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Tag: Punit Pandey

  • 9X Media’s CBO Punit Pandey decides to move on after 15-year association

    9X Media’s CBO Punit Pandey decides to move on after 15-year association

    Mumbai: 9X Media’s chief business officer Punit Pandey has decided to move on after a long stint of 15 years.

    Pandey has been part of the 9X Media journey right from the start and has played a crucial role in the success of the network. Being part of 9X Media’s executive team, Pandey has been working closely with the board of directors to drive the next phase of growth for the network.

    Pandey said, “I have had the most exciting and fulfilling journey at 9X Media Network. I am proud to be a part of the Network’s founding story. There hasn’t been a dull moment ever, as I have had the opportunity to work on varied roles with diverse mandates! From a single music television channel, 9X Media has evolved into India’s largest music television network, comprising several satellite channels, an Indie music label and compelling and unique digital products. Having worked for over 3 decades in the media and entertainment sector, I have now decided to take a short break before announcing my next move. I am pleased to leave behind a large tribe of happy music aficionados who have grown with 9X Media’s music television channels!”

    An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in the media and entertainment sector, Pandey has also worked with some of the most iconic media brands like MTV, Zee TV, Rediff.com, Radio Mirchi, Mid-day and the Reliance Enterprise Business, among others. 

  • 9X Media elevates Deepali Oroskar and Nihal Ghosh to SVP – ad sales

    9X Media elevates Deepali Oroskar and Nihal Ghosh to SVP – ad sales

    Mumbai: 9X Media has announced the elevation of Deepali Oroskar and Nihal Ghosh to senior vice president of ad sales. They both will report to 9X Media chief business officer Punit Pandey.

    Nihal will be in-charge of revenues for 9XM and 9X Jalwa and Deepali will lead the ad sales teams for 9X Tashan and 9X Jhakaas. Deepali and Nihal are both senior ad sales professionals with each of them having over 15 years of experience.

    “Deepali and Nihal have both been with the organisation for over a decade and have consistently proven their mettle,” said 9X Media chief business officer Punit Pandey. “They have led the ad sales teams to achieve better revenue targets and have performed extremely well. In their new roles, I am confident that they will achieve much success, steering the Network towards the next phase of growth.”

    “I am delighted to be a part of 9X Media,” said Nihal Ghosh. “From a single music television channel, 9X Media has evolved into India’s largest music television network comprising platforms both television and digital. It’s exciting as well as challenging to helm the ad revenue at 9XM and 9X Jalwa. My current focus will be on reinstating the Ad revenue to the pre covid levels and to put the channels back on the growth trajectory.”

    “This is indeed an exciting time to lead the ad sales function for 9X Tashan and 9X Jhakaas,” said Deepali Oroskar. “The pandemic has created disruption across all industries. It has drastically changed the way people consume and engage with media and content. Brands need to keep pace with the changing consumer psychographics. Regional channels have shown immense potential in attracting the new age consumer. My priority would be to make brands aware about these new dynamics and ensure an excellent run for our channels.”   

  • 9X Media CBO Punit Pandey takes additional charge of revenue

    9X Media CBO Punit Pandey takes additional charge of revenue

    Mumbai: 9X Media’s chief business officer (CBO) Punit Pandey has taken additional charge of revenue for the network. Being part of 9X Media’s executive team, he will continue to work closely with the board of directors to drive the next phase of growth for the network.

    An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in business development, Pandey will now guide and mentor the sales team at 9X Media.

    Pandey’s deep understanding of the world of media and technology, his robust experience in cross- and multi-platform marketing and advertising, will prove extremely crucial in putting the network on the growth trajectory. Before getting into the business role at 9X Media, he successfully led the national sales team at 9X Media for over two years when the channel was launched in 2007.

    He has also worked with some of the most iconic media brands like MTV, Zee TV, Rediff.com, Radio Mirchi, Mid-day, and the Reliance Enterprise Business, among others.

    “I am extremely proud to be a part of 9X Media since the network’s inception in 2007. From a single music television channel, 9X Media has evolved into India’s largest music television network comprising platforms both television and digital,” said Punit Pandey. “I am excited to take charge of ad sales in these challenging times. I am also delighted to take our network’s large tribe of happy young music and entertainment consumers across screens, to the marketplace! My priority as revenue head is to steer the network towards the next phase of growth.”

  • 9X Media launches ‘Music Dil Mein’ on World Music Day

    9X Media launches ‘Music Dil Mein’ on World Music Day

    MUMBAI: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” are the famous words of Greek philosopher Plato which stand true even today.

