ITV

Tag: Vikram Chandra

  • NDTV Fortis Cancerthon raises funds for kids with Cancer

    NDTV Fortis Cancerthon raises funds for kids with Cancer

    MUMBAI: It is a rare person in this world who has not battled cancer – some of us directly, and almost all of us indirectly, through the pain of a loved one.

     

    American scientist and physician Siddhartha Mukherjee calls it The Emperor of all Maladies. ”Cancer, we now know, is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of a single cell… Cell division allows us as organisms to grow, to adapt, to recover, to repair — to live. And distorted and unleashed, it allows cancer cells to grow, to nourish, to adapt, to recover, and to repair — to live at the cost of our living.”

     

    India is combating cancer with new cures, superior treatments, networked care giving and financial aid. Yet, every year 10 lakh new cases are diagnosed in India. About five lakh succumb to the disease annually. While breakthrough advances are being made in diagnosis and treatment, cancer is galloping ahead. What’s worse, cancer among children and young adults has taken on severe proportions. They comprise 15% of India’s cancer patients. No less than 50,000 children are detected with cancer every year. They are at the core of our cause.

     

    The silver lining in the story is the immense support and care structure that backs up mainstream treatment. Raising awareness plays a large role. This is where NDTV and Fortis have stepped in to create a nationwide cancer awareness and fundraising campaign — Health4U Cancerthon.

     

    The campaign culminated in an 8-hour LIVE fundraiser CANCERTHON rolled from Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai. It brought together the entire nation to spread awareness and donate generously to the cause. The campaign successfully raised close to 3 crores for cancer patients.

     

    Packed with stories of cancer survivors, medics talking about breakthrough treatment and detection and NGOs elaborating on the support required by patients and caregivers, it was a first-of-a-kind live awareness campaign and fundraiser.

     

    Sharing their personal stories and professional expertise during the eight-hour event, anchored by Vikram Chandra, were film and television personalities, well-known singers, eminent doctors and cancer survivors. Celebrities included Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kajol, Arjun Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Anu Malik, Pankaj Udhas, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Yuvraj Singh, Minissha Lamba, Diana Hayden, Ali Fazal, Priya Dutricha Chadda, Neeraj Shridhar, RJ Sidhu, Ehsaan Noorani, Emraan Hashmi, Ram Naik, NDTV’s Co-Chairperson Prannoy Roy along with Fortis Executive Chairman Malvinder Singh and Executive Vice-Chairman Shivinder Singh.

     

    Indian actor, producer and philanthropist Salman Khan said, “Sometimes children come to us in the last stage of cancer and you find them still so full of life. They are not burdened with despair.”  Talking about the strength with which these children fight the disease he says, “These children are the real heroes they manage to fight and kick cancer out of their bodies. ‘’

     

    ‘‘Cancer is not scary as everybody makes it out to be and it’s truly, truly an awareness that we need to spread,  that listen, it can be controlled, you know it can be made better and the faster you get to it, faster you are able to eradicate it the problem. It’s as a simple as that”, said Kajol.

     

    Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh who interacted with cancer survivors in Panchkula, Haryana, as part of this campaign said, “As a cancer survivor, it was very inspiring to meet all these courageous people who are battling cancer. On my own journey of beating cancer, I learnt an important lesson – cancer is detectable and curable. 90% of cancers are curable if detected in stage one. To ensure that no one has to fight cancer alone, my NGO YouWeCan is helping create consciousness on cancer prevention, early detection and the fight against stigma. It is an initiative which I am proud of and involved in 24×7. With your support and love we all will make it happen.’’

     

     Actor Shahid Kapoor on the occasion said, “Every woman must go regularly for breast cancer screenings and the men should support them and make them comfortable so that they feel comfortable and don’t hesitate for going for the tests.” 

     

    Speaking on the occasion Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “Why do over ninety thousand children die annually from childhood cancers and how can this be stopped? I am very pleased that today’s Cancerthon, with generous contribution of their time by experts, has given us a better understanding of the research and awareness being done towards finding safer treatments and cures for this disease. In partnership with Fortis Healthcare, the Cancer Society and CanKids we will give hope to so many more children and end their suffering.”

