ITV

Tag: Sun TV Network

  • Sun Direct CEO R. Mahesh Kumar appointed as Sun TV Network President

    Sun Direct CEO R. Mahesh Kumar appointed as Sun TV Network President

    MUMBAI: The Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun TV Network has appointed R. Mahesh Kumar, who has been Sun Direct CEO since 2011, as its president. The company made this announcement in a communication to the Bombay stock exchange a short while ago. 

     

    The appointment is being done to strengthen the management of the company, which runs India’s most watched channel, Sun TV and becomes effective from 1 November, 2015.

     

    Unconfirmed reports were that Sun Direct senior vice president – corporate affairs Swaminathan is slated to be elevated to head the DTH operation. 

     

    The 46 year old, R. Mahesh Kumar, is a Chartered Accountant with over 23 years experience out of which more than 15 years has been with the media industry. He started his career with Citibank and had also served KPMG and American Express in earlier years.

     

    His last position was was with the Rajan Raheja Group where he was the president and CEO of Asianet Satellite Communications Ltd before joining the Sun Group. He also held the position of managing director of Sun Direct.

  • Q2-2016: Sun TV YoY revenue up 11.6%, PAT up 41.4%

    Q2-2016: Sun TV YoY revenue up 11.6%, PAT up 41.4%

    BENGALURU: Sun TV Network Limited (Sun TV) reported 11.6 per cent growth in standalone revenue (Total income from operations or TIO) in Q2-2016 (quarter ended 30 September, 2015, current quarter) at Rs 568.09 crore as compared to Rs 509.02 crore in Q2-2015, but 17.8 per cent less than the Rs 691.09 crore in Q2-2016.

     

    The company reported 41.4 per cent higher profit after tax (PAT) in the current quarter at Rs 213.38 crore (38.4 per cent margin) as compared to the Rs 154.47 crore (30.3 per cent margin) and10.7 per cent more than the Rs 197.28 crore (28.5 per cent margin) in Q1-2016.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 Lakhs = 10 million = 1 crore

    All figures in this report are standalone.

     

    The company in its earnings release says that subscription revenues grew 10 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 197.42 crore as compared to the Rs 179.48 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Advertisement revenue in Q2-2016 increased 15.8 per cent to Rs301.37 crore as compared to Rs 260.26 crore in Q2-2016, but declined seven per cent from Rs 323.89 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    The board of directors of the company have decided not to declare any dividend for Q2-2016.

     

    Let’s look at the other numbers reported by Sun TV

     

    Sun TV’s total expenses (TE) in the current quarter at Rs 253.44 crore (44.6 per cent of TIO) was 15 per cent lower YoY than Rs 298.22 crore (58.6 per cent of TIO) and 38.5 per cent lower QoQ as compared to Rs 412.10 crore (59.6 per cent of TIO). The company’s TE in Q1 included IPL franchisee of Rs 85.05 crore (12.3 per cent of TIO), which is a non-recurring item during the other three quarters of the year.

     

    Sun TV’s ‘Other Expenditure’ (OE) is a major expense head that has declined QoQ by a huge margin. OE in Q2-2016 at Rs 31.31 crore (5.5 per cent of TIO) was 38.2 per cent more than the Rs 22.65 crore (4.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015 and almost a third of the Rs 91.65 crore (13.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016.

     

    Sun TV’s Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) in Q2-2016 increased 13.5 per cent to Rs 56.92 crore (10 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 50.13 crore (9.8 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015 and 4.4 per cent more than the Rs 54.51 crore (7.9 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.

  • Adcap case to be heard on 27 November, Court informed matter under discussion with MIB

    Adcap case to be heard on 27 November, Court informed matter under discussion with MIB

    NEW DELHI: The challenge to the advertising cap of 12 minutes per hour by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and others in the Delhi High Court will be heard on 27 November.
     

    The NBA sought the adjournment on the ground that the matter was under discussion with the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry to seek certain clarifications. On 8 September,  the matter was adjourned on the same plea.
     

