ITV

Tag: internet

  • Perfetti Announces winner of Mentos Batti Jalao Campaign

    Perfetti Announces winner of Mentos Batti Jalao Campaign

    NEW DELHI :Mentos, one of the leading brands of Perfetti Van Melle India, today announced the winner of its Batti Jalao Campaign. The winner, Malek Mohamad Shahnawaz Hafisodin was given a cheque of Rs. 25 lakhs by Perfetti India representatives at Baroda.

    Mentos- Khooni Kaun Hai, has been one the most unique and innovative marketing campaigns with an aim to initiate conversations amongst its consumers. The campaign used a riddle with a twist and urged the audience to use their brain laterally. This unconventional campaign was very effective in creating a buzz amongst its target audience. The campaign received more than 5 lakh entries through various platforms including social media, microsites, mobile, internet, radio and electronic media.

    Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Nikhil Sharma, Director – Marketing, Perfetti Van Melle India said, “This campaign has helped us engage with our consumers in an interesting and never-done-before way. Batti Jalao campaign has been very successful and we have seen tremendous response from the customers. I would like to once again congratulate Mr. Hafisodin on his win.”

    Commenting on his win Mr. Malek Mohamad Shahnawaz Hafisodin said,”This has been one of the most entertaining ads I have come across. I was sure there would be lakhs of entries and some of them would be right too. So I'm very happy that I got lucky“

    The campaign conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather was first launched on the digital media with a sneak preview for the Mentos Facebook community, which has over 9 lakh followers. Thereafter the campaign was launched in the internet and mobile space. Viewers could log on to www.mentosindia.com or www.facebook.com/mentosindia , branded destinations on internet and mobile specifically launched for this campaign. These zones enabled the viewers to participate in the contest and also provided them with clues to the riddle. Finally the campaign went on air on television across key youth oriented channels.

  • NDTV to set up subsidiary for convergence & tech biz; plans to enter e-commerce

    NDTV to set up subsidiary for convergence & tech biz; plans to enter e-commerce

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) is setting up a new subsidiary where it will park its convergence and technology businesses.

     

    The company has also decided to enter into e-commerce business through its subsidiary, NDTV Worldwide.

     

    In the restructured form, NDTV Ltd will, thus, have four subsidiaries, each looking after a separate business. While NDTV News will take care of the news broadcasting business, NDTV Worldwide will be responsible for the media consultancy and e-commerce part. NDTV Network will constitute the lifestyle business and the fourth subsidiary will combine Convergence and NDTV Labs, which will manage the content delivery aspect of NDTV’s business.

        
    As part of an exercise to simplify the structure, NDTV Labs will get merged into NDTV Convergence. “This was the most natural step to take. Convergence is a growing business,” said NDTV Group vice-chairperson KVL Narayan Rao said.

     

    NDTV Convergence was set up to exploit the synergies between television, Internet and mobile and it also owns the website ndtv.com. NDTV Labs focuses on development of broadcast graphics systems.

     

    Asked if NDTV is merging the step-down subsidiaries for raising capital or bringing in an investor, Rao said, “This is not why it is being done. Convergence is self-funded.”

     

    For the year ended 31 March 2012, NDTV Convergence recorded a fivefold jump in net profit. Revenue rose by 60 per cent over the last fiscal year.

     

    NDTV WorldWide also turned profitable. Net profit doubled in the fiscal ended 31 March 2012, while revenue tripled over the year-ago period. NDTV, however, does not disclose the exact financials of these two outfits.

  • ‘We are completely format and genre agnostic’ : Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat

    ‘We are completely format and genre agnostic’ : Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat

    Badly bruised by MTV. Not really. Not really. Channel [V] has turned around to the same formula – cut down on music content while adding reality format shows.

     

    The overhaul to fit into the garb of a youth channel is beginning to pay rich dividends. Channel [V] has shored up its ratings and, more importantly, the brand is being polished to cater to an expanded audience base.

