ITV

Tag: News

  • TIMES NOW suspends its election results coverage on 2 May

    TIMES NOW suspends its election results coverage on 2 May

    MUMBAI: In an unprecedented move, English news channel Times Now on Saturday announced that it will suspend its coverage of Assembly elections results for four States and one union territory on 2 May, citing “the biggest health emergency” that the country is facing.

    The Times Group-owned channel said that it will track the “biggest national story”- keep COVID news as its main priority and suspend its usual special election coverage ‘on 2 May and beyond.’ 

    “As part of the coverage, viewers can expect COVID-related news reports, the latest on the status of the vaccination drive, information on helplines, and can interact with healthcare and mental wellness experts on the channel,” it stated in a social media post. However, it will still carry flash news updates on the counting and results, but refrain from covering poll-related celebrations.

     

     

    “The second wave would have been better controlled had we avoided two of the mega risk events – Kumbh Mela and elections in five states in normal campaigning mode. But, as the wave keeps climbing, with it claiming more innocent lives, it is clear that there has been a serious lapse in leadership at all levels- across the political spectrum,” the channel averred expressing concerns over the deteriorating situation and said that it has been vocal against these lapses.

     

     

    After the final phase of polling for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry assembly elections got over, all eyes are now set on 2 May when the counting of votes will take place for the four states and one UT. As many as 822 seats out of 824 scheduled for election went to poll between March 27 and April 29.

    However, the results have been overshadowed by the massive surge in Covid2019 cases and the resultant oxygen shortage at hospitals which has put the lives of millions of Indians at risk. The country is facing one of the biggest health crises, as daily cases crossed an unprecedented 4 lakh on Saturday. As many as 3,523 more people succumbed to the infections during the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 2.11 lakh.

    A staggering 69 lakh new infections were detected in the country during April when campaigning for the Assembly elections was on in several states. This was the highest tally for any month in any country so far- another dismal global record, raising a question mark on conducting regular elections during the crisis.

  • Republic rolls out new mobile news website

    Republic rolls out new mobile news website

    KOLKATA: Republic Media Network has now rolled out a new, game-changing and disruptive mobile news website. The rollout marks the Network’s successful implementation of the first phase of remodeling and redefining the digital news space. The all-new Republic World experience on mobile comes just days after the Network’s big-bang Bengali channel launch. Republic Bangla has already created a splash with its aggression on non-stop exclusive content, widest news gathering ability and most dynamic news formats

    Continuing on its unstoppable path of expansion, the digital pillar of Republic Media Network has just gotten ultra-interactive, uber fast and extremely exciting with all new features and a world-class design. With new and engaging specifications where the user can make the news trend, upvote, and ensure shareability amongst other features, the mobile website of Republic Media Network has introduced a whole new dynamic to how the digital news industry operates.

    Speaking on the latest innovations by Republic World, Republic Media Network editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami said, “ I am so proud that just days after we disrupted the Bengali news genre with the launch of Republic Bangla, our teams have delivered this smashing digital news experience on Republic World. The features are mind blowing and will be rolled out in a phased manner to users. The idea was to put the controls back in the hands of the user and that’s exactly what is being delivered by Republic World. I am personally really excited about the interactive elements as it brings me even closer to my audience.”

    As part of the on-going phased roll-outs users will be the controller of ‘What is Trending’, and have the tools to curate their own set of stories to revisit later. With this, the digital destination ensures a user-centric digital news experience that is unparalleled in India. With a sleek, refreshed and energetic design, smooth technology and ease of navigation, the website delivers a fast and content rich browsing experience. Made for a fast paced on-the-go user, the website has optimized mobile browsing. 

    Innovative interactivity and cutting-edge technology have come together to make watching, reading and interacting with sections like ‘Arnab Online’ seamless. With exciting new features vis-a-vis interacting with Arnab, users will be closer than ever to India’s most watched anchor.

    With interactive features like connecting with Arnab Goswami on ‘Arnab Online’– the Network’s Editor-in-Chief’s only official digital feed– users will be able to join his on-air shows, ask their questions to panelists and have a customised digital viewing experience.

    Designed after deep analysis and thorough research, the mobile website has been built for a seamless digital news experience with the fastest load time in the genre. The website is a catch-all of Republic Media Network’s Live Channels in one destination. The user now has the ability to switch channels with ease right with one swipe on the Republic World in different languages.  

    Republic Media Network continues to lead the news revolution in India. Besides breakthrough innovation and configuration on its digital player Republic World, the Network is fast expanding across regions and languages to emerge as a digital-tech media powerhouse. Currently, on broadcast, the news network has more than 300 million viewers, and this number is all set to boom with the launch of R. Bangla, which is Republic Media Network’s Bengali news channel. A continuing theme that is rooted across all platforms and mediums of the Republic Media Network remains putting the news first, people first and Nation First.

    The phased rollout of Republic World’s new-age digital news experience affirms the networks commitment to its users to disrupt the genre and they know it and will continue as Republic World pilots even more exciting features and innovations in the weeks to come. 

  • NDTV founders appeal interim SAT order in Supreme Court

    NDTV founders appeal interim SAT order in Supreme Court

    NEW DELHI: NDTV founders and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the interim order dated 4 January 2021 passed by the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT). The order directed NDTV to deposit 50 per cent of the fine levied by SEBI.

    The SAT order said, “Deposit 50 per cent of the disgorged amount before the respondent within four weeks from today. If the said amount is deposited the balance amount shall not be recovered during the pendency of the appeal.”

    SAT further stated that the appeals filed by the founders require consideration and directed to list the matter for final disposal on 10 February 2021.

