ITV

Tag: Prannoy Roy

  • Editors Guild urges CBI to follow process of law, NDTV confirms loan repayment

    MUMBAI: The Editors Guild of India, in a press release issued on Monday night, expressed deep concern over the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the offices of NDTV and its promoters today. Entry of police and other agencies into the media offices is a serious matter, it added.

    NDTV, in various statements, has denied any wrongdoing and termed the raids as “stepping up the concerted harassment” of the news channel and an attempt to “undermine democracy and free speech” and “silence the media,” the release stated. While the Editors Guild maintains that no individual or institution is above the law, the Guild condemns any attempt to muzzle the media and calls upon the CBI to follow the due process of law and ensure there is no interference in the free functioning of news operations, the Guild release signed by office-bearers Raj Chengappa, Prakash Dube and Kalyani Shankar stated.

    Updated NDTV statement: It is shocking that the CBI conducted searches on the NDTV offices and residence of the promoters without even conducting a preliminary enquiry. The CBI has been compelled to file an FIR based on a shoddy complaint by a disgruntled former consultant at NDTV named as Sanjay Dutt, who has been making false allegations. So far, he has not obtained a single order from any of these courts.

    Legal analysts are astounded that where courts have rejected giving any order in all these years, the CBI conducts raids based on what is a private complaint. The allegation appears to be for a loan which has been repaid by Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy more than seven years ago.

    Even though crores of rupees of dues have not been paid by several industrialists and no criminal case has yet been registered against any of them by the CBI, the CBI has chosen not only to register an FIR, but also conduct a search for a loan which has been duly repaid to ICICI Bank. The allegation that no disclosure was made to SEBI and other regulatory authorities is not only incorrect but also does not clothe the CBI with any power to register cases and search which further amplifies the fact that the search by the CBI is only a witch-hunt against independent media.

  • Update: No politics in raids at NDTV offices, CBI must have received some info, says Naidu

    MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has denied any political interference in the CBI raids on NDTV’s Prannoy Roy, and said the law would take its own course.

    The CBI registered a case against the pioneers of Indian television NDTV founder Roy and his wife Radhika Roy, for causing an alleged loss to a bank. Searches are reportedly being conducted at the residence of the Roys in New Delhi and three other places including Dehradun.

    NDTV, in a statement, said: the CBI stepped up the concerted harassment of NDTV and its promoters based on the same old endless false accusations. NDTV and its promoters will fight tirelessly against this witch-hunt by multiple agencies.

    Naidu, however, told reporters: “If somebody does something wrong but simply because they belong to media, you cannot expect the government to keep quiet.”

    Stressing that the media is free and independent, he said the officials were doing their duty “The CBI might have received some information. That is why they have taken action,” Naidu said.

    The case reportedly is about ICICI bank loan default ofRs 480 million. As per the Supreme Court order in the Global Trust Bank case in February 2016, the court said private banks heads should also be treated as public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the FIR, the default by Roy is for a company named RRPR Holdings Private Limited.

    NDTV however said the company and its promoters will fight tirelessly against this witch-hunt by multiple agencies. We will not succumb to these attempts to blatantly undermine democracy and free speech in India. We have one message to those who are trying to destroy the institutions of India and everything it stands for: we will fight for our country and overcome these forces.

    On Twitter, NDTV managing editor Sreenivsan Jain said: “Message is clear: any independent voice in media will be bullied and shut down. Black day.” Executive editor Nidhi Razdan said: “A message to those in the media who are still independent and do their job by fearlessly asking questions. We won’t be intimidated.

    BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy last year sent a letter to PM Modi seeking a CBI and ED probes into charges of money laundering. Last December, the Securities and Exchange Board of India had started proceedings against NDTV and its promoters for not having made a public announcement in 2009 of a ‘change of control’ in the television company. SEBI had in June 2015 imposed a Rs. 2 crore fine on NDTV for “non-disclosure of material information to the stock exchanges.”

