ITV

Tag: News

  • Asianet News’ digital business turns profitable

    Asianet News’ digital business turns profitable

    Mumbai: Asianet News Media and Entertainment, one of the leading players in the Indian media industry has closed the financial year 2021-22 EBITDA positive for its digital business. The group has a multi-media presence across the country in multiple languages via its digital platform (asianetnews.com, indigomusic.com), TV channels (Asianet News and Asianet Suvarna News), print publication (Kannada Prabha) and radio channels (Indigo).

    On the back of significant revenue growth and cost optimisation, the digital business of AMEL delivered positive EBITDA for the first time. During the year, the company has re-organised many parts of its business with a focus on increasing ARPUs and on delivering positive unit economics.

    Executive chairman of the group Rajesh Kalra spoke about how tough times brought people together to deliver despite all odds. “It has been phenomenal to witness how our teams came together during the most trying times to optimize and grow at a record rate. The determination and discipline that our hands-on leadership team and our immensely talented colleagues have tirelessly demonstrated has resulted in this outstanding performance. I am confident that this is just the start of much greater things to come for the group,” he said.

    “FY-22 was a tough year on multiple fronts. Many of us lost near and dear ones, but the way our teams with complementary skill-sets have supported each other and remained focused towards our common goal was heartening to see,” commented Asianet News chief operating officer Ruchir Khanna. “Top/bottom line growth is only a reflection of a healthy ecosystem that we have been able to form in the last year. We will continue to pull on our P&L levers in the coming year, and launch several new products that will drive our audience reach, engagement and retention.”

    Commenting on this achievement for AMEL, chief business officer Samarth Sharma said, “The last FY posed several challenges at both personal and professional levels. The synergies drawn from the adversity that the teams witnessed last year have translated into our digital business delivering record revenue There have been several innovative revenue initiatives from our teams across the globe that contributed to this success and we’d like to thank our client, agency, data and intelligence partners for showing faith in us in our journey.”

    Besides strengthening its Indian language footprint across the country, Asianet News has also made significant investments in English and Hindi to extend its dominance pan India.

  • News9 Plus is an out-of-the-box idea: TV9 Network CEO Barun Das

    News9 Plus is an out-of-the-box idea: TV9 Network CEO Barun Das

    Mumbai: The multi-lingual national media network TV9 Network recently launched its prime offering, News9 Plus – India’s first video magazine OTT service. News9 Plus is a unique service platform that will operate at the intersection of impeccable journalism, world-class presentation, and next-in-class technology..

    It will showcase narratives, news, and debates with in-depth analysis and production qualities. There will be unique storytelling techniques through the OTT platforms. After the foray of the network into the digital news domain, TV9 is constantly growing and expanding its horizons in different mediums. The platform is destined to be the go-to app for nuanced news-based content produced with the best in class audio-visual storytelling formats.

    News9 Plus is the first pureplay subscription-driven, and on-demand news product. In a press statement, TV9 Network CEO Barun Das said the company is committed to bringing about a qualitative change in the news genre landscape. 

    “The best is yet to come,” Das affirmed, adding that, “News9 Plus is one such out-of-box idea that promises to radically change the art of story-telling in news media.”

    TV9 Network group editor B V Rao said News9 Plus is an audacious attempt to take the news to the OTT space. “A generation brought up on watching the best of content on Netflix, etc, won’t settle for anything other than the best-produced news content. News9 Plus will cater to this Genflix – or the generation that lives on Netflix,” Rao added.

    TV9 Bharatvarsh, which has just scripted history to become India’s top Hindi news channel, celebrated its third anniversary on Wednesday.  

    According to the data shared by the network provided to them by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India, TV9 Bharatvarsh has emerged as the leading Hindi news channel in week 10 (5-11 April) in terms of market share. According to the data, TV9 Bharatvarsh leads the Hindi-speaking market (HSM) with 16.9 per cent market share for the target audience 15+ all adults.

    “We are extremely pleased to receive a resounding thumbs up for our sterling performance. For us, any celebration is incomplete without the participation of all those who have seen us through our journey to the top. We salute the verdict of viewers with a promise that we shall always endeavor to serve them without fear or favor,” Das said in a statement.