     

    Malvinder Mohan Singh, Executive Chairman Shivinder Mohan Singh, Executive Vice Chairman Fortis Healthcare in a joint statement, added “Clearly the incidence of cancers has increased over the last many years. India contributes to 7.5% of cancer cases globally and 8 % of global cancer deaths happen in India. Due to under- diagnosis and under- detection, the actual scale of the problem is at least twice or thrice the reported numbers With the current lifestyles that people are leading, it becomes all the more important for us to focus on doing what’s right from a prevention perspective so that we minimize the risk of cancer. Childhood cancers are immensely curable, if detected in time. Whilst we make the best of treatment available to them, raising funds for those who can’t afford the treatment has been one of the key objectives of this campaign.” 

     

    The funds raised through this initiative will be utilised by the campaign’s Knowledge and Implementation Partner, The Indian Cancer Society, towards pediatric cancer treatments.

     

    Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Simardeep Singh Arora, CIPLA, Arun Bharat Ram, Mohit Chauhan and HDFC generously donated for cancer patients.

     

    Among others present at the event were Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon; Arun Bharat Ram, SRF; Yk Hameid, Cipla; Satish Reddy, Dr Reddy’s Labs; Rajashree Birla; Gopal Vittal, Bharti-Airtel; Dr SH Advani; Dr P Jagannath; Dr Vinod Raina; Dr Naveen Dang; Dr VK Paul; Dr Priya Ranachandran; Dr Mohamned Rela; Dr Sharat Damodar; Dr Samir Parikh; Dr Rajiv Sarin; Dr Mamen Chandy; Dr GPI Singh; Dr Preet K Dhillon; Dr P Kurkure and Dr Carl June.

     

    An integral part of it was Because You Can, a drive that motivates school children to collect gifts for kids with cancer,   supported by CanKids, our Knowledge Partner.

  • IAA debate: Metro markets are losing their sheen to tier II & III towns?

    IAA debate: Metro markets are losing their sheen to tier II & III towns?

    MUMBAI: The first in a new season of IAA Debates, organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter and presented by the Dainik Bhaskar group, will be held on Friday, November 28, 2014 at Gallops, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mumbai.

     

    Industry captains will speak for and against the motion on: Metro Markets are losing their sheen to Tier II & III Towns for Consumer Products/Services. The speakers are

     

    •             Sadashiv Nayak, CEO, Future Retail Ltd

    •             Ronita Mitra, Senior VP, Brand Communication & Insights, Vodafone India

    •             Amitabh Pande, Senior Director – Consumer Insights and Strategy, PepsiCo India Region

    •             Atul Phadnis, CEO, Whats-On and GM (APAC), Gracenote

    The debate will be moderated by Mini Menon, Executive Editor, Bloomberg TV India.

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President – Development, Asia Pacific, IAA and Chairman & Managing Director, R K SWAMY HANSA Group,  on the new season of IAA Debates said, “The IAA Debates has traditionally seen industry leaders deliberate on topics of vital importance to the stakeholders we serve. We have had debates on the relevance of print and TV in the digital age – whether social media is a good business, the role of creative becoming more critical with media fragmentation. I am happy that the new season of IAA Debates is kicking off with a topic of much relevance to the fraternity.”

     

    Pradeep Dwivedi, Chief – Marketing & Corporate Sales Officer, D B Corp Ltd. added,  “We are delighted to partner with IAA in  bringing the thought-provoking industry debates again to the entire advertising & marketing fraternity. The great French essayist, Jospeh Joubert, once famously said that ‘It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.’ At Dainik Bhaskar, it is our constant endeavour to contribute to this spirit of discovery and hence be a harbinger of change and evolution. We look forward to the upcoming Dainik Bhaskar-IAA debates as an important step in that direction.”

     

    The IAA Debates hosted so far have been in Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. The Debates have featured senior advertising, media and marketing professionals such as Prasoon Joshi, Vikram Sakhuja, Lloyd Mathias, Josy Paul, Pratap Bose, Deepika Warrier, Anupriya Acharya, Arun Anant, Arunabh Das Sharma, Partha Sinha, Monica Tata, Vikram Chandra, Punitha Arumugam, Mahesh Murthy, Virginia Sharma, Ashok Lalla and Zerin Rahman, speaking for and against the motion.

     

    Delegates (including media) wishing to attend the IAA Debates on November 28, need to pre-register at execseciaa@gmail. Or call: +91 22 2874566 (Extn 162). Please send in your name, designation and organisation represented. A limited number of seats are available and you will be intimated by the IAA India Chapter.

