ITV

Tag: Kartikeya Sharma

  • Arun Aggarwal joins ITV Network, as group CFO

    Arun Aggarwal joins ITV Network, as group CFO

    MUMBAI: Continuing its growth plans, ITV Network, has got on board Arun Aggrawal as the group CFO. This is Aggarwal’s second stint with the Network, after a brief stint overseas for the launch of a 24×7 English news channel. Prior to his overseas assignment, he was holding the same portfolio at ITV Network, for almost two years and was actively involved during the takeover of ‘NewsX’.

     

    As part of his mandate, he will be overseeing all aspects of financial operations for the network.

     

    A Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and Graduate in Law, Aggrawal comes with professional experience spanning over 25 years with 15 years of exhaustive experience in the media sector. He was also associated with Zee Network for nearly 10 years holding various positions including CFO, senior vice president and vice president. At Zee he was responsible for the crucial functions of credit control, finance and commercial.

     

    ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “The decades of experience that Arun brings with him is invaluable for ITV Network.  We are positive that Arun’s strong financial leadership in the media and entertainment sector, and his skills and relationships will surely help the network reach the next level.”

     

    On re-joining the network, Aggarwal said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be back with ITV Network. I am looking forward to an enriching experience again and I am confident to contribute to the growth of the network.”

  • ITV Network appoints Manoj Jagyasi as business head, regional channels

    ITV Network appoints Manoj Jagyasi as business head, regional channels

    MUMBAI: It seems that ITV Network is on a hiring spree. It has got on-board Manoj Jagyasi in the business leadership team. He has joined in as business head, regional channels.

     

    As part of his new role, he will be responsible for the sales activities including sales strategy, planning, ad sales operations and revenue generation for the regional channels of India News. He will be reporting to NewsX CEO and ITV Network CRO Sanjay Dua.

     

    Dua believes that Jagyasi has got vast industry knowledge. His ‘go-getter’ approach and strong relationship with clients and agencies will ensure boost in sales revenues.

     

    ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “With Manoj’s expertise and stronghold in managing markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat and MPCG, I believe he makes the ideal person to drive our sales activities for our regional channels. I am confident that his association with our group is definitely going to bring great value to our leadership.”

     

    On his appointment Jagyasi stated, “I am delighted to be a part of ITV network and look forward to the new challenges. The group is doing exceptionally good and has all the potential to be a market leader. I take this opportunity to fasten the growth momentum and raise the bar even further.”

     

    He carries more than 13 years of experience in business development and sales across industries; television, radio, internet and FMCG. In his earlier association with TV18 Broadcast, he worked as an AVP, where he was the revenue head, India and prior to this, he was the sales head, ETV News Network- MPCG and Gujarat. In the past, he was also associated with organisations like India Today (Red FM 93.5) and Hindustan Unilever Ltd. A Bachelor in Commerce, he also holds Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Nirma Institute of Management.

     

  • “I don’t see a revenue stream from digital for 2-3 years”: Kartikeya Sharma

    “I don’t see a revenue stream from digital for 2-3 years”: Kartikeya Sharma

    MUMBAI: At the Seventh Indian News Television Summit, ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma took the stage to speak about the success of his network and the future plans. Hailing from a political family, Sharma was adamant that he did not want to get into politics.

     

    It was while he was studying in London that he got attracted to the media industry. “When I was studying, the only way of being in touch with home was television with the first channel that came on Sky. That drew me into the space,” he said while speaking to indiantelevison.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari. He added that what affected him was the rise of primetime during 2004-05 and the way India was reacting to the world while it was fresh off the boat.

     

    On being asked about the difference in running his hospitality business vis a vis media business, he said that the two cannot be compared. “News is definitely a tough business and there isn’t any particular revenue model that works well. You have to improvise. Circumstances are also important. So at what point a channel is being launched and the policies at that time is crucial,” he said.