    Last week, NDTV announced that it will shut down its business channel NDTV Profit and turn into a full-time infotainment and entertainment channel.

  • NDTV Profit to be shut down, to move business & finance segments on NDTV 24×7

    MUMBAI: Its woes don’t seem to be going away. Tax litigation, mounting losses, viewership decline, however, don’t seem to be flagging the spirit at the Prannoy Roy-helmed NDTV. The show must go on is the motto. And to keep it going, the news network has announced plans that it will trim costs by shutting down its English business news channel NDTV Profit, come 5 June.

    In a statement to the BSE, NDTV stated: NDTV has decided to transfer its business programming from Profit to regular business and finance segments on NDTV 24×7. This will mean suspending the current trading hours programming on Profit while Prime will continue as a channel.

    The statement further read: “NDTV does not rule out reviving a business channel when the circumstances were appropriate. “For now, there will be high quality business and finance segments on NDTV 24×7 which will enhance viewer experience on NDTV 24×7 during daytime trading hours,” the company stated added.

    NDTV, in a separate earlier communique to the BSE, stated that it has approved sale of stake in NDTV Ethnic Retail held by units — NDTV Lifestyle Holdings, NDTV Convergence, NDTV Worldwide.

    In the note, it says: “This is to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Company (NDTV), at its meeting held on 5 May, 201 7, inter-alia, considered and approved the following:

    Subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Company to be obtained through passing of special resolution(s), sale/disposal of the entire equity stake owned and held by NDTV Lifestyle Holdings Limited, NDTV Convergence Limited and NDTV Worldwide Limited, each a material subsidiary of the Company in NDTV Ethnic Retail Limited, another material subsidiary of the Company, constituting approx. 99.92% of the total issued, subscribed and paid-up equity share capital of Ethnic, for INR 3.6518 per equity share to Nameh Hotels & Resorts Private Limited , a company incorporated in India under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956.

  • How English News channels have fared so far

    BENGALURU: Amongst the twenty or so channels (about 10 domestic, rest international) that beam English News into India, Times Now lead the genre by far during for the first 18 weeks of 2017 (or a little more than two thirds of calendar year 2017) according to Broadcast Research Council of India (BARC) data. This paper is based on BARCData for Top 5 English News channels weekly lists for weeks 1 to 18 of  2017: All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals. BARC weeks 1 to 18 cover the period from Saturday, 31 December 2016 to Friday, 5 May 2017.

    Combined weekly impressions (CWI) means the sum of all the weekly impressions of channel of all the weeks under consideration. It may be noted that the CWI of other channels that have not made it to top five English News channels list during the weeks under consideration could be higher, but have not been considered in this paper.

    Of the six channels that made it to BARC’s top 5 lists in terms of weekly impressions,four were present in the lists during all the first 18 weeks of 2017. One channel – BBC World News made it to the top 5 English News channels list for 16 of the first eighteen weeks of 2017, while News X made it to the top 5 lists twice (weeks 11 and 12) during the first 18 weeks of 2017.

    Times Now was ranked first during all the first 18 weeks of 2017 in terms of the combined sum of BARC’s weekly impressions in sums of thousands – (000s) Sums during all the first 18 weeks of 2017. Times Now had CWI of 13,412 (000s) Sums during the period under consideration. Trailing behind at second place was India Today Television at second placewith CWI of 6,687(000s) Sums. India Today Television was ranked second during 12 of the eighteen weeks of 2017 and third during the rest of the six weeks.

    India Today Television was followed by CNN News 18 with 5,940 (000s) Sums. CNN News 18 was ranked second for 2 weeks, third for seven weeks and fourth for nine of the first 18 weeks of 2017. Close on the heels of the Network 18 groups flagship news channel was NTDV 24X7 with CWI of 5,706 (000s) Sums at fourth place. NDTV 24 X 7 was ranked second for four weeks, third for five weeks, fourth for eight weeks and fifth for one week during the first 18 weeks 0f 2017.