     

    On the occasion of World Music Day, 21 June, 9X Media is celebrating the day in a musical way. Last year, the channel got tremendous response to music video ‘Tung Tucking Ting’. This year, the network has planned to make it bigger and better. It has created a music video ‘Music Dil Mein’, featuring India’s current top 13 Bollywood music talent.

     

    The music video will be launched across all the five channels and digital platforms of 9X Media. The network will go all out to truly live the spirit of the day and celebrate it.

     

    “We believe engagement with the consumers in the space that we are in is to engage with consumers and best way to drive point that, is ‘think music, think 9XM’,” says 9X Media Network EVP and business head Punit Pandey.

     

    Composed by Rochak Kohli, ‘Music Dil Mein’ features India’s current top 13 Bollywood music talents -Sid Mahadevan, Shalmali Kholgade, Anushka Manchanda, Benny Dayal, Harshdeep Kaur, Amit Trivedi, Pappon, Rochak Kohli, Neeti Mohan, Hamsika Iyer, Shruti Pathak, and Shweta Pandit.

     

    “World Music Day is a property for us; this is the third year we are celebrating it and year-on-year it is only getting bigger. It is not just for a day, but for the next two weeks that the song which we have collaborated with the artists is going to be played on our network,” informs 9X Media SVP and head of content Amar Tidke.

     

    Moreover, the channel has designed a special programming line-up for the day. It will air all the hits of AR Rahman, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Amit Trivedi and many more famous artists’ throughout the day.

     

    To popularise the video, the channel has got Bollywood stars as well as the animated characters of the channel on board.

     

    The channel has tied up with Sony Music which will distribute the song on digital platforms. “Since out TG is always online, second screens play a vital role in our strategy. Digital platforms have become an important tool for us to reach out to our target audience,” says Pandey.

     

    According to Sony Music India marketing director Sanujeet Bhujabal, it is a great song and it will be using all their marketing muscle to ensure the song reaches out to fans. “Having worked with 9X Media in the past we are sure together we will create new success with the song.”

     

    Promotional activities

     

    ‘Music Dil Mein’ will be promoted through on-ground initiatives across India. The Network has associated with over 150 night clubs and lounges across India which will be playing the club mix of ‘Music Dil Mein’ simultaneously on the midnight of 20 June to welcome the World Music Day.

     

    Besides the on-ground initiatives the video will be promoted across radio through RadioCity. The music video will be available as a whole song and RBT cuts across all telecom partners via SMS (SMMDM to 56060). The Network has also launched a series of innovative digital initiatives.

     

    The track will be available on YouTube in five different versions – a Karaoke version, two lyrics videos, a remix video and an unmixed instrumental track besides the original rendition. 9X Media has also created an Android application on which the music track can be easily downloaded.

     

    “The attempt is to ensure that it reaches out to the maximum people and there are millions of people who like music,” concludes Pandey.

  • Voila 9XM looks better

    Voila 9XM looks better

    MUMBAI: The logo change that 9XM underwent in March last year seems to have worked for the channel which saw yet another change recently. At 6am on 20 May, the “new look” 9XM went live, complete with a super large video area, enhanced audio quality, and brighter, bolder colours to boot.

    Ask him why and 9X Media executive vice president and business head Punit Pandey likens it to the experience of buying new clothes to look and feel better. “9XM has been on-air since late 2007. It has a serious set of strong, loyal viewers. It has continued to be one of the most favourite destinations for music consumption on television. We just wanted our viewers to continue getting a better viewing, consuming and sound experience. It’s our treat to our viewers who continuously watch 9XM,” he says.

    Indeed, the new avatar 9XM has been designed in-house and is all about providing that much-needed punch even as loyal fans lap up the latest music punctuated by the shenanigans of the channel’s animated heroes i.e. Bade-Chhote, Bheegi Billi, Badshah Bhai and The Betul Nuts.

    Speaking of the philosophy behind the new design, 9X Media SVP and content head Amar Tidke says, “We at 9X Media always believe in providing a complete music viewing experience to our viewers. Our on-air presentation and content curation techniques have always placed us several notches higher than the rest in the genre.”

    The thought took seed about six to eight weeks ago while it took the channel around four to five weeks to put it out there for public consumption. Surprisingly, there was no research involved. “It was very simple; we wanted viewers to experience a better 9XM,” says Pandey.

