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Tag: Viacom 18

  • MTV makes music, again

    MTV makes music, again

    MUMBAI: While it counts as the oldest music television network in Asia and the one brand that has always stood for all things youth, MTV India, Viacom18’s youth entertainment channel, is not one to rest on its laurels.

     

    And so, in a bid to add an exciting new dimension to its youth connect as much as stay ahead in an already cluttered space, the channel has, in collaboration with Soundlogic, an American gadget major that set shop in India two years ago, and Croma, launched a range of music accessories under the flagship brand, MTV Fashiontronix.

     

    The accessories including trendy earphones, Bluetooth ear buds and many more will be exclusively available at Croma stores across the country and on its website.

     

    Speaking on the launch, Viacom 18 senior VP consumer products Saugato Bhowmik said: “We believe in catering to the youngsters and only want to expand our horizons across categories which cater to our thought process, be it related to fashion, gadgets, Bollywood etc.”

     

    About the tie-up with MTV, Soundlogic director Sagar Gwallani said: “After the successful response we got here, we thought of enhancing our reach more among the youngsters. Hence, we collaborated with MTV because of its popularity among the youth and its digital following. The combination of our technical bandwidth along with the channel’s creative edge in the market will help us achieve our goal.”

     

    On the collaboration, Infiniti Retail CEO & managing director Ajit Joshi said: “We sell products like JVL and Bose but today, youngsters want music on the go. It is a religion for them. And when we got an opportunity to address the needs of the youth of the country, we were glad to be part of it.”

     

    MTV will market the new product range through its digital space. “Where do youngsters hangout? It’s cafes, colleges and are always on the digital platform. Apart from us, Croma too will be supporting us on its digital space,” informed Bhowmik, adding that the channel is in the planning stage of launching a marketing plan on its sister channels. “We have all the edge at our disposal and we will be utilizing our sister channels in the future,” he said.

     

    Meanwhile, Joshi opined that the range, priced between Rs 899 and Rs 3999, doesn’t really need marketing as he could predict it would fly off the shelves as soon as youngsters got their hands on it.

  • Ad Cap: The Story continues.

    Ad Cap: The Story continues.

    MUMBAI: That both music channels and news channels had approached the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against the 12 minute ad cap ruling by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is known.

    We had also reported that while the TDSAT hearing for music channels was scheduled for 21 October, that for news channels had been brought ahead to 31 October from 11 November.

    ut there’s one more twist in this tale for music channels too will now have to wait, much like their news counterparts, till 31 October to hear the TDSAT ruling on the matter.

    And it doesn’t end there. Industry sources reveal there is still confusion regarding the ad cap with nearly 50 per cent of television channels not implementing it, a few of which are following the earlier mandate of 16 and 20 minutes advertising, and still others ‘flouting the rule completely.’

    In fact, a source states the number of antacid pills being consumed by planners and buyers in agencies and by ad sales executives in TV channels has gone up thanks to the constant bickering between the two of them.

    Indeed, Sony Entertainment Television took everyone by surprise when the network unanimously decided not to follow the 10+2 mandate. Network CEO and Indian Broadcasting Foundation president Man Jit Singh had then said: “There should be status quo and there should be one law for all channels from all genres.”

    Till date, Sony stands by its CEO’s statement. “We will wait for the verdict from TDSAT, which comes out at the end of this month. We want status quo, no matter which way the verdict goes,” says MSM president network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta.

    We will continue with the 10+2 ad cap no matter what the TDSAT decides, says Ashish Sehgal

    On the other hand, representatives of Star Network and Viacom 18, which have been happily following the ad cap, maintain that their respective managements will take a call after the TDSAT ruling. “We will follow the law,” they say.

    Meanwhile, Zee has an entirely different take on the issue. “We will continue with the 10+2 ad cap no matter what the TDSAT decides,” says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal.

    He justifies this stance saying: “Not that we are too happy with the scenario, but we need to bring in discipline. We are now going to the international norm of 12 minutes of advertising per hour. The network has already created its business plan around the new rule. A lot of planning has gone into this. We have increased our content and decreased the inventory and revising this again is not on our agenda.”

    On their part, advertisers are unhappy with the few networks that are implementing the mandate voluntarily and charging high rates. The big question facing them is what if TDSAT overrules TRAI’s diktat. “Will the channels revert to their earlier air time allocation as everyone else is doing or will they further hike the rates?” one of the advertisers questioned voicing his apprehensions on condition of anonymity.

    As far as the industry is concerned, an IBF member says: “Let’s say the TDSAT quashes the TRAI order. The ruling will be valid for everyone and every broadcaster (even those who are complying with the 12 minute ad cap) can go back to the old system. Or news and music channels lose the case in TDSAT. They can approach the Supreme Court for succour. Then let’s say the Supreme Court puts a stay on the ad cap, it will then be back to the way the world was operating before this ad cap announcement by TRAI.”