     

    Channel [V]‘s focus is on the seven metros. That is where its grip on audiences is strengthening as it tries to catch up on market leader MTV.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate, Channel [V] GM Prem Kamat talks about the drive to expand the brand across TV, internet, mobile and on-ground platforms.

     

    Excerpts:

     
     
    It‘s been more than three months since the relaunch of the channel. How has the response been so far?

    It‘s been fantastic. Actually, it has surpassed all our expectations…both from a market share point of view as well as the revenue standpoint. The kind of upswing that we are seeing is absolutely phenomenal. When we started out- even before the revamp when we began changing things around the channel and getting some basic things in place, transforming the kind of music we play, all of it – we were having a 0.2 – 0.3 per cent share. And as per the latest data, our share now has increased to 0.81.

     

    That‘s actually a fourfold increase. We were expecting to be at this stage probably in the next five to six months down the line, but we have reached that point already.

     

    Also, shows like Dare 2 Date have become hugely popular. There are websites dedicated to it. There are fan pages on Facebook and popularity is huge.

     
     
    But how do you see competition with MTV and Bindass who are much ahead in viewership and targeting the same youth audience?

    The case is pertinent to the time when we started out. However today, MTV‘s share is 1-1.2 per cent while we stand at 0.8. Thus, our gap with MTV has significantly narrowed.

     

    Talking about focused markets, we have been always ahead of Bindass. So for the slice that we take amongst the youth, we have been consistently ahead of Bindass. Specially, post the relaunch.
     
     

    But the Tam data does not show the kind of growth that you are boasting of. You talked about your focused markets…
    As you know, slicing the audiences is a game that people play to suit themselves. We always maintain that we are a youth channel; we focus on the seven metros. So we are an upscale urban youth portal, channel, medium… whatever you call it. And 15-24 is really the age group that we define.

     

    So that‘s really the set of people we talk to.

     
     
    But just the seven metros. Don‘t you think youth is scattered across?

    It is. But I think it is very important for us to define what our focus areas are and which are the places we wish to operate. When you say seven metros, it still counts to about 55 per cent of the Tam markets. So it is a significantly large percentage of the population.

     

    In terms of consumption, for most brands these seven markets will contribute to over 60-70 per cent of their volumes. In terms of television viewership, these again contribute about 60 per cent of the total viewership. So it‘s really about saying that, of course Channel [V] is consumed outside these seven metros, but every time we create something when we use audiences as a guiding force for the kind of stuff that we should be doing, these are the markets that we talk about. And hence, everything that we measure revolves around these markets. These are the set of people we are catering to.
     

     
    Coming to shows, music channels are shrinking their music content while upping their format shows. Is this the inevitable model?

    No, not necessarily. I really believe it depends on how you define your own programming philosophy. I think there are two ways to approach this. One is by staying faithful to the genre, second is by staying faithful to your audience.

     

    At Channel [V] we always say that we are going be faithful to our audience and not the genre. So, if a 15-24-year-old wants to consume a certain kind of content, that‘s the kind of content Channel [V] will put up.

     

    We do not believe that we are a channel which stays faithful to the genre. This particular audience has a wide variety of interests. It is our endeavour to try and reflect every aspect of that in the edgiest, the most interesting and most entertaining form possible. That is what you will see happening on our channel as well.

     

    It‘s not that Channel [V] has stopped playing or showcasing music. A large part of our content is still music, but we have taken a conscious call to move beyond music and get into a whole series of different things.

     
     
    ‘We are seeing Channel [V] as not just a television channel but as a brand with legs like TV, internet and mobile. In short, an all round engagement platform‘

     
     
    MTV had started the transition in 2007 when it shed its music content from 80 to 60 per cent. Now it is just 20 per cent of their programming. Is Channel [V] taking the same route?

    Like I said, it‘s not a decision that is driven by the genre at all. While I cannot comment on MTV‘s stand on this and how they are approaching it, our take is very simple. We pride ourselves on having a very strong pulse on what the consumer needs and what our target group enjoys. Our endeavour is constantly to be on the ball as far as this consumer pulse is concerned. Our content mix will always be a reflection of this.

