ITV

Tag: Star Majha

  • IBN Lokmat Q3 net loss at Rs 30 million

    IBN Lokmat Q3 net loss at Rs 30 million

    MUMBAI: IBN Lokmat continues to be in losses even as it is close to completing three years.

    A joint venture between IBN18 and Lokmat Group, the Marathi news channel has posted a net loss of Rs 30 million for the three-month period ended December 2010. IBN Lokmat had reported a net loss of Rs 40 million in the year-ago period and Rs 60 million in the trailing quarter.

    Revenue has gone up to Rs 50 million, up from Rs 40 million in the year-ago period, as it coincided with the festive season. In the trailing quarter, the company reported a revenue of Rs 30 million.  
         
    IBN Lokmat has not been able to limit quarter expenses, which are at Rs 70 million in the quarter. The figure was same in the year-ago period as well as in the trailing quarter.

    The channel, however, reduced its Ebitda loss to Rs 20 million from Rs 30 million in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal and Rs 40 million in the trailing quarter.

    IBN Lokmat was launched in March 2008 and faces tough competition from both Zee 24 Taas and Star Majha.
     

  • IBN Lokmat revenue stagnates, net loss widens

    IBN Lokmat revenue stagnates, net loss widens

    MUMBAI: Raghav Bahl is finding the regional language news space a tough nut to crack. Even after spending more than two years in the market, IBN Lokmat is in operating losses while revenue is showing signs of stagnating.

    Set up as the joint venture of IBN18 and Lokmat Group, the Marathi news channel has posted a net loss of Rs 60 million for the three-month period ended September 2010. IBN Lokmat had reported a net loss of Rs 50 million in the year-ago period and Rs 40 million in the trailing quarter.   
         
      Revenue has stagnated at Rs 30 million compared to the year-ago period. In the trailing quarter, the company reported a revenue of Rs 40 million.

    IBN Lokmat has not been able to limit quarter expenses, which are at Rs 70 million in the quarter (from Rs 60 million in earlier year).

    IBN Lokmat incurred an Ebitda loss of Rs 40 million in the fiscal‘s second quarter, higher than the earlier year period and trailing quarter (Rs 30 million).

    IBN Lokmat was launched in March 2008 and faces tough competition from both Zee 24 Taas and Star Majha.

  • Star Majha to celebrate first anniversary with best of the shows

    Star Majha to celebrate first anniversary with best of the shows

    MUMBAI: Marathi news channel Star Majha is completing its first year on 22 June.

    The channel is celebrating its first anniversary with special programmes from archives over the year.

    On Sunday, Star Majha will air the best episodes of: Dev Majha, Saat-Baarachya Batmyaa, Remote Majha, Katta, Khel Majha, Bouncer, Dhentedeng and East West.

    Star Majha claims that it has covered all issues relating to public including politics, sports, entertainment, culture, education, career, real estate and yoga.

    Some of the popular programmes of Star Majha in one year have been: Dhentedeng, So Kool, Abhyaas Majha Dahavicha, Happy Homes, Khamang, Khel Majha.

  • Star Majha to launch ‘So Kool’ on real life heroes

    Star Majha to launch ‘So Kool’ on real life heroes

    MUMBAI: Marathi news channel Star Majha is set to premiere a 30-minute programme So Kool from 7 June for its prime time band at 8 pm. The show will share the success stories of varied personalities.

    Hindi and Marathi film actress Sonali Kulkarni will host the show.

    So Kool will air every Saturday at 8 pm and will see a repeat telecast every Sunday at 10.30 am. The show will share the success stories of varied personalities, an official statement said.

    The guest in the show will be people from everyday life who have worked on their passion. They have achieved success and fame in their careers but at the same time stayed away from the limelight. These personalities from different career backgrounds will share the secret of their success. They will be interviewed at their workplaces which could be a farm, a set, a vineyard.

    Some of the personalities who will be interviewed on So Kool include Sharad Kapuskar, creator of the Shivaji Maharaj group sculpture at Juhu Beach, Mumbai; Rajeev Samant, owner of Sula Wines; Sarang Kulkarni, developer of the Scuba Diving Center at Malvan; Bhau Katdare, who runs the Tortoise Rehabilitation Center at Harihareshwar; and Nitin Desai, a art director and production designer.

  • IBN-Lokmat soft launches, commercial launch on 6 April

    IBN-Lokmat soft launches, commercial launch on 6 April

    MUMBAI: IBN-Lokmat, the the GBN-Lokmat joint venture’s Marathi news channel, began its test signals and soft-launched on some cable networks in the city this evening. However, the channel will see its commercial launch on 6 April.

    IBN-Lokmat editor Nikhil Wagle says, “We are launching on Gudi Padwa (New Year as per Marathi calendar) as it is an auspicious day for the ‘Marathi Manoos’ (Marathi speaking people).”

