ITV

Tag: Maa TV

  • Publicis Groupe’s H1 profit drops down 17 per cent, exchange rates impact numbers

    Publicis Groupe’s H1 profit drops down 17 per cent, exchange rates impact numbers

    MUMBAI: With the slowdown of global economic activity since the start of the year and economic uncertainties prevailing in several regions of the world, Publicis Groupe has announced that its second-quarter performance was well below that of the first quarter. The company saw a 16.9 per cent fall in first-half net profit to Euro 260 million as compared to the Euro 313 million in the corresponding half of the previous calendar year-2013.

     

    Due to the substantial impact of the strong Euro (Euro 81 million negative impact in Q2 alone), the Group’s reported consolidated revenue for Q2 2014 was Euro 1,761 million, down 1.5 per cent as compared to the Euro 1788 million in H1 Q2 2013.

     

    The group says that organic growth of just 0.5 per cent was largely due to unfavourable comparable (+5.0 per cent in Q2 2013), but also to the persistent weakness of certain markets and investments on the part of a number of clients who substantially downsized their budgets.

     

    In a statement published on the group’s official website, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy said, “The first half-year was heavily impacted by exchange rates which had an adverse effect on revenue of Euro 148 million. At constant exchange rate, revenue would have increased by close to 5 per cent during the period.

     

    As we predicted last fall, growth stalled in the second quarter. However, it should be underscored that weakness was stronger than expected mostly due to the cancellation or postponement of campaigns and lagging economies in Europe and in emerging countries. Our organic growth was +1.8 per cent for the first half-year. Our margin remained strong, though fractionally down, as a result of accounting treatments and lagging growth.”  

     

    Lévy conceded, “These figures are not satisfactory by our standards. They are not consistent with what our operations can achieve. As can be seen from our digital growth (+8.8 per cent) or the numerous awards from various juries (Gunn Report, Gartner and an impressive haul of awards at the Cannes International Festival), our strategy is spot-on and our networks are at the cutting edge of the industry. For the second part of the year, we can confirm that we are already on track for higher growth, and this should be evident as of the third quarter.”

     

    “Given the situation in Europe and the slow pick-up in the emerging economies, we prefer to be extremely cautious on growth prospects and prioritize cost control in order to achieve a margin closer to our goal for the full year.

     

    Although 2014 will be a difficult year, it does not undermine our mid-term prospects. Our business plan between now and 2018, as announced on 23 April 2013, is currently being revised to factor in market developments and the investments required reaching our transformation goals ahead of schedule. The strong feedback from our entities leaves us very confident about achieving all our goals,” he concluded. 

     

    It was in May 2014 when Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group have called off their $35 billion merger. Levy then in a statement mentioned, “The decision to discontinue the process was neither pleasant nor an easy one to make, but it was a necessary one.” Experts believe the deal failed majorly because of tax issues.

     

    Four regions contribute to Publicis Groupe’s revenue- Europe excluding Russia and Turkey, North America, BRIC + MISSAT (Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey), and the rest of the world.

     

    The group says that Europe (excl. Russia and Turkey) remained negative overall (-0.3per cent), while all the other regions reported growth in the first half-year. North America recorded growth of +2.8 per cent, and continues to show resilience.

     

    The BRIC and MISSAT countries achieved growth of +0.4 per cent though the good performances of Russia (+5.9 per cent), Mexico (+10.3 per cent), Turkey (+2.5 per cent) and Singapore (+7.2 per cent) were overshadowed by the Greater China region’s slower-than-expected return to high growth (+1.4 per cent) and by negative growth in Brazil (-0.6 per cent). India’s -14.7 per cent adversely affected the BRIC group. The economic slowdown observed since mid-2013 in emerging countries has had a significant impact on advertising investments. The rest of the world, which includes Australia and Japan, reported growth of +5.6 per cent.

     

    On 30 January 2014, Publicis Groupe acquired a major stake in Indian based advertising agency Law & Kenneth. In an unprecedented move, Law & Kenneth took over the Indian operations of Saatchi & Saatchi and now is called L& K Saatchi & Saatchi. During the first half of the year, the holding company’s BBH India won the creative mandate of Viber (India) and Piaggio Vehicles’ Vespa (India), while Leo Burnett India added MAA TV to its kitty.

