ITV

Tag: Headlines Today

  • Rohit Arora quits ESS to join TheOneAlliance

    Rohit Arora quits ESS to join TheOneAlliance

    MUMBAI: MSM Discovery, the distribution joint venture company between Multi Screen Media (MSM) and Discovery Communications, is strengthening its team as India‘s cable networks move from analogue to digital mode of delivery.

    The company, which operates under TheOneAlliance brand, has appointed Rohit Arora as Senior Director – Business Development. Himanshu Dhoreliya was occupying this post earlier.

    Arora, who was earlier with ESPN Star Sports, will be heading the direct-to-home (DTH) business of TheOneAlliance. He will report to MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul.

    Confirming the new appointment Kaul said, "In this digitisation era, where the industry is evolving at a faster pace, Arora brings with him 12 years of rich and diverse experience in the industry at various levels and functions. He will be playing a significant role in providing strategic direction to the DTH business. I am confident that TheOneAlliance DTH business will scale new heights under his leadership and experience."

    At ESPN Software India Limited (ESIL), Arora was Marketing Director looking after the trade related communications. He was closely associated with Affiliate Sales and strategy for both analogue and DTH businesses.

    Arora, who had spent almost 12 years at ESIL, had joined the sports broadcasting company in 2000 as Area Sales Manager. He rose to the rank of Marketing Director in 2004, a position that he held till the time of quitting the company.

    Along with MSM and Discovery channels, TheOneAlliance also distributes outside channels such as Headlines Today, Aaj Tak, Neo Prime and Neo Sports.

  • Q1: TV Today’s news biz sees small dip in rev & 3.8% fall in operating profit

    Q1: TV Today’s news biz sees small dip in rev & 3.8% fall in operating profit

    MUMBAI: TV Today, which runs a clutch of news channels including flagship Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, has seen a marginal dip in its fiscal-first quarter revenue from the television broadcasting segment while operating profit has slipped 3.84 per cent over the year-ago period.

    Revenue from the television broadcasting segment fell marginally to Rs 684.35 million for the three months ended 30 June 2012, from Rs 690 million a year earlier.

    The television broadcasting’s profit before tax and interest dropped to Rs 42.54 million compared to Rs 44.24 million a year ago.

    TV Today runs a four-channel bouquet comprising English news channel Headlines Today, Hindi news channels Aaj Tak and Tez, and regional channel Delhi Aaj Tak.

    The company’s overall net loss for the first quarter ended 30 June has widened 24.36 per cent to Rs 3.5 million from Rs 2.82 million a year ago.

    Income from operations during the quarter remained flat at Rs 705.74 million, from Rs 703.53 million a year ago. Its total income stood at Rs 706.43 million compared to Rs 703.94 million.

    Expenses during the quarter remained under control at Rs 711.34 million, a marginal decrease from Rs 713.34 million.

    TV Today’s FM radio broadcasting segment posted revenue of Rs 22 million, up from Rs 13.90 million a year ago.

    The radio broadcasting business reported a loss before tax and interest of Rs 45.44 million from Rs 47.71 million a year earlier.

    TV Today said it has made a strategic investment of Rs 455.2 million in Mail Today Newspapers for entering into print media.

    While conceding that Mail Today was incurring losses and is in early stages of operations, the company said it was confident of future profitability of the newspaper business.

  • TV Today Q3 operating profit from news biz skids 45%

    TV Today Q3 operating profit from news biz skids 45%

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network‘s third quarter operating profit from the television news business has dropped 44.7 per cent due to a fall in revenues, while the production and staff cost has jumped. Meanwhile, the radio segment has reported a 137.26 per cent jump in revenues.

    The company, which runs news channels like Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, has posted an operating profit of Rs 98.92 million from the TV broadcasting business, as against an operating profit of Rs 178.98 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    Revenue from this segment dropped 7.5 per cent to Rs 765.32 million for the three-month period ended 31 December 2011, compared with Rs 826.94 million in the earlier year.

    Overall, TV Today Network has reported a net profit of Rs 35.5 million during the third quarter of the fiscal. In the same quarter last year, the company had earned a net profit of Rs 94.97 million.

    TV Today Network’s expenses went up marginally to Rs 742.57 million, compared to Rs 726.21 million a year ago. The spend on staff salary was Rs 246.36 million, up from Rs 239.67 million.

    TV Today’s income from operations stood at Rs 786.79 million, compared to Rs 835.99 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    The radio business posted an operating loss of Rs 43.09 million on an income of Rs 21.47 million. In the earlier year, operating loss stood at Rs 61.11 million on an income of Rs 9.05 million.

  • TV Today CEO Krishnan quits

    TV Today CEO Krishnan quits

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network chief executive officer and executive director G Krishnan has quit the organisation.

    Krishnan, who served for 16 long years, ended his stint on 1 September. His direct reports will now report to TV Today Network founder-promoter Aroon Purie,

    “This is to inform you that G Krishnan has resigned from the services of the company with effect from 1 September. All his direct reports will report to me until further notice,” Purie stated in an internal communication.  
         
