ITV

Tag: TV

  • InMobi study reveals that Indians love mobile phones more than TV

    InMobi study reveals that Indians love mobile phones more than TV

    MUMBAI: The Indian television industry which is pegged at a humongous Rs 37,000 crore (KPMG at India analysis 2012) may have some reason to worry if the latest study by Bangalore based independent mobile advertising network InMobi is to be believed. The study which is part of its – Mobile Media Consumption Report – claims that Indians prefer mobile phones over TV! It covered 2,004 respondents nationally.

    According to this InMobi study, dual or second screening, the phenomenon of users spending time on additional electronic devices while watching TV, continues its upsurge. This implies that the number of hours a consumer spends on his mobile phone is rising rapidly and is also invading his TV viewing space. Take a look at some of the intriguing revelations.

        63 per cent of users now actively spend time on a mobile device while watching TV, compared to 26 per cent in 2012. Now, that is quite a jump.
        57 per cent users engage in social networking while watching TV.
        79 per cent of Indian mobile web users plan to conduct m-commerce in the next 12 months.
        65 per cent of Indian mobile web users are now as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV or online advertising
        80 per cent noticed mobile ads on their smartphone, while a majority of 48 per cent users experience these ads on mobile apps specifically.

    Observing these trends, InMobi vice president & general manager India and south east Asia Phalgun Raju stated: “The tiny mobile phone has overtaken the mighty TV in India from a media consumption perspective. With over 850 million active mobile connections in India, the mobile marketing channel presents marketers an unprecedented opportunity to engage with the always-connected consumers. The onus is now on brands and content agencies to create compelling, engaging mobile rich media to capture consumers‘ attention.”

    The study, developed with Decision Fuel, finds that mobile web users in India are increasingly influenced by mobile, with nearly a third of their media consumption time being spent on mobile devices.

    Raju concludes: “The Indian app market is showing strong growth, as smartphone penetration continues to accelerate with lower and lower price points and mobile consumers turn to apps. Our research shows that on an average 7.1 apps are actively used by Indian consumers over a 30-day period. This has huge implications for both publishers and advertisers as they seek to garner an audience for their offerings and monetise through advertising.”

    Interestingly, most broadcasters are now engaging with their viewers on social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and have also launched several mobile apps to seek the attention of the ever so easily distracted audience.

  • Network18 Media on a turnaround trail

    Network18 Media on a turnaround trail

    MUMBAI: The Network18 group is doing very well, thank you. The group’s media holding company Network18 Media & Investments has reported results which show that the management led by managing director Raghav Bahl and group CEO B. Saikumar is slowly but surely driving it back to profits.

    The company has reported revenues of Rs 679.5 crore in Q4 FY 2013 as against Rs 697.4 crore in Q3 FY 2013. Revenues for the full financial year ending 31 March 2013 are at Rs 2400.8 crore as against Rs 1943.8 crore – a jump of 23.51 per cent. This was driven primarily by an almost doubling in revenues from its digital content and ecommerce vertical to Rs 400.9 crore (from Rs 233.8 crore) for the whole year. Its television and motion picture vertical too leaped ahead 36.62 per cent in revenues to Rs 1725.5 crore (Rs 1262.9 crore).

    The company shaved off its operating expenses for Q4 2013 to Rs 666.8 crore from Rs 686.8 crore in Q3 FY 2013. For the whole year ending 31 March 2013, its operating expenses rose to Rs 2440.1 crore (Rs 2239.9 crore).

    Operating profits for the group during Q4 2013 were at Rs 12.8 crore against Rs 10.6 crore during Q3 FY 2013 keeping its operating margin at 2 per cent. During Q4 FY 2013, there was a drop in the company’s television and motion picture unit’s operating profits to Rs 34.6 crore (from Rs 48.1 crore). The operating losses for its digital content and e-commerce vertical fell to Rs 24.3 crore from Rs 31.3 crore in this period. The operating margins for its television and motion picture business in Q4 FY 2013 decreased to seven per cent (nine per cent in Q3 FY 2013).

    For the whole year, there has been a drastic reduction in its operating losses to Rs 39.2 crore (Rs 296 crore). Its television and motion picture business which reported operating profits of Rs 107.1 crore (Rs 1.6 c rore) and allied businesses (publishing), which saw a decrease in losses to Rs 46.9 crore from Rs 118.8 crore, helped staunch the red ink. Its digital and e-commerce business continued to lose money operationally with an operating loss of Rs 125.4 crore (Rs 126.3 crore). The operating margins for its TV and motion pictures have improved from 0 to 6 per cent for the full year.

    Network18’s consolidated debt as on 31 March 2013 stood at Rs 211 crore, down 90 per cent from Rs 2130 crore at the end of FY12.

