ITV

Tag: Murdoch

  • Hotstar.com’s Ajit Mohan targets 100 million digital viewers this IPL

    Hotstar.com’s Ajit Mohan targets 100 million digital viewers this IPL

    MUMBAI: Star India has long presented itself as undisputed disruptor when it comes to the Indian media and entertainment industry. The disruption wave does not look like settling down any too soon. Star India digital head and president Ajit Mohan is now chasing history: something that The Facebook achieved in early 2015 and India’s largest telco Airtel got to in 2009.

    “Our objective is to reach out to 100 million users this IPL for our digital streaming services,” says Mohan with a smile on his face.

    Star India started the online streaming of cash rich Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2014. The matches were streamed on Starsports.com and as per Mohan’s analysis over 21 million people logged on to watch the action on their hand held devices.

    A year later, Star India invested a whopping Rs 302.02 crore to outbid then Multi Screen Media or MSM (now Sony pictures Networks or SPN) and Times Internet (TI) bid to acquire the streaming rights for three more years.

     “The reach doubled and we got to over 42 million viewers. Not only that we also witnessed a significant traction when it came to time spent watching,” discloses Mohan.   

    Complementing Star’s unfettered digital disruption is the improving bandwidth condition in India. The affluent metro youth who are considered to be the biggest spenders and are always engaged with their hand held smart devices. It is these mobile natives that Hotstar is targeting this year.

    “The audience we cater to is what makes Hotstar an attractive platform for advertisers. The response we got so far for IPL is overwhelming and we are extremely happy with it. We are selling as per slots exactly how it happens on television,” avers Mohan.

    The digital innovation of Murdoch’s media conglomerate has roped in nine brands so far. Flipkart, Volini, Raymond, Axe have come on board as sponsors, while the other large advertisers include Lloyd, Hindware, Hero Fincorp, Airtel and Amazon.

    “The metro is either working or returning back by the time IPL matches start and hence the streaming service is the go-to for cricket lovers. Moreover, with 3G getting better and 4G coming in, the infrastructure is also looking good so the streaming service is becoming more useful,” explains Madhouse COO Milind Pathak.

    The growth of Hotstar continues unabated as per Mohan, especially its reach. It was at just two per cent of TV a year back. Today, Mohan, says it has multiplied manifold. “Hotstar has already reached 40 to 45 per cent of television audiences,” he points out. “I believe more than compete with TV, what we are doing is adding another screen and forming a consumer habit which is a great benefit for the industry.”

    The leapfrogging numbers are not only because of the sacks full of dollars being spent on content, but also on account of an aggressive marketing overdrive. Captain of the Indian cricket team M S Dhoni promotes the platform. And for IPL the media house signed on with ad creative power house Lowe Lintas to unleash a cutting edge campaign.

    “With our analysis we found out that affluent male youth in metros are the ones who spend most of the time on their mobile phones and our creative is targeted at them. Also there is a perception that Indian youth are selfish and stay by themselves which is not totally true and that’s why it has the tagline Screen Chota hai magar Dil bada,” says Mohan.   

    The promotional spots focuses on youth and their connection with community. It shows that although they are always in their own world, but whenever needed they become an active part of the society.

    Last year Starsports.com streamed the matches along with Hotstar, “This year also we will continue to stream the action on both the platforms. The rights that we have are for a five minute delayed stream; an addition that we have this year is the fact that both Hindi and English commentary will be available for audiences to enjoy,” reveals Mohan.

    Digital is still perceived as an ancillary consumption medium, mainly for snacking and for small pieces of content, not long form.  Mohan believes Hotstar is paving many a pioneering path. “We broke all such myths, we proved the perception wrong,” he says with a wide grin. “One more wrong notion that we tore apart was that India was not ready for a premium OTT platform. With the time spent on OTT that we witnessed in the past and the way it is increasing now, I must say that the platform is only going to get bigger.”

  • Rupert & James Murdoch to host PM Narendra Modi in New York

    Rupert & James Murdoch to host PM Narendra Modi in New York

    MUMBAI: Media baron 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch along with his son and CEO of the company James Murdoch, will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York.

     

    The Murdochs – Modi rendezvous will also be attended by senior executives from Fox including News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, Star India CEO Uday Shankar and a selective group of peers from media and entertainment companies.

