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Tag: Mint

  • Sony tunes into new voice with Gaurav Laghate as comms head

    Sony tunes into new voice with Gaurav Laghate as comms head

    MUMBAI: When the newsroom meets the boardroom, sparks are bound to fly. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has tapped journalist-turned-communications strategist Gaurav Laghate as its new head of PR and corporate communications, effective September 2025.

    Reporting directly to Gaurav Banerjee, MD & CEO of SPNI, Laghate will be tasked with steering the company’s communications blueprint shaping narratives, sharpening reputation, and strengthening engagement with stakeholders across its diverse media businesses.

    Armed with 17 years of newsroom experience, Laghate is no stranger to storytelling at scale. Until recently, he was senior editor and head of the consumer bureau at Mint, where he became one of India’s most authoritative voices on the media and entertainment sector. His portfolio spanned linear TV, OTT platforms, advertising, and regulatory affairs, making him a familiar face across the industry’s power corridors.

    From tracking the rise of streaming wars to decoding regulatory shake-ups, Laghate built a reputation for analytical accuracy, deep domain knowledge, and sharp editorial instincts.  He began his career at indiantelevision.com and is prized for analytical rigour and a contact book that spans studios, regulators and agencies. Now, he crosses over to the corporate side, bringing with him the credibility of journalism and the strategic perspective needed to shape SPNI’s narrative in a fast-evolving media landscape.

    For SPNI, the appointment underscores a renewed push to build authentic storytelling and stakeholder trust as it eyes its next growth chapter in India’s hyper-competitive content market.

    Welcoming him onboard, Gaurav Banerjee said: “Gaurav’s deep domain knowledge and strategic perspective make him a valuable addition to our leadership team. His transition from a journalist to a communications leader will bring a unique perspective on how we shape our narrative and engage with multiple stakeholders. We are excited to have him onboard as we aim to strengthen our position as a leading content powerhouse.”

    With the shift from penning headlines to making them, Laghate now faces the challenge of ensuring Sony’s stories resonate not just with viewers, but with every corner of the media and entertainment ecosystem. And if his track record is any indicator, this will be one headline worth watching.

  • HT Media reports sluggish growth; Radio revenues impacted by soft ad environment

    HT Media reports sluggish growth; Radio revenues impacted by soft ad environment

    BENGALURU: Indian print, digital and radio media group HT Media reported 2 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in consolidated revenue for the quarter ended 30 September 2019 (Q2 2020, quarter or period under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter. The HT Media group revenue (includes HT Media Limited and another publicly listed subsidiary Hindustan Media Ventures Limited) increased by Rs 9 crore in Q2 2020 to Rs  580 crore from Rs 571 crore in Q2 2019.

    HT Media Group consolidated operating margin (EBITDA) more than doubled (grew 139 percent) y-o-y by Rs 47 crore during the quarter under review to Rs 81 crore from Rs 34 crore in Q2 2019. Consolidated loss halved (declined 51 percent) y-o-y to Rs 22 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 22 crore in Q2 2019.

    Radio Business

    The HT Media Group had acquired a 51 percent stake in Next Mediaworks (NMW) in the last quarter of 2019. The HT Media Group reported 27 percent y-o-y growth in radio revenue in Q2 2020 due to NMW – radio revenue increased by Rs 13 crore to Rs 59 crore in the period under review from Rs 47 crore in Q2 2019. However, the company says that radio revenue ex NMW declined 7 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020. Operating EBITDA of the Group’s Radio Business declined by Rs 3 crore or 22 percent  y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 12 crore from Rs 16 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    Some of the radio brands of the HT Media Group include Fever 104 FM, 94.3 Radio One International and 102.7 FM Radio Nasha.

    Print Business

    HT Media Group’s overall Print Business revenue declined by Rs 14 crore or by 3 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 438 crore from Rs 452 crore. Print Business operating EBITDA increased 516 percent or by Rs 40 crore y-o-y during the period under review to Rs 48 crore from Rs 8 crore.

    HT Media Group’s overall Print ad revenue declined 6 percent or by Rs 21 crore y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 342 crore from Rs 363 crore. Overall Print Business Circulation revenue reduced by Rs 5 crore or declined by 7 percent to Rs 66 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 72 crore.

    Print – English Ad revenue declined 6 percent y-o-y to Rs 203 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 217 crore. Print -English Circulation revenue declined 8 percent to Rs 17 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 18 crore.

    Print – Hindi Ad revenue declined 6 percent y-o-y to Rs 139 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 147 crore. Print Hindi Circulation revenue declined 7 percent y-o-y during the period under review to  Rs 50 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 54 crore.

