ITV

Tag: Subhash Chandra

  • Digitisation has enhanced industry’s transparency levels: Zeel annual report

    Digitisation has enhanced industry’s transparency levels: Zeel annual report

    MUMBAI: In June 2013, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel) unveiled its new corporate identity ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

     

    It was inspired by ‘The World is my Family’ philosophy with an all-new positioning which creatively integrated and crafted with the brand logo. The annual report of the media and entertainment conglomerate for 2013-14 incorporates its ‘One Zee, One Anthem’ philosophy.

     

    The vibrant and stakeholder-friendly annual report gives an insight into the media house highlighting how its reach and viewership share has grown from strength to strength.

     

    Zee’s evolution as a global media brand is vindicated by its 730+ million viewers across 169 countries. This apart, it also added one more channel, Zindagi, to its list taking the toll to 33 for its domestic channels. Zindagi, launched on 23 June, showcases content from Pakistan and has the tagline ‘Jodey Dilon Ko’. It also launched another brand ‘&’.

     

    With the strategy to offer specific content to relevant markets, the powerhouse also added two more international channels to its kitty – Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand. It is pushing boundaries forward to realise its vision of being a leading global media powerhouse by the year 2020.

     

    Apart from this, the company also launched Zee Music Company entering into the country’s Rs 960 crore music market.

     

    The three key value drivers for brand Zee are pioneering, prudent and predictability. And these have helped it contribute 26 per cent of the corporate brand to the enterprise value as of 31 March 2014.

     

    In the last five years, Zee’s revenues grew at 15.30 per cent CAGR. The consolidated revenue during FY 2014 grew by 20 per cent y-o-y to Rs 46,024 million.

     

    In a message to shareholders, Zeel chairman Dr Subhash Chandra highlights that even though there is a question mark on India’s domestic growth and there persists a general climate of pessimism, the company’s experience and expertise has helped it grow and overcome roadblocks to unleash their creativity.

     

    “Digitisation has been instrumental in enhancing the industry’s transparency levels. The phase I and II roll out restructured the industry’s standards. With consumers ready to pay for quality content, complete digitisation will entail multiple benefits, such as industry growth, transparency and increased ARPUs for industry players,” he said in the annual report.

     

    54 per cent of revenue is generated through advertisements while 63 per cent of the total distribution expense comes from operational cost.

     

    Zeel MD and CEO Punit Goenka spoke about the future of India’s M&E industry. “Currently valued at Rs 417 billion, it poised to reach Rs 885 billion by 2018 as per the latest KPMG report. Zee will continue to raise the bar in terms of content innovation, operational excellence and global footprint to sustain its industry leadership.”

     

    With the total strength of more than 2200 people at the company, the annual report shares views of other management teams as well as outsiders like Shahrukh Khan, Sam Balsara, Rishi Jaitly among many others.

     

    The 32nd annual general meeting of the company will be held on 18 July at 11 am in Nehru Auditorium in Mumbai.

     

    Annual reports are not just numbers; they are a piece of handiwork through which a company can promote itself, its prospects to its various stakeholders.  AICL Communications is in-charge of making Zeel’s report more interactive rather than just plain vanilla.

  • Lights, camera, action: The hunt is on again

    Lights, camera, action: The hunt is on again

    MUMBAI: Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but when has that ever stopped anyone from dreaming big?

     

    One look around ourselves and there are enough and more examples of people who rose above and broke the various shackles which restraints one to fly high. Take one-time rice packer from Haryana Subhash Chandra, for instance, who was written off by many but rose from the ashes like a Phoenix to prove his critics wrong.

     

    Maybe that is why the country’s largest Media & Entertainment powerhouse he built from the scratch believes in giving people a platform to make their dreams, a reality. The country which has unlimited talent pool has suddenly discovered it all thanks to non-fictional shows. Today everyone can dance, sing or act!

     

    From Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa years ago to recent Dance India Dance, Zee has launched numerous platforms for people to awe the world with its gift. But the ultimate goal for many who come here is to be seen not only on the small screen but the big screen as well. In a country where films are churned out every Friday, everyone wants to be a Shah Rukh Khan or a Madhuri Dixit.

     

    So, get your act together, Zee is back with Cinestar Ki Khoj. The non-fiction show will once again see the actor in all come to life as millions will be auditioned across the country to get the big ticket.

     

    The show which has had two seasons earlier in 2004 and 2006 (this one, not so successful) will give a break not only to the channel but people as well who have had an overdose of DID. “We wanted to bring something new to the platform which was/is homegrown and part of our DNA,” says the channel’s programming head Namit Sharma.

     

    Agrees a media planner who says that it was a good decision by the channel as the viewers had enough of dance and singing on the small screen.