    News broadcasters say that if the verdict is in support of the ad cap, it will be implemented by end-November, if not earlier. “With Diwali round the corner, we are unsure how many days the court will take to come up with the verdict. Though if it is implemented, it is bad news for news channels,” says a member of NBA (News Broadcasters’ Association). Asked if the NBA will then appeal to the Supreme Court, the member dismisses it as a hypothetical question.

    Some advertisers believe that the new ad cap regime could take longer to roll out completely. Some expect it to spill over to mid-2014. Or it could be even later, if things go back and forth in court as they are wont to do.

    For the industry, however, what could be the best outcome is that Union I&B Minister Manish Tewari’s suggestion (that ad cap be implemented post completion of digitization in December 2014) is taken seriously and becomes a reality.

    But then there are the cynical observers. Says one of them: “Don’t get into the politics. Ministers say something and do something else. After all, where did the request for the ad cap come from…”

  • Akshay Kumar pays tribute to Feroz Khan in ‘Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta’

    Akshay Kumar pays tribute to Feroz Khan in ‘Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta’

    Akshay Kumar stands for versatility in Bollywood as he is known for encompassing roles from different genres readily and adeptly. From his action films to his comic roles, Akshay does everything just perfectly.

     

    The actor will be seen donning a cowboy avatar in the film BOSS, for the song Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta.

     

    Akshay was keen on shooting this video in true Feroz Khan’s style, the Bollywood superstar has always been a big fan of Khan. He wanted the look of the song to be very stylish and quite larger than life, that’s where the ranch (farmhouse style with horses, mills) setting came in. This is Akshay’s way of paying respect to the great actor and director Feroz Khan.

     

    Along with Akshay the song features Sonakshi Sinha and has a backdrop in a ranch with beautiful white horses running around the duo.

     

    When quizzed Akshay about him donning the late Feroz Khan’s style he said, “I consider Feroz Khan to be the Boss of coolness and style. I hope I have been able to do justice to his personality.”

     

    Produced by Viacom 18, Cape of Good Films and Ashwin Varde Productions, BOSS is directed by Anthony D’souza and stars Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Shiv Pandit, Aditi Rao Hydari, Johny Lever and Danny Denzongpa.
    The BOSS will hit the screens on 16 October.

  • Big Magic International enhances content portfolio in the US and Canada

    Big Magic International enhances content portfolio in the US and Canada

    MUMBAI: Big Magic International, launched a year ago, will now beef up its content line up with two new fictional shows ‘Raavi’ and ‘Nadaniyaan’ along with films acquired from Viacom 18.

     

    With a content mix that ranges entertainment shows to daily business news from BloombergTV India, the international channel promises an inclusive and absolute package for its viewers. At start, the shows will be available on BIG MAGIC International – in the United States and Canada.

     

    Through exclusive partnerships, ‘Raavi’ and ‘Nadaniyaan’ will air on Big Magic International in the US with the largest DTH platform – Dish Network and in Canada with Ethnic Channels Group (EGCL).

     

    In the United States, Dish Network will ensure it reaches a sizeable and relevant audience of more than 14.3 million households. In Canada, with Ethnic Channels Group (EGCL) a Canada-based television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television, the Channel will air across all major platforms like Rogers Cable, Bell DTH, Bell Fibe, Cogeco and Telus, reaching over 6.4 million households.

     

    Marketing of the shows will see an extensive digital and on air campaign, along with an on ground leg. With Big Magic International’s alliances with large scale events like Shankar-Ehsaan Loy Concert, India Fair, Asian American Fair etc.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, International Business executive VP Soumen Ghosh Choudury said “The new shows on Big Magic International are part of our endeavour to offer a complete entertainment package that appeals to the Indian Diaspora. Both shows add to the robust programming line-up, and meet the entertainment penchants of our audiences. We will, through our Channel, engage with audiences across the mediums of on air, digital and on ground for a more holistic entertainment experience.”

     

    “BIG Magic International being the Variety entertainment channel has marked its presence in USA. These new fiction and comedy shows, and Bollywood movies on the weekend, will definitely add on to its growth and increase its viewership”, said Big Magic International’s exclusive advertising agency in the US market Mediamorphosis co-founder Poulami Mukherjee.

     

    With Ethnic Channels Group as its exclusive partner in Canada, the group’s president Hari Srinivas, said, “Big Magic is poised for greater growth in Canada, and the new programming initiatives will fuel this growth”

     

    The channel’s programming remains an eclectic mix of daily sitcoms, socio-mytho programs, crime shows, dramas, and religious shows handpicked from Big Magic India, along with news from the very credible BloombergTV India.

