ITV

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  • Sun Network, Star India rule channels and programmes ratings in South India

    The Sun Network’s channels were the most watched channels across the four South Indian languages for the first eight weeks of 2017 (Saturday, 30 December 2016 to Friday 24 February 2017).

    This paper must be read with a caveat: It deals only with the players present in BARC’s top 5 lists of channels per week and programmes per week for each language. The sums/percentages of other genres/players’ ratings or Impressions (000s) Sums other than those indicated in BARC’s top 10 lists of channels and programmes have not been considered/mentioned in this paper during the period under consideration and those numbers could be more/higher. Further, Combined Total Impressions mentioned in this paper means the sum of all the Impressions (000s) Sums for all the weeks under consideration of a network, channel and/or programme/s.

    Statistical analysis of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for Top 5 Channels for the four South Indian regional channels shows that 8 Networks/affiliates/channels represented by their respective channels across the four South Indian languages shared the top five positions per week for the first eight weeks of 2017. The four languages are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Channels such as ETV have been included in the Network 18 network by the author.

    BARC data that has been referred to inthis paper is for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017 is (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals for the following markets: Karnataka; Kerala; Tamil Nadu/ Puducherry; and AP/ Telangana

    If all the channels of a network were present in the top 5 channels list for each of the four languages, that network’s frequency of appearance in the list would be 160 for the first 8 weeks of 2017 period. In order of frequency of presence of their respective channels in the top 5 lists and the total weekly impressions across all the eight weeks of the four main networks were:

    (1)  The Sun Network (frequency 59, Combined Weekly Impressions 1,89,24,315 (000s) Sums). The Sun Network’s television channels in all the four Southern markets found a place in the top 5 lists for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    (2)  Star India (frequency 37,Combined Weekly Impressions 94,10,831 (000s) Sums). Star India’s television channels in all the four Southern markets found a place in the top 5 lists for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    (3)  Zeel(Frequency 24, Combined Weekly Impressions 70,47,165(000s) Sums). Zeel’s television channels in three of the four Southern markets found a place in the top 5 lists for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017. Its channels were absent from the lists for the Kerala market

    (4)  Network 18 (frequency 16, Combined Weekly Impressions 59,16,540 (000s) Sums). Network 18’s television channels in two of the four Southern markets found a place in the top 5 lists for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017. Its channels were absent from the lists for the Kerala market.

    The other networks whose channels found a place in the top 5 lists for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017 wereMalayalaManorama (Kerala market); Flowers TV (Kerala market); Polimer(TN/ Puducherry market); Jaya TV (TN/ Puducherry market).

    The Sun Network’s and Star India’s channels were present in all of the Top 5 channels list across the four languages for all the first 8 weeks of 2017.

    Top 5 programmes during Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs)

    Only the programmes by channels of the top four networks were The top 5 programmes list across all the four languages/markets. BARC data that has been referred to in this paper is for weeks 1 to 8 of 2017 (U+R) : NCCS All : Prime Time (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals for the following markets: Karnataka; Kerala; Tamil Nadu/ Puducherry; and AP/ Telangana.

    While the frequency of presence in the top 5 lists of programmes was highest in the case of Star India channels (frequency 60, Combined Weekly Impressions 3,31,289 (000s) Sums), the Sun Network channels (frequency 43, Combined Weekly Impressions 5,21,763 (000s) Sums) programmes garnered much higher viewership.

    The Sun Network channels found a place in the top 5 programmes lists in three languages – Tamil (Frequency 40, Combined Weekly Impressions 502758 (000s) Sums Telugu (Frequency 2, Combined Weekly Impressions 14036 (000s) Sums and Kannada (Frequency 1, Combined Weekly Impressions 4969 (000s) Sums) during the period under consideration in this paper.

    Star India channels programmes also found a place in the top 5  programmes lists for three languages – Malayalam (Frequency 40, Combined Weekly Impressions 2,09,083 (000s) Sums); Telugu (Frequency 18, Combined Weekly Impressions 1,14,637 (000s) Sums and the Kannada market (frequency 2, Combined Weekly Impressions 7,569 (000s) Sums).

    Network 18 channels programmes found a place in the top 5 lists in 2 languages – Kannada (Frequency 28, Combined Weekly Impressions 1,43,113 (000s) Sums) and Telugu (Frequency 10, Combined Weekly Impressions 62,796 (000s) Sums).

    Zeel channels programmes also found a place in the top 5 lists in 2 languages Telugu(Frequency 10, Combined Weekly Impressions 63,147 (000s) Sums) and Kannada (Frequency 9, Combined Weekly Impressions 38135 (000s) Sums).

    Tamil Nadu/ Puducherry (Tamil) market top channels

    The Sun Network’s Sun TV is numerouno in this market, as well as across all television genres and markets in India, period!

    The Tamil market had four channels from three networks in the first four positions for all the first eight weeks of 2017. The Sun Network’s Sun TV and KTV, Zeel’s Zee Tamil and Star India’s Star Vijay.