     

    One had to go through four layers of filtration at the auditions, which took place in 18 cities across the country, only to be selected as top 16 and judged by Vijay Krishna Acharya aka Victor and Sonali Bendre. The new judges on the show will have a helping hand with a new mentor or ‘Bollywood buddy’ from the industry. The first ‘buddy’ is none other than Parineeti Chopra who will be seen in the first two episodes followed by Ayushman Khurana.

     

    The actors revealed so far by the channel were chosen because of their non-filmy background. Interestingly, Khurana was rejected on the same platform in 2003 when he auditioned to enter the world of glamour. 

     

    On his being rejected then, Khurana says, “Today’s Bollywood is very different from that of 10 years ago. It’s experimenting not only with scripts but star cast as well. It’s the golden era and there are a lot of opportunities for the talent.”

     

    The winners who will have to showcase their talent in comedy, drama, dancing etc will get a chance to appear as lead actors in a film for which the channel is already in talks with various production houses.

     

    “We want to shape the talent and give it a future,” says Sharma.

     

    The marketing of the show is divided into three phases. The first promos reveal the judges and the two mentors. The next will be to reveal the 16 contestants.

     

    The show is a big property for the channel and hence, is demanding a high ad rate as well. As per sources, the channel is asking for a premium rate (around Rs 2 lakh) for a 10 second ad slot whereas its other offerings have gone for a lakh or so. “Although, one would think that the long gap and Zee’s fresh approach will help it rake in the moolah but that may not be the case. Given the current slot ratings, I don’t think advertisers will be ready to shell out so much especially during mid-season,” says a planner.

     

    Cera Sanitaryware is the title sponsor whereas the show will be powered by Glam-Up. We Chat is the technology partner while a couple of associate sponsors have also come on board. The channel aims to generate around 60-80 crore from the property.

     

    “The format has to be interesting enough for people to watch. Even though Ankita Lokhande came into limelight with Cinestar Ki Khoj, people don’t really remember the show, but know of Ankita because of the work she did post the talent hunt. So, the channel needs to keep this in mind,” opines the media planner while stating that the show should be able to get the ratings the channel is expecting from it.

     

     The show which will run for 13 weeks will go on air from 5 July, every weekend at 9 pm.

  • Zee’s healthy gift to Middle East

    Zee’s healthy gift to Middle East

    MUMBAI: If one thought that Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel) is all about drama and movies, then it is high time one turned the pages of history.

     

    Almost seven years know, Zee Networks but with a lifestyle channel, christened Veria Living, with the aim to provide a one-stop solution for those who seek overall wellness and healthy living guidance right from their home.

     

    Launched first in USA, it later made its presence in other parts of the countries, more recently in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the month of May.

     

    In a statement issued by the group on the launch of Veria for the Middle-East region, Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra said: “After a successful launch in USA and Indonesia, we bring Veria to the people of the Middle East. The essence of this channel reflects every individual’s desire to enhance their outlook in life by augmenting the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual facets in their beings. Veria will serve as a one-stop solution for all those seeking overall wellness and healthy living guidance right from the comfort of their homes.”

     

    A free-to-air channel features a wide range of shows focusing on such areas as food and nutrition, travel, exercise, alternative medicine and holistic health to redefine common perceptions about wellness.

     

     “But the content will be slightly modified keeping the Arab audiences in mind”, says Zee Network CEO (MENAPT) Mukund Cairae: “For Arab audiences, we can’t showcase content the way we air it in USA. So we do edit things that we feel is not suitable for Arab audiences.”

     

    Veria is aired on Nilesat in English with Arabic subtitles across the Middle East and North Africa region.

     

    Cairae further reveals that, to get more viewers on-board, the channel is looking at creating fresh content. “We are in talks with Yoga companies to get the Arabic content on-board.”

     

    “”The core idea behind the creation of such a unique product is to help people realize that wellness is a celebration of life itself”. “At Zee, we constantly strive to provide our audiences with new, exclusive content and programs and we understand our audience’s growing interest in maintaining an active and balanced lifestyle,” concludes Cairae.

  • Siti Cable reports 45 per cent jump in EBIDTA for FY-2014

    Siti Cable reports 45 per cent jump in EBIDTA for FY-2014

    BENGALURU: The Essel group’s Subhash Chandra-led Siti Cable Network Ltd (Siti Cable) has reported a 44.7 per cent jump in operating profit (EBIDTA) in FY-2014 to Rs 125.9 crore as compared to the Rs 87 crore in the previous fiscal. The company reported a 46.8 per cent jump in total revenue to Rs 710.3 crore in FY-2014 from the Rs 483.7 crore in FY-2013. Some of the digital dividend – courtesy the government mandated digitisation – seem to be accruing to its top line in terms of higher subsription revenues.