     

    Speaking about the growth of his Hindi News channel, India News, Sharma said that the initial projected benchmark was 6-7 per cent market space but it actually went to 11 per cent within a span of six to eight months. “We don’t fight for filling ad slots on the channel anymore,” he said.

     

    The growth of the ITV Network has been a combination of both internal accruals and external debt. It will be going after a few more acquisitions and product launches in the regional space in the coming months. “By 2016 we want to be the largest and most profitable news network in the country,” he added.

     

    Responding to Wanvari’s question about whether syndication of news was an alternative means of revenue for sustaining the business, Sharma said that surely that will bring in a new source of revenue. “There is enough content floating around with 400 channels but the true value of syndication is debatable and I don’t think you can look at it vis-?-vis subscription or ad sales,” he said.

     

    While digital is touted as the ‘next big thing’, according to Sharma it is still too early to predict its fate. “In foreign countries, people aren’t able to monetise the digital platform as expected. There has been very little work done in research and development. I am not very optimistic about a revenue stream coming out of digital for the next two-three years,” he said adding that there is a need to look at digital as a synergy between evolution of content and technology.

     

    According to him, evolution of digital does not mean the old world will end. “I am a big fan of digital myself but we are being bullish when we talk of this medium. It is a matter of fact that it is the future but the timing is important. We have made huge errors of calculating that in the past and we are doing the same again,” he said.

     

    Talking about his tenure as Association of Regional TV Broadcasters (ARTB) president, Sharma said that the main aim was to help regional broadcasters since he realised that they needed a voice. “I managed to get 40 per cent of revenue for broadcasters from the government,” he stated.

     

    For the industry to progress, Sharma said that unity was necessary but collective decision doesn’t last long. “DD Freedish has pushed up its rates from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 5 crore in five years because of GECs wanting to get onto it. We all decided that we won’t go on the platform but then some of us ended up breaking that decision,” he shared with the audience.

     

    While the news space was cluttered, he believes that there is space and chance to be a number one in news.

  • The 7th Indian News Television Summit a roaring success

    The 7th Indian News Television Summit a roaring success

    NOIDA: The 7th Indian News Television Summit that was held at The Radisson in Noida, was a huge success with some of the big names in the industry attending the conference.

     

    The day began with a keynote by India TV chairman and editor in chief and the News Broadcasters Association president Rajat Sharma wherein he spoke about the changing face of news and how content as well as ad sales is under pressure and for things to improve, the industry has to get together and find solutions.

     

    He lamented on the horror of having to pay huge carriage fees along with the burden of the ad cap which the NBA is vociferously fighting. According to him, the TV news industry has changed in the last three years with more responsibility having crept into the veins of channels.

     

    This was followed by a one on one with ITV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma wherein he discussed about why he got into the news business, the aim of his news network and its future roadmap to being the biggest news company in the country.

     

    The first session saw NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra, TV Today CEO Ashish Bagga, IBN18 CEO Avinash Kaul, Focus News Network group CEO Neeraj Sanan and Doordarshan ADG news Mayank Agrawal speak on the various modes of revenue generation through traditional and digital mediums. Executives highlighted that it was too soon to depend heavily on the digital medium for revenue which will work as a compliment to television but not replace it.

     

    This was followed by a keynote from GroupM south Asia CEO CVL Srinivas who highlighted what brands were looking for in news networks and how the genre is growing year on year. According to Srinivas, news broadcasters need to keep in mind a few things for the future-co creating socially responsible agendas with brands, invest more in digital, new metrics such as consumer sentiment, social buzz, social impact, viewers’ profile and getting into big data.

     

    Following this was a discussion on finding innovative ways for revenue generation that saw Zee Sangam national sales head Harsha Vardhan Dwivedi, India TV senior VP and country head ad sales Sudipto Chowdhuri, CNN-IBN and IBN7 national revenue head Vishal Bhatnagar, IPG Mediabrands CEO initiatives Anamika Mehta and Times Television Network senior VP and business head for branded content Hemant Arora.