    The channel will be available on cable networks in the state from 6 am on Sunday and will show many special programmes throughout the launch day.

    “We have a one-and-a-half hour exclusive interview with Sachin Tendulkar in Marathi in addition to our other offerings,” says Wagle.

    IBN-Lokmat has 13 fully functional bureaux and will also be using Lokmat’s reporters. IBN-Lokmat will join Zee 24 Taas and Star Majha in a market that currently generates under Rs 600 million in annual revenues.

  • Ashok Venkatramani joins MCCS as CEO

    Ashok Venkatramani joins MCCS as CEO

    NEW DELHI: Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS), the joint venture company between ABP Ltd and Star Group, has appointed Ashok Venkatramani as CEO.

    Venkataramani comes in from Hindustan Unilever Ltd, where he was VP for the skin care division.

    MCCS which houses Star News, Star Majha and Star Ananda was operating headless for almost a year after Uday Shankar shifted to Star India as COO (he later became CEO).

    MCCS Chairman Aveek Sarkar said, “We are delighted to get Ashok on board MCCS. His remarkable successes in FMCG marketing and business clearly demonstrate that Ashok has an acute sense of the consumer pulse.”

    Venkatramani said, “Television is an extremely exciting medium for a marketing person, offering as it does the opportunity to connect with the audience directly and at several levels in the same space and moment.

    “It allows for more nuanced communication, which is a marketing person’s delight. At the same time, with so many channels proliferating, it is a challenging task to keep ahead of the market as MCCS has successfully done, while driving revenues and growing profitably.” 

    Venkatramani has been working for HUL for more than 18 years. He has worked in most parts of the business, in the HUL foods division as well as the home and personal care businesses, in sales, marketing and general management role.

  • Time for global news in Marathi

    With national news broadcasters feeling the need to expand into regional markets, it is the Marathi space that is grabbing their attention.Joining Zee 24-Taas and Star Majha in the fight for the 120 million TV viewers of Maharashtra will soon be IBN-Lokmat, the Marathi news channel from the GBN-Lokmat joint venture (JV) company.

    So, is the Marathi TV news market getting cluttered or will there will be a slice of the cake big enough for them?

    For starters, let us look at the fight between the two existing channels – Zee 24-Taas and Star Majha, the eight-month-old channel from the JV between the ABP group and Star.

    Star Majha is leading the race by far, stepping ahead since its second month of launch (See table for channel share).

    Channel Share 2007 (%)
    Channel Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    Star Majha 30 56 56 58 59 63 58
    Zee 24 Taas 70 44 44 42 41 37 42
    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System, Maharashtra Market, CS 15+

    The gap has widened in 2008 with Star Majha enjoying a higher channel share (See table).

    Channel Share 2008 (%)
    Channel WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4 WK 5 WK 6 WK 7
    Star Majha 70 69 69 65 77 78 75
    Zee 24 Taas 30 31 31 35 23 22 25
    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System, Maharashtra Market, CS 15+

    Zee 24-Taas explains its slip to distribution issues. “In terms of reach, we are less than half of that of Star Majha. There are issues that involve revamping the deals with cable operators,” says Zee 24-Taas news head Ravikant Mittal.

    Mittal, however, claims viewers spend more time on the channel than on Star Majha. “Though our reach is limited, a viewer spends about 33 minutes on our channel as compared to the 26 minutes on Star Majha. We have faith in our content,” he adds.

    In terms of content, Zee 24-Taas claims of being a regional channel with national outlook and an international look, whereas Star Majha says it is a national news channel in Marathi.

    “The reason for our growth is that we know our viewers like to see global news in their mother tongue. That is what we are providing them – world-class news in their own language,” maintains Star Majha editor Rajiv Khandekar.

    IBN-Lokmat is looking at a different positioning. Says editorial director Nikhil Wagle, “Ours will be a global news channel in Marathi language; we are not regional players.”

    IBN-Lokmat is banking on a large infrastructure network to cover the state. Says Wagle, “We will have 13 bureaux spread across the state. We are also going to have the latest technology to support our news flow.”

    Zee 24-Taas has a network of eight bureaux and 30 stringers across Maharashtra while Star Majha has six bureaux. For news outside Maharashtra, both rely on their national news networks.

    The Marathi news channels agree that the needs of the local viewers are different. They cannot be fobbed off with infotainment; what they look for is hardcore news – be it regional, national or international. For informative entertainment, they have the option of tuning in to other Marathi and Hindi general entertainment channels.

    “More competition will prompt us to bring quality to our viewers,” says Wagle.

    As far as revenue is concerned, Zee 24-Taas and Star Majha claim to have roped in a long list of advertisers. Says Mittal, “We have every big advertiser with us. Maharashtra being a big and financially important state, it is natural to see ad growth.”