     

    Note :  Rs 100,00,000=100 lakh= 1 crore = 10 million.

     

    Siti Cable’s  operating revenue in FY-2014 at Rs 697.24 crore was 48.46 per cent more than the Rs 469.64 crore in FY-2014. Operating revenue in Q4-2014 at Rs 233.34 crore was 41.26 per cent more than the Rs 165.18 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and 65.15 per cent more than the Rs141.29 crore in the year ago quarter Q4-2013. Operating revenue in its case is derived mainly from subscriber related income, income from bandwidth charges, advertisements, and other operating revenues.

     

    Siti Cable chairman Subhash Chandra said, “The cable television industry in India is rapidly changing with the visible signs of progression towards the complete digitalization. Television viewers are getting familiar with inherent advantages of digitization through cable, digital cable is playing an instrumental role in digitization. Digital cable television is a major engine of growth for Siti Cable across all geographies. Our sustained investment in this segment will further enhance the customer television viewing experience.”

     

    Let us look at the other FY-2014 and Q4-2014 numbers reported by Siti Cable:

     

    The company’s total expense (Tot Exp) in FY-2014 was 47.5 per cent more at Rs 668.20 crore (95.83 per cent of operating revenue or Op Inc)  as compared to the Rs 453.01 crore (96.46 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Tot Exp in Q4-2014 at Rs 233.07 crore (99.88 per cent of Op Inc) was 41.04 per cent more than the Rs165.25 crore (100.04 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 59.99 per cent more than the Rs145.68 crore (103.11 per cent of Op Inc)  in Q4-2013.

     

    A major component of the Tot Exp are channel carriage, pay channel and related costs (CPRC). Siti Cable paid 42.5 per cent more towards CPRC in FY-2014 at Rs 333.95 crore (47.9 per cent of Op Inc) as compared to the Rs 234.35 crore (49.9 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. In Q4-2014, CPRC cost at Rs 124.16 crore (53.21 per cent of Op Inc) was 44.96 per cent more than the Rs  85.65 crore (51.85 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 42.39 per cent more than the Rs 87.20 crore (61.72 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    Siti Cable’s finance cost in FY-2014 at Rs119.11 crore (17.08 per cent of Op Inc) was 37.88 per cent more than the Rs 86.39 crore (18.39 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Finance cost in Q4-2014 at Rs 31.24 crore (13.39 per cent of Op Inc) was a mere 0.06 per cent more than the Rs 31.22 crore (18.9 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2013 and 21.2 per cent more than the Rs 25.77 crore (18.24 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    Clearly, the MSO -which has 56 analogue and 14 digital headend, a network of 12,000 km of coaxial and fibre optic cable, in 80 cities and reaching 10 million viewers – has more or less completed its investment in phase I and phase II towns and has hence gone easy on borrowings in the last quarter, leading to lower interest costs. With the mandate to complete phase III and phase IV of digitisation, it’s possible that its finance costs may rise again. Unless, of course, the fruits of digitisation in phase I and phase II in terms of higher subscriber revenue negate that need in the coming quarters.

     

    Other Expense in FY-2014 at Rs 202.64 crore (29.06 per cent of Op Inc) was 60.35 per cent more than the Rs126.37 crore (26.91 per cent of Op Inc)) in FY-2013. This expense head in Q4-2014 at Rs 75.39 crore (32.31 per cent of Op Inc) was 68.93 per cent more than the Rs 44.63 crore (27.02 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and more than double (2.22 times) the Rs 33.92 crores (24.01 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

     

    The company’s loss in FY-2014 at Rs 94.06 crore was 46.8 per cent more than the Rs 64.07 crore in FY-2013. Siti Cable’s Q4-2014 loss at Rs 22.81 crore widened by 26.97 per cent as compared to the Rs 17.97 crore in Q3-2014, but was 17.98 per cent lower than the Rs 27.81 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    Here are some Q4-2014 highlights from the Siti Cable press release.

     

    Total revenue for the fourth quarter ended 31 March 2014 was Rs 243.4 crore as compared to Rs 147.4 crore during corresponding quarter of the last fiscal.

     

    The consolidated operating profit (EBITDA) for the fourth quarter ended 31 March 2014 was Rs 27.9 crores as compared to operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 26 crore during corresponding quarter of the last fiscal. Gross Billing started in Delhi , Kolkata (DAS Ph-1 cities).

     

    Siti Cable CEO V D Wadhwa said, “Our continuous efforts towards expanding the subscriber base, faster implementation of gross billing in Delhi and Kolkata , high focus on adherence to regulatory compliances and cost controls measure has helped us in delivering the healthy performance on a quarter on quarter basis. During the year, we have set the benchmark in being the pioneer company to monetize the business by collecting higher subscription on per subscriber basis, best backend infrastructure, fair and transparent commercial policies in dealing with all our associates”.