     

    An informative presentation by Amagi co-founder KA Srinivasan enlightened the audience about utilising geo-targetting to increase revenue for various channels of a network and also more focused reach for a brand.

     

    The day concluded with an editorial session that discussed how much editors are willing to allow ad sales to interfere with content for higher revenue. ITV Network editor in chief Deepak Chaurasia, senior columnist QW Naqvi and Mi Marathi consultant Nikhil Wagle discussed on how much an editor can mix with the ad sales team and how much of interference by them is acceptable.

     

    With the belief that the discussions between the various stakeholders of the industry will propel better returns for the community as a whole, we look forward to the Indian News Television Summit 2015.

  • 7th Indian News Television Summit: Innovation for higher ad revenue

    7th Indian News Television Summit: Innovation for higher ad revenue

    MUMBAI: ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ is an age old adage. Operating in a cash crunch environment, this seems to be just what Indian news broadcasters will have to do  if they want to continue to beam into homes. 

     

    The Indian TV news business has been grappling with several issues. Close to 400 channels account for a small per cent of ad spends. High carriage fees and cutthroat competition for the ad rupee have made the going really tough for those in the news business. 

     

    With this as the backdrop, comes leading Indian media service Indiantelevision.com’s Seventh News Television Summit entitled ‘Monetisation in Transformational Times” on 28 October at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.  It seeks to address how those in the news TV ecosystem can develop more robust or new business models, including new revenue streams such as digital online video, syndication, off the air ground activities, advertiser driven programming solutions, among many others. 

     

    The highlights of the half day premier news television industry confab  are a keynote by News Broadcasters Association president and India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma followed by a discussion on ‘Meeting the challenge for today’s TV news networks, a one-on-one with ITV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma and then a keynote from leading media agency Group M south Asia CEO CVL Srinivas.  .

     

    The session ‘Content monetisation through conventional and digital platforms of news channel’ will see a reveling discussion on how business heads are meeting the challenge of low ad rates and near zero subscription revenue with rising cost through alternative options such as syndication of news, events, digital etc. Included in this session are NDTV group CEO Vikram Chandra, TV Today Network CEO Ashish Bagga, IBN18 Network CEO Avinash Kaul, Doordarshan ADG News Mayank Agarwal and Focus News Network group CEO Neeraj Sanan.

     

    ‘Innovation in news selling’ will explore novel ideas for media agencies and brands to increase their ROI from their investments on news networks and what innovative methods can be drawn for both to achieve a win-win business model. Opening the session is Srinivas’ keynote followed by a discussion with IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha, CNN-IBN and IBN7 national revenue head Vishal Bhatnagar, India TV senior VP and country head – ad sales Sudipto Chowdhuri and Zee Sangam national sales head Harsha Vardhan Dwivedi. The sessions will be moderated by Provocateur Advisory principal Paritosh Joshi.

     

    Editors of networks will discuss how far they will go to allow money to drive content in the session titled  ‘Monetisation for editorial independence’. ITV Network editor in chief Deepak Chaurasia, former India TV editorial director and veteran journalist QW Naqvi, Mi Marathi consultant Nikhil Wagle and moderator Aaj Tak and Headlines Today editor at large Rahul Kanwal will take the stage. In a separate discussion,  Amagi co-founder KA Srinivasan will discuss how it can offer solutions to advertisers and news networks to further ad revenue.

     

    Says Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari: “So far the news television industry has not been able to harness substantial subscription revenues, even as carriage fees look set to rise with digitisation being delayed. Hence, it needs to look for solutions to hike revenues from the advertising inventory – the threat of the reduction of this has been staved off at least for now – they have, apart from working closely with advertisers and agencies to offer solutions that opens up the revenue pipeline for them further. The challenge is to increase their yields while increasing the ROI for advertisers. I believe the seventh news television summit will help give both advertisers and news channels some pointers as to how they could achieve this jointly.”