     

    Click here to read the financial report

  • Telugu KBC creates history

    Telugu KBC creates history

    MUMBAI: Meelo Evaru Koteswarudu (MEK), the first of its kind TV game show in Telugu with the host of the stature of film Star Nagarjuna, has retained the top positions in the game shows for the 4th week in a row (from week 24 – 27) across all Telugu GECs.

    • The game show commenced on 9th June in Maa TV with telecast from Monday to Thursday from 9.00 PM to 10.30 PM.

    • MEK reaches 1.22 Crore people in Urban A.P and Telangana, including Hyderabad ( out of the total TV viewing universe of 1.74 Crores as per TAM monitoring)  and 1.61 Crores across India

    • As per the latest TAM data for week 27, which is released on 10th July, MEK has garnered an average of 7.79 TVRS in the CS ABC 4+ audiences over 4 days in 6 hours, which is the highest rating for a weekly show in Telugu TV industry

    • For the weeks 24 to 27, MEK has recorded average TVRs of 7.26 , 7.24, 7.04 and 7.79 in  CS ABC 4+ audiences category

    • In the CS Female 15-44 ABC audiences, MEK has achieved TVRs of 9.48, 10.05, 9.94, 10.47 TVRs in the four weeks, with a highest TVRs of 19.4 TVRs on Wednesday (18th June) in Telugu Market.

    • MEK has garnered 125 GRPs in week 27

    • Out of Top 5 Programmes in Telugu Television for week 27, MEK has taken 4 positions

    • MEK has achieved phenomenal reach across Telugu Audiences in 4 weeks across various target audience categories: 70% in CS 4+ audiences, 73% CS ABC 15+, 74% CS Male ABC 15-44, 75% CS Female ABC 15+ and 81% in CS Male ABC 15+ category.

  • Telugu version of KBC to go on air from 9 June

    Telugu version of KBC to go on air from 9 June

    MUMBAI: The biggest knowledge-based game show Meelo Evaru koteeswarudu (MEK) announced by MAA TV, the No.1 Telugu GEC, has received excellent response from the Telugu TV audiences.

     

    For the Call for Entry (CFE) conducted between 24th April to May 1st to select the contestants, more than 1 million viewers sent SMSs, expressing their interest to participate in the game show

     

    Of the 1 million plus responses, about 1500 were short-listed through randomization process by a 3rd party agency with a fool-proof process audit by E&Y audit firm.

     

    With auditions in Vijayawada, Tirupathi and Hyderabad, about 100 participants were selected to play the game with Nagarjuna

     

    Nagarjuna is hosting a show on a TV for the 1st time

     

    In the 6 episodes that were shot so far, 9 contestants took the hot seat and a few of them are truly heart touching stories.

     

    The telecast of the game show will commence on 9th June (Monday). It will be at 9.00 PM to 10.30 PM from Monday to Thursday (4 days a week)

     

    Every contestant’s back-end story has been recorded and addressed in the show..  It will be a life changer for most of the contestants who make it to the hot seat.

     

    The prize money is from Rs. 1,000  to Rs. 1 Crore and the rules are the same like the KBC.  Those who answer all the 15 questions correctly will get Rs. 1 Crore prize

     

    The International Format tasted success worldwide in more than 150 countries, and 7 languages in India including Hindi

     

    Big Synergy, which is headed by the well known quiz master Siddhartha Basu, is producing the show

     

    Maa TV, which is known for programming innovation based on the understanding of Telugu viewers’ preferences, is now taking the Telugu television to the next level with MEK, both in terms of quality of content and host presence. Nagarjuna known for his out of box thinking and being ahead of times in style and substance is the first big host after Amitabh to be doing this show .

     

    MEK brings out all the human emotion, drama and intrigue that is required for any show on television.  It’s the reality show which can only be real as everything is transparent right from the selection of questions to selection of contestants ..

     

    The entire process of MEK is monitored and audited by EY, the prestigious global audit firm.

