ITV

Tag: Maharashtra

  • THE BOSS MEETS ETV VIEWERS

    THE BOSS MEETS ETV VIEWERS

    NEW DELHI : ETV and Honda created a platform for the viewers of ETV to personally meet the Bollywood superstar, THE BOSS : Akshay Kumar along with the other star cast of the movie today, at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi.

    ETV partnered with Viacom 18’s movie BOSS, to promote the movie through a customized contest designed for it’s viewers to participate and win couple movie tickets, as well as a chance to meet Akshay Kumar in person. The initiative was presented by Honda Dream Neo.

    The BOSS contest, that was aired on ETV Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, ETV Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, ETV Rajasthan and ETV Bihar/Jharkhand, created an excitement among the viewers to meet Akshay Kumar. An aggressive participation was seen during the contest.

    10 winners were selected at the end of the contest. Sanjeev Srivastava, from Kota, Sridhar from Dehradun, Yogendra from Noida, Bhagat Aggarwal from Gorakhpur were the winners to name a few. Akshay Kumar was present at the event to meet these winners personally in order to congratulate them, get pictures clicked and sign autographs for them. Immense excitement and nervousness was seen among the winners as it was a dream come true experience for all of them.

    Senior representatives from ETV, Honda and Viacom 18 were present at this do.

    Honda and Viacom 18 expressed their gratitude and congratulated ETV to have initiated this activity like never before and mentioned about their willingness to associate in the future too.

    Akshay Kumar talked about the upcoming Grand Finale of ETV Rajasthan Ke Superstars, scheduled for 16th October, 2013, in Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur and congratulated ETV to have created a platform with such a noble cause of honoring the ordinary people, for doing something extraordinary for the society.

    The BOSS star interviews and clippings of this meet and greet show, will be aired in this week, only on ETV! Keep watching…

    ETV Network offers enriching infotainment via 12 regional channels; ETV has its strong foothold in over 10 states of India- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Apart from being present in all the state capitals, ETV provides unmatched regional coverage with specialised dedicated teams for small towns and districts. With its own Earth Station for up-linking and expediting timely transmission of news, ETV is among the country’s biggest satellite TV operations. For more information, visit www.etv.co.in 

  • DB Corp and its radio business report good performance in Q2-2014, H1-2014

    DB Corp and its radio business report good performance in Q2-2014, H1-2014

    BENGALURU: DB Corp Limited (DBCL), home to flagship newspapers Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Dainik Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar reported a good result for Q2-2014 and (Half Yearly) HY1-2014. Its total revenue has shown a growth of approximately 16 per cent y-o-y to Rs 441.8 crore in Q2-2014 against Rs 382.3 crore of Q2-2013. However, its income from operations in Q2-2014 at Rs 434.07 crore was 2.7 per cent lower that the Rs 446.15 crore in the preceding quarter Q1-2014.  

     

    Consolidated total revenue for HY1-2014 increased by 17 per cent to Rs 895.8 crore from Rs 763.8 crore in HY1-2013; Consolidated advertising revenue grew by 19 per cent in HY1-2014 to Rs 674.4 crore as against Rs 568.8 crore in HY1-2013.

     

    DBCL achieved consolidated EBIDTA margin of 28 per cent in HY1-2014 at Rs 248.9 crore registering a y-o-y growth of 44 per cent. Consolidated PAT margin at 15 per cent at Rs 13.63 crore registered a growth of 48 per cent on y-o-y basis.

     

    DB Corp’s radio business comprises of the brand “My FM” Radio station in seven states and 17 cities. Like last quarter (Q1-2104), it’s radio business advertising revenue which contributed to less than four per cent to the overall revenue, grew by 14 per cent to Rs 17.5 crore in Q2-2014, against Rs 15.4 crore in Q2 -2013. Last quarter (Q1-2014), its radio business reported advertising revenue of Rs17.3 crore. DB Corp’s radio business in Q2-2014 achieved PAT of Rs 1.9 crore, lower by 21 per cent than the PAT reported for the immediate last quarter’s (Q1-2014) Rs 2.4 crore. Its radio business EBIDTA stands at Rs 5.6 crore in Q2-2014.

     

     Let us take a look the other Q2-2014 results of DB Corp

     

    Overall, revenue from advertising reported a growth of about 17 per cent in Q2-2014 to Rs 329.7 from Rs 282.6 crore in Q2-2013. Its advertising revenue for Q2-2014 was about 4.4 per cent lower than the Rs 344.7 crore reported in the preceding quarter Q1-2014.