    Interest costs for Q4 FY 2013 were reduced to Rs 38.9 crore (Rs 53.1 crore in Q3 FY 2013). For the whole year it managed to keep its interest cost under control at Rs 272 crore (Rs 270.7 crore in FY 2012).
    It managed to report a net profit of Rs 50 lakh in Q4 FY 2013 (Rs 6.8 crore in Q3 Fy 2013). For the full year, it managed to improve its bottomline with a reduction in losses to Rs 105.5 crore (Rs 392.7 crore).

    During the year, Network18 profitably sold its entire stake in Newswire18, divested its Yellow Pages and Askme businesses and diluted its majority stake in Book My Show. These transactions, in line with the strategy to exit non-core businesses, added Rs 180 crore to the annual profit and raised Rs 235 crore for the Network18 Group.

    Says Bahl: “We are delighted to inform our investors and stakeholders that at both Network18 and TV18, we have successfully deleveraged our balance sheets and have delivered strong operating performances. Network18s and TV18s net debt now stands at less than one-fifth of the peak levels and our interest payments have come down sharply. We are confident that we are now entering a sustained value creation phase in our journey as we continue to strengthen our existing operations and consolidate our regional acquisition.”

    Adds B. Saikumar: “We are extremely pleased that our digital and broadcast operations have turned in a sustained and healthy operating performance during the year despite softness in the advertising environment. Our e-commerce businesses have turned in another stellar year and our digital content businesses continue to grow steadily. We are now on a solid net distribution income trajectory and while our flagship channels like CNBC TV18/Awaaz, Colors and CNN IBN continue to perform admirably, we are also enthused by the performance of recent launches and the motion pictures business. Inspite of near term challenges given the macro-economic headwinds, we are hopeful of delivering a strong year ahead.”

  • TRAI orders MSOs and payTV b’casters to file interconnect agreements

    TRAI orders MSOs and payTV b’casters to file interconnect agreements

    NEW DELHI: There has been a hue and cry over the last month or so that broadcasters and MSOs have been extremely slothful in signing channel agreements with each other. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has taken note of this and asked all of them to furnish the names of the MSO or the service provider with whom the interconnection agreement has been entered into along with the service area covered and the validity period of the said agreement by the week beginning 13 May.

    The directives were sent individually to all pay broadcasters/ aggregators and MSOs on 6 May.

    TRAI has also directed the pay broadcasters/aggregators and MSOs to produce in writing the terms and conditions of their interconnection agreements with MSOs or other service providers wherever they are is providing cable television services through digital addressable systems (DAS).

    The direction has been sent under section 13, read with sub-clauses (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 11 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997 for implementation of Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems.

    Regulation 5(3) of the regulations provides that every broadcaster has to, within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of request from the multi system operator, enter into an interconnection agreement or modify the existing interconnect agreement in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Reference Interconnect Offer published under these regulations or as may be mutually agreed.

    Regulation 5(6) provides that it shall be mandatory for the broadcasters of pay channels to reduce the terms and conditions of the interconnection agreements into writing; and Regulation 5(7) provides that no broadcaster of pay channels shall make available signals of TV channels to any multi system operator without entering into a written interconnection agreement.

    Prior to this notice, TRAI had held meetings with broadcasters and MSOs on 22 March, 2 April, 12 April and 18 April on issues relating to implementation of the phase II of implementation of DAS systems wherein the broadcasters and MSOs were asked to expedite the signing of interconnection agreements and submission of the information of the same to the Authority.

  • Airtel DTH: Q4 2013 revenues & subs up, losses down

    Airtel DTH: Q4 2013 revenues & subs up, losses down

    MUMBAI: That the DTH market in India is doing well, is something that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) latest quarter report turned up. This is reflected in Bharti Airtel’s digital TV services financials for Q4 and financial year ended 31 March 2013 which were announced earlier this week.

    The division’s revenues are up even as average revenue per user (ARPU) has moved northwards (albeit marginally) and losses southwards. But the business is obviously burning cash – though lower than earlier – as competition is forcing DTH players to expand their reach nationally and offer newer services. All this – without being able to pass on costs to subscribers.

    Q4 2013 revenues are up 24 per cent to Rs 441.90 crore as against Rs 356.5 crore in the previous corresponding quarter of 2012. The company continues to be EBITDA positive with the number rising to Rs 29.6 crore (Rs 20.9 crore in Q4 2012). Its operating losses are down to Rs 178.4 crore (Rs 194.4 crore). It incurred a capex of Rs 132.6 crore (Rs 98 crore) during the quarter. Its cumulative investments in the DTH business up to end March 2013 stand at Rs 4036.6 crore (Rs 3298 crore).

