ITV

Tag: IBN Lokmat

  • CNN-IBN and IBN7 strengthens ad sales team

    CNN-IBN and IBN7 strengthens ad sales team

    MUMBAI: IBN Network has appointed Sakshi Jain and Manan Sheel Bhasin as assistant vice presidents – sales. As part of the new role, Jain will head the CNN-IBN display sales team for north region while Bhasin will look after the display sales of IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat for the same region.
     
    Jain comes with 16 years of experience ranging from media planning, buying and broadcast sales across leading consumer brands and television channels. In her previous role, Jain was the deputy general manager, TV Today Network, where she was responsible for the ad sales of Oye 104.8 FM for north. In broadcast sales, she was associated with channels such as Aaj Tak, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), Headlines Today, Big CBS & RTL and ABP Sananda.

     

    Bhasin has been in media industry for over 12 years and has worked with brands like Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Tez, Ten Sports, ABP News, ABP Ananda and ABP Majha. He brings with him expertise of revenue and business generation and sustenance of continuous growth.
     
    In their current roles, Jain and Bhasin will focus on the overall sales strategy for driving the goals of further boosting the Network’s market share and revenues.

     

  • Editors give thumbs up to branded content, if it doesn’t interfere with quality

    Editors give thumbs up to branded content, if it doesn’t interfere with quality

    MUMBAI: While the business heads and sales heads are worried about how to keep revenues growing, the editors are concerned about keeping them away from getting into their editorial decisions. Discussing exactly this was a panel at the 7th Indian News Television Summit that saw ITV Network editor in chief Deepak Chaurasia, senior columnist and veteran journalist QW Naqvi and Mi Marathi consultant and former IBN Lokmat chief editor Nikhil Wagle that was moderated by indiantelevision.com group founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari.

     

    The discussion started off with Wanvari asking them how much would allow business heads to interfere with the editorial. Naqvi said that a business target should not influence editorial decision. Wagle said that he is aware that business is needed to run a channel but ‘without interference the channel can be profitable.’

     

    Chaurasiya was of the opinion that both need to be together for the business model to survive. “The company will go into loss if the model is wrong. The editorial should know the company’s profit and loss because it can’t be a loss  making business. However, sales and editorial should not have the authority to decide whether or not a story should be shown or the angle of the story be taken. If the marketing team will tell me that a particular party is giving money if we do this story and in this angle, then I would say I have surrendered myself to them,” he said.

     

    Wanvari said that political parties were different from brands, to which Wagle said that he isn’t against sponsored programmes, if they are disclosed. “If I was an editor, either I will stop such content or resign,” he said. Naqvi said that he is fine with integration where the quality, judgment and quantity isn’t compromised. “A programme shouldn’t be made just to make a brand happy despite not having any value,” he pointed out.

     

    Chaurasia however said that even a half an hour show with bad ratings will ruin his day’s average, so he hesitates while taking advertorial, despite the money. “Rather than think short term, I think its long term impact on my ad rates. 90 per cent advertisers want to make the show in their perspective,” he said. He was however worried about how with too many ads the time spent on the channel is decreasing.

     

    Times Now editor in chief Arnab Goswami is a brand in himself, which is being used by the channel, said Wanvari asking whether the three of them would allow that to happen to them. “TAM ratings only give numbers, not reactions. When that can be analysed, the real worth of a brand will be known,” he said.

     

    According to Chaurasia, with emergence of new channels and people shifting channels, it isn’t easy to keep brand loyalty. “Now-a-days people think that in four months, people will start asking for autographs while the first generation journalists have taken many years to prove their worth. They feel marketing will help them become this sooner,” he said.

     

    Moving on to the digital play in the future, Naqvi said that there is no doubt about digital being the priority for all. But when Wanvari asked if the editor would go with the marketing to an advertiser, Chaurasia said, “My work is to do content and make them understand the meaning. I have to get them ratings, revenue is a different department.”