    While ideating on the new look, 9XM’s strategy was to, “Keep it simple, keep it seamless, keep it smart,” according to Tidke. “The new look of 9XM ensures that one quickly moves from one element to another in a truly seamless fashion with captivating vibrant colours and design elements. It’s a very fresh approach to the way the latest super-hot Bollywood songs are presented,” he adds.

    According to 9XM programming head Sunder Venketraman, “The youth with their short attention span are always on the look-out for new things. At 9XM, it has been our constant endeavour to provide best-in-class entertainment through innovative and appealing content and on-air presentation. With this new viewing experience, 9XM has yet again gone ahead and set a new benchmark for the rest to follow.”

     The teaser, “Get ready for a bigger canvas” set digital platforms abuzz. The new look has got a great response on digital platforms with nearly six million likes on Facebook and 143,000 followers on Twitter. Pandey exults, “They are just loving it and liking it. They are getting more to see and better sound to hear. We are delighted to get a positive response from the digital community. People have given us a thumbs-up.”

    The change is restricted to the look of the channel only while the characters have not really changed, except that they look more vibrant and are seen interacting with viewers.

     Has the channel expanded its music library? “9XM continues to be a current hit channel. Whatever hits in current time you will get to see on the channel. But there is nothing like expanding our music library. There is certain expectation a viewer has when they tune into 9XM,” says Pandey.

  • Music channels sing growth tune in 2012: Punit Pandey, EVP & Business Head, 9X Media Group

    Music channels sing growth tune in 2012: Punit Pandey, EVP & Business Head, 9X Media Group

    The Music Broadcasting scenario in 2012 has registered a significant growth both in terms of viewership, which is more consumption of the genre leading to absolute GRPs, and also in terms of ad revenues as compared to 2010.

    Way back in early 2010, the youth & music genre had a viewership share of 5.6 per cent in the total TV space, which went up to 6.7 per cent in 2011 and has grown to 8.5 per cent by end of 2012. One of the key reasons for the growth in consumption is the number of channels launched in these three years. There currently exist 15 Hindi music/youth channels catering to youth (the C&S 15-24 ABC target segment), which had only a count of eight in early 2010.

    Music genre revenues for the year 2012 were in the region of Rs 5.50 – Rs 6 billion with the Hindi Music genre contributing the lion’s share at approximately Rs 4.25 – 4.50 billion. In 2011 this number was around Rs 3.50 – 4 billion and should translate to Rs 4.80 – 5 billion in calendar year 2013.

    I would optimistically call this a significant growth given the nature of the content on a pure play music channel. Music which forms over 90 per cent of the content on any pure play music channel is a generic commodity. Therefore the key differentiator between pure play music channels is the packaging and the presentation by the channel which is the ‘Viewer Experience’.

    Like at 9XM, we give equal attention to content and the on-air presentation. The A Cappella version of Maa Tujhe Salam or the Ganesh special collaboration with Taufiq Quershi or the special rendition of the popular freedom song Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawano Ka aired on 9XM has always resonated well with the viewers giving the channel an edge over other similar pure music channels. With viewers now having the option to choose the channels they want to watch, content may soon become more important than distribution in the digital era and therefore the on-air presentation will play a bigger role in case of pure music channels like ours.

    Another trend in the music broadcasting sector is the launch of regional and niche channels. At 9X Media, we have launched regional channels such as 9X Tashan (the Punjabi music channel) and 9X Jhakaas (Maharashtra’s first Marathi music channel) and have also ventured into the niche category with 9XO (International music channel) and 9X Jalwa (Timeless Bollywood Hits channel). These regional channels get their fair share of loyal viewers thus bringing in ad revenues from regional as well as national clients with regional focus. The niche channels are now part of media plans to target a specific set of consumers who are loyal viewers of such channels. With digitisation, the subscription revenues for such channels are also on the rise.

    In the first phase of digitisation which was restricted only to the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, niche television channels have gained ground. These channels have witnessed an increase in viewership thanks to the higher reach of digital networks. While analog networks had the bandwidth to carry only 80 to 90 channels, digital networks can carry as many as 500 channels.

    Also, broadcasters earlier had to shell out exorbitant carriage fees to cable operators. In the digital era, this fee is expected to drop significantly.

    The implementation of Digital Addressable System (DAS) in the second phase will cover 38 cities. This will positively impact the music television genre on account of increase in viewership driven by increasing Reach and TS (Time Spent) Viewer. This in turn should help to increase genre revenues. Music channels would now be included in Media plans to boost incremental reach along with frequency. Also, as music channels broadly do not operate at high PCS levels like the GECs, with DAS this factor gets negated. Hence, Music channels will witness increased reach.

