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Tag: Times Network

  • Movies Now & MN+ to simulcast ‘Gandhi’ on 30 January

    Movies Now & MN+ to simulcast ‘Gandhi’ on 30 January

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s movie channels Movies Now and MN+ will simulcast – Gandhi – a biopic on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 30 January, 2016 at 1 pm.

     

    Directed and produced by Richard Attenborough and written by John Briley, the film features Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, Saeed Jaffrey playing the role of Sardar Patel, Alyque Padamsee as Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru. The 1982 biopic dramatises the life of Gandhi, the leader of India’s non-violent struggle for independence from the British, and also stars Amrish Puri as Khan, Candice Bergen as Margaret Bourke-White, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin and Martin Sheen as Walker, among others.

     

    Gandhi has bagged eight Oscars along with 10 Golden Globe awards, and several top creative and technical awards from some of the most reputed guilds and associations across the world.

     

    The movie will also have a repeat telecast on Movies Now at 11 pm on the same day.

  • Movies Now & MN+ to simulcast ‘Gandhi’ on 30 January

    Movies Now & MN+ to simulcast ‘Gandhi’ on 30 January

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s movie channels Movies Now and MN+ will simulcast – Gandhi – a biopic on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 30 January, 2016 at 1 pm.

     

    Directed and produced by Richard Attenborough and written by John Briley, the film features Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, Saeed Jaffrey playing the role of Sardar Patel, Alyque Padamsee as Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru. The 1982 biopic dramatises the life of Gandhi, the leader of India’s non-violent struggle for independence from the British, and also stars Amrish Puri as Khan, Candice Bergen as Margaret Bourke-White, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin and Martin Sheen as Walker, among others.

     

    Gandhi has bagged eight Oscars along with 10 Golden Globe awards, and several top creative and technical awards from some of the most reputed guilds and associations across the world.

     

    The movie will also have a repeat telecast on Movies Now at 11 pm on the same day.

  • Zoom launches friendly celeb chat show ‘Yaar Mera Superstar’

    Zoom launches friendly celeb chat show ‘Yaar Mera Superstar’

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s entertainment channel Zoom is planning to launch a new celebrity chat show with a friendly approach.

     

    The show titled Yaar Mera Superstar will be hosted by Garima Kumar and will air every Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

     

    The channel has roped in Britannia as the presenting sponsor for the show and is in talks with other brands for the powered by category.

     

    In the first week of the show, Zoom will broadcast two episodes  with the two most anticipated movies of the year namely Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani.

     

    The Dilwale episode on 15 December will feature Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, whereas the episode featuring the starcast of Bajirao Mastani namely Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh will air on 16 December.

     

    The channel has already shot two episodes for the chat show. 

     

    Talking about the initiative, Zoom VP and product head Sunder Venkatraman said, “We will make sure that we do justice to both the blockbuster movies – Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani in our episodes. This is a well planned strategy from all aspects, be it on the content side or the marketing side. It will grab the viewers’ attention. At Zoom, we want to create the best content and deliver it to both the ends i.e. to the celebrity and the audience. We don’t want to follow a top down approach. We believe that Yaar Mera Superstar will further strengthen our portfolio of highly entertaining and informative shows, which also include Funtanaatan and Planet Bollywood among others.”

     

    Yaar Mera Superstar will not follow the stereotype format and will not carry a serious tone. The half an hour show will feature celebrities doing never-seen-before things.

     

    Zoom has strategically slotted the show in the 7.30 pm time band as it has a major chunk of its audience available at that time. The show will have frequent repeats across timelines, probably two to three times in a day. Venkatraman adds, “Bollywood is universal and the audience will consume it at any time they want to.”

     

    The anchor as well as Zoom head of the content Garima Kumar will be seen interacting with celebrities in a friendly and casual manner by adding dollops of humour. Kumar will also be seen playing games with the guests. The show will bring stars out of their comfort zone, pouring their hearts out to the audience.

     

    “We are not here to judge the celebrities about anything that they confess about on our show. There will be an added element of surprise in every episode,” says Venkatraman.