     

    The regional space will see proliferation of digital in five years, according to Wagle, and long format journalism will be replaced by short form.

     

    Responding to Wanvari’s question about syndicating shows like how Al Jazeera or BBC does, Naqvi said that when the format will turn to digital, they could think of creating content that could sell because then the audience becomes global. “For this, we will need good internet connectivity till the remotest corner of the country,” he said. However, he also pointed out that not too many channels will survive digitally because people will not want to clutter their phones, but won’t mind seeing a long list of channels on TV.

  • Nikhil Wagle joins Mi Marathi as consultant

    Nikhil Wagle joins Mi Marathi as consultant

    MUMBAI: After a brief hiatus of a month, former IBN Lokmat editor in chief Nikhil Wagle has now assumed the role of a consultant with Mi Marathi. He will host a new show called Point Blank at 9pm from Monday to Friday.

     

    Wagle’s expertise in political news will be leveraged by the channel for the upcoming state elections in Maharashtra. He will also be anchoring an interview based show very soon. In his new capacity, Wagle is free to appear on other Hindi and English news channels but not on any competing Marathi channel.

     

    Recently, the Marathi news channel underwent a few changes. It got on board Ravindra Ambekar as chief editor, veteran journalist Kumar Ketkar as media consultant and Bharat Kumar Raut as consulting editor.

     

    Wagle has worked with Doordarshan as well as newspaper Aapla Mahanagar and has been with IBN Lokmat since its launch in 2008.

  • Nikhil Wagle quits IBN Lokmat

    Nikhil Wagle quits IBN Lokmat

    MUMBAI: Following his counterparts in the Network18 group, IBN Lokmat editor in chief Nikhil Wagle has also decided to part ways with the company.

     

    Announcing the decision through Twitter, Wagle said, “Just resigned from IBN LOKMAT.  Will continue journalism without fear or favour!”

     

    On his decision, former IBN18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted, “@waglenikhil salute you for building India’s finest regional language channel.”

     

    Indiantelevision.com was first to report about Wagle considering to move on from the company which is now under the control of Reliance Industries.

     

    His next move is yet unknown.

     

    Wagle has worked with Doordarshan as well as newspaper Aapla Mahanagar and has been with IBN Lokmat since its launch in 2008.

     

    Network18 has seen a spur of resignations right from founder Raghav Bahl relinquishing hold over the company, but staying on as non executive director of Network 18, to group CEO B Saikumar, COO Ajay Chacko, CFO RDS Binni Bawa, IBN18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai, CNN-IBN deputy editor Sagarika Ghose, Web18 CEO Durga Raghunath and several others who within a span of a few weeks, left the company.

  • Reliance Industries’ execs meet Network18 employees

    Reliance Industries’ execs meet Network18 employees

    MUMBAI: The Network18 office in Empire Mills Complex, in central Mumbai had some new visitors on 8 July 2014. Alok Agrawal who has been appointed as group COO of Network18, non-executive director Rohit Bansal and Reliance Industries Ltd’s media director Umesh Upadhyay held a town hall meeting with the entire staff of TV18 that includes CNN-IBN, IBN7, IBN Lokmat and History TV18.

     

    Attendees say it was a feel-good meeting and to reassure the employees about RIL’s honorable intentions for them all. The employees were told that the megacorp has full faith in them and hence had invested in the Network18 group and the objective was to make it a global brand.

     

    “There is no oil beneath your ground, if you are concerned about our motive,” is what one of them was heard to have said. Narrating an incident of the day founder Raghav Bahl finalised the deal, one of the members said, “Raghav on that day told the RIL executives that he had brought up the company to Rs 5000 crore and now you see if you can take it to Rs 50,000 crore.”

     

    They were further told that going forward the road ahead would be shared with them.  “It has been only 30 hours since the announcement of us acquiring Network18 has been made,” said one of them. “But you should know that 4G is very important for us as in the future smart phones are going to become very powerful. We are all happy that Raghav (Bahl) is continuing to give his support to the company.”

