ITV

Tag: Zee News

  • Zee News Q1 net up 49.9 % at Rs 95 million

    Zee News Q1 net up 49.9 % at Rs 95 million

    MUMBAI: Zee News has posted a standalone net profit of Rs 95 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2008, up 49.9 per cent as compared to Rs 63.7 million in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

    During the period, the company’s standalone revenue grew 47.2 per cent to stand at Rs 1.1 billion as against Rs 744.5 million in the year-ago period.

    Advertisement revenue fetched Rs 858 million, up 44.8 per cent from Rs 592.4 million. There has been a surge of 55 per cent in subscription revenue to touch Rs 212 million from Rs 136.5 million.

    Total expenditure has increased 47.2 per cent to Rs 921.1 million in the first quarter of FY 09.

    Zee News Subhash Chandra chairman says, “New business comprising Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada and Zee 24 Taas performed as projected and delivered close to 170 per cent growth in operating revenue as compared with the corresponding quarter last fiscal. Our regional properties continued to gain ground with Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla garnering higher channel share.”

    Zee News MD Laxmi Narain Goel says, “Amongst regional properties Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla scaled new heights while Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada are firmly on track to break even.”

    Zee News CEO Barun Das adds, “To further drive the performance of our Hindi business channel, we are planning a re-launch of Zee Business in the coming months.”

  • Rat-ings race on News TV

    Rat-ings race on News TV

    In a world of 56 news channels, the only objective currency of success is high placing in the rating meters. The battle to beat the ratings means that news channels are constantly ‘experimenting’ and ‘looking for the magic formula’. As one editor points out, “The approach is to hit entertainment TV… to enter the market of Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi… News is trying to enter into the area consciously… deliberately.” Three genres of news television started specifically as tactics to capture high ratings: reality television, lifestyle shows and crime news.

    Reality television is not an Indian innovation but it has taken an interesting form on news channels here. A case in point is Zee News’ two-hour special on the Gudiya case in late 2004, a programme that the Zee News director proudly refers to as his achievement…

    The week Zee ran the show was the only week it became number one in the ratings that year. The Zee News editor explains the rationale behind the show, “…As far as news is concerned, earlier it was only about politicians. We are changing that. Various kinds of things are now news because the canvas has increased.”

    The rush for ratings was the backdrop to this coverage. Gossip that once might have ended at the village well was now prime-time national viewing. The battle for ratings turned the private tragedy of Gudiya into a public spectacle. Zee wasn’t the only channel to pursue the Gudiya case in this manner. While Zee had her entire family into the studio, other TV channels too rushed reporters who woke up her remaining relatives in her villages at midnight on live television to get sound bytes.

    The Gudiya example spurred similar experiments with reality television in a bid to increase ratings. In January 2006, Channel 7 telecast a live six-hour argument between a divorced mother and her estranged husband in the Middle East over custody rights for their child. The anchor introduced the show as one that took a deep look at social issues and the mother appeaed live with her seven-year-old daughter in tow. The channel then called her estranged husband on telephone and the two argued bitterly over the next six hours, fighting over domestic matters while her underage daughter looked on. She was even asked to comment on who she would like to live with, all in the cold glare in the camera. It was the kind of battle that should have taken place in a divorce court. Here it unfolded on national television, and it wasn’t a one-off. For channel 7, such programming, along with cricket and crime, was the key component of its strategy to register on the ratings.

    It was the quest for ratings that spurred Star News in 2004 to start a new afternoon show called Saas, Bahu aur Saazish. It is a show that seeks to build on the popularity of popular soap opera on Star’s sister channel Star Plus – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. The storylines of these soaps are based on intrigues within the huge extended families and they have been among the most popular television shows in India since the early 2005…

    The third new genre that Indian television has experimented with is lifestyle programming. In 2003, NDTV started prime time shows called Night Out on NDTV 24X7 and Raat Baaki on NDTV India. These were the daily shows which were anchored live out of a different night club in a different city each day and the idea was to take viewers on a party trip with the hip and the happening. The producers took care to choose a nightclub where famous models or film starts were partying that night, and that was the selling point: party with the stars. The shows proved so popular that all other news channels started similar shows in the time and 2003 became the ‘Year of Night Outs’ in news parlance. Advertisers liked these shows because they brought in new non-news viewers and, more importantly, young viewers.

    After the experiment with party programmes in 2003, news channels turned to crime programming in 2004. Aaj Tak experimented first with a programme called Jurm. Uday Shankar, who was then news director of Aaj Tak, says he got the idea from American television where crime is hugely popular. NDTV followed suit with FIR, Crime and the City, and Dial 100. Zee News started Crime Reporter and Crime File, Sahara aired Hello Control Room and Crime and Punishment. Aaj Tak responded with a second crime show Vardaat and Star News launched Sansani. CNBC India also started a programme on economic crimes.

