ITV

Tag: Television

  • ALTBalaji direct subs up 69% YoY; half-yearly revenue at 34cr

    ALTBalaji direct subs up 69% YoY; half-yearly revenue at 34cr

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms announced its financial results for the quarter and half year ended 30 September 2021.

    Selling 2.9m subscriptions during H1Fy22 (vs 1.7m in H1FY21) ts streaming platform ALTBalaji reached a current active direct subscriber base of over 1.45m. This excludes subs on partner apps. Direct subscription revenues stood at Rs 34cr vs Rs 24cr. ALTBalaji contributed Rs 39cr to the half-year Group revenues at Rs 141cr

    The platform added nine shows in the half-year taking the overall library to 87. Some of the hits launched in H1Fy22 include Punchh Beat Season two, Broken but Beautiful season three, and Cartel. ALTBalaji continues its strategy of driving deeper audience engagement through differentiated content targeted at mass India.

    During the half-year, the TV business produced 363.5 hours of content across seven shows for four broadcasters. Five new shows have been lined up, and should commence shortly, it said.

    Movie business also resumed production. With five projects in the pipeline, the company said it is making good progress, even as it waits for the availability of theatrical launch windows. Deals across direct to digital are also being explored. As part of its strategy, it continues to control investments in movies and pursue pre-sales and co-production deals where feasible.

    Balaji Telefilms Limited MD, Shobha Kapoor said, “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth. We added 2.9m subscriptions during the half-year. We added nine shows in the half-year and now have a very strong lineup for the rest of the year. Our strategic content-sharing deals will ensure we maintain control on the cash spends while driving overall profitability.”

    Commenting further on the TV and movies business, she added, “Our TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as five new shows commence. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion and we are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well and direct to digital launches. Overall, the year has started well and we will build on this momentum through the year.”

  • News18 UP/Uttarakhand undergoes makeover ahead of UP polls

    News18 UP/Uttarakhand undergoes makeover ahead of UP polls

    Mumbai: News18 Uttar Pradesh/ Uttarakhand has revamped its studios, introduced new GFX, refreshed packaging of all shows as it gears up for the coverage of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year.

    The channel has donned a new premium look and fresh style of presentation under managing editor Amish Devgan. It will also expand its political coverage by launching new properties around elections.

    According to the statement shared by the network, the new studio to be used for news presentation, interviews, debates and discussions will have multiple set options along with stylised shooting angles, advance lighting, and a state of the art LED display wall for animations, graphics and multiple guest interaction windows as well as a touch screen to give a user driven experience and go into deeper analysis.

    It has also planned special programming for the upcoming UP assembly elections, and will not only host politicians from across the spectrum but will also have elaborate ground reporting through its vast reporters’ network. The channel has planned a new show – ‘Voter Ganga Kinare Wala’ that will cover upwards of 100 assembly seats situated along Ganga from Haridwar to Ballia. Another show that is already on air is ‘Chunavi Road Show’ that will cover 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

    News18 Network, Hindi News CEO Karan Abhishek Singh said, “In terms of our bouquet of regional Hindi news channel, News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand is undoubtedly one of our critical products since it serves the most populous state of the country. Our endeavour with this change is to break the mould of how news has so far been served in the region and bring a world class viewing experience both in terms of content and the channel’s packaging to the audiences in the region especially given that both UP and Uttarakhand are heading into elections. We are confident that the channel with be very well received in its news avatar which will further reinforce the channel’s position as a thought leader in the state.”

    News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, & Rajasthan managing editor Amish Devgan said, “We have always looked at News18 Uttar Pradesh/ Uttarakhand as the channel that sets the agenda for our competition to follow. It is with this thought process only that we have undertaken the re-packaging of the channel especially now as we head into the biggest ever state elections of this country. We will bring to our viewers the most advanced viewer experience in the region. Our viewers have always trusted us and depended on us and this change will only further strengthen our relationship with our viewers.” 

  • Hollywood averts massive strike by film and TV workers

    Hollywood averts massive strike by film and TV workers

    Mumbai: The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the union which represents film and television crew members throughout North America, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract averting a major strike less than a day before the walk-out deadline.

    “This is a Hollywood ending,” IATSE International President Matthew Loeb said in a statement. “Our members stood firm. They’re tough and united. We went toe to toe with some of the richest and most powerful entertainment and tech companies in the world and we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP that meets our members’ needs.”

