ITV

Tag: TV18

  • IMTMA ups M&M spends by 10% for IMTEX 2011

    IMTMA ups M&M spends by 10% for IMTEX 2011

    BANGALORE: The Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (IMTMA) will be spending around Rs.27.5 million towards media and marketing spends for the 15th edition of its flagship event, IMTEX 2011.

    Last year IMTMA spent around Rs.25 million, said sources at IMTMA.

    IMTEX is an international exhibition on metal-cutting machine tools and manufacturing solutions.

    The spends include radio jingles, television ads on TV18 group of channels, NDTV and Suvarana 24×4, print ads, email pushes, online spends and SMS to people in its database asking them to visit IMTEX 2011.

    IMTMA has created a 20 second TVC based on clippings of past exhibitions with the help of a local Bangalore producer. Media buying is through Madison Media. The association expects around 100,000 visitors to the exhibition, up by 20,000 from the last edition’s 80,000 visitors at the same venue.

    IMTEX 2011 will be held between January 20 and January 26 at IMTMA’s own state-of-the-art exhibition facility – Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tumkur Road, Bangalore.

    The 13th edition of IMTMA’s exhibition TOOLTECH – 2011 will also be held concurrently at the same venue. Spread across 40,000 square metres, the exhibition will feature over 800 exhibitors and 750 machines with a total value of Rs 14 billion. Exhibitors from across 23 countries including India will be participating in the exhibition this year.

     

  • TV18 Q2 standalone net at Rs 90 mn, revenue up 5%

    TV18 Q2 standalone net at Rs 90 mn, revenue up 5%

    MUMBAI: Television18, which runs leading business news channels CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, has managed a second consecutive profitable quarter, signaling a rebound in the economy.

    On a standalone basis, TV18 has posted a net profit (after tax and minority interest, before ESOP charge out) of Rs 60 million for the quarter ended 30 September, as compared to a net loss of Rs 330 million a year ago.

    Recovering from the slow down, revenue from news operations saw a marginal 4.6 per cent increase to Rs 680 million, as against Rs 650 million in the corresponding quarter of FY‘10.

    On a sequential basis, the company’s revenue has increased 6.25 per cent as compared to Rs 640 million in Q1.

    Operating expenses were kept under check (down 19 per cent) at Rs 470 million in the quarter under review on Y-o-Y basis (as compared to Rs 580 million).

    Meanwhile, the operating margin of the company jumped to 31 per cent in the quarter under review, compared to 11 per cent in the prior-year period. 
    On a consolidated basis, TV18, which also includes financials of Web18, Infomedia18 and Newswire18, has posted a net loss of Rs 140 million. For the same quarter of the previous year, net loss stood at Rs 560 million.

    Total revenue from consolidated operations jumped 17 per cent to Rs 1.45 billion, as compared to Rs 1.24 billion a year ago. Expenses stood at Rs 1.33 billion, up 3.11 per cent.

    The company announced that all its business have seen revenue growth – five per cent in News Operations, 21 per cent in Web18, 24 per cent in Newswire18 and 35 per cent in Infomedia18.

    The company has also posted an operating profit of Rs 120 million, as against operatin loss of Rs 50 million. However, it said that profits “offset by continued investments” in Infomedia18 and Web18.

    Web18, the subsidiary that houses all the websites of the group, posted a revenue of Rs 190 million (from Rs 160 million a year ago), while expenses remained almost flat at Rs 200 million (from Rs 210 million) during the quarter. The operating loss narrowed to Rs 10 million, from Rs 50 million in the year-ago period.

    In Infomedia18, however, the net loss has increased to Rs 160 million, from Rs 40 million in the corresponding quarter of FY ’10. Revenue has increased to Rs 480 million, from Rs 350 million, while expenses climbed to Rs 570 million from Rs 420 million a year ago.

    In Newswire18, revenue has grown to Rs 100 million, while expenses also stood at Rs 100 million, making it a no profit-no loss unit.

  • TV18 Q1 sets trend for double-digit growth

    TV18 Q1 sets trend for double-digit growth

    MUMBAI: Television18 (TV18), which runs a clutch of business news channels, has posted a standalone net profit of Rs 50 million, reversing the year ago net loss of Rs 280 million, as the Indian economy has recovered from a slowdown and the financial sector has rebounded.

    Revenue from news operations at Rs 640 million stands 13 per cent higher than the prior-year period. This, though, is less than the trailing quarter when TV18’s standalone revenue was at Rs 840 million due to the advertising gains from the Budget.

    Operating profit at Rs 160 million was higher than Rs 60 million posted in the first quarter of FY’10. TV18 also improved its operating margins to 24 per cent from prior year’s 11 per cent.

    Operating expenses, including the revenue it shares with CNBC, stood at Rs 490 million, down from Rs 510 million in the comparative quarter.

    On the consolidated front, TV18 posted a revenue of Rs 1.2 billion, up 12 per cent, while expenses stood at Rs 1.12 billion, from Rs 1.07 billion in the earlier year.

    Web18, the subsidiary that houses all the websites of the group, has curtailed its operating loss to Rs 30 million, as against Rs 40 million a year ago. Revenue from operations grew 26 per cent to Rs 180 million, while expenses were at Rs 210 million (from Rs 180 million).

    In Infomedia18, the net loss for the quarter increased to Rs 80 million, from Rs 20 million in the corresponding quarter of FY’10. Revenue, however, remained flat at Rs 290 million, while expenses increased to Rs 350 million (from Rs 310 million).

    In Newswire18, revenue rose to Rs 90 million, from Rs 70 million a year ago. The company posted an operating profit of Rs 10 million.

    As on 30 June, TV18 has reduced its net debt to Rs 2.24 billion.

  • TV18: FY10 tots up losses, but Q4FY10 shows turnaround signs

    TV18: FY10 tots up losses, but Q4FY10 shows turnaround signs

    MUMBAI: Is the Raghav Bahl-promoted Television Eighteen India (TV18) on a recovery trail? If one goes by the results over Q3 and Q4 FY10, things seemed to be looking up at the company which runs the news channels -CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz. Revenues have gone up, operational costs seem to be being kept under control and a positive bottomline has been reported.

    Revenues in Q4 were up to Rs 840.6 million (Rs 674 million in Q3 FY10) and operating profit too has gone up to Rs Rs 254.3 million (Rs 204.4 million). However, the company would have only made a marginal net profit had it not booked its entire ‘other income’ of Rs 217.4 million in Q4 FY10. For the record the company generated a net profit after deferred tax of Rs 238.7 million.

    On an annual basis, the company has seen a rise in its net loss on a standalone basis for the year ended 31 March 2010. The net loss was at Rs 597.3 million, as compared to Rs 528.9 million in the previous fiscal. Revenues too have almost stayed stagnant at Rs 2.73 billion in the whole of FY10 (Rs 2.80 billion in FY09). Observers are questioning if the company has hit a ceiling as far as revenue potential is concerned in the financial and business TV news channel segment.

    The firm’s operating profit for FY10 was Rs 648.1 million which is a turnaround from the loss of Rs 48.4 million it incurred last fiscal.

    The comapny’s other income also dropped by 68.81 per cent, from Rs 697 million (FY09) to Rs 217.4 million (FY10). The firm also lost out in terms of income earned from investments, which saw a fall of 45.29 per cent from Rs 392.6 million (FY09) to Rs 214.8 million (FY10). However, on a quarterly basis the income from investments went up to Rs 75.5 million in Q4FY10 from a loss of Rs 210.6 million in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

    The company net loss increased further in FY10 even though they did better at the PAT level, due to a deferred tax outgo wherein the company had to spend Rs 50.4 million this fiscal as compared to a savings of Rs 159.5 million it made last fiscal.

    On a consolidated basis, TV18 reduced its net loss for the fiscal by 29.55 per cent to Rs 1.17 billion from Rs1.66 billion in FY09. The revenue for the firm went up from Rs 4.85 billion (FY09) to Rs 5.53 billion (FY10). This coupled with reduced operating expenses led the firm to post an operating profit of Rs 403.1 million this fiscal, a major improvement from the operating loss of Rs 813.1 million it posted last fiscal.

    The consolidated result also includes financials of Web18, Newswire18 and Infomedia18.

    A look at these segments individually:

    Web18: 
    Web18, which houses the web properties of the group including in.com, reduced its net loss by 51.99 per cent for the fiscal at Rs 266.9 million from last fiscal’s Rs 555.9 million. The revenues generated from operations increased by 11.28 per cent to Rs 728.2 million (FY10) from Rs 654.4 million (FY09). The operating loss of the firm also reduced by 74.1 per cent from Rs 357.5 million (FY09) to Rs 92.7 million (FY10).

    However, in Q4FY10 the firm registered a net profit of Rs 37.4 million, on account of its minority interest income of Rs 71.8 million and revenues were at Rs 229.1 million.

    Newswire18:
    Newswire18 also reduced its losses in FY10, bringing it to Rs 40.8 million from last fiscal’s Rs 129.8 million. The firm’s revenues went up by 42.5 per cent to Rs 329.6 million (FY10) from Rs 231.3 million (FY09). At an operational level the company showed a profit of Rs 18.4 million as compared to last fiscal’s loss of Rs 76.8 million. This turnaround was aided by Newswire 18’s increased revenues especially in Q4FY10 when it earned Rs 92.5 million

    Infomedia 18:
    Infomedia 18 too reduced its losses this fiscal bringing these down from Rs 448.9 million in FY09 to Rs 35 million in the year ended 31 March, 2010. The firm’s revenues went up to Rs 1.74 billion in FY10 from Rs 1.17 billion in FY09. This helped them reduce their operating losses by 48.27 per cent to Rs 170.8 million (FY10) from Rs 330.2 million (FY09).

  • CNBC Awaaz partners Entrepreneur magazine to launch new show

    CNBC Awaaz partners Entrepreneur magazine to launch new show

    MUMBAI: CNBC Awaaz, the Hindi business new channel from the TV18 stable has partnered with Entrepreneur magazine to launch a new show Awaaz Entrepreneur. It will focus on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country.

    The weekend show will launch on 15 May and will be aired Every Saturday at 8.30 pm.

    Awaaz Entrepreneur will profile SME’s and talk to various stakeholders. The series will also showcase the journeys of eminent industry figures who have witnessed the SME phase and have now transformed into larger businesses. People from across the country can also have their queries resolved through an expert on the show.

    CNBC Awaaz Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia said, “Awaaz Entrepreneur is a series solely focusing on SMEs. Our intention is to aid and educate budding entrepreneurs and make them understand the nuances of starting and building their own ventures successfully. This is a step forward in our pursuit to supporting the emerging businesses in India.”

    Small and Medium Enterprises are the driving force of the Indian economy and CNBC Awaaz, with this initiative is aiming to reveal the journeys of various SMEs and also bring out various ideas, options and solutions available to various sections of society who yearn to venture out and make it big on their own.

  • CNBC TV18 adds personal finance to ‘Your Stocks’

    CNBC TV18 adds personal finance to ‘Your Stocks’

    MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18, the leading English business news channel from the TV18 stable, is revamping one of its longest running shows, Your Stocks’, from 29 April.

    The show, which enables viewers to seek answers to their stock related queries, will now expand its scope by including queries based on personal finance and commodities also.

    Also, the show will now be hosted by markets and personal finance expert Vivek Law along with Sonia Shenoy. The first episode of this new format on 29 April will focus on answering investment queries of personnel from the Indian Armed Forces.

    TV18 business media director and COO – New Media Projects Ajay Chacko said, “Your Stocks has been one of the oldest and most popular shows on CNBC TV18 and has played a critical role in guiding investor education for the past decade. The show’s new avatar will not only broaden its scope to go beyond stock queries and include questions on commodities, mutual funds, insurance, gold etc. but also find connect with newer audiences that are keen to receive information on alternate investment sources.”

    Your Stocks has featured several market experts who have provided information to investors across the country and by expanding its scope, the channel claims that it will reach out to a much larger audience, from small towns to big metros, with customised responses to every query.

    The show shall also feature special episodes once a fortnight focusing on different audience groups such as women, students and retirees.

  • TV18 marketing head Neel Chowdhury quits; to join Obopay as VP, CMO

    TV18 marketing head Neel Chowdhury quits; to join Obopay as VP, CMO

    MUMBAI: Neel Chowdhury, CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz VP marketing, has ended his two-year stint with the company to join US-based mobile payment service company Obopay as vice-president and chief marketing officer.

    Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com, Chowdhury said, “Yes I have joined the new start-up Obopay today as VP and CMO.”

    Based out of Mumbai, Chowdhury will spearhead the company’s expansion plans in India.

    Before joining TV18 in March 2008, Chowdhury was CMO at Times Global Broadcasting (TGBCL). Prior to TGBCL, he was Bharti Mumbai head -marketing. He has also worked with Tata Teleservices and Pepsico International as COO – West Bengal and channel development manager respectively.

    Obopay has several strategic investing partners like Qualcomm, Citi, Redpoint Ventures, Richmond Management, and Essar.

  • ‘We have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space’ : CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanjay pugalia

    ‘We have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space’ : CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanjay pugalia

    Five years and counting big. CNBC Awaaz dominates the Hindi business news segment, leaving counterpart Zee Business behind, and even marching ahead of elder sibling CNBC TV18 in terms of audience reach.

     

    CNBC Awaaz has become more interactive along the way and has shaped up as a well-defined channel with a clear focus on utility news. It treats news with the aim of helping viewers take informed positions on investments.

     

    The fundamental challenge that CNBC Awaaz faces is in scaling up revenues. The cost restructuring will, however, help the channel in improving its profitability.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate, CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanajay Pugalia talks about the channel‘s growth in the last five years and the path ahead in terms of content that would guide viewers in the verticals of stock, tax planning, commodity and SMEs.

     

    Excerpts:
     
     
    CNBC Awaaz has completed 5 years. How has the Hindi business news market shaped up?
    Five years back there was no Hindi business news channel. Today, with just two channels in this segment, there are close to 38 million Hindi business news viewers and we command a 70 per cent market share in this.

     

    If you take the total viewership of the business news channels, it was close to 10 million five years back. Within two years of our launch, the pie grew to 30 million. Today, the combined viewership base for English and Hindi business news stands at almost 55 million.
     

     
    How come the Hindi viewership base is higher from just two channels while the revenue is much lower?

    On a mass basis, our appeal is larger then even CNBC TV18. Our viewers include small investors, consumers and businessmen. So in a way we have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space.

     

    On the revenue front, even some English business news channels can‘t command the kind of advertising rates we do. But yes, it is also true that the dynamics of the market is that English business channels get higher rates.

     
     
    So is it true that Hindi business news channels do not have a scalable model?
    There is a myth that Hindi is not so upmarket. But if you do an affluent audience profiling, we are as good as that of CNBC TV18. And if you see our viewership pattern, most of them come from Mumbai and Delhi, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.

     

    It is pertinent to note that the initial five years were a build-up stage. We will see much faster growth from now on.

     
     
    What made you edge out Zee Business when both were launched around the same time?
    The focus of our channel is in outlining the utility of news. There might be 10 important stories in a day, but how many are affecting our viewers? We decode such news in a manner that helps them understand the implications.

     

    We will be covering other news as well, but our main emphasis will be user-centric. We focus on helping our viewer make the right investments to increase their wealth. Take real estate as an example. Our focus stories will be on the ground realities the sector faces rather than talking about how to improve the policies on real estate. Our object will be how to help viewers decide on which property to buy and we will suggest the rates and other things there.

     
     
    Going forward, do you see space for more channel launches in this segment?
    Business news viewership will definitely increase with time. With more and more people getting capital to invest and more awareness spreading on personal finance management, this market segment is set to grow.

     

    Our estimate is that out of every 100 new consumers, two-thirds will come from the Hindi speaking belt, so you can imagine the future that the Hindi business news genre has.

     

    I would say there is scope for new channels, but the success will depend on the strength of the network and how much credibility they can build. It won‘t be easy for new players.
     

     
    Recently TV18 went through a cost restructuring and 12 per cent permanent jobs were cut. How effective has the move been in achieving profitability?
    Cost rationalization is a necessity for any business. But you will not see any change in the editorial content. I can‘t share the absolute numbers, but very few editorial jobs have been cut.
     
     

    ‘The focus of our channel is in outlining the utility of news. There might be 10 important stories in a day, but how many are affecting our viewers? We decode such news in a manner that helps them understand the implications‘
     
     

    So do you mean to say there was flab?
    No. There were different growth plans during the bull run. We were focusing on extended news gathering. Now the market scenario has changed. We also have sensed that the news gathering needs are different. You see, the market dynamics are changing very fast and we have to change our FPC as per viewer‘s needs.

     

    So we have reduced the number of shows but consolidated the information in them. We have also increased the coverage on commodity, personal finance, stocks and property.
     
     

    How has the channel evolved over time?
    Along with time, we have become more interactive; we promote direct involvement and grievance redressals. The treatment towards the stories has changed – and we are now positioned as an innovative business news channel.

     

    We are catering to the specific needs of our viewers. I get more then 6000 SMSes and emails daily. And we try to reply to most of the queries. We are not just a business news channel; we run more like a campaign or a movement.
     
     

    So what will the future focus be?
    As I said earlier, the focus will predominantly be on the markets, SMEs, commodity and tax planning.

     

    We will also continue to reach to our consumers on-ground with our activations and award properties.

     

    The way India is progressing, there will be lot more new and young entrepreneurs. Our one-year focus is to organize more of financial literacy campaigns, help SMEs to grow, and cover miraculous entrepreneurial stories from different places.

     
     
    And what about hard news?
    I am not missing out on news. News hour shows are sacrosanct. But we need to have other strong offerings.

     
     
    Hindi general news channels are into sensationalising content for gaining TRPs. Do you also see such a need for the business news segment?

    I do not think there is any need to sensationalise. I am not against presenting news in an interesting and stylish way, but there is no need or room to sensationalise. 

     

     So how will you define your channel?

    To sum it up in one sentence, we help viewers in spotting opportunities to prosper.
  • TV18 eases financial pain in Q3, eyes turnaround

    TV18 eases financial pain in Q3, eyes turnaround

    MUMBAI: Television18 has eased its financial pain in the fiscal third-quarter due to some upswing in revenues while costs are kept under strict control.

    For the three months ended December, TV18 has posted a standalone net loss (after tax and minority interest, before ESOP charge out) of Rs 146.64 million, narrowing it from Rs 246.95 million in the previous quarter.

    The company, which operates leading business news channels CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, had posted a net profit of Rs 72.71 million in the earlier year.

    Revenue from news operations at Rs 674.02 million stands 9.69 per cent higher than the year-ago period. For the trailing quarter, TV18’s standalone revenue was at Rs 647.43 million.

    “The fourth quarter revenue should be higher than the trailing quarter due to the Budget. When the market fully recovers, TV18 should be in a position to grab the lion’s share of the growth as it has managed to protect its ratings share even after the launch of ET Now,” says a media analyst who tracks the news broadcasting business.

    Operating expenses for the quarter stood at Rs 469.59 million (from Rs 469.09 million a year ago). We have brought down the operating cost to Rs 450-460 million. “We do not expect that to increase. We are watching that number like a hawk,” TV18 managing director Raghav Bahl told analysts.

    TV18 also improved its operating margins to 30.33 per cent from prior year’s 23.66 per cent. The company said that the “high operating margins” are likely to be maintained.

    During the quarter, TV18 cut 12 per cent of its permanent staff and merged the broadcast operations of its two business news channels in a bid to take corrective measures at a time when the ad market was going through a slump. The company has taken a one time restructuring charge Of Rs 45 million on account of rationalisation of its workforce.

    On a consolidated basis, TV18, which also includes financials of Web18, Infomedia18 and Newswire18, has posted a net loss (after tax and minority interest, before ESOP charge out) of Rs 373.03 million. For the same quarter of the previous year, the net loss stood at Rs 306.03 million.

    Revenue from consolidated operations fell marginally to Rs 1.29 billion compared to Rs 1.30 billion a year ago. Expenses stood at Rs 1.16 billion, from Rs 1.39 billion in the earlier year.

    “We are happy to share that we continue to build on the turnaround in operations that started a couple of quarters back. Business news channels have returned to healthy operating margins along with drastically reducing net losses. Web18 revenues are showing strong traction as we endeavour to keep costs under control. EBITDA break-even should be achieved shortly. Newswire18 continues to strengthen revenues and operating margins. Informedia18 revenues should start growing in forthcoming quarters as new launches are being well received by customers,” says Bahl.

    Web18, the subsidiary that houses all the websites of the group, has curtailed its net loss to Rs 123.25 million, as against Rs 214.08 million a year ago. Revenue from operations grew 12.56 per cent to Rs 196.93 million, while expenses dropped 35.62 per cent to Rs 224.90 million in the quarter.

    In Infomedia18, the net loss for the quarter stood at Rs 92.32 million, down from Rs 103.75 million in the corresponding quarter of FY ’09. Revenue, however, decreased to Rs 334.35 million from Rs 450.86 million, while expenses were at Rs 384.37 million, down from Rs 493.71 million a year ago.

    In Newswire18, revenue rose to Rs 83.77 million, from Rs 64.63 million a year ago. Net loss has narrowed to Rs 9.82 million compared to Rs 31.91 million in the third quarter of FY’09.

    TV18 expects to return to black soon as the market recovers. The company plans to bring down its high interest payout by reducing the net debt from Rs 6 billion to Rs 2 billion in FY’11.

  • CNBC Awaaz celebrates 5th Anniversary with special lineup

    CNBC Awaaz celebrates 5th Anniversary with special lineup

    MUMBAI: CNBC Awaaz, the first Hindi business news channel of India, is completing five years of operations tomorrow. The channel, which was unveiled on 13 January 2005 by PM Dr Manmohan Singh, has planned a special line up to celebrate the anniversary.

    Says CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia, “We are proud to carry on the vision that Dr Manmohan Singh shared with us when he launched CNBC Awaaz five years ago. It has been 5 years of building a financially literate India, of empowering small and medium enterprises, of fostering entrepreneurship, of enabling and transforming the lives of a billion Indians.”

    CNBC Awaaz claims a 96 per cent growth in terms of channel share over the past five years which has reflected in the 45 per cent jump in the entire business news genre. It also boasts of a 350 per cent growth in its viewer base in the last five years.

    Adds TV18 business media COO Anil Uniyal, “CNBC Awaaz has not only created a new genre and expanded the business audience but has also fuelled an all new consumption boom amongst progressive, Hindi speaking audiences in India, besides increasing retail participation in the equity markets, both directly and indirectly.”

    The channel has titled programming aspect as “Five years of Redefining Business”.

    The programming will focus on the defining moments in the last five years, through panel discussions and one-on-one interviews with industry and political big wigs who will present their views on how the economy has shaped the country and what can be expected in the next five years.

    Some of the key shows on the channel will be:

    5 Years – Markets Special: A half hour show where market experts will bring out the five year journey of the Stock & Commodities markets, the transition and the manifold growth achieved and what is expected in 2010.

    5 Years – Personal Finance & Investments: A half hour episode that will encapsulate the magnanimous growth that the personal finance and investment sector has witnessed in the last five years, in terms of the number of investors, the total volume of investment in various investment avenues like stocks, mutual funds, insurance and more.

    5 Years – Industry Special: This half hour will be a round up of all the major events and trends witnessed by Indian industries in the last five years, with industry figures highlighting the exponential growth achieved and the way forward.

    5 Years Specials: A series of three special half hours of one-on-one interviews with individuals from industry and politics, to discuss their view on the past five years and their expectations for the next 5 years from the industry and the economy

    5 Years – Defining Moments & The Realty Sector: Two special half hours dissecting the growth achieved by the realty sector in the past five years and discussing occasions, events, announcements during the past five years, that became defining moments in the history of the nation.