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Tag: Viacom18

  • Colors appoints Pavithra Vivek as head – Property Sales

    Colors appoints Pavithra Vivek as head – Property Sales

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s flagship brand, Colors, has appointed Pavithra Vivek as the head of Property Sales.

    In this role, Vivek will report to the national sales head – Simran Hoon and will be responsible for revenue generation on reality shows, AFP’s, special projects along with providing customised solutions to the advertisers.

    Vivek brings with her over a decade of experience in the broadcast and entertainment industry. She started her career with Star, handling sales for Star News, NGC and Channels [v].

    Vivek’s past experience includes her last assignment with Aidem Ventures and prior to that with NDTV Media Ltd, where she spent the last 8 and a half years supporting the sales function of the company. In her most recent capacity, she headed the sales effort nationally for News 24 and Live India out of Delhi. While in the time, she spent with NDTV, she also managed National Sales for NDTV 24X7, and at different points was responsible for NDTV India, NDTV Profit, MSN India and NDTV Good Times.

    Vivek said, “My new role with Colors is interesting yet challenging. Colors is a strong entertainment brand and this role offers an opportunity to move beyond sales to create concepts and innovative content solutions for advertisers. In the last decade, I have witnessed the growth of television and viewership changes in the industry. And, this is just the right time to apply past learnings and build winning partnerships.”

  • IBN18 narrows Q3 standalone net loss to Rs 10 mn

    IBN18 narrows Q3 standalone net loss to Rs 10 mn

    MUMBAI: IBN18 Broadcast has curtailed its standalone net loss to Rs 10 million for the quarter ended 31 December, from a net loss of Rs 109.63 million in the year-ago period.

    The standalone results constitute the financials of English and Hindi news channels CNN IBN and IBN7.

    Total income surged to Rs 720 million, up 24.14 per cent from the earlier year, on ad gains due to the festive season during the quarter.

    Meanwhile, expenses were under check at Rs 640 million as compared to Rs 525.98 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.  
         
    IBN18 has reported operating profit of Rs 80 million for the quarter under review compared to an operating profit of Rs 60 million in the prior-year period.

    IBN18‘s consolidated net profit stood at Rs 200 million. Total income was at Rs 2.36 billion, while expenditure stood at Rs 2.04 billion for the quarter. Operating profit was at Rs 320 million.

    The consolidated results include financials of Viacom18, The Indian Film Company (50 per cent each) and IBN Lokmat.

  • IBN18 gets board nod to raise Rs 5.1 billion via rights issue

    IBN18 gets board nod to raise Rs 5.1 billion via rights issue

    MUMBAI: Raghav Bahl-promoted Network18 group companies are on a fund-raising spree. IBN18 Broadcast said Thursday it would raise up to Rs 5.10 billion through a rights issue, much in line with TV18 which has taken an enabling resolution to mop up a similar amount.

    The board has approved the rights issue of equity shares aggregating to Rs 5.10 billion, IBN18 Broadcast said in a filing to the BSE.

    “The pricing, ratio, timings and other terms of the rights issue shall be decided by the issue committee of the board of directors, in consultation with the lead managers,” the company added.

    The company has also got the board nod to increase its authorised capital from Rs 400 million to Rs 550 million. This is subject to necessary approvals from the shareholders of the company.

    IBN18 houses English news channel CNN IBN, Hindi news channel IBN7, Marathi news channel IBN Lokmat and is a joint venture partner with media conglomerate Viacom in Viacom18.

    Earlier, TV18 had announced its plans of a rights issue, primarily to repay debt. The company houses the business news channels CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz and financial and news terminal Newswire18.

  • ‘We are getting into the broader international entertainment space’ : Ferzad Palia – Vh1 India associate GM

    ‘We are getting into the broader international entertainment space’ : Ferzad Palia – Vh1 India associate GM

    In May, Viacom18’s international music and lifestyle channel Vh1 started the makeover process. Repositioned as an international entertainment channel, it ushered in new shows and introduced a new tag line ‘Vh1 – Get with it’.

     

    Vh1 will, thus, stand on three legs – music, shows, and fashion and lifestyle. Music, however, will still constitute 50 per cent of the programming mix.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Vh1 India associate GM Ferzad Palia says 25 shows will be launched during the fiscal and the new-look image will result in a 100 per cent revenue growth.

     

    Excerpts:

    What factors prompted the rebranding of Vh1 to an English GEC?
    We launched in 2005 when there was a need to fill the gap for international music. Music channels had all gone desi and mass. Vh1 came in as a flanker and a need gap fulfiller for lifestyle and international music. It has now been four years and we have achieved our targets. We have repopularised international music. We have also ensured that good international acts come into the country.