    Earlier in December 2020, SEBI imposed a fine of Rs 27 crore on NDTV for concealing information from shareholders on certain loan agreements. However, in a regulatory filing, the channel mentioned that the promoters through disclosures to the stock exchanges have repeatedly said that they have never allowed for transfer of NDTV's control and that they continue to own and hold 61.45 per cent of the total paid up share capital in the media entity.

  • #Throwback2020: Heavyweights in the M&E industry

    #Throwback2020: Heavyweights in the M&E industry

    NEW DELHI: In the book of life, people couldn’t wait to turn the page on 2020, but at long last, we have arrived in 2021. There is a lot of energy and zeal in the media and entertainment industry to make a fresh start and rebuild everything back to its pre-Covid2019 glory. No doubt, 2020 was tough, but it has taught us several lessons – like not taking things for granted and being ready to adapt to changes.

    Despite all the odds and challenges, content creators, production houses, service providers and broadcasters kept the ball rolling for consumers as the entertainment did not stop. It was available to the audiences in one format or the other. These professionals worked to create relentlessly fresh and differentiated content, organised live sporting events, and kept viewers engaged.

    Earlier this week, we read about some of the leading M&E professionals and how they steered the industry for better in 2020. Here is the second part of the series:-  

    Rajesh Iyer, Viacom18

    Viacom18 roped in Rajesh Iyer to handle its regional GEC portfolio which includes Colors Odia, Colors Gujarati, Colors Tamil, and Colors Bangla. As the network stepped into 2021, it launched two new shows in Tamil. Iyer is an old hand at Viacom18 and was part of the launch of Colors in 2008. A veteran in the industry who understands content, market, consumer and revenue, Iyer has been brought in to handle the challenges of the genre and grow the business. He is known for his leadership at Network18 and ZeeL, where he spearheaded new initiatives and launched &TV. The latter was successful in creating a niche for itself in the market within the first three years of its debut.

    Rajiv Bakshi, Reliance Big Synergy

    In the last 12 months, Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi has completely turned the course of the production house. It is no longer just a powerhouse for non-fiction but a creator of all forms of content – be it fiction, web series, direct to digital films, biographies, mythology and more – across multiple languages such as Bangla, Telugu, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, and Hindi. The man has high ambitions for the production house and aims to have a strong fiction split in its content production. Bakshi is a veteran in the M&E industry who has seen the business from the lens of a marketer, broadcaster, and creator. He has worked across TV, internet, media, telecom, and consumer durable industries in his career.

    Avinash Pandey, ABP Network

    In less than two years of donning the mantle of chief executive officer at ABP Network, Avinash Pandey took it on himself to refresh its entire functionalities, building on unique capabilities and starting a fresh chapter in its history. He rebranded ABP’s identity from a premium news network to an all-encompassing content powerhouse. The network stepped into the world of content creation, production, brand solutions, etc, investing in cutting-edge technology to facilitate best-in-class solutions for the clients. Its news channels were also given a fresh look and mission of being limitless in their coverage. Pandey has talked about his intentions to shift network services from FTA to pay.  

    Apart from these massive overhauls in the core identity of the network, Pandey also rose as a strong voice who not just demanded rights for the broadcasters but also called out the shortcomings of the news industry. He openly dissed the culture of chasing TRPs by news channels, called out the ‘outdated measurement system’ that is promoting dramatic news reporting, and batted for deregulation of broadcasting content. 

    It was under his leadership that ABP Network sailed through the unique challenges posed by the Covid2019 crisis. In fact, ABP was amongst the very few news networks that did not have to resort to pay cuts or lay-offs. 

    Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Viacom18

    An old hand at Viacom18, Jaipuria has churned out content that drew in and engaged audiences across demographics, whether it was in Hindi GEC, Hindi motion pictures, or kids genre. On the kid’s front, she spearheaded the launch of two new IPs – Bhoot Bandhus and Ting Tong on Sonic and Nickelodeon respectively in 2020. She steered her portfolio through the pandemic when adex dipped.

    On the Hindi mass entertainment side, the organisation tapped into its libraries during the lockdown, bringing back shows like Mahakali, Shani Dev, Jai Shri Krishna, Om Namah Shivaya and Mahabharat that evoked nostalgia among viewers. News shows like Pinjara Khubsurti Ka, Molkki and Namak Issk Ka were also planned during this time.

    Jaipuria is an industry stalwart with over three decades of experience. She steered the network’s growth from a lone kids channel to a cluster of channels.

    Aditya Pittie, IN10

    Anand Mahindra-and Aditya Pittie-promoted IN10 Media has a bouquet of varied media offerings such as television (Epic TV), OTT platforms (Epic On and Docubay), and production house (Juggernaut. IN10 Media Network also launched kids' channel Gubbare on Children's Day. After the success of its linear broadcast channels in their respective genres – Epic TV and ShowBox – the network ventured into the regional cinema market with Filamchi, a 24/7 linear broadcast channel for Bhojpuri cinema fans across the country.

    Meanwhile, Juggernaut Productions worked on Avrodh: The Siege Within that was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. Pittie has kept the pricing of EpicOn and Docubay far higher than any horizontal or generic OTT. He has positioned the channels as a vertical player with a very specific offering.

    Vynsley Fernandes, NXTDigital

    An old face in the cable distribution industry, Fernandes was recently elevated as media group CEO of Hinduja group’s NXTDigital. Before his current role, he turned the struggling NXTDigital businesses to profitability within two years of taking on the position of CEO at IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL). Now, he will not only run digital TV and HITS business but also broadband and content business.

