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  • Positive national developments will be showcased on revamped Sahara news channels

    Positive national developments will be showcased on revamped Sahara news channels

    While channels are opting for virtual reality journalism in the backdrop of generally declining news viewership and questionable methods of garnering eyeballs, Subrata Roy’s embattled Sahara media group, with an eye on a digital future, is recasting its programming and packaging its Hindi, Urdu and four other regional news channels.

    Sahara India Media (SIM) has re-employed the veteran journalist Arup Ghosh as the CEO & editor-in-chief of its media division who, it says, will maintain the standards of the media with “old-style, factual and non-noisy journalism.”

    Samay News Network, with seven editions of the Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara and nine editions of Urdu daily Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, is now set to foster an entrepreneurial digital culture, although the new editor’s social media profiles (till Sunday evening) were antique and stayed un-updated, giving no hint of plans in the offing.

    Ghosh says he was aiming to take Samay News Network & Rashtriya Sahara (Hindi & Urdu) to the next level by introducing differentiated content, maximizing content monetisation through synergised operations between TV, print  and digital verticals.

    The new CEO, who denied knowledge of Sahara’s January 2017 Project Storm to reportedly hand over editorial control to Kolkata-based media baron Kaustuv Ray, mentioned more than once that he is reporting in to the out-on-bail Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy. And, even as Sahara sources say that Ray is still consulting with the group’s news channels, the latter refused to speak further on Project Storm when Indiantelevision.com called him up. However, industry sources pointed out that  the proposal did not materialise.

    Management of the Sahara news division aside, Arup says he is in charge now and he is excited to be back and rejuvenating it. Among the first things he has done is launch two shows – one is a live 30-minute ad-free Editor’s Choice, and a three-minute short-format show focused on the hourly news called AG’s Take. The idea is provide agenda-setting news shows that, it says, would cut through the corporatisation and trivialisation of news.

    Ghosh chatted with Indiantelevision.com’s Parvinder Sandhu on his plans. Excerpts from the interview:

    Could you tell us whether Kaustuv Ray and company are running Sahara news operations?

    I am not aware of what happened in the past. I came here when ‘Saharashri’ (Subrata Roy) called me. I was here earlier — between 2001 and 2004, when the (Sahara group) chairman had asked us to launch a bouquet of channels. We worked on the content to put up a national news channel and regional channels. Then, in April this year, I came back as there was an opportunity to revamp the channels with a lot of focus on the digital content.

    So, what is the plan, and how are going about executing it?

    We have been working on creating a digital footprint for the last five months. The salient features are: there are two expert teams working on a digital platform each for television and print.The  process would complete in the next three months. Samay News Network will have a strong digital presence — which we will monetise and create good branding. We want to take the modern route — the newspapers, for example, will have a strong e-presence — e-papers would be launched on these platforms. The television arm will also have a robust and rare digital presence.

    The second part of the story is that the content of Samay will be visible and interactive on most of the popular social media platforms — which was a little behind schedule. That process is now in top gear and moving very fast.

    For Sahara’s six television channels, we are in the process of hiring some middle-level people — anchors and others. Content rejig is currently under way. Between now and December 2017, a total technical revamp is on the cards as approved by the chairman (Subrata Roy).

    His vision is that the media wing must be strong and robust — nothing negative or anti-India, for example, should go into the content. A lot of positive national developments that have happened should be showcased in the right spirit — we are working on that plan.

    How are the channels doing, what are your recent observations?

    On most of the regional networks, I have seen, the time spent has shot up quite a bit, which is really a function of content.

    What are the new plans?

    The distribution is being beefed up — gradually. The plan is to work in phases and restrengthen the regional network and devise a new plan for the national channel. The studios etc will have to get a completely new makeover.

    I am launching a programme at 9 pm on 28 August from our modern studio of international standards. I am also launching a small digital capsule called “My Take” — within three minutes or less, I will give an update on the current topic of the day; it will keep playing on the network and also on the digital platforms. We are trying to keep things brief, we are trying to break through the madness and the clutter that has taken place in the last two to three years.

    The 9 pm break-free show would showcase two to three  top stories of the day — it will have adequate information on why something has happened. It will have one or two informed voices and a brief chat. Somebody who wants to see facts-based news that used to be telecast earlier but has ceased of late.