  • SC directs ETV and MAA TV to provide signals to JAINHITS

    SC directs ETV and MAA TV to provide signals to JAINHITS

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court of India has refused the request of ETV and MAA TV to give stay on the order of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal’s (TDSAT) dated 14 March 2014 which had directed the two channels to provide signals to the Headend In The Sky (HITS) operator JAINHITS.

     

    Moreover, the Apex court has directed ETV and MAA TV, in the interim, to provide signals within two-days on pan-India basis to the HITS player.

     

    “Noida Software Technology Park Limited (NSTPL) has been trying to get signals for JAINHITS from various broadcasters for the past two years, but have been denied the same on various grounds. It was only in October last year that broadcasters started providing signals, after orders were passed by the Tribunal. However ETV and MAA TV still were reluctant to provide signals thus necessitating NSTPL to approach TDSAT,” informed NSTPL counsel Vivek Chib. 

     

    According to the Tribunal’s 14 March 2014 order that comprised TDSAT chairperson Justice Aftab Alam and Kuldip Singh, ETV and MAA TV could not refuse to grant signals to JAINHITS on the grounds that certain defaulter local cable operators (LCOs) or multi system operators (MSOs) may approach NSTPL for signals.

     

    The Tribunal held that the respondents i.e. ETV and MAA TV had not furnished the name of a single MSO or LCO that might have been held to be its defaulter by a court or competent authority and to whom the petitioner might supply the signals. Undeniably, the petitioner itself was not in any default in payments to the respondent for the simple reason that they were not in any business relationship earlier. Thus looked at from any angle, the prohibition of the provision to regulation 3.2 of the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection Regulations, 2004 was not applicable to this case.

     

    Both ETV and MAA TV had preferred appeals challenging the Tribunal’s orders in the Supreme Court showing unwillingness to provide signals to NSTPL’s JAINHITS.

     

    As a result of this interim order passed in favour of NSTPL, JAINHITS consumers would now be able to subscribe to ETV and MAA TV.

  • Telugu crorepati on Maa TV seals the south for Big Synergy

    Telugu crorepati on Maa TV seals the south for Big Synergy

    MUMBAI: The latest in a long line of regional language adaptations spawned by the runaway hit, Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati, is the Telugu version.

     

    Titled Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu (MEK), the show is tentatively scheduled for a June 9 premiere on Maa TV and will be hosted by popular Telugu actor, Nagarjuna Akkineni. Slated to run for a minimum 40 episodes for now, the 90 minute show will be aired four days a week from Monday to Thursday.

     

    Ten to fifteen people from Big Synergy, the production house for the format in India, and Maa TV, are already working on the show. Entry will be open to Telugu speaking people across India, beginning April 24. Viewers will be able to answer questions both via SMS and IVR. This is the first time that a big-ticket show is being adapted for the state of Andhra Pradesh. “We have been wanting to get into the Telugu market for the past two years, but we needed a broadcaster to take the call. Maa TV has gained number one status and they want to retain that position. Through MEK, they will be setting a benchmark in this market, and we hope it will change the dynamics of the industry,” says Big Synergy COO Indranil Chakraborty.

     

    Currently, teams from both Maa TV and Big Synergy’s Hyderabad arm are being groomed for the show. “It is a compelling program. Our objectives are to raise the channel stature and make viewers feel good about the channel and the show,” says Maa TV group head, C Ratnakar Rao. Apparently, Gemini TV and ETV were also contenders in the race to get MEK on board but it was Maa TV which finally landed the show.  

     

    Auditions are expected to go on for almost a month in the cities of Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam and Vijayawada and the final selection will rest with an independent jury of producers and broadcasters in the state. At least a couple of million registrations are expected for the prize money of Rs 1 crore.

     

    It’s a big challenge for Maa TV, considering production costs of a show like MEK would be many times higher than those of normal shows. “The kind of investment that we make in Hindi is not very apt for regional markets. Regional markets are usually 40 per cent of the production cost in Hindi,” points out Chakraborty.

     

    Sources say the production cost of MEK, which is being shot at Annapura Studios in Hyderabad coupled with the sound system and technical skills of Maa TV, could be anywhere Rs 5 to Rs 7 crore for 40 episodes. However, the production house may look at extending it depending on the dates for the Hindi KBC, which is to follow MEK. “The idea is to keep the property alive through different markets throughout the year,” adds Chakraborty.