    Fernandes is leading innovation at NXTDigital as the company looks at establishing itself as a digital service provider. While the video segment of the company has around 5.38 million subscribers currently, its broadband segment has achieved yet another milestone under his leadership by crossing half-a-million home broadband consumers. Identifying the need for bundled services, he is highly focused on synergising cable TV or HITS service with broadband that would drive the growth of all services concurrently.

    The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) recently amended HITS guidelines by allowing HITS operators to share infrastructure with MSOs. Hence, Fernandes has identified this as a big area of growth for NXTDigital, the only HITS service provider in the country. As infrastructure sharing can reduce the cost of connectivity significantly, he is looking at leveraging this opportunity in the B2B model.

    It was under his leadership that NXTDigital managed to continue its operations smoothly during the Covid2019 crisis under a well-structured contingency plan. It’s one of the few MSOs to have a proper digital payment method for business partners. Fernandes has advocated embracing digital payments, rolling out broadband, hybrid boxes to sustain in the long-term.

    Karan Bedi, MX Player

    Karan Bedi is heading one of the most successful OTT platforms in India. Within two years of MX Player’s launch, the service has diversified into gaming, short-video, and music segment along with its core OTT offerings. The platform, which currently has over 200 million monthly active users, emerged as the fastest growing OTT entertainment platform during the lockdown, Comscore data indicated.

    While it was already recognised as the top entertainment app in India in 2019 by a FICCI report, MX Player has seen tremendous growth during 2020. With a 5X increase in engagement during lockdown, it has also attracted 150 new brands. The platform has focused on tier-2, tier-3 markets from the beginning, which has helped it to grow more post-Covid2019.

    MX Player has replicated its OTT success in the short video format too under Bedi’s leadership. It introduced MX TakaTak within a week of the TikTok ban. Already, it boasts 70 million monthly active users and 10 million unique content creators. To solidify its position in the growing ecosystem, the platform is increasing its content library, innovating its offerings and on-boarding well-known influencers.

    Siddharth Kumar Tewary,  Swastik Productions  

    When you have ambition like Siddharth Kumar Tewary, you let nothing come in your way. So his decision to set up shooting floors in Umergaon in Gujarat were very futuristic. He was one of the first producers to begin filming after the government drew up SOPs for shoots to begin again, following the lifting of strict lockdown Covid2019 rules. That was thanks to the fact that he owned his own sets in Umergaon, with residences which could even house crew and cast, thus putting them in a safe bio bubble.

    2020 was the year, when he  broke out, getting commissioned to produce Bahubali for Netflix and a show for Hotstar, even as he continued to produce for television. Swastik Productions also launched two new series Devi Adi Parashakti for Dangal and Deva Shree Ganesha airing on Star Pravah. He recently partnered with Sony Pictures Networks India for exclusive rights to license and distribute its content catalogue in CEE/CIS countries as well as China and Japan.

    Hiren Gada, Shemaroo

    When the Maroo family – the promoter of content aggregation and distribution company Shemaroo – pole vaulted Hiren Gada as CEO in 2018, he was a little known entity. A shy reserved executive, he preferred to play a role behind the scenes, helping grow its international syndication business and keeping a sharp eye on finances. Two years into his job, he has transformed the organisation along with his sister Kranti Gada who is the COO,

    Hiren first focused on bringing in outside industry professionals into Shemaroo, thus fostering its evolution from being family owned and run to a professional one. In 2020, he took some gutsy punts, launching a free to air general entertainment channel Shemaroo TV in order to help draw in advertising money and help grow the company. He had taken even sharp risks just as 2019 was ending, by flagging off an OTT platform called ShemarooMe and MarathiBana –a Marathi language free to air channel, a little before that. He also announced his intention to help small budget films get launched on an OTT with ShemarooMe Box Office which will serve as T-VoD window for the company.

    Despite expanding Shemaroo’s portfolio of offerings, he has ensured that his content deals with other platforms are kept in place.

    Today, Shemaroo’s products cover two channels, an OTT service ShemarooMe and a T-VoD  service, making it a player which more than counts in the TV industry.

    Kalli Purie, India Today Group

    The vice chairperson of the India Today Group is one of the most powerful women in the India’s media and entertainment industry. Purie is part of several industry bodies such as Barc and NBA and has been relentlessly working towards shaping the industry for better. In 2020, she restructured the top management of ITG to ensure that the group sails through these times with minimal impact. Purie also brought back ITG’s star anchor and editor Prabhu Chawla to host the much popular show Seedhi Baat.    

    (Please note that the placement of the M&E leaders in the story is not in pecking order) 

  • Car brands continue to lead news genre advertising in 2020: TAM Adex

    Car brands continue to lead news genre advertising in 2020: TAM Adex

    NEW DELHI: Covid2019 impacted nearly every genre on television apart from news. Unlike other genres, news channels saw a meteoric rise in viewership for a variety of reasons – first, people turned to their choice of news channels to find out about the development at state, national and international levels around the Covid2019 situation; second, they believed it to be the most credible source of information, and third, it was the only genre that could create content and was permitted by the governments to operate. Unlike the GEC genre that completely relies on production and sets, news relies mostly on the on-ground coverage and its reporters.

    As per BARC, the genre saw a viewership surge of 298 per cent.

    However, during several webinars, industry meetings and discussions, head honchos at news networks clearly mentioned that the surge in viewership did not translate into advertising.

    TAM recently released data that showed ad volumes data on news genre grew by 23 per cent in 2020, compared to ad volumes in 2016. Interestingly, the quarter ended 31 December saw the highest number of hours in ad volumes per day.