     

    In 2008 we did research as we felt there was a new need gap. The lifestyle shows on our channel like Pimp My Ride were popular. The audience felt that we were taking the lead towards differentiated international entertainment. This buoyed us into getting into the broader international entertainment space.

     

    Music still constitutes 50 per cent of our mix. But now we are also going towards international entertainment with a renewed vigour.

    What about content repositioning?
    The channel has a new look and feel to it. Our tagline is ‘Get with it’ and is demonstrative of our brand, personality and content that is new and cutting edge. We bring in trends from across the world. We have launched four reality shows in the Monday-Thursday 11 pm slot. We also launched an animation show, South Park. The good news is that these shows cut across our TG.

     

    Our focus for the next few weeks will be to launch content that allows people to gather information on entertainment on a real-time basis. We will look at new gadgets, gizmos, Formula One and Hollywood.

     

    Vh1 currently stands on three legs – music, shows, and fashion and lifestyle.

    What is the brand philosophy of Vh1?
    Vh1 is a combination of entertainment and edutainment. The brand is young and vibrant. The tagline, ‘Get with it,’ expresses that.

    What value is Vh1 looking to bring to the English general entertainment landscape?
    While other general English entertainment channels run similar shows, our product mix is different and daring. Nobody has taken the lead on international music. Going forward, you will see that Vh1 will cover the fashion and lifestyle segment the most.

     

    I don’t think that we fit into the English GEC space per se. Our focus is on international entertainment and it covers different formats.

    Who is your TG?
    Our TG is 15-45 SEC A,B. Most of our viewership comes from the southern metros. The interesting thing is that the mature audience from 25-45 watches us as much as the youngsters do due to the variety in our offerings.

     

    Our audience is 60 per cent male. We talk to different audiences at different time bands. Youngsters watch us in the morning, early in the evening and also after 11 pm which is when we air reality shows. The mature audience tune in at around 9 pm and, to an extent, early in the morning. While we do Hip Hop hustle for the youth, we also have Vh1 Jazz Masters for the older and more discerning viewer. Our analysis tells us that our audience watches news to get information – and then for entertainment they tune in to Vh1.
    ‘We have 110 advertisers on board. We expect 100 per cent revenue growth for the year‘

    Could you talk about the shows that allow Vh1 to be differentiated and daring?
    Pimp My Ride is about taking a thrashed automobile and making it a wow machine. The audiences took note of us with this show. Then our positioning got accentuated with a show called Yo Ma Ma (it is about kids trash talking each other). This concept had never entered India. This was a big point. All our shows have had some sort of twist. Punked with Ashton Kutcher gave birth to MTV Bakra. The difference is that Kutcher punks his celebrity friends. We launched Saturday Night Live.

     

    We will launch 25 shows this fiscal.

    What are the plans for the weekend?
    Sunday Brunch with Jim Morisson will return. This airs rare, unseen footage about an artist. We are launching a party block from 10:30 pm-2 am on Saturday and Sunday. We also air stacks of episodes of shows like South Park on the weekend for people who might have missed out on episodes over the week. At the same time we are conscious of not repeating our content too much.

    You had mentioned giving people the latest news on fashion and Hollywood. How would this work?
    Content will be filmed and shown weekly. So we will launch a weekly show on Hollywood called The Scene over the next 10 days. We have a daily show at 10 pm from Monday to Friday, Daily 10, which is about the 10 top things that have happened in the world of entertainment. It is slightly gossipy in nature. Then there is The Fabulous Life which is one of our flagship shows. It takes you into the lives of the rich and famous celebrities. We also have a show that profiles what happens each week in the world of fashion. Another show BG Racing on Track is about Formula One. It tells you what happened in the previous race and also goes behind the scenes with the drivers and sees what they are doing and where they are partying.

    What marketing activities is Vh1 doing to spread awareness among viewers and advertisers about the repositioning?
    We have done a high decibel outdoor campaign. We used radio. We tied up with about 50 gyms and salons across the country. We use this as an activation platform. We are also on Facebook and Yahoo.

    Are you looking at creating local versions of any of your international shows?
    Yes! However we will be very selective in what we do or else there will no difference between us and competition. We are in the process of finalising a few concepts. A Pimp My Ride India is a distinct possibility.

     

    Then we will be doing an initiative called India Rules later this year. Here we will take Indian Acts abroad and give them an international platform. For us , it is a reverse migration and cross pollination of ideas.

     

    We have a lot of local talent but there is no platform to allow it to go to the next level. We feel that it is our responsibility to give them a platform. This I would like to clarify will not be a hunt for a rock band. Anybody with musical talent can approach us. Our message is that the world is waiting for you.