    This is an attempt to restore some clarity in news — to look at news the way it should be. We would rather bring in informed opinion but in a way that guests are allowed to speak, and not cut down as it happens nowadays. We also plan to bring in editors who are specialists of their respective subjects and explain the real reason behind an incident or an event that has happened — there is huge gap there that I have studied closely over a period of time, what works online and what goes viral as far as news is concerned.

    People are hungry to have an informed opinion. They may or may not agree — that’s a different issue, but there is respect and need to know why something has happened. Our new structure and news format would be rather simple. There won’t be cacophony, people shouting at and gunning for each other. It is attempt to bring sanity to news proceedings, and that is what I am working on.

    Would you explain the reasons behind this total revamp, which includes branding and content?

    We had some great shows in our earlier avatar which had received tremendous response. It was now the wish of the chairman that we should build our media brand — it is something very global and achievable. It needs a certain strategy going forward. He had shared his vision with me and I am trying to implement it.

    In the hyper-competitive Indian news market, how is Sahara looking to occupy a position — as a views channel, a news-views channel or simply an old-fashioned news outlet giving domestic and global news without views?

    I would say when somebody tunes in to a Sahara news channel, the viewer would know exactly what is happening — in a very reasonable way, some of that is old-fashioned — which got left out. People would want to know why something has happened, for which we have a strong research team.

    For example, the Ram-Rahim incident that has happened.  Our research team has studied some American cults and exploitation of women by the babas there. Our team also studied the babas of Punjab and Haryana to understand what was the need gap and why they had such a huge following. Ours will be basically factual reportage and unlike the format where people shout at the top of their voices and politicians gunning for each other. To answer your question specifically, it will be more quieter rather than old-fashioned with a lot of research and views added in. It is going back to what news used to be.

    A lot of people told me that they tune in to Doordarshan when they needed to know today’s happenings and facts. Other channels, they said, are into mindless entertainment and shouting under the garb of news.

    Have the product’s positioning and branding been thought through?

    Yes. It will take a couple of months more to implement it. We are working with a marketing and a branding team and we are doing a lot of brainstorming. Our channel heads are pretty experienced and a couple of good guys with enormous experience have joined us. The plan is to work it out and keep unravelling those processes.

    Would you be expanding the number of bureaus you have or you will depend on news agencies primarily to feed you news? How many bureau do you have at present?

    I can’t recall the exact number of bureaus, but we are there in most of the state capitals. Some of the bureaus would be expanded. We will relaunching some channels to cover Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Some of these bureaus will be beefed up.

    There are some gaps where we did not have people, so that is being planned now. For example, coverage from the north-eastern states was less. We have recently hired some people in Odisha, and more will be employed. We have planned special coverage for Jammu and Kashmir. Studios and facilities have been built in Gurgaon to cover Haryana and in Jammu as well as in Srinagar to cover the hill state. Subsequently, a  small studio is being planned in Jaipur and one in Chandigarh to cover the Punjab and Himachal belt.

    With state elections on the cards, we would concentrating on that. We would like to go back to serious news reporting and on understanding how political elections are fought in India. Now, we have an experienced team in place. We want to move away from the dirty business of hidden cameras and stings to bring in numbers (viewership). A couple of channels tried it for a while and may be they succeeded for a while but ultimately they had to back.

    A number of news organisations such as NDTV are also experimenting with MoJo (mobile journalism) as cost-cutting measures and also being truly digital. What are your views on such initiatives and would Sahara products too employ some such measures?

    Our digital plans are already under way, and a separate team is being groomed to do digital work. I had serious discussions with the chairman as well as our media and corporate communications expert Abhijeet Sarkar.

    We understand the need for MoJo. We will be experimenting with it to a certain extent and we’ll see how far we must go with it. We would definitely like to run a profitable enterprise, which will take a while and that is the way forward. We plan to create a lot of synergies between print, digital and television wings. There is also a combined team which will ensure constant integration.

    How will the TV channels and the digital products be different or will the digital only help play out linear TV’s offerings?

    The content that television is generating will be curated; it will be customised for digital. There will be shorter and packaged stories for digital as compared to television for which editors would also go live interacting and engaging with people and adding their opinions. A website would be separately launched for that curated content.