    According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, this comes in the wake of a statement made by I&B Minister Arun Jaitley in January this year that there should be no ad cap in the print or electronic media. However, it is also learnt that Jaitley has given no such instructions in any order in the Ministry.
      

    The order that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will not take any action against any channel pending the petition will continue. In an earlier hearing, the Court had, at the regulator’s instance, directed that all channels keep a record of the advertisements run by them.

      
    The NBA had challenged the ad cap rule, contending that TRAI does not have jurisdiction to regulate commercial airtime on television channels.
     

    Apart from the NBA, the petition has been filed by Sarthak Entertainment, Pioneer Channel Factory, E24 Glamoru, Sun TV Network, TV Vision, B4U Broadband, 9X Media, Kalaignar, Celebrities Management, Eanadu Television and Raj Television.
     

    The news and regional broadcasters fear that the capping of commercial airtime will curtail their ad revenues. They also argue that the ad cap must be brought only after the benefits of cable TV digitisation start showing. 

     
    Meanwhile, TRAI recently released results of their records, which show that around 36 news channels apart from 105 general entertainment channels (GECs) are violating the ad cap by telecasting ads for more than 12 minutes an hour.

  • PMO unlikely to intervene in Sun TV case

    PMO unlikely to intervene in Sun TV case

    MUMBAI: There seems to be no respite for Kalanithi Maran owned Sun TV Network, as the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is unlikely to intervene on the issue of withdrawal of security clearance to the 33 channels of the network.

     

    According to a PTI report, the PMO is not keen on over-ruling the Home Ministry’s decision of withdrawing the security clearance given to Sun TV Network, on grounds of the ongoing criminal probes against promoter Kalanithi Maran and his brother and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.

     

    It can be noted that Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley had recently met the Prime Minister to take his opinion, after the Attorney General ruled in favour of Sun TV Network and the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to not budge from its stand of not giving security clearance to the Chennai based broadcast network.

     

    According to the report, the key reason for the PMO’s unwillingness to get involved in the Sun TV issue is the CBI probe that the Maran brothers were facing over alleged allotment of 300 high-speed BSNL telephone lines to their installations when Dayanidhi Maran was Telecom Minister. 

    Last week, the CBI questioned Dayanidhi Maran for 22 hours spread over three days in connection with the case.

  • Sun TV may approach Court on issue of security clearance, Centre moves new case against Kal Cables

    Sun TV may approach Court on issue of security clearance, Centre moves new case against Kal Cables

    NEW DELHI: Amid reports that Sun TV Group may be compelled to approach Courts of law following the view of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that it should not have been denied security clearance, it is understood that the Home Ministry has again approached the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) for its viewpoint before giving a final order.

     

    Reacting to this, a Sun TV official told indiantelevision.com, “Our consistent view has been that the TV and radio broadcast business of Sun TV Network Ltd cannot be put in any jeopardy on the ground that the promoter is facing charges in another case. Till such time the case is decided, the cardinal principle of presumed innocent till pronounced guilty shall apply. Any deviation from this time honoured tradition of law will be a violation of natural justice.”

     

    Asked about moving the courts, the spokesperson said: “Considering that our stand has been vindicated by the Attorney General, we hope that all clearances will be restored and we will not be compelled to seek any legal remedies. We wait to hear more from the government authorities.”

     

    Meanwhile the PMO office, reportedly has also decided to stay with the Home Ministries decision to deny security clearance to the 33 channels under Sun TV Network. 

     

    The network has still not received anything in writing from either the I&B nor the Home Ministries. Furthermore, the uncertainty is affecting the position of the Group in the stock market.

     

    Sun TV Network with 33 TV and around 40 radio channels is one of the largest media groups in the country with a reach to more than 95 million households in the country.

     

    Home Ministry officials say their investigation shows serious charges of money laundering against Kalanithi Maran, the owner of Sun TV Network.

     

    Home Ministry officials made it clear that neither the Ministry nor Home Minister Rajnath Singh will directly reply to the letter from Maran.