    If we look closely at the data, we will notice an obvious trend where the average ad volumes per day steeply fell in the initial stages of lockdown, and then started picking up early May onwards. The trend was obvious because marketing teams at brands were still unable to gauge the depth of the crisis and not ready to bet money on advertising in that quarter.

    News has consistently maintained a 30 per cent average in overall television advertising across the years. (since 2016)

    Apart from the top five news genres – Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada, other sub genres also grew.

    Services and food & beverages sectors were the leading advertisers on the news genre, however, car brands continued to have the highest ad volumes. The category also led the chart in 2019 also.

    HUL and Reckitt Benckiser India were the leading advertisers, while True Shield Hand Sanitiser, Colgate Dental Cream and Policybazaar.com were the leading brands in the genre.

    The report also highlighted that regional news channels had more than 70 per cent share of ad volumes. This year regional channels took away 73 per cent of ad volumes whereas national channels had only 27 per cent. The numbers were not very different in 2019.

    During the Unlock phase, the genre saw nearly 370 hours of average ad volumes per day, which was 49 per cent more than the lockdown period.

    Ad volumes on primetime band and the 20-40 seconder format still ruled the news genre.

  • Chrome DM data validates RepublicTV’s leadership claims

    Chrome DM data validates RepublicTV’s leadership claims

    Mumbai: “Opportunity To See” or OTS is a measure in advertising media that denotes the number of times the viewer is most likely to see the brand (In the below table brands denote TV channels). This term is used by marketers and analysts to differentiate between the total audience in the universe and the percentage of the total audience that has access to see your brand/ channel. The larger the percentage the higher is the availability of the channel converting into consumption/reach.

    The following OTS analysis over the last four years (2017-2020) within the Indian television market points at

    •  As seen the Republic TV OTS in urban homes has been higher than Times since 2019 making it the largest available English brand in Urban Homes in India.
    •  Republic TV OTS has been higher than Times NOW since 2018. The distribution and availability of the channel has been extremely high in comparison to any other channel in the genre. 
    •  The gap has widened into “Reach” in 2019 and 2020 as the TRAI implemented the new tariff order (NTO) making sure Republic TV’s free to air offering in English increased its footprint across homes through India. 
    •  The share of news genre got expanded from 2017, post the entry of Republic TV.
    •  The channel was launched in 2017 and since then its growth trajectory has always been on the rise. The other channels have also either grown albeit slowly vis-à-vis Republic or remained semi stagnant.

    OTS (Opportunity to See) – India Urban – Avg. of 2016 to 2020

    Source: Chrome Live, Mkt- All India Urban, 2017-2020

    Year

    Republic

    Times Now

    Difference

    Avg. of 2017

    61%

    65%

    -4%

    Avg. of 2018

    66%

    63%

    3%

    Avg. of 2019

    91%

    53%

    38%

    Avg. of 2020

    86%

    60%

    26%

    Source: Chrome Live, Mkt- All India Urban, 2017-2020

    Speaking to Republic World, ChromeDM founder and CEO Pankaj Krishna said, “After a point and irrespective of genre, the key differentiator amongst players within the genre boils down to the availability of content. Considering the fact that distribution is still contingent on a 1000+ variables (DPOs/ CNOs) and is one of the biggest cost centres for running a linear TV channel – unless of course, it is a hugely appointment-led genre, for instance for Hindi GEC.

    Most of the genres – be it news (Hindi and English), music, infotainment, the time spent per viewer limits to less than ten minutes a week and is mostly driven by channel surfing or flirting, if I may call it. A differentiator of 15-20 per cent on distribution between any two-three players within a genre would probably be the factor deciding the lead in the consumption / viewership / ratings within the genre.

    LCN (logical channel number), placement (where your channel falls), neighbourhood (the channel that precedes you), the packages that you are on (whether your channel reaches 100 per cent audiences and the penetrations of the packages that your channel is a part of) – all of these factors determine the OTS (Opportunity to See) or the availability of a channel which is the primary key factor in determining the dominance of one over the other.

    I don't have any inclination to any channel or newsroom or point of view- but after a certain level and with the proliferation of content, it does become a commodity – where-in the availability of content plays a bigger role than the content itself…"

    Republic Media Network group CEO Vikas Khanchandani said, “Republic Network has focused and delivered the largest reach platforms in its respective genres. The above data from Chrome is yet another data point that reflects on the growth and leadership that our brand enjoys. There are multiple data points like the engagement of Republic TV on social media which is also highest within its genre reflecting the stickiness of our brand and reflective of high TSV that the brand enjoys. We have similar data points for our humongous consumption on OTT as our brand has very wide availability on connected devices and I am more than confident that we will continue to bring the largest English and Hindi news platforms for consumers and advertisers.”

    The data for analysis was provided by Chrome DM.

    Chrome DM is a technology-driven market research firm with a pan-India on-ground presence. As of September 2017, the organization had a team of 650+ field staff, 150+ managerial staff and 450 tele-callers speaking over 22 languages to gather data from 3300+ towns. With a presence in over six lakh villages, Chrome DM also has an unprecedented reach into rural India.

  • #Throwback2020: Heavyweights of M&E industry

    #Throwback2020: Heavyweights of M&E industry

    NEW DELHI: Finally, we are over with 2020, a year that will go down in history for perhaps all the wrong reasons. While it brought businesses and industries across the board to a standstill, the time also taught everyone to come out of their comfort zone and think differently. The media and entertainment (M&E) industry was no different.