    Talking about the number one status achieved by TV9 Bharatvarsh, TV9 Bharatvarsh news director Hemant Sharma said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable. We owe our success to our viewers. We have a responsibility to ensure we continue to earn their trust.”

    “It is a dream come true for me,” commented TV9 Bharatvarsh editor Sant Prasad Rai. “My team has given their 100% to end the legacy of 22 years and become the top Hindi news channel.”  

    TV9 Network promotes marquee leader news brands that include TV9 Kannada, TV9 Telugu, TV9 Marathi, TV9 Gujarati and TV9 Bharatvarsh. Its digital assets include TV9 Hindi, News9live, and Money9. 

  • TV9 Network retains position as India’s biggest news network

    TV9 Network retains position as India’s biggest news network

    MUMBAI: TV9 Bharatvarsh has become the country’s most-watched national Hindi news channel disrupting the old order dominated by legacy channels.

    The BARC data for television news channels released today — after a long, inexplicable shutdown — put TV9 Bharatvarsh on top of the pile of national Hindi news channels with a jaw-dropping 16.8 % market share.

    TV9 Network which runs five other language channels — Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali – retained its rank as the country’s biggest television news network. With three of its channels being #1 and all others in leadership positions, the Network notched up a massive 292 million AMA (average minute audience). That is a clear 25 per cent lead over the nearest competitor, Zee Network with 13 channels.

    However, history has been created in the Hindi news genre. TV9 Bharatvarsh displaced Aaj Tak which came in second with a 14.8% market share for Week 10 (March 5 to 11, 2022 / four-week rolling average, NCCS, 15+, 0600-2400 hours). The scale of this unprecedented disruption in the Hindi television news genre is best appreciated by juxtaposing two undeniable facts: One, Aaj Tak has been the leader of the genre from its inception more than 20 years ago. Two, TV9 Bharatvarsh is three weeks short of what will be just its third birthday (March 31).    

    TV9 Bharatvarsh’s coverage of landmark news events — such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Covid pandemic and the Uttar Pradesh election to name just three — marked by its editorial prowess, newsroom innovation, impeccable packaging and unrivalled ground reportage, saw the channel rise sharply up the rating ladder. This rise has been consistent over the last two years.   

    Celebrating this unprecedented success of TV9 Bharatvarsh and TV9 News Network, CEO Barun Das said the BARC ratings only revealed what some people wanted to hide. “We always knew that we were destined to be the leader. I am happy that the ratings released today have offered empirical evidence of our leadership. I am amused that the only business strategy the legacy channels had to stop the rise of TV9 Bharatvarsh was to stop the ratings itself. And glad that the interest and the verdict of the viewers have finally prevailed.”

    Echoing Barun’s sentiment, Groups’ Editor, BV Rao said: “It is clear today that you cannot stop a leader by stopping BARC ratings.” 

    Expressing deep satisfaction over the leadership status, TV9 Bharatvrash Hemant Sharma, News Director said, “This is the victory of solid credible journalism. This is the victory of conviction in the newsroom capability.” 

    Sant Prasad Rai, Managing Editor and the architect of the content innovations at TV9 Bharatvarsh, said, “We owe a sense of gratitude to our viewers. We believe the viewer deserves the best. We don’t want to ever compromise on our commitment and responsibility to the viewer. We have established our editorial leadership in each and every genre in the news space.” 

    Talking about the network leadership status, Barun said, “It gives us immense pleasure to consistently remain the largest news network of the largest democracy of the world. When success is attained by design, it can be replicated. Our all-round supremacy at the Network level proves that.”

  • TV9 Bharatvarsh leads HSM market in week 10 of BARC news ratings

    TV9 Bharatvarsh leads HSM market in week 10 of BARC news ratings

    Mumbai: TV9 Bharatvarsh claims to be the leading Hindi news channel in week 10 (5-11 April) in terms of market share.

    According to the data provided by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India to TV9 Bharatvarsh, the popular Hindi news channel leads the Hindi-speaking market (HSM) with a 16.9 per cent market share for the target audience of 15+ all adults.

    Last week was an important period for news channels as the assembly elections for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa were concluded and the results were declared on 10 March.

    Barc India has released data for individual news channels after a 17-month hiatus. 