     

  • The 7th Indian News Television Summit a roaring success

    The 7th Indian News Television Summit a roaring success

    NOIDA: The 7th Indian News Television Summit that was held at The Radisson in Noida, was a huge success with some of the big names in the industry attending the conference.

     

    The day began with a keynote by India TV chairman and editor in chief and the News Broadcasters Association president Rajat Sharma wherein he spoke about the changing face of news and how content as well as ad sales is under pressure and for things to improve, the industry has to get together and find solutions.

     

    He lamented on the horror of having to pay huge carriage fees along with the burden of the ad cap which the NBA is vociferously fighting. According to him, the TV news industry has changed in the last three years with more responsibility having crept into the veins of channels.

     

    This was followed by a one on one with ITV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma wherein he discussed about why he got into the news business, the aim of his news network and its future roadmap to being the biggest news company in the country.

     

    The first session saw NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra, TV Today CEO Ashish Bagga, IBN18 CEO Avinash Kaul, Focus News Network group CEO Neeraj Sanan and Doordarshan ADG news Mayank Agrawal speak on the various modes of revenue generation through traditional and digital mediums. Executives highlighted that it was too soon to depend heavily on the digital medium for revenue which will work as a compliment to television but not replace it.

     

    This was followed by a keynote from GroupM south Asia CEO CVL Srinivas who highlighted what brands were looking for in news networks and how the genre is growing year on year. According to Srinivas, news broadcasters need to keep in mind a few things for the future-co creating socially responsible agendas with brands, invest more in digital, new metrics such as consumer sentiment, social buzz, social impact, viewers’ profile and getting into big data.

     

    Following this was a discussion on finding innovative ways for revenue generation that saw Zee Sangam national sales head Harsha Vardhan Dwivedi, India TV senior VP and country head ad sales Sudipto Chowdhuri, CNN-IBN and IBN7 national revenue head Vishal Bhatnagar, IPG Mediabrands CEO initiatives Anamika Mehta and Times Television Network senior VP and business head for branded content Hemant Arora.

     

    An informative presentation by Amagi co-founder KA Srinivasan enlightened the audience about utilising geo-targetting to increase revenue for various channels of a network and also more focused reach for a brand.

     

    The day concluded with an editorial session that discussed how much editors are willing to allow ad sales to interfere with content for higher revenue. ITV Network editor in chief Deepak Chaurasia, senior columnist QW Naqvi and Mi Marathi consultant Nikhil Wagle discussed on how much an editor can mix with the ad sales team and how much of interference by them is acceptable.

     

    With the belief that the discussions between the various stakeholders of the industry will propel better returns for the community as a whole, we look forward to the Indian News Television Summit 2015.

  • Television and online medium need different approach for revenue making

    Television and online medium need different approach for revenue making

    NOIDA: The news television space is burdened with cash crunch. And addressing this core issue were the news industry giants at the 7th News Television Summit organised by indiantelevision.com. The Summit which began with a session on ‘Content monetisation through conventional and digital platforms of news channel’ was moderated by Provocateur Advisory principal Paritosh Joshi and attended by NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra, TV Today Network CEO Ashish Bagga, IBN18 Network CEO Avinash Kaul, Doordarshan ADG news Mayank Agarwal and Focus News Network group CEO Neeraj Sanan.

     

    Joshi began the session by asking Chandra how viewership data has changed since NDTV raised its voice against the alleged faulty ratings three years ago. Chandra said that they weren’t getting correct ratings and when they talked about it to others they were told to either swim with the tide or do something different which would get the TRPs. Soon after, they were joined by other broadcasters as well.

     

    Joshi then asked Bagga the secret behind Aaj Tak’s dominance in the genre for the last 10 years. Bagga highlighted that it was not easy to sustain its position given the tough environment. “There was reluctance from various quarters so it was necessary to push that credibility,” he said. He added that the network had grown 25 per cent since last year and while others were growing at just two to five per cent.

     

    Talking about the ad rates, Bagga said that the price for a slot on news channels, unlike the GECs is pitiable. However, TV Today has put its business on a sustainable model of 20 per cent y-o-y growth. “This has been done by quality, resource, building perception and getting the required numbers,” he said.

     

    Doordarshan, on being asked about its transformation, said that it had done a good revamp to maintain norms and standards. “People may feel that we put out the news stories a little later than the others, but that’s not the case. We are alert,” said Agrawal.