    Apart from serving regular entertainment and keeping the content pipeline steady, the industry also saw regulatory interventions, scams, big movements, great strategies, new platforms and trends emerging that challenged its status quo. Be it the coverage of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death that triggered the debate over toxicity on news channels, the release of the highly acclaimed Scam 1992, TRP racket, arrests in the news and broadcast world, or Uday Shankar’s decision to step down from Disney Star India – all these developments and more had the industry grapevine buzzing.

    Indiantelevision.com skimmed through all these conversations of 2020 and selected top heavyweights of the M&E sector of India who steered these discussions and shaped the industry – for better or worse, only time will tell.

    Arnab Goswami, ARG Outlier Media

    The MD, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Republic Media Network became the newsmaker in the second half of the year for multiple reasons. Goswami aggressively went after the police, political leaders and several lobbies in the film industry during the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. While several industry members and advertisers questioned his style of editorial reporting, some also blamed him for spreading toxicity in the news. Goswami, however, maintained that he will be relentless in his search for the truth for his audiences. He was soon caught up in a legal storm in two separate cases as police charged his media network for rigging TRPs, and abetment to suicide of an architect and his mother. Members of the Republic, including Goswami, were arrested during this time and multiple lawsuits were filed in both matters. Undaunted, Goswami has continued with his combative editorial style and is expanding the network’s footprint in different languages both in the online and offline space.

    Sunil Lulla, BARC

    2020 has been a very busy year for current BARC CEO Sunil Lulla. He had to make some tough calls and introduced landmark initiatives that changed the course of the industry. It began with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) interfering with BARC and making recommendations on its functioning, governance, transparency, accountability, operations and robustness. Lulla took a stand on the matter and clearly established that BARC is an integrated business body and is not influenced by the government.

    Later, in a landmark move, BARC came up with algorithms to mitigate the impact of landing pages, which was welcomed by the industry. Towards the end of the year, the agency has been weathering the TRP scam, which brought ignominy to the entire news broadcast industry – so much so that BARC decided to pull back the weekly ratings for the news genre. The scam got murkier with several ex-BARC employees getting arrested. The regulatory body is now drawing a new mechanism to ensure that the methodology is more precise and the industry is able to trust those ratings once again. However, amidst this entire storm Lulla is standing tall and leaving no stone left unturned to maintain the integrity and sanctity of the organisation.

    Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Prasar Bharti

    He was the man behind the uninterrupted supply of entertainment and news to the remotest corners of the country. Vempati led Doordarshan and All India Radio carried on operations uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. During the first lockdown, when fresh content dried up on GECs, Vempati’s team brought back yesteryear shows on the channel and gave everyone some respite from the wrath of the Coronavirus. This decision was so successful that it broke all viewership records of Doordarshan. The state-run broadcaster ensured that people in the far-flung areas were able to access news and updates in their own native languages via Doordarshan and All India Radio. Vempati’s team also initiated tele-classes for students so that their year does not go waste. He is now on a government committee that will closely look into the operations of BARC to assess the existing rating system (the committee was formed after TRP scam was busted).                     

    K Madhavan, Star & Disney India

    An old hand at Star India, K Madhavan, the man who was responsible for building the network’s regional business replaced Sanjay Gupta as he took on the mantle of the TV business across verticals and markets at the end of last year. The network continued to grow in 2020 and post the big announcement of Uday Shankar’s departure, Madhavan was given the responsibility of leading Star & Disney India. Madhavan was also elected the president of the Indian Broadcasting Federation 2020-2021. He will be working closely with the I&B ministry, TRAI, and other bodies to look after the broadcaster’s interest and policy implementation. Madhavan also steered the ninth CII Big Picture Summit this year with hundreds of delegates from all over the world participating in it.

    Uday Shankar, Former The Walt Disney Company

    The biggest shocker for the M&E industry came when Uday Shankar announced his departure from Disney Star India. Shankar ended his 13-year long stint at the organization on 31 December. After taking over the reins of Star India in 2007, he transformed the company into one of the largest and most successful media conglomerates in Asia. He led Star Sports to be the largest sports broadcaster in India. In the general entertainment segment, Star India has a presence in all major regional markets along with a massive dominance in the Hindi speaking market. From launching Hotstar in India to expanding Disney+’s operation in Asia as Disney APAC boss, he has left a rich legacy in the OTT segment as well.

    Adding another feather to his cap, Shankar has been elected president-elect of Ficci for 2020-21, the first-ever media and entertainment executive in India to lead a national industry chamber. 

    Pradeep Dwivedi, Eros STX

    In 2020, Dwivedi spearheaded the global ambitions of 40-year-old production house Eros Now. He led the merger of Eros Now with US-based production house STX Filmworks and uniquely positioned the combined entity Eros STX across the US, China and India. Eros STX will be a publicly traded, independent content and distribution company with global reach. It will now be able to create and distribute both Bollywood and Hollywood content. On the domestic front, Eros Now expanded into linear business and capitalised on the growing demand for OTT with its originals and existing library. Dwivedi was also chosen as VP & area director for IAA Asia Pacific.

    Ajit Mohan, Facebook

    It has been an interesting year for the social media platform in India. It inked a partnership with Jio to establish itself as a strong content player, worked towards bringing small businesses on the platform to expand its base and increase ad spends, joined the government’s atmanirbhar initiative, launched Instagram Reels, Watch on Facebook and WhatsApp pay to further offer new products to the audiences and keep the engagement going on. On the content front, Mohan has been stressing the imminent need for new rules that guide and give clarity over some of the regulatory aspects of what should be allowed and what shouldn’t. He has urged for global cooperation between Indian authorities and others to clearly set these guidelines. The platform also faced government scrutiny as it was summoned by a parliamentary committee for letting content from a right-wing outfit go unchecked. However, Mohan has staunchly denied such violations and stated that the platform takes its safety and security protocols very seriously.