    Rebranding and programming revamps costs money. How much is Sahara looking at investing in this part of the operation?

    I will have to check with the top management before sharing any figures.

    Will such measures help shore up the bottomline? What is Sahara TV’s annual revenues at present? Could you share the annual revenue figure?

    I don’t want to get into all that. Sahara’s media wing in the last two to three years has gone through difficult times. But, now, our revenues are shoring up. It will take us a while, we have to ensure that the digital wing is launched quickly. There are certain projections which are being made and a marketing strategy drawn up. We are also hiring a full-time sales head who will be doing things professionally.

    What are your views on TRPs for Sahara News? And, what would be the present BARC ratings that Sahara news gets?

    The ratings were low as we were lacking in distribution. The channel is now releasing funds and we are available on most of the platforms. Of course, ratings do matter. The beauty of regional channels is a lot of people like our brand. Sahara is not a new brand — it’s a well-known and respected brand, which is being represented and refurbished and pitched as a completely different channel. With more energy and better content, the stickiness is increasing. We’ll need some time and we’ll get there.

    Please name the distribution platforms that Sahara news channels are available on?

    We are available on different networks such as Den Networks, Hathway  Cable & Datacom, DIGI cable Network India, Hathway CCN entertainment (India),CCN Digital Network,Darsh  Digital Network,S R Digital Media, A C N   Digital, Digina Projects, Lucknow 9 Cable Network, Blue Sky Network, Uttranchal Cable Network, Haldwani, Rajasthan Infotech Services and Radiant Digitek.

    Amidst the revamp, are you also looking at streamlining the operations and costs? How and where?

    We want to ensure that ‘less is more’. We want to work with committed professionals and we want to ensure people who are hired are delivering, and there is accountability. We want to make optimum use of manpower and resources. We are aware that a number of large-sized broadcast networks have shut shop. Ours is a very tight operation — we just have to ensure that we are able to convert.

    How many new brand sponsors Sahara news channels have netted?

    There are a couple of names which I will mail you. (No mail was received till the time of publication this morning; the interview was conducted yesterday telephonically).

    Would you like to comment on the recent controversies surrounding multiple LCNs and alleged buying of landing pages?

    I am aware of that. This race has taken an ugly turn. A couple of new channels had a bitter fight with the older brands who say that it is humanly not possible for a channel with limited resources to zoom to the top of the chart, and then slip and then flatten. These incidents are very unfortunate. As far as our brand is concerned, we would like to stay clear of those things.

  • NDTV & DHFL launch ‘Behtar India’, Rajput encourages children

    MUMBAI: NDTV and DHFL Pramerica have launched a ‘Behtar India’ campaign to work towards a better future for India earlier this year. The core thought of the campaign is to mobilise students, ordinary citizens and corporates to join a nationwide movement that focuses on three main pillars of the campaign – Health, Hygiene and Environment.

    As part of the campaign, the Behtar India Students’ Conclave was held at Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi with Campaign Ambassador Sushant Singh Rajput today. The Conclave highlighted issues that needed urgent attention and discussed how students can help bring the right difference in the mindset of people regarding Swasthya, Swachhta and Vataavaran.

    The Conclave also saw active participation from Bittu Sehgal, Environmental Activist; Neha Kirpal, Founder at India Art Fair; Dipa Karmakar, Gymnast; Malavath Poorna, the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest; Abhiraj Bhal, CEO Urban Clap; Priya Dutt MP, Congress member; Shazia Ilmi, BJP member; Atishree Marlena, AAP member; Kalikesh Singh Deo MP, Biju Janata Dal member; Nitesh Kadyan, Co-Founder Graviky Labs; Kristen Kagestu, Founder Saathi Pads; Akshat Mittal, Founder – Odd-Even.com and Ritwika Bhattacharya, Founder/CEO – Swaniti Initiative.

    Campaign ambassador Sushant Singh Rajput said, “I urge all our young citizens to actively partake and join us in this nationwide movement to ensure everyone has a right to proper health, hygiene and environment through this campaign.”

    NDTV consulting editor Vikram Chandra said, “Behtar India campaign is aimed at encouraging young citizens to empower and motivate others to actively build healthier, more hygienic and environment friendly world.”