     

    He however agreed that a lot is still left to be done apart from the new programmes and the new look it has given to its anchors. “We have also set up new teams in order to cover news better and are also focusing on our online medium,” informed Agrawal.  

     

    Joshi also highlighted the fact that there is little differentiation in content between the news channels. Disagreeing with the observation, Kaul said that though it could be true, the approach of each channel for a story is different. “You can cater the news to different age groups and segment it differently,” he opined.

     

    Kaul is optimistic about the new rating system that will be brought out by BARC India. “This will bring in change to the type of content being produced,” he said.

     

    Joshi also brought out the common criticism that the news industry has to deal with. “Various quarters have said that while the news broadcasters crib about the bad business, the genre still sees new players getting into it every now and then. Is it the political money that is going into it?” questioned Joshi.

     

     Sanan at this point said that the reason for this was the fact that people see a lot of potential in news because of its ever growing consumption. “If all news channels give same content then that means there is a need for someone to come and stand out. If people are willing to pay and if you can package your content well then there is no reason why one cannot get into it,” he said.

     

    While digital is a growing platform, Joshi asked whether the algorithm that it follows is trustworthy with regards to journalism. Chandra highlighted the fact that even today the brand of an anchor is important. “When people come to the online medium, they want to come to trustworthy sources rather than a layman giving information,” he opined.

     

    Kaul said that with BARC India bringing in meters in the rural areas, the genre will have to strengthen its coverage in those areas as well. “With 4G and broadband making in-roads, we will be in a better state,” he said.

     

    Chandra stated that it was not right to replicate the TV business model for online and that digital was growing at a CAGR of 40 per cent.

  • Diageo and NDTV partner to launch ‘Road to Safety’

    Diageo and NDTV partner to launch ‘Road to Safety’

    MUMBAI: Diageo and NDTV have joined hands to launch ‘Diageo-NDTV Road to Safety’ – a campaign aimed at addressing one of the biggest concerns for the Indian government and society today -the appalling state of road safety in our country. The campaign aims to make our roads safer and reduce the number of preventable accidents by encouraging citizens, specially the youth of India, to be more responsible behind the wheel.

     

     

    Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor,, veteran cricketer Anil Kumble and Karnataka Transport Minister Shri Ramalinga Reddy all came together to lend their support to the ‘Diageo-NDTV Road to Safety’ campaign and inspire people to take a pledge to Never Drink and Drive. Also present were Dr. Rohit Baluja, President, Institute of Road Traffic Education and Praveen Sood, IPS, Additional Director General of Police and Principal Secretary, Home, Karnataka.

     

     

    Karisma Kapoor expressed her concerns on the state of road safety in the country and said, “I am proud to support the Road to Safety cause. So many lives are lost every year in India due to a casual approach and lack of knowledge about road safety. Initiatives like this will go a long way in educating people about road safety measures and in turn will help save lives.”

     

     

    Anand Kripalu, Managing Director of United Spirits (a Diageo group company) said “Diageo and USL are taking the lead to persuade consumers to take responsibility for their actions and put safety first.  Diageo’s Road to Safety initiative is a yearlong program of partnership with government, NGOs and educational institutes to cause a paradigm shift in people’s approach to Road Safety in India.”

     

     

    Union Minster for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that the Central government committed to improving national and state highways along with changing the law and bringing these in line with international standards. A new Motor Vehicle Act will be introduced in the next session of Parliament. He added that drivers and pedestrians have to take more responsibility for their actions and be aware of the rules of the road; and that suggestions from the public and the use of hi-tech equipment will also help in implementing a safer and healthier driving environment.

     

     

    Last year, over 1,37,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, a number that is shockingly more than the fatalities reported in all our wars put together. Averaging an accident every minute, and a fatality once every 4, Indian roads are some of the most dangerous in the world.

     

    Launching the initiative Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV Group said, “The number of fatalities due to road mishaps is shocking and is a huge issue that we urgently need to address. NDTV has always been concerned about such issues and has tried to find practical solutions for these. We hope that with this campaign we are able to sensitize and educate citizens and create awareness about road safety.”

     

     

    The campaign aims to educate and inspire citizens to action by drawing attention to critical issues including lack of safety awareness, public apathy towards accident victims and a widening gap between legislation and enforcement. This campaign will be launched across the country and will address city specific road safety issues.