     

    A similar meeting had taken place a day earlier with the employees in the head office in Delhi where special assurance was given to the CNBC TV-18 employees that “they need not fear publishing any story.” Employees in both places were told that they can even report about RIL but not publish stories without any facts.

     

    One of the executives said that the main point in the whole RIL-Network18 deal was an exchange between two people (referring to Mukesh Ambani and Bahl) but everything else stays the same.

     

    A source from RIL says that the exercise is being conducted so that employees are personally met and assured rather than have them believe false rumours through the media. A few more meetings are expected to be held in the coming days.

  • Rajdeep Sardesai’s last email to IBN18

    Rajdeep Sardesai’s last email to IBN18

    MUMBAI: Rumours were finally put to rest as editor-in-chief of Network18 Rajdeep Sardesai quit the IBN18 Network. He sent out a detailed emotional email beginning with how difficult it was for him to leave the news network likening it to a baby.

     

    After quitting NDTV in 2005, Sardesai went on to join IBN18 as its editor-in-chief for nine long years. He was the face of the channel, hosting the prime time show ‘India at 9’.

     

    The Padma Shri awardee in his email sent out to employees some time back, spelt out how he began with the English channel with just a chair and a table. He also thanked IBN-18’s Hindi channel IBN7 for helping improve his Hindi oratory skills.

     

    While he tweeted; “Proud of what we have achieved at IBN18. Built channels from scratch that put journalism first. Will treasure the journey.”

     

    Below lies the full transcript of the email that Sardesai sent to his colleagues and employees at IBN18.

     

    “My dear friends,

     

    This is one of  the toughest letters to write. After nine wonderful years at IBN 18, its time to say goodbye. I must confess its not easy to leave a baby that one has helped create/build/grow and to leave such great colleagues. But I guess certain things in life are written in the stars. Editorial  ndependence and integrity have been articles of faith in 26 years in journalism and maybe I am too old now to change!

     

    I would though like to look at the brighter side, the many happy times we have all shared. I still remember when we decided to set up an English news channel: we had one chair and a table, and no one gave us a hope in hell. I recall an advertising executive watching our pitch and asking why we were even attempting a new news channel. But madness and a passion for journalism as defined by the spirit of  “whatever it takes” can break many a wall: we eventually did it! CNN IBN was a remarkable success: in nine years, we achieved the seemingly impossible in the news business: ratings, evenue, but most crucially, RESPECT for our  journalism. I am told that our awards tally is now over 200, more than all the other channels put together! This year’s election coverage was a good example of what we have been able to achieve: a friend in CNN said he would have been proud to put together such a formidable line up of  programming.

     

    IBN 7 had a more difficult period in a highly competitive market, but again I can look back with pride on the achievements of  the channel. We had a fire in the belly as typified by the tagline “khabar har keemat par’. I remember in a small town in UP when an elderly gent came to me and said, “sir  aan gaye, aap hee ka channel hai jo na mayawati ko na mulayam ko chhodta hai!” And thank you to the IBN 7 newsroom for helping me improve my Hindi to the point where I could maybe anchor in Hindi one day!

     

    and then to my friends in IBN Lokmat: you guys in many ways are the real rockstars. You overcame every challenge to build a channel of substance. You created programming that won awards at the national level and stories that made the people of Maharashtra sit up. “Chala Jag Jinkuiya”: truly you showed what the true spirit of journalism can do. My dream was that one day we would have similar quality channels in every Indian language: that dream must wait another day!

     

    None of  all this would have been possible without the freedom one enjoyed at Network 18. For that I am eternally grateful to the leadership. Above all, none of  this would have been possible without the professionalism that each and every one of  you has shown. Television news is the ultimate TEAM game: I know the hard work that every one of  you put to build this network: from OB drivers and engineers from video editors to video  journalists to the newsroom, each of  you deserve the highest acclaim for being there 24 x 7, through winter mornings and summer evenings.