     

    The presented by sponsor for the event is Jia News, silver partners are Akamai, India News, NewsX, Sakshi TV, TV9, growth partner is SureWaves, Amagi is lanyard partner, support partners are CNBC Awaaz and CNBC TV18, online media partners are radioandmusic.com and tellychakkar.com. The event is executed by ITV 2.0 Productions.

     

  • ITV’s new education concept: Newsroom as Classroom

    ITV’s new education concept: Newsroom as Classroom

    MUMBAI: It’s a Revolution in Media Education. A New Media Institute adds new dimensions to imparting knowledge. ITV School of Media and Management is introducing short term specialized courses, offering an opportunity to work in broadcast news channels. For the first time in the history of Media education, Newsrooms will act as classrooms. Students will get a chance to learn from professionals and will get the unique opportunities to work in professional channels.

     

    ITV School of Media and Management is the First revolutionary Media and Management institute offering training, research and development in the audiovisual news sector. It provides a rich and dynamic environment for developing new ideas and launching new careers. A faculty of internationally recognized media makers and cutting-edge scholars engages students in a day to day work dynamics and technology of Media industry. Our programs are distinguished by their practical and professional aspects.

     

    Media aspirants have a lot of short term certificate courses to choose from at ITV School of Media and Management. With access to the national network and professional resources at ITV, our programs provide a strong foundation for your future in media.

     

    Our Courses will help students learn all aspect of journalism –editorial and technical. You also get an opportunity to work in a News channel for one year to put theory into practice.

     

    “This Institute is for People who are passionate for News Media. Students who want to work in News Media and don’t get opportunities, we want to give them that platform,” says Kartikeya Sharma, Managing director, ITV Media Network.

     

    “There’s immense competition out there and as a media person it’s our responsibility to not get lost in the confusion and deliver news with clarity and integrity. So the course at ITVSMM will not teach students from books but from real scenes as the action unfold.”

     

    The ITVSMM initiatives delivers the highest calibre of training, launches careers and helps build sustainable businesses to compete in the international industry. The ITVSMM strategy is to cater to the immediate demand for the skills and knowhow of audiovisual news industry and businesses operating in and on demand of the economy.

     

    ITVSMM is an endeavour by India’s leading English and Hindi TV news channels Newsx and India News. The emphasis is not on just theoretical but on practical knowledge. This school also ensures 100 % guaranteed job placement in ITV news channels. ITV Network is India’s fastest growing news network, with two national news channels, NewsX – India’s No 1 English News Channel and India News – India’s Leading Hindi News Channel. ITV Network also has a dominant presence in the Hindi heartland with its four regional news channels India News UP / Uttarakhand, India News Rajasthan, India News Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh and India News Haryana. The network also runs two popular newspapers Aaj Samaj – North India’s Fastest-Growing Hindi Daily and The Sunday Guardian – India’s Finest Sunday Newspaper.

     

    ITV Network employs more than 2000 people across 25 bureaus and offices in India and reaches cumulatively 91 million viewers and readers on a regular basis. ITV Network is going through an expansion phase and aims to emerge as the biggest independent news network in the country.

    Faculty at ITV School of Media and Management consist of award-winning professionals with years of on-field experience and outstanding research work.

     

    The ITV School of Media and Management personify the philosophy of blending educational excellence with latest advancements in technology. Graphics and production labs, studio, PCR, Furnished classrooms will invite students and faculty to study, work and collaborate.

     

    The School provides Opportunity to learn in as many as seven state of the art TV studios, TV newsrooms, assignment desks, output desks, NRCS (newsroom computerized systems), ingest department, teleport system of India News.

     

    Courses offered in ITVSMM includes -: Graphics and animation, Video-editing, Videography, Broadcast journalism, Studio production (PCR) and Social media management.

  • ITV Network appoints Manish Chettri as senior VP and national head SKOPE

    ITV Network appoints Manish Chettri as senior VP and national head SKOPE

    MUMBAI: ITV Network, which runs the English news channel NewsX and a clutch of channels under India News, has appointed Manish Chettri as senior vice president and national head SKOPE.