    DHFL Pramerica MD and CEO Anoop Pabby said: “This Conclave is a celebration of what we have achieved so far but we can’t afford to be complacent because there is still a lot that needs to be done on our journey towards a Behtar India”.

  • IBN Lokmat appoints Prasad Kathe as editor

    MUMBAI: Prasad Kathe has joined Network18 this week as the editor of the Marathi channel IBN Lokmat. 

    Prasad has joined the group from NDTV where he produced and anchored shows such as Money Mantra, Marathi ke Naam Par and Ek Bhaiyya Dooja Marathi.

    Prasad has more than two decades of experience in journalism, a period that has taken him through several newsrooms and imbued him with a sense of perspective on news, politics and life in general.

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  • NDTV tax case: Delhi HC against coercion, hearing on 21 Aug

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court has directed the income tax (I-T) department not to take any coercive step against New Delhi Television (NDTV) in connection with its Rs 4280 million tax demand.

    A bench of justices Pratibha M. Singh and S. Muralidhar said it was “satisfied” that there was a prima facie case in favour of NDTV, PTI reported. The court also issued notice to the I-T department seeking a reply on NDTV’s plea challenging the demand order of 26 July and a show-cause notice of the same day. The notice had been issued for failure to pay the amount in time.

    Appearing for NDTV, senior advocate Harish Salve contended that the 26 July order was based on “piecemeal assessment” and “without jurisdiction.”

    The bench, pulling up the tax authority for issuing the demand order and the notice, observed that the time given for deposit of the amount was “immediately now” which seemed to be an “over-enthusiastic step” and “on the face of it, illegal.” “How can you pass penalty order when no time has been given for payment of the amount which was determined on 26 July,” the court asked the I-T department.

    The I-T department, in its defence, contended that only a show-cause notice was issued and it was in respect of two unpaid demands for 2007-08 and the one under challenge of 2009-10.

    Representing the department, senior advocate Sanjay Jain argued that the plea was not maintainable and that NDTV could go in appeal against the order to the I-T commissioner.

    He, however, said that the penalty notice in connection with the demand for assessment year 2009-10 would not be given effect to. He also urged the bench to direct partial deposit of the demand.

    While noting the statement made on behalf of the I-T department, the court did not order partial deposit of the amount. The bench, instead, permitted the I-T department to bring up the subject on the next date of hearing on 21 August.

    According to NDTV’s plea, the 26-July order was issued after the 14-July decision of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), by which it had upheld the assessing officer’s decision to add around Rs 6420 million, as unexplained money, to the channel’s income for the assessment year 2009-10. But, the ITAT had remanded back three other issues pertaining to the same AY, NDTV stated, contending that there could not be a demand order for each “truncated” issue.

    NDTV also said that the “unexplained money” of around Rs 6420 million was in fact an investment made by NBC Universal Inc. through its subsidiary Universal Studio International BV. The petition, subsequent to the ITAT order of 14 July, said the I-T department had arrived at a figure of Rs 5770 million as the income of the media house for the AY 2009-10 by taking into account losses of Rs 640 million claimed by NDTV as well as the unexplained money.

  • NDTV Convergence Q1 revenue jumps by 65%; parent company reports loss

    MUMBAI: NDTV’s digital business, NDTV Convergence, has enjoyed spectacular growth. Its revenue has jumped by 65 per cent to Rs. 380 million from Rs. 230 million in the same quarter last year. However, the parent company, NDTV, reported a consolidated loss of Rs 220.01 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2017 (Q1-18, current quarter) as compared to a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 76.1 million in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4-17) and a loss of Rs 445.5 million for the corresponding year ago quarter.

    NDTV Convergence now has 135 million unique visitors a month,which is more than 100 per cent increase over same period last year. Profit after Tax improved to Rs. 70 million compared to a loss of Rs. 30 million in the same quarter last year

    The company launched RailBeeps,a new offering which allows users the fastest possible experience in tracking updates on their railway bookings. The product currently tracks live data on over 12,000 Indian trains, and allows users to discover the best trains, organize all their routes and trips in one place.

    NDTV’s consolidated total income was almost the same year-on-year in Q1-18 at Rs 1,096 million as compared to Rs 1085.7 million, but declined sharply quarter-over-quarter from Rs 1,525.2 million.

