TV, Deepa and Rahul for Surya TV, and Deepa and Anand for Udaya TV.

     

    Sun TV viewers can watch the 13-episode Champions on Sunday from 12:00 to 1:00 pm; Udaya TV viewers on Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 pm; Surya TV viewers on Friday from 8.00 to 9.00 pm and Gemini TV viewers on Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:00pm.

     

    Exults Jacob: “Champions is the brain child of Sun Network chairman Kalanithi Maran. We want to make a positive impact in the lives of people who are physically challenged and celebrate them.”

     

    With SEC ABCDE 4+ as the TG, V Care and Dabur Vatika are the sponsors of Champions on Sun TV while the remaining three channels have Dabur Vatika as sponsor. Red FM, Suryan FM, Dinakaran and the whole of Sun Network has been roped in to promote the show. “We are also going seamlessly into season two,” Jacob rounds off.

     

    Whatever the audience reaction, Champions gets a loud hoot of approval from indiantelevision.com

  • Divaakar returns to TV9 as ad sales VP

    Divaakar returns to TV9 as ad sales VP

    MUMBAI: S Divaakar is set to start his second stint with the Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd. (ABCL), which operates the TV9 news network. He will serve in the capacity of vice-president ad sales national and will report to ABCL director Clifford Periera.

    Divaakar will be based in Bangalore and will handle ad sales nationally.

    Pereira said, “Divaakar’s appointment is a part of our expansion plans. We are looking at aggressive growth in the near future. This includes new appointemtns and launch of new channels which will be revealed in due course of time.”

    Divaakar had previously worked with ABCL as AGM for four and a half years before joining Public TV nine months back where he was vice-president, sales and marketing.

    He has nearly 19 years of experience in the television industry. He began his career as a sales executive in Udaya TV when the channel was launched in 1994 and has been associated with channels like Gemini TV, Jaya TV, ETC, Zee Network, Sahara One and Filmy since then.