     

    He further added, “We are well placed to benefit from the ongoing digitization implementation and fully geared up to grow revenue and profitability at a faster pace.”

  • Pradeep Hejmadi quits TAM; to join Zee TV

    Pradeep Hejmadi quits TAM; to join Zee TV

    MUMBAI: He is going back to his broadcasting roots. After close to a decade with TAM Media, senior vice president- S group and marketing Pradeep Hejmadi, is moving on to a business head role at Zee TV. Prior to TAM, Hejmadi had stints with MTV Networks as Nickelodeon India director-business and operations, Turner Broadcasting director research and Discovery Communications director, research and planning.

     

    Hejmadi who has been associated with TAM since 2005 was reporting into TAM CEO L. V. Krishnan and was responsible for revenue generation, client management, new business development and new product development. He also focused on enhancing the value associated with TAM data/services by way of integrating TAM products/services into day-to-day functional areas of TAM’s clients.

     

    “It was nice having Praddy with TAM for almost a decade. The journey we crafted together as a team that included the rest of TAM unit heads was pioneering and heralded a new era of work in areas like S-Group, AdEx products, News Track and TAM Sports. As he steps into a new shoe to handle a new portfolio in one of TAM prestigious client’s organisation, we wish him the very best. The younger team of S-group that he had groomed over these years has stepped in to take the responsibilities of S-Group, Client Service and Marketing into future,” said TAM Media Research CEO L. V. Krishnan.

     

    “Working with TAM and the team members in each unit was a lifetime experience. The decade was full of opportunities with proactive initiatives in Client Servicing, new product development and innovation undertaken by the team during my tenure. I leave TAM with a sense of pride for not only contributing to TAM’s achievements but also in a way, changing the working dynamics of the TV industry,” concluded Hejmadi.

  • Dish TV adds 8.1 lakh subscribers in FY-2014; ARPU up from Rs 158 to Rs 170

    Dish TV adds 8.1 lakh subscribers in FY-2014; ARPU up from Rs 158 to Rs 170

    BENGALURU:  Dish TV Limited (Dish TV) in its earnings release for FY-2014 says that it has added about 8.1 lakh net subscribers in FY-2014 and 2.26 lakh subscribers in Q4-2014 to take its total subscriber base to 1.14 crore net subscribers during the period.

     

    The company also claims that it has increased ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) from Rs 158 during the previous year to Rs 170 in FY-2014. It says that it has managed to contain the subscriber churn to 0.6 per cent per month.

     

    Note: (1) 100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million.

    (2) Standalone figures in this report 

     

    FY-2014 standalone revenues stood at Rs 2508.98 crore recording 15.79 per cent growth over the Rs 2166.80 crore in FY-2014. Dish TV reported standalone operating revenue of Rs 636.91 crore, recording 14.68 per cent growth over the Rs 555.40 crore in corresponding period last fiscal and 2.10 per cent more than the Rs 623.81 crore in immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Dish TV’s net loss for FY-2014, impacted by a prior period adjustment of Rs 116.4 crore, was Rs (-154.2) crore as compared to a loss of Rs (-66.75) crore in FY-2013. Net loss for Q4-2014, impacted by the above mentioned prior period adjustment of Rs 116.4 crore, increased to Rs (-149.05) crore compared to Rs (- 43.62) crore in Q4-2013 and a loss of Rs (-28.36) crore in Q3-2014, says the company.

     

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV for FY-2014 and Q4-2014

     

    Dish TV’s Total Expense (Tot Exp) in FY-2014 at Rs 2482.30 crore (98.94 per cent of Total standalone revenue) was 12.07 per cent more than the Rs 2214.96 crore (102.22 per cent of Total standalone revenue) in FY-2013. Q4-2014 Tot Exp at Rs 657.05 crore (103.16 per cent of Total standalone revenue) was 4 per cent more than the Rs 631.78 crore (101.28 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q3-2014 and 13.21 per cent more than the Rs 580.36 crore (104.49 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q4-2013.

     

    The company’s finance cost increased 3.37 per cent in FY-2014 to Rs 132.68 crore (5.29 per cent of Total standalone operating income) from Rs 128.36 crore (5.92 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in FY-2013. Dish TV’s Q4-2014 finance cost at Rs 32.63 crore (5.12 per cent of Total standalone operating income) was 8.41 per cent more than the Rs 30.10 crore (4.83 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q3-2014 and (-5.01) per cent lower than the Rs 35.85 crore (6.18 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q4-2013.