    Company speak

    HT Media and Hindustan Media Ventures chairperson and editorial director Shobhana Bhartia said, “Slowing economic growth has hit advertising spends in key categories, putting pressure on revenues across the media industry. As a result, our Print and Radio (on like to like basis) businesses saw revenues dip as compared to a year-ago. However, thanks to lower  commodity prices and a tight control on costs, we saw an improvement in our operating profit. On the digital front, Shine, our online recruitment portal has shown good progress and continues to grow. Our outlook for the coming quarter remains cautious, given overall economic sentiment and macroeconomic trends. Cost-control and falling commodity prices should help protect our margins.”

  • FY-16: HT Media revenue up 9.6 percent, radio revenue up 17.7 percent

    FY-16: HT Media revenue up 9.6 percent, radio revenue up 17.7 percent

    BENGALURU: HT Media Limited (HT Media) reported 9.6 cent growth in Total Income from Operations (TIO) for the fiscal ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16, current quarter) as compared to FY-15. The company’s radio segment which operates under the brand Radio Fever reported 17.7 percent growth in operating revenue in the current year as compared to the previous year.

    HT Media reported TIO in FY-16 of Rs 2,500.80 crore as compared to 2,281.52 crore in FY-15. Its radio segment reported operating revenue of Rs 116.96 crore (4.7 percent of TIO) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 99.38 crore (4.4 percent of TIO) in the previous year.

    Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    HT Media reported 1.7 percent decline in profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 214.21 crore (8.6 percent PAT margin) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 218.75 crore (9.5 percent PAT margin)

    Operating profit (EBIDTA) in the current year increased 6 percent to Rs 462.20 crore (17.4 percent EBIDTA margin) from Rs 436.06 crore (17.7 percent margin) in the previous year.

    Advertising revenue in FY-16 increased 7.5 percent to Rs 1,980.9 crore from Rs 1,843.6 core in the previous year.

    Circulation revenue in the current year increased 5.6 percent to Rs 300.09 crore from Rs 284.8 crore in FY-15.

    Other revenue increased 13.5 percent in FY-16 to Rs 373.3 crore from Rs 328.9 crore in FY-15.

    Segment revenue

    Printing and Publishing of Newspapers and Periodicals (Printing) segment reported 7.7 percent growth in operating revenue at Rs 2,239.71 crore in the current year from Rs 2,080.15 crore in FY-15. The segment’s operating profit increased 21.2 percent in FY-16 to Rs 329.69 crore from Rs 272.01 crore in the previous year.

    HT Media’s radio segment revenue has been mentioned above. The segment reported a 31.2 percent decline in operating profit due to the launch of a new radio station. Operating profit in FY-16 was Rs 20.10 crore as compared to Rs Rs 29.21 crore in the previous year.

    Digital segment reported 35.1 percent growth in FY-16 to Rs 140.32 crore from Rs 103.90 crore in FY-15.

    The Board of Directors at their meeting on May 26, 2016 have recommended a dividend of Rs. 0.40 per equity share of Rs. 2 each; translating to 20% of face value.  Dividend for the year amounted to Rs. 13 crore million (including Dividend Distribution Tax).

    Company speak

    HT Media chairperson and editorial director Shobana Bhartia said, “All our businesses grew in the quarter and we are happy to close the year on a positive note. The Hindi business outperformed the market and we witnessed the return of growth in the English business”

    Our new businesses are doing well. HT Mumbai has established itself as a clear alternative in India’s commercial capital. We launched Radio Nasha 107.2 in Delhi, becoming the only radio business in the region with two stations. Our digital business showed significant revenue growth and has reduced its losses.”

    “This year is rich with opportunities to expand our reach and offerings. We believe we are well placed to tap these and that our innovative strategies, prudent and timely investments, and world-class execution will continue to differentiate us from the competition”

  • FY-16: HT Media revenue up 9.6 percent, radio revenue up 17.7 percent

    FY-16: HT Media revenue up 9.6 percent, radio revenue up 17.7 percent

    BENGALURU: HT Media Limited (HT Media) reported 9.6 cent growth in Total Income from Operations (TIO) for the fiscal ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16, current quarter) as compared to FY-15. The company’s radio segment which operates under the brand Radio Fever reported 17.7 percent growth in operating revenue in the current year as compared to the previous year.

    HT Media reported TIO in FY-16 of Rs 2,500.80 crore as compared to 2,281.52 crore in FY-15. Its radio segment reported operating revenue of Rs 116.96 crore (4.7 percent of TIO) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 99.38 crore (4.4 percent of TIO) in the previous year.

    Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    HT Media reported 1.7 percent decline in profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 214.21 crore (8.6 percent PAT margin) in FY-16 as compared to Rs 218.75 crore (9.5 percent PAT margin)

    Operating profit (EBIDTA) in the current year increased 6 percent to Rs 462.20 crore (17.4 percent EBIDTA margin) from Rs 436.06 crore (17.7 percent margin) in the previous year.

    Advertising revenue in FY-16 increased 7.5 percent to Rs 1,980.9 crore from Rs 1,843.6 core in the previous year.

    Circulation revenue in the current year increased 5.6 percent to Rs 300.09 crore from Rs 284.8 crore in FY-15.

    Other revenue increased 13.5 percent in FY-16 to Rs 373.3 crore from Rs 328.9 crore in FY-15.

    Segment revenue

    Printing and Publishing of Newspapers and Periodicals (Printing) segment reported 7.7 percent growth in operating revenue at Rs 2,239.71 crore in the current year from Rs 2,080.15 crore in FY-15. The segment’s operating profit increased 21.2 percent in FY-16 to Rs 329.69 crore from Rs 272.01 crore in the previous year.

    HT Media’s radio segment revenue has been mentioned above. The segment reported a 31.2 percent decline in operating profit due to the launch of a new radio station. Operating profit in FY-16 was Rs 20.10 crore as compared to Rs Rs 29.21 crore in the previous year.

    Digital segment reported 35.1 percent growth in FY-16 to Rs 140.32 crore from Rs 103.90 crore in FY-15.

    The Board of Directors at their meeting on May 26, 2016 have recommended a dividend of Rs. 0.40 per equity share of Rs. 2 each; translating to 20% of face value.  Dividend for the year amounted to Rs. 13 crore million (including Dividend Distribution Tax).

    Company speak

    HT Media chairperson and editorial director Shobana Bhartia said, “All our businesses grew in the quarter and we are happy to close the year on a positive note. The Hindi business outperformed the market and we witnessed the return of growth in the English business”

    Our new businesses are doing well. HT Mumbai has established itself as a clear alternative in India’s commercial capital. We launched Radio Nasha 107.2 in Delhi, becoming the only radio business in the region with two stations. Our digital business showed significant revenue growth and has reduced its losses.”

    “This year is rich with opportunities to expand our reach and offerings. We believe we are well placed to tap these and that our innovative strategies, prudent and timely investments, and world-class execution will continue to differentiate us from the competition”

  • BSE seeks clarification from Eros on movie channel launch plan

    BSE seeks clarification from Eros on movie channel launch plan

    MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has sought clarification from film production and distribution firm Eros International Media with regards to its plans of launching a movie channel and tweaking business verticals.

     

    The notice to Eros reads, “The Exchange has sought clarification from Eros International Media Ltd with respect to news article appearing in Mint on 6 April, 2015 titled ‘Eros plans new movie channel, acquisition of technology startups.’”

    The publication has reported that the film production company is looking at generating more content and acquiring technology startups.

     

    Eros International group CEO and managing director Jyoti Deshpande, in an interview to the publication, has said that the company is entering south India and newer areas of content creation and distribution. With Eros looking at producing 125 movies as compared to the approximately 70 it currently produces, Deshpande, is expecting a steady increase in margins for the current financial year.  

     

    The Exchange has sought a reply from Eros with regards to this news item and the reply is still awaited.

  • Hindustan Media Ventures reports 32 per cent higher PAT in FY-2014

    Hindustan Media Ventures reports 32 per cent higher PAT in FY-2014

    BENGALURU: Hindi newspaper ‘Hindustan’, Hindi socio cultural magazine ‘Kadambini’ and children’s Hindi magazine ‘Nandan’ publishers Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL – not to be confused with HT Media Limited of Hindustan Times, Mint and Fever FM fame) reported a 31.58 per cent growth in PAT at Rs111.21 crore (15.24 per cent of Income from Operations or Op Inc) in FY-2014, as compared to the Rs 84.52 crore (13.28 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013.

     

    Note: Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million

     

    HMVL chairperson Shobhana Bhartia said, “We are glad to close the year with a strong growth in revenue and profitability. While our pricing initiatives have contributed to top-line growth, our sustained cost control measures have ensured an increase in profitability despite rising input costs.”

     

    “This year’s performance also reaffirms Hindustan’s dominance in Bihar and Jharkhand and its stature as the fastest growing daily in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. With a strong brand, growing readership, and healthy balance sheet, we are confident that we will continue to deliver value to our shareholders,” added Bhartia.