     

    Zoom will be using various vehicles of the Times Network to promote the show across digital, linear and outdoor platforms. On social media, the hashtag #DilwaleOnZoom has been trending. “We will use the might of the entire Times Network to promote the show across our channels like Times Now, ET Now and Movies Now. We have devised a 360 degree marketing plan targeting the major group of people who are hungry for Bollywood news,” he informs.

     

    Speaking on the channel’s availability across platforms, Venkatraman says, “Zoom is largely focusing on becoming a Bollywood destination in India. The channel’s mantra, Turn On, will make sure that we provide the information that the audience is craving for. Our aim is also to be available across all the possible platforms in India. If there is a demand from the audience, we might also launch our own application. If the audience wants fashion related content or if they want lifestyle related content, we will make sure that to serve the need of the audience.”

  • Network18 hires Times Network’s Subha Chatterjee as group editor

    Network18 hires Times Network’s Subha Chatterjee as group editor

    MUMBAI: Network18 has poached Times Network senior editor & national head – special projects Subha Chatterjee as group editor – special projects.

     

    This is Chatterjee’s second stint with the company after a span of seven years.

     

    In his new role, Chatterjee will drive special interest and customised properties across all platforms, which help organisations connect with their target customers, trade and influencers in an innovative way.

     

    “I am pleased to welcome Subha to Network18 Group. Not only does he bring with him extensive experience in broadcast media, but he also excels in strategic and creative leadership which I believe will help in steering key projects within the group,” said Network 18 chief human resource officer Girish Naik.

     

    At Times Network, he played a pivotal role in creating multiple revenue streams across programming genres through unique customised conversations, contributing significant revenue to the network. He has over 15 years of experience in the media industry.

     

    Chatterjee added, “I am delighted to take on the new role with Network18. The world of branded and new media content will open up a world of exciting opportunities and Network18 with its unique content offerings across platforms will be an exciting hub for new ideas and conversations.”

  • Times Network joins hands with Autocar India for TV show

    Times Network joins hands with Autocar India for TV show

    MUMBAI: The Times Network has joined hands with Autocar India magazine to launch a show called The Autocar Show.

     

    It may be recalled that The Autocar Show was until now aired on Bloomberg TV India.

     

    With India becoming the fastest growing automobile market in the world and individuals looking for the best in-class products, the show will showcase reviews by car experts on ET Now and Times Now from 11 December, 2015 onwards. 

     

    The Autocar Show will air on ET Now on Fridays at 10:30 pm with repeats on Saturday (11:30 am and 3:30 pm) and Sunday (10 am and 2 pm). On Times Now, the show will be telecast on Saturdays at 6:30 pm and Sundays at 9:30 am.

     

    Autocar India is widely quoted by the media across the globe for its detailed views. In addition to providing car reviews in the most insightful manner, the magazine gives its readers unmatched access to the automobile industry news. With the likes of Autocar India editor Hormazd Sorabjee, who has three decades of experience, and Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 racer set to grace the television screens, viewers are in for a engrossing and informative ride with every episode.

     

    Times Now and ET Now president – news and editor in chief Arnab Goswami said, “We are delighted to have tied up with India’s most respected experts in the automobile circuit to launch The Autocar Show. I am sure that Hormazd and his team will make the show a one-stop destination that caters to the needs of everyone interested in the magical and enticing world of automobiles. The Autocar Show, which will air on ET Now and Times Now, will add to the world class quality, variety and relevance of our programming bouquet.”

     

    Sorabjee added, “We are thrilled to have tied up with Times Network which will give a huge boost to the popularity of The Autocar Show. It’s not just the fact that both ET Now and Times Now are undisputed leaders in their genres but the high energy and passion of the Times Network that motivates us to go that extra mile to deliver cutting edge content.”