    The move towards crime shows can be explained by one factor: they fared well on the yardstick of TRPs (television rating points). Zee News’ Crime File in the 10:30- 11 pm slot on Saturday nights registered a 100 per cent jump in ratings over the show in the previous block. Similarly, Red Alert (Star News) showed a 63 per cent jump and Jurm (Aaj Tak) an 18 per cent jump from the previous show. The ratings were much higher than any other genre in Hindi news. And advertisers came in thick and fast. The most remarkable aspect of these shows remains the presentation. There is an overt, overdone bid to create tension with the visuals as well as soundtrack, as though the crime is happening next door. Even the anchors seem to have a certain edge: they speak loudly, menacing voices taut with tension. According to one observer, it is as if “KN Singh, Pran, Ajit, Gulshan Grover, Amrish Puri and other such screen villains have all been rolled into one composite face.” According to one editor, the anchors are deliberately styled in this theatrical manner because their ‘personality helps stylise and package the show.’

    …But television is a complex business and ratings do not always translate into revenues. They do most of the time, but not always.

  • Zee News signs licencing, distribution deal with BBC Worldwide

    Zee News signs licencing, distribution deal with BBC Worldwide

    MUMBAI: Zee News has inked a marketing, licencing and distribution deal with BBC Worldwide. BBC Worldwide will market, licence and distribute Zee News’ archive clip footage worldwide on BBC Motion Gallery website.

    As per the deal, BBC will source news and current affairs content only from Zee News in India for its Motion Gallery website.

    Zee News CEO Barun Das said, “Worldwide, Zee News is viewed as a responsible and serious news channel. It’s little wonder that Zee News Limited is the only news and current affairs media company in India from whom BBC will source content for its prestigious Motion Gallery website.”

    Following this, Zee News will join the league of some of world’s leading broadcasters like BBC, CBS News, NHK Japan, CCTV China and ABC Australia in providing content to BBC Motion Gallery which houses video clips that have been selected from the archives of these broadcasters worldwide.

  • Zee News Q3 operating revenue up 38.6 % at Rs 955 million

    MUMBAI: Zee News Limited (ZNL) has posted operating revenue of Rs 955.3 million on a stand alone basis for the quarter ended 31 December, 2007, up 38.6 per cent as against Rs 689.1 million in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

    Zee News’ stand alone net profit was 128.4 million for the third quarter of FY 08 and Rs 242.2 million on a consolidated basis.

    On a consolidated basis, the company’s operating revenue stood at Rs 983.1 million during the period.

    Commenting on the results, Zee News Limited chairman Shubash Chandra said, “Zee News Limited has delivered a laudable third quarter performance with a growth of 38.6 per cent in operating revenues compared to the corresponding quarter. This growth has been led by a substantial increase in advertisement revenues, which have grown 48.8 per cent. The Zee News channel deserves special mention given the excellent revenue and viewership performance in the quarter.

    Zee Marathi maintained its leadership position, while Zee Bangla attained the number one position in the third quarter. Channels under the ‘New Business’ comprising Telugu, Kannada and 24 Taas have done very well, with Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada registering a GRP growth of 93 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. With rapid transformation in the Indian media via digitization, the coming years hold a lot of promise, and we are confident of delivering long term shareholder value.”

    The ZNL owns and operates nine news /current affairs and regional entertainment channels namely Zee News, Zee Business, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Punjabi, Zee Gujarati, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada and Zee 24 Taas.

    Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada and Zee 24 Taas which are considered as ‘New Businesses’ have incurred an operating loss of Rs. 397.4 million during the nine months period ended 31 December, 2007.

    For the period ended December 2006 ‘New Businesses’ consisted of only two channels. Zee 24 Taas was launched in February 2007.

    Zee Akaash News Private Limited – a subsidiary of the company (60 per cent equity holding) which operates 24 Ghanta, a Bangla news channel has incurred an operating loss of Rs. 6.9 million during the nine months period ended 31 December, 2007.

    Zee News Limited MD Laxmi Narain Goel said, “The quarter witnessed a sound growth in all our channels. Our flagship channel, Zee News continued to grow in revenue in this over crowded genre, which is still attracting new players. Zee News remains the only pay channel in the Hindi news channel genre. The other existing businesses of Zee News Limited have also shown consistent growth, with Zee Bangla attaining the number one position. Our efforts to add value to the content of Zee Telugu, has paid off, with the channel achieving encouraging ratings during the third quarter. Overall, the results have been very satisfactory with the revenues of both existing as well as New Businesses registering a growth of 37.8 per cent and 50.6 per cent respectively.”