    This strike would have been the first in the union’s 128-year history and the first major crew strike since World War II. The 11th-hour deal avoids a potentially crippling shutdown which would have impacted film and TV productions nationwide, with worldwide ripple effects, just as studios struggle to recover from heavy losses caused by production shutdowns and theatre closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The agreement, which still must be ratified by the union’s membership, includes improved wages and working conditions for streaming productions, a retroactive wage increase of three per cent annually, increased funding for health and pension plans, a minimum 10-hour turnaround time between shoots with a 54-hour break after a five-day week and also includes still unspecified diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

    The deal was met with a sigh of relief across Hollywood after talks stalled over the summer leading the IATSE to vote in early October on a strike authorisation with the overwhelming support of 98 per cent of union voters. The 60,000-member union represents a wide range of production crew members including cinematographers, camera operators, set designers, carpenters, hair and make-up artists, and many others.

    The strong support of the union membership gave leaders considerable leverage to press their demands. The IATSE has traditionally preferred to quietly negotiate earlier agreements avoiding confrontations with the studios. However, members’ frustrations have grown to a breaking point with working 14+ hour workdays with few breaks and no weekends off.

    In addition, as studio executives realised how devastating this strike could be, just as they were beginning to crawl out from beneath the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the IATSE felt further emboldened to take a tougher stand.

    The union’s focused goals were: livable wages for the lowest-paid workers; more turnaround time between workdays; genuine meal breaks; rescue of the union’s ailing pension and health plan; and a bigger cut of the revenue from streaming shows. Studio executives acknowledged that they could no longer defend previous deal points allowing for such incessant work hours, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

    The strike has been officially called off with this tentative agreement as union members will be heading to the ballot box in the next few days to give or refuse their stamp of approval, with both sides remaining hopeful.

  • Pulling back the curtain on cell phone cinema

    Pulling back the curtain on cell phone cinema

    Los Angeles: Director, writer, and producer, Vineesha Arora-Sarin mixed together unusual but effective ingredients combining a family vacation, an epiphany, her iPhone, and adding a generous portion of talent to produce her debut feature “Between Mountains,” a visually whimsical but sobering thematic drama about loss, guilt, and mental health.

    Arora-Sarin grew up in New York balancing her western upbringing with her cultural Indian roots. She traveled to India post-college to reevaluate her life and reconnect with family and ended up enrolling in a drama class. It was there she was set up on a blind date with her future husband, a young, talented drama student and future Bollywood star, Amit Sarin. In 2003, Arora-Sarin made her acting debut in the film “Supari” just as Sarin began landing television roles. It turned out to be a pivotal year as she later traveled to New York where she met her idol, Al Pacino after his Broadway show. Her meeting with Pacino added clarity and inspired a shift in focus to pursue writing. Upon her return to India, Arora-Sarin began honing her skills in writing, as well as acting. In 2009, she started a production company along with her husband producing short films and media advertising, as well as organising Bollywood events.

    In 2018, after lining up projects in Los Angeles, Arora-Sarin and Sarin decided to make the leap from Bollywood to Hollywood. Early in 2020, just as their creative ventures were moving forward, the Covid-19 virus began its deadly march shutting down productions in Bollywood, Hollywood, and around the world.

    “My main mantra of life is to keep moving forward, keep creating, keep inspired. My mantra became my savior during this time. I kept an open mind and kept thinking about how do we turn this around into something positive,” Arora-Sarin stated.

    With the Covid-19 pandemic raging, their projects side-lined, and with their two children off from school, the couple decided to take a family road trip through the natural beauty and tranquility of national parks from California to Colorado and through Utah. A close family friend and Sarin’s onetime co-star Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide earlier that month and his sudden and tragic death was weighing heavy on them. Early one morning while on the trip, Arora-Sarin woke up with an epiphany, an idea about the effects experienced by people from a sudden loss and the mystic power of nature to heal.

    She brought out her iPhone and with no script in hand, started to shoot with her basic concept and the surrounding nature serving as her inspirations. With “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin became the first female director, writer, and producer to make a film entirely on an iPhone.

    “I had an iPhone in my pocket and I thought to myself, ‘What’s stopping me?’ That’s the beauty and convenience of cell phone cinema. You just need a little knowledge in terms of how to take your shot and you need a compelling story,” Arora-Sarin said.