    In the Tamil market, Sun TV found the first place eight times out of eight with Combined Weekly Impressions of 85,46,618 (000s) Sums. During the eight weeks under consideration in this paper, its KTV channel was number 2 most watched channel for 7 weeks with Combined Weekly Impressions of 20,47,381 (000s) Sums. In week 3, the number three Tamil player –Zee Tamil had second place.

    Zee Tamil was the third most watched channel in the Tamil space for seven of the eight weeks with Combined Weekly Impressions of 18,56,448 (000s)Sums, except as mentioned above – it was at number two position in week 3 of 2017.

    Star Vijay was the fourth most watched channel in the Tamil language TV space with Combined Weekly Impressions of 16,47,623 (000s)Sums during all the first 8 weeks of 2017.

    Polimer’sPolimer TV was the fifth most watched Tamil language TV space with a frequency of 4 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 3,25,149 (000s)Sums, while its Polimer News was the seventh most watched Tamil language TV space with a frequency of 2 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 1,92,213 (000s)Sums in weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    The sixth most watched Tamil channel during weeks 1 to 8 was Jaya TV with a frequency of 2 and Combined Total Impressions of 2,40,799 (000s) Sums.

    Tamil Nadu/ Puducherry (Tamil) market top programmes

    Eight of the Sun TV’s programmes and two film telecasts grabbed all the five top spots during all the first eight weeks of 2017. The eight top programs in the Tamil TV space that had a combined frequency of 37 out of a possible 40 have been listed below:

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    The other three slots were taken by three films broadcast by Sun TV on Sunday in weeks 1, 3 and 5 of 2017. DeivaMagal had the highest primetime viewership during all the first eight weeks of 2017.

    AP/ Telangana (Telugu)market top channels

    The Telugu market also was dominated by the Sun Network’s channels. The two channels of the network had a frequency of 8 in the top 5 channels list for the Telugu market and the Sun Network had Combined Weekly Impressions of 52,80,885 (000s) Sums. Its Gemini TV was the most watched channel during all the weeks under consideration in this paper.

    Gemini TV had a frequency of 8 in the top 5 channels list with Combined Weekly Impressions of 40,16,489 (000s) Sums. Zee Telugu was the second most watched channel during these first eight weeks of 2017 with a frequency of 8 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 3384804 (000s) Sums.

    Network 18’s ETV Telugu was the third most watched channel in weeks 1 to 8 of 2017, also with a frequency of 8 in the top 5 channels lists for the Telugu market and Combined Weekly Impressions of 33,65,528 (000s) Sums. Star India’s Maa TV/Star Maa was the fourth most watched channel in the AP/ Telangana market with a frequency of 8 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 32,75,864 (000s) Impressions.

    The fifth most watched Telugu channel during weeks 1 to 8 of 2017 was the Sun Network’s Gemini Movies with a frequency of 8 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 13,12,922 (000s) Sums.
    AP/ Telangana (Telugu)market top programmes

    KumkumaPuvvu, (means Saffron) the Telugu edition of the 785 episode Malayalam soap opera Kumkumapoovu on Star India’s Maa TV/ Star Maa was the most watched primetime programme during weeks 1 to 8 of 2017. The programme had a frequency of 8 in the top 5 programmes list during the period under consideration in the paper with Combined Weekly Impressions of 52,561 (000s) Sums. Though KumkumaPuvvuwas ranked first in terms of Weekly Impressions only during weeks 1, 2, 5 and 8 of 2017, the sum of its weekly impressions for weeks 1 to 8 was more than any other programme in this space.

    Of the possible 40 slots in five weeks, 37 were shared by Television Programmes, while the remaining three slots were shared by movies – one aired by the Star Network and two aired by Gemini TV.

    Please refer to the figure below for the top nine Telugu programs during weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    public://1111111111111111111.jpg

    Zee Telugu’s story of two strong willed women – MuddaMandaram was the second most watched Telugu programme in the first eight weeks of 2017 with Combined Weekly Impressions of 51,560 (000s) Sums and a frequency of 8 in the top 5 Telugu programmes.

    Karnataka (Kannada) market top channels

    Five Kannada channels were in the top 5 Kannada channels list during the first 8 weeks of 2017. The channels ranks remained unchanged during all the first eight weeks of 2017. The frequency of each channel was 8. Network 18’s Colors Kannada was ranked number one with Combined Weekly Impressions of 25,51,012 (000s) Sums, followed by Zeel’s Zee Kannada with 18,05,913 (000s) Sums.