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    Please refer to the figure below for weekly data for the six English News channels considered in this paper.All the top four channels scored their highest ratings of year 2017 until week 18 during week 11 of 2017.The simple average of the combined weekly impressions of all the top five news channels in BARC’s list works out to 1922.765 including the figures for week 11 of 2017. Excluding week11, the simple average for the combined weekly impressions (000s) Sums of all the top five news channels in BARC’s list works out to 1,706.353 (000s) Sums, or more than 200,000 Sums of impressions lower. The sum of the highest combined weekly impressions of the all the English News channels in the top 5 channels list during weeks 1 to 18 of 2017 was in week 11 at 4,897 (000s) Sums, while the lowest was in week two of 2017 at 1,179 (000s) Sums.

    The highest ratings scored by Times Now, the leader of the English News genre, was in week 11 with 2,282 (000s) Sums in week 11and the lowest was 475 (000s) Sums impressions in week 5 of 2017. Excluding data for week 11 of 2017, the simple average of Times Now weekly impressions was 654.706 (000s) Sums during the first 18 weeks of 2017

    India Today Television scored the highest rating in week 11 of 805 (000s) Sums impressions (it was ranked third in week 11) and the lowest rating of 225 (000s) Sums impressions in week 2 of 2017 and its simple average of weekly impressions excluding data for week 11 was 346 (000s) Sums during the first 18 weeks of 2017.

    CNN News 18 had a score of 1,006 (000s) Sums impressions in week 11 (it was ranked second in week 11). Its lowest score of 175 (000s) was in week one of 2017, and its simple average of weekly impressions was 290.235 (000s) Sums during the first 18 weeks of 2017.

    NDTV 24X7 had a score of 656 (000s) Sums impressions in week 11. Its lowest score of 192 (000s) was in week three of 2017, and its simple average of weekly impressions was 297.059 (000s) Sums during the first 18 weeks of 2017.As is obvious, the ratings for week11 were the decider for the third place during weeks 1 to 18 of 2017.

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    On Saturday, March 11, 2017 (the first day of BARC week 11 – March 11 to Friday 17 March 2017) assembly elections results for Indian five states of the country were announced. On that single day, the top four English News channels ratings exceeded the simple average ratings for an entire week during the first 18 weeks of 2017. Please refer to the figure below.

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  • Barkha Dutt bids adieu to NDTV; hints at new venture

    Barkha Dutt bids adieu to NDTV; hints at new venture

    NEW DELHI: It’s the season for saying good-byes and starting afresh. It’s now Barkha Dutt’s turn to do so.

    “It’s been a super ride at NDTV but new beginning in 2017. I shall be moving on from NDTV to explore new opportunities & my own ventures!” on a cold and partially grey Sunday tweeted Dutt, one of the few public faces of NDTV media house and one of the most trolled journalists of recent times.

    In a series of tweets, evoking reactions ranging from puerile to dismissive to congratulatory to scepticism, Dutt said, “As I move on after 21 Great NDTV yrs; a team I’m SO proud of, an Emmy Nomination & many other awards to cap it all, I count on your wishes… Did my last `We The People’. At 16 yrs its longest running TV show which I built from scratch, won scores of awards for & am hugely proud of.”

    In a co-ordinated move, NDTV put out an official statement, which too surfaced on Dutt’s Twitter TL. The two paragraph statement read: “In 1995, Barkha Dutt joined NDTV straight out of college, and now, after 21 wonderful years together, Barkha has requested that she would like to explore some new opportunities, pursue other interests and work on her own ventures.

    “In all her years with NDTV, she has been hugely productive and has grown with the organisation, becoming an acclaimed, award-winning journalist of repute across India and many parts of the world. We are certain that Barkha will go from strength to strength and NDTV wishes her all the very best.”

    Though criticised within her fraternity too for many of her actions, Dutt is said to have inspired a couple of Hindi film characters, including that of Rani Mukherjee in `Nobody Killed Jessica’ and that of Preity Zinta in Farhan Akhtar-directed ‘Lakshya’ based on the reclaiming of Tiger Hill by the Indian Army during Kargil War.