     

    Dish TV’s Programming/content and other cost (Content cost) in FY-2014 at Rs 261.38 crore (10.42 per cent of Total standalone operating income) was 15.81 per cent higher than the Rs 225.70 crore (10.42 per cent of Total standalone operating income). Q4-2014 content cost was 2.29 per cent more at Rs 66.98 crore (10.52 per cent of Total standalone operating income) as compared to the Rs 65.48 crore (10.5 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in the immediate trailing quarter and 15.3 per cent more than the Rs 58.09 crore (10.46 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

     

    The company paid Rs 288.48 crore (11.5 per cent of Total standalone operating income) as licence fees in FY-2014 which was 25.49 per cent more than the Rs 229.89 crore (10.61 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in FY-2013. Dish TV paid Rs 82.38 crore (12.93 per cent of Total standalone operating income) towards licence fees in Q4-2014 which was 10.96 per cent more than the Rs 74.24 crore (11.90 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q3-2014 and 34.34 per cent higher than the Rs 61.32 crore (11.04 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q4-2013.

     

    Dish TV’s selling and distribution expense is made up of two parts – ‘commission’ and ‘other selling and distribution expense’ (distribution exp).

     

    Commission expense in FY-2014 at Rs 183.67 crore (7.32 per cent of Total standalone operating income) was 17.84 per cent more than the Rs 155.87 crore (7.19 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in FY-2013. Q4-2014 commission expense at Rs 50.65 crores (7.95 per cent of Total standalone operating income) was 0.56 per cent more than the Rs 50.37 crore (8.07 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q3-2014 and 31.94 per cent more than the Rs 38.39 crore (6.91 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q4-2013.

     

    Distribution Exp in FY-2014 at Rs148.42 crore (5.92 per cent of Total standalone operating income) was 0.44 per cent more than the Rs 147.77 crore (6.82 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in FY-2013. In Q4-2014, Dish TV paid (-5.85) per cent lower towards distribution exp at Rs 32.66 crore (5.13 per cent of Total standalone operating income) as compared to the Rs 34.69 crore (5.56 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q3-2014 and (-8.9) per cent lower than the Rs 35.85 crore (6.45 per cent of Total standalone operating income) in Q4-2013.

     

    Dish TV’s take

     

    Dish TV chairman Subhash Chandra said, “The Media industry had its share of opportunities and challenges all through the year. Digitisation kept the industry on its toes. In an uncertain macro environment, Dish TV pursued its strategy of self-funded growth; deleveraging the business while being selective about its subscriber additions notwithstanding the noise around digitisation. The result, a healthier Balance Sheet coupled with the largest subscriber base in the industry and a free cash positive business which is much better equipped to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.”

     

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel added, “Unlike fiscal 2013, fiscal 2014 was a disruptive period where we had to choose between immediate benefits and long term sustainability in the hyper competitive DTH industry. Choosing the later, we continued to deleverage while maintaining our subscriber acquisition price point. With a much manageable and scalable debt profile now, we have started 2014 with a significant positive overhaul to our macro parameters.”

     

    “With a new government at the Centre, the DTH industry is optimistic about rationalisation in the tax regime. As notification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is taking time, we look forward to allowance of abatement in Service Tax along with moderation in Entertainment Tax in line with the prevailing structure in Gujarat and other forward looking states. We are also hopeful of an early resolution of the DTH license renewal and payment of license fees matter in the industry’s favour. We also expect a firm push to digitisation and are confident that encryption, packaging, billing and other critical requirements will be implemented at the last mile,” he added.

     

    “Dish TV’s fourth quarter subscriber adds are a result of some serious strategic initiatives taken earlier. The ‘Zing’ sub-brand launched as part of a differentiated strategy to cater to the Phase III & IV markets got a tremendous response and even bolstered the flagship brand’s sales. We exited the fourth quarter bagging the highest incremental market share while keeping a check on our churn, which remained at 0.6 per cent per month. Making further headway on our Sri Lanka Project, we launched test signals as per plan,” said Goel.

  • Zee Entertainment forays into Thailand, launches Zee Nung

    Zee Entertainment forays into Thailand, launches Zee Nung

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprise Limited (ZEEL) in line with its global brand positioning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’ has now forayed into Thailand with its new channel Zee Nung, a 24X7 Bollywood movies channel dubbed in Thai.

     

    Customised and packaged for the local audience, the channel will air super-hit Bollywood blockbuster movies targeting the pay-TV subscriber base in Thailand.

     

    ZEEL chairman Subhash Chandra said, “Thailand and India share deep-rooted cultural and social traditions, which is reflected in many aspects of Thai culture including architecture, art, drama, dance and literature. Our entry into this market reflects our commitment to build a strong bond with Thailand, thereby embracing our corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.”