    Star India’s Star Suvarna with 15,30,643 (000s) Sums was the third most watched Kannada channel in weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    Two of the Sun Network’s channels – Udaya Movies and Udaya TV were ranked fourth and fifth with Combined Weekly Impressions of 12,05,222 (000s) Sums and 9,36,342 (000s) Sums respectively. If one were to combine the viewership of these two channels, then the Sun Network would be the second most watched Kannada television network during the first eight weeks of 2017 with Combined Weekly Impressions of 21, 41,564 (000s) Sums.
    Karnataka (Kannada) market top programmes

    Colors Kannada’s daily soap PuttaGowriMaduve that chronicles the journey of child bride from the brink of childhood to womanhood was the most watched Kannada programme during the first 8 weeks of 2017. The programme was ranked first during all the first eight weeks of 2017 with Combined Weekly Impressions of 53,098 (000s) Sums.
    Also from the Colors Kannada stable, Lakshmi Baaramma was the second most watch Kannada programme in weeks 1 to 8 of 2017 with Combined Weekly Impressions and a frequency of 8 in the top 5 Kannada programmes list.

    Please refer to the figure below for the top Kannada Programs in weeks 1 to 8.

    public://222222222222222222222222.jpg

    Of the possible 40 top 5 program lists during weeks 1 to 8 of 2017, 38 were shared by television programmes, while two were shared by films.

    Kerala (Malayalam) market top channels

    Star India’s Asianet ruled the Malayalam television space during the first eight weeks of 2017. The channel was ranked first in terms of Weekly Impressions during all the eight weeks. It has Combined Weekly Impressions of 26,25,543 (000s) Sums. MalayalaManorama’s GEC MazhavilManorama also found itself in the top 5 channels list eight times with Combined Weekly Impressions of 6,81,232 (000s) Sums.

    The Sun Networks Malayalam channel Surya TV also had a frequency of 8 was the third most watched Malayalam channel with Combined Weekly Impressions of 6,60,045 (000s) Sums. Flowers TV came in fourth with frequency of 8 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 5,77,569 (000s) Sums.

    Star India’s Asianet Movies was fifth with a frequency of 5 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 3,31,158 (000s) Sums. The Sun Network’s second Malayalam channel – Kiran TV found itself in the top 5 channels list thrice during the first eight weeks of 2015 with Combined Weekly Impressions of 1,99,296 (000s) Sums.

    Kerala (Malayalam) market top programmes

    In the case of top 5 programmes for a week, it was Aisanet programmes that were amongst the top 5 ranks during all the first 8 weeks of2017. Parasparam, the daily family soap that completed 1070 episodes in end January 2017 was the most watched Malayalam programme during the first eight weeks of the year with a frequency of 8 and Combined Weekly Impressions of 50,100 (000s) Sums. Parasparamwas the most watched programme for three of the eight weeks of 2016 and the second most watched program for five of the eight weeks of the year.

    Chandanamazha, a series about the trials and tribulations of two sisters who marry into the same family was the second most watched Malayalam programme during the first eight weeks of 2017 with Combined Weekly Impressions of 49,972 (000s) Sums.

    Please refer to the figure below for the list of the Top Malayalam programs in weeks 1 to 8 of 2017.

    public://333333333333333333.jpg

    Of the forty possible slots among the top five primetime programmes per week during the eight weeks under consideration in this paper, four were one off awards, while 36 spots were held by the channels regular programmes.

    Conclusion

    There is no denying the fact that the Sun Network’s Sun TV was the most watched channel across genres and languages in India, as is evident from BARC’s  list of top 10 channels Across Genre: All India (U+R): 2+ individuals as well as BARC data for the TN/ Puducherry market. It dominated the channel viewership in two of the largest media and entertainment (M&E) centres in the country with two channels each in the Tamil and the Telugu space through Sun TV, KTV and Gemini TV, Gemini Movies respectively. Two each of its channels were also among the lower top 5 in the smaller Kannada and Malayalam markets.

    On the programme front, the Sun Network’s programmes were the only ones that made it to the top 5 Tamil programmes list during all the first eight weeks of 2017. However, in the other three South Indian markets, ratings performance of its programmes was sketchy.

    Though the Star Network’s Combined Weekly Ratings in the four South Indianmarkets were a little more than half of the Sun Networks, the programmes of its respective channels dominated the Telugu and the Malayalam markets.

    Zeel’s South Indian channels were a mixed bag and surprisingly the gap between its Combined Weekly Insertions and those the Star India South Indian channels was not large, considering the fact that its channels operate in only three South Indian markets as compared to the four markets that Star India operates in.

    Network 18 has channels in only two of the four South Indian markets. Its channels and programmes have dominated the Kannada market, and its programmes Combined Weekly Impressions were not too far behind the second largest player in the Telugu market – Zee Telugu.

    The other networks/channels that were present in the top five channels list for each of the markets can be consideredas work in progress before they begin to challengethe four major networks and their respective channels.

  • Zee accelerates growth plan for Africa, partners TNTSAT

    MUMBAI: Aiming to further strengthen its presence in Africa, leading Indian content company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) today announced its entry into the French-speaking country of Mali with the launch of its leading channels, Zee Magic and Zee Cinema on DTT network – TNTSAT Africa in Mali. Additionally, from today, ZEE Africa is partnering with the continent’s largest DTH platform, DStv for the launch of Zee Bollymovies (channel 114), a specially customized, English-dubbed, Bollywood movie channel for the African market.