     

    Known for his powerful international image and charismatic personality, Modi is expected to lay solid ground for further propagation of brand India through this high profile gathering of world media heads.

     

    It may be recalled that earlier in March, the media world was taken in a frenzy when 21st Century Fox CEO (then COO) James Murdoch along with Shankar met Modi in Delhi.

     

    The Murdochs hosting Modi doesn’t come as a surprise given the important role Star India is playing in Fox’s revenues and reach internationally. As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, global brokerage company Morgan Stanley valued Star India at $11.2 billion earlier this year. Following the report, Fox chief financial officer John Nallen was also heard pitching high hopes on Star India for the global network’s growth. “The top opportunity continues to be international, led by Star. Star clearly is going to lead a lot of our international growth,” he had said.

     

    Nallen had further added that the parent company expects Star India’s growth to contribute $500 million by 2018.

     

    This indicates how the Murdochs have advocated higher foreign direct investment (FDI) ceilings in India’s media industry and are keen to expand their presence in the country. A case in point is Star India’s acquisition of Maa TV’s broadcast assets earlier this year.

     

    During his US trip, Modi will also visit Silicon Valley giant Facebook followed by a meeting with Google’s Indian born CEO Sundar Pichai, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

     

    “I’m excited to announce that Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will be visiting Facebook HQ later this month for a Townhall Q&A,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who had earlier sent an open invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to visit Facebook’s headquarters. “Prime Minister Modi and I will discuss how communities can work together to address social and economic challenges…. The event will be on Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m. pacific time,” he later added to the post.

       

    Modi too took to Facebook to share his excitement of visiting the tech giant’s HQ, and to chalk out the agenda for the meeting. “I thank Mr. Mark Zuckerberg for the invite to visit the Facebook HQ. The interaction will cover a wide range of issues and will surely be a memorable one.”

     

    On Sunday, Modi added, “I will also see some recent technological innovations at the Google (Alphabet) campus and Tesla Motors.”

     

    His final post – “It would be after a gap of almost 33 years that an Indian PM would be visiting the west coast — the home of start-ups, innovation and technology,” – rightly reflects the overall expectations India media has from his visit to the US.

  • Murdoch to leave BSkyB later this year

    Murdoch to leave BSkyB later this year

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV platform BSkyB CEO James Murdoch is believed to be leaving the firm later this year to take up a position at US media conglomerate News Corp.

    A report in the Mail on Sunday says that Murdoch will be replaced at Sky by the head of Sky Italia, Tom Mockridge. Reports add that News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch is understood to have wanted his son to return to America at the end of last year.

    However James wanted to remain at Sky at least until this summer to see through the introduction of both broadband and high definition television, both of which were projects he instigated.

  • Murdoch stresses importance of consistent long-term strategy at stockholders meeting

    Murdoch stresses importance of consistent long-term strategy at stockholders meeting

    MUMBAI: “By sticking to a consistent, well-conceived, and long-term strategy over the course of many years, our company has achieved spectacular rates of growth – on average, 13 per cent revenue growth and 18 per cent operating income growth annually over the last three years alone.”

    These were the words of encouragenment and confidence that News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch had for stockholders at a recent meeting.
    Murdoch noted that the company’s strategy has four steps. “First, we are willing to ignore or even take on conventional wisdom. Second, we generally try to invest early in new businesses rather than overpaying for already established businesses.

    “Third, we are patient as these new efforts find their footing. Fourth, we enjoy the growth and profitability as the businesses mature, but we are always thinking about and building the next generation of new revenue sources.”

    He noted that the firm’s early – and in many cases substantial – investments in these new businesses have sometimes been criticised as excessive and unwise. “Some of that criticism has even come from people in this room. Yet in nearly every case, we have been vindicated by time and results.

    “Fox television – at the time of its launch, the first new broadcast network in four decades – is now the number one network among the key 18-49 demographic two years running, and boasts what is far and away the most popular show on the air (American Idol).

    “Our cable businesses – launched amidst much uncertainty a decade ago – are today huge profit generators, and still growing. The Fox News Channel celebrated its tenth anniversary this month by continuing its ratings dominance, and has now held the number one position in cable news for 19 straight quarters.