     

    Not only will the Telugu version retain the essence of the Hindi version, things like customizing questions for the Telugu audience and playing the short film about the contestant before the game begins will be part of MEK as well.

     

    Maa TV is presently scouting for advertisers for the game show. “We have made good investments in Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu and we hope to break even. I am sure the advertisers see potential in the show and our channel,” says Rao. Though Maa TV has appealed against the ad cap regulation, it will still comply with the rule. The ad rev market of Andhra Pradesh in 2013 was Rs 1030 crore making it the second biggest in the south after Tamil Nadu. In terms of viewership share of regional channels too, Telugu stood second at 24 per cent after Tamil with 27 per cent.

     

    As for visibility, a full-fledged marketing campaign will hit the state mid-May, around the time shooting begins. Orchard Advertising has been assigned the task of creatives while planning is being done by Maa TV itself.

     

    The Telugu adaptation comes after KBC has already been adapted in the remaining three major markets in south India i.e. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. These apart, there are Marathi, Bhojpuri and Bengali versions of the show as well.

  • KBC to become ‘Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu’ on Maa TV

    KBC to become ‘Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu’ on Maa TV

    MUMBAI: The much popular Kaun Banega Crorepati produced by Big Synergy is all set to conquer the entire south market by launching in the fourth state with Andhra Pradesh as Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu (MEK). The show will be hosted by popular actor Nagarjuna Akkineni and air on Maa TV.

     

    With prize money of Rs 1 crore, the entries for MEK will begin from 24 April in which people can answer questions through SMS and interactive voice response calls. The show is slated to go on air from the first week of June.

     

    “Maa TV is known for its vibrant, innovative and pleasant programming, and has attained the number one Telugu GEC status now. With Nagarjuna Akkineni as the host, the new game show will be a visual treat for the viewers with an opportunity to win up to Rs 1 crore cash prize. It will be a trend setting initiative in the Telugu TV industry”, said Maa TV chairman Nimmagadda Prasad in a press statement.

     

    MEK, produced by Big Synergy, is Nagarjuna’s first TV venture. “I am looking for this kind of opportunity on TV platform as it reaches each and every Telugu person.  The show will bring the best drama of human life without missing on the entertainment quotient”, revealed Nagarjuna Akkineni.

     

    Big Synergy CMD Siddhartha Basu added, “It’s been an exciting journey partnering with Maa TV. No effort and expense has been spared in mounting this show to world class standards. The show will be a game changer in this region and Nagarjuna makes for a most endearing and charming host. We at Big Synergy are delighted to work together with ‘Nag’, and the Maa team, to bring this life-changing knowledge game for the entertainment of Telugu viewers everywhere. “

     

    “With a bouquet of four channels, namely Maa, Maa Music, Maa Movies and Maa Gold, Maa stands out from the cluster of channels through its unique programming quality and content. The new big initiative will build the Maa brand equity further and take the network to the next level”, Maa TV group head C Ratnakar Rao ended.

  • TRAI’s ad cap regulation is reasonable: Delhi HC

    TRAI’s ad cap regulation is reasonable: Delhi HC

    MUMBAI: Another challenger to the ad cap petition has got relief from the Delhi HC regarding a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulation on restricting advertisement duration in an hour to just 12 minutes. Maa Television, a leading Telugu GEC, has been asked to tag along with other petitioners such as the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Sun TV, E24, Pioneer Channel Factory on 13 March.

     

    During the course of the hearing, the bench of acting chief justice B D Ahmed and justice S Mridul observed that “Twelve minutes of advertisement in 60 minutes of a programme is ridiculous. The content becomes an advertisement and the ads become the content.”

     

    The bench also supported TRAI’s decision of bringing in ad cap amongst broadcasters. “What TRAI is doing is reasonable. Take an opinion poll. Everyone will say no to advertisements,” remarked the bench.

     

    However, it also gave the channel an interim relief till the next hearing while asking it to submit its weekly advertising data to TRAI. It has restrained the regulator from taking any coercive measures against the channel.