    ZEEL CEO – international broadcast business Amit Goenka said: “ZEE will be making further inroads into the vast continent of Africa with our entry into the French-speaking country of Mali. Sharing our existing channels – Zee Magic and Zee Cinema with new audiences is a huge achievement for us and we thank TNTSAT for allowing us to bring the best of Bollywood to all their viewers in Mali.”

    Zee TV Africa CEO Harish Goyal stated: “In another major deal, within just four weeks of its launch, our 24-hour dedicated English-dubbed Bollywood movie channel, Zee Bollymovies will now be available on DStv, the largest DTH platform in Sub-Saharan Africa. ZEE has already witnessed tremendous success over the past two years on DStv with Zee World, its English-dubbed General Entertainment channel and with the addition of Zee Bollymovies on this platform, we hope to further raise the level of entertainment for our dedicated viewers.”

    Zee Magic, launched in October 2015, is a General Entertainment channel dubbed in French which brings the best of Bollywood series and food shows to Francophone Africa, while Zee Cinema is a 24-hour Hindi Bollywood Movie channel catering to South Asians on the continent. In Mali, Zee Magic and Zee Cinema will be available on TNTSAT Africa in the ‘Divas offer’, a high standard package that is tailor-made for viewers.

    Zee Bollymovies, a 24-hour specially customized movie channel dubbed in English, launched in January 2017 in Africa. DStv will first premiere Zee Bollymovies in South Africa and then take it to the rest of the continent to market Bollywood entertainment to Africa. With these exciting new additions from ZEE, Africa now has a first-row seat to watch the best of content – Bollywood movies, television series and food shows – that India has to offer!

  • Big Ganga shows now available on ZEEL’s OZee

    MUMBAI: Nowadays, a marketing strategy simply wouldn’t help a television channel succeed. It would need the right distribution strategy and a worthwhile social media presence.

    Lately, almost all channels are extending their availability digitally. From linear feed on television to pick and choose (and pay) for select content on the go. Examples abound — Star group has a presence on Hotstar, Zee on ditto and Ozee, Sony Pictures Network on SonyLiv and Viacom18 on Voot.

    Going with the flow, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL) has now partnered with ZEEL’s VOD platform Ozee to expand the reach of its Bhojpuri regional channel, Big Ganga.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “We are partnering with Ozee and deploying all the content to their platform. We are surprised of whatever happened on digital. On Youtube, a lot of our content is being watched. Our show ‘Birha Muqabla’ has crossed one lakh views on YouTube.”

    Last year, ZEEL acquired the TV business of RBNL which includes two operational channels, one is Big Magic, a comedy channel that has now turned into a variety entertainment channel. On the other hand, there is Big Ganga, a Bhojpuri regional channel, which has also acquired four TV licences.

    Also Read:

    RBNL all set to relaunch Big Magic

    Big Ganga strengthens weekend programming; four shows planned in Jan

    Big Ganga available on Tata Sky now

  • RBNL all set to relaunch Big Magic

    MUMBAI: Indeed, good decisions lead to great success.  Getting into the stable of one of India’s leading media conglomerates has opened up several opportunities for Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL).  

    After the acquisition deal with ZEEL, RBNL is all set to relaunch its Hindi general entertainment channel, Big Magic with a new programming line-up in March.

    ZEEL acquired the TV business of RBNL which includes two channels — Big Magic and Big Ganga. Big Magic, a comedy channel catering to the Hindi-speaking markets, has now been revamped into a variety entertainment channel. On the other hand, Big Ganga is a Bhojpuri entertainment channel which caters to the television audience of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

    The channel has already started revamping the content and its latest offering ‘Akbar’ is a part of the new offering.  The show aims to unravel the prodigious journey of the Mughal emperor right from the days of his childhood, and traces his path to the throne in a manner that has never been projected before, on Indian television.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “We are prepared and gung-ho about relaunching Big Magic. Recently, we launched Akbar which is a historical show. Three-four big shows are in the pipeline for the relaunch.”

    The channel is not only changing its programming but also expanding its time band. “We are making it wider and deeper as we are increasing the number of hours of programming. We will add variety to it,” he added.

    Also Read:

    Big Magic to air ‘Akbar’ from 20 Feb

    BIG Magic acquires ‘Boonie Bears’ exclusive FTA rights

    Big Magic launches ‘Big Mahotsav’ on 9 September

  • Akash Chawla bids adieu to ZEEL after 12 years

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises company Zee Studio’s executive vice-president – films, and business head Akash Chawla has resigned after a long stint of 12 years.

    A source close to the network confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com. In May last year, ZEEL elevated Chawla along with Deepak Rajadhyaksha for key roles in Zee TV to drive the organisational goals.

    In addition to his portfolio as Essel Vision Productions Limited and Zee Studio’s business head, he was given the additional charge as the business head of Zee TV.

    In his earlier broadcasting stint, Chawla successfully spearheaded the marketing function for the flagship and national channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Classic. He also played a pivotal role in the launch of channels such as &pictures, Zee Anmol and Zindagi.