    “This month, our initial deals with cable and satellite providers have begun to expire, and we are working to renew these carriage agreements at substantially higher rates to reflect our enormous and enthusiastic audience. And earlier this week, we successfully completed a new deal with Cablevision at an attractive new rate. Meanwhile, FX is now one of the top five basic cable channels in the US, driven by hits like Rescue Me, The Shield and Nip/Tuck.”

    On the internet he says that the latest investments – are moving quickly toward profitability. With the acquisition of MySpace.com and other popular sites in the space of one year, News Corp he says has begun to rival and in some cases surpass the Internet elite.
    “News Corporation sites now rank second in total page views and fifth in unique visitors, reaching more than 70 million people per month in the United States. Revenues from MySpace alone have doubled every four months over the last year. And others are noticing. This summer, after the fiscal year-end, we announced a landmark deal with Google to provide search functionality to all of our Internet sites – most importantly MySpace.

    “With $900 million guaranteed to us over 15 quarters, this agreement more than pays for the MySpace acquisition. More importantly, it allies us with one of the great companies of the digital age, while signifying our ability to monetise our traffic in ways that make sense for our audience.

    “We can afford to make these investments in high growth businesses because our established businesses are such reliable generators of steady cash. Indeed, the bedrock of our strategy is to ensure that our company is always comprised of a mix of businesses in various stages of growth and development. Established businesses produce modest growth yet sizable cash flows.

    “Businesses in the middle stage are the primary growth drivers of the company, delivering strong profit growth. And our youngest efforts are being nurtured and developed by the cash generated by our mature businesses, to allow them to find their footing and realise their potential as the company’s future growth drivers.”

    On the print side of things he notes that the businesses, and especially newspapers – the historic heart of the company – continue to deliver value in part by generating huge amounts of cash that fund and fulfill our strategy. Right now the print business have more total readers than they ever have, thanks to the Internet. The distinction that today seems to divide ‘new’ and ‘old’ media will prove illusory over time he maintains.

    “In the meantime, we are investing in the future of these businesses, with new colour printing plants in the UK. In Australia, operating income was up on strong advertising sales and higher circulation revenues.

    “The results of this strategy have not gone unnoticed. Our share price is up 40 per cent in the last twelve months, and nearly 80 per cent over the last five years. Investors are recognising that we are the best positioned media company in the world today, with the best mix of assets with real global spread to maintain growth and produce value for shareholders over the long term.

    “To some in the traditional media business, these are the most stressful of times. But to us, these are great times. Technology is liberating us from old constraints, lowering key costs, easing access to new customers and markets, and multiplying the choices we can offer.”

  • Murdoch’s ‘The Times’ to launch US edition

    Murdoch’s ‘The Times’ to launch US edition

    MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch’s London-based The Times newspaper announced that it will launch a US edition on 6 June 2006 and will be available to subscribers at $1, in retail outlets across New York and New Jersey.

    The 64-page newspaper will be printed and distributed by the New York Post, also owned by Murdoch’s News Corp. It will however, repackage stories from the British publication and be edited by John Mair, presently the editor of the International edition.

    The US edition will also be printed in a smaller tabloid-style format.
    Commenting on the launch, The Times editor-in-chief Robert Thomson said, “This is a key moment in the development of The Times as an international media brand. We have seen a large increase in our Times Online readership in the US and the appearance of the newspaper on the streets of New York marks the next stage in our print and web expansion.

    “The Times has one of the largest international networks of any newspaper in the world and US readers want and need sophisticated global political and economic coverage.”

    As part of its strategy, the US edition has been timed to coincide with the football World Cup that kicks off on 9 June in Germany, for which it will be giving extensive news coverage.

  • Murdoch mayhem hits India

    Murdoch mayhem hits India

    News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch seems to have made a lot out of his Mumbai visit. The media baron held a series of meetings in Mumbai. He touched base with his old friends, colleagues, to-be business partners, ex-partners, and important local political heavyweights.

    On Tuesday morning, he had a meeting with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, wherein he reiterated his commitment to further his investments in Maharashtra, and also voiced his interest in taking part in the information technology revolution that the new NCP government is trying to bring into the state. The meeting was followed by an impromptu press conference.