    The TV audience measurement agency had also agreed to release the past 13 weeks’ data after consultation with industry stakeholders.

    However, many news channels including India TV, News18 India, ABP News, Good News Today, News 24 and NDTV India have opted out of past data. 

    NDTV India has completely pulled out of Barc ratings.

    Aaj Tak had a market share of 15.5 per cent market share followed by India TV at 13 per cent, Republic Bharat at 12.8 per cent, Zee News at 11.4 per cent and remaining channels including News18 India, ABP News, News 24, News Nation, Zee Hindustan, Good News Today and DD News in single digits.

    Source: Barc data | 15+ All Adults | HSM market | Wk 10’22

  • TV9 Network to launch new digital video magazine platform

    TV9 Network to launch new digital video magazine platform

    Mumbai: TV9 Network is gearing up to launch an English language online platform for long shelf-life narratives and news-based factual content.

    According to sources, the platform’s beta version will be launched in December, followed by a formal launch in January 2022.

    This will be a first-of-its-kind digital offering built along the lines of over-the-top (OTT) streaming services that help audiences choose the content they wish to consume. Incidentally, CNN+ has been reported to be working on a similar plan with a rollout expected later in 2022. TV9’s new platform will offer news-driven content with the depth of magazine coverage and the high production quality of OTT streaming services.

    The focus will be on providing narratives and multiple perspectives to news events. “We want to create news-driven content that has a long shelf life and host it in an OTT environment,” said a source on condition of anonymity. “The user experience will be that of an OTT platform but the editorial richness will be that of a magazine. We are calling this industry-first platform a Digital Video Magazine or V-Mag.”

    This new offering will be built on TV9’s legacy brand News9 that continues to have a recall as a news channel that TV9 ran from Bengaluru earlier. TV9 currently also operates an English news website called News9 Live. Though this new video platform – is likely to use a similar brand name, it will be a separate, standalone platform.

    “While videos are the most popular medium of consumption, digital is where that consumption will happen. That’s why we decided to revive the News9 brand and bring it in a brand new avatar for the English-speaking audience that is now used to a certain quality that entertainment OTT platforms offer,” said the source.

  • India is BBC’s largest market for global audiences: GAM report

    India is BBC’s largest market for global audiences: GAM report

    Mumbai: India continues to be the biggest market among the BBC’s international audiences, with a weekly audience of 72 million adults, said the British broadcaster in its latest annual Global Audience Measure (GAM) report.

    This includes BBC News’ Indian languages, BBC.com and BBC Studios’ international channels, and is an increase of nine million from last year (63m in 2020). The GAM report records the total weekly number of adults accessing the BBC around the world.

    For 2020/21, the BBC achieved record figures globally with an average audience of 489 million adults every week, an increase of over 20 million from the previous year. This brings the BBC’s global audience close to the 500 million people target for 2022, it said in its report.

    According to the report, BBC’s international news services also reached record levels with 456 million adults using them each week (an increase of 18m). This includes audiences for World Service languages, World Service English, World News TV, BBC.com and BBC Media Action.

    BBC director-general Tim Davie said, the organisation is well on target to hit half a billion people by its centenary next year. “The fact that our audience has more than doubled in the last decade shows how trusted and increasingly valued BBC services are right around the world,” he said.

    According to the report, the languages division drove the largest share of total BBC growth, up 20m.  The language services now reach 313 million adults weekly. BBC News Hindi attracted an additional four million people. Both BBC News Gujarati and BBC News Punjabi service recorded a growth of more than 75 per cent, said the British broadcaster.

    BBC Indian Languages head Rupa Jha said, BBC has continued to reach a wider audience in India. “This growth comes from the impartial, accurate and courageous journalism that is helping audiences better analyse and understand current events in a growing era of polarisation and global disinformation,” she added.

    BBC Studios’ international channels reached 65 million adults, an increase of 16 million.

  • Kannada channel ‘News First’ turns One

    Kannada channel ‘News First’ turns One

    Mumbai: Kannada news channel – ‘News First’ has turned one, bagging accolades with its quality reporting, and refined language that has clicked with Karnataka’s news viewing audiences.

