ITV

Tag: News

  • Tata Motors elevates Girish Wagh as ED; Guenter Butschek to step down

    Mumbai: Tata Motors has announced changes in its Board of Directors. The automaker has elevated Girish Wagh as executive director, with effect from 1 July. He currently serves as the president of commercial vehicles.

    The company also announced that Guenter Butschek will step down from his role as CEO and MD from 30 June. He would relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons. “Butschek will continue as a consultant till the end of this fiscal year,” it said in a statement.

    President- passenger vehicles, Shailesh Chandra, CEO – Jaguar Land Rover, Thierry Bollore, and Wagh will continue to work closely with the chairman, N Chandrasekaran to lead Tata Motors, the company stated.

    Speaking on the latest announcement, Tata Motors’ chairman, N Chandrasekaran said, “I would like to thank Guenter for leading Tata Motors successfully over the last five years and creating a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to his continued inputs as a consultant to the company.”

  • Bharti Airtel announces Amrita Padda as chief people officer

    New Delhi: Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced the appointment of Amrita Padda as its chief people officer, with effect from 1 October. She will report to Bharti Airtel MD and CEO, Gopal Vittal.

    Padda was previously associated with Hindustan Unilever for over two decades, where she handled the entire spectrum of human resources roles. In her new role, she will be responsible for Airtel’s people strategy as the company transforms into a digital services provider, as per an official statement.

    Commenting on the appointment, Gopal Vittal said, “I am delighted to welcome Amrita to Airtel. Our People and culture of empowerment are our biggest strengths that enable us to deliver world-class experiences to our customers. I am confident that Amrita will add immense value to Airtel’s exciting journey, help build new capabilities and ensure the company continues to be a magnet for top talent from across the world.” 

    Amrita takes on the baton from Samit Deb, who has decided to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities outside of Airtel. “I would like to thank Samit for his contribution to Airtel and strengthening our people practices. On behalf of everyone at Airtel, I wish him the very best in all his future endeavours,” Vittal added.

  • No exemption for mainstream media from new IT rules, says MIB

    New Delhi: The ministry of information and broadcasting has refused to grant an exemption to the digital news content of mainstream television channels and print media from the ambit of the new IT Rules, 2021 and asked all the digital news publishers and the OTT platforms to comply with the new rules without any misapprehensions.

    Asserting that the rationale for bringing the websites of the organisations under the ambit of the law is well-reasoned, the ministry said, making an exception of the nature proposed “will be discriminatory to the digital news publishers who do not have a traditional TV/print platform.”

    The order dated 10 June provides clarification to digital news publishers, publishers of online curated content or OTT platforms, and associations of digital media publishers who had requested the government for an exemption under the new rules, highlighting that they are already “sufficiently regulated.”

    “Since the code of ethics requires such digital platforms to follow the existing norms/content regulations, which are in vogue for the traditional print and TV media, there is no additional regulatory burden for such entities,” the ministry stated, “Accordingly, the request for exempting the digital news content of such organisations from the ambit of digital media rules 2021 cannot be acceded to.”

    The ministry also took note of the fact that traditional TV and print media are already registered with the government either under the Press and Registration Books Act or the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines of 2011, and added, that they can request the same self-regulatory bodies to serve as the Level II of the self-regulatory mechanism. But, before that, they need to ensure consistency with the Digital Media Rules, 2021, it added.

    The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 that into effect on 26 May recommend a three-tier mechanism for the regulation of all online media. Under the rules, the digital publishers are required to take urgent steps for appointing a grievance officer, if not done, and place all relevant details in the public domain. “They also need to constitute self-regulatory bodies through mutual consultation so that the grievances are addressed at the level of publishers or the self-regulating bodies themselves,” the ministry said. More than 500 publishers have already submitted their details in the requisite format, it added. 

    The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) which had earlier sought exemption from the new IT rules, issued a statement on Friday stating that all current and prospective members have fully complied with the requirements of new rules.
     

  • Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano joins hands with Sportskeeda

    New Delhi: Global sports and esports news website Sportskeeda has announced a collaboration with Italian football expert Fabrizio Romano, ahead of an action-packed season for football fans across the globe.

    Starting now, Sportskeeda’s readers will be treated to in-depth analysis and exclusive transfer news of some of the biggest names in the industry, said the website. Fans can also enjoy football breaking news, previews, features, and post-match analysis.

    Fabrizio Romano is currently one of the most trusted voices in the football community, with over six million followers across social media platforms. The Italian transfer pundit also had a special message for fans after confirming his collaboration with the news website.

    “So happy to announce that I will be collaborating with Sportskeeda to share some of my transfer news with you,” Fabrizio said. “Thank you for this opportunity!”

    This is Fabrizio’s first collaboration with an Indian sports platform, and Sportskeeda will now provide its readers with a steady stream of exclusive content in the 2021 transfer window, said the website in a statement.

    Sportskeeda Football, senior content manager, Ashwin Hanagudu said, “We are thrilled to work with Fabrizio. We wanted to give our readers, across the globe, a unique experience befitting a true fan.”

    Founded in 2009, Sportskeeda is the go-to platform for hardcore fans. It covers sports like Football, Wrestling, eSports and Gaming, MMA, NBA, NFL, Cricket, and more. The platform serves 200 million annual and 50 million monthly users, serving fans across India, US, Canada and the UK.

  • RIL’s M&E biz EBITDA margin rises to 17% in FY21

    RIL’s M&E biz EBITDA margin rises to 17% in FY21

    KOLKATA: Despite all odds, Reliance Industry Limited’s (RIL) media & entertainment business has recorded profitability during the pandemic-hit financial year. According to the company’s latest annual report, Network18’s consolidated operating margins expanded to 17 per cent in FY 21, up from 11.5 per cent in FY 20, RIL’s annual report said.

    Consolidated EBITDA of the business rose 29 per cent y-o-y to Rs 796 crore despite the pandemic impact dragging revenue down by 12 per cent y-o-y. The company’s overall profitability was attributed to cost controls and concerted efforts to increase annuity-style revenue streams, including subscription and syndication.

    The margins of the news business expanded all through the year, despite pandemic-linked logistics constraints and blackout of BARC ratings in the second half of the financial year, the report added. Overall news segment’s operating margins expanded to 13 per cent. The TV News operating margin expanded to 16 per cent, marking four years of continuous improvement. In addition to that, digital news broke even on a full-year basis, driven by accelerated revenue growth.

    Despite the Covid-19 impact, entertainment margins went up to 19 per cent thanks to operating leverages. TV Entertainment grew viewership share by two per cent to 10.9 per cent. One in two Indians watch Network18 television channels that reach more than 95 per cent of TV homes in India annually, as per the report.

    The entire M&E industry started on a weak note in FY21 due to the onset of the pandemic, but there was a turnaround during the second half of the year. For Network18, TV News advertising recovered by the second quarter itself growing across the year. Entertainment advertising revived fully by the third quarter, led by a full content roster. Strong viewership trends for Hindi GECs, both pay, and FTA, drove underlying ad growth into high-single digits by the fourth quarter.

    Digital media platforms witnessed an increase in content consumption. Digital advertising gained momentum from the platforms’ inherent advantages of being able to target audiences, drive personalisation, and lower costs.

    “Digital engagement continued to grow due to the volume of high-quality content and key events. Industry sources indicate a ten per cent y-o-y increase in OTT video consumption. Increased propensity to pay has been witnessed, amidst domestic OTTs increasing prices selectively, while global players create India-specific cheaper offerings. Digital subscription revenue continued to rise sharply, albeit off a low base, both from B2C (direct) and B2B (telco-driven) distribution of OTT platforms,” the company stated on Thursday. The company was also satisfied with domestic subscription revenue in the M&E segment which remained strong, despite the stress in international. Improved distribution tie-ups for TV and Digital have driven the subscription growth.

