ITV

Tag: Living Media India

  • Delhi HC orders suspension of websites infringing Aaj Tak trademark

    Delhi HC orders suspension of websites infringing Aaj Tak trademark

    Mumbai: The Delhi high court has directed digital media platforms Google and Facebook to suspend the domain names and web platforms of a number of websites for infringing the “Aaj Tak” trademark, according to a report by Bar and Bench.

    The order was passed by the single judge bench held by Justice Suresh Kumar Sait in a suit filed by Living Media India Ltd, a parent company of Aaj Tak. The court also extended the previously granted interim injunction passed against the websites in question.

    The HC order has restrained four websites from using the “Aaj Tak” trademark and observed that “the extensive and awareness of the plaintiffs’ trademarks and device/composite mark is apparent if one were to take into account the figures concerning turnover and advertisement spend set out in the plaint”, according to the report.

    During a previous hearing, senior advocate Darpan Wadhwa, appearing on behalf of Aaj Tak, had sought leave from the court to file for relief seeking similar orders against other rogue websites that emerged. Consequently, the plaintiffs sought impleadment of several additional websites and prayed for suspension of their domain names.

    The single judge bench concluded that the proposed defendants were “necessary parties for just adjudication of this case and if they are not impleaded, prima facie it will amount to immense loss of goodwill and reputation on account of the unlawful activities of these proposed defendants.”

  • BARC week 27: Middling impact on Hindi news ratings in budget week

    BARC week 27: Middling impact on Hindi news ratings in budget week

    BENGALURU: Like the English News genre, budget week (week 27 of 2019, week under review, Saturday, 29 June 2019 to Friday, 5 July 2019) did not spring too many surprises in terms of spurt in viewership for the Hindi news genre either. The Hindi news genre fared a little better than its smaller English sibling in terms of ratings. The combined ratings of the top 5 Hindi news channels in week 27 of 2019 as Broadcast Audience Research Council of India weekly data increased 7.8 percent or by 31.223 million weekly impressions during the week under review as compared to its immediate trailing week in the combined urban (U) and rural (R) Hindi speaking market or HSM (U+R). The list of channels in HSM (U+R) during week 27 of 2019 differed by one channel as compared to the previous week – ABP News entered BARC’s weekly list pf top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) at the cost of the Arnab Goswami-led Republic Bharat.

    Combined Ratings of the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) increased 6.4 percent or by 15.522 million impressions in week 27 of 2019 as compared to week 26. All the five channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 channels in HSM (U) were the same as in week 26 except for a slight shuffling of ranks. In the case of BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R), ratings of the top 5 Hindi news channels increased  by 7.8 percent or 12.739 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 as compared to week 26.  Four of the 5 top Hindi news channels in week 27 of 2019 were same as those in week 26.

    Hindi news in HSM (U+R)

    The combined ratings of the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) in week 27 of 2019 was 433.197 million weekly impressions as compared to 401.974 million weekly impressions in week 26. As in the previous week, Aaj Tak led the HSM (U+R) list with 111.001 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 which was 11.3 percent more than the 99.763 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Continuing on at second rank was India TV in week 27 of 2019 with 87.484 million weekly impressions which was 6.5 percent more than 82.126 million weekly impressions in week 26.

    Also continuing on at its previous week’s third rank was News18 India with 83.750 million weekly impressions which was 7 percent more than the 78.254 million weekly impressions in week 26. ABP News entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) at fourth rank with 76.631 million impressions. Dropping down a place to fifth rank was Zee News with 74.331 million weekly impressions which was 1.4 percent more than the 73.275  million weekly impressions in the previous week.

    Hindi news in HSM (U)

    The combined weekly impressions on the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) were 259.773 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 which was 6.4 percent more than the 244.251 million weekly impressions in the previous week. All the channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels list in week 27 of 2019 were same as in week 26, except with a slight reshuffling of ranks.

    As has been the norm, Aaj Tak led the rankings with 64.168 million weekly impressions which were 12.8 percent more than the 56.871 million weekly impressions in week 26. Climbing up a place to second rank in week 27 of 2019 was News18 India with 54.426 million weekly impressions, 7.5 percent more than the 50.612 million weekly impressions in week 26.

    Dropping down a rank to third place in week 27 of 2019 was India TV with 53.488 million weekly impressions which was 3.6 percent more than the  51.622 million weekly impressions in week 26. Continuing on at its previous week’s rank four was Zee News with 44.962 million weekly impressions which was 4.5 percent lower than 47.076 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Also continuing on at fifth rank in week 27 of 2019 was ABP News with 42.729 million weekly impressions which was 12.2 percent more than the 38.070 million weekly impressions in week 26.

    Hindi news in HSM (R)

    The combined weekly impressions on the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R) were 176.034 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 which was 7.8 percent more than the 163.295 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Four of the five channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels list in week 27 of 2019 were same as in week 26, with a slight reshuffling of ranks. Zee News entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R), while News18 India exited it.