     

    “Thailand is a growing market with close to 30 per cent penetration of pay channels and hence falls in our priority for expansion,” added Chandra.

     

    The Asia Pacific region is one of the focused and fastest growing regions for ZEEL. It currently has Zee TV APAC (Hindi channel), Zee Variasi (Malay channel), Zee Bioskop (Bahasa Indonesia channel) and Veria Living (English channel) as dedicated feeds, with offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Sydney, Guangzhou, Mumbai and now in Bangkok.

     

    ZEEL business head-Asia Pacific Sushruta Samanta said, “We believe that the APAC pay-TV market displays a tremendous potential for growth. After our successful launch in Indonesia, Thailand was our next logical extension. Our research has revealed that Thais have a high positive perception towards Bollywood with growing awareness of this industry due to the large number of Bollywood films being shot in the country. Thais also show affinity for Bollywood dance numbers, with language not proving a barrier to enjoyment. ZEEL boasts of a huge Bollywood library which will boost our efforts to entertain Thai viewers in a consistent and compelling way. We thank CTH for partnering with us and believing in our product. I am sure Zee Nung will reach new heights and capture the hearts of all Thai movie lovers.”

     

    Said CTH chairman of executive committee Khun Chirdsak Kukiattinun, Currently, CTH has a variety of content for everyone in the family. Our sports content includes Barclays Premier League, golf, major tennis tournaments, car racing and Thai boxing while our entertainment content encompasses famous series, documentaries, cartoons and Hollywood movies. And now CTH is proud to partner with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the leading media company from India for bringing Bollywood Movies 24*7   through the channel Zee Nung for the first time in Thailand.”

     

    Kukiattinun added, “This is a great opportunity for Zee Entertainment in Thailand and CTH sees this as an opportunity to offer a whole new world of experience to the CTH Customer.”

     

    Zee Nung will be launched in Thailand in partnership with CTH and will be available on Channel 77 in its movie pack. The channel will have a robust programming line-up with properties such as Kings of Bollywood, Queens of Bollywood, Love Stories, Friday Blockbusters and Weekend Family movies. It will showcase the best of Bollywood movies across all eras and genres including romance, comedy, action and drama, thus providing Thai viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite stars like Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

     

    Speaking about the channel, Thailand country head Vaishali Kasturia said, “We want to reach out to people who want to experience contemporary, imaginative and high-quality entertaining films. Zee Nung (Nung means movies in Thai) is specially created, designed and packaged to suit the Thai palate. I am confident that Zee Nung will truly live up to its tagline of Bollywood Nai Thai (Bollywood in Thai) by offering Bollywood blockbusters localised in the Thai language. With the setting up of our local team in Bangkok, we stand committed to making Zee Nung a big success in this market.”

  • ZEEL reports 24 per cent higher PAT in FY-2014: Advt, Subs revenues up 21, 11 per cent

    ZEEL reports 24 per cent higher PAT in FY-2014: Advt, Subs revenues up 21, 11 per cent

    Updated: 07:07 PM

     

    BENGALURU: The Subhash Chandra led content and broadcast player Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) reported a 23.98 per cent increase in PAT for FY-2014 at Rs 892.08 crore (20.18 per cent of total income from operations) as compared to the Rs 718.15 crore (19.45 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013.

     

    PAT in Q4-2014 at Rs 217.58 crore (18.78 per cent of total income from operations) was 1.87 per cent higher than the Rs 213.59 crore (17.97 per cent of total income from operations) in Q3-2014 and 21.15 per cent more than the Rs 179.60 crore (18.63 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2013.

     

    Chandra informed that the ZEEL board had recommended a dividend of Re 1 per share.

     

    Notes: (1) The results mentioned in this report are consolidated results of ZEEL and its subsidiaries.

     

    (2) 100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million

     

    The company reported a 21.19 per cent jump in advertising revenues to Rs 2380.05 crore (53.83 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 1963.87 crore (53.08 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013.

     

    ZEEL’s subscription revenue in FY-2014 at Rs 1802.22 crore (40.76 per cent of total income from operations) was 11.02 per cent more than the Rs 1623.38 crore (43.88 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013. The company says that domestic subscription revenue in FY-2014 was Rs 1318.4 crore registering a growth of 13.2 per cent over the last fiscal and international subscription revenue at Rs 483.9 crore was 5.5 per cent more than the previous year.

     

    ZEEL’s total operating income including other sales and services in FY-2014 at Rs 4421.70 crore was 19.52 per cent more than the Rs 3699.57 crore in FY-2013.

     

    The company says that its sports channels recorded revenue of Rs 195.9 crore and incurred costs of Rs 160.8 crore in Q4-2014.