    In recent times, NDTV, built by a team lead by Prannoy Roy, one of Indian news television’s original poster boys, has been under pressure from several quarters, including financial. Considered by the followers of the present BJP-led government in New Delhi a product of Congress-era, NDTV has been a nursery for several television journalists and anchors, many of whom went on to become as big a celebrity as a movie actor or a cricketer in India and household names, while quite a few moved on to start their own successful ventures in the media. And this list includes the likes of Arnab Goswami, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vikram Chandra, Arup Ghosh and Sonia Singh.

    If the gossip in Capital’s favourite watering hole for journalists is to be believed, then the top management of a financially-beleaguered NDTV, including Dr. Prannoy Roy and Executive VC and CEO Narayan Rao, recently took a decision to shed sizable manpower weight. The target list for pruning staff was said to include many of those drawing a monthly salary of over Rs. 100,000.

    However, it must be admitted that Indiantelevision.com could not independently confirm these rumours from NDTV, always considered to be a leading flag-bearer for impartial journalism in a world when old school professional values are being shed and being OTT (over-the-top) is considered to be the new normal.

    She wrote on her FB page:

    A new year means that new beginnings beckon. After a great two decades at NDTV I will be moving on to explore new opportunities, diversify my interests and build my own multi media content and events company as well as special projects. It’s been an eventful and super ride at NDTV with an Emmy Nomination among the multiple awards capping a wonderful journey. I am especially proud of We The People the last episode of which I hosted today – at sixteen years it’s the longest running show on Indian TV. But am hugely excited about the many adventures that await me. And I now count on everyone’s best wishes for my next new and wonderful innings. Excited wish me luck !!

  • Barkha Dutt bids adieu to NDTV; hints at new venture

    Barkha Dutt bids adieu to NDTV; hints at new venture

    NEW DELHI: It’s the season for saying good-byes and starting afresh. It’s now Barkha Dutt’s turn to do so.

    “It’s been a super ride at NDTV but new beginning in 2017. I shall be moving on from NDTV to explore new opportunities & my own ventures!” on a cold and partially grey Sunday tweeted Dutt, one of the few public faces of NDTV media house and one of the most trolled journalists of recent times.

    In a series of tweets, evoking reactions ranging from puerile to dismissive to congratulatory to scepticism, Dutt said, “As I move on after 21 Great NDTV yrs; a team I’m SO proud of, an Emmy Nomination & many other awards to cap it all, I count on your wishes… Did my last `We The People’. At 16 yrs its longest running TV show which I built from scratch, won scores of awards for & am hugely proud of.”

    In a co-ordinated move, NDTV put out an official statement, which too surfaced on Dutt’s Twitter TL. The two paragraph statement read: “In 1995, Barkha Dutt joined NDTV straight out of college, and now, after 21 wonderful years together, Barkha has requested that she would like to explore some new opportunities, pursue other interests and work on her own ventures.

    “In all her years with NDTV, she has been hugely productive and has grown with the organisation, becoming an acclaimed, award-winning journalist of repute across India and many parts of the world. We are certain that Barkha will go from strength to strength and NDTV wishes her all the very best.”

    Though criticised within her fraternity too for many of her actions, Dutt is said to have inspired a couple of Hindi film characters, including that of Rani Mukherjee in `Nobody Killed Jessica’ and that of Preity Zinta in Farhan Akhtar-directed ‘Lakshya’ based on the reclaiming of Tiger Hill by the Indian Army during Kargil War.

    In recent times, NDTV, built by a team lead by Prannoy Roy, one of Indian news television’s original poster boys, has been under pressure from several quarters, including financial. Considered by the followers of the present BJP-led government in New Delhi a product of Congress-era, NDTV has been a nursery for several television journalists and anchors, many of whom went on to become as big a celebrity as a movie actor or a cricketer in India and household names, while quite a few moved on to start their own successful ventures in the media. And this list includes the likes of Arnab Goswami, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vikram Chandra, Arup Ghosh and Sonia Singh.