     

    He will be responsible for creating concepts both in the B2B and B2C space as well as contribute to the channels’ leadership position and revenue mix. Working closely with the marketing team, he will be responsible in the creation of new intellectual properties, format selling, syndications, partnerships and delivering additional solutions to existing and new advertisers.

     

    He was earlier with Network18 as VP and national head B2B initiatives for CNBC TV18. Chettri has also worked with companies such as Hindustan Times, Times Internet, Confederation of Indian Industry, Mudra Communications and CIM India.

     

    ITV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma said, “Manish brings to ITV network a rich combination of sales and strategic marketing that makes him ideal to scale and lead our sales force, for experiential advertising which will undoubtedly enhance ITV Network’s win velocity. Manish’s proven track record in B2B and B2C relationship building and focused revenue generation will help us build on our forward momentum and enable ITV Network to sustain this rapid growth. We look forward to leveraging Manish’s sales leadership to realise the exciting opportunity we see in front of us.”

     

    ITV Network group CEO RK Arora reposes faith in Chettri adding value to the network and help its objective of being India’s most profitable TV network. He said, “Manish is a phenomenal addition to our leadership team and brings a tremendous wealth of experience with him. His customer-focus and in-depth experience in IP creation, B2B events, strategic alliances, brand building and sales, will strengthen ITV Network’s commitment and its objective of becoming India’s largest TV news network. I am confident that Manish will take ITV network to greater heights than it’s ever known.”

     

     “I am excited to join ITV Network at this pivotal time,” Chettri said. “The battle for maximising revenue in the broadcasting industry is going through a sea of change wherein companies are looking at alternate forms of revenue apart from the traditional advertising sales. I look forward to using my experience to further enhance ITV Network’s performance, profitability and growth.”

  • Sanjay Dua appointed as NewsX CEO and ITV Network chief revenue officer

    Sanjay Dua appointed as NewsX CEO and ITV Network chief revenue officer

    MUMBAI: After elevating RK Arora to ITV Network group CEO, another appointment has been made in the now growing network. Sanjay Dua, who formerly headed Network18’s web operations, has joined as NewsX CEO and ITV Network chief revenue officer.

     

    He will report to Arora. His new responsibilities include providing strategic direction, creating new opportunities in the market and making a roadmap for the business of NewsX as well as revenue management for the entire network.

     

    Prior to this, Dua was Network18 CEO news media and handled ad sales for CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBN, IBN7, IBN Lokmat and History TV18. This apart, he has also worked with Walt Disney, Bennett Coleman & Co, ESPN, Sahara, Hallmark and Zee News.

     

    Speaking on his appointment, ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “Sanjay is a seasoned and trusted leader who consistently delivers results.  He is uniquely qualified to drive strategic monetisation and product prioritization. Sanjay’s profound experience of working with clients has provided him with a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the current media environment. Sanjay has the vision, tenacity and integrity to ensure that ITV Network will quickly become India’s most profitable and largest TV news network.”

     

    Arora said, “Having someone of Sanjay’s caliber leading our monetisation effort is well-timed for the company and will directly benefit our advertisers and clients. With his outstanding track record, result-oriented approach and deep understanding of the advertising ecosystem, the future is looking robust and exciting for us.”

     

    Speaking on his new stint at the network, Dua said, ‘I am delighted to join the ITV Network as it moves into the next exciting phase of development. I have watched ITV Network’s impressive strides through innovative programming and in building a unique content network that is clearly unmatched in the marketplace. The company is in a perfect position to dramatically expand in the market and I’m thrilled to take on this role and be a part of the ITV Network team.”

  • Savvy Dilip joins ITV Network as group CMO

    Savvy Dilip joins ITV Network as group CMO

    MUMBAI: ITV Network that runs news channels NewsX and India News has made another appointment. Savvy Dilip has been appointed as the group chief marketing officer. She will report to group CEO RK Arora.