    Chawla joined ZEEL in 2005 as Zee TV brand head where he was in charge of brand strategy and building the brand to be No. 1 in market share and strong in brand equity. Prior to Zee, he worked with TAM as the marketing manager. As a part of the TAM S-Group, he had the responsibility to maximise non-TRP revenue from Mumbai and Delhi.

  • Media and entertainment industry hails Union Budget 2017

    Media and entertainment industry hails Union Budget 2017

    MUMBAI: On 1 February, the finance minister Arun Jaitley made significant announcements during the presentation of the Union Budget 2017. Although, there was no specific mention of measures for the media and entertainment industry, certain steps which have been taken to boost the economy have been appreciated by the industry, but it also disappointed some.

    The budget 2017 mainly focused on boosting the infrastructure and lifting rural income besides bringing in reforms in the financial sector such as the abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) so as to facilitate a new policy for foreign direct investment (FDI). The budget also focused on digitisation — allocating Rs 10, 000 crore to boost the rural fibre optics network, which came as a great news for many in the media and broadcast industry.

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to several industry stalwarts to find out how they interpreted the Union Budget 2017. Here’s what they had to say:

    Viacom18 group CEO and CII Media and Entertainment Committee chairman Sudhanshu Vats said, “Much had been speculated about the economic slowdown post demonetisation. With this budget, the government has taken important steps to boost the economy in a structured manner, building on the promise of transparent growth. Steps to liberalise the FDI regime further coupled with the abolishing of FIPB and tax reforms for MSMEs are bound to have impact in the foreseeable future. This budget has seen some positive solutions to tackle poverty in our country including one of the highest allocation of funds to MNREGA and rationalisation of rate for the lower personal tax slabs. I am particularly enthused by the strong reforms push for digitization and look forward to digital transactions increasing in the country. This also augurs well for digital consumption of video content. The move to cap political donations in cash at Rs 2000 and all-cash transactions at Rs 300,000 are also much-needed, bold steps that are in line with the government’s commitment to uprooting corruption. With Swaach Bharat being close to our hearts, the budget has built further on this theme in a welcome move. I’ve said this before and will say it again: as the M&E sector we have a lot to gain from buoyance in the economy at the aggregate level and I believe this Budget has delivered on that front.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka stated, “Budget 2017 speaks a lot about the government’s positive and committed approach towards creating a stronger and balanced economy. Being directionally right and focused on spending in growth-centric areas, it clearly reassures the fact that remonetisation is in.”

    Times Network MD and CEO M K Anand said, “After the recent massive policy implementation of demonetisation, my expectation was of some radical reforms. I was a bit disappointed on that count. However, enhanced provision for MNREGA and allocations for rural, agriculture and allied sector and a clear push for the affordable housing sectors is the silver lining. Agriculture and real estate are the most important employment generating sectors in India. This should improve the rural situation which is still recovering from demonetisation. Hopefully, that will have a ripple effect on spending and the larger economy.”

    Says ABP COO Avinash Pandey, “The Union Budget 2017 was disappointing as far as the expected incentive for the broadcast business is concerned. Service tax remains the same. Most importantly, there is no parity with the print sector. The ‘wow’ factor was missing (in the budget) as far as the business is concerned. Disposable income is going to increase, and hence the quantum of spending. Economy may revive after the implementation of the budget.”

    Network 18 president revenue and Forbes India CEO Joy Chakraborthy is hopeful, saying, “We are seeing it as a positive budget. The budget is going to help consumption. Significant measures to improve electrification is eventually going to help the television industry. The general sentiment is that it is, overall a positive budget. Once people start spending money, consumption will be there and subsequently advertising too will follow.”

    Says, BBC Worldwide – ‎BBC Worldwide India South East Asia and South Asia SVP and GM Myleeta Aga, “Overall a positive popular budget with personal income tax changes in line with the government’s declared intention to collect more taxes from the rich and reduce the tax burden on the middle income group.”

    She added, “I was particularly encouraged to hear that the GST roll out will not be delayed. Operationally, for the production business, this will complicate working across states but this disruption should be temporary. Continued emphasis on the digital economy and increasing digital transactions will boost growth of e-commerce.”

    SAB group CEO Manav Dhanda said, “Overall, there has been positives for the media and entertainment sector post the Union Budget. As digitization is the next big thing now, the end of March 2018 will see a great growth for digital video consumption across OTT. The youth can now have great opportunities laid for them by initiating the skill India mission that aims to start 100 India International centres. Also, since digitization is on a high, setting up high speed internet in 1.50 Lakh Gram Panchayat is a good move and will give a boost to internet penetration in India. There is no increase service tax by the government and is a positive outcome particularly for the M&E sector, a stable and positive fiscal situation is good for the economy which will also give an impetus to our advertising sales projections. Increased public spending through various schemes and focus on infrastructure investments should further help to accelerate economic growth. The economy seems to have being slowing down since demonetisation, impacting almost all sectors and one hopes this budget to act as a catalyst to propel the growth in the media sector as well.”