    Continuing on at its previous week’s first rank was Aaj Tak with 46.883 million weekly impressions in week 27 which was 9.2 percent more than the 42.892 million weekly impressions in week 26 of 2019. Climbing up a place to second rank was India TV with 33.996 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 which was 11.4 percent more than the 30.504 million weekly impressions in week 26.

    ABP News also climbed up a place to third rank in week 27 of 2019 with 33.902 million weekly impressions which was 11.5 percent more than the 30.413 million weekly impressions in week 26. Dropping down two places was Republic Bharat with 31.934 million weekly impressions in week 27 of 2019 which was almost flat (up 0.28 percent) as compared to 31.845 million weekly impressions in week 26. Zee News entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R) in week 27 of 2019 with 29.369 million weekly impressions.

  • BARC week 25: ABP News back in combined urban & rural top 5 list

    BARC week 25: ABP News back in combined urban & rural top 5 list

    BENGALURU: The ABP Group’s Hindi news channel ABP News made a reappearance in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in the combined urban (U) and rural (R) Hindi speaking market or HSM (U+R) in week 25 of 2019 (Saturday, 15 June 2019 to Friday, 21 June 2019, week or period under review). The channel was last present in the HSM (U+R) list in week 22 of 2019. ABP news also re-appeared in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 news channels in HSM (U) at fifth rank. In both the cases – HSM (U+R) and HSM (U), the entry of ABP News in BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 Hindi news channels resulted in the exit of Republic Bharat from them. Further Zee News re-entered the HSM (R) list during the week under review.

    BARC’s treatment of the landing page and outliers since week 23 of 2019 as well as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cup 2019 in England & Wales continued to impact viewership ratings of Hindi news channels. The timings of the ongoing cricket tourney overlap primetime of most channels, including Hindi news channels. The combined viewership of the top 5 Hindi news channels which had dropped in week 24, plunged even further to a new nadir in individual HSM (U) and HSM (R) as well as the combined HSM (U+R) during week 25 of 2019.

    Hindi news in HSM (U+R)

    Aaj Tak retained its numero uno position in HSM (U+R) in week 25 of 2019 with 112.678 million weekly impressions as compared to 115.088 million weekly impressions in week 24. Also, continuing at second rank was News18 India with 85.899 million weekly impressions in week 25 as compared to 93.594 million weekly impressions in week 24 of 2019.

    At third rank was India TV with 84.554 million weekly impressions in week 25 of 2019 as compared to third rank and 87.293 million weekly impressions in week 24. Zee News climbed up one place to fourth rank in HSM (U+R) in week 25 of 2019 with 82.955 million weekly impressions as compared to rank 5 and 80.790 million weekly impressions in the previous week. As mentioned above, ABP News entered the HSM (U+R) list in week 25 of 2019 with 77.011 million weekly impressions.

    Hindi news in HSM (R)

    In HSM (R) also, Aaj Tak retained first rank with 48.518 million weekly impressions in week 25 0f 2019 as compared to 49.718 million weekly impressions in the previous week. ABP News held onto its second spot in HSM (R) in week 25 of 2019 with 35.559 million weekly impressions as compared to 35.906 million weekly impressions in week 24.

    India TV jumped up two ranks to third place in week 25 of 2019 in HSM (R) with 31.897 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth rank and 33.370 million weekly impressions in week 24. As mentioned above, Zee News re-entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in week 25 of 2019 at fourth rank with 31.053 million weekly impressions. Completing the quintet in HSM (R) at rank was Republic Bharat in week 25 of 2019 with 30.818 million weekly impressions as compared to 34.764 million weekly impressions and rank three in week 24.

    Hindi news in HSM (U)

    In the case of BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels also, Aaj Tak retained first rank with 64.160 million weekly impressions in week 25 of 2019 with 64.160 million weekly impressions as compared to 65.370 million weekly impressions in week 24. Also retaining its previous week’s second rank was News18 India in HSM (U) in week 25 of 2019 was News19 India with 55.102 million weekly impressions as compared to 59.873 million weekly impressions in the previous week.

    India TV also retained its third rank in week 25 of 2019 in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) with 52.657 million weekly impressions as compared to 53.913 million weekly impressions in week 24. Continuing on at rank 4 in week 25 of 2019 in HSM (U) was Zee News with 51.902 million weekly impressions as compared to 50.028 million weekly impressions in week 24. ABP News re-entered the HSM (U) list week 25 of 2019 with 41.452 million weekly impressions.

  • BARC week 24: Hindi news ratings plunge further

    BARC week 24: Hindi news ratings plunge further

    BENGALURU: Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) sum of weekly ratings of top 5 Hindi news channels across the Hindi speaking urban – HSM (U) and rural – HSM (R) as well as the combined HSM (U+R) were lowest ever in week 24 of 2019 (Saturday, 8 June 2019 to Friday, 14 June 2019, week or period under review). BARC recommenced publishing of data in the public domain in week 13 of 2019 after a hiatus of seven weeks to allow ratings to stabilise after implementation of TRAI’s new tariff order, and the ratings for week 24 were the lowest ever since then.