    Zee News CEO Barun Das said, “Our tremendous revenue growth is doubly encouraging given that 8 of our 9 channels are Pay channels. In addition, the pay channels have continued to grow in viewer ship as well, which will result in further revenue enhancement. Our future strategy would be to have a focused business approach for every channel, which will certainly enhance growth potential. With a slew of initiatives, we have been able to achieve both our top and bottom line targets. We are committed to scale much higher than industry benchmarks for the next quarter as well.”

  • Inzamam Ul-Haq to host cricket show on Zee News

    NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq is hosting the special series planned to cover the current India-Pakistan cricket series on Zee News.

    The cricket icon will host Junoon 2007 for Zee News in his very first appearance as a TV host. The deal with Zee News covers the entire series between India and Pakistan. Inzamam goes on air on Zee News at 6 pm.

    Commenting on this exclusive association, Zee News editor Satish K Singh said, “It is a matter of great honour to have a cricketing icon like Inzamam on board. We look forward to seeing him in action behind the camera for the first time ever, having grown up with him in awe of his batting and leadership prowess. We are confident that through his expertise, he is going to make the daily coverage of the cricket series on the channel interesting and interactive.”

    Inzamam will also be participating in live phone-ins prior to and after the day’s match. Viewers will get to speak to him directly through this level of interactivity.

    Junoon 2007 will give some in-depth coverage through various segments across its programming genre. Haq Se Poocho allows viewers to put their questions across directly to Inzamam-ul-Haq through e-mail, sms or by calling. Mohalla Cricket Wala will have a reporter going to a cricketer’s mohalla and will show a snippet of his performance in the past along with his personal background.

    A special show Turning Point With Inzamam-Ul-Haq is a daily 2 minute capsule, where Inzamam will explain the turning points of the match. A Day With Inzamam will show Inzamam going to various tourist places in India and share his emotions with the viewers.

    Apart from these, regular bulletins will keep the viewers updated on the happenings of the match.

  • Zee News Q2 net profit up 97% at Rs 57 million

    MUMBAI: Zee News Limited (ZNL) has posted a standalone net profit of Rs 57 million for the quarter ended 30 September 2007, up 97 per cent as against Rs 29 million in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

    Operating revenue at Rs 776 million represented a 44 per cent jump over the year-ago period. Operating profit was at Rs 105 million, up from Rs 18 million.

    ZNL’s advertisement revenue was Rs 608 million for the quarter, up 57 per cent on a like-to-like basis compared to Q2 FY07. Subscription revenue stood at Rs 150 million, up nine per cent.

    Said ZNL chairman Subhash Chandra, “Zee News Limited has strengthened its position in the marketplace during Q2 FY08. Advertising revenues have grown by 57 per cent while subscription revenue improved by 9 per cent during the quarter. While ‘Zee Marathi’ and ‘Zee Bangla’ are steadily climbing the rating chart, the other existing businesses of Zee News Limited have also shown consistent growth momentum. The trends in the new businesses are encouraging with Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada improving their performance despite hyper competitive business environment. This nurtures our hope for a better future. Zee News Limited is moving well on its journey to gain envious position in the news and regional entertainment genres.”

    ZNL MD Laxmi Narain Goel said, “Zee Marathi and Zee Bangla have given sterling performance during the quarter. Zee Marathi has maintained its Numero Uno position in the Marathi genre holding a vice-like grip on the number 1 position, while 24 Ghanta has also delivered a huge GRP increase and leading in Bangla news genre in Q2 FY08. Zee News maintained its ratings in the face of multiplying stiff competition in the Hindi News genre while achieving strong revenue growths. We have met the bottom line target during the 2nd quarter and this fortifies our belief that good people skill, sensitivity to changing needs of viewers, agile strategies, new offerings in content should stand us in good stead for a better future.”

    Goel added, “The existing businesses have shown consistency in performance and revenues of existing businesses have grown by 42 per cent, the new businesses have also performed well in revenues and registered a growth of 80 per cent during the second quarter. We are also pleased to report that the operating margins on our existing businesses increased from 30 per cent during Q2 FY07 to 33 per cent during Q2 FY08.”

  • Zee News launches ‘Mil Gaye Raam’

    MUMBAI: Zee News has launched a series Mil Gaye Raam. The series is an attempt to explore the gap between history, faith and mythology on the existence of Ram and Ramsetu.

    The series is divided into different segments which includes Mil Gaye Raam, Sanjeevani Ka Sach and Charan Chaleesa.

    Zee News reporter Rahul Sinha has traveled from India to Sri Lanka to find out the perplexities associated with the very existence of Ram. The series will throw light on various mythological facets as Ashok Vatika, Sanjeevani parvat, footprints of Hanumana.

  • MCCS’ Barun Das to join Zee News as CEO

    MUMBAI: Zee News has roped in Barun Das as the CEO. The channel was operating without a CEO after former CEO Harish Doraiswamy resigned in mid-September.

    Das, who will be based in Delhi was earlier working as executive vice-president with Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS).