     

    Let us look at the other FY-2014 and Q4-2014 numbers reported by ZEEL

     

    However, quarter-on-quarter, its advertising revenue was (-14.90) per cent lower in Q4-2014 at Rs 582.36 crore (50.26 per cent of total income from operations) as compared to the Rs 684.31 crore (59.05 per cent of total income from operations) in the immediate trailing quarter and just 1.98 per cent more than the Rs 454.55 crore (49.70 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2013.

     

    ZEEL reported a 1.54 per cent growth in subscription revenue in Q4-2014 at Rs 463.54 crore (40 per cent of total income from operations) as compared to the Rs 456.49 crore (38.41 per cent of total income from operations) in the immediate previous quarter Q3-2014, and 1.98 per cent more than the Rs 455.55 crore (47.14 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2013.  ZEEL says that domestic subscription revenue at Rs 334.4 crore and international subscription was Rs 129.2 crore in Q4-2014.

     

    ZEEL’s total operating income including other sales and services in Q4-2014 at Rs 1158.81 crore was (-2.49) per cent lower than the Rs 1188.36 crore in Q3-2014 and 20.17 per cent more than the Rs 964.29 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    The company reported 17.32 per cent rise in total expense to Rs 3267.54 crore (73.90 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 2785.18 crore (75.28 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013.

     

    ZEEL’s total expense in Q4-2014 was (-4.93) per cent lower at Rs 866.15 crore (74.74 per cent of total income from operations) as compared to the Rs 911.10 crore (76.67 per cent of total income from operations) in Q3-2014 and 18.09 per cent more than the Rs 733.49 crore (76.07 per cent of total income from operations) in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

     

    A major expense head for ZEEL is operation cost. In FY-2014, ZEEL reported 18.89 per cent higher operation cost at Rs 2068.79 crore (46.79 per cent of total income from operations) than the Rs 1740.08 crore (47.04 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013.

     

    The company reported Rs 544.42 crore (46.98 per cent of total income from operations) as operation cost in Q4-2014 which was (-10.68) per cent lower than the Rs 609.50 crore (51.29 per cent of total income from operations) in Q3-2014 and 16.61 per cent more than the Rs 466.88 crore (48.42 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2013.

     

    Other expense in FY-2014 at Rs 758.10 crore (17.14 per cent of total income from operations) was 15.55 per cent more than the Rs 656.10 crore (17.73 per cent of total income from operations) in FY-2013. Other expense at Rs 202.97 crore (17.52 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2014 was 5.57 per cent more than the Rs 192.27 crore in Q3-2014 (16.18 per cent of total income from operations) and 18.25 per cent more than the Rs 171.64 crore (17.80 per cent of total income from operations) in Q4-2013.

     

    ZEEL reported a 25.70 per cent jump in depreciation and amortisation cost (DACC) in FY-2014 to Rs 50.13 crore as compared to the Rs 39.88 crore in FY-2013. DACC in Q4-2014 was higher by 40.46 per cent at Rs 18.92 crore in Q4-2014 as compared to the Rs 13.47 crore in Q3-2014 and 65.1 per cent more than the Rs 11.46 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    ZEEL’s finance costs too were higher by 84.56 per cent in FY-2014 at Rs 15.78 crore in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 8.55 crore in FY-2014. In Q4-2014, the company reported finance cost of Rs 7.02 crore which was more than double (2.2 times) the Rs 3.19 crore in Q4-2014 and 2.47 times the Rs 2.84 crore in Q4-2013.

     

    ZEEL chairman Chandra said, “Indian economy continued to grow at a sluggish pace of less than 5 per cent in FY-2014. This has continued to put pressure on overall advertising spends which have barely touched the double digit mark. To some extent, election related spends have helped. The good part is that with a stable government, growth is expected to pick up. We expect that despite a slow economy, television media industry will continue its double digit growth.

    “Fiscal 2014 was a landmark year for the television industry in many ways. On the one hand it marked the implementation of the 12 minute advertising cap by majority of the broadcasters. On the other hand, it saw the implementation of the second phase of digitization in 38 cities of the country. Also, it saw the change in television measurement metric from GRP to TVTs and the formation of a joint industry body for nationwide audience research, Broadcast Audience Research Council,” he added.

  • Wham! Mobiles announces Chris Gayle as brand Ambassador

    Wham! Mobiles announces Chris Gayle as brand Ambassador

    BENGALURU:  Indian handset manufacturer, Wham! Mobiles, has announced West Indian and IPL Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) cricketer Chris Gayle as its brand ambassador.

     

    The association at present will be for a year, but Wham Infocom (Wham) managing director Subhash Chandra L says that it would probably be extended for further periods. Chris Gayle will be endorsing the entire range of smart phones, feature phones and tabs for Wham! in India.