    NDTV’s consolidated total expenditure in the current quarter at Rs 1,284.3 million was substantially lower y-o-y than the Rs 1,477.6 million in Q1-17 and also lower q-o-q than the Rs 1,393.2 million in Q4-17.

    The company’s television segment reported slightly lower y-o-y revenue in Q1-18 at Rs 1034.8 million as compared to Rs 1064.1 million in Q1-17 and lower q-o-q than the Rs 1,459.2 million in the immediate trailing quarter.

    The group EBITDA improved by Rs. 19 million compared to same quarter last year. EBITDA from Television & Digital segments achieved break-even in this quarter, says the company.

    The Group EBITDA loss was reduced from Rs. 210 million last year same quarter to Rs. 2 million in current quarter due to improved contributions from the digital business, cost reduction initiatives, improved productivity and reduction of losses in e-Commerce business.

  • NDTV issues statement on tax demand of Rs 4.3 bn

    MUMBAI: NDTV has issued a statement on the immediate tax demand of Rs 4.3 billion.

    It stated on its web site: “The attempt to intimidate and paralyze NDTV has expanded to epic proportions in the last 24 hours. There are new attacks from the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. In short, there is a three-pronged attack on NDTV by the:

    1) CBI
    2) Enforcement Directorate
    3) Income Tax Department”

    “All three agencies are attacking NDTV over one transaction in which GE, USA, made a US$ 150 million investment in NDTV – a perfectly legitimate and publicly, officially declared investment – which they are calling a “sham transaction,” it stated.

    “Especially shocking is a demand of Rs. 4.3 billion from the Income Tax Department. The Income Tax Department’s letter, (sent today — 27 July), says NDTV has to pay the amount “immediately now” (sic!). A demand for immediate payment without any notice period is unheard of and smacks of sinister motives by the IT Department,” it added.

    NDTV says:

    “The IT department has not even completed the assessment of NDTV as directed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT).

    The ITAT had told the IT Department to make a fresh assessment on no less than four issues. These instructions have been flat-out ignored by the IT Department in rushing its tax demand to NDTV.

    It is unknown in law to make this sort of “partial tax demand” without completing the entire tax assessment.

    Income Tax law only recognises one assessment order – and the IT Department must complete the assessment including the four new factors raised by the ITAT.

    After the ITAT order (based on incorrect facts given by the IT Department), NDTV has, by law, 120 days to appeal. It is shocking that even before the appeal can be filed, the tax department has shown such alacrity in demanding the tax. This is the same Tax Department which dragged its feet for three years, seeking more than 20 adjournments in the ITAT.

    The new urgency reflects instructions to punish NDTV and to issue a warning to the media at large of the consequences of balanced journalism.

    In an undisguised fishing expedition, the CBI has sent NDTV a letter demanding documents from NDTV and its subsidiaries for an unspecified period – this despite NDTV having supplied more than 500 pages of documents only two weeks ago. Strangely, the CBI does not acknowledge the receipt of these documents.

    Separately, the Enforcement Directorate informed the Bombay High Court yesterday that it is investigating NDTV for violations under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) – it has never, of course, informed NDTV of any such charge. The ED has already spent a good part of the year summoning NDTV management and questioning them repeatedly, without informing the company of what it has done wrong.

    The government is making clear the implications of fearless journalism. Despite the illegal and massive pressure, NDTV will not allow its coverage to be affected by these shameful tactics.”

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  • NDTV restructures biz & newsroom amidst reports of layoffs

    NEW DELHI: Buffeted by allegations of tax evasion and money laundering, which are being contested in appeal tribunals, one of India’s first private sector TV news organization NDTV has said it is reorganizing newsroom set-up and resources available to adapt to changing technologies like MoJo or mobile journalism.

    Stating that the restructuring was “not just about cost-cutting”, the Prannoy Roy-family promoted NDTV in a statement on Monday said, “Like other news broadcasters around the world, NDTV is reorganizing its newsroom and resources to focus on mobile journalism. NDTV has always been an early adapter of new technology and we are the first major network in India whose reporters are all trained in using mobile phones to shoot stories.”