    The leading OTT platform under RIL’s M&E bouquet, Voot, garnered 12 billion minutes of watch time during FY21 and was the number two broadcaster-OTT, it said in its report. According to the company, Voot Select was the fastest to reach one million D2C subscribers, thanks to original content, digital-first TV content, and digital-only spin-offs.

  • NBF backs supreme court observation on misused sedition laws

    NBF backs supreme court observation on misused sedition laws

    KOLKATA: The News Broadcasters Federation has supported the concern, as expressed by the Supreme Court, over rampant misuse of antiquated sedition laws in India to gag and muzzle the media from dissemination constructive criticism of authorities in power in public interest.

    “We are of the view that the ambit and parameters of the provisions of Sections 124A, 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code 1860 would require interpretation, particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation,” a three-judge bench comprising of justices Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao, and S. Ravindra Bhat, said in their order delivered on Monday.

    The bench was hearing petitioners TV5 and ABN, who had challenged the first information report registered against broadcasters of news and views, critical of the state government of Andhra Pradesh and its chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The order restrained the state government of Andhra Pradesh from taking any coercive actions against the two news channels, till the next date of hearing.

    “The News Broadcasters Federation strongly stands and appreciates TV5, our respected member who have taken (up) this issue, of freedom of speech and expression,” NBF stated.

    The NBF communication further said, “We believe that fair and honest criticism is the backbone of democracy. NBF reiterates and urges the government of India to immediately set-up an independent, neutral national agency to investigate into any allegations of professional misconduct by journalists, executives, and owners of news media companies, in order to prevent selective harassment by the state authority and to ensure the freedom of the press.”

  • BBC Global chooses Taboola to recommend content

    BBC Global chooses Taboola to recommend content

    Thiruvananthapuram: BBC Global has inked a deal with Taboola for content recommendations to drive more traffic to the news websites of the British company. 

    Taboola will assist BBC in choosing the right content to be published on its international news, sports, and related sites. 

    “As our readership grows and changes, we constantly seek out technology companies like Taboola to help us keep pace (with changing dynamics).  Our robust standards for data and quality are paramount and we have chosen to work with Taboola because of the adaptability of their recommendation platform and their understanding of our requirements. We are very much looking forward to forming a fruitful relationship going forward,” said Errol Baran BBC Global News, senior vice president- business development and innovation, global advertising, and story works. 

    Taboola founder and chief executive officer Adam Singolda said, “We are very pleased to officially hold the title of exclusive content recommendations provider for BBC Global News. To take on this role, we needed to earn the absolute trust of the BBC that we can meet their requirements. As a result, we have built a true partnership and we cannot wait to further innovate together. This alliance fits perfectly with our focus on premium publications and brands, and we’re confident our products will help grow revenue across BBC sites.”

    BBC News is widely considered the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster which caters to more than 438 million people around the world each week across TV, online, apps, and social media. BBC.com saw record reach over the past year, with 145 million unique browsers each month. 

    BBC Global News will now start using Taboola products across its global news and sport sites to drive revenue while maintaining the user experience (UX) and keeping the integrity of the BBC brand intact. 

  • Network18 Digital appoints Siddharth Raj Jain as the chief technology officer

    Network18 Digital appoints Siddharth Raj Jain as the chief technology officer

    KOLKATA: Network18 has announced the appointment of Siddharth Raj Jain as its CTO of Network18 Digital. Jain, in his new role, will take up the responsibility of all technology functions for Network18 Digital to enable the company’s continued national and regional growth, as well as oversee the company’s technology teams. Focusing on its strong digital presence, he will leverage his experience and strength of the Network to accelerate growth for the content business.