     

    DBCL’s total expense for Q2-2014 at Rs 340.3 crore was 13.2 per cent more than the Rs 300.6 crore for Q2-2013 and 4.4 per cent higher than Rs 325.91 crore for Q1-2014. Increase in raw material cost and other expense were the major reasons for the increase in DBCL’s expense. Higher raw material consumption cost at Rs 150.36 crore in Q2-2014 was higher by 13.4 per cent as compared to Rs 132.54 crore in Q2-2013 and 5.1 per cent higher than Rs 143.06 crore in Q1-2014. Other expense at Rs 102.5 crore 17.8 per cent higher than the Rs 87 crore for Q2-2013 and was five per cent higher than Rs 97.7 crore in Q1-2014.

     

    DBCL reported EBIDTA for Q2-2014 at Rs 111.6 crore (margin at 25 per cent), against Rs 90.1 crore, in Q2 -2013, registering a growth of 24 per cent y-o-y. The company says that this factors one time preoperative expenses of Rs 2 crore on the launch of Akola, Amravati in Maharashtra and Patna in Bihar and impact of forex (foreign exchange) loss of Rs 4.763 crore. Excluding the forex gain/ loss, EBIDTA has grown 36 per cent y-o-y from Rs 85.3 crore to Rs 116.3 crore. DBCL’s EBIDTA margins stand at 26 per cent on a stand-alone basis at Rs 113.4 crore.

     

    The company reported PAT for Q2-2014 at Rs 60.2 crore against Rs 48.6 crore in Q2-2013, showing growth of 24 per cent y-o-y. The same factors one-time pre-operative expenses of Rs 2 crore for Akola-Amravati and Patna launch as well as forex loss of Rs 5.712 crore. Excluding forex gain/loss, PAT has grown 50 per cent y-o-y from Rs 43.9 crore to Rs 65.9 crore.

     

    Its Print business reported PAT at Rs 60.2 crore (14.3 per cent PAT margin), after considering forex loss of Rs 5.79 crore.

     

    DB Corp managing director Sudhir Agarwal said: “We maintain our brand equity and leadership position in all our major markets and have made noteworthy progress in our performance in emerging editions particularly in Maharashtra where we have been vigorously driving in-market execution. We continue to actively explore expansion opportunities, as this quarter we launched our 7th edition of Divya Marathi from Amravati – a region with significant potential – high literacy rate and a rapidly developing workforce. We are excited and look forward to another challenging launch of Dainik Bhaskar’s Patna edition, which is on the anvil for this fiscal. Our digital platforms have been reporting consistent growth driven by strong viewer engagement strategies.”

     

    “In the context of a variable economic operating environment, it has been our compelling focus on operational fundamentals that have guided us to consistently report healthy performance. We are of the view that the GDP growth seems to have bottomed out and in light of various steps taken to sharpen our execution strengths, DBCL continues to be well placed to capitalise on the consumption potential of the Tier 2 and 3 cities as we look towards an improved domestic economic environment,” he added.

  • New Kid on the Hindi news block: Jia News

    New Kid on the Hindi news block: Jia News

    MUMBAI: Starting 5 October, 7:00 am onward, the Hindi news space will see one more channel going live.

    Named Jia News, after channel chairman Rohan Jagdale’s daughter, the channel, whose slogan reads: ‘Ehsaas Badlav Ka’ (Feel the change), is looking to tap people’s spiritual side apart from giving them their daily fix of news and current affairs.

    About five months ago, Jagdale and his wife who is channel director Madhulika, started work on Jia, which also stands for ‘Journalist in Action’.

    Equipped with a head office in Noida, 16 bureaus in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, and a staff of 150 people including journalists, cameramen and stringers, Jia will air 60 per cent current affairs and 10 per cent sports and 10 per cent entertainment  as part of its programming strategy. As of now, no south Indian state has been included and news from the southern region will be through tie-ups with ANI. Joy Sebastian has been appointed channel head while Ashish Mishra is chief editor. The hunt for a CEO is still on.

    Interestingly, Jagdale, who has an oil and gas business, has funded Jia entirely out of his own pocket. “I have started the channel on emotions and feelings,” he says.

    Unlike other channel launches, no big marketing campaign has been planned. Reason is Jagdale wants to first reach out to school and college students by hosting debates and elocutions and making them understand the importance of Hindi as a language. “Hindi as a language has become something of a burden and I want to change that,” he says. Promos will be uploaded on the Internet on the day of the launch.

