MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Talented people are self-assured and positive that visibility through good work only, can win them fame and money and perks are the next obvious that will follow, says Sandeep Bomble

    The Anchor: Sandeep Bomble on four ways agencies can attract top talent

    By Sandeep Bomble, founder, Palasa

     

    1. Money! The obvious five letter word that is expected to shoot up once the above question is fired. Let us first dig and understand the working of an advertising industry. Innovation is the crux of any agency. One must know that every department, be it creative, media, client servicing should possess the ability to compete with latest innovative ideas and ways to explore. But at the same time, a lot of them prefer sticking to the age old methods or ways of going about, and not take the risk of capitalizing energy, money or time by going off the track. And sadly a talent hits a dead end, driving it off. It is here, where a fine bait to attract a great talent lies.

     

    2. Of course, there can be zillion ways to source talents but, personally I believe, there is only one way an agency can hook a ‘great talent’ in their team and that is ‘The agency has to go Gutsy!’ An agency that has the courage to go bold and brazen in their thoughts and actions, is like a charged magnetic field. It automatically attracts to it unexceptionally talented people. A great talent is hungry and is constantly on a lookout for an agency which is in the position to explore ideas. They believe the agency will do justice to their ideas and will churn out the best from the deepest crevices of their mind. The gutsy agencies act as catalyst to the effervescing minds of ever-fangled talented guns who are ready to venture into a territory that will facilitate their ideas and take them to a next level altogether.

     

    3. Money is certainly an important part when you look to feed yourself but it is very subjective in this case. It is surprising but true that a great talent will least care about money and not look at it as their first priority. And if one delves deeper into the psychology of these people, one understands the logic behind their motive of not being money minded. They are confident of what shall follow next, once they find their base to breed their creative energies. They are self-assured and positive that visibility through good work only, can win them fame, that’ll get them noticed in the industry. Money and perks are the next obvious that will follow. When a talent believes in agencies good work and ability to take forward the idea, he/ she won’t be bound by any limitations then. Their minds are free to explore realms unexplored. They soar high to think big and different. And an agency should know that investing in a great talent is any day much viable option than having hundred workers with lack of talent.

     

    4. Today, it’s a pitiful state that a lot of agencies are simply satisfied with their cash registers ringing and look at work through business perspective and are not inclined towards exploring newer ideas; they play ‘safe’. With every passing day one can only hope that an agency dares to hone its powerful magnetic field. We are an industry that has courage to defy the conventional and passion to take a leap of faith in ideas we believe in. And what more can a great talent want than to truly, madly, deeply be in love with an agency that harbours such a principle.

     

    “Great Talent Will Never Ask For Money”

     

    Sandeep Bomble is founder, Palasa

     

  • She will be seen in an aggressive multi-media campaign which will be created by Lowe Lintas

    Luxor signs Deepika Padukone as brand ambassador for Pilot

    By A Correspondent

     

    Luxor Writing Instruments has signed on Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador for Pilot for two years.

     

    Announcing the new face of Pilot, Pooja Jain, Executive Director, Luxor Group, said: “We understand that young consumers today are very discerning of the brands they use. The brands have to match their aspirations, ambitions and personality. Deepika comes across as a go-getter who has made it on her own, is confident of her choices and works hard to achieve what she desires from life. She rightly represents the youth who is passionate and seek excellence in their endeavors. Our association with her is the right fit with many common factors between Pilot and Deepika which appeal to the youth instantly. I am sure this alliance will emphasize the positioning of Pilot series as a choice of young achievers.”

     

    Deepika Padukone would be seen in an aggressive multi-media campaign which will be created by Lowe Lintas. Speaking about the advertisement campaign, R Balki, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas, said: “Deepika is a confident person and represents the youth which is aware and determined. Her personality perfectly matches with Pilot and reflects the achievements of the young generation. The ad campaign for Pilot will keep this synchronicity in mind and will have a young feel.”

     

     

  • This campaign by 92.7 BIG FM is an extension of the larger campaign called 'Mumbai Manao, Life Banao'

    Vivek Oberoi to flag off BIG FM’s ‘Cigarette Bhujao Life Banao’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    On World No Tobacco Day, 92.7 BIG FM, Mumbai launched a noble campaign ‘Cigarette Bhujao Life Banao’, in its endeavour to contribute to the welfare and development of society. Vivek Oberoi, a strong anti-tobacco campaigner, joined hands with 92.7 BIG FM to sign a pledge against smoking at the BIG FM studio with RJ Ankit.

     

    To promote this cause and enable widespread awareness amongst the audience, across the city of Mumbai, the actor signed ‘Out Smoking’ on huge cigarette caricature cut-out which will be placed in the Infiniti Mall, Andheri premises, so that people can support the campaign and spread awareness on the ills of tobacco.