     

    The Autocar Show will review the latest Skoda Superb before any other Indian media. It will look to heighten the enthusiasm through feature activities that have never been carried out before such as driving the Lamborghini Hurracan to Khardung la Pass, the highest motorable road in the world. In addition to such feats, the show will keep viewers informed through its segment that will shed light on the automobile market scenario.

  • Times Network’s promo of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ unravelled

    Times Network’s promo of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ unravelled

    MUMBAI: The widely loved American sitcom How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) is back for its fans on Romedy Now and will be aired on 14 December 2015. The show has got the cutest makeover with this new season. As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, the channel has brought HIMYM back with a fresh and unique promo showing toddlers narrating the story of the show.

     

    The video features little Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen as an adorable couple and a miniature, suited-up Barney Stinson flirting with girls. It also shows tiny Ted Mosby sweetly falling head over heels for Robin Scherbatsky, and some of the kids taking turns with a kid-sized version of the show’s signature yellow umbrella. The video takes the funny characters to a whole new ‘miniature’ level.

    Romedy Now is targeting a pan India population, and majorly the youth and expects to reach out to more than a million viewers. The channel has already started promotions on social media two weeks back with teasers and is now building it up to the launch of the show. The next level of the promotion will be revealed as the flag off to the airing of the show approaches.

     

    The English entertainment channel has attempted to portray the love and laughter in the show through a metaphor by portraying the characters of HIMYM as toddlers. Talking about the idea behind the adorable promo Times Network vice president of programming EEC Sonal Khanduja commented, “The treatment of using kids makes the property more affable and cute and makes for great conversation especially when parents want to share their cute memories and moments with their babies. The thought was to have a setup as close as to the show- from the set design to the five kids dressed like the original characters from the show to their attitude and the scenes from the show”.

     

    The promo has been conceptualised and executed internally by the in-house team of the channel, Oapp Team. The off-air campaign has been done by the Famous Innovations creative agency.

     

    The promo has received appreciation from its fans and has generated a lot of buzz across all the social media platforms. “We are glad that our efforts have paid off so well that the makers of the show tweeted about it. And going forward, we will be coming up with many more such unique innovations”, adds Khanduja.

     

    “The promo was created for the people who are already aware of the show and follow it and to offer a new freshness to the property”, adds Khanduja.

     

    As the promo involves shooting with kids from a young age group, the channel had to invest two days to complete the shoot.

     

    Further, Romedy Now is also actively promoting HIMYM through on-ground activities across the key pubs in the urban cities through an engaging game that can be played with friends.

     

    Since it is an iconic show for viewers, it enjoys a positive response from advertisers. “The shows on Romedy Now are leading in the category and we are confident that HIMYM will be at the top of the pack in the span of a few weeks”, concludes Khanduja.

  • Times Network appoints Ashit Kukian as President – Revenue

    Times Network appoints Ashit Kukian as President – Revenue

    MUMBAI: Strengthening its senior management leadership, Times Network has announced the appointment of former president and COO of Radio City, Ashit Kukian as president – revenue. 

     

    Earlier he worked as president & chief operating officer  with Radio City 91.1 FM. He had served Radio City for 10 years, lately focusing on driving revenues for the brand through traditional and non-traditional sources.

     

    In his new role, Kukian will work closely with the content, distribution, marketing and other enabling functions to meet business objectives. The Ad sales and branded content teams of the Times Network will directly report to him and he will report to Times Network MD& CEO, MK Anand.

     

    Speaking about the appointment Anand said, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Ashit back into the Times Network fold as President – Revenue. His guidance, industry insights and operational expertise will help us achieve our aggressive growth targets and meet the business objectives through traditional and non – traditional revenue streams as we move into the future. I am sure his extensive background in media management and experience over two decades in the print, television & radio industry will add great value to the growth of Times Network.”

     

    Commenting on his new role at Times Network, Kukian said, “I am extremely excited to take on the new role with Times Network. As an individual helming the revenue vertical of a network that is growing by leaps and bounds, I will try my level best in giving my inputs, industry insights and operational expertise in the best possible manner. Using my experience garnered across print, television and radio I am sure I can lead the team in adding value to the growth of the network channels and businesses.”