  • Akshay spots new talent in a TV-Ad, signs him for a pivotal role in BOSS

    Akshay spots new talent in a TV-Ad, signs him for a pivotal role in BOSS

    MUMBAI:  From Khiladi to BOSS – Akshay Kumar – is one of the finest actors in the film industry at present.

    Over the years he has successfully promoted new talent in the film Industry, like Shiv Pandit in BOSS

    But this time the actor has gone a step ahead and has spotted a TV Actor Akash Dabade for a pivotal role in BOSS. Akshay went through many audition rounds and there were also few established names which were shortlisted, but somehow he wasn’t convinced.

    “It so happened that one day when Akshay was watching TV he spotted Akash in a television commercial for a mobile company, impressed by his sense of humor and acting Akshay immediately told his team to get in touch with Akash and signed him for the role without an audition,” confirms a source. 

    The best part is that Akash has turned out to be one of the highlights of the film and is a guy to watch out for. Produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Cape Of Good Films and Ashwin Varde Productions BOSS is all set to release this on 16 October.

  • Prime Focus Tech pockets cloud computing orders from broadcasters & studios

    Prime Focus Tech pockets cloud computing orders from broadcasters & studios

    MUMBAI: Media and entertainment companies have been sailing on the cloud of cloud computing. And one of the companies that is bearing the fruits of this is Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of media and entertainment services leader Prime Focus.

    PFT today announced that it has secured orders worth Rs 2 billion in the previous quarter from existing and new clients in India, and the US which are to be executed over the next three to five years.

    The company was unwilling to name the clients on account of NDAs with them. All it said was that the new clients include the world‘s largest news aggregator, a prominent Indian studio and a new Indian television channel, each of which have signed multi-year deals for PFT‘s Hybrid Cloud Technology – Clear, a cloud-based Media ERP and technology infrastructure platform that helps manage the business processes of M&E companies.

    PFT works with major content owners like Star India, Eros International, Sony Music, Viacom 18, Multiscreen Media BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), the IPL (Indian Premiere League), Hindustan Unilever, The Associated Press, A & E TV Network, Netflix, Schawk! and WPP.

    Says PFT founder, president & CEO Ramki Sankaranarayanan: “Increasingly M&E companies are adopting cloud technologies across the enterprise content operations. They are not only migrating to digital file-based workflows but starting to adopt a Media ERP solution to manage the business processes around content. Clear‘s proven credential of managing over 300,000 hours of content is helping the growth of our order book.”

    Meanwhile, parent company Prime Focus today announced that it has entered into an initial non-binding memorandum of understanding with US-based Medient Studios. Under this, Prime Focus and Medient shall execute a definitive agreement within 90 days for the provision of production and post-production equipment, work flow technology and skill transfer by the former for the latter‘s megastudio project.

    Medient chairman & CEO Manu Kumaran has ambitious plans to develop a 1500 acre site in Effingham, Georgia, in the US which will house movie studios, entertainment facilities and a campus at an initial investment of $90 million. He estimates that the Prime Focus contribution is worth in excess of $40 million.

  • Film Farm revitalises its advertising division

    Film Farm revitalises its advertising division

    MUMBAI: Film Farm, best known for its television series Uttaran on Viacom 18‘ Colors is now shifting all its focus on its advertising division. Under the business and creative acumen of Kalyan and Rupali Guha, they have been producing advertising and television content for over a decade. They have recently ventured into the feature films arena with its maiden venture in Marathi slated to hit the big screen soon.

    With the addition of Anirudh Bagchi who comes in as producer partner – advertising, Shekhar Kamble and Tassaduq Hussain, Film Farm who has in the past worked with brands like HLL, Pepsi, Hero Motors, L‘Oreal to name a few, plans to push its advertising division to greater heights.

    Film Farm was a pioneer in presenting the production house as a hub of talent by tying up with multiple directors both from Bollywood as well as internationally, offering clients a broader base with which to make the best possible choice for a film. The company is building on its existing policy by making itself a farm or hub where talented directors and producers come in to the fold to make world-class advertisements, shows and films.

    Film Farm founder and CEO Kalyan Guha says, “I am happy to have on board Anirudh, Shekhar and Tassaduq.”

    “While I will be able to draw from this inherent strength of Film Farm, with my bandwidth of creative and marketing network and the proven creative acumen of my colleagues Shekhar and Tassaduq, I am sure to further bridge the gap in Film Farm‘s ability to serve its clients the best,” Bagchi added.

  • Star Trek: Into Darkness to hit screens in India before the World!

    Star Trek: Into Darkness to hit screens in India before the World!

    MUMBAI: One of the most awaited sci-fi movies of the summer ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ is all set to scorch the screens across India before the world gets a glimpse of the multi-starrer franchise.

    Keeping in mind the anticipation for the sci-fi flick, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures will be releasing the Paramount Pictures and JJ Abrams production ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ on 10 May. The rest of the world would only be able to catch the movie from 17 May in theatres.