    The previous day he had meetings with petrochemical and telecom baron Dhirubhai Ambani, his old partner turned rival Subhash Chandra, and the Baramati badshah and leader of the National Congress Party Sharad Pawar, apart from the Star TV staff.

    Reportedly, the meeting with Subhash Chandra was a courtesy call and no business was discussed. A large part of his day was spent at the Star TV office in Andheri. He is also seriously considering Sam Pitroda’s WorldTel venture of spreading cyber cafes all over the country at par with the STD booths.

    He is expected to meet Ratan Tata who recently announced his Infotech plans. Discussions could cover a Joint venture whereby Murdoch would provide content for Tata’s IT network. Murdoch’s agenda also includes meetings with Ashok Hinduja, Remi Hinduja and his old friend Nusli Wadia. The Hinduja-run cable network IN CableNet could do business with News Corp as IN Cablenet needs content and News Corp needs distribution. This can tackle the threat from the Zee group which owns SitiCable and which also has the content power.

    The media giant, earlier, was pretty impressed with Bangalore city. He had held preliminary talks with some portals and he is expected to fund a couple of ventures. One on the list includes a portal by the Pradip Kar owned Microland Group and the other is a Bangalore-centric portal Explocity.com. Murdoch also announced that Bangalore might be the second city to have a production studio apart from Mumbai.

    Murdoch will fly to Delhi from Mumbai and is slated to meet the Prime Minister, the Infotech Minister Pramod Mahajan apart from attending the “Janata Ki Adalat” bash in the capital.

    The shrewd businessman has made sure to make the most out of his India trip and he is expected to make big announcements within a few

  • Murdoch dips into fibre-optic network: Alliances on the card

    Murdoch dips into fibre-optic network: Alliances on the card

    Murdoch mania still is hot in town as speculation about what he really intends to do in the Indian market rising to a fever pitch. He had a rash of meetings on 14 March with top brass industrialists and other prominent political personalities.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and he discussed the possibilities of investment in the Infotech and telecom area. Ministerial sources disclosed his intentions to set up a state-of-the-art fibre optic telecom carrier network in Mumbai. A possible partner for this project is InCable which has been laying a fibre optic network in the city. Star TV does not have any investments in cable TV distribution, having sold out its holdings in Siticable to Zee TV. The fibre optic project will l cater to Murdoch’s Infotech dreams in India and facilitate e-commerce and e-education and create tremendous job opportunities, ministerial sources said.

    Murdoch also met up with MTNL and VSNL executives at the Ministerial meeting. MTNL, the state telecom provider MTNL which has a strong optic-fibre backbone and Hughes Ispat which also is rolling out its network over the city.

    The Chief Minister, wanting investments in the state, also assured Murdoch that News Corp’s proposal to set up an entertainment programming studio will be cleared within a month’s time. News Corp plans to invest around $100 million in this area alone. The commercial capital of India seems to have impressed Murdoch as he identified the tremendous potential in this city.

    It is now the time of Delhi for big announcements where Murdoch will hold high-profile meetings.

  • Murdoch: Still hungering for DTH

    Murdoch: Still hungering for DTH

    There was great speculation whether Rupert Murdoch would do it again – raise the DTH issue, which has got Star TV into trouble time and again in the past, what with rivals rushing to ministers and getting them to unenthuse over-excited information and broadcasting ministers about allowing it in India. But Murdoch apparently seems to have been undeterred by the past, when he met with I&B minister Arun Jaitley. He popped the same proposal: allow DTH. In a different garb though.

    The minister – in a meeting with journos – said that Murdoch has proposed that he will use DTH for long-distance education in India in conjunction with the Internet, a proposal former ISkyB number 2 Urmilla Gupta has been flaunting for some time now. Jaitley said that Murdoch told him that he was considering tying up with some Indian Universities to promote distance education and health training.

    In a forty minute discussion with the Minister, Murdoch said that he was in favour of an open skies policy wherein he expected the Govenment’s whole-hearted support. Murdoch also highligthed the fact that Ku-band broadcasting is not harmful and it is the wave of the future and India cannot be left out of it. True, because even a so-called totalitarian (in Murdoch’s words) state like China is experimenting with DTH.