     

    Kukian has had a 13 year stint with BCCL in the past where he managed several important roles, and over 15 years of experience in managing the business of media. He was a key member of the team that launched Zoom Television in 2004 and positioned it as premium Hindi entertainment channel for a high end urban audience within a year of its launch.

  • Times Network appoints Rasesh Gandhi as Cluster Sales Head – News

    Times Network appoints Rasesh Gandhi as Cluster Sales Head – News

    MUMBAI: Times Network has appointed Rasesh Gandhi as the Cluster Sales Head – News (TIMES NOW & ET NOW). Prior to joining TIMES Network he was VP – Sales at BCCL Response. In his new role, Gandhi will work closely with the Leadership in a bid to ensure that the portfolio grows manifolds. The News Ad Sales team will directly report in to him and he will report to the Chief Sales Officer, Times Network.

     

    Times Network MD & CEO M.K. Anand said, “His association of almost 2 decades with The Times Group and specifically Times Response gives him an extra edge, particularly at a time that Times Network has now established itself as a strong leader bringing top end audiences to advertisers. Rasesh’s experience in representing out Prime Print brands coupled with his tremendous understanding of Sales will be crucial in our endeavour to right-price our News brands. It is a pleasure to welcome him on-board.”

     

    Rasesh Gandhi’s bond with The TIMES GROUP spans almost two decades in varied roles. Prior to joining Times Network, he was VP- Sales at BCCL Response where he helmed verticals such as Auto, FMCG and Real Estate. Gandhi was a part of the special task force and played an instrumental part during the launch of Zoom TV. In his career he has had short stints Home TV, Radio City 91.1 FM & HCL- Hewlett Packard Ltd, where he first entered the professional arena.

     

    Commenting on his new role, Gandhi said, “I am very pleased to be an integral part of the television division of India’s largest media house, The Times Group. Having worked with the network for such a large amount of time will definitely be a boon for me in understanding the network goals and driving strategies. I look forward in contributing to my fullest to my new role and having an extremely pleasurable working experience”

     

    Rasesh has done his Bachelor of Science from Mithibai College, Mumbai, & has successfully completed certified courses in Media, Leadership, Strategies &   Coaching from Mica, ISB & Wharton School.

  • Times Network’s property news channel MagicBricks Now to beam from 1 November

    Times Network’s property news channel MagicBricks Now to beam from 1 November

    NEW DELHI: MagicBricks Now, a new real estate and property channel from the Times Group, was today formally launched by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who said television channels should learn to differentiate between news and views so that the people could discern the real situation themselves.

    The Minister said he was happy to know that Times Network is launching a news channel to create a platform for the real estate and housing sector “because it is going to partner with me in our plans to provide housing for everyone by 2032.” He said that the aim of the government was housing for all and smart cities and around Rs 4 lakh crore had been set aside for this.

    Initially slated to be called Property Now, the channel was re-christened as MagicBricks Now and will begin beaming from 1 November.

    The prime sponsor is the real estate website MagicBricks.com.which is a Times Internet property. Other confirmed sponsors include Lotus Greens Developers, Hirannadani and Mantri Developers.

    Magicbricks Now will be distributed across all direct to home (DTH) and cable platforms and is already present on all platforms, which carry the Times Network’s channels. However, it will not be available on DD’s Freedish as it is a pay channel. 

    Times Group MD and CEO M K Anand told Indiantelevision.com that research had been carried out in six cities before the channel was launched. The research group had talked to thousands of people who wanted to buy property but were confused about how they could get the money and cross various bureaucratic or other hurdles.

    Anand said that it had been found in the research that there were two types of people who wanted to buy property. One was the investor who was clearly looking at only buying to sell when prices rose, and the other was the layman who wanted to either buy property for personal stay or buy a second property to earn some income through rent. 

    He said both these categories of buyers had diametrically opposite ways of behaviour and the aim would be to bring the two together.