     

    If the genre shifts in a completely new direction tomorrow, and the trends indicate that the youth choices are changing, that will be the direction we will take.

     
     
    Currently, your music content share is 60 per cent. Are you planning to cut it further?

    Currently, the kind of yield that we are getting from our shows is very good. But that doesn‘t mean that we are going to abandon music and populate the whole channel with shows. There are a variety of other constraints and considerations to take into account.

     

    This is the content mix that we decided on at the beginning of the year in July (as per News Corp‘s financial calendar) and we intend to continue this till at least June-end. Then, we will take a call on our content again.

     
     
    So with your revamped programming, you mean that youth is more interested in reality?

    Absolutely. I think it is fairly clear for everybody to see that. And it is not just reality. Reality is just a format, a form of programming. We are not constrained by that at all; we are completely format-agnostic and genre-agnostic. So it does not matter to us if the show is reality or fiction or documentary. What matters is whether it interests our target audience. And we have ample evidence all around us to say that their interests go far beyond just mere music.

     

    For example, our show Campus Buzz can‘t be put under any genre. Here students make video blogs and submit it to us. It is user-generated-content on television, but the engagement is also online.

     

    These are things that are representative of how we can push beyond the boundaries of genre and reality and fiction or non-fiction content.
     

     
    Also the cost of content for these kind of shows is very small?

    Absolutely, because a large part of it is user generated. We do guide them to some extent. But you are right in saying that the cost of producing something like this is very very small.
     
     

    But isn‘t the cost higher for other reality shows like Exhausted, Kidnap, or [V] The Player?

    Different shows have different cost structures, depending on what you are doing with it, where the shoot is, who you are getting and length of the shoot. But yes, on a ‘per half hour‘ basis, creating your own custom programming is more expensive than playing music. But it also offers you the advantages of creating something that is unique, something that is differentiated and something that is much more of a fit with your brand personality. And most importantly, creating something that the audience will find engaging and interesting.

     
     
    But is the revenue also looking up?

    Yes, because what these shows also do is provide you with customised solutions for clients. When someone (client) comes to Channel [V], it‘s not merely for the reach or for the conventional matrix of reach and frequency. They select a channel like us for the kind of engagement that we provide with the audiences. I think it is fair to say that a consumer of Channel [V] is far more involved with the brand than let‘s say the consumer of a regular conventional GEC (general entertainment channel) or a movie channel for that matter. That is really the advantage we can offer to the advertisers.

     

    What we bring to the table is a far higher degree of engagement with the viewers and far greater avenues of engaging with these people than just playing a 30-second commercial.

     

     
    Coming to promo properties, Channel [V] has created characters like Quick Gun Murugan, Lola Kutty and Sampoo Singh. Has the focus shifted now?

    Not really. Probably there has been a lull in the last two years for various reasons. But it is not that we have stopped. For example the ‘Bai‘ on Channel [V] that says Itne Paise me itna hi milega. It‘s something that the Bai said on Channel [V] and has become a very popular lingo.

     

    We are also creating more characters. Bai has been joined in by Bhai, her brother who is on-air right now. Things like these catch on with the audiences on their own…we can never promote these. Our best bet is to create these characters and put them out to see what happens. It will be very arrogant to believe or to say that we can create these characters at will.

     
    Do you see the no-appointment viewing pattern as a problem for youth channels like yours?

    For certain shows yes, for certain shows – no. Channels like ours don‘t have the kind of appointment viewing that a GEC has. Therefore, all of us follow an alternative model of airing a high number of repeats. If on a GEC a show repeats once or twice, on a channel like ours it will repeat 11-12 times. It gives us an opportunity to far more sample that show.

     

    The business model for us is a combination of attempting the scheduling in a different manner and finding new avenues for more consumption, whether it‘s online or mobile.

     
    So that is why you are more bullish on internet?

    Exactly. If you see our revamped website, only 10 per cent is about the content that we put on TV. It is our firm and unshakable believe that people don‘t go online just to see what is on TV. Hence, even if the website caters to the same kind of audiences and the same areas of interest, it does so in a manner that is suitable much more for the internet.