    2012 also witnessed the change in the programming strategy of some of the music and music + youth channels, with Channel [V] dropping music from its content and MTV lowering the music content substantially. In 2013, we may see more channels going this route because of higher GRP / Revenue potential. Ad sales deals could be CPRP (Cost per Rating Point) driven instead of ER (Effective Rate) driven. However such a business model will need larger break even periods.

  • ‘We are adequately funded by New Silk Route’ : 9X Media business head- new business Punit Pandey

    ‘We are adequately funded by New Silk Route’ : 9X Media business head- new business Punit Pandey

    9X Media has seen its share of ups and downs. Launched in 2007 as INX Media by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, the company started with a Hindi general entertainment channel 9X, a music channel 9XM and later an English news channel NewsX.

     

    Then came the economic slowdown and coupled with problems at management level and fund crisis, the Indian promoters exited after selling off the English news channel.

     

    The new management had a huge task: to reduce debt and turnaround. INX Media sold off 9X to Zee and started focussing on its only success – 9XM.

     

    Today, with a new name, 9X Media, the company has four channels under its ambit. It has also relaunched in the UK.

     

    Indiantelevision.com’s Gaurav Laghate caught up with 9X Media‘s business head- new business Punit Pandey to talk about the turnaround of the company and how it plans to grow further.

     

    Excerpts:

    INX Media was into losses and your Indian promoters exited. Why did New Silk Route agree to fund the music channels while the Hindi GEC 9X was sold to Zee?
    The Hindi GEC did not work and we decided to concentrate all our energies, time and investments on 9XM as it was doing very well right from its day of launch. The turnaround story was around 9XM. NSR as a private equity partner, along with others, assured faith in not only the product but also in the management team.

     

    Fortunately for us and 9XM, they continued to show faith in us. And obviously, we are backed by a strong product and a strong revenue stream as a business model.

     

    NSR continues to partner and fund us and we have delivered on what we were supposed to. Today, we are a zero debt company and adequately funded.

     

    With their funding support, we have launched three more channels over the last seven months. We launched Punjabi music channel Tashan in August, first Marathi music channel Jhakaas in October and recently Jalwaa. We have also relaunched 9XM in UK.

    Weren‘t you planning to first launch the Bengali music channel in the regional space. Why didn‘t it happen?
    While you are at a business plan state, you obviously think of so many things. But if you look at it, we have managed to consolidate 9XM, which is our flagship brand. Then we have also launched three more channels and UK feed.

    And what about the performance of these channels?
    Well, the Punjabi channel has replicated 9XM‘s success across the PHCHP (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh) region and has achieved leadership status in the first week of its launch. So, it has become our second winning product.

     

    Jhakaas and 9XM UK also have been received well. And though Jalwaa was launched just last week, we are getting tremendous response not just from trade but also from consumers that it is looking well.

     

    So we have five operating products.

    But Marathi channel has not picked up yet?
    Jhakaas is not only Maharashtra‘s but India‘s first Marathi music channel. Since it is the only music player, it has been received well. But if your benchmark is going to be what Tashan has achieved in Punjabi, it is never going to be there.

     

    Maharashtra, as a region, is 800 GRP market, and bulk of it is from general entertainment – Marathi as well as Hindi. It is followed by movies and news. And if you see, we have not launched just a channel, but a genre. There was no Marathi music channel before Jhakaas.

     

    Being the first music channel, viewers have to get used to watching a music channel. Considering that, it is doing well as per our expectations. We are interacting with people, and they are liking it. To my view, it has opened well. There is scope to grow.
    “West Bengal is a big market. So is Bhojpuri. But that doesn’t mean that we will launch everywhere. Let’s see, you will hear from us once we are ready to launch“

    Talking about the business model, all your channels are FTA and only advertising lead. No plans for other revenue streams?
    India currently is an ad-led business model and this applies to our channels as well. A large part of our revenue is from advertising, but we have also ventured into selling our merchandise through ecommerce.

     

    We have to build the category. So, we have started merchandising and we have a very strong online presence.

    You have been very bullish on the digital front and all your channels have live streaming. Why?
    Currently, all our offerings and channels are in music space and large part of music consumption also happens on the online platform. So it is important that as a product we are present across all platforms, not just television but online and mobile also.

     

    The idea is to reach out to your consumers, whoever they are and wherever they are and online cuts across that bet.

     

    Online is a very important medium for us and is very visible. We are on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, everywhere.