     

    As CMO, Dilip will be responsible for marketing activites, including marketing strategy, creating flagship events, brand building and digital marketing for the ITV Network.

     

    Prior to this, Dilip was co-founder and COO of Vigovea Media, a consumer focused digital media company. She was also the vice president marketing at TV18 where she was responsible for the marketing operations of CNN-IBN and IBN7. Dilip comes with experience in the media space covering brand management and development, product development and management, strategic alliances, content development, events and experiential marketing, sales enablement and PR across various media.

     

    Speaking on her appointment, ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “Savvy is an outstanding addition to our leadership team and brings a unique blend of global experience and expertise to ITV Network. Her extensive background in the media industry, proven marketing expertise, and rich experience makes her the ideal person to continue to drive our brand’s growth and momentum.”

     

    “Savvy’s exceptional marketing expertise will allow us to further enhance our strategic marketing initiatives across the company,” said Arora. “With Savvy coming on board at this juncture, we really feel optimistic that this will further boost the aggressive growth track we are set to follow and will enhance our revenue stream.”

     

    Talking about her new association, Dilip said, “It is a great opportunity for me to contribute towards further consolidating and cementing ITV Network’s leadership position in the news genre. The group has tremendous impact and the company is backed by the most cohesive team in the media industry. My focus is to increase the engagement between our brands, advertisers and our viewers.”

     

    Dilip has done her executive management program from IIM-Bangalore and has completed the advanced management program from the Harvard Business School in Boston USA. 

  • Rahul Shivshankar is now NewsX editor in chief

    Rahul Shivshankar is now NewsX editor in chief

    MUMBAI: The spate of changes at ITV Network that runs NewsX and India News continues. The latest is the elevation of current managing editor of NewsX Rahul Shivshankar to the post of editor in chief of the English news channel.

     

    He had joined NewsX in September 2013 in his second stint at the channel. Shivshankar is the face of the channel’s weekday prime time show Nation@9:00pm and India Debates.

     

    Prior to rejoining NewsX, he was executive editor of Headlines Today and senior editor at Times Now. He has also worked on the editorial page of Times of India. He has a total of 20 years of experience.

     

    Speaking on his elevation, ITV Network managing director Kartikeya Sharma said, “I am delighted to recognise the talent of Rahul Shivshankar. He is a celebrated name in the news fraternity and has an incredible drive and vision, which makes him a wonderful choice to lead the channel. Bringing in talent of the caliber of Rahul and enlarging his role, will allow Rahul and his team to accelerate our move into a continuous and dynamic model of innovating in the news genre. Under Rahul’s tenure, NewsX has become India’s leading English news channel with a consistent performance of being a market leader and in a short span time, it has attained a leadership edge over its competition and is a force to reckon with in the English news genre. Rahul has been instrumental in reorganising content strategies and news operations with greater creativity and flexibility and has developed more cohesive and unique experiences for our audiences. He’s been everything I could ever want in an editor and I cannot imagine a better choice at NewsX for editor in chief. Congratulations Rahul—you more than deserve it.” 

     

    His first stint at the channel was between 2011 and 2012. He was also one of the core members who launched Headlines Today in 2003.

     

    ITV Network group CEO RK Arora feels that this move will strengthen the network’s commitment to become India’s largest and most profitable TV news network. “We have assembled the most talented journalists in ITV Network and Rahul’s elevation as editor in chief will help us leverage his skills and experience to deliver breaking news with context and perspective on the most important stories. I am confident that Rahul will bring NewsX to greater heights than it’s ever known.”

     

    Shivshankar has extensively documented the attack on Nariman House in Mumbai on 26 November 2008 in an anthology of investigative narratives published by Roli Books.

     

    “I am deeply honored. I have been blessed with a team of incredibly talented and creative people that work tirelessly to bring to life stories told with a rare degree of nuance, objectivity and accuracy. This collective effort and enterprise has catapulted News X to a leadership position in the English news space. This role provides me with an exciting opportunity to shape the future of news TV,” said Shivshankar.