    The statement comes amidst media reports that NDTV has handed pink slips to about 70 staffers, comprising mostly technical personnel and camerapersons. Outlook magazine, quoting unnamed sources, in a report on its website said on Monday that the number of “retrenched staff is likely to be between 60 and 70 of which around 35 camerapersons have been made redundant with the introduction of high-grade smartphones”.

    It must be clarified here that Indiantelevision.com could not independently verify or confirm the news on staff being laid off at NDTV.

    However, NDTV’s official statement, also given to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), on Monday dropped ample hints about retrenchment of staffers owing to funds crunch.

    “This (the restructuring of business and newsroom ops to rely on MoJo) is not just about cost-cutting, though that is certainly, for us, like any other responsible business, an important factor in operations. Mobile journalism means reports are lightning-quick and much more efficiently produced, a priority for any news company,” NDTV said.

    Pointing out it would be “irresponsible” to viewers and shareholders, apart from being “archaic” to maintain decades-old templates of how to shoot and edit, NDTV defended itself on collateral damages of restructuring.

    “NDTV has long been valued for its commitment to its employees — our record on attrition across more than 20 years is testament to this and spoken of across the industry. We have ensured fair compensation for those employees affected by our restructuring,” the company stressed.

    Dwelling on the need to revamp, NDTV clarified like all businesses, broadcasting models too change and evolve and, hence, the “need to restructure” and keep pace with the digital world of journalism.

    What does MoJo mean? Live camera crews for coverage of finance minister Arun Jaitley’s briefing at Delhi’s Press Information Bureau, for example, have been replaced by a single reporter. The reporter doubles up as a journalist and cameraperson using high-end mobile phones and modern mobile networks to connect with the studio via Skype and other such similar services to cover the event or do a PTC (piece to camera, a TV jargon to explain when a TV news journalist comes on camera to report an event and answer queries from the studio).

    The news of retrenchment and business restructuring comes close on the heel of news that a tax tribunal had, reportedly, upheld claims made by the tax department on taxes not paid by NDTV, which has, however, contested the claims saying it was witch-hunt unleashed by the Modi government for standing up to media arm-twisting.

    “The court cases (relating to tax evasion) that are an attempt to punish NDTV for its award-winning objective journalism do not influence how we run and operate our newsroom. The emphasis on restructuring is rooted in the broader financial climate, our commitment to controlling costs and, most importantly, our move to consolidate on our core business, quality news content,” the statement said.

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  • Tribunal upholds tax demand, NDTV intends to challenge order

    NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has upheld a tax demand raised on investments of USD 150 million by a US television network in NDTV in 2008, an order that the Indian company said has “numerous inconsistencies and contradictions”. With the tribunal’s 14 July 2017 order upholding the tax demand, penalty proceedings are likely to commence shortly.

    NDTV had assured shareholders that it would seek necessary legal advice and appeal against any adverse ITAT order. On its web site, it stated: “This is with reference to reports in certain section of the media as well as social media regarding the rejection by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) of an appeal filed by the Company against the assessment order for tax demand of Rs. 450 crore for the assessment year 2009-10. The ITAT order has not yet been uploaded. Once the order is uploaded, the Company will advise shareholders of the implications thereof.”

    In a stock exchange filing, NDTV said it was surprised at ITAT dismissing the appeal it had filed against the tax demand, according to a PTI news report, which quoted the company as saying, “It is important to note foremost that the ITAT has accepted that there was no round-tripping or money laundering, as was alleged by income tax department.”

    The tax department had alleged that Rs 218.30 crore (Rs. 2183 million) was the tax that was sought to be evaded on investment of Rs 642.54 crore (Rs. 6425.4 million). It had sought a penalty of Rs 436.8 crore (Rs. 4368 million) at the rate of 200 per cent of tax evaded.

    It confirmed invocation of Sec 69A of Income tax Act (dealing with ‘unexplained money’ addition) and upheld that “transaction used principally as a devise for the distribution/ diversion of sum to the Indian entity” and that “the beneficial owner of the money is the assessee”.

    PTI quoted NDTV as saying: “Surprisingly, the ITAT has dismissed the appeal filed by the company as not being maintainable but at the same time adjudicated the appeal filed by the income tax department (ITD) against the same assessment order. It is inconceivable how appeal filed by the ITD against the assessment order is maintainable before the ITAT but the company’s appeal emanating from the same order is not maintainable.”