    “Between Mountains” stars Arora-Sarin’s husband, Amit Sarin, and tells the story of a recently widowed father who reaches his breaking point after also losing his young son to an untimely sudden death. Overcome with sadness he sets out on the road with the intent of ending his life.

    His journey takes audiences on a progressive journey of self-discovery, enlightenment, and acceptance. The film features a haunting soundtrack, written and performed by Nashville musician Scott Turek, which helped create the mood of the film.

    Arora-Sarin’s advice to aspiring filmmakers: “If you have a burning desire and passion to tell a story, you don’t need to wait. Find a way to tell that story,” she stated.

    “Between Mountains” wooed the audience at its world premiere in Los Angeles in August with its raw story and visual beauty. In addition, attendees were later astounded to learn the film was shot entirely on an iPhone. It won Best Narrative Feature with Amit Sarin taking home the Best Actor prize at the AFI Karl Bardosh Cell Phone Cinema Humanitarian Awards which take place during the Cannes Film Festival. In addition, the song, World on Fire featured in the film was released in a separate music video and won the Best Music Video award.
    With her innovative work in “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin is inspiring a new way of thinking and approach to filmmaking. The use of cell phone technology expands possibilities to creative filmmakers for their stories to be told. She is set to start work on her second feature, Deathbed, to be shot on an iPhone, as well. In addition, Arora-Sarin is working on a crime drama web series “End of Karma” and along with her husband, Sarin is producing “Tiger Heart,” an anti-poaching feature on tigers.

  • Tata Sky brings international content through new launch – ‘Videshi Kahaniyan’

    Tata Sky brings international content through new launch – ‘Videshi Kahaniyan’

    Mumbai: Amping the content game, content distribution and Pay TV platform Tata Sky has introduced a new platform service – ‘Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan’ to offer ad-free International shows and movies dubbed in Hindi for its viewers.

    The new service will give subscribers access to a vast collection of content across Korean, Bulgarian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and other languages, said the platform on Monday.

    “International content has been gaining popularity as stories from around the world resonate with Indian viewers,” said Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri. “For ‘Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan’, we are partnering with One Take Media, pioneers in global content production & distribution, to bring our viewers high-quality entertainment from across the globe at an affordable price. Some of the Korean, Bulgarian and Spanish shows on the service are very popular worldwide and will bring a richness and variety to the entertainment offered by Tata Sky.”

    The new service will be available on both DTH and mobile app, and will showcase blockbusters such as ‘Goblin’, ‘I am not a robot’, ‘Emergency Couple’, ‘Eternal’, ‘Undercover’ among others.

    The brand has also roped in TV personality, Rupali Ganguly of ‘Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai’ fame for promoting the new service. “I am excited to see my love for International content come to life with Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan. I have enjoyed shooting for the campaign and am sure that this service will be a complete entertainment package,” she said.

    “We are thrilled to partner with Tata Sky and launch their new value-added service ‘Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan’, we have carefully collated the list of shows and movies for the service and are sure that the audiences will enjoy this collection,” said One Take Media Co-director Dimpy Khera.

  • The whys and wherefores of the Zeel-SPNI merger proposal

    The whys and wherefores of the Zeel-SPNI merger proposal

    Mumbai: After days of conjectures fueled by boardroom battles, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) pulled off a tour de force early on Wednesday announcing the company’s plans for a mega-merger with arch-rival Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). With their combined linear networks, digital assets, production operations, and programme libraries, the two companies are set to create one of India’s largest media and entertainment entities in terms of market share. It will not only rival market leader Disney Star India, but it could well pip the former at the post in revenues when it does go through.

    The news was not completely unexpected; talks of a merger between the two networks had been in the news intermittently for almost two years now. They had flirted with each other and other suitors intermittently. According to various media reports, both SPNI and Zeel had been on the lookout for a partner that could bring in mutual synergies, while minimising clashes, to fend off competition amid growing consolidation in the media and entertainment industry.  Each one of them had also explored a merger with the Mukesh Ambani-owned Viacom18 to challenge the Disney-Star collaboration that has been dominating the content market, however, without success. RIL owns a majority stake in Viacom18, which is a joint venture between TV18 Broadcast Ltd and US-based ViacomCBS Inc. With the current merger, the companies have seemed to found what each of them was looking for to turbocharge their future growth.