    Barun Das, TV9 Network

    At the outset of the year, Das took on the News Broadcasters Association with an iron hand as the latter questioned the meteoric rise of the network. He took on the veterans and explained to them the television business in an official release. Later, the network announced its big decision to foray into the Bangla market with the launch of a news channel. However, during a discussion with Indiantelevision.com on the ongoing TRP scam investigations, Das urged for zero tolerance towards such criminal activities. He also reminded the industry that the ones who initially flouted these ratings are the ones who are now questioning it. Today, thanks to his hard drive and innovation, what was once a southern news network, is amongst the leading news networks in the country. Additionally, Barun surprised many when he went out on a limb and announced increments for his staff in September with retrospective effect at a time when the news industry was struggling.  Some say this had a ripple effect on the industry with others too rolling back their salary cuts. 

    NP Singh, SPNI

    The ongoing Covid crisis was unprecedented and had a cascading impact on the entire ecosystem. Owing to the nationwide lockdown, there was a complete cessation of content production for TV and OTT films, sports, and events. Advertising spends declined drastically but it did not deter the plans of Sony Pictures Networks MD and CEO NP Singh. He is currently basking in the success of original series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story on SonyLIV. Despite challenges, Singh expanded offerings: in sports, the recent extension of its broadcast deal for WWE content provides SPN the rights to showcase WWE Network through SonyLIV; SPN has curated content from WWE’s extensive archives library, which includes events, iconic matches, and interviews with legends, reality shows and documentaries on its own platforms. The network also continued with its flagship shows like KBC.

    Megha Tata, Discovery Communications

    Last year, broadcasters pushed the digital agenda, realigning their content strategies, business models to cater to consumers’ interests. Under the leadership of Discovery Communications India south Asia MD Megha Tata, the network entered the Indian OTT space with the launch of Discovery Plus offering premium content at an annual subscription of Rs 299 and a monthly subscription of Rs 99.

    Post pandemic, there has been a massive surge in the OTT content consumption and no network wants to miss the bus. However, as a broadcaster, Tata clearly emphasised protecting the linear business as it is still funding the digital business. She believes there is still time for digital business to reach profitability and monetisation status and TV has to play a key role in that. Contrary to the popular opinion that TV is dying, Tata noted that all linear and digital platforms will continue to co-exist. For her, both mediums are important – one is the business of today and the other is the business of tomorrow. She was also elected as the president of the India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA).

    Ekta Kapoor, Balaji Telefilms

    Known as the ‘Czarina’ of the TV industry, Ekta Kapoor, over the years, has emerged as one of the most powerful women entrepreneurs. This year, Kapoor was nominated to receive the fourth highest civilian honour – Padma Shri Award. Apart from dominating the Hindi GEC space, she has clearly stated her intentions for the OTT space by targeting the nation’s low- and mid-income consumers. AltBalaji is likely to release four to five of its big-budget movies in 2021 when Kapoor expects viewers to flock back to cinemas. Balaji Telefilms is set to take over the content studio Ding Infinity to produce 100 per cent premium original cut through the cluttered content. Recently the supreme court granted her interim protection from arrest in an FIR against her for alleged objectionable content in her web series XXX season 2.

    Punit Goenka/ Amit Goenka / Rahul Johri at ZeeL

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZeeL), which has been going through money circulation points for over 12 months, unveiled a massive restructuring process as part of Zee 4.0 Strategy. It includes restructuring across content, revenue, and digital arms with a renewed focus on revenue maximisation and foraying into newer territories.

    Under this strategy, the company will integrate all of its digital assets under a single umbrella, which includes Zee5 (Domestic AVOD+SVOD), Zee5 Global, SugarBox and Digital Publishing. 

    ZeeL roped in Rahul Johri as president for south Asia enterprise to spearhead the built-in revenue and content material monetisation crew. In other key shuffles in the top leadership, ZeeL elevated CEO (broadcast) Punit Misra as president – content and international markets, while Amit Goenka, the younger brother of Punit Goenka, has taken over as the president – digital businesses and platforms.

    Kevin Vaz, Star & Disney

    Star & Disney India recently elevated Kevin Vaz as CEO of infotainment & kids genre. This is in addition to his regional entertainment portfolio where he is heading Star India regional channels portfolio across Maharashtra, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra & Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka. He was given the responsibility following the departure of Anuradha Aggarwal who was head of English, infotainment and kids cluster at the company.

    Anuj Gandhi, IndiaCast

    The group CEO of IndiaCast, a joint venture between TV18 and Viacom, Anuj Gandhi is heading a team of professionals for traditional and new media platforms. With a distinct understanding of content, monetisation, and market, Gandhi is a firm believer that in the world of multi-screen obsession, linear TV will remain present. In addition to Gandhi’s responsibility at IndiaCast, he is also involved with Reliance Jio as head of content acquisition for all Jio video and audio apps. IndiaCast Media in the month of March announced an agreement with Cox Communications with the launch of Aapka Colors on Contour TV.

    Sameer Nair, Applause Entertainment

    In 2020, Applause Entertainment spearhead by Sameer Nair developed a robust and varied pipeline of shows and has successfully released 18 series spanning different genres across multiple platforms. Nair has focused on creating a combination of smart originals of international formats, book to screen adaptations, and Applause Originals. The studio has created the official Indian adaptations of popular international shows including The Office, Criminal Justice, Hostages and Your Honor. It is presently developing Indian versions of the hit series Call My Agent, Fauda and Luther. They’ve developed a rich slate of original content with shows like Rasbhari, Undekhi, Bhaukaal, Hasmukh among others, and book to screen adaptations of Avrodh, Hello Mini, and the recently released Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story has been successful in wowing critics and audiences alike.

