ITV

Tag: Reliance Broadcast Network

  • Big Magic launches Chota Birbal targeting children

    Big Magic launches Chota Birbal targeting children

    MUMBAI: Big Magic is set to strengthen its programming line-up with the launch of a two week special mini-series. As broadcasters believe, content is the king, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to engage with the viewers.

     

    It will soon be extending the popularity of its fictional show Har Mushkil Ka Hal – Akbar Birbal, with a special mini-series Chota Birbal. Airing weeknights at 7 pm it will feature three to four children, under nine years of age, in each episode who will be conversing with the character Birbal played by Vishal Kotian. Children will have to give logical and witty answers to his questions, competing with each other in their own unique child like manner for the title of ‘Chota Birbal’ – the wittiest of all kids. The finale week will see two contestants compete to win the title.

     

    Chota Birbal has been conceptualised as an extension to the historical comedy Har Mushkil Ka Hal – Akbar Birbal. Commenting on the launch, Reliance Broadcast Network COO television business Lavneesh Gupta opines: “Abkar-Birbal stories have been the epitome of intelligence and wit. Extending the lineage of the very famous folktales, we present this mini-series as part of our constant endeavor to expand our offerings and providing the best mix of comedy entertainment. The responses of kids to questions posed by Birbal, will ensure it makes for an endearing and hilarious watch, for kids and adults alike, while providing an excellent property for marketers to ride on.”

     

    The launch of the show is supported with an extensive marketing campaign across television, radio, digital, on ground and more, ensuring deeper reach across the markets.

  • RBNL appoints Ajit Singh as national sales head – SME

    RBNL appoints Ajit Singh as national sales head – SME

    MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network has appointed Ajit Singh as national sales head, SME. Singh will spearhead the sales function with SME clients across the radio and TV businesses.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network national business head – 92.7 Big FM Ashwin Padmanabhan said, “We are delighted to welcome Ajit into the RBNL family. Ajit brings to the organisation a keen sense of setting up and operationalising new businesses, we are confident that under Ajit’s leadership the SME vertical will flourish and grow.”

     

    Singh has over 11 years of work experience across sales, product development, compliance, new branch distribution management including break-even across the banking and insurance industry while working across different client segments.

     

    Singh said, “I believe the Media and Entertainment industry will grow at a good pace and there will be immense opportunities for learning and growth during my stint here. My agenda will be to build the company’s respectability and partnership with new and existing SME clients, while making the brand experience more enjoyable. I’m looking forward to carrying forward the fantastic work at Reliance Broadcast Network.”

  • Medimix is presenting sponsor for Har Mushkil Ka Hal -Akbar Birbal

    Medimix is presenting sponsor for Har Mushkil Ka Hal -Akbar Birbal

    MUMBAI: Medimix Face Wash has come on board as presenting sponsor for India’s first Historical Comedy – HarMushkilKa Hal Akbar Birbalon Big Magic. Akbar Birbal stories have a timeless appeal across generations and this latest addition to the programming assortment of the Channel supported with a high decibel multi-media campaign synergises excellently with Medimix Face Wash’s endeavor to further brand reach.

     
    The popularity of the show and its potential to work excellently with Indian audiences, its novel format of presentation, the extensive reach of the campaign across the Hindi speaking belt, the multiple formats engaged for the campaign – across television, radio, outdoor, cinemas, on ground, social media and more, and most importantly the reach of the Channel, to the even the LC1 markets through its availability on DD Free Dish, and the audience overlap, made it the perfect platform to ride on creating the partnership.

    Mr. Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Television Business, Reliance Broadcast Network said in a statement, “The holistic media campaign for the show HarMushkilKa Hal Akbar Birbal provides for an excellent opportunity for brands looking for widespread depth in reach across multiple touch points. With both brand objectives in congruence, it just makes for the perfect partnership. It continues to remain our endeavor to offer audiences with superlative entertainment and marketers with properties that they can ride on to meet their business objectives.”

    Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Anish Rajan who is heading the marketing function in Cholayil Pvt Ltd said “Akbar Birbal requires no introduction and we are confident about the comedy entertainment quotient it will offer. With the 360 multi-media marketing plan that has been introduced to promote this high impact property across HSMs, we are assured of an excellent platform to amplify our brand promise as India’s most trustedAyurvedic personal care brand.”

    BIG MAGIC is available across key DTH players ranging Airtel, Videocon, DD Free Dish, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV along with Hathway, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

  • Big Magic Bihar & Jharkhand inks DTH deal with Dish TV

    Big Magic Bihar & Jharkhand inks DTH deal with Dish TV

    MUMBAI: As part of its distribution-strengthening strategy, BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand the regional entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, inks distribution deal with Dish TV becoming available on Channel No. 814. Available on the base pack, this move adds 8mn million Dish TV subscribers to BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand’s reach as it reaches out to a larger Diaspora across India.