      TV Today owns and operates a string of news channels including Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Delhi Aaj Tak and Tej.

    Krishnan joined the India Today Group in 1995 and was involved in the journey of Aaj Tak from a daily TV news bulletin on Doordarshan to a full-fledged Hindi news channel in 2000.

    During his earlier stint at Bennett, Coleman & Company, Krishnan was instrumental in launching India’s first private FM channel, Times FM, in 1993.

    Krishnan has been occupied in various roles – chairman of Media Research Users Council (MRUC), a member of the Board of Governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and founder Director of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
      

  • TV Today Q1 operating profit from news biz shrinks 9.8%

    TV Today Q1 operating profit from news biz shrinks 9.8%

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network‘s first quarter operating profit from the television news business has shrunk 9.81 per cent due to a slowing growth in revenue and a surge in staff expense, while the radio segment has reported a 60 per cent jump in turnover.

    The company, which runs news channels that include Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, has posted an operating profit of Rs 44.24 million from the TV broadcasting business, down from Rs 49.05 million a year ago.

    Revenue from this segment grew 7.5 per cent to Rs 689.80 million for the first three months ended June 2011, compared with Rs 641.39 million in the earlier year.
            
      Overall, TV Today Network has reported a net loss of Rs 2.82 million during the first quarter of the fiscal, dragged down by its losses from the FM radio business. In the same quarter last year, the company had earned a net profit of Rs 203.92 million.

    For the first time, however, it is not just the losses in the radio business that has affected the bottom line of the company but also a 27.32 per cent increase in the employee cost.

    TV Today Network’s expenses surged to Rs 713.34 million, compared to Rs 454.35 million a year ago. The spend on staff salary was Rs 246.8 million, up from Rs 193.84 million. The company said that the year-ago period does not include the value of increments for the period given subsequently.

    TV Today’s income from operations stood at Rs 703.70 million, 8.25 per cent up from Rs 650.08 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    The radio business posted an operating loss of Rs 47.71 million on an income of Rs 13.90 million. In the earlier year, operating loss stood at Rs 43.32 million on an income of Rs 8.69 million.

    TV Today shares fell 0.55 per cent to close Friday at Rs 63.40 on the BSE.
     
     

  • TV Today’s print plans

    TV Today’s print plans

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network will hold a strategic investment of 13 per cent in Mail Today Newspapers and plans to also directly pursue print expansion in the languages segment.

    The company, which owns and operates a clutch of news channels including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, has already paid Rs 370 million out of the deal amount of Rs 455 million.

    “The investment in Mail Today is strategic. The print expansion plan will be outside this,” a source close to the company said.

    Mail Today, a daily newspaper in compact format, is a joint venture between the India Today Group and Daily Mail of London.

      TV Today is researching into how it can expand into print. It plans to get into regional language newspapers, the source added.

    TV Today chief executive officer G Krishnan was not available for comment.

    The company had earlier acquired the radio business of Radio Today Broadcasting, a promoter group company, for a valuation of Rs 1.2 billion.

    Some media analysts feel cracking the newspaper language markets will be very difficult as there are existing players strongly entrenched in them.

    ”We are unhappy with the radio acquisition, especially due to the high valuation. It is better if TV Today launches regional news channels rather than entering print (a high gestation period business) or the radio space (a highly competitive and extremely small revenue potential media vertical). The entry into radio and print could be value destructive,” an analyst at a broking firm said.

    A media observer, however, said the revenue and valuation potential would be much higher in case of print. “They will expand into regional news channels as well. They are waiting for the right time.”

    TV Today’s consolidated second-quarter Ebitda turned negative for the first time in 24 quarters as revenue dipped 6.6 per cent while expenses climbed. Net loss for the three-month period ended September 2010 stood at Rs 76 million. The company, however, is expected to post a strong revenue growth in the third quarter and be profitable.
     
     

  • TV Today Q2 posts losses amid revenue dip

    TV Today Q2 posts losses amid revenue dip

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network has reported second-quarter losses as its revenue drops over six per cent, but advertising is expected to speed up in the next two quarters of the fiscal.

    The company has posted a net loss of Rs 75.89 million for the three months ended 30 September, as against a net profit of Rs 106.12 million.

    Income from operations stood at Rs 603.07 million, down from Rs 645.45 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    “The second quarter has been bad as news channels have lost advertising to general entertainment channels. But the October month has been extremely good and we expect a strong rebound in the third quarter. The worst seems to be over,” a source said.

    The company’s expenses also surged to Rs 724.46 million, compared to Rs 561.46 million a year ago.

    However, the company said that the financials are not comparable to the year-ago period as the current quarter also includes radio broadcasting business of the erstwhile Radio Today Broadcasting.

    TV Today operates a clutch of news channels including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. The radio business operates FM radio stations under recently renamed Oye FM brand (earlier known as Meow FM).
      