    If the gossip in Capital’s favourite watering hole for journalists is to be believed, then the top management of a financially-beleaguered NDTV, including Dr. Prannoy Roy and Executive VC and CEO Narayan Rao, recently took a decision to shed sizable manpower weight. The target list for pruning staff was said to include many of those drawing a monthly salary of over Rs. 100,000.

    However, it must be admitted that Indiantelevision.com could not independently confirm these rumours from NDTV, always considered to be a leading flag-bearer for impartial journalism in a world when old school professional values are being shed and being OTT (over-the-top) is considered to be the new normal.

    She wrote on her FB page:

    A new year means that new beginnings beckon. After a great two decades at NDTV I will be moving on to explore new opportunities, diversify my interests and build my own multi media content and events company as well as special projects. It’s been an eventful and super ride at NDTV with an Emmy Nomination among the multiple awards capping a wonderful journey. I am especially proud of We The People the last episode of which I hosted today – at sixteen years it’s the longest running show on Indian TV. But am hugely excited about the many adventures that await me. And I now count on everyone’s best wishes for my next new and wonderful innings. Excited wish me luck !!

  • NDTV ban: SC to hear appeal today

    NDTV ban: SC to hear appeal today

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court in New Delhi is on Monday scheduled to hear the appeal filed by NDTV against the ban imposed on its NDTV India channel for telecasting security-related information linked to the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air force base earlier this year.

    India’s highest court had, on November 6, deferred the hearing in the case to 5 December, citing reason of no urgency for its hearing. Information and broadcasting ministry had asked NDTV India to go off-air on 9 November after the government accused it of airing sensitive information related to the terror attack on Pathankot base in January.

    NDTV had, however, refuted the allegations stating that other channels had also reported the same. Information and broadcasting minister M. Venkaiah Naidu however supported the ban, stating that it was in the interest of India’s security.

    Major media organisations and journalists condemned the ban and protested against it, comparing it with the emergency when the right of the freedom of press was violated.

    Naidu had earlier said that there have been only two cases in the past two years and the current year where the government put on hold its orders asking TV channels to prohibit transmission for limited time.

    These relate to channel DY 365 for a news broadcast on 12 June 2014 and the NDTV India for a report on 4 January 2016, Naidu told the Parliament. In both cases, he said, the channels had made representations to the ministry which were under consideration.

    In a separate case, Prannoy Roy and family-controlled NDTV heaved a sigh of relief. The channel had got a notice from SEBI in June 2016 for alleged violation of takeover norms with respect to timely disclosure of share transactions of its promoters. With regards to their petition to the Delhi High Court, the date of the hearing, which was 29 November. was adjourned to 17 January 2017.

    Also read

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/ib-ministry/telecast-ban-withheld-in-two-of-31-cases-no-imc-recast-plan-161203

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/limited-punitive-action-taken-against-31-tv-channels-in-11-years-161126

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/ndtv-india-ban-sc-to-hear-appeal-on-5-dec-govt-may-restructure-review-panel-161109

  • NDTV ban: SC to hear appeal today

    NDTV ban: SC to hear appeal today

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court in New Delhi is on Monday scheduled to hear the appeal filed by NDTV against the ban imposed on its NDTV India channel for telecasting security-related information linked to the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air force base earlier this year.

    India’s highest court had, on November 6, deferred the hearing in the case to 5 December, citing reason of no urgency for its hearing. Information and broadcasting ministry had asked NDTV India to go off-air on 9 November after the government accused it of airing sensitive information related to the terror attack on Pathankot base in January.

    NDTV had, however, refuted the allegations stating that other channels had also reported the same. Information and broadcasting minister M. Venkaiah Naidu however supported the ban, stating that it was in the interest of India’s security.

    Major media organisations and journalists condemned the ban and protested against it, comparing it with the emergency when the right of the freedom of press was violated.