    But can it be monetised?
    As I said, we have already started ecommerce website; this is our first initiative. And as we move on, we will have revenue lines attached to it also.

     

    But yes, our business is driven by, and will continue to be driven by advertising.

    How will you differentiate between the business models of all the channels?
    Well, all our channels have a business plan and we ensure that we continuously monitor and follow it. That‘s how you see more new products.

     

    Each new product brings in a lot of confidence as to how the product is delivering from the content and business perspective. And that is how you move ahead.

    Which all regional markets you think have potential for another regional music channel? And when is the Bengali channel coming?
    Responding to important markets, we saw that Punjab is a good market and we got into that. Marathi is also a good market. We saw that there is a clear need gap for 25+ audiences, so we launched Jalwaa.

     

    Obviously, West Bengal is a big market. So is Bhojpuri. But that doesn‘t mean that we will launch everywhere. Let‘s see, you will hear from us once we are ready to launch.

    And what about English? 
    English is also an interesting space. I am not saying we are launching, but it should interest a music broadcaster.
  • 2011: Pure music, regional key trends 9X Media head – New Business Punit Pandey

    2011: Pure music, regional key trends 9X Media head – New Business Punit Pandey

    If a picture is worth a thousand words, music is worth millions and the year 2011 helped the industry to generate multi-millions. Year 2011 can be called the year of growth for the music channels. And it is Bollywood that provided some of the most popular numbers to the music television industry in India, which has 49 channels in the genre and is way ahead of other media markets across the world.

    The Hindi music category operates at approximately 245 GRPs and Rs 3.92 billion. From year 2010 there were two distinct categories of music channels seen in the country, the ones that focused more on non music content than music and the ones that focused on pure play music content like 9XM. These Pure Music channels contribute 48 per cent of Hindi music GRPs and 36 per cent of revenue for the genre.

    One of the main reasons for the growth of this genre was the advent of so many new players in this space. With just 10 music channels in 2010, today we have at least 14 channels concentrating on the music genre. The music genre share in the year 2011 increased from 2.5 per cent to 4.2 per cent. This increase of the absolute channel shares can be attributed to trends which were seen prominently in the year 2011.

    The music genre has traditionally been highly fragmented and characterised by low viewership. To hold viewer interest and differentiate themselves, channels keep innovating their programming and content. Continuing from last year, music is no longer the mainstay of music channels. The year 2011 saw these channels experimenting with content and positioning appeal to the audiences. These experimentations included large format reality based shows being launched on channels to expand their viewer base.

    However, the format that has stood the test of time and gets the viewers hooked on was sticking to simple and pure music content. Hence 2011 saw channels returning back to the roots and concentrating on playing pure music as they realised that viewers tune in to music channels for music and not for reality shows which they can watch on GECs.

    Another major trend seen in the year 2011 was the growing importance of the regional markets – Regionalisation of media. Regional channel revenues across all genres are growing at 26 per cent (YOY across Year 2006 – 2010). The revenues recorded for year 2010 was Rs 42 billion across all genres.

    Taking cognizance of the potential of these regional markets, 2011 saw launches specifically made for these regions. We at 9X Media Group forayed into this space with the launch of our very first regional music channel 9X Tashan – a Punjabi music channel that rules the charts and has been the No.1 channel in the space since the very first week of its launch. We also launched 9X Jhakaas – India‘s very first Marathi music channel in 2011.

    The advent of social media and digitalisation has also extended the reach of the channels. Digital platforms and social media have changed the way media is consumed and 2011 saw channels increasingly experimenting with various online strategies and use of social media tools to connect and interact with their target audiences. The content provided on the channel is developed keeping the online viewers in mind and this has been tremendously appreciated by viewers and online users. Today Bollywood music premieres simultaneously on YouTube and On air – that‘s how important this platform is today.

    2011 saw the advent of Mobile TV – the on the move television and with the technological developments like 3G, these platforms have created the larger reach for the music channels and helped the viewers consume content on the move. 9XM is the first music television channel to have a live streaming facility of its on-air content on the official website – www.9xm.in. In fact, we have also extended the live streaming facility across our regional channels – 9X Tashan and 9X Jhakaas.

    Given the interactive ability of the medium to provide direct access to consumers going forward, we see media companies and advertisers leverage this platform to understand consumer behaviour and influence their choices. Content consumption will no longer be restricted to television sets and 2012 will witness a substantial increase in the consumption of music via You Tube and other online sites and via Mobile TV.

    Content development for the regional audiences and focus on innovation of content is another trend that will be seen gaining importance in the upcoming year.