    KPMG India partner tax Naveen Aggarwal said, “The Budget was based on broad themes of curbing black money, boosting individual spending, ensuring transparency and providing much needed impetus to agricultural and rural sector, infrastructure and digital economy.”

    He added, “While the announcement to abolish FIPB in light of successful e-governance was surprising, further liberalisation in FDI policy will be keenly watched in context of M&E industry. Lastly, the FM provided much needed assurance on roll-out of GST as per schedule, confirming GST council finalising majority of its recommendations.”

    He further added, “Similar to last two years, the Budget did not bring much respite or specific announcements benefiting M&E industry. While the expectation of overall reduction in corporate tax rate and abolition of MAT was given a miss, the proposal to reduce corporate tax rate for MSMEs to 25% (having turnover up to Rs 50 crore) and increasing the MAT credit entitlement (from 10 to 15 years) is a welcome move and will benefit medium scale service companies in M&E sector.”

  • Media and entertainment industry hails Union Budget 2017

    Media and entertainment industry hails Union Budget 2017

    MUMBAI: On 1 February, the finance minister Arun Jaitley made significant announcements during the presentation of the Union Budget 2017. Although, there was no specific mention of measures for the media and entertainment industry, certain steps which have been taken to boost the economy have been appreciated by the industry, but it also disappointed some.

    The budget 2017 mainly focused on boosting the infrastructure and lifting rural income besides bringing in reforms in the financial sector such as the abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) so as to facilitate a new policy for foreign direct investment (FDI). The budget also focused on digitisation — allocating Rs 10, 000 crore to boost the rural fibre optics network, which came as a great news for many in the media and broadcast industry.

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to several industry stalwarts to find out how they interpreted the Union Budget 2017. Here’s what they had to say:

    Viacom18 group CEO and CII Media and Entertainment Committee chairman Sudhanshu Vats said, “Much had been speculated about the economic slowdown post demonetisation. With this budget, the government has taken important steps to boost the economy in a structured manner, building on the promise of transparent growth. Steps to liberalise the FDI regime further coupled with the abolishing of FIPB and tax reforms for MSMEs are bound to have impact in the foreseeable future. This budget has seen some positive solutions to tackle poverty in our country including one of the highest allocation of funds to MNREGA and rationalisation of rate for the lower personal tax slabs. I am particularly enthused by the strong reforms push for digitization and look forward to digital transactions increasing in the country. This also augurs well for digital consumption of video content. The move to cap political donations in cash at Rs 2000 and all-cash transactions at Rs 300,000 are also much-needed, bold steps that are in line with the government’s commitment to uprooting corruption. With Swaach Bharat being close to our hearts, the budget has built further on this theme in a welcome move. I’ve said this before and will say it again: as the M&E sector we have a lot to gain from buoyance in the economy at the aggregate level and I believe this Budget has delivered on that front.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka stated, “Budget 2017 speaks a lot about the government’s positive and committed approach towards creating a stronger and balanced economy. Being directionally right and focused on spending in growth-centric areas, it clearly reassures the fact that remonetisation is in.”

    Times Network MD and CEO M K Anand said, “After the recent massive policy implementation of demonetisation, my expectation was of some radical reforms. I was a bit disappointed on that count. However, enhanced provision for MNREGA and allocations for rural, agriculture and allied sector and a clear push for the affordable housing sectors is the silver lining. Agriculture and real estate are the most important employment generating sectors in India. This should improve the rural situation which is still recovering from demonetisation. Hopefully, that will have a ripple effect on spending and the larger economy.”

    Says ABP COO Avinash Pandey, “The Union Budget 2017 was disappointing as far as the expected incentive for the broadcast business is concerned. Service tax remains the same. Most importantly, there is no parity with the print sector. The ‘wow’ factor was missing (in the budget) as far as the business is concerned. Disposable income is going to increase, and hence the quantum of spending. Economy may revive after the implementation of the budget.”

    Network 18 president revenue and Forbes India CEO Joy Chakraborthy is hopeful, saying, “We are seeing it as a positive budget. The budget is going to help consumption. Significant measures to improve electrification is eventually going to help the television industry. The general sentiment is that it is, overall a positive budget. Once people start spending money, consumption will be there and subsequently advertising too will follow.”

    Says, BBC Worldwide – ‎BBC Worldwide India South East Asia and South Asia SVP and GM Myleeta Aga, “Overall a positive popular budget with personal income tax changes in line with the government’s declared intention to collect more taxes from the rich and reduce the tax burden on the middle income group.”

    She added, “I was particularly encouraged to hear that the GST roll out will not be delayed. Operationally, for the production business, this will complicate working across states but this disruption should be temporary. Continued emphasis on the digital economy and increasing digital transactions will boost growth of e-commerce.”