     
    Backed with an aggressive distribution plan and an endeavor to reach its rich regionally rooted content, to discerning audiences across the country, Dish TV – India’s premier and largest DTH platform was the most natural choice. This deal marks the beginning of a robust expansion plan as the Channel is close to inking deals with other leading DTH players, in addition to an extremely robust local distribution network already in place.

     
    With an eclectic content mix that encompasses a wide slate ranging fiction, crime, reality, music, devotion, movies and mythology, tailored to offer a wholesome family viewing experience, the Channel is primed to get a huge loyal audience base instantly. Viewers can now savour television shows coated with the regional flavor ranging Police Files, Hindustan ka Big Star, Bhojpuri Films, Big Memsaab and upcoming reality shows Big Folk Star and Big Bahuria.

     
    The Channel said in a statement, “We are a leading player in the regional market and have delivered excellent performance. We see a huge opportunity in catering to a larger Diaspora and our endeavor is to reach our content mix to the discerning audiences spread across the length and breadth of India. Dish TV is a perfect partner to begin the exercise with, from here-on we will increase footprint through strengthened distribution across platforms.”

     
    BIG Magic Bihar and Jharkhand is currently available on Hathway, Incable, Manthan, Digicable, GTPL, Siti Cable, Maurya, DEN and other all independent operators.

     

  • Maxus India brings on board Anand Chakravarthy as West Head

    Maxus India brings on board Anand Chakravarthy as West Head

    MUMBAI: Maxus today announced the appointment of Anand Chakravarthy as West Head. Anand will report into Kartik Sharma, Managing Director, Maxus South Asia, will be leading the region from the Mumbai office. Some of the clients under his supervision are Vodafone, L’Oreal, Tata Sky, Colors and Fiat Motors.

     

    Commenting on Anand’s appointment, Kartik Sharma, MD, Maxus South Asia said, “We are excited to have a senior leader from the industry in the Maxus team. Anand comes with a rich and varied experience across categories and brands, not to mention his immense knowledge of working with one of the country’s largest media and entertainment brands. We are confident he will push the PACE agenda for Maxus and help our team deliver the 10/10 vision for our clients.”

     

    Speaking on his appointment, Anand Chakravarthy, West Head, Maxus said, “As a marketing and broadcast media professional, I have watched Maxus emerge as a thought leader in a dramatically changing media environment. The opportunity to be part of this winning team and help create value for an enviable portfolio of clients is an exceptionally exciting opportunity I look forward to.” 

     

     Prior to joining Maxus he was the Executive Vice President Marketing at Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd & Business Head for the Big CBS TV Network. He has been part of the Executive Committee at Reliance Broadcast Network since its inception in 2006. Anand was instrumental in building the organization, from a start up to a multi-media entity today with play across Radio, Live Entertainment and Television.

     

    Prior to joining RBNL, Anand was Associate Vice President, Strategic Planning at LOWE, where he crafted communication & brand strategies for several Unilever brands like Surf Excel, Wheel, Vim, Domex, as well as financial brands like HSBC, ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, IL&FS and Tata Mutual Fund. Anand started his career with Research International, a part of WPP’s KANTAR Group, specializing in quantitative & qualitative research. At Research International he worked on multiple categories like foods, household & personal care products, consumer durables & automobiles.

  • Lavneesh Gupta appointed as RBNL’s COO for its TV biz

    Lavneesh Gupta appointed as RBNL’s COO for its TV biz

    MUMBAI: It seems Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL) wants to really take its television business a notch higher. The company today announced a key appointment at the top level. Lavneesh Gupta has been brought on board as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for RBNL’s television business. As part of his new portfolio, Gupta will be responsible for building on consumer insights to create robust content and marketing strategies and drive channel performance. He will report to Tarun Katial, CEO of Reliance Broadcast Network.

    Gupta is an alumnus of IIT and over the last 16 years has worked across leading brands in the BFSI industry including Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO and Tata AIG to Max Life and IndusInd Bank. He is excited about his new innings in the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry. He believes that the industry will grow at a good pace in terms of its Compound Annual Growth Rate during the next few years and there will be ample opportunities for learning and growth.

    Prior to joining RBNL, Gupta was working with IndusInd Bank as executive vice president & head, Bancassurance and New Branch Distribution. He was responsible for the life and general insurance revenues across 500 branch outlets and the overall P&L of 150 new branches, which were launched during the last financial year.