     

    The NBA is leading the case. The case was initially with the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and later shifted to the Delhi HC after the Supreme Court in a separate case stated that challenges to TRAI regulations cannot be heard at TDSAT.

     

    However, the lawyers, who are part of the case, think that the observation won’t have any significant impact on the hearing on 13 March.

     

    With less than a month, all parties involved are gearing up to submit their pleas to the court.

  • Amagi Media Labs enables ETV to generate custom feed for Singapore

    Amagi Media Labs enables ETV to generate custom feed for Singapore

    MUMBAI: Geo-targetted advertising was started in India by Amagi Media Labs that enabled channels to have particular ads in particular regions. But it didn’t just stop there. It has also started creating local feeds for channels that want to air in other countries.

    According to Amagi, at times, certain shows are not allowed to be aired in other countries due to broadcast regulations, so it is replaced with regional shows. Local content to cater to local audiences can also help in getting targeted advertising in the country.

    In the latest move, the channel has partnered with Eenadu Television to provide custom feed for ETV Telugu in Singapore through Amagi’s cloud enabled broadcast solution. Amagi’s localisation platform at SingTel’s Mio TV will be doing the job for the channel. Earlier, another Telugu network had done the same in Singapore. Maa Network’s Maa TV and Maa Movies also aired local shows to its viewers in Singapore earlier this year.

    ETV Telugu wanted to bring their linear feed to Singapore and it was asked to opt out of two hours of its programming. Using Amagi’s cloud based platform, they have been able to create a local feed for Singapore audiences. “We had a requirement to replace couple of hours of programming on every day basis for our distributor in Singapore while justifying the RoIs,” said Eenadu TV vice president Bapineedu.

     

    Amagi’s technology helps channels save a lot of resources of creating a new feed using satellite or fiber.

     “The system is designed in a manner such that the content masking process works in parallel to the satellite broadcast’s processes and scheduling,” said Amagi co-founder and CTO Srividhya S. “Unlike the traditional triggering mechanism used, Amagi’s barcoding based approach offers workflow flexibilities and 100 per cent accuracy in identifying and replacing content assets.”

    Recently Amagi has perked up on its geo targeted advertising for Nickelodeon and HUL as well as Zee TV.

  • Amagi Media Labs enables ETV to generate custom feed for Singapore

    Amagi Media Labs enables ETV to generate custom feed for Singapore

    MUMBAI: Geo-targetted advertising was started in India by Amagi Media Labs that enabled channels to have particular ads in particular regions. But it didn’t just stop there. It has also started creating local feeds for channels that want to air in other countries.

     

    According to Amagi, at times, certain shows are not allowed to be aired in other countries due to broadcast regulations, so it is replaced with regional shows. Local content to cater to local audiences can also help in getting targeted advertising in the country.

     

    In the latest move, the channel has partnered with Eenadu Television to provide custom feed for ETV Telugu in Singapore through Amagi’s cloud enabled broadcast solution. Amagi’s localisation platform at SingTel’s Mio TV will be doing the job for the channel. Earlier, another Telugu network had done the same in Singapore. Maa Network’s Maa TV and Maa Movies also aired local shows to its viewers in Singapore earlier this year.

     

    ETV Telugu wanted to bring their linear feed to Singapore and it was asked to opt out of two hours of its programming. Using Amagi’s cloud based platform, they have been able to create a local feed for Singapore audiences. “We had a requirement to replace couple of hours of programming on every day basis for our distributor in Singapore while justifying the RoIs,” said Eenadu TV vice president Bapineedu.

     

    Amagi’s technology helps channels save a lot of resources of creating a new feed using satellite or fiber.

     

     “The system is designed in a manner such that the content masking process works in parallel to the satellite broadcast’s processes and scheduling,” said Amagi co-founder and CTO Srividhya S. “Unlike the traditional triggering mechanism used, Amagi’s barcoding based approach offers workflow flexibilities and 100 per cent accuracy in identifying and replacing content assets.”

     

    Recently Amagi has perked up on its geo targeted advertising for Nickelodeon and HUL as well as Zee TV.