    When asked about the restructuring of Star TV, he said that the process was still on but there was no time-frame for its completion. Mr Murdoch further revealed that he had picked up a small stake in a Bangalore based IT company about which no details were disclosed by him.

    Murdoch told reporters that Star TV is considering going in for an for an Initial Public Offering but a time frame for it has not been set as yet. He later met Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan with whom he discussed infotech policy outlines, and also discussed the old bubear, DTH, and convergence in India.

    Later at night, Murdoch attended a bash thrown by Star TV on behalf of Janata Ki Adalat host Rajat Sharma where even Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was supposed to turn up.

    After the party, he flew into the night in his private jet, headed for Hong Kong to ensure his partnership with C&WHKT is fine fettle and sort out other issues relating to Star TV in Asia.

  • ‘I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth’ : Subhash Chandra – Zee Telefilms Chairman ( Gave the interview to Awaaz )

    ‘I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth’ : Subhash Chandra – Zee Telefilms Chairman ( Gave the interview to Awaaz )

    It’s been a long haul back on the upward curve for Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms but things are certainly moving north for his network (including the Zee scrip which is currently quoting at Rs 250). With flagship channel Zee TV firmly ensconced in the number two slot in the Hindi entertainment stakes, Chandra’s has a lot to say on the heightened action in the media and entertainment.

    Given below is an interview the media baron gave to Sanjay Pugalia, editor of CNBC TV 18’s Hindi news channel sibling Awaaz, which aired on 17 March. Indiantelevision.com has excerpted it with due permission:

    There is a perception about you that you start something and then forget about it. You move on and start a new project. Whatever you do is known for its novelty. There are reports that you are planning a mega entertainment city. We want to know more about that.
    Our newspaper friends broke the news before time. Still I will say that we are planning an entertainment, health and sports SEZ. Several SEZs have been planned in the country but none in the field of entertainment, health and sports. I clearly see an opportunity in these areas. As you know getting treatment is very costly abroad. Several insurance companies are thriving on this. I have heard insurance companies abroad asking its customers to go to India and get themselves treated. They are even willing pay for airline ticket. Such is the cost advantage in India.
    Similarly, so many people in Hollywood are interested in shooting their films in India. But the process is so complicated. They need 70-80 clearances to shoot their films here. With such SEZ in place, they can come and shoot their films without any hassle.

    How hopeful are you of getting clearance and tax concessions for such SEZ?
    We had applied for it when the SEZ policy was being formulated. We have been planning such a venture for almost five years now. This is not an overnight affair. I am not asking for any extra favour. We are hopeful of getting what is due.

    What is the kind of investment do you see and when do you expect to complete the project?
    What we will do is to build the infrastructure so that others can come and make use of that. We have some land and have asked for some more from the Maharashtra government.
    After such hard work, Zee Telefilms has finally become number number two. When you look back what do you think went wrong?
    Let me correct you. Zee Telefilms has always been number one. It is Zee TV that had slipped. Now Zee TV has reached number two position. However, with the kind of effort that has been put in now I am confident that it will soon regain number one position.

    Suddenly we see Zee stepping up its expenditure on marketing, new shows and new channels. What will be its impact on the revenue side of the company?
    Once you slip you need to put that extra bit to regain the top slot. We are doing exactly that. But this is an investment which will pay rich dividends. As far as new channels are concerned, I am of the opinion that entertainment space is going to expand further and you need to be present in all the segments. While existing players can afford that, it is going to be pretty tough for the new players.

    One of the criticisms against you has been that you spread yourself too thin. That you lose focus. That you are present everywhere even if that means some compromise on quality. Can you recall how many channels the group has at the moment?
    Yes I can. There are nearly 25 channels. I don’t need to personally focus on all the channels. There are good people in our group. Four of my brothers and five people from the next generation are involved with various projects. Then there are capable people who are almost like my family. They are capable enough to handle things on their own. At the level of perception, though, we are seen to be compromising with quality. But that is only at the level of perception. I am confident that this will also change soon.