    Abhishek Rege, Endemol Shine India

    Endemol Shine India, over the last couple of years, has been actively pursuing a two-pronged strategy – preserve and grow its non-scripted portfolio with newer formats and platforms; and significantly scale up the scripted portfolio. Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege believes Banijay and Endemol will continue to compete with each other, instead of amalgamating under one umbrella. For Rege, the digital streaming space will add to its revenue from the scripted content. To this end, the studio has made series like Arya for Hotstar Originals and Bombay Begums for Netflix. It is bullish on acquiring book rights – including The Sane Psychopath, based on Salil Desai’s novel, content based on American novelist Robin Cook’s books, and an original series based on Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy. With this, Rege hopes it will catapult Endemol Shine India onto an international pedestal.

    Sunil Rayan, Disney + Hotstar

    He is not a familiar face in the media and entertainment industry but now the ecosystem has its sharp eye on him. Early in 2020, Sunil Rayan was mandated to head India’s top OTT contender Disney+ Hotstar. The position had been vacant since Ajit Mohan left in 2018. His appointment excited the industry due to his accomplishments across global brands like Google, McKinsey & Company, IBM, Mastech, Infosys.

    Rayan joined the platform at a very crucial time – Disney+Hotstar has upped its focus on originals, has been aggressively chasing Bollywood movies with big names. The platform which already has about 26 million subscribers, is also highly focused on sports and gaming, where Rayan’s tech understanding will be instrumental. 

    Sudhanshu Vats, former Viacom18 CEO

    After a stint of eight years at Viacom18, ex- group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats decided to quit the organisation in April. Vats charted the growth of the broadcaster to grow from a six-channel network to 54-channel media empire in India. Along with expanding Viacom18’s base in regional markets taking on Star India, ZeeL, he also steered the group’s studio business with bold bets in unconventional storytelling. Under his leadership, Viacom18 entered the digital arena with the launch of Voot. During his tenure, he proved to be an effective leader who earned admiration across the industry. While he joined Viacom18 from FMCG leader Hindustan Unilever, he has been appointed as MD and CEO at Essel Propack Ltd post-departure.

    RS Sharma, TRAI

    Industry watchdog Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has also undergone a change in leadership. Ex-TRAI chairman Ram Sewak Sharma stepped down from his position in October. During his tenure, the telecom industry saw a significant shift, more so than the broadcasting industry. After his term got extended in 2018, many consultation processes were initiated by TRAI would have a long-lasting impact on new technologies.

    Sharma has left behind a mixed legacy as many major reforms were taken ahead under his leadership, like new tariff order for the cable TV and broadcasting industry, net neutrality for the telecom industry. At the beginning of this year, TRAI again brought an amendment to NTO 2.0. that has been panned by the industry and legally challenged in courts. But Sharma, firm on his position, strongly defended the move till his last day at TRAI. He also led the mandate of overhauling the TV measurement system as TRAI floated a consultation paper this year. Though he has been highly criticised for the deteriorating relations between the regulator and the industry, he spearheaded technological advancements in the sector.

    Monika Shergill, Netflix

    Netflix is scaling up its local content library in India, one of its key international markets. To understand the pulse of the market, it hired industry veteran Monika Shergill as director of series in India in 2019. Now, she is handling Indian content slate for the platform as VP content. Shergill is working on what she has been doing for years with leading entertainment brands in the country, churning out stories that audiences can connect with.

    She has aided the streaming service to capture a slice of the OTT pie in India delivering original movies and series such as Masaba Masaba, A Suitable Boy, Jamtara, and Bulbul. Like her peers in the industry, Shergill has also focused on direct-to-digital releases in 2020 as theatres were shut for a long period. Backed by strong localised content, Netflix has significantly scaled its subscriber base and market revenue, according to reports. 

    Aparana Purohit/ Gaurav Gandhi/ Vijay Subramaniam, Amazon Prime Video

    The team at Amazon Prime Video has excelled in capturing the Indian market. While Amazon boss Jeff Bezos committed to double its investment in India, these three local executives have made it possible to push his Indian dream. The streaming service has rolled out a number of original series which has struck a chord with Indian viewers. It also came outshining at the Flyx Filmfare Awards which has awarded digital originals for the first time. The top executives have also ensured that it is also a frontrunner in the race of direct-to-digital releases. 

    Tarun Katial, Former Zee5 CEO

    Katial is one of the most celebrated executives in the media and entertainment business. After building up the business at Big FM from scratch, he joined Zee5 in 2018 to take the homegrown OTT to new heights. From setting up the team and business, he turned Zee5 into a leading streaming platform in the market. Before putting down papers for one of the most coveted roles in the media world, he helped Zee5 expand its offerings during the pandemic as well.

    2020 was the first year when Zee5 has contributed to its parent organisation’s overall domestic subscription revenue. It has forayed into the short video segment with the launch of HiPi, close on the heels of the TikTok ban. Moreover, Katial has worked on a self-regulation code for the OTT industry as chairman of IAMAI.

    Danish Khan, SPNI

    Khan is one of the emerging leaders of the M&E industry. His acumen at picking up trends and content preferences of the audiences is well-proven with the success that SonyLiv has enjoyed in the last year with shows like Avrodh, Scam1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, JL 50 and others. Khan has steered the success of the platform and managed to get strong subscriptions for it as the competition in the category is growing fast with both local and global players spending heavily on content creation. A seasoned professional, Khan has a great understanding of business, content, revenue and consumer.