    Initially available on cable TV only, Jagdale plans to touch nearly 1.5 crore people. The web page will be launched on the tenth of this month. The channel also plans to have spiritual shows to help people relax and relieve stress.

    Given the rash of Hindi channels lately, it remains to be seen whether Jia will manage to stand out from the crowd.

  • TDSAT admits petition by LCOs wanting right of billing under DAS

    TDSAT admits petition by LCOs wanting right of billing under DAS

    NEW DELHI: Cable operators in the state of Maharashtra have got a head start regarding the billing system for cable television under DAS that MSOs are planning to put into effect. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has accepted its petition and the case filed by the Nasik District Cable Operators Association of Maharashtra will come up for hearing on 22 November.

     

    Counsel Vikram Singh submitted that while the services were being provided by the local cable operators, the billing was meant to be done by the multi-system operators under the Standards of Quality of Service (Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems) Regulations 2012 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

     

    TRAI counsel Saket Singh sought to argue that LCOs cannot approach TDSAT as they are not service providers. However, the Bench of Member Kuldip Singh admitted the case for hearing and asked TRAI to file its counter-affidavit.

     

    It has also been stated in the petition that cable TV operations cannot be equated with telecom services since there was only one service provider for mobiles while there were the MSOs and the LCOs in television.

     

    Regulation 14 of the Regulations issued on 14 May 2012 says ‘Every multi-system operator shall offer cable TV services on both pre-paid and post-paid payment options to the subscriber and shall be responsible for generation of bills for the subscribers.’

     

    Regulation 15 says ‘Every multi-system operator either directly or through its linked local cable operator, as the case may be, shall give to every subscriber the bill for charges due and payable by such subscriber for each month or for such other period as agreed between the parties, for which such charges become payable by the subscriber.

     

    The LMOs in Maharashtra have been fighting against the alleged dominance shown by MSOs by imposing restrictions on them as well as dictating terms relating to billing practice. A cable TV blackout was also held in various parts of the state from 6pm to 9pm on 2 October as a sign of protest.

  • Maharashtra’s LMOs to blackout TV on 2 Oct

    Maharashtra’s LMOs to blackout TV on 2 Oct

    MUMBAI: A mid- week holiday is always welcome and is a good time to catch up with friends and family as well as your favourite TV shows and channels. However, this Gandhi Jayanti will see a different type of revolt on television in the west Indian state as the Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) has decided to put their foot down on the alleged “harassment” that they have been facing from the MSOs.

     

    From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm tomorrow, 2 October, about 3,000 cable operators under the MCOF have decided to blackout their screens opposing the ‘high-handed’ behavior that MSOs have adopted towards LMOs (Last Mile Operators), as MCOF president Arvind Prabhoo puts it. This includes the areas of Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nasik and Indore in MP where DAS I and II have been implemented. Approximately 15-20 lakh customers in Maharashtra alone will not get to see their favourite shows during prime time. LMOs in Gujarat have also been approached and a response is awaited from them.
    Arvind Prabhoo feels that it is time to start treating LMOs as equals and respect their demands

     

    The federation says that its intention is not to harass customers but just demonstrate that cable operators are united and it is high time MSOs give them their due credit in the cable TV chain. Communications to customers have already started in the form of SMSes and emails as well as leading papers – both English and Marathi – are being used to inform people about the flash blackout.

     

    “If the MSOs and broadcasters sit and talk with us there is no need to do this but no one is listening to us,” stresses Prabhoo. He does not even feel that the two will reach out to the LMOs before evening of tomorrow. Initially the plan was to shut it down for a whole day but due to legal regulations, it was reduced  to three hours.

     

    This isn’t the end as well. If nothing comes out of this then more such days will see blackouts with increased hours especially during festive times.

     

    There is a possibility that MSOs may take legal action against MCOF for this move but it is ready to fight the biggies. “This is exactly what we are opposing. When an MSO switches off channels on its own, no one questions its decision but the local guy is questioned. No legal action is taken but we have to bear all the brunt from both the MSOs as well as the customers,” adds Prabhoo. Recently, InCable had decided to switch off signals to all sports channels, right before the Champions Trophy T20, a way to bully the LMOs to cough up more cash, claims the federation.

     

    The issues that LMOs have been grappling with are many. Prabhoo points out that last minute decisions taken by MSOs lead to chaos which has to be resolved by local operators. This happened during DAS Phase I when STBs (Set Top Boxes) were being installed in homes. Unending trips to customers to fill forms is a burden on them as well, discloses Prabhoo. MSOs have the power to switch off signals to channels arbitrarily as well as make channels unavailable on a-la-carte rates so that only packages exist. “They should talk business, not superiority or inferiority,” adds Prabhoo.