     

    You will find a lot more articles and advises on youth-centric issues, love and relationships. It is created exclusively for the internet, though it is for the same set of audiences.

     

    How does the strength of a network like Star help Channel [V]?

    It gives us a very strong platform to promote our shows. It is also a very strong source for driving in efficiencies, weathering cost efficiencies, and learning. Because of the network, we have far more channels from where we can learn or cross pollinate ideas. Also, we can source content on a much larger scale, which gives us a cost advantage. 

     

     
    What is the way going forward?

    You will find that we will continue to do shows. Internet as well as mobile and digital will become important for us. On-ground is also another important proposition. We are planning to take our brand on-ground on a grand scale.

     

    We are seeing Channel [V] as not just a television channel but as a brand with legs like TV, internet, mobile and on-ground. In short, an all round engagement platform. 

  • STBs apart, industry feels left in the cold

    STBs apart, industry feels left in the cold
     

    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: While the 2008-09 budget has largely left the media and entertainment industry untouched, Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced some measures that are expected to benefit the cable, direct-to-home (DTH) and IPTV growth in the country.

    Mixed bag for DTH, Cable

    Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel feels the DTH industry has something to feel positive about. “At present there is zero duty on import of set top boxes. Now the Finance Minister has also removed duty on import of specified parts of STBs. This will provide leverage and opportunity for DTH players to evaluate the option of manufacturing STBs locally,” he says.

    Tata Sky MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik, however, doesn’t agree that there is too much for the sector. “The benefits are so insignificant that the impact will be almost homoeopathic,” he says.

    There is only a relaxation on some of the components for manufacture of the STBs. “We had expected much more, especially significant reduction on excise duty, which has been denied us,” Kaushik adds.

    The issue of double taxation, with the entertainment industry having to pay both entertainment as well as service tax, has been left unchanged.

    Goel, however, gives a more detailed rationale behind being upbeat. He argues that since the CVD (countervailing duty) is reduced from 16 per cent to 14 per cent, the cost of the Consumer Premises Equipment (CPE) will go down and will benefit the DTH operator who are already providing considerable subsidies to consumers.

    The new provision introduced by FM in Service Tax, stating that any item being provided under the “Right to Use” to the customer but not covered under VAT, will now be covered under ‘right to use.’ This is a move towards the Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime, Goel points out.

    He says this will partly address the issue of multiple taxation on the DTH industry, where presently along with the service tax, VAT was also being charged on the CPE, though these were being given on rental or lease models.

    “This will help the DTH industry to give more options to the consumers to acquire the CPE on rental, which has been stipulated by Trai in its Quality of Service requirements. It will benefit the industry by taking the CENVAT credit of the service tax paid, thus positively impacting the cash flow of the capital intensive businesses,” Goel says.

    The multi-system operators (MSOs) are more cautious. Says Hathway Cable and Datacom MD and CEO K Jayaraman, “It is too early to see how the STB vendors respond to the duty waiver of some components and set up manufacturing bases in India. This will succeed only if the foreign vendors start producing here. Local manufacturers will also feel encouraged but they have to comply with the conditional access vendor.”

    The MSO Alliance is not happy with the way the demands of the industry have been ignored, especially on the issue of rationalisation of taxes.

    Says MSO Alliance secretary Avnindra Mohan, “There is marginal benefit on some STB components; it would be of some use only when Indian companies start producing STBs on a large scale. As it is, 90 per cent of the STBs are being imported today,” he holds.

    The Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) is deeply dissatisfied with the budget, saying there is nothing in it for the local cable operators.

    Says COFI president Roop Sharma, “There is no provision of making digital headends cheaper. The marginal help to STB manufacturing would only be good for the DTH players and also of IPTV. But there are only 500000 STBs in the Cas (conditional access system) notified areas. So it hardly makes any difference to us. What the cable industry needed was incentives for digital headends.”