    Sunil Taldar, Airtel DTH

    Under Taldar’s leadership, Airtel has been able to scale up its DTH business over the years, reaching 16.6 million subscribers at the end of FY20.  As Covid2019 has led more consumers to tune into OTT, the company has increased its focus on the hybrid set-top box segment. The DTH operator is sparing no effort to stay relevant in the changing industry scenario. While it is breaking into the top tier of the market with the XStream box, it is also addressing opportunities in the lower end too.

    Harit Nagpal, Tata Sky

    In an age of great disruption, Harit Nagpal has ensured that Tata Sky stays resilient through innovations. The market leader in the DTH space has reinvented its approach to acquire and retain consumers. It introduced Tata Sky Binge+, a smart set-top box earlier this year and pushed it aggressively through various campaigns. Nagpal has always been quick to adapt and evolve with market dynamics. To push its hybrid boxes, the company has struck partnerships with all major OTT platforms.

  • Indiantelevision.com partners with TVU Networks for NT Summit & Awards

    Indiantelevision.com partners with TVU Networks for NT Summit & Awards

    SHANGHAI: Indiantelevision.com (ITV) recently concluded the fourth edition of its annual property News Television Summit & Awards (NT Awards). It successfully partnered with TVU Networks to broadcast the two-day long summit and awards ceremony. NT Awards and Summit has been a part of ITV’s annual calendar since 2007. 

    The two-day summit saw eminent industry leaders talking about subjects that matter to the broadcast news industry – regulations, controversies, content, programming, ratings, technology and others.

    NT Awards felicitated the best in the broadcast news industry across multiple categories such as – Programming Awards, Personality Awards, Promo Design and Packaging Awards, Sales and Marketing Awards, and Special Awards. Over 750 entries were rigorously screened by a 37-member jury including senior members of the industry.
    NT Awards and Summit has been a part of ITV’s annual calendar since 2007.

    Given the current restrictions on social gatherings, the summit and award show were moved online, and TVU Networks, a market and technology leader in cloud and IP based live video solutions, deployed a suite of TVU remote production solutions – TVU Producer, TVU Partyline and TVU Anywhere – to help with the three-day event which included live presentation, guest interaction and broadcast to viewing audiences on major social media channels.

    TVU Networks helped ITV in providing a low latency, professional HD quality broadcast experience for all panel participants along with an uninterrupted award ceremony held on 6 November 2020 across social channels. Indiantelevision.com used the previously mentioned TVU remote production solutions – TVU Producer, TVU Partyline and TVU Anywhere.

    The guest speakers used the TVU Anywhere mobile app or TVU Partyline browser link to participate in the session using just their smartphone or laptop. The speakers joined by scanning or typing in a user code or by logging into the TVU cloud account through TVU Partyline, ensuring reliable transmission quality and clear video and audio interaction between participants. 

    “We thank the organisers for their trust in TVU. It is a great honor to participate in this event,” TVU Networks VP sales – south Asia, Middle East, Africa Sushant Rai. “With this event, TVU has made TVU Partyline™, TVU Producer and TVU Anywhere visible to the news television industry in India. TVU's products and technologies will bring immense possibilities to India's future broadcast industry as demonstrated by our efforts with the NT Summit & Awards.”

  • TRP scam: Partho Dasgupta sent to 14-day judicial custody

    TRP scam: Partho Dasgupta sent to 14-day judicial custody

    NEW DELHI: Ex-BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, who was arrested earlier this month in connection to the alleged TRP manipulation scam, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by 8th Esplanade magistrate court in Mumbai. 

    Dasgupta, who was produced before the court after his police custody ended, also filed a bail application. His lawyer Kamlesh Ghumre argued that Dasgupta was CEO of the Broadcast Audience Research Council but there was a board of directors and a disciplinary committee above him. The bail plea will be heard on January 1. 

    Dasgupta, the 15th person arrested in the alleged scam, was named the ‘mastermind’ of the scam by Mumbai Police’s Crime Intelligence Unit. It has been alleged that Dasgupta was getting money from one of the accused channels in return for the favours he was doing to them by rigging TRPs. 

  • TRP scam: Mumbai police extends custody of Partho Dasgupta

    TRP scam: Mumbai police extends custody of Partho Dasgupta

    MUMBAI: Clearly, the Mumbai police believe they have got their man and have managed to extend Partho Dasgupta’s custody till 30 December. The police has alleged that Dasgupta – a former BARC CEO was the mastermind of the TRP scam – connived with his then COO Romil Ramgarhia and Republic founder and promoter Arnab Goswami to depress the ratings of the older English news channel and pump up the ratings of the news anchor’s channel Republic TV.

    A Time of India report said that the police have stated  that Partho (as he is known in the fraternity)  got lakhs of rupees for his legerdemain of boosting Republic TV viewership. The Mumbai police's Crime Branch, in its remand note submitted before a magistrate's court here, sought further custody of Dasgupta, claiming he was the "mastermind" of the alleged TRP scam.

    The remand note further states that Partho “misused his official position and manipulated TRP of specific news channels broadcast by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd such as Republic Bharat Hindi and Republic TV English," the police alleged in its remand note. "Dasgupta, while serving as CEO got involved in the conspiracy along with Arnab Goswami and others for manipulation of TRP.”

    Even as his incarceration continues, one can’t forget that  the advertising fraternity, only recently elected Dasgupta as president of the Advertising Club, Mumbai.