    SAB group CEO Manav Dhanda said, “Overall, there has been positives for the media and entertainment sector post the Union Budget. As digitization is the next big thing now, the end of March 2018 will see a great growth for digital video consumption across OTT. The youth can now have great opportunities laid for them by initiating the skill India mission that aims to start 100 India International centres. Also, since digitization is on a high, setting up high speed internet in 1.50 Lakh Gram Panchayat is a good move and will give a boost to internet penetration in India. There is no increase service tax by the government and is a positive outcome particularly for the M&E sector, a stable and positive fiscal situation is good for the economy which will also give an impetus to our advertising sales projections. Increased public spending through various schemes and focus on infrastructure investments should further help to accelerate economic growth. The economy seems to have being slowing down since demonetisation, impacting almost all sectors and one hopes this budget to act as a catalyst to propel the growth in the media sector as well.”

    KPMG India partner tax Naveen Aggarwal said, “The Budget was based on broad themes of curbing black money, boosting individual spending, ensuring transparency and providing much needed impetus to agricultural and rural sector, infrastructure and digital economy.”

    He added, “While the announcement to abolish FIPB in light of successful e-governance was surprising, further liberalisation in FDI policy will be keenly watched in context of M&E industry. Lastly, the FM provided much needed assurance on roll-out of GST as per schedule, confirming GST council finalising majority of its recommendations.”

    He further added, “Similar to last two years, the Budget did not bring much respite or specific announcements benefiting M&E industry. While the expectation of overall reduction in corporate tax rate and abolition of MAT was given a miss, the proposal to reduce corporate tax rate for MSMEs to 25% (having turnover up to Rs 50 crore) and increasing the MAT credit entitlement (from 10 to 15 years) is a welcome move and will benefit medium scale service companies in M&E sector.”

  • ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    MUMBAI: Zee Middle East has announced the launch of its first radio station 106.2 Big FM in the UAE.

    This adds to the business portfolio of ATL for this region and makes it the only broadcaster in the South Asian space to have both, television and FM stations. The station’s interesting line-up of content includes original content produced in-house, content acquired from Big FM in India and cricket rights of key series for ball-by-ball commentary.

    Speaking on the launch, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka said “We are proud of the addition of 106.2 Big FM into the Zee and ATL family. We are sure that like all our ZEE brands, 106.2 Big FM will also entertain listeners in the UAE. The product has been developed with a lot of attention to detail and I am sure it will be of immense interest to the advertising community.”

    Goenka further added, “Investing strategically in media and related business has always been at the edge of Zee’s larger perspective for business growth. With the synergy of television and radio, we aim to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry.’’

    The frequency now officially known as 106.2 big fm launches in the UAE today. With Big FM in Zee’s bag, the entertainment conglomerate scores as the strongest player in UAE’s South Asian entertainment field. From being pioneers with the launch of Zee TV in 1992 in the region, to introducing the first Bollywood TV channel for the Arab audience with Zee Aflam in 2008, Zee’s advance into radio is a step higher on the entertainment ladder. With the launch of 106.2 big fm, Zee claims its first international foray into the world of radio entertainment.

    On this occasion, Zee Network (MENA and APAC) CEO Mukund Cairae, said, “The launch of 106.2 Big FM is another prized feather in our cap. A gem in our entertainment business portfolio that further cements our numero uno position among South Asians in the Middle East. With the combined strength of television and radio under our wings, we aim to soar higher and show better commitment to the region. Also with this synergy, we now provide vast audio-visual platforms to our advertising clients, hence creating new business opportunities.”

    Zee Network (MENA) COO Manoj A Mathew who along with Gagan Mudgal the content and creative head curated the product said “We are confident that with radio on board, Zee can leverage people and content across television and radio mediums. With a treasure trove of great music content, along with one of Bollywood’s biggest music labels, Zee Music Company, launching the Big brand in the UAE with high-quality, disruptive content will surely stand out. All shows will be double headers – hosted by the resident music jockeys (MJs), as our presenters will be called, and co-hosted by popular Indian singers.”

    The station currently has Benny Dayal along with MJ Lavanya hosting the morning drive time show, the afternoon show is hosted by MJ Ujjwal, followed by the evening show being hosted by Palak Muchhal and MJ Arpit. Another ace feature is the introduction of a signature show of Big FM India – ‘Suhana Safar by Annu Kapoor.’ The late-night show is hosted by MJ Gagan Mudgal and there is a weekend special hosted by Harshdeep Kaur.

    With this amazing line-up, the station is bound to have listeners tuned in throughout the day.

  • ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    MUMBAI: Zee Middle East has announced the launch of its first radio station 106.2 Big FM in the UAE.

    This adds to the business portfolio of ATL for this region and makes it the only broadcaster in the South Asian space to have both, television and FM stations. The station’s interesting line-up of content includes original content produced in-house, content acquired from Big FM in India and cricket rights of key series for ball-by-ball commentary.

    Speaking on the launch, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka said “We are proud of the addition of 106.2 Big FM into the Zee and ATL family. We are sure that like all our ZEE brands, 106.2 Big FM will also entertain listeners in the UAE. The product has been developed with a lot of attention to detail and I am sure it will be of immense interest to the advertising community.”