     

    Forget the cynics, journalism my friends is a great profession. Good journalism makes a genuine difference to the world by offering a mirror to society. Our stories have exposed corrupt netas and forced ministers to resign; we did stories that got jobs for the disabled, land to the landless, justice to acid attack victims. Hell, we even pioneered the idea of citizen journalism and of  India Positive and Real Heroes to showcase an India that otherwise is lost in the noise of  breaking news. Yes, putting news above noise, sense above sensation and crediiblity above chaos must remain a credo forever: else journalism will lose its moral compass. I hope the new management will always put journalism first and I wish them well.

     

    I don’t want this note to be too long, (editors takes can get awfully long-winded) so I shall end here. I shall leave you with a Hindi film song which I believe should be a life philosophy: Aadmi musafir hai, aata hai aur jaata hai, aate jaate raste pe apne yaadein chhod jaata hai.. I hope, in my own small way, I have touched you on life’s journey; you guys certainly have made be a better person. I will treasure the memories of  what must be nine of  the best years of my professional life. As I move on, I have no doubt our paths will cross: the friendships and warmth will endure forever. Thank you for the memories.

     

    Warmest,

    Rajdeep

     

    P.S. am sorry if I would occasionally call at 3 am in the morning. Blame it on being a news junkie. And remember, every time there is a spelling mistake on the ticker, my ghost will haunt you!!

  • Finally, Rajdeep Sardesai says sayonara to IBN18

    Finally, Rajdeep Sardesai says sayonara to IBN18

    MUMBAI: First it was the better half of the power news couple – Sagarika Ghose-Rajdeep  Sardesai –  that announced through twitter last night that she was departing from CNN-IBN. Now Rajdeep Sardesai too has said his last sayonara to a news network he helped build from scratch. In a mail he sent out to his team today, he  announced his departure, expressing that it was one of the toughest letters to write.

     

    The reason for his departure he states in the message is that  editorial independence and integrity have been articles of faith in 26 years in journalism and may be “ I am too old  now to change.”

     

    Said he in the message: “ I must confess it’s not easy to leave a baby that one has helped create/build/grow and to leave such great colleagues. But I guess certain things in life are written in the stars. Editorial independence and integrity have been articles of faith in 26 years in journalism and maybe I am too old now to change!”

     

    He added in the message that the success of the channels – CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN Lokmat – was possible because of the freedom given to the journalists by the leadership at Network18.

     

    And he closed his message by saying: “Forget the cynics, journalism my friends is a great profession. Good journalism makes a genuine difference to the world by offering a mirror to society. Yes, putting news above noise, sense above sensation and credibility above chaos must remain a credo forever: else journalism will lose its moral compass. I hope the new management will always put journalism first and I wish them well.”

     

    Rajdeep’s departure comes two days before the new Network18 management is slated to be announced. 

  • Nikhil Wagle: Another one bites the dust at Network18?

    Nikhil Wagle: Another one bites the dust at Network18?

    MUMBAI: Is senior journo Nikhil Wagle going to end up as another casualty at the Network18 group? 

     

    What has got tongues wagging is a tweet which Wagle sent out this morning in which he stated: “My decision to leave Mum (read Mumbai) is final. Need to get away from crowds and madness! Want ultimate peace.”

     

    Wagle is editor in chief at IBN Lokmat which is part of IBN18 which itself is part of the Network18 group. Apparently, he has been on leave for some time now.

     

    RTI activist and senior journalist Vinita Deshmukh questioned him on his tweet, “What are u saying? Where are you going? Will you be the next TV star to desert us?” Wagle responded by saying: “Will always be with people n activists like u! Don’t know about TV!”

    So we at indiantelevision.com also got into the twitter game and messaged him asking him what was going on. He responded after some time, saying he was on leave. And when questioned whether his leave was permanent or just a short break, his quick repartee was “Wait and watch!”