  • InMobi and NDTV bring native advertising on mobile to India

    InMobi and NDTV bring native advertising on mobile to India

    MUMBAI: NDTV Convergence (NDTV) and InMobi are together bringing the first fully native ad experience to mobile users in India.

     

    Talking about their latest offering, NDTV CEO Vikram Chandra said, “NDTV has always believed in providing users with the most credible content across all platforms and ensuring the best user experience while consuming this content. This is another step towards further enhancing the experience by ensuring native in-stream ad formats, which will provide great value to our advertisers in a non-intrusive environment. We are excited to partner with InMobi to launch this offering.”

     

    As NDTV continues to embrace native ads for mobile, the unique offering provides tangible benefits like five times the conversion rate and user engagement than standard display ads, higher ad viewership of up to 1.5 times more than banner ads and more importantly, a new-found trust for mobile ads, which are experienced as content and less intrusive.

     

    InMobi Revenue & Operations vice president Atul Satija said, “InMobi Native Ads match the app experience entirely in terms of visual form and function, so that your brand’s audience can enjoy a non-intrusive, engaging ad experience while using an app. We have witnessed a phenomenal increase in demand for Native ads worldwide. InMobi is thrilled to partner with NDTV to bring the Native Ad experience to India,” said Atul Satija, Vice President – Revenue & Operations, InMobi.

     

    NDTV has been at the forefront of creating best-in-class content experiences across all screens. Together with InMobi, NDTV will now offer a bouquet of innovative ad units native to its news content, thereby further re-inventing the user experience.

  • NDTV’s flagship show, The Property Show hits the airwaves exclusively on Radio City

    NDTV’s flagship show, The Property Show hits the airwaves exclusively on Radio City

    MUMBAI: NDTV and Radio City 91.1FM have partnered to air NDTV’s ‘The Property Show’ exclusively for Radio City listeners. As a part of first-of-its-kind alliance, The Property Show on Radio City launching on September 13, 2014 will be aired weekly and will give listeners the best from the world of Real Estate while they’re on the go.

     

    NDTV’s pedigree in Real Estate Programming gives the show an edge over its competitors in the similar space. Hosted by Manisha Natarajan, The Property Show today has become the platform for leading thinkers and opinion makers. The show decodes the country’s opaque property markets for its audience.

     

    NDTV had taken its property information content online by launching an official website called NDTV Property last year. Continuing the legacy, with the major success achieved in connecting with the consumers and the trade, NDTV has stepped forward to build the ecosystem of The Property Show beyond the homes of consumers with NDTV and Radio City coming together to take this giant leap forward. The initial focus will be on Mumbai and Delhi, two major cities when it comes to Real Estate, and this partnership will bring the very best to consumers.

     

    Announcing the partnership, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV, said, “We are delighted that NDTV is the first TV broadcaster to have partnered with radio to put television content on air. The NDTV-Radio City 91.1FM partnership will be bringing another dimension to information about the Real Estate industry, adding to the innovation that NDTV is constantly bringing to its audiences.”

     

    Commenting on the alliance, Mr. Ashit Kukian, President & COO, Radio City 91.1 FM said, “This alliance is an important milestone for both TV & Radio. This association is a testimony of how meaningful content integration can trigger great consumer experience along with ringing in revenues. We are happy to partner with another leader, NDTV ” 

  • NDTV grundfos mission energy sessions

    NDTV grundfos mission energy sessions

    MUMBAI: NDTV and Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd (Grundfos India) turned the spotlight on the looming energy crisis this World Environment Day with the Mission Energy Sessions – a platform for prominent energy experts, policy makers and industry leaders to highlight issues; recommend solutions for industry and the new government; and focus on energy efficient ideas for the future. Actor Abhay Deol felicitated winners of the NDTV Grundfos Mission Energy Challenge, which saw 100 contenders competing to achieve highest energy and monetary savings. This was India’s first televised eco-challenge, conducted in association with CII, and winners included Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Vadodara; Indian School of Business, Mohali; Kesoram Industries Ltd [Cement Division], Sedam and homeowner Ameetsinh Vaghela.

    Held at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, many prominent personalities including actor Abhay Deol, who is building an eco-home in Goa; Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General-  Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India; Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director – Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL); Naina Lal Kidwai, Executive Director & Country Head – HSBC and Former President – FICCI; Ranganath N K, Managing Director –  Grundfos Pumps India; Jorgen Bjelskou, Group Public Affairs Director – Grundfos; Dr Sunita Narain, Director General – Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); Mili Majumdar, Director, Sustainable Habitat Division – TERI; Beroz Gazdar, Head Sustainability – Mahindra and Mahindra; Krishan Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer – Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation; Dr Prem Jain, Chairman – IGBC – CII; Samit Aich, Executive Director – Greenpeace, amongst others participated in the informative sessions.