    At MCCS, Das has put in his papers and is currently serving notice period. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Das confirmed, “I am currently serving notice period at MCCS.”

    Prior to MCCS, Das was working as the head of international business development with Astro All Asia Network. He was based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  • News b’casters form association to confront issues in radio & TV

    NEW DELHI: Clearly not satisfied by the clarification issued by the government regarding the Content Code, major news broadcasters in the country have formed the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) to address problems specific to radio and television news broadcasters.

    The broadcasters who got together to form the NBA are TV Today Network (Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Delhi Aajtak and Tez), NDTV Limited (NDTV24x7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit), Times Global Broadcasting Company (Times Now), TV 18 Group (CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBN and IBN7), Media Content and Communication Services (Star News, Star Ananda and Star Majha), Independent News Service (India TV) and Zee News Ltd (Zee News, Zee Business, Zee 24 Taas and 24 Ghanta).

    Registered as a Section 25 company under the Companies Act, the Association is headquartered in Delhi. It held its first Board Meeting on 25 July to elect its Board and office-bearers for 2007-08.

    The Board members are:TV Today Network executive director and CEO G Krishnan, Global Broadcast News joint MD Sameer Manchanda, NDTV group CEO K.V.L. Narayan Rao, Times Now CEO Sunil Lulla, India TV CEO Chintamani Rao, Zee News CEO Harish Doraiswamy and Star India COO Uday Shanker.

    The office-bearers elected for 2007-08 are: G. Krishnan, president, Sameer Manchanda, vice-president, and K.V.L. Narayan Rao, honorary treasurer. Annie Joseph has been appointed secretary general.

    Meanwhile, Krishnan told Indiantelevision.com that it was erroneous to conclude that the Association had only been formed to oppose the Content Code.

    In fact, he said, the Association had been set up to address issues that are specific to news broadcasters in radio and television who work in a 24×7 environment and cannot necessarily be addressed by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation.

    Answering a question, he said he would only be too happy to have DD News as a member of the Association.

    Referring to questions about the Content Code, he said the government should leave this matter to the stakeholders. This was a matter of self-regulation and not of policing, and the government should realize that those running news channels are mature and seasoned broadcasters who will take care of the sensibilities of the people.

    A press statement said the vision of NBA is to help create and nurture an environment in which news broadcasters can best serve audiences and also engage with policy makers on behalf of its members in order to promote an industry grounded in the principles of democracy and freedom of expression. This initiative will help to further promote the broadcaster’s role as an important contributor to the country’s cultural, social and economic fabric.

    The NBA will help members to chart a course that facilitates news broadcasters in responding to the rapid socio-economic changes in the country, and in taking advantage of the opportunities ushered in by economic growth as well as new technology. To this end the NBA will concern itself with ethical, technical, operational, regulatory and legal issues affecting news and current affairs channels.

    Earlier this week, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in a background note emphasized that the Code would not be imposed on broadcasters or advertisers and would be implemented through a three-tier mechanism separate and distinct from the Government.

    The Code, which is facing strong opposition particularly from news broadcasters, has been put on the Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in for public and stakeholders’ comments to be sent in by 5 August. The Code will form part of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill which the Government wants to introduce shortly.

    The note said the mechanism was intended to ensure that the complaints of the public were addressed and broadcasters and advertisers keep the viewing and listening needs of the public in view when designing programmes.

    In the first tier, there will be a content auditor to be appointed internally by each channel who would be responsible for pre-viewing of the content to be broadcast. He would also be the point of contact for complaints in relation to any programme or advertisement.

    At the second level, there would be the evaluation of the content in cases of complaint by Consumer Complaints Committees to be set up by a peer body like the Advertising Standards Council of India, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, and the News Broadcasters Association, or any organization as may be notified by the Central Government.

    The lodging of grievances at these two levels is expected to take care of public grievances regarding content, and broadcasters/advertisers would themselves make suitable modifications in future content.

    It is only when they fail to do so or a complainant aggrieved with the order of the Consumer Complaints Committee files an appeal that the role of the proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) would come into play, the ministry said. The regulator will be an authority distinct from the government and I&B ministry and a second appeal against its order can also be filed before the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.

  • Alka Saxena quits MH1 News

    MUMBAI: Alka Saxena has made an early exit from MH1 News where she was working as CEO and editor-in-chief.

    MH1 group CEO Pradeep Gangal has taken over Saxena’s role. “Gangal is now also the CEO and editor-in-chief of MH1 News,” said group chairman Mahender Bathla.

    When contacted, Saxena confirmed that she had quit MH1 News. She, however, did not reveal where she was headed.

    Earlier Alka Saxena used to host the live chat show Aap Ka Mat on Broadcast Iniitiatives’ news and current affairs channel Janmat. She has also worked as editor in Zee News.