    According to the channel, the advertisers too have seen the potential in the new entrant, considering the number of advertisers it has onboarded over the past year. The channel launched last year on 20 September, following a mega campaign- “Quality Andhray News First, News First Andhray Quality” (Quality means News First, News First means Quality).

    Focussing on the pandemic coverage, News First took its campaign to the villages with “HaLLEE Chalo” (Let’s go Village-ward, Drive away Corona – Save Villages). The campaign was also supported by the state and central governments leading to renewed Covid awareness and action across villages. A city focussed Covid awareness campaign, ‘My City, My Safety’, for Bengaluru’s apartment complexes was met with equal interest by the government and people alike.

    Apart from the relentless Covid coverage, the channel was also noticed for several people-centric and inspirational programming. Some of the programmes that stood out include Nimma Paravagi (On behalf of the common man), Naanu Nanna Sadhane (Recognising Business Achiever’s from Tier 2 – Tier 3 cities), Yaavdhu Asaadhya Valla (Nothing is impossible), Vijayaee Bhava (May victory be with you), Idhidhu Idhange (News as it is) Mane Mane Meenakshi (Every household has a lady who loves TV serials).

    News First has relied on delivering news breaks and exclusives accompanied with high-quality graphics, and tastefully done sets, and strong content focus with shows ‘India First’ and ‘Prime Show’.

    News First CEO, S Ravikumar said, “Well begun is well, done. One can’t say half done so early in a brand’s life. More so in the year of the pandemic. We’ve done well under the circumstances. Market and audience feedback has been encouraging. We’ve covered all of Karnataka cable and DTH homes. The team has lived up to its potential. Some of our shows have received good traction. But when excellence is ideal, there is always room for improvement. The withdrawal of BARC ratings upset our plans. Any strategic maneuvering can be done only after the ratings are out. But we are optimistic about our brand’s performance and hence the ratings.”

    The promoters Ravi & Maruthi ensured that the channel creates a buzz before the launch, he added.

    According to Ravikumar, the channel has attempted to stand out, on the back of its quality aesthetics. “So anyone flipping channels can stay for a glance. Grabbing the floating viewer is the key. There are many of them out there eager to switch and stay. News First has definitely made a start by holding this viewer tired of noise and news drag,” he added. The channel’s non-prime time programming like Mane Mane Meenakshi and Vijayee Bhava have also clicked with audiences.

    Editor-in-chief SH Maruthi said, “The program names too aren’t run of the mill or copy-pasted from national channel shows. Previously known words and phrases have been brought to life as program names across different time bands. The catchy program names are meant to create a sense of belonging in audiences. The rediscovered names are meant to make audiences feel one with the brand and experience an indescribable gush of emotions.”

    The BARC ratings withdrawal was a downer, but that has not diminished hopes about the brand’s perception.

    Business head S Divaakar. “Milestones are key moments in the life of any brand. We are happy to have reached the one-year milestone. A century of sorts during cricketing times! Always a good feeling. However, we are aware that it’s just the beginning of an indifferent year. We have a long way to go. The market is easing up after the lockdowns. As soon as BARC eases up on the ratings, the game will truly be on!”

    The channel has also bolstered its presence on social media, especially YouTube and Facebook.    

  • Good News Today set to launch on 5 September

    Good News Today set to launch on 5 September

    New Delhi: The India Today Group is all set to launch its latest news channel – Good News Today on 5 September, it announced on Wednesday.

    According to the media group, news doesn’t just have to mean bad news. And even in the presence of negative news stories, it is only when we focus on what is constructive- that we can move the needle of progress forward. It is this belief that forms the basis of the new channel. The channel doesn’t assume the doom and gloom of the world but bravely opens its eyes to the possibilities around it. 

    “Good News Today will showcase stories of hope, human triumph, innovation and inspiration from different walks of life, from different parts of India and the world. The news channel with an affirmative leaning- Good News Today rests on the motto of “acchi khabar, sacchi khabar”- true stories that foster goodwill and unite audiences in their higher purpose,” the media conglomerate said in a statement.

    India Today Group, vice-chairperson, Kalli Purie said, “I am delighted to introduce Good News Today into the lives of our viewers. Coming off a challenging year, the world needs to come together to unite in stories of human triumph. We all need a source of encouragement and the unique ability to see the good. This is a channel with a heart full of optimism and helps you tune into a Good News Wali Smile.”