    What are you focusing on currently? There’s the sports channel about which there is a view that it will take some time before making its presence felt as it didn’t get cricket telecast rights?
    Those who follow the beaten track think that sports channel cannot survive without cricket. I am not one of those. It is a different matter that we could have got a head start if we had cricket. But there are other areas to be explored. India is a cricketing nation. I want it to be a sporting nation. We have got telecast rights for football for ten years. In association with the Indian Football Federation we want to establish many football clubs across the country. I believe that in the next five years, football will be bigger than cricket in the country. As per my own focus, I look after the sports channel and with my colleagues I look after the launch of new channels in South India.

    As you said you are focusing on sports and regional channels. What are the other new initiatives?
    We are doing so many things in the existing ventures. As per new initiatives, we have just launched channels in Indonesia and Malaysia. What we are doing is dubbing Indian content in their local languages. Soon we are going to launch a similar channel in Afghanistan. Efforts are on to dub Indian content in four foreign languages. This will be over and above what we have been doing so far. Zee network is already present in 120-125 countries.

    There are reports that you are planning a channel with international content. Maybe a news channel?
    Now you are forcing me to say things. It is true that we are planning a channel for more than two years. The work on content has already begun and I can assure you that it will be quite unique. Now I will tell you why we slipped. As long as we tried out new and innovative ideas we had no competitor. We launched a show on extra-marital affair theme way back in 1994-95. The launch of Sa Ra Ga Ma was equally unique. We slipped because we started imitating others. Now this is going to change. We have started doing new things. We have realized that the spirit of entrepreneurship is quite strong among Indians. So many people want to do things on their own. To catch that spirit we have planned a new show called Business Bazigar. The contest is open to all. We invite ideas, scrutinize them and if they are worthwhile, arrange for funding.
    Maybe this programme is a reflection of your business journey. Will you please elaborate on this? How will it help people with ideas?
    We invite entries. So far we have received 1.2 lakh (120,000) entries. Our experts scrutinize those ideas. If they feel that ideas are good we invite people to explain their plan. When we realize that they have a sound plan to execute their ideas we make them go through difficult tasks like setting up office in four hours, surviving in Mumbai on a rupee and a glass of bottle for 24 hours. Once through this also, we arrange for funding those projects. It could be five lakhs or ten crore rupees (Rs 100 million). We arrange funds.
    From a shareholders’ perspective, when they see you going for so much investment they often wonder what will be the value of their investment?
    I never lose sight of topline, bottomline growth. As long as topline is growing bottomline will keep growing. So more investment means more topline growth.
    So many people would have asked you this question before. Do you think Indian television space is crowded? Will so many players survive? Is consolidation bound to happen?
    Consolidation has already begun. Your group has bought over Channel 7. Some more things are happening behind the scenes. So consolidation is bound to happen and it has already started. I believe that it will be tough for independent channels to survive.

    So you mean to say that groups with one, two or three channels will find it tough to survive?
    It will be difficult. But you never know. The country never fails to surprise us. I see so many newspapers coming out from so many towns and cities. I cannot figure out what is their source of revenue. But they are there. Maybe they have some other income.

     

    ‘I keep telling Mr Murdoch that India is not a soft state. It has certain laws which need to be followed‘

     

    Quite a strong view on other income of newspapers. What is your assessment of the journey of DNA so far?
    It started off with two lakh copies and the figure is growing everyday. The circulation has reached 2.3 lakhs. We expect that in the next 12 to 18 months it will be close to The Times of India.
    Planning new editions of DNA?
    Yes.
    I believe the next edition will be from Delhi.
    Not necessarily.
    Your group has presence in whole host of businesses.Will you please list out your businesses- from real estate to wireless radio- for people who are not so familiar with those aspects of your group?
    In real estate we are developing properties in Delhi and other cities in North India under the brand name Sun City. We have a partner in this venture. And our joint venture is doing quite well. In the business of wireless radio, we have 18 operating licenses and 80-85 per cent market share. We are thinking of expanding this business.
    In percentage terms what is the contribution of your different businesses to the entire group?
    In percentage terms, media and entertainment business contributes 20 per cent to the group’s revenue, rest 80 per cent comes from elsewhere. There is a group company called Essel Propack. It has 19 plants in 12 countries. It is truly a multinational company and number one in the world in its area of operation. It manufactures tubes for toothpaste and cosmetic items. It has 40 per cent market share in the world.