     

    For now, the impending blackout is on the cards for tomorrow. Unless discussions take place soon, cable TV viewers in Maharashtra could well be in for more evenings of just looking at a blank TV set or one with a flickering static-riddled picture.

  • Maharashtra’s LMOs to blackout TV on 2 Oct

    Maharashtra’s LMOs to blackout TV on 2 Oct

    MUMBAI: A mid- week holiday is always welcome and is a good time to catch up with friends and family as well as your favourite TV shows and channels. However, this Gandhi Jayanti will see a different type of revolt on television in the west Indian state as the Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) has decided to put their foot down on the alleged “harassment” that they have been facing from the MSOs.

    From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm tomorrow, 2 October, about 3,000 cable operators under the MCOF have decided to blackout their screens opposing the ‘high-handed’ behavior that MSOs have adopted towards LMOs (Last Mile Operators), as MCOF president Arvind Prabhoo puts it. This includes the areas of Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nasik and Indore in MP where DAS I and II have been implemented. Approximately 15-20 lakh customers in Maharashtra alone will not get to see their favourite shows during prime time. LMOs in Gujarat have also been approached and a response is awaited from them.

    Arvind Prabhoo feels that it is time to start treating LMOs as equals and respect their demands

    The federation says that its intention is not to harass customers but just demonstrate that cable operators are united and it is high time MSOs give them their due credit in the cable TV chain. Communications to customers have already started in the form of SMSes and emails as well as leading papers – both English and Marathi – are being used to inform people about the flash blackout.

    “If the MSOs and broadcasters sit and talk with us there is no need to do this but no one is listening to us,” stresses Prabhoo. He does not even feel that the two will reach out to the LMOs before evening of tomorrow. Initially the plan was to shut it down for a whole day but due to legal regulations, it was reduced  to three hours.

    This isn’t the end as well. If nothing comes out of this then more such days will see blackouts with increased hours especially during festive times.

    There is a possibility that MSOs may take legal action against MCOF for this move but it is ready to fight the biggies. “This is exactly what we are opposing. When an MSO switches off channels on its own, no one questions its decision but the local guy is questioned. No legal action is taken but we have to bear all the brunt from both the MSOs as well as the customers,” adds Prabhoo. Recently, InCable had decided to switch off signals to all sports channels, right before the Champions Trophy T20, a way to bully the LMOs to cough up more cash, claims the federation.

    The issues that LMOs have been grappling with are many. Prabhoo points out that last minute decisions taken by MSOs lead to chaos which has to be resolved by local operators. This happened during DAS Phase I when STBs (Set Top Boxes) were being installed in homes. Unending trips to customers to fill forms is a burden on them as well, discloses Prabhoo. MSOs have the power to switch off signals to channels arbitrarily as well as make channels unavailable on a-la-carte rates so that only packages exist. “They should talk business, not superiority or inferiority,” adds Prabhoo.

    For now, the impending blackout is on the cards for tomorrow. Unless discussions take place soon, cable TV viewers in Maharashtra could well be in for more evenings of just looking at a blank TV set or one with a flickering static-riddled picture.

  • Maharashtra to attract tourists from North India

    Maharashtra to attract tourists from North India

    NEW DELHI- In a most aggressive marketing plan, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has kick started its mission to attract tourists from North Indian states by opening its tourist information centre in this part of the country. Maharashtra Tourism aims to cover 10 prominent cities of India to promote tourist destinations of Maharashtra having already opened a tourist information centre in Hyderabad recently.

     

    Starting with its marketing campaign in Delhi on Friday, Maharashtra Tourism is all set to attract the tourists from Delhi and surrounding states by setting up Tourist Information Centre at Hotel Janpath.

     

    Shri Chhagan Bhujbal, Honorable Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said, “We already attract maximum foreign tourists and now we are also focusing on attracting domestic tourists in large numbers. Maharashtra has everything in terms of tourist destinations. It is an unlimited resource for beach lovers, adventure sport lovers, honeymoon travelers, pilgrimages and sites of historical importance and for nature lovers. Maharashtra is one of the most developed States of India with a large class of educated and affluent society.”