    According to the media group, Good News Today is committed to changing the perspectives around it, by infusing refreshing narratives that allow for a more holistic view of the world- khabar nahi badalte, nazar badalte hain!

    The legacy of India Today magazine dates back to 1975 when it was launched to fill the pressing need for quality journalism with an impact, at a time when the prevailing newspapers were not investing in editorial capabilities or in new ideas around printing, or even colour layouts. The Group has been at the forefront of media innovation ever since. 

    From pioneering independent broadcast journalism, in the times of tapes and video libraries with Newstrack and then Aaj Tak on DD News as a bulletin, to Aaj Tak scaling to India’s most loved TV news channel on its own strength for 20 straight years. From adapting the news to the internet and digital revolution, and making the news social media-friendly to now being the dominant network of the digital-only mobile-first constellation of channels with the Tak ecosystem- India Today has been its viewers greatest partner as times and tides change.

  • Prasar Bharati gains over 15 Mn digital subs since 2017

    Prasar Bharati gains over 15 Mn digital subs since 2017

    New Delhi: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has added more than 15 million digital subscribers on YouTube between 2017 and 2021. The total digital subs for both its services – Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) across News and general infotainment has now reached a current digital subscriber base of 17.3 million (1.73 cr), according to the latest data.

    In keeping with the changing broadcasting landscape, technology and viewers’ demand, Prasar Bharati’s digital platforms across Doordarshan and AIR have evolved over the past few years. DD News too, has crossed four million subscribers on its YouTube channel, a month after DD National achieved the same feat.

    EMBED : Prasar Bharti subs

    While the YouTube channels of DD News and DD National are leading the pack with multi-million subscribers, Prasar Bharati Sports, and DD Kisan YouTube channels will soon join the million+ Subscribers league, said the public broadcaster in a media statement.

    All India Radio’s National News YouTube channel, News On Air Official, is at the top among the YouTube channels of the AIR Network.

    Among the regional channels, DD Chandana (Kannada), DD Sahyadri (Marathi), DD Saptagiri (Telugu), DD Bangla, DD Girnar (Gujarati), AIR Imphal and North East service of All India Radio has registered a significant presence on YouTube with subscribers in lakhs.   

  • Network18 posts net profit of Rs 121 cr in Q1′ 21

    Network18 posts net profit of Rs 121 cr in Q1′ 21

    New Delhi: Network18 Media & Investments Ltd reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 121.51 crore for the first quarter ended June 2021. The company had posted a net loss of Rs 60.60 crore for the April-June period of the previous fiscal.

    Consolidated revenue from operations rose 50.47 per cent to Rs 1,214.43 crore, as against Rs 807.07 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. The operating margin stood at 15.5 per cent, highest-ever in the first quarter, despite the impact of the second wave. News margin at 15 per cent, revenue up 17 per cent YoY, while digital News maintained its break-even; revenue rose 89 per cent YoY (up 44 per cent vs Q1FY20).

    Total expenses were at Rs 1,080.79 crore, up 23.99 per cent from Rs 871.65 crore earlier.

    TV News advertising remained resilient despite the second wave, led by a rise in news consumption and digital events replacing physical ones. News genre viewership jumped 28 per cent quarter-to-quarter led by the second wave and multiple state and elections. “The TV News ad-revenue remained in growth territory vs Q1FY20, adjusted for election-linked advertising, Digital News was minimally impacted by the second wave. Growing salience of the medium for advertisers as well as consumers (especially during COVID peaks) supported revenue,” said the company.

    Network18 Chairman Adil Zainulbhai said, “The second wave of COVID-19 could have been the dominant theme for the industry and indeed for us during the quarter…. but it wasn’t. We have been able to continue our businesses relentlessly and profitably. While advertising hit a speedbreaker (primarily in entertainment), growing engagement on our platforms across TV and Digital make us confident of delivering for all our stakeholders even amidst a choppy environment. We continue to invest to ramp up offerings on our class-leading digital platforms, as their reach expands to highest ever levels. At the same time, we are selectively creating segmented offerings to enhance our TV portfolio in a capital-efficient manner.”