     

    Rohatgi is of the view that there is a difference between corruption charges and national security as neither the owner nor the Network was a threat to the nation’s security. The opinion was given after the I&B Ministry had sought his opinion on the matter even as the Law Ministry failed to take a decision.

     

    Rohatgi had said that mere filing of criminal charges in economic offences, in which trial courts were yet to frame charges against the accused, could not be a ground to infer that they had posed threat to national security because of the alleged offences. 

     

    It is also learnt that though it had been castigated in September last year for encroaching on the freedom of the media, the I and B Ministry has moved the Madras High Court against quashing of its order cancelling the multi-system operator’s licence. The matter has been listed befor the High Court on 1 July.

     

    Justice V Ramasubramanian of the High Court in September had quashed the cancellation on the ground that no show-cause notice had been issued to the company. 

     

  • Sun TV Network writes to Home Minister to reconsider security clearance

    Sun TV Network writes to Home Minister to reconsider security clearance

    NEW DELHI: Kalanithi Maran owned Sun TV Network Limited (Sun TV) has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider his Ministry’s refusal of security clearance to the network, even as it claims that it has still not received any official note from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

     

    An official of the I&B Ministry had told Indiantelevision.com last week that it was the responsibility of that Ministry and not the Home Ministry to inform Sun TV.

     

    A Sun TV spokesperson said that any action that the network may want to take would be based on the text of the communication from the I&B Ministry.

     

    The Home Ministry is said to have taken this decision in the backdrop of the three pending criminal cases being looked into by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), against Maran and his brother and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.

     

    Home Ministry sources denied that the decision was based on political considerations.

     

    The network has urged the Home Minister to differentiate between security clearance on grounds of national security and cases linked to financial matters, which are still pending and not proven. It has also raised issues relating to freedom of the media.

     

    Even as the stock market had showed an increase for Sun TV shares late last week when reports appeared about the Home Ministry agreeing to reconsider its decision following a letter by I&B Minister Arun Jaitley, it is learnt that senior officials of the Home Ministry have so far failed to fix a meeting with officials of the Law Ministry in this regard.

     

    It was learnt that some Home Ministry officials were planning to discuss the issue with the Law Ministry and some legal experts and some junior officials had in fact held informal discussions.

     

    It is expected that Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi may be consulted on the issue.   

     

    The I&B official had also confirmed that this will affect all 33 television channels of the Network. This may mean cancellation of the broadcasting license. However, the Ministry official said that no decision would be taken in haste.

     

    Sun TV had applied to the I&B for renewing its broadcasting license for 10 years, which also entails getting the required security clearance from the Home Ministry.

      

    Earlier, in April, Jaitley had written to Rajnath Singh to reconsider the denial of security clearance to 40 FM radio stations run by the Sun Network.

     

    Observers in Chennai said the Madras High Court order in September last year commented adversely against the I&B Ministry for cancelling the multi system operator (MSO) license to Sun TV Network’s subsidiary Kal Cables. The observation had come in a case relating to denial of security clearance as the Maran brothers were facing criminal cases.

  • Sun TV Network presents ‘Comedy Awards 2014’

    Sun TV Network presents ‘Comedy Awards 2014’

    MUMBAI: Comedy is an integral part of an average Indian life. Like music, comedy also plays a pertinent role in entertaining the audience. South Indian films have a reputation of creating some of the biggest stalwarts in comedy. Despite its importance, when it comes to rewarding the work done by comedians there has not been much. All film awards will have just one or two categories for comedies. Incidentally music has its own awards as well. 