    Broadcasters feel digitalisation should get the push

    Broadcasters, on the other hand, feel the budget is positive in what little it has to offer. Says Star India CEO Uday Shankar, “The incentives provided for STB manufacture is a welcome sign. In fact, anything that goes towards digitalisation is good because this country is a victim of choked distribution pipes on analogue systems.”

    Agrees Global Broadcast News joint MD Sameer Manchanda, “The government has done something for the STBs and also for the convergence equipment. Since this is good for digitalization, it is also good for us as broadcasters.”

    Sums up INX Media founder and CEO Indrani Mukerjea: “The budget has provided an impetus for growth to the Digital revolution – by reducing the duty on certain specific components of STBs to nil. I am also happy that duty on convergence products related to the media and entertainment industry has been halved. Of course, I wish there had been a reduction in corporate tax rates for the industry too.”

    Film industry feels left in the cold

    The film industry has mixed feelings. Speaking for the multiplex operators, E-City Ventures MD Atul Goel has this to offer. “The impact on the entertainment industry would be limited, except for the customs duty reduction on equipment from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. However, we are happy to note, from the Cenvat reduction, that there is a direction towards convergence of indirect tax rates from the existing inefficient regime. We sincerely hope that the Empowered Committee of Finance Ministers recommend a substitution of entertainment tax levied on cinemas with GST (to be rolled out by 2010).”

    Prime Focus CFO Nishant Fadia feels the Indian film and entertainment industry should have liked special tax concessions and a reduction in corporate tax. But, on the positive side, he says, reduction of CENVAT in import duties and customs duty on equipments are steps in the right direction.

    Nothing for FM radio

    FM broadcasters feel the budget has nothing specific to offer to spur the sector’s growth. Says Big FM COO Tarun Katial, “The service tax needed to reduce, especially since the radio industry is at its infancy and has great employment and media opportunities in the semi-urban and rural markets.”

    Radio City CEO and AROI president Apurva Purohit believes reduction in base rate of excise duty from 16 to 14 per cent is positive for the industry overall. But there is little for the sector. She says, “Development and supply of content for use in advertising purposes has been brought under service tax net. This is likely to see an increase in advertising cost bringing a slowdown in advertisement revenues to broadcasters and print media which will ultimately be passed on to the consumer.”
  • Skype founders looks to put the Joost in online TV

    Skype founders looks to put the Joost in online TV

    MUMBAI: The cofounders of the Internet telephone service Skype have unveiled the brand name and details of their latest project. This is a new Internet-based television service called Joost.

    The Venice Project has revealed its official brand, Joost. Currently available in private beta testing, Joost combines TV and the Internet by offering viewers a TV-like experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of web 2.0.

    Joost is looking to fill a gap in the online video entertainment arena. Joost claims to be powered by a secure, efficient, piracy-proof Internet platform that enables premium interactive video experiences while guaranteeing copyright protection for content owners and creators.

    Joost CEO Fredrik de Wahl says, “People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content. With Joost, we’ve married that consumer desire with the industry’s interests.”

    Joost is the first global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality content to viewers for free.

    de Wahl says, “We have received positive and constructive feedback from our early beta-testers and are now at a stage where we’re ready to reveal our true brand. The Joost name has global appeal, embodies fun and energy, and will come to define the ’best of TV and the best of the Internet’”.
     

  • Kasenna announces IPTV services innovation

    MUMBAI: The Indian arm of IPTV firm Kasenna Incorporated – Kasenna India today announced PortalTV 2.0, a suite of integrated products sporting a user interface and a Web services architecture designed to integrate the Internet and television.

    The “dynamic HTML-based smart client enables service providers to brand, control and differentiate their IPTV service experience and offerings,” a company release claims.

    “PortalTV 2.0 is based on open platforms and systems, enabling service providers to reduce their capital and operating expenditures by incorporating the standard server hardware and operating system of their choice – there are no proprietary integrations to work around,” said Kasenna CEO Kumar Shah.