     

    On his appointment at RBNL, Gupta said, “RBNL is among India’s most vibrantly growing organisations and I am excited about my new role here. The company has an exceptional potential for growth and I look forward to working with the team at RBNL to make this vision a reality.”

    RBNL CEO Katial too is very happy to have got somebody with such a good experience. He said, “Lavneesh’s vast experience and in-depth market understanding makes him an asset to the organisation. We are happy to have him on board and are confident of him leading the television business through the next growth phase.”

  • Big magic beefs up its weekday prime time programming with kis din mera viyah hovega

    Big magic beefs up its weekday prime time programming with kis din mera viyah hovega

    MUMBAI: BIG MAGIC, the flagship general entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network, is on an aggressive spree to intensify the content and programming lineup on the channel. Targeted at the 15- to 35-year-old SEC ABC females and males across Hindi-speaking markets, the adaptation of a popular Pakistani sitcom of the same name – Kis Din Mera Viyah Hovega promises to enthrall today’s progressive audiences. Produced under the banner of BIG Production, this witty sitcom is all set to premiere on BIG MAGIC on Monday, 25th November at 9.30pm.

    Kis Din Mera Viyah Hovega is a situational comedy and comprises of an eclectic mix of unusual characters, a captivating storyline and rib-tickling humour. All set to add more laughter and entertainment to the lives of Indian viewers, this refreshing new offering showcases the lives of the members of the Choudhary household and their biggest fixation – marriage. All the members of the family are desperate to get married but owing to their amusing obsessions and a juxtaposition of circumstances they all land up in a hilarious mismatch. Amidst all the confusion of finding a suitable match and getting married, one question which lingers on every character’s mind is- kis din mera viyah hovega!

    This character driven sitcom enjoyed immense popularity in Pakistan with 3 successful seasons. Mr. Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Big Magic states, “With Big Magic expanding its footprint across HSMs, it is our constant endeavor to bring forth a variety of fresh and intriguing content to the viewers with every new offering. Close on the heels of our previous adaptation Nadaniyaan, we are certain that this family entertainer Kis Din Mera Viyah Hovega will attract more viewers to the channel and be a great value proposition to consumers and advertisers alike.”

    Comedy being the genre that resonates well with audience across age groups, the channel acquired the rights of the sitcom Kis Din Mera Viyah Hovega after in-depth research and has adapted the same accordingly for the Indian masses. Big Magic has grown within a very short period of time to become a favorite among a larger audience beyond central India (which it was initially catering to). With its footprint expanding across HSMs, the new shows are aimed at a larger cross-section of audiences. With a larger viewer base to entertain, the channel is ensuring its programming is tailored to suit relevant entertainment penchants.

  • Parle-G comes on board Reliance broadcast networks big junior star

    Parle-G comes on board Reliance broadcast networks big junior star

    MUMBAI: Parle-G has come on board as presenting sponsors for BIG Junior Star, a unique property that showcases the best young talent, across the core Hindi markets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. To be aired as a show on BIG MAGIC and amplified across BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand and radio network 92.7 BIG FM, this talent encouragement platform is targeted at young children between the ages of 8-15 years and has no caveats for the talent that the children wish to showcase. The show will be created into a 40 episode special which will air each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The campaign kicking off this October will culminate in March 2014. It has been Parle G’s endeavor to encourage curiosity and overall development in children, in fact their recent campaign Roko Mat Toko Mat stands testimony, add to this tier II markets have been earmarked as key markets. On the other hand BIG MAGIC’s property idea of a kids talent hunt not limiting formats of entry, its expansive network and focusing on the tier II markets – the synergies made for an excellent partnership.

    This first ever unique children’s talent reality show, will also feature child celebrities promoting the show through special appearances. Radio spots will share special tips for kids’ holistic growth, featuring experts interacting with listeners. An extension of the property also sees the Curious Kid contest, where during the on ground programs kids will be encouraged to ask curious questions and the most curious ones win prizes.

    Mr. Pravin Kulkarnii, GM-Marketing, Parle Products said, “We are glad to be associated with one of Reliance Group’s popular channel, BIG Magic. With the channel now being aired across all major cities in India and becoming popular amongst its target audience, we are certain that our association with their upcoming show, BIG Junior Star will help us take forward the brand ideology of Parle G.”

    Mr. Mayank Shah, Group Product Manager, Parle Products commented, “With our alliance with BIG Junior Star we are looking forward to elevate the ideology of our campaign Roko Mat, Toko Mat and strengthen our connection with the newer generation of parents and children. This platform will help us focus in bringing out natural curiosity in kids, encourage their desire to try new things, experiment and learn from their mistakes. We want them to realize that they can learn everywhere and from everything and that school is beyond just books and classrooms.”