     

    This gap created the idea of coming up with an exclusive comedy awards for South Indian Movies (Tamil, Telugu and Kannada) by the comedy genre channels of Sun TV Network. The network has come up with ‘Comedy Awards 2014,’ a platform to honour all the comedians who performed outstandingly well in the year 2014. There are various categories in which artists will be honored 

     

    Comedy awards 2014 – Kannada  categories (Udaya Comedy)

     

    1.      Best comedy film of the year

    2.       Best comedian of the year – male

    3.       Best comedian of the year – female

    4.       Best comedy film director

    5.       Best comedy song of the year

    6.       Best comedy lyrics of the year

    7.       Best comedy dialogue of the year

    8.       Best comedian in a supporting role

    9.       Rising star of the year (comedy genre)

    10.   Comedy icon of the year 2014

    11.   Lifetime achievement award – comedy entertainer

     

    Comedy Awards 2014 – Telugu categories (Gemini Comedy)

     

    1.       Best comedy film of the year

    2.       Best comedian of the year – male

    3.       Best comedian of the year – female

    4.       Best comedy film director

    5.       Best comedy song of the year (lyricist/composer)

    6.       Best comedy dialogue of the year

    7.       Rising star of the year 2014

    8.       Comedy icon of the year 2014

    9.       Lifetime contribution for comedy in Telugu cinema

     

    Comedy Awards 2014 – Tamil categories (Aditya)

     

    1. Best comedy film of the year 
    2. Best comedian of the year – male
    3. Best comedian of the year  – female
    4. Best comedy film director 
    5. Best light hearted song of the year 
    6. Best light hearted lyrics of the year 
    7. Best comedy dialogue of the year 
    8. Rising star of the year 2014
    9. Comedy icon of the year 2014
    10. Lifetime comedy entertainer award

     

     

    Viewers of Adithya, Gemini and Udaya comedy will also have a chance to vote for their favourite comedian through SMS and Ballot boxes that will be kept at various strategic locations across these three states. Besides social media will also be used to amplify the awareness and participation.

     

    ‘Comedy Awards’ 2014 will be telecasted on the respective channels on 2 and 3 May 2015. While TVS XL Super HD is the presenting sponsor, Sharon Plywoods, Twin Birds and Ramraj are the associate sponsors.

     

     

     

  • Adcap case adjourned to 24 July; broadcasters hope govt will reverse earlier order

    Adcap case adjourned to 24 July; broadcasters hope govt will reverse earlier order

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has adjourned the petition by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and others challenging the advertising cap of 12 minutes per hour sought to be imposed by the government to 24 July.

     

    The NBA and regional broadcasters along with music channels informed the court about recent developments vis-?-vis the new government and highlighted the fact that they were awaiting the government’s response against their joint representation.

     

    The Court agreed to the adjournment in order to give some more time for the aggrieved broadcasters and government to represent and decide an amicable solution amongst themselves.

     

    The order that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will not take any action against any channel pending the petition will continue. In an earlier hearing, the Court had, at the regulator’s instance, directed that all channels keep a record of the advertisements run by them.

     

    TRAI sought to tell the Court that the matter had been pending for long, but the bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini said if the matter could be resolved, then it was better to give more time.

     

    For the broadcasters, this is a major relief even Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley recently voiced his views against an ad cap on broadcasters.

     

    The NBA had challenged the ad cap rule, contending that TRAI does not have jurisdiction to regulate commercial airtime on television channels.

     

    Apart from the NBA, the petition have been filed by Sarthak Entertainment, Pioneer Channel Factory, E24 Glamoru, Sun TV Network, TV Vision, B4U Broadband, 9X Media, Kalaignar, Celebrities Management, Eanadu Television and Raj Television.

     

    The news and regional broadcasters fear that the capping of commercial airtime will curtail their ad revenues. They also argue that the ad cap must be brought only after the benefits of cable TV digitisation start showing.

     

  • Kochu TV to launch interactive game show

    Kochu TV to launch interactive game show

    MUMBAI: Kochu TV, Sun TV Network’s kids entertainment channel in Malayalam is all set to launch an interactive gameshow, Run Singoo Run.  This live show based on the sensational technology of motion capture control.

     

    The show will be launched on 23 August 2014 airing from 11am- 12pm live.

     

    Sun TV Network kids channels cluster head Kavitha Jaubin considers this a landmark innovation in television programming.  “The wait and the anticipation is creating an aura of a channel launch” quips Jaubin and she hopes this show will be a trendsetter program taking television programming to a new level.