    Agrees Khandekar, “30 per cent of all the GRPs of national Hindi news channels come from Maharashtra. With the kind of ratings and programming we have, revenue is kicking in.”

    The climate may get spoilt with the entry of IBN-Lokmat. The size of the Marathi TV news market isn‘t big enough, with estimates putting it at under Rs 600 million. Besides the two dedicated satellite news channels, there is ETV Marathi which runs a popular band of news slots and DD Sahyadri.

    The channels, however, feel that the size of the pie will only grow with more entrants. Says Mittal, “The space is not cluttered; it can fit in more players.”

  • Star Majha launches shows on real estate, investments

    Star Majha launches shows on real estate, investments

    MUMBAI: Star Majha, the 24-hour national news channel in Marathi, is all set to premiere two new shows beginning 2 March for its afternoon time band. Of these, Happy Homes will be on housing and real estate, and Paisa Zala Motha on investments.

    Happy Homes, which will hit the screens every Sunday at 1 pm, will see a repeat telecast at 11 am every Saturday. Paisa Zala Motha will air at 4:30 pm every Sunday and have a same day repeat telecast at 11.30 pm.

    Happy Home will give information on the real estate sector, along with advice on various housing-related aspects like Vastu, home improvement, interior decoration, etc. Suhas Paranjpe, accompanied by industry experts, will host the show.

    Paisa Zala Motha will discuss IPOs and all kinds of investments and planning. Anchor Nilesh Khare, along with industry experts, will shed light on different kinds of asset managements – equity, mutual funds and fixed deposits. Weekly report and review on forthcoming IPOs, MFs, loans, tax-saving measures, etc. will be discussed on the show.

    Start Majha is working hard on its programming front and claims to cater to everyone in a family. Apart from Batmya (news), it has a series for school-goers Abhyaas Majha (My studies); a series for well-being Yoga Majha; a cookery series Khamang, etc.

    Speaking about the new programmes, a company spokesperson said, “The new shows Happy Homes, and Paisa Zala Motha have been launched after a thorough research on what the viewers wish to view in the afternoon time-slot, and will be fun and informative.”

  • Star Majha celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with ‘Bappa Majha’

    MUMBAI: Star Majha has launched a special series ‘Bappa Majha’ on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The 15-day series will have regular highlights, updates and pandal coverage across the state.

    The channel will feature ‘Aarti’ of two prominent pandal or temples on a daily basis. Besides, it will have special feature recipes of festive delicacies and sweets along with celebrity participation and expert tips. As a part of the special series, the channel will give updates on shopping and special offers in the market. The ‘Visarjan’ will be covered by the channel.

    To boost the excitement, Star Majha has also launched a contest ‘Stat Bappa Sarvottam Ganpati Spardha’ to select the best pandals in the state.

    The special programme and the contest are also available in the internet edition of the 24-hour Marathi channel.

  • Star adds Marathi news channel, eyes more

    MUMBAI: Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS), the joint venture between Star and ABP Group, has decided to roll out a slew of regional news channels ahead of an English news channel launch.

    The company is launching the Marathi-language news channel, Star Majha (My Star), on 22 June. MCCS already operates Star News and Star Ananda in Hindi and Bengali.

    “We are going to launch more news channels in the regional space as they are mass-based. We, however, haven’t yet firmed up our plans on the markets we are going to launch next,” says MCCS vice president Barun Das.

    Star Majha’s tag line is ‘Open your eyes, Look closely’. There will also be an official website for the channel, www.starmajha.com.

    The news channel will initially be free to air (FTA). With 17 bureaus spread all over Maharasthra, Star Majha will leverage the strengths of Star News for national content and the Fox and Sky network for international news.

    The youngest sibling in the bouquet will stay with the image of being a “people’s” channel. It will focus on issues and not just events with the core target audience in the age group between 22-35 years.

    The channel will have a “Maharashtra-centric” approach and highlight the “modern and new outlook of every Marathi.” It will cover a variety of shows on politics, sports, entertainment, culture, education, career, real estate, religion, yoga, astrology and lifestyle.

    Commenting on the requirement of another news channel in the already cluttered market, Das has this to offer. “Hindi news channel viewership has doubled over last year, which clearly indicates that there is huge appetite for news. It does not create fatigue unlike the general entertainment channels. The definition of news is also changing. Anything that is relevant and contemporary is news and even news shows on saas-bahu serials in the afternoon slot is almost like a prime time band.” 

    Says Star India CEO Uday Shankar, “Maharashtra is at the forefront of reshaping the Indian society and economy and Star Majha is a new age channel for the new age Maharashtrian. Given the pattern of growing demand the launch of a specialized Marathi news channel of this nature is a natural requirement for the region.”

    The Marathi news space is going to see a flood of launches including TV 18 Group which has signed a joint venture with Lokmat Group, and Hyderabad-based TV9. Early this year, Zee launched 24 Tas.