     

    Wagle tweeted later at close to midnight: “Please don’t spread rumors. I am with@ibnlokmattv. Not resigned. On leave.Was hospitalized n adviced rest.“ (updated at 11:23 pm, 28 June 2014).

    Wagle has worked with Doordarshan as well as newspaper Aapla Mahanagar and has been with IBN Lokmat since its launch in 2008.

     

    Currently, IBN18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai and CNN-IBN deputy editor Sagarika Ghose are on leave. Though Rajdeep has calmed his team by saying that he would be back in July before he went on leave earlier this month, the rumour is that he is not returning.

     

    After Reliance announced its acquisition of the network last month from founder Raghav Bahl, group CEO B Saikumar, COO Ajay Chacko, CFO RDS Binni Bawa and several others put in their papers. It is unknown who will be taking their positions. Meanwhile, the open offer for Network18 is slated to go on till August.

     

  • CNN-IBN shines at the prestigious RedInk Awards 2014

    CNN-IBN shines at the prestigious RedInk Awards 2014

    MUMBAI: CNN-IBN, the Most Awarded English News Channel continues its legacy by adding two more awards to its kitty. The channel swept the ‘Television Story of The Year’ category by winning both the winner and runners-up trophy at the RedInk Awards 2014 on Saturday night, in Mumbai. CNN-IBN’s Special Correspondent Priyali Sur was declared the winner for her documentary ‘Girls In Bondage’, while Senior Editor and Anchor Anubha Bhonsle bagged the runners-up title in the same category for her story ‘Kashmir After Afzal’.

    Instituted by The Press Club, Mumbai, ‘Press Club Awards for Excellence in Journalism’, better known as the Press Club Mumbai ‘RedInk’ awards is an annual award ceremony to felicitate the exemplary works of journalism in India. The objective of this initiative is to recognize and promote what the organizers hold dear – quality writing, fair play and high ethical standards in Journalism.

    Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “It’s a matter of great pride for us to receive this award as it signifies the tireless effort put in by our entire team as we strive for excellence in Journalism. At CNN-IBN, we believe in ‘Putting Journalism First’ and by winning these awards we are setting the benchmark for ourselves.”

  • Counting Day: CNN-IBN & IBN7 present ‘The Verdict’

    Counting Day: CNN-IBN & IBN7 present ‘The Verdict’

    MUMBAI: After months of exhaustive campaigning and nine long phases of polling, India is all set for the verdict in the world’s biggest democratic exercise. As the nation inches closer to the Counting Day, CNN-IBN & IBN7 present an extensive day-long programming, ‘A Billion Votes – The Verdict’ & ‘Mera Vote Meri Sarkar – Aap ka Faisla’ respectively, that will bring to the viewers the most credible minute-by-minute coverage of the results of General Elections 2014.

     

    Commencing at 6am in the morning, this special coverage will include the latest trends, seat tally and extensive live coverage from across the country. The programming will also closely keep a track of results and analyse the implications of the same in detail. IBN Network’s formidable team of journalists led by country’s most trusted news anchor Padma Shri Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, along with India’s best political experts will discuss the verdict and provide the most definitive and incisive analysis of the results.

     

    The eminent panel of experts on IBN Network comprises of Swapan Dasgupta, Dr. Ramachandra Guha, Dr. Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Dr. Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta, T R Ramachandran, Aakar Patel, Sharat Pradhan, Dr. Shaibal Gupta, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Prof. Rajeeva Karandikar, Sanjay Kumar, Hilal Ahmed, Ajay Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Purushottam Agrawal.

     

    Commenting on this, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, said, “Considered to be the most critical elections in recent times, General Elections 2014 has witnessed voter participation in record numbers. Every Indian is now looking forward to the final results. At IBN Network, our aim is to keep our viewers abreast of the latest and provide them with the most definitive Counting Day coverage – for indeed these results will determine the future of India.”

     

    Do not miss this special programming on CNN-IBN & IBN7 on May 16, 2014, all day, 6 am onwards.