         
      For the TV broadcasting segment, TV Today posted a revenue of Rs 596.22 million and an operating loss of Rs 40.57 million. In the trailing quarter, the company had posted a revenue of Rs 641.39 million and an operating profit of Rs 49.05 million.

    The radio business posted an operating loss of Rs 64.17 million on an income of Rs 6.85 million. In the first quarter, operating loss stood at Rs Rs 43.32 million on an income of Rs 8.69 million.

  • Ayodhya verdict: Aaj Tak leads the pack

    Ayodhya verdict: Aaj Tak leads the pack

      MUMBAI: As the Allahabad High Court bench was reading out the verdict on India‘s most communally sensitive issue, the common man was hooked on to the news channels for getting updates.

    The result: a huge expansion in the news genre. The Hindi news space saw an unprecedented 132 per cent rise over the previous day to garner a genre share of 18.4 on 30 September. And in the All India market, the share of English news channels was 1.27 per cent, up 130.91 per cent from the trailing day.

    In the highly competitive ratings turf, it was also a time for news channels to score a point over their rival networks. The winners on that day, when the news genre saw an expansion, were Aaj Tak and CNN-IBN in Hindi and English language telecasts.

    As per Tam data (HSM, 15+), Aaj Tak commanded a channel share of 22.7 per cent among the Hindi news channels on 30 September, followed by Star News with 17.8 per cent share.

    India TV lost some of its share on the day of verdict (13.2%), as compared to preceding and following days. Zee News clocked 10.9 per cent share, followed by IBN7 with 9.3 per cent genre share (see chart for details).

    In the English news channel space, CNN-IBN led the flock with a 23.3 per cent share, according to Tam data for All India, 1 mn+ towns, 25+ years. Times Now was, however, in the closest possible race with CNN-IBN, enjoying a 23.2 per cent share.
            
      NDTV 24X7 remained at third spot with 19.4 per cent share, whereas News 9 dislodged Headlines Today for the particular day under review. The channel share of News 9 was 14.6 per cent, as compared to 11.4 per cent of TV Today Group’s English news channel.

    NewsX, which is soon to be changed into IMN News, saw a 67 per cent jump from its previous day viewership and clocked a channel share of 7.7 per cent.

    “The TV news genre saw a huge spike on the Ayodhya verdict day. The ratings indicate that the viewers were more interested in hard news that day,” says a media observer.
     

  • TV Today Q1 net shrinks to Rs 10 mn on radio losses

    TV Today Q1 net shrinks to Rs 10 mn on radio losses

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network has posted a weak fiscal first-quarter net profit as it had to absorb losses from its radio business while revenue fell from the year-ago period which had gained from political advertising due to general elections.

    TV Today, which operates a clutch of news channels including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, reported a net profit of Rs 10.08 million for the three months to 30 June compared to Rs 166.44 million a year ago. 

    TV Today clarified the Q1 results are not comparable to the year-ago period as it did not have the radio broadcasting business then.

    TV Today’s total income from operations stood at Rs 650.08 million, down from Rs 710.41 million it reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. Last year, income had jumped 10.76 per cent, as political parties had advertised majorly on the Hindi news channels.

    The company’s expenses also surged to Rs 648.19, compared to Rs 561.32 million a year ago.

    For the TV broadcasting segment, TV Today posted a revenue of Rs 641.39 million and an operating profit of Rs 49.05 million. However, its radio business, under the brand name of Meow FM, posted an operating loss of Rs 43.32 million over an income of Rs 8.69 million.

    Shares of TV Today closed Friday at Rs 93.40 on the BSE, down 1.11 per cent from its previous close.

  • RSS activists attack Aaj Tak, Headlines Today office in New Delhi

    RSS activists attack Aaj Tak, Headlines Today office in New Delhi

    NEW DELHI: The offices of Aaj Tak and Headlines Today at Jhandewalan area in Central Delhi were attacked by alleged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists today.

    Hundreds of suspected RSS members ransacked the private news channel office of the TV Today Group, smashed glasspanes and destroyed furniture, even as some police persons were present.

    It is learnt that the attack was triggered by the Headlines Today sting operation suggesting saffron leaders’ involvement in Malegaon and Ajmer blasts. The report, which was aired on Thursday, invited the ire of the Hindu activists.

    In the report, the channel had featured Bharatiya Janata Party leader BL Sharma, who made inflammatory remarks against a particular community. The story had said saffron leaders being involved in Malegaon and Ajmer blasts. Others who were put on dock were RSS leader Indresh Kumar, Delhi-based endocrinologist Dr RP Singh and Sharad Kunthe, head of the chemistry department at Pune’s Wadia College.

    Headlines Today “had exposed how elements in the saffron brigade had plotted Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s assassination and attacks on minorities and had links with the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif bomber,” says a report in India Today.

    The incident has been condemned by the Editors Guild, senior journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai and Upendra Rai, and several political leaders. RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav said the issue would be raised in Parliament in the session beginning later this month.

    The attack has been condemned by the Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and media fraternity. Soni said the matter would be inquired into.