    If Zeel is backed by its core strength in content creation in both mainline Hindi and regional languages, SPNI brings along its well-consolidated entertainment and sports genre creating a potent combination. SPNI also leads in the English/premium factual entertainment genre, but in return, it will get an opportunity to leverage Zeel’s pervasive reach built over decades.

    Despite recent challenges, the network has come a long way since its launch three decades ago. Zeel continues to maintain its hold in the HSM with its FTA channel Zee Anmol being the steady top grosser in the UP/Uttarakhand market, and down south with regional GECs Zee Kannada or Telugu. The merger could also help SPNI to adopt a well-positioned strategy that has so far oscillated between targeting mass and metro audiences.  It could also bolster their growing digital businesses, bringing together the two streaming platforms-  Zee5 and SonyLIV. 

    The reality is that both Zeel and SPNI are no strangers when it comes to striking a deal. One can hark back to a time half a decade ago when the Subhash Chandra-run company had hawked off its Ten Sports channel and related sports business to SPNI – a deal which has served the latter well.

    With the latest merger announcement, Zeel has also pulled off a coup of sorts in favour of its MD and CEO Punit Goenka who will now lead the combined media entity. The announcement is crucial, as it boosts his position at a time when two of Zeel’s top investors – had called for his ouster, making corporate governance allegations against him and some Zeel board members.

    Over the last year, Goenka has focused on transforming the company into a new ‘Zee 4.0 vision’ – led by a revamped programming line-up of its linear channel portfolio in the key markets, and the launch of new channels. In its recent annual general meeting (AGM), Goenka had elaborated how Zeel’s future roadmap for the next three years will be led by digital. “We are still in investment mode for our digital business and our film business. We enjoyed leadership in several of the markets that we operate in,” he told shareholders last week.

    Zeel’s linear business has managed to retain its profitability, but its flagship channel Zee TV has been looking to regain its standing in the non-fiction content where it used to be a strong player until a few years back, with popular properties like Sa Re Ga Ma and DID.

    Goenka also told shareholders about Zeel’s plans to become the leading studio in films across six languages and increases its market share in the music category. SPNI, on its part, has recently stepped up its content creation capability in-house through its TV and OTT show and film production units. Zeel and SPNI’s union on this front will prove beneficial in many ways.

    The most important benefit that the merger brings to the table is even higher economies of scale. Zeel has over the years built its reputation as an excellent cost-efficient media company, even as SPNI is one of the more profitably run broadcasters. Their coming together is likely to bring in even more cost-efficiencies because of the scale that their marriage will usher in, enabling tougher negotiating power with suppliers and with clients. Additionally, internal cost savings will also be generated as the merged entity right sizes itself in terms of manpower, talent, and functions.

    The merger announced on Wednesday is subject to regulatory approvals, but once it goes through, it will result in SPNI holding a majority of 52.93 per cent with Zeel and its shareholders having 47.01 per cent of the new entity. But, the promoter family will remain free to increase its holding from four per cent to 20 per cent over time. SPNI will hold the majority share in the new media entity and its shareholders will pump in growth capital of $1.575 billion to strengthen the company’s digital platforms across technology and content, ability to bid for broadcasting rights in the fast-growing sports landscape and pursue other growth opportunities.

    The combined company’s board of directors would include directors nominated by the Sony Group and result in it having the right to nominate the majority of the members. 

  • How brands can take the sustainability leap

    How brands can take the sustainability leap

    Mumbai: Rising global temperatures and environmental degradation has left the world on the cusp of major climate change. The slow, yet discernible impact of these changes has been seen across all major sectors, leading brands to make a conscious choice to protect the environment while catering to their consumers’ needs.

    A recent BBC Global News study also revealed that 80 per cent of consumers in the Asia Pacific agree that demonstrating a commitment to sustainability adds value to the brand. Consumers expect action, not empty promises, from brands on sustainability. They are becoming ever more aware of their choices and expect brands to take responsibility towards following sustainable practices.

    Some of these stories will take centre stage at the virtual webinar – ‘Taking the Sustainability leap’ being organised by BBC News in collaboration with Indiantelevision.com on 23 September. The hour-long event starting at 3 p.m. will witness insightful discussions with some of the leading brands who have taken the sustainability plunge.