    The PortalTV 2.0 suite comprises Kasenna LivingRoom 2.0 (IPTV middleware), LivingRoom Smart Client 2.0.1 (IPTV STB client), MediaBase 8.2 (the video delivery platform), vFusion 1.3 (video network management system), and content from ViewNow, a Kasenna company. Together, this suite of products – running on any industry-standard server – enables service providers to deliver an end-to-end system for interactive television, the release states.

    “PortalTV 2.0 has delivered to our telco customers the ability to be the first in offering next-generation MPEG-4 high-definition television,” said Hirendra Gupta, Managing Director and VP – Kasenna India and South East Asia.

    In India as well as throughout Asia, the future of IPTV lies in its ability to make programming come alive with interactive features such as gaming, quizzes or voting, or with the ability of users to click anywhere on the screen to buy or receive more information on a product or service. Kasenna is taking a leadership position in helping service providers roll out feature-rich interactive-TV services today, while providing a platform for marketing new services rapidly as they become available.

  • Visiware releases IPTV game channel

    Visiware releases IPTV game channel

    MUMBAI: Visiware has announced the release of its IPTV game channel, a turnkey solution with portals, back office and the Playin’TV catalog of casual games, available on Flash and HTML.

    This channel is fully compatible with Playin’TV triple play game offering, allowing players to continue to play and compete on TV, mobile and Internet.

    More than 25 games are already available, all of them specially made for the big screen experience and remote navigation. Visiware has already provided IPTV networks such as UCC in Kuwait and T-Online in Germany, asserts an official release.

    Visiware chairman Laurant Weill said, “This is a great opportunity for networks to generate new revenues and for Visiware to reach new markets. We will not only provide technology and content but also a 10 years expertise in successfully marketing iTV games.”

    “Agreements with major IPTV partners raises the bar for compelling IPTV games which are missing from most current IPTV offers usually ported from the net, but on the web this is a very different experience and human interface. We are looking forward to deploying on many more markets within the next months,” he added.

    The triple play offer includes specific advantages: cross-platform contests and leaderboards, ranking and offering a game to a friend, adds the release.

  • Nielsen, NetRatings launch TV/Internet fusion database in the US

    Nielsen, NetRatings launch TV/Internet fusion database in the US

    MUMBAI: US media research firm Nielsen Media Research and subsidiary NetRatings have launched their TV/Internet Fusion database.

    This product merges information from television and Internet panels into a single dataset, and allows television programmers and advertisers to study and capitalize on the relationship between television and Internet use.

    The new service is the first deliverable being developed through Nielsen’s Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative. This resource combines Nielsen’s National People Meter sample of more than 30,000 respondents with NetRatings’ NetView sample, which electronically tracks Internet use of approximately 29,000 panelists from homes and businesses.

    The fused database uses panelist information, including age, sex, household income, household education and region of the US to link the two databases, thereby providing a picture of consumers’ TV and online activities.

    The National TV/Internet Fusion database serves as a springboard toward the development of a single-sample Internet/television panel. In November, Nielsen Media Research will begin a test to identify the potential impact of Internet measurement on television panel-quality metrics, installing software meters – including NetRatings’ patented metering technology – on the laptops and personal computers of test homes installed with Nielsen People Meters. The company plans to fully deploy the meters during the 2007-2008 television season, assuming successful test results.

    Nielsen Media Research chief research officer v says, “At a time when the importance of the Internet as an advertising vehicle continues to grow and expand with new streaming offerings, it’s particularly important to understand the interaction between these two media. The National TV/Internet Fusion database is an advanced multi-platform measurement service that offers advertisers, agencies and media companies an unparalleled view of this expanding relationship; and it represents a critical element in Nielsen’s commitment to measure television wherever and however it is viewed.”

    NetRatings VP measurement science Mainak Mazumdar said, “The National TV/Internet Fusion database takes media measurement to a new level. As streaming content becomes ubiquitous on the Internet, the importance of a combined television and internet data set is critical for companies competing for the digital consumer.”