    The good news is that ARPU is also up to Rs 184 in Q4 2013 (Rs 166 in Q4 2012). The company says this was “achieved through product innovations, pricing corrections and up-selling.” Its subscriber base grew 12 per cent from 7.2 million in Q4 2012 to 8.1 million (Q4 2013). The company attributes this increase to the digitisation drive across the four metro cities of the country and it expects this to accelerate further with phase II digitization.

    The DTH business’ revenues for the whole year rose 26 per cent to Rs 1629.4 crore (Rs 1296 crore up to March 2012). Its EBITDA numbers were down three per cent to Rs 45.2 crore (Rs 46.5 crore). Its operating loss rose from Rs 719.8 crore to Rs 815 crore. And its operating free cash flow requirement improved seven per cent from a negative Rs 763.4 crore to Rs 709.6 crore.
    The company says it is doing pretty well on its HD set top box rollout (HD), digital TV recorders with 3D capabilities, and in providing a superior customer experience. It currently offers 373 channels and services including 15 HD channels and six interactive services. It says it is the first Indian DTH player to “provide real-time integration of all the three screens viz. television, mobile and computer enabling our customers to record their favourite TV programs through mobile and web.”

  • IPTV version launched by PTCL in Pakistan

    IPTV version launched by PTCL in Pakistan

    NEW DELHI: A new website mytv.com.pk has been launched in Pakistan akin to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) which has a number of movies and TV shows for grown ups and a complete entertainment package that includes kids corner as well.

    The entertainment portal has been launched by the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) for its web customer.

    Other items in its entertainment package include updates of important events in Pakistan, fashion news, horoscope, sports, books, culinary and general news. Users of any broadband service can utilize this entertainment service though it is paid content.

    Users are required to SMS MYTV from a Ufone number to 9479 which will give a passkey to enter at the site to watch the video.

  • IG to sponsor an episode of AXN’s ‘The Apprentice Asia’

    IG to sponsor an episode of AXN’s ‘The Apprentice Asia’

    MUMBAI: Financial company IG will tap in to AXN‘s local show ‘The Apprentice Asia‘ which kicks off on 24 May at 9 pm in India. IG‘s episode airs on 21 June.

    IG is a global financial derivatives company. The company adds that the sponsorship provides an opportunity to increase brand awareness in the Asia Pacific region, through association with a quality production and large target audience, as well as leverage the communication benefits of the progressive integration of TV, digital and social media.

    IG Asia Paci?c head Tamas Szabo said, “We are very pleased to be a regional sponsor of ‘The Apprentice Asia‘. Serious investors and professional traders across Asia are keen to take advantage of global financial markets. And they want to trade with someone they can trust. IG is a world leader in financial derivatives trading.

    “Part of IG Group, a FTSE 250 company, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service alongside innovative trading technology. Partnering with a quality production like The Apprentice Asia, through Asia‘s No.1 general entertainment channel AXN, provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our service and product across the region.”

    During IG‘s episode, the contestants must demonstrate to the show‘s host AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes and his advisors that they possess the business acumen to manage and make sound decisions under pressure.

    Szabo added, “The attributes and qualities of a good trader are exactly those needed to become Tony‘s Apprentice. Without giving the game away, we know everyone will enjoy our exciting and unique episode”.

  • Publicitas establishes presence in Japan

    Publicitas establishes presence in Japan

    MUMBAI: Publicitas, the leading international media service company, has opened a new office in Tokyo on 15 April. Escalating its global footprint, the firm will be an important link between media brands and the local advertising market in Japan.

    It represents international media owners in local markets, offering advertisers direct access to a premium, global media portfolio. The operations in Tokyo provide Japanese advertisers with print, TV, and digital media solutions along with premier OOH and custom events to reach their international and premier local target audiences.

    Japan MD Hiroko Minato with support from India and Asia CEO Marzban Patel will head the initiative in delivering bespoke solutions to clients in the region.

    Patel is extremely proud of opening its operations in Japan and said, “We have a brilliant team on the ground that will work closely with our regional and global experts to deliver the right solutions to our media partners and esteemed advertisers across media platforms”.

    Minato said, “We are very excited at the launch of Publicitas Japan. Publicitas‘ worldwide network, wealth of knowledge, experience and premier portfolio of traditional and new media enables us to offer clients in Japan an unparalleled fully integrated service”.

    Japanese businesses increasingly allocate a significant portion of their marketing budget to overseas advertising and bespoke communication, emphasising the importance of partnership with non-Japanese clients and overseas markets. Publicitas Japan is distinctively well placed to benefit from this new market development.

  • IBF-AAAI resolve net billing issue

    IBF-AAAI resolve net billing issue

    MUMBAI: The stalemate between the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) on the net billing issue has been resolved and the blackout by the former on accepting TV ads has been lifted.