    What are Vh1’s plans on the events and digital space?
    We constantly do on-ground experiential events. We bring down international artists often. We are now looking at the consumer product space. A lot of brands have evinced interest in associating with Vh1 as there is synergy. We are looking at like minded brands. They have to be premium and have a certain amount of audience respect. Categories could be telecom, handsets, apparel, footwear. The tie ups will be in the nature of products and services.

     

    We will also make a big play on the digital space. It could involve packaging content for the mobile and the Internet.
    Do you see the brand tie up business growing to become a significant source of revenue, apart from advertising?
    It will eventually be a big source of revenue. At this point of time, our objective is to build the brand.

    How is the channel being pitched to advertisers?
    It is being pitched as a unique content channel. The way we integrate brands sets us apart. These days you have to work harder for every rupee. Nokia has an express music phone. We created a show Nokia Vh1 Playlist. Viewers decide what plays here; they send us their playlists. Nokia’s brand proposition is touch, play, share. On Nokia’s site you can see the playlist. When we play the song, your mug shot comes along with a few lines like why you like Bryan Adams’ song Summer of 69. You could dedicate it to your girlfriend.

     

    We started it last year as a weekly and now as it worked, we have made it a daily show. With Airtel we have an initiative Hello tunes Made Easy.
    How many clients do you have?
    We have 110 advertisers on board. We expect 100 per cent revenue growth for the year. The client list is diverse from a 50 paise candy to a Rs 500,000 jewelry set. We have not been affected by the slowdown to the extent that we had originally feared.

  • IBN 7 to be merged with GBN; 5:1 stock split announced

    MUMBAI: Global Broadcast News Ltd today announced the merger of Hindi news channel IBN-7 within itself after acquiring the balance stake in the holding company and a 5-for-1 stock split.

    The balance stake in Jagran TV Pvt LTD, the joint venture holding company, is presently with the Gupta family, IBN 7’s original promoters and owners of Hindi print major Dainik Jagran.

    GBN will issue 1,467,390 shares of Rs 10 each (4. 45 per cent of GBN’s capital after dilution and exercise of 3,000,000 warrants) to the Gupta family for the balance stake in Jagran TV. A further 1,793,478 equity shares of RS 10 each of GBN will be held in a Trust.

    “The Board also accorded approval for sub-division of the nominal value of its equity share from the present RS 10 per share to RS 2 per share resulting in a 5-for-1 stock split,” according to an official statement.

    The announcement follows GBN’s acquisition earlier this week of a 10 per cent direct stake in Jagran TV from New Vernon Pvt Equity LTD for RS 200 million. Prior to that transaction, GBN held a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture holding company BK Fincap, which held 90 per cent stake of Jagran TV (the remainder being with New Vernon).

    Besides, IBN 7, GBN also owns CNN IBN. It is also entering the regional news space with the launch of a Marathi news channel with Lokmat Group.

    Through GBN, Network18 operates a joint venture with Viacom called Viacom18. The JV operates the MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon channels in India – as also Studio18, the Group’s filmed entertainment operation and will be launching a Hindi general entertainment channel.

  • TV18 Group is now Network18; unveils logo

    MUMBAI: TV18 Group is rechristened as Network18. The new branding will unify all current and future entities of the TV18 Group under a single umbrella.

    Existing companies such as TV18, GBN, Web18, Homeshop18, Viacom18, Studio18 and Events18 will reflect the new corporate identity.

    The Group will also don a new logo which is red and white in colour. “The logo reflects the company’s brand identity which is a window to an ever-changing world in addition to connoting the stature and ambitions of the emerging global media corporation,” the company said in a statement.

    Commenting on the new branding, Network18 managing director Raghav Bahl said, “We have come a long way since TV18 began in 1992 as a small production house. From television news to filmed entertainment, Network18 leaves little untouched and unconquered, thus taking it a step closer to becoming the undisputed media mega brand! Despite our rapid growth and diversification, the one thing that has not changed, is our vision to be ‘better than the best’ and to continuously set new standards in this fast growing industry.” 

    Added Network18 Group CEO Haresh Chawla, “Network18 has built some of the most enviable media brands and audience franchises in India and we continue to work aggressively towards building India’s finest truly multi-platform media conglomerate. The new Network18 identity unites our over 3000 strong team and operations with a common set of values and aligns them behind a common purpose. The unified identity will help us harness the power of our individual brands and build an even stronger relationship with all our stakeholders. It is an exhilarating moment for all of us.” 

    Network18 Group COO B Sai Kumar said, “Network18 embodies all the attributes of a start-up and combines it with the power to enable, enlighten and entertain every Indian. Over the past decade, the Group has been able to empower more than 80 million Indians. The re-energised entity will aim to reach out to a much larger audience in India and globally. In the process, we also hope to make Network18 the first truly Indian, global media company.”