     

    Wham! was launched by Sangeetha Mobiles which has been in the mobile retail business for the past 18 years. The company says that with this move, Wham! makes its pitch at the national level – offering cutting edge mobiles at affordable prices with a big star to endorse it for greater impact.  For the young generation, who demands a handset packed with many features that’s also easy on the pocket, they can easily relate to Chris Gayle with his power performance on the field just as Wham!

     

    Chandra says, ““We are thrilled to unleash the famous ‘Gayle Storm’ on our customers. We couldn’t find a better connect to our brand than Chris. Wham! is an all-rounder just like our brand ambassador Chris Gayle, providing the ever evolving Indian customers with the latest innovation, the finest features and the most stylish products at an affordable price. Chris Gayle is the perfect embodiment of what Wham! is all about. We are proud to be associated with the all-rounder.”

     

     “We are working on a media plan on how to use Gayle effectively. Quite obviously, television, print and outdoor as well as social media and youtube, digital media would all be a part of those plans. We have no option but to burn money on branding to make our presence felt and to grow our revenues from Rs 60 crore in the last fiscal to about Rs.250-300 crore in this one,” reveals Chandra.

     

     “We are on the verge of finalising the creative agency, and would probably announce this in a couple of days’ time. The main contenders are Beehive Communications and Bengaluru based People along with a couple of other agencies. Beehive has worked with us for our parent company Sangeetha Mobiles in the past. We have been buying media through different agencies, as well as directly. We have a different agency for television, another one for outdoor and another one for print for Sangeetha Mobiles,” adds Chandra.

     

    Wham! has launched 32 models in the market at an attractive price range of Rs 999 to Rs 14,999, within one year. “Our products have been received very well by our Indian customers in 11 states. We aim to expand our presence nationally. With this partnership, we look forward to bringing both the all-rounders – Wham! and Chris Gayle – on the national platform for better delivery and a power-packed performance,” concludes Chandra.

  • Media Pro: The unwinding of a joint venture

    Media Pro: The unwinding of a joint venture

    MUMBAI: When the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came out with its regulation on the role of aggregators, everyone in the industry was sure that this would herald the death of content aggregators, at least in their current form. Industry insiders revealed that the leading and strongest content aggregator Media Pro would be among the first to break up, but it would take time, probably by mid-2014 or probably a little later.

     

    So when the announcement came last week that the Zee Turner and Star Den joint venture had decided to go their separate ways, it sent shock waves through the industry.  Some said it was premature and that the joint venture could have run a little longer. But sources indicate that the decision was taken at the very top between Subhash Chandra, Punit Goenka and Star India head Uday Shankar directly with only a handful of executives being informed. Industry insiders say that the joint venture had hired a consulting firm to give guidance on what should be done and when.

     

    The breakup will see the two partners setting up independent cable TV affiliate distribution teams. Exactly as it was like almost three years ago when both decided to get together to extract more revenues out of India’s reluctant cable TV operators and multi system operators (MSOs).

     

    Questions are being raised as to where will Media Pro India CEO Arun Kapoor – an old Essel group hand – be placed?  Will he head the Zee Entertainment distribution initiative or will he go the Star way? He was earlier group CEO distribution businesses at Essel Group (he also headed the joint venture which had been set up to distribute the Zee TV and Turner channels in India).

     

    Sources indicate that the Turner channels will continue to be distributed by Zee Entertainment at least for now without any cross network bundling. So does that mean that the Zee and Turner joint venture arrangement will in effect not be revived?

     

    Most observers expect COO Gurjeev Singh Kapoor to move onto the Star distribution team. Gurjeev began his media career with Zee and then went to Discovery before moving on to The OneAlliance as its business head. He was finally lured to lead Star Den Media services when it was set up as a joint venture between Sameer Manchanda’s DEN and Star India.

     

    The bets are out whether the Star Sports bouquet will be distributed by the Star India team or whether an independent team will be given that responsibility.  Most expect the former proposition to be realised.

     

    Industry observers state the Media Pro office in north Mumbai is a hub of activity with senior management working on splitting up the teams and also drawing up plans for recruitment wherever needed.

     

    “There is a lot of movement which is taking place currently, with some of the executives already going the Star India way,” says a source from the industry.

     

    MSOs and cable TV operators expect the two new teams to start approaching them soon with new packages and offerings. Others however indicate that this could be a month or two away, until Star and Zee draw up their individual teams. Gurjeev had told indiantelevision.com around a month ago that most of the MediaPro contracts with both cable TV and DTH operators are slated to come up for renewal by sometime in April.

     

    If that is true then Zee Entertainment and Star India don’t have much time on their hands. And the teams have their task cut out for them.