    Naidu had earlier said that there have been only two cases in the past two years and the current year where the government put on hold its orders asking TV channels to prohibit transmission for limited time.

    These relate to channel DY 365 for a news broadcast on 12 June 2014 and the NDTV India for a report on 4 January 2016, Naidu told the Parliament. In both cases, he said, the channels had made representations to the ministry which were under consideration.

    In a separate case, Prannoy Roy and family-controlled NDTV heaved a sigh of relief. The channel had got a notice from SEBI in June 2016 for alleged violation of takeover norms with respect to timely disclosure of share transactions of its promoters. With regards to their petition to the Delhi High Court, the date of the hearing, which was 29 November. was adjourned to 17 January 2017.

    Also read

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/ib-ministry/telecast-ban-withheld-in-two-of-31-cases-no-imc-recast-plan-161203

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/limited-punitive-action-taken-against-31-tv-channels-in-11-years-161126

    http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/ndtv-india-ban-sc-to-hear-appeal-on-5-dec-govt-may-restructure-review-panel-161109

  • NDTV gets additional time in SEBI case

    NDTV gets additional time in SEBI case

    MUMBAI: Prannoy Roy and family-controlled NDTV India can heave a sigh of relief. The channel had got a notice by the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in June 2016 for alleged violation of takeover norms with respect to timely disclosure of some share transactions of its promoters.

    With regards to their petition to the Delhi High Court, the date of the hearing which was 29 November 2016 has been adjourned to 17 January 2017. The change in date was announced on the BSE today.

    “The company and its promoters have, on 13 June 2016, received Show Cause Notices (SCNs) issued by Sebi with regard to certain non-compliance related to delay/non-filing of disclosures in the previous years under Sebi Takeover Regulations,” NDTV said in a regulatory filing to BSE.

    The company further said it is “of the opinion that the alleged non-compliance referred in SCN are technical/ procedural in nature,” and it is seeking legal advice to take appropriate action in the said matter.

    NDTV was recently directed by the government to go off air for 24 hours from 9 November 2016 as a penalty for breaching telecast norms related to security issues. The channel was accused of airing images and revealing information regarding defence locations while covering the Pathankot terrorist attack a few months back.

    In an another development, the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), the self-regulatory body of news channels under the News Broadcasters’ Association ( NBA) late last month asked NDTV, the English news channel, to air an apology for showing an incorrect map of India. The letter from NBA to NDTV stated the complaint was studied and the channel was directed to run an apology (full screen) prior to 9 pm on 5 November.

  • NDTV gets additional time in SEBI case

    NDTV gets additional time in SEBI case

    MUMBAI: Prannoy Roy and family-controlled NDTV India can heave a sigh of relief. The channel had got a notice by the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in June 2016 for alleged violation of takeover norms with respect to timely disclosure of some share transactions of its promoters.

    With regards to their petition to the Delhi High Court, the date of the hearing which was 29 November 2016 has been adjourned to 17 January 2017. The change in date was announced on the BSE today.

    “The company and its promoters have, on 13 June 2016, received Show Cause Notices (SCNs) issued by Sebi with regard to certain non-compliance related to delay/non-filing of disclosures in the previous years under Sebi Takeover Regulations,” NDTV said in a regulatory filing to BSE.

    The company further said it is “of the opinion that the alleged non-compliance referred in SCN are technical/ procedural in nature,” and it is seeking legal advice to take appropriate action in the said matter.

    NDTV was recently directed by the government to go off air for 24 hours from 9 November 2016 as a penalty for breaching telecast norms related to security issues. The channel was accused of airing images and revealing information regarding defence locations while covering the Pathankot terrorist attack a few months back.

    In an another development, the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), the self-regulatory body of news channels under the News Broadcasters’ Association ( NBA) late last month asked NDTV, the English news channel, to air an apology for showing an incorrect map of India. The letter from NBA to NDTV stated the complaint was studied and the channel was directed to run an apology (full screen) prior to 9 pm on 5 November.