    Supporting the cause, Abhay Deol, said, “It is a great initiative by NDTV and what I liked most about it was it showcased great innovations, which gives so much encouragement to these people. I already have a shopping list for my home after coming here. It’s inspired me and if I am investing in it myself then it will encourage those who are making these.”

    Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “Over the years NDTV’s programming has brought focus on a number of social issues through a multitude of campaigns. This campaign is an attempt by us to create awareness around energy conservation and I am glad that we are able to highlight viable solutions that can be adopted, both at an individual level as well as at a national level.”

    Ranganath N K, Managing Director, Grundfos India said “We partnered with NDTV to promote energy efficiency in India through the Mission Energy campaign on TV. This is a first of its kind initiative and was aimed at sensitizing all the stakeholders on the importance of energy conservation.  In the last five months, this campaign has had a considerable impact on various stakeholders like the Government, industry, educational institutions, as well as individuals. People are waking up to the fact that energy conservation is critical to ensure we bridge the demand – supply gap in India. Not only this, there are savings in costs as well – for the individual and for the nation. India has still a long way to go till it can completely bridge the energy deficit. Being energy efficient will help us achieve this at a lower cost to the country. We at Grundfos along with NDTV are happy to have helped increase the awareness and the momentum through Mission Energy.”

    The event marked the culmination of the NDTV-Grundfos Mission Energy Campaign, which was launched earlier this year to create awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and encourage individual efforts towards conservation. The Grundfos Mission Energy Sessions were conducted with the aim to not only discuss issues but also suggest plausible solutions. While the first session focussed on highlighting gruelling current issues, suggestions from the panellists on policy changes etc, the second session drew attention to innovations in energy efficiency that can play a vital role in solving some of India’s energy problems. This session showcased some unique and viable innovations to facilitate energy efficiency in your homes and organisations. The last session concluded with shortlisted participants from the Mission Energy Challenge (conducted by NDTV in association with CII) discussing “It’s All About ME – The Power of An Individual” and presentation of awards to winners and Runners Up.

    NDTV-Grundfos Mission Energy is supported by CII as Knowledge Partner, TERI as Content Partner and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and AEEE as Energy Efficiency Partners.

     

  • Aircel and NDTV launch the ‘Save Our Tigers’ Signature Drive 2014

    Aircel and NDTV launch the ‘Save Our Tigers’ Signature Drive 2014

    MUMBAI: Carrying forward the mission to ‘Save Our Tigers’ – the largest and the most comprehensive media campaign on tiger conservation till date, NDTV and Aircel today announced a Signature Drive 2014 on World Environment Day asking for public support for the Tiger Agenda. This agenda, encapsulating immediate action points for the government, was drafted in consultation with wildlife experts.

    Launched in April 2014, the 3rd season of Aircel-NDTV ‘Save Our Tigers’ successfully set this year’s tiger agenda during a panel discussion hosted by Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV Group. The Signature Drive 2014 aims to gather 1 million signatures for the Tiger Agenda 2014 which makes 6 key demands – 1) Involve Local Communities in Conservation; 2) Strengthen and modernize the forest department to step up protection; 3) Improve Man-Animal Conflict Mitigation Measures; 4) Increase protection of buffer zones and corridors; 5) Zero tolerance approach to poaching and 6) to make political parties accountable for loss of bio-diversity. The signatures collected will then be taken to Chief Ministers of key tiger states. 
    The signature drive also has the support of Sanctuary Asia and Wildlife Conservation Trust as knowledge partners for the campaign. The drive will culminate on The Word Tiger Day, July 29, 2014 across New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.  
    With the launch of the signature drive, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV Group said, “The tiger has always been close to NDTV’s heart, it is a key part of our eco-system and if we fail to save the tiger, we risk losing everything else. NDTV and Aircel have now come together for the 3rd season to create awareness and spread the message of conservation.  This year we hope lots of school children, youth and concerned citizens will come together to pledge their support to our national animal by signing our tiger agenda.”