    “Without a significant change in current consumption and production patterns, the world will face strong environmental and economic costs such as those caused by projected climate change. Therefore, there must be a change in how we satisfy our needs if we want to achieve sustainable development and maintain the Earth’s capacity to satisfy the needs of future generations which consumers are becoming increasingly aware of,” said BBC Global News, senior VP, Commercial Development – Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Alistair McEwan.

    The attendees will get an opportunity to hear inspiring stories from sustainability leaders across the globe, as they share case studies. This will include stories of building a fashion collection created by rescued luxury fabric, and much more. BBC will also share insights on forging an effective sustainability journey, and how brands can create a competitive advantage through innovative and sustainable marketing services.

    The event will begin with introductory remarks from BBC Global News, SVP Commercial Development, Alistair McEwan. It will proceed with a panel discussion on ‘Leading with Innovation and Inspiration’ to be led by The R Collective founder and CEO Christina Dean, Climate Force founder Barney Swan, The Fabrick lab founder Elaine Yan Ling Ng, and Sophie’s BioNutrients co-founder and CEO Eugene Wang

    Other key speakers at the event include Maruti Suzuki India, assistant vice president-sustainability and carbon neutrality G P Chaddha, Godrej Group, head-environmental sustainability Ram Vaidyanathan, Tata Consultancy Services, head of sustainability marketing, Preeti Gandhi, Lenovo, head of communications, Asia Pacific, Geneviene Hilton, and Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd (MamaEarth) vice-president marketing Sambit Dash.

    BBC Future Planet editor Martha Henriques will throw light on how BBC is doing its part of the sustainability of the planet. BBC Future Planet is the first major online publication launched in 2020, with a sole focus on climate change that also aims to be as close to zero carbon as possible. BBC StoryWorks APAC director Nicola Eliot will discuss how brands are partnering with the BBC to tell their sustainability stories.

    To join the conversation, register: https://indiantelevision.com/events/taking-the-sustainability-leap/event-platform/registration.php

  • ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘The Crown’ win big at the 73rd Emmys

    ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘The Crown’ win big at the 73rd Emmys

    Los Angeles: Netflix’s “The Crown” and Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” have won the Emmy for the Outstanding Drama and Comedy series respectively at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, which returned with in-person glitz and glamour on Sunday, after going remote in 2020 due to the pandemic.

    The ceremony honored the best in the US prime time television programming from 1 June 2020 until 31 May 2021, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences highlighting much of what folks have been watching during the pandemic.

    Among the closely watched categories were those in outstanding comedy, where a whopping 75 per cent of the nominees were new to the category. The big winner was “Ted Lasso” taking home the award for comedy series, as well as comedy lead actor, supporting actor, and supporting actress. The freshman comedy with 13 nominations walked away with four awards in all.

    “The Crown” which bagged a total of 11 nominations, won in the outstanding lead actor, drama (Josh O’Connor), lead actress, drama (Olivia Colman), and outstanding directing for a drama series (episode: ‘War’, directed by Jessica Hobbs) categories, in addition to five other wins.

    “The Queen’s Gambit” took home the award in the closely watched Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series race. “Mare of Easttown” surprised some pundits with wins for lead actress, supporting actor and supporting actress in the Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.

    Cedric the Entertainer, hosting for the first time, kicked off the ceremony with a strong opening hip-hop performance set to Biz Markie’s iconic song, “Just a Friend.” Cedric enlisted the help of a few A-listers to the act including LL Cool J, Lil Dicky, Rita Wilson and more. “TV, you got what I need!” the group sang, as seemingly everyone in the audience joined in. 

    After a few trophies were handed out, Cedric brought his comedy A-game to the night with an opening monologue taking on Nicki Minaj, who was trolled online for her anti-vax commentary, the Jeopardy! host fiasco and also the royal family. Noting so much talent in the room, Cedric retorted, “Lock the doors, we’re not leaving until we find a new host for Jeopardy!”

    Television Academy CEO and chairman Frank Scherma gave an impassioned speech as he took the stage to introduce and present the winner of this year’s Governor’s Award. “It’s so great to see that television and the stories we tell are finally becoming a reflection of every part of our society,” said Scherma.

    Although television programming has seen a definitive rise in the representation of diverse characters, this year’s Emmy Awards is already being scrutinised since it had its most diverse field of nominees yet but failed to deliver. By the end of the night, no actors of color or LGBTQ actors had won any of the major acting awards.