     

    Maharashtra is always known for its rich culture, art and festivals. The State is blessed with the world famous World Heritage Sites like the caves of Ajanta-Ellora, 720km long coastline, pilgrimages like Shirdi-Saibaba, Entertainment Capital – Mumbai, Buddhist Pagoda at Gorai (Mumbai), hill stations like Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani and Matheran, wildlife sanctuaries of Tadoba-Pench and India’s wine capital-Nashik.

     

    Dr. Jagdish Patil, Managing Director, MTDC, said, “MTDC has been taking several progressive steps to encourage tourism in Maharashtra. Along with this facility in Delhi, we are also hosting a road-show for the tour operators to promote Maharashtra as a preferred tourist destination. It will be an interactive session with the tour operators about how best we can improve the number of tourists visiting from North India to Maharashtra.” Apart from Delhi, MTDC is planning to unveil their tourist offices in Lucknow and Tirupati in the near future.
    The information pertaining to all destinations and tourist information will be available at the new office of MTDC which will become one point source of information for the tourist enthusiasts from North India and tour operators.

  • Madras Café to go the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag way

    Madras Cafe is sighting a tax free status for itself, after Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

     

    Sources reveal that the movie opened a very important chapter in the history of India. While it was promoted as a film that was based in Sri Lanka, but at the end it was all about Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.

     

    The source further goes on to clarify that it is against violence and terrorism of any kind. Since it involves more than just subtle messaging around, the film deserves to go tax free.

     

    The lead actor of the film John Abraham and director Shoojit Sircar, who have collaborated on the film wanted to see how the film will be received, before creating a case for considering tax exemption.

     

    A fellow filmmaker who does not wish to be named wishes that the film should be seen by maximum number of people and if John is contemplating a tax free status, he is very much right in his thought.

     

    Last heard, a case study was being readied for submission to various authorities in different states. To begin with, Maharashtra and Delhi are under consideration and other cities are expected to follow soon.

  • MCOF to hold seminar for LMOs

    MCOF to hold seminar for LMOs

    MUMBAI: With Last Mile Operators (LMOs) viewing digitisation as a threat and legal tussles between them and Multi System Operators (MSOs) on the rise, the Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) has organised an educational and business seminar on ‘challenges and opportunities post DAS’ to address their growing concerns.

    To be held on 23 November at the Prabhodhankar Thakarey Krida Sankool in Vile Parle, Mumbai, the seminar will see the who’s who of the industry educate LMOs about the kind of business opportunities lying in wait.

    Addressing operators from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa will be Castle Media director Vynsley Fernandes, who will speak on ‘global industry standards and trends’; HSBC Securities (Telecom and Media) lead analyst Rajiv Sharma, who will touch upon the financial aspects; former Sun group CEO Tony D’Silva, who will discuss HITS (Headends in the Sky) technology, UPASS managing director Ravindra Deshmukh and PING Network founder Prashanto Das, who will talk about global trends in broadcasting.

    Also among the invitees are small scale industries and the State Bank of India (SBI) regional head.

    Says MCOF president Arvind Prabhoo: “There is a lot of confusion about digitisation and LMOs feel the business is going out of their hands but if you understand what digitisation is and how to go about it as well as reorient yourself to the changing scenario, then you don’t look at it as a challenge but as an opportunity. I want LMOs to know that digitisation is not a threat and remove the fear factor from their mind.”

    A few women cable operators are also expected to attend the seminar that will be conducted in both Hindi and English. Nearly 500 to 600 LMOs are likely to participate with registration fees fixed at Rs 500 per head. Leading Marathi and Gujarati newspapers will be carrying advertorials tomorrow and day after to promote the event.

    Apart from challenges and opportunities post DAS, the seminar will also cover topics such as maximizing broadband penetration, optimised network architecture in DAS and future proof, Value Added Services (VAS), identifying right equipment and spares, supply tie ups and employee training.

  • Bhaag Milkha Bhaag to run tax free in MP, Goa

    Bhaag Milkha Bhaag to run tax free in MP, Goa

    MUMBAI: Undoubtedly, Farhan Akhtar’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is getting commendable responses from the viewers at large. Last week, it was the Maharashtra government that declared the actor’s recent release Bhaag Milkha Bhaag to go tax free in the state. Now, even the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Goa have declared the film to go tax free.

     

    In an official statement, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced tax exemption to the film in the state, stating that it was quite a while ago that a patriotic movie was made and released.  

     

    The government of Goa has made the film tax free for three months. This decision was taken by the state finance ministry, late Thursday.

     

    Directed by Rakeysh Mehra, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag stars Farhan Akhtar, who plays Milkha Singh and Sonam Kapoor.