    Mr. Sunil Kumaran, Business Head – BIG MAGIC, said, “BIG Junior Star is our latest property which aims at encouraging talent amongst kids, in markets beyond the metros. We are happy to have Parle-G as our presenting sponsor for this initiative. With an interactive format and a diverse platform of categories, we are confident that BIG Junior Star will garner mass appeal, engaging excellently with our target audience – kids.”

    BIG Junior Star will see an extensive multi-media marketing push across the platforms of television, radio, digital, outdoor, on ground – through school and residential welfare association contact programs and road shows. BIG Junior Star will go on air from January, 2014 on BIG MAGIC AND BIG MAGIC BIHAR JHARKHAND

  • 12 hour Laughathon with Nadaniyaan on Big Magic

    12 hour Laughathon with Nadaniyaan on Big Magic

    MUMBAI: Big Magic, the flagship GEC from Reliance Broadcast Network is taking newer approach to stay connected to their audience. On 27 October, get set for a laughter indulgence the channel is all geared up to showcase, The Nadaniyaan Laughaton,a special treat for fans of the popular situational comedy show – Nadaniyaan. It will be a 12-hour non-stop entertainment (8:00 am – 8:00 pm).

    Talking about the initiative, the channel’s business head Sunil Kumaran says, “Sundays are days when television viewers seek complete light family entertainment. To appeal the entire family, we conceptualised this special Sunday content.”

    The programming has been designed to increase reach and sampling, says Sunil Kumaran

    Anchored by none other than popular actor-comedian Krushna Abhishek, this special marathon will air the best Nadaniyaan episodes. Says Krushna, “I am very excited to be anchoring a laughathon on Big Magic. Nadaniyaan is a hilarious sitcom and I personally enjoy watching the show. This is the first time I am doing something like this and it has been a wonderful experience. I am certain that this Sunday is going to be a fun-filled one.”

    Nadaniyaan… Teen Nadaano Ki Kahaniyaan is a dialogue-based situational comedy that revolves around the lives of the Verma family featuring Naman Verma aka Nandu, his wife Chandini and his brother Pushkar Verma aka Pappu. A self-proclaimed writer, a push-over wife and a clumsy younger brother; this nadaan family constantly lands each other in amusing situations with plenty of misunderstandings, crazy pranks and comic characters.

    Kumaran adds, “Nadaniyaan has the right mix of comedy and makes for perfect Sunday television entertainment. Krishna’s was a perfect fit for the show given his experience in the comedy genre. The programming has been designed to increase reach and sampling. Additionally, we will have Krishna’s fans who will further augment viewership.”

    In the past, many GECs have tried this stint but haven’t been able to click with the audience well.

  • Close Big Magic launches multi-media marketing campaign across HSM

    Close Big Magic launches multi-media marketing campaign across HSM

    MUMBAI: Big Magic, the flagship GEC from Reliance Broadcast Network, which recently expanded its reach across Hindi speaking markets and announced a slew of new shows and now kicked off with a multi-media marketing campaign.

     

    The two-month comprehensive and integrated campaign sees a mix of traditional and non-traditional media across television, cinema screens, radio and digital. With a marketing mix that connects with consumers across touch points through the day, will be spread across external media platforms, while also optimising the company’s internal media muscle to ensure mileage. The campaign kick-started last week will run until the end of November.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Big Magic business head Sunil Kumaran said, “We are rolling out the marketing campaign now that we have our distribution and content in place.  This will give a strong impetus to the good growth we are witnessing on the channel.  We have created an integrated multi-media campaign ensuring we connect with our audiences through multiple touch points.  We are using TV extensively along with Radio, Cinema and Digital to ensure that we reach out to a large base of audience in a short time.”

     

    With a communication built to convey the availability of the channel in more geographies and fresh and newer content, the campaign is aimed at garnering greater eyeballs for its differentiated content. The creative idea is to make Big Magic the destination for the best Hindi television entertainment with a mix of drama, comedy and more.

     

    An exhaustive plan including using television channels ranging music, movie and news, cinema screens across the cities, effective promos on radio, and an engaging digital plan, the campaign has been designed to attract newer audiences and encourage sampling. Ensuring the company’s internal media strengths are part of the plan, 92.7 BIG FM, Spark Punjabi, Big RTL Thrill and Big Magic Bihar & Jharkhand will also be effectively used as part of the plan.

     

    The media mix is designed to deliver maximum impact. Given the audience profile of BIG MAGIC, media selection has been made keeping in the mind the lifestyle and habits of the female television viewer.