    On the launch of the signature drive, Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel said, “Aircel started the ‘Save Our Tigers’ initiative in 2008 to create awareness about the plight of our national animal. It was extremely heart wrenching to see how the tiger had come so close to extinction and we had come to face the unfortunate prospect that our future generations will only be able to see tigers in photographs. As we were faced with the blatant reality, Aircel started work on the ‘Save Our Tigers’ campaign with noted conservationists and experts across various on-ground projects with an aim to ensure healthy and sustainable ecological balance in the country.  To take this initiative to the next level, Aircel and NDTV have come together for the third time to gain public support towards six immediate action points of Tiger Agenda 2014. We are hoping that this time as well, the people of India will come forward and pledge their support to saving the tigers in huge numbers and do their bit to keep the tiger roaring.”

    About Aircel’s‘Save Our Tigers’ initiative:
    The Tiger is our national animal and one that has been a part of our folklore and history for millennia. Yet this magnificent animal is on the brink of extinction. The Tiger can easily be called as the metaphor for nature, as it is a top predator and its existence ensures a healthy and a sustainable ecological balance. The year 2008 revealed the shocking number that there were just ‘1411’ tigers left in India. ‘Save Our Tigers’ is a cause related campaign started by Aircel during the latter part of 2008 with an aim to create mass awareness on the plight of this magnificent beast and rally efforts to save it. 

    The tag line, ‘Just 1411 left, Save Our Tigers’, struck a chord in the hearts and minds of millions of Indians.People began to rally for the cause and began to lend their voices towards the cause. 

    Our seriousness towards doing our bit to Save Our Tigers has led us to partner with several well-known organizations like World Wildlife Fund-India, Wildlife Conservation Trust, Wildlife Trust of India, Sanctuary Asia and NDTV as well as several noted conservationists to create an impact on ground where it really matters. We work on several projects that encompass capacity building, conflict mitigation and awareness creation. This helps us address issues in 360 degrees and reach out to create maximum impact.

    To sign and support the Aircel-NDTV Tiger Agenda log on to NDTV.COM/TIGER and www.saveourtigers.com

  • NDTV 24X7 hops on to Time Warner Cable in the US

    NDTV 24X7 hops on to Time Warner Cable in the US

    MUMBAI:  Hungry for expansion outside of India, one of India’s leading English news channels has grabbed a space on the coveted Time Warner Cable (TWC) in the US. NDTV 24X7 will now be available to subscribers in New York City as well as boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, LA, Dallas, Austin and Rio Grande Valley region in Texas in the ‘Hindi Pass Plus’ or the ‘Passport Pack.’

     

    With this the channel aims to reach about 20,000 households through the partnership. The ‘Hindi Passport Pack’ costs about $70 while the ‘Hindi Pass Plus Pack’ costs about $40. The former has channels such as Star Plus, Sony, Zee TV, Life OK, Willow, TV Asia, Star Gold, NDTV 24×7, ITV Gold, Filmy, UTV Movies and Bollywood On Demand while the latter provides Star Plus, Sony, Zee TV, Life OK, Willow, TV Asia, NDTV 24×7 and ITV Gold.

     

    The subscription range for channels on this platform range from $1 million to $1.5 million. NDTV is also available on the DTH platform Dish Network. The average ARPU in the US is around $40 and packs such as Indian, Chinese, Arabic have high prices. Unlike India, NDTV 24X7 does not have to pay any carriage fee to the distribution platforms in the US.

     

    “Asian Indians in the US are among the affluent communities,” says NDTV AVP for network distribution and affiliate sales Rohit Jaiswal speaking to indiantelevision.com. “We will be looking at deals with more cable operators in the US going forward in the next two years,” he adds. Europe is also a part of the expansion plan since the channel says it is already well distributed in other parts of the world.

     

    NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra said in a press statement, “NDTV is delighted to partner with Time Warner Cable to bring its content and the election to an even wider audience in the US. The US is a very crucial market for us and the launch of the channel on TWC is a testimony to the trust that our affiliates and viewers from all over the world have shown in our brand and our quality over these years. NDTV, today, is available in 17 million households across 75 countries outside India and now looks forward to serving the TWC households with the same award-winning programmes and keeping them abreast with the constantly evolving events in India.”

     

    Earlier this year the US’s largest cable company Comcast announced that it intended to buy the second largest cable company TWC for $45 billion. This deal is under federal consideration for approval. If the proposed acquisition does get through, it could well be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Indian channels.