    According to IBF board member and Star India CEO Uday Shankar: “We have an agreement to do net billing. But we have also created a mechanism in the invoice and contract to enable agencies to charge the fees separately from advertisers effective 1 May.”

    An IBF board meeting is scheduled for later today, revealed Shankar, in order to communicate to broadcasters to resume ads.

    As per the solution hammered out by the two: the invoices that broadcasters raise to agencies will have a rider below which states that the advertiser and agency are free to have a compensation relationship which is as per accepted industry practice. The agencies will then charge clients their commissions on top of that in the bills they present to them.

    “Basically, what this means is that the broadcaster can bill the agency Rs 85 for a Rs 100 value TV spot,” says an industry veteran. “The agency can then bill the client for an amount not exceeding 1.1765 of the net value of the bill.”

    TV commercials are expected to begin airing on channels from today.

  • YouTube says TV is passe; announces 1 bn unique visitors per month

    YouTube says TV is passe; announces 1 bn unique visitors per month

    MUMBAI: For long, traditional linear TV professionals have been kind of pooh-poohing the emergence of YouTube as a challenge to their traditional business model and as the destination for video consumption. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt however cautions TV executives that the TV vs YouTube – if ever there was one – is over and has conclusively swung in favour of the online streaming portal.

    Speaking to advertisers in New York on Wednesday night at an initiative titled NewFronts (digital media‘s version of the TV tradition of promoting programming and selling ads); he disclosed that YouTube was now crossing a billion visitors a month. Last month‘s figures from YouTube claimed that almost one of every two people on the World Wide Web now uses the video streaming site, making it the third largest country in the world behind China and India.

    Google executives at the event said that visitors are watching more than six billion hours of video content on YouTube every month. That‘s a humungous number, which equals to one hour a month for every human on earth. Just three months ago, the figure was four billion. Schmidt expects the figure to go up soon and told attendees to wait “till the numbers rise to six to seven billion. The future is now for YouTube,” he said.

    Executives point out that a good proportion of the visitors are those under forty – the connected to the internet generation; and that there is no better medium to reach out to them than YouTube.

    “I thought that YouTube was like TV, but it isn‘t. I was wrong,” said YouTube‘s global head of content Robert Kyncl, “TV is one-way. YouTube talks back. TV means reach. YouTube means engagement.” He further added.

    Schmidt explained that YouTube is not a replacement for something we know. “It‘s a new thing that we have to think about, to program, to curate and build new platforms,” he pointed out.

    DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg made an appearance at the event to announce that his company had earlier in the day signed a deal to acquire AwesomenessTV, a popular teen focused YouTube network, for $33 million.

    YouTube meanwhile brought in its troops to coax brands to snap up media on the site, put in sponsorship dollars behind it and build channels. They cited a study saying that brands “that invest about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of their media budget on YouTube post a one per cent to three per cent sales rise.

  • Zee Cafe & idubba launch new app ‘icouch’

    Zee Cafe & idubba launch new app ‘icouch’

    MUMBAI: Zee cafe in partnership with idubba has launched a mobile app for the viewers who use android phones.

    Christened as ‘icouch‘, the launch of this app is in line with the channels objective of expanding its viewer base through the new season of American television drama series ‘Grey‘s Anatomy‘ which will be telecast on 1 May. The show will be aired on every Monday to Friday at 10.00 pm.

    The channel is providing a platform for the viewers to chat with each other real time via an interactive chat room.

    Touted as first of its kind, this app will enable viewers to chat with friends about the show, play contests, win prizes, take up quizzes and see their conversation Live on TV while the show is on air. The attempt is to unite all the fans of Grey‘s Anatomy on a common platform and keep them glued to the show.

    Zee Cafe brings season seven, eight and nine of the medical series.

    Zee niche channels business head Anurag Bedi said, “Given the popularity of Grey‘s Anatomy in India we want to give the viewers a chance to participate while watching the show. The rate at which various communication vehicles are seeing a decline, this initiative was taken to give the viewers a personalised bite into their TV viewing experience. This differentiated app has been developed in a creative and nimble way to get viewers talking about the show real time. With majority of urban population now making a shift to smart phones, creating such an app was an obvious choice for engagement for this kind of a show.”

    idubba co-founder Rabi Gupta further added, “iCouch is definitely not another news or gossip outlet where we report things or events, in-fact here the news and gossip makers and breakers are the ardent fans of the TV show. It is a chat forum that has no bar, you are the one building and developing the discussion of your favourite show. It enables your thoughts be known not only to your friends and mutual lovers of the show but also to the cast and the crew of the show. iCouch is a platform that makes the current TV viewing scenario more charged up with entertainment, live gossips, snip-bits and chats.”