    Speaking at a press meet later, Anand expressed confidence that the channel will break even in four to five years. He said the ad base in the country was around 40 per cent, of which the Times Group had a significant share.

    Terming MagicBricks Now as a ‘property cousin’ of business channels, he added it was a real estate rather than a media endeavour. 

    In answer to a question, he said that most people felt recession was the best time to buy property and investments were made only with a futuristic profit in view. “If the media gives correct and real analysis, people will come forward to put money in property,” he added. The aim was also to facilitate an understanding of the processes of the government with regards to property. 

    The 24×7 channel will target NCCS A and B viewers in the 25-37 and 38-50 years age groups. In viewer profile terms, it will target both consumers who are looking to buy, sell or rent real estate, and businesses and service providers like brokers, builders, interior decorators, paint companies and others.

    MagicBricks Now editor Faye D’Souza added, “It has been found that most people were confused about laws relating to property and real estate and the effort would be to declutter the various laws so the common man understands how he can go about purchasing the property.”

    D’Souza informed that the channel would be multilingual so that it could reach all viewers.

    MagicBricks Now will be using the prime time band of 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm to reach out to the common buyer. The channel will also have separate weekend programming, including live programmes where people could ask questions from experts in the studio. “the channel will have around two hours of live shows every weekend,” D’Souza added.

    The channel will have shows on Vaastu and décor, etc, along with feature shows including some from the overseas market.

    “MagicBricks Now has a singular focus – on the end consumer. It will offer a rich array of programs that range from news bulletins to property hotlines, debates, leadership insights and more. These will not just keep the end consumer informed, but will serve as a common meeting ground for knowledge-driven individual buyers, sellers and businesses looking seriously at the world of property and real estate,” she said.

    Marquee channel programming includes The Property Guide, The Home Buyer’s Guide, Property Hotline, The Interiors Show, The Vastu Show, Real Estate Tycoons and, of course, The News, every hour on the hour.

    Speaking about the association with Times Network to create the new channel, Magicbricks.com CEO Sudhir Pai said, “Magicbricks is delighted to be a part of this initiative with the Times Network. Our endeavour has always been to make our brand ubiquitous across media so as to provide consumers with rich and in-depth information when it comes to matters of property. With this association we leverage the visual appeal of television to communicate our rich data and analytics in an easy-to-consume manner for the consumer. With this launch, we strengthen the offering and make ourselves available at every touch point to consumers.”

  • BARC week 41: ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ propels Star Gold to No 1; Movies Now leads English movie genre

    BARC week 41: ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ propels Star Gold to No 1; Movies Now leads English movie genre

    MUMBAI: Star Gold ascended to the top spot in the Hindi movie channels genre with the premier of the Salman Khan starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan in week 41 according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) all India (U+R) data.

     

    On the other hand, amongst English movie channels, Times Network’s Movies Now continued to lead the chart in week 41.

     

    In the Hindi movie channels genre, Star Gold grabbed the first position with 486374 (000Sums) followed by Zee Cinema in the second slot with 378717 (000Sums) and Sony Max in the third spot with 369954 (000Sums). Movies OK with 190804(000Sums) and &Pictures with 170152 (000Sums) secured fourth and fifth slot respectively.

     

    In the English movie channels genre, Movies Now led the chart and grabbed the first position with 3200 (000Sums) followed by Sony Pix in the second spot, which scored 1893 (000Sums) and Star Movies with 1793 (000Sums) in the third spot.

     

    Zee Studio secured the fourth berth with 1660 (000Sums), where HBO bagged the fifth slot with 1533 (000Sums).

     

    In week 40 (C&S 1lac+), Sony Max led the Hindi movies genre with 199451(000Sums) followed by Zee Cinema in the second slot with 175363 (000Sums), whereas Star Gold was on the third rung with 129877 (000Sums). On the other hand, in the English movies section, Movies Now led the genre with 3083 (000Sums) followed by Sony Pix with 2097 (000Sums) in the second slot and HBO with 1818 (000Sums) in the third place in week 40 (C&S 1lac+).