    The sum of weekly impressions of the top 5 Hindi news channels was 457.884 million weekly impressions in HSM (U+R); 187.489 million weekly impressions in HSM (R); and 275.549 million weekly impressions in HSM (U). Comparatively, the 11 week average (between weeks 13 and 23 of 2019) of the sum of weekly impressions of the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) was 653.192 million; in HSM (R) it was 288.937 million and in HSM (U) it was 367.834 million.

    Of the reasons that this drop could be attributed to is BARC having reverted to the earlier process of treatment of landing page beginning with week 23.  Added to this is the fact that the timings of the ongoing cricket tourney by the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales overlap primetime of most channels, including Hindi news, could have affected viewership ratings. Many in the industry feel that BARC reverting to the old treatment of landing pages and filtering out data from outliers is better.

    There was no change in the list of channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) except for shuffling of ranks. In the case of HSM (R), India TV re-entered BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi news channels. Living Media (India Today Group) flagship Hindi news channel Aaj Tak continued its supremacy at rank 1 of the Hindi news genre in urban, rural as well as combined urban and rural markets. Aaj Tak was the only channel among the top 5 that saw ratings in week 24 of 2019 climb as compared to week 23.

    HSM (U+R)

    With 115.088 million weekly impressions in week 24 of 2019, Aaj Tak led BARC’s weekly list of top Hindi news channels as compared to 110.763 million weekly impressions. Continuing on at second rank was Network18’s News18 India with 93.574 million weekly impressions in the week under review as compared to 97.484 million weekly impressions in the previous week.

    Climbing up a place to third rank in week 24 of 2019 was Rajat Sharma and Ritu Dhawan’s India TV with 87.283 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 88.807 million weekly impressions in week 23. Dropping a rank to fourth place in week 24 of 2019 was ARG Outlier Media’s Republic Bharat with 81.129 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 90.570 million weekly impressions in week 23. At fifth rank in week 24 of 2019 was Zee Media’s Zee News with 80.790 million weekly impressions as compared to 88.617 million weekly impressions in the preceding week.

    HSM (R)

    At rank one in HSM (R), Aaj Tak garnered 49.718 million weekly impressions in the Hindi speaking rural market in week 24 of 2019 as compared to 50.815 million weekly impressions in week 23. Climbing up a place to second rank was the erstwhile Ananda Bazar Patrika’s ABP News in week 24 of 2019 with 35.906 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 38.881 million weekly impressions in the previous week.

    Dropping a rank to third place in HSM (R) during the week under review as Republic Bharat with 34.764 million weekly impressions as compared to second rank and 40.454 million weekly impressions in week 23. News18 India also climbed a place to fourth rank in HSM (R) with 33.721 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth rank and 34.771 million weekly impressions. Re-entering BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels list for HSM (R) was India TV with 33.370 million weekly impressions in week 24 of 2019.

    HSM (U)

    Aaj Tak regained its first place in the urban Hindi speaking market in week 24 of 2019 with 65.370 million weekly impressions as compared to second rank and 59.948 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Dropping a place to second rank was News18 India with 59.873 million weekly impressions as compared to first rank and 62.713 million weekly impressions in week 23.

    India TV retained rank three in week 24 of 2019 with 53.913 million weekly impressions as compared to 54.765 million weekly impressions in week 23. Also retaining its previous week’s fourth rank was Zee News with 50.028 million weekly impressions as compared to 53.451 million weekly impressions in week 23. Completing the quintet in HSM (U) was Republic Bharat in week 24 of 2019 at its previous week’s rank 5 with 46.365 million weekly impressions as compared to 50.116 million weekly impressions.

  • Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    MUMBAI: Even as rumours of the Adani group wanting to buy out NDTV is looming large, another company has decided to exit from the media business. The one so charming industry doesn’t seem to be boding well for all, it seems.

     

    According to media reports, the Aditya Birla Group is planning to cash out its investment in Living Media India, the holding company of the India Today Group and is said to have appointed Bank of America Merill Lynch (BofA-ML) for exiting the two year old investment in the Aroon Purie controlled group.

     

    Living Media acts as a holding company and owns 57.2 per cent stake in TV Today Network. The listed company controls its broadcasting assets, including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, and operates its publishing business, which includes a host of magazines such as India Today.

     

    The Birla group bought 27.5 stake in May 2012 and had at that time said it saw media as a sunrise sector from an investment point of view and that Living Media offered one of the best opportunities for growth and value creation.

     

    Even though the companies never disclosed the price of the stake sale, according to experts, TV Today network was then valued at around Rs 1300-1400 crore and Birla paid about Rs 350 crore to buy the stake.

     

    Aditya Birla Group has also previously forayed into the media business through a production company Applause Entertainment in 2003 which shut down in 2009. The production house is known for Amitabh Bachchan starrer Black.

     

    The stake sale comes on the backdrop of Mukesh Ambani’s RIL taken over media house Network 18 gaining control over IBNlive.com, Moneycontrol.com, Firstpost.com, Cricketnext.in, Homeshop18, Bookmyshow.com and broadcast channels like Colors, CNBC TV18, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and CNBC Awaaz, all run by Network18.