     

    Let us look at the other main numbers reported by HMVL for Q4-2014 and FY-2014

     

    HMVL PAT in Q4-2014 at Rs 27.21 crore (14.80 per cent of Op Inc) was (-5.21) per cent lower than the immediate trailing quarter Q3-2014 PAT of Rs 28.79 crore (15.26 per cent of Op Inc, but 19.87 per cent more than the year ago quarter Q4-2013 PAT of Rs 22.70 crore (14.61 per cent of Op Inc).

     

    HMVL reported slightly lower Op Inc in Q4-2014 at Rs183.18 crore (-2.53 per cent lower) than the Rs188.65 crore in Q3-2014, but 18.32 per cent higher than the Rs155.41 crore in Q3-2013.

     

    For FY-2014, HMVL Op Inc at Rs 729.72 crore was 14.69 per cent higher than the Rs 636.27 crore in FY-2013.

     

    HMVL Total Expense in Q4-2014 at Rs155.58 crore was (-1.09) per cent lower than the Rs157.30 crore in Q3-2014 and 18.52 per cent more than the Rs131.27 crore in Q4-2013. In FY-2014, Total Expense at Rs 600.04 crore was 10.02 per cent more than the Rs 545.41 crore in FY-2013.

     

    Raw materials constitute almost half of HMVL’s Total Expense. The company spent Rs 80.76 crore (51.91 per cent of Total Expense) in Q4-2014 which was 0.16 per cent more q-o-q than the Rs 80.63 crore (51.26 per cent of Total Expense) in Q3-2013 and 27.52 per cent more y-o-y than the Rs 63.33 crore (48.24 per cent of Total Expense) in Q4-2013. In FY-2013, the company spent Rs 300.44 crore towards raw materials (50.07 per cent of Total expense) which was 13.47 per cent more than the Rs 264.78 crore (48.55 per cent of Total Expense).

     

    The company says that EBITDA increased by 29 per cent to Rs 181.8 crore from Rs 141 crore primarily due to growth in advertising and circulation revenues.

     

    It says that growth was partially offset by increase in consumption of raw materials due to increase in newsprint price and consumption.

     

    It saw an 8 per cent increase in employee costs to Rs 86.6 crore from Rs 80.4 crore; a  7 per cent increase in other expenditure to Rs 191.4 crore from Rs 178.7 crore due to increase in advertising and sales promotions expense.

  • HT Media unveils business daily ‘Mint’ priced at Rs 2

    HT Media unveils business daily ‘Mint’ priced at Rs 2

    MUMBAI: HT Media Ltd., publisher of Hindustan Times and Hindustan, has launched its business newspaper titled Mint.

    The brand and logo was unveiled by HT Media vice chairperson Shobhana Bhartia and The Wall Street Journal Asian managing director Christine Brendle at an event in New Delhi.

    Set to hit news stands on 1 February, Mint will initially be available in New Delhi and Mumbai from Monday to Saturday at Rs 2. As part of a pre-launch campaign a yearly subscription of Rs 299 was introduced.

    As far as the logic of the HT-WSJ tie-up goes, every weekday four pages of news will be sourced from The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. These will be articles selected by Mint’s editors with the Indian reader in mind, states an official release.

    “Mint is product of a unique collaboration between HT Media and The Wall Street Journal, which will bring life to the world of business and participate in the business of life,” Bhartia said. “Mint is constructed around Indian business and economy and the way it is impacting the world and captures the trends of the world for India to leverage.”

    The weekend edition of Mint has taken the magazine route style. The Saturday edition Lounge is a standalone offering aimed at “reinvigorating the readers with its emphasis on living healthier, wealthier and happier lives.”

    The newspaper’s online edition, www.LIVEMINT.com, will also go live on 1 February. Along with LIVEMINT.com, the new newspaper also offers new advertising opportunities that start with print and extend into online.

    Managing editor of the paper Raju Narisetti said, “It is a clear recognition that our readers are busy and mobile. The format is part of our promise to help readers deal with the torrents of unevaluated words coming their way each day. Our approach extends to careful selection of stories and providing clear writing, presentation and analysis.”

    The paper has been designed by world-renowned newspaper designer Mario Garcia and will be in a unique Berliner size that will bring, for the first time to readers in India, a globally proven, convenient format, states the release.

    “We are excited about the unique concept we’re launching, and the added benefits it will bring to our readers and advertisers,” said Publisher Rajan Bhalla,. “Mint’s differentiated design will also offer advertisers new content adjacencies, innovative placement opportunities and impactful advertising units.”