    Goenka further added, “Investing strategically in media and related business has always been at the edge of Zee’s larger perspective for business growth. With the synergy of television and radio, we aim to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry.’’

    The frequency now officially known as 106.2 big fm launches in the UAE today. With Big FM in Zee’s bag, the entertainment conglomerate scores as the strongest player in UAE’s South Asian entertainment field. From being pioneers with the launch of Zee TV in 1992 in the region, to introducing the first Bollywood TV channel for the Arab audience with Zee Aflam in 2008, Zee’s advance into radio is a step higher on the entertainment ladder. With the launch of 106.2 big fm, Zee claims its first international foray into the world of radio entertainment.

    On this occasion, Zee Network (MENA and APAC) CEO Mukund Cairae, said, “The launch of 106.2 Big FM is another prized feather in our cap. A gem in our entertainment business portfolio that further cements our numero uno position among South Asians in the Middle East. With the combined strength of television and radio under our wings, we aim to soar higher and show better commitment to the region. Also with this synergy, we now provide vast audio-visual platforms to our advertising clients, hence creating new business opportunities.”

    Zee Network (MENA) COO Manoj A Mathew who along with Gagan Mudgal the content and creative head curated the product said “We are confident that with radio on board, Zee can leverage people and content across television and radio mediums. With a treasure trove of great music content, along with one of Bollywood’s biggest music labels, Zee Music Company, launching the Big brand in the UAE with high-quality, disruptive content will surely stand out. All shows will be double headers – hosted by the resident music jockeys (MJs), as our presenters will be called, and co-hosted by popular Indian singers.”

    The station currently has Benny Dayal along with MJ Lavanya hosting the morning drive time show, the afternoon show is hosted by MJ Ujjwal, followed by the evening show being hosted by Palak Muchhal and MJ Arpit. Another ace feature is the introduction of a signature show of Big FM India – ‘Suhana Safar by Annu Kapoor.’ The late-night show is hosted by MJ Gagan Mudgal and there is a weekend special hosted by Harshdeep Kaur.

    With this amazing line-up, the station is bound to have listeners tuned in throughout the day.

  • Zee expands presence in Africa; launches two channels

    Zee expands presence in Africa; launches two channels

    MUMBAI: Continuing with its promise of bringing quality Bollywood entertainment to Africa, leading Indian content company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) today announced the launch of two new channels, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova which will broadcast on Africa’s new pay-TV network Kwesé TV.

    With the promise of ‘Bollywood Magic’, Zee Bollymovies is set to captivate African audiences across the board with its award-winning Bollywood movies and series. The channel aims to become the number one destination for Bollywood on the continent, bringing the latest and best Bollywood entertainment to Africa. The other exciting new addition to the ZEE stable, Zee Bollynova promises to create ‘Memorable Moments’ with its offering of a fusion of general entertainment programming, showcasing the best telenovelas and food shows.

    Speaking on ZEE’s expansion in the African market, ZEEL CEO – International Broadcast Business Amit Goenka said, “With great similarities between the two cultures, Africa has always shown a tremendous appreciation for rich, vibrant Bollywood content. Our two previously-launched, specially customised channels, Zee World and Zee Magic, have been warmly received by viewers, resulting in a threefold increase in our viewership since our entry into the continent in 2015. This love and appreciation for our content has encouraged us to introduce two new channels, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova, which will keep up with the ZEE trend of colour, music, dance, drama and excitement.”

    Sharing more details on the launches, Zee TV Africa CEO Harish Goyal said, “ZEE is continuously striving to make further in-roads into the African continent. We have packaged our latest offerings, Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova with content adapted to suit the African viewer. Both channels are customized and dubbed in English.”

    “Zee Bollymovies will be a one-of-its-kind channel on the African continent, being a 24-hour dedicated Bollywood movie channel exclusively in English. On the other hand, Zee Bollynova will offer viewers innovative and engaging general entertainment programming. This is an extremely exciting launch for us and for viewers on the continent, and we look forward to being hosted on the Kwesé platform,” Mr. Goyal further added.

    Both channels will be available to viewers through Kwesé’s multi-platform offering including linear TV, mobile app, and web streaming services delivering premium entertainment to viewers anywhere, anytime, on any screen. Zee Bollymovies channel is available on Kwesé TV channel 155 while Zee Bollynova can be viewed on channel 150.

    Speaking on the growth of Kwesé general entertainment offering, Econet Media president and group CEO Joseph Hundah said, “As a new African broadcaster we want to ensure that our viewers have access to a diverse content offering that cuts across all programming genres. There is a strong appetite for premium Bollywood content on the continent, thus we are proud to offer these impressive channels on line-up as they provide engaging TV for the whole family to enjoy.”

    Zee Bollymovies and Zee Bollynova will join Kwesé’s exciting channel mix which includes a full range of sports, actuality, news and kids content.

    Zee Africa had earlier launched Zee World in February 2015, followed by Zee Magic in October 2015 which are both premium, fully dubbed English and French channels respectively.