    “Surprisingly, the ITAT has upheld the addition under Section 69A of the Act, purely on conjectures and surmises, ignoring the evidence adduced by the company including the annual reports of the investors,” NDTV was quoted as having said, “The legal advice received is that a consistent view has to be taken and it appears that the order had been passed in a haste and the above inconsistencies have arisen because of a hurried order. We have been advised that Section 69A of the Act is applicable only when money is found in possession of a taxpayer but not accounted for in the books of accounts.

    “However, the said section has no application in the present case since admittedly, investment made by NBC Universal (admittedly then subsidiary of the GE Group) through its step down subsidiary, Universal Studios International BV, was duly recorded in the books of accounts of the company’s subsidiary, viz, NDTV Networks International Holdings BV.”

    Stating that it will continue to fight the “misguided case” made by income tax department, NDTV said it is “exploring all options available to it in accordance with law.

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  • NDTV moves Delhi HC challenging CBI raids

    NEW DELHI: The Prannoy Roy family-promoted NDTV has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the raids conducted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the residence of its promoters.

    In a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, the company said, “NDTV and its promoter company filed a writ in the Delhi High Court (on 6 July 2017) challenging the CBI raids and the FIR (first information report) issued by CBI. NDTV is pleased that the court has directed the CBI to submit a status report by 21 September, 2017.”

    The publicly traded company, which also at one time had investments from American company GE via a group media company for a venture, further informed the stock markets it would not like to comment on the matter further as it was “now sub- judice”.

    In June 2017, the CBI had raided the residence of the Roy family alleging that the promoters and a private company linked to the Roys, RRPR Holding Private Ltd, were involved in defrauding a private sector bank, ICICI Bank, and allegedly causing it losses involving loans extended in 2008.

    The raids had come within a few days after a female NDTV news anchor had politely ticked off a belligerent spokesperson from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the lead political party in the NDA government that rules the country, during a TV debate, which had prompted a large section of the Indian society, including the Roys, to dub the raids by federal investigating agency as a “witch hunt” against media not toeing a government-handed political narrative.

    Minister for information and broadcasting M. Venkaiah Nadu, however, last month had brushed aside criticism relating to government efforts to muzzle a free media saying the CBI raids and media freedom were two unconnected issues.

    For NDTV — considered a sort of media nursery for TV journalism in India after the country allowed in mid-1990s private sector players to enter the business of broadcasting dominated till then by pubcaster Doordarshan and All India Radio — this was not the first brush with controversy. Earlier also unsubstantiated allegations relating to financial misdeeds had been leveled against NDTV and some group companies.

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  • Doordarshan in talks with US co as it plans varsity leagues via PPP

    MUMBAI: Doordarshan, inspired by the spectacular success of private broadcasters, is preparing to enter into the sports business with three different sports leagues in basketball, kabaddi and football. 

    Sports sponsorship in India grew 19.33 per cent in 2016 to touch Rs 6,400 crore, according to a report titled Sporting Nation in the Making IV, jointly published by GroupM ESP, and SportzPower, a sports business news company.

    The pubcaster is already in parleys with a US-based company, Doordarshan D-G Supriya Sahu said. The league, to be unveiled in couple of months, will be played amongst students from the university/college levels across the nation. Non-cricket leagues saw franchise revenue growing 4.97 per cent from Rs 201.2 crore in 2015 to Rs 211.2 crore in 2016.

    The main idea is to bolster a public-private partnership (PPP) to lay a platform for the multi-billion dollar university level sports – beginning with the three sports and later expanded to other sports. The matches will be aired on all Doordarshan channels including DD Sports and will be promoted across the mediums such as radio and outdoor publicity. 

    DD Sports, she said, was in the process of reforming the content, and rebranding it to make it relevant for its target audience. Sports leagues are major content differentiators in the genre. 

    In 2012, NDTV had ideated similar sports league with a university-level cricket league in partnership with Association of Indian Universities and the ministry of human resource development and BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India). The league was aimed at encouraging cricket at the university level but didn’t last beyond the first season.

    Apart from Indian Premier League, there are at present five major sports leagues played across India — Indian Super League, Hockey India League, Pro Kabaddi League, Premier Badminton League and International Premier Tennis League. 

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