    Jain brings in more than two decades of experience in technology and product development across Fintech, Ad Tech, Navigation and Software Development. Prior to this role, he has worked with PayU where he is credited with building the consumer credit business of LazyPay and also led data & engineering for the consumer business. In addition to that, he has also worked with Infosys, Subex, Nokia (India) and Inmobi.

     “I am delighted to be a part of a leading media conglomerate like Network18. As a fan of products that this team has built, I await connecting with the team and hearing their success stories. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a tremendous team of professionals who are dedicated to creating a positive and digitized experience for the audience and look forward to being part of this team for the upcoming seasons of ‘Success Stories’,” he shared.

    With ever increasing focus on technology, Network18 Digital has scaled up the reach of its content at a fast pace. He will report to Puneet Singhvi, president – Digital & Corporate Development, Network18.

  • CNN International boosts its business coverage with new programming

    CNN International boosts its business coverage with new programming

    New Delhi: As the world looks to the future and new ways of doing business, new channel CNN is launching cross-platform programming to cover the macro trends impacting Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and profile the regions’ key industries and corporations.

    Starting this coming weekend, CNN Marketplace Asia and CNN Marketplace Europe will begin airing on CNN International. These monthly shows, and dedicated new sections on CNN Business will focus on the recovery following the pandemic, analysing the new economy and ways of working driven by innovation. It will include in-depth interviews, reporting, and analysis about the very latest sector and regional trends in technology, sustainability, automotive and mobility, health and medicine, energy, and e-commerce.

    The first show will look at some of the biggest e-commerce players in the region as they discuss the possibilities of digital transformations and the acceleration of e-commerce adoption globally.

    “The pandemic has changed the business world’s long-held rules and accepted norms beyond all recognition,” said CNN International, senior vice president and managing editor for the Asia Pacific & Global head of features content, Ellana Lee. “By expanding our Marketplace franchise across multiple regions and platforms, we are responding to our audiences’ desire to know more about both the disruptors and the disrupted as the world of global business enters a new era. With our global reach, unique access, and business expertise – no one is better placed to tell this story than CNN.”

    ‘Marketplace Asia’ will air on 22nd May at 4:00 pm IST on CNN International.

  • iTV Network restructures and strengthens its sales team

    iTV Network restructures and strengthens its sales team

    KOLKATA: As part of its strategic review, iTV Network has restructured and strengthened its sales team.  

    Meenakshi Singh has been elevated as president government sales & retail for India News, iTV Network. She brings a broad range of 21 years of experience to her new position at iTV Network. She has experience in working with MNC’s like Gecis (GE), Dell, Neoteric. She has throughout been a star performer winning many awards and recognition. She has been associated with India News since 2020 and was previously vice president, sales & marketing, iTV Network.

    Sanjay Singhal has been promoted as president, government north zone Haryana, Punjab, Himachal for India News and Aaj Samaj Chandigarh and Delhi. Sanjay brings nearly three decades of experience to his role in the media Industry with throughout a star performer. He has been associated with India News since 2010, and in his last role, he was associated as senior vice president in iTV Network heading Aaj Samaj and India News Haryana, Punjab and Himachal. Prior to this, he was associated with Hindustan Times as DGM, Chandigarh unit from 2000-2010 (also coordinator and black belt of six sigma in Hindustan Times). He has worked with Indian Express and Jansatta as well from 1990-2000 as a government head. 

    Suman Singh has also been promoted as deputy general manager (sales). Singh is a seasoned media professional with over 11 years of experience in the media Industry. He has been associated with India News since 2016. He is associated with government sales team (Delhi ).  

    iTV Network CEO Varun Kohli said, “We are delighted to elevate Meenakshi, Sanjay and Suman. Their skills and wide experience will strive to further strengthen the various revenue streams of iTV network and achieve a robust growth in the coming year and tap newer opportunities in the ever expanding Hindi news space. The promotion reflects the value they bring to the organisation as we execute our plan to grow the business by leveraging our product.”