    Multi-talented actress and dancer, Debbie Allen accepted the 2021 Governor’s Award from Scherma and with tears in her eyes shared a heartfelt tribute to women in Texas and Afghanistan and called on women worldwide to let the moment resonate. “It is time for you to claim your power, claim your voice, say your song, tell your stories,” she said. Allen, a Black woman was one of only a few people of color who won an award.

    RuPaul, the host and executive producer of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” became the most-awarded Black artist in Emmys history with 11 wins after the VH1 series won the award for top competition program for the fourth year in a row during Sunday’s ceremony.

    The attendees were drastically scaled back to around a reported 500 and were required to follow Covid-19 protocols that mimic safety measures put in place on Hollywood sets. This included proof of vaccinations and requiring guests to wear masks when not on camera.

    Complete list of winners:

    Outstanding Variety Talk Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

    Outstanding Competition Program: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart, “Hacks” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” 

    Outstanding Comedy Series: “Ted Lasso” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Movie: Ewan McGregor, “Halston”

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown”

    Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: “The Queen’s Gambit” 

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Olivia Colman, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tobias Menzies, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown” 

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Julianne Nicholson, “Mare of Easttown”

    Outstanding Drama Serie: “The Crown”

    Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: “Saturday Night Live”

    Outstanding Variety Special (Live): “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020”

    Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded): “Hamilton” 

    Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: “Hacks” (Episode: ‘There Is No Line’), Directed by Lucia Aniello

    Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: “The Crown” (Episode: ‘War’), Directed by Jessica Hobbs

    Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: “The Queen’s Gambit,” Directed by Scott Frank 

    Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: “Hacks” (Episode: ‘There Is No Line’), written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs, and Jen Statsky

    Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: “The Crown” (Episode: ‘War’), written by Peter Morgan

    Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: “I May Destroy You,” written by Michaela Coel

    Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” 

  • Adani Group names Sanjay Pugali as CEO and editor-in-chief

    Adani Group names Sanjay Pugali as CEO and editor-in-chief

    New Delhi : Adani Enterprises has named senior journalist Sanjay Pugalia as the CEO and editor-in-chief of the Group’s media entity. In his new role, he will report to Pranav Adani and work closely with Sudipta Bhattacharya.

    Pugalia carries vast experience in digital, television and the print media. He was previously the president and editorial director at Quint Digital Media. The company had informed BSE that Pugalia has moved on from the organisation on 16 September, and that he “wishes his very best to the team at the Quint and will continue as friend, guide and mentor to the team.”

    Pugalia has earlier worked with CNBC-Awaaz, Star News, Zee News and was one of the founding members of AajTak. As a print journalist, he has also worked with Business Standard and Navbharat Times.

    Also read :https://www.indiantelevision.com/exec_life/y2k5/dec/30dec/mylife.htm

  • Sansad TV launched, PM Modi calls it a new chapter in India’s democratic system

    Sansad TV launched, PM Modi calls it a new chapter in India’s democratic system

    New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched Sansad TV, highlighting it as another important chapter in India’s parliamentary system.

    The channel has been created by merging Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV and will be led by retired IAS officer Ravi Capoor who was appointed as the chief executive officer of the channel early this year.

    Launching it jointly with vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Modi said it is very important that the common man connects with Parliament and feels he is part of it. 

    Addressing the event, the PM lauded the transformation of the channel associated with the Parliament in accordance with rapidly changing times, especially when the 21st century is bringing revolution through dialogue and communication.  

    “While it is said that ‘content is king, but in my experience ‘Content is Connect’ said PM Modi, adding that, when one has better content, people automatically engage with it. As much as this applies to the media, it is equally applicable to our parliamentary system as there is not only politics in Parliament, there is also policy. He emphasised that common people should feel the connect with the proceedings of the Parliament. He asked the new channel to work in that direction.

    Terming the launch of Sansad TV as a “new chapter in the story of Indian democracy”, Modi said, the country is getting a medium of communication and dialogue in the form of Sansad TV which will become a new voice of the nation’s democracy and people’s representative.

    Sansad TV is likely to have two channels, with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions telecast live on each. It will be available in Hindi and English.

    The two former entities, LS TV and RSTV were launched in 2006, and 2011 respectively.