     

    The new technology will bring to life the channel mascot, Singoo, who will also host the show. In this one-minute game show, Singoo is on a constant run trying to overcome a challenge. On the move, Singoo collects energy giving Boost biscuits strewn on its way. It is at this juncture that the audience gets to be a part of the show and by using their joystick, children can accelerate Singoo’s speed.

     

    Creative components will add a new dimension to the show, which includes game interface featuring Kerala’s landmark and monumental places. A not-to-be missed feature will be the myriad wardrobe and hairstyle of Singoo ranging from traditional mundu to bespoke Suit, mohawk hairstyle, Chettan hair-do and many more.

     

    The only prerequisite to participate in the show is the presence of a phone line. This could either be a mobile phone or a landline. The biggest surprise is what takes the place of a joystick, which is nothing but the phone itself. The keypads on phone will serve as play buttons.

  • Sunrisers Hyderabad pares Sun TV’s profits in Q1-2015; declares 45 per cent interim dividend

    Sunrisers Hyderabad pares Sun TV’s profits in Q1-2015; declares 45 per cent interim dividend

    BENGALURU: Sun TV Network Limited (Sun TV) reported almost flat (up 0.7 per cent) y-o-y PAT in Q1-2015 at Rs 165.64 crore (26.1 per cent of Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to the Rs 164.44 crore (27.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014, but 16.2 per cent lower than the Rs 197.57 crore (38 per cent of TIO) reported in Q4-2014. The company’s IPL franchise reported a negative EBIDTA of Rs 43.45 crore, and the company’s Q1-2015 expenditure for the quarter includes the annual franchisee fee of Rs 85.05 crore.

     

    The board of directors of Sun TV have declared an interim dividend of Rs 2.25 per share (45 per cent) of face value of Rs 5 each.

     

    The company reported 21.8 per cent higher revenue in Q1-2015 at Rs 633.58 crore as compared to the Rs 520.18 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q4-2014, and more by 5.3 per cent as compared to the Rs 601.85 crore in Q1-2014. These figures include revenue by Sun TV’s IPL franchisee. 

     

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

     

    Of the total media and entertainment revenues of Rs 633.58 crore reported by Sun TV in Q1-2015, Rs 520.17 crore came from broadcasting, while 113.41 crore came from the company’s SunRisers Hyderabad IPL franchisee, which reported operating costs of Rs 156.86 crore. During Q4-2014, the company reported an income of Rs 105.53 crore and costs of Rs 142.06 crore for SunRisers Hyderabad.

     

    Sun TV has reported advertising revenue at Rs 280.42 crore in Q1-2015

     

    Let us look at the other results reported by Sun TV for Q1-2015

     

    Sun TV reported a 47.1 per cent growth in Q1-2015 of Other Income to Rs 19.7 crore from Rs 13.39 crore in the year ago quarter and 49.6 per cent more than the Rs 13.17 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Sun TV’s total expenditure in Q1-2015 at Rs 404.85 crore (63.9 per cent of TIO) was 10.7 per cent more than the Rs 365.59 crore (60.7 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014 and 74.1 per cent more than the Rs 232.48 crore (63.9 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014.

     

    The company’s depreciation and amortisation (depreciation) expense in Q1-2015 at Rs 138.99 crore (22 per cent of TIO) was 18.4 per cent more than the Rs 117.39 crore (19.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014 and 23.7 per cent more than the Rs 112.33 crore (21.6 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014.

     

    Sun TV’s cost of revenues in Q1-2015 has gone down 7 per cent to Rs 41.86 crore (6.6 per cent of TIO) from Rs 45 crore (7.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014 and was 3.8 per cent lower than the Rs 43.51 crore (8.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014.

     

    Sun TV’s other expenditure was up 26 per cent at Rs 93.18 crore (14.7 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 as compared to the Rs 73.94 crore (12.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014 and a whopping 258 per cent (3.58 times) more than the Rs 26.01 crore in Q3-2014.