    By reporting both national TV network viewership and web site usage in a single data set, the National TV/Internet Fusion database can provide media and advertising clients with a broad range of analysis, including:

    – Assessment of Internet usage by TV audiences, including visits to media company web sites by viewers to their network.
    – TV viewership by visitors to specific websites.
    – Quantification of the unduplicated reach of television sources and Internet web sites.
    – Segmentation of audiences to identify and target specific interest groups.
    – Tracking of changing patterns of media consumption as more TV programming and other streaming content becomes available online.
    – Improved measurement of the reach and frequency of combined TV/Internet campaigns.

    In conjunction with the launch of the new service, the companies have produced a research report of their April 2006 fused data, based on time spent watching television and usage of more than 2,000 ad-supported web sites. Included in the key findings:

    The analysis of the intersection of television and Internet quintiles reports that 40 per cent of the US 2+ population are more television-centric, 24 per cent are more Internet-centric, and 15 per cent are equally heavy users of TV and the Internet (the remaining portion of the population are light users of both media). Heavy Internet users also tend to watch more television than do light Internet users.

    Broadcast and cable networks achieve higher ratings among people who visit their websites, however this relationship differs greatly by demographic and program genre. Visitors to pure-play Internet web sites tend to watch less television than average viewers.

  • HT Media & Time of India Group to join hands to publish newspaper for Delhi

    HT Media & Time of India Group to join hands to publish newspaper for Delhi

    MUMBAI: The two print media heavyweights HT Media Ltd and The Times of India Group will now be embarking on a joint venture to publish a newspaper in Delhi. 

    The endavour is meant to cater to changing needs of the reader and the arrival of Delhi as an International city. The joint venture will draw strength from the competencies of both Groups, allowing them to work together to efficiently grow an exciting and nascent market.
    The 50:50 joint venture (JV) has to be approved by the board, as informed to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

    HT Media Ltd vice chairperson Shobhana Bhartia said, “We are pleased to collaborate with BCCL on this value creating opportunity which reflects our commitment to delivering Highly relevant editorial content. We believe that the new paper will give advertisers an opportunity to engage the reader on an unprecedented level.”

    The company’s flagship Hindustan Times newspaper was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1924. It also publishes the Hindustan (Hindi paper) and will shortly launch FM radio stations and a daily business newspaper in key Indian metros.

    The Times of India Group holds some of the leading newspaper, magazine, radio, Internet and television brands in the country. The Group also has a significant presence in music, filmed entertainment, events, out of home advertising and multimedia.

  • TNS appoints Mezzasalma as head of internet, television and radio audience measurement sector

    TNS appoints Mezzasalma as head of internet, television and radio audience measurement sector

    MUMBAI: TNS has appointed Andrea Mezzasalma as head of TNS’ Internet, Television and Radio Audience Measurement sector (iTram), responsible for managing the global business.

    Mezzasalma will take over from Mike Gorton who has been with TNS for five years and played a key role in developing the iTram sector and consolidating TNS as an industry leader in TV and radio audience measurement, informs an official release.

    Gorton will be retiring from TNS this year but will remain with the group as a consultant.

    Mezzasalma will be relocated from Milan to London and has a high profile in the global media measurement industry. He became the youngest partner in Eurisko, a leading Italian marketing information company, where he was pivotal in developing and marketing innovative technologies for audience measurement. Eurisko was acquired by NOP World in 2003, and more recently by GfK.

    TNS chief executive David Lowden said, “Andrea has an excellent track record as an innovator with a deep understanding of technology. With rapid changes in technology, media measurement is becoming more complex and TNS is responding to this challenge by developing more sophisticated models to enable data segmentation, digitisation and internet measurement. Andrea will provide valuable expertise in the technology and audience measurement fields to take the iTram team forward and deliver growth in this important sector.

    TNS has recently secured a number of high profile contracts across the globe including its appointment to the RAJAR/BARB London Portable Meter/Panel Development audience measurement programme and a pioneering TV audience measurement agreement in the US with Charter Communications. Andrea will oversee these projects and manage the teams involved in driving international plans forward, the release adds.