    Following the High Court order where do you see the implementation of CAS headed now and how will CAS and DTH impact each other?
    I don’t think CAS is an appropriate name. The name sounds a bit negative. CAS is bound to happen. The toss up is between analog and digital signal and I think it is in viewers’ interests to have digital signal. In this respect CAS is bound to happen. One broadcaster is opposing the implementation of CAS because it wants to roll out its DTH business. But I don’t think that is fair.
    How is your DTH business doing?
    We have got one million subscribers so far.

    DD has more?
    Yes, DD has more. It caters to a different segment. It doesn’t charge anything whereas our subscribers have to pay some amount every month.

    This has happened without Sony or Star?
    Yes. Now Sony, Discovery and some other channels are joining our platform. However, we have proved that one million customers can live without Saas Bahu.

    Now that Star too is gearing up to launch its DTH business what will be its impact on the DTH business? What about must carry clause?
    Must carry clause came into force in December 2004. However, Star group never bothered to comply with the clause. Star Group doesn’t seem to have any respect for the law of the land.

    With recent reorganization and all where do you see Star Group headed now?
    My best wishes for Mr Rupert Murdock. We do talk to each other sometimes. He was my partner earlier. I keep telling him that India is not a soft state. It has certain laws which need to be followed. You cannot keep flouting rules and regulations every now and then. Law of land will catch you in due course. But when you are successful you don’t listen to even sane voices.

    Do you think broadcasting sector should have a separate regulator?
    Definitely. Indian media houses representing print, radio and television businesses came together to form Indian Media Group. We have demanded that broadcasting sector should have an independent regulator.

    Given the favourable response of the present government towards globalisation do you see other media giants freely accessing Indian market, something you may not like?
    India already is the most open country in this respect. Each and every country worth its salt has some restriction in this sector. Almost everywhere preferential treatment is being given to local players. We don’t want preferential treatment. We want level playing field. All businesses that operate in this country have to pay taxes.

    One final question. Are you satisfied with the
    present rating system? Do you think it is authentic?
    Like all areas, competition should be there in the
    rating business also. It is not fair to judge people’s mood on the basis of 4 to 5 thousand meters. I think given India’s size, there should be at least 20,000 meters to gauge people’s perception.
  • Murdoch on India visit this weekend?

    Murdoch on India visit this weekend?

    Is global media baron Rupert Murdoch coming to town? If reports are to be believed a visit is being planned for the News Corp chief to visit Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, (if possible) over this weekend. Murdoch last visited India, if reports are to be believed in a hush-hush meeting with the then Congress (I) strongman, Sharad Pawar in 1996 at an army base in Pune.

    His earlier visit to India was in 1993-94 which was much hyped up when he was seen with various politicians, dignitaries and businessmen. He was feted wherever he went. Since 1996 he has been unable to fly into India because of a flimsy obscenity case that was pending against him for the airing of a bit of skin on Star Movies. The case apparently took an ugly turn when summons were sent to his residences/offices in Australia and the US, and an arrest warrant issued against him. The situation was so bad that he was not permitted to enter the country and declared a criminal because he did not attend court when he was summoned. He would have been arrested had he landed in the country. Since then, however, the case has been set aside and Murdoch can visit India.

    During his current visit – if it takes place over the weekend – he is expected to meet the Prime Minister, information technology minister, Pramod Mahajan. His focus is expected to be on the information technology sector, in which he has suddenly begun to see lots of promise. He is also expected to give a direction to Star TV India CEO Peter Mukerjea as to how much he is willing to commit to India and in which areas. And obviously, he is going to be tomtomming Star TV’s forays into the information technology and convergence sector.

    Currently, hectic preparations are on within Star TV and his once Indian partner in Star TV’s Indian DTH project Pramod Mittal who is trying to smoothen his visit out here. Obviously, a meeting with his old mate Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra is planned. For sure, he is going to thank him, Chandra has helped Murdoch make more money on his investment in Zee Telefilms than he has made through his entire Star TV operations in the past six years, thanks to an appreciation in Zee’s share price over the past six months.

    Meanwhile, the media can expect to have a rollicking time. Murdoch is eminently quotable as we have known him to be.