    After bringing to movie buffs, the high octane action fest and highest opener of 2013, ‘G.I.Joe: Retaliation‘ earlier than its international release, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures has yet again embarked on an innovative strategy with this movie.

    JJ Abrams said, “For the story to move forward, this had to be a more ambitious movie than the first. The action and the scale are light years ahead. Bringing IMAX and 3D technology in will give audiences yet another level of excitement and fun to be had."
    In a legacy that has sparked four television series, 11 motion pictures and countless galactic dreams, this marks the first time audiences will get to experience Star Trek eight-stories high and in three dimensions.

  • Prime Focus to showcase its Clear and digital content services technology at Nab show

    Prime Focus to showcase its Clear and digital content services technology at Nab show

    MUMBAI: Prime Focus said it will showcase some of its newest Cloud technologies, made in India for the world, at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2013.

    At the annual industry event, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas in April this year, Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of Prime Focus, will highlight how the organisation is bringing the best of its Clear Hybrid Cloud technology platform and Digital Content Services to address a new enterprise digitisation opportunity – multi-platform content production (TV, feature film and digital media).

    Created at the company’s R&D centre in Bangalore, PFT’s new solution aims to bring the production process on to a single digital platform, transforming the very manner in which producers interact with their content, partners and vendors.

    “As the technology evolves and businesses transition to the ‘new normal’, PFT continues to invest heavily in its R&D to provide solutions to its customers that put them ahead of the technology evolution curve,” says Prime Focus Technologies Founder, President and CEO Ramki Sankaranarayanan.

    He further adds “Currently, Clear is managing more than 250,000 hours of content for the broadcast industry. Our 200+ R&D employees have now brought alive the latest innovation from the PFT stable –a fully integrated content, workflow and project management solution that addresses the customer’s production process, enabled by our Hybrid Cloud technology platform. It will allow content producers to leverage digital technologies, and gain control over the production process, thereby leading to a considerable reduction in cost, and greater efficiencies.”

    India is the hub for Prime Focus’ innovation and product development. Set up in 2008, the company’s R&D centre develops the Clear Hybrid Cloud enabled enterprise digitisation platform. PFT’s focus areas include multi-platform content operations, enterprise digitisation, mobility, contextual advertising, cloud editing and content analytics.

    PFT aspires to be the unified content hub for media firms leveraging its global technology infrastructure. Since its launch major functionalities and features like cloud editing, iPad access, HTML5 player, and B2B sales and fulfillment portal have been added to the current solution at the same time developing new solutions ground-up for clients. The current investment in R&D by Prime Focus is $6 mn, and is expected to increase year-on-year over the next few years as the business scales up further.

    For content producers, the content has become digital, but the supply chain is still offline, posing challenges to unlocking inherent efficiencies. Prime Focus Technologies’ platform Clear and digital content services help broadcasters, studios, advertisers, sports bodies, news agencies, government or service providers, drive creative enablement, and enhance ecosystem efficiency.

    Prime Focus Technologies works with major content owners such as News Corporation owned Star TV network, Eros International, Sony Music, Viacom 18, MSM, BCCI, Indian Premier League, Hindustan Unilever Limited, The Associated Press, A+E Networks, Netflix, Schawk!, and WPP.

  • Zee appoints Scarecrow for its food channel Khana Khazana

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Limited has appointed Scarecrow Communications as the creative agency for Khana Khazana, its 24×7 food channel. The account will be handled out of Scarecrow‘s Mumbai office. The win came after a systematic pitch process, involving the top agencies in the country.

    The new creative campaign for Zee Khana Khazana is based on a powerful insight and will serve as a platform to showcase the exciting line up of new shows, thereby continuing the tradition of creating people-centric content by the Zee family which is appreciated across genres.

    Says Raghu Bhat- Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications, “We are thrilled to partner Zee in this new journey of capturing Indian stomachs and eventually, their hearts.”

    Says Joy Sengupta, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications, “Our association with the Zee group is not new. But it‘s highly satisfying to bag one more prestigious mandate from the pioneers of Indian TV entertainment space.”

    Says Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications, “Zee is Indian by heart, Indian by nature and Indian by actions. We hope to use our instinct and knowledge of the Indian pulse to create a distinct positioning for Khana Khazana.”

    With fully functional offices in Mumbai and Delhi, Scarecrow Communications is India‘s one of the fastest growing advertising agencies with brands such as Danone Narang, Reliance Digital, Anchor Panasonic, Future Capital, Emami, Religare, Eristoff, Kohinoor McCormick, Viacom 18, Quikr, Rupa and DLF. Recently, Scarecrow started its full fledged design outfit, Scarecrow Designs.

    Zee Khana Khazana which pioneered the cookery show content in India is all set to build on its legacy with a slew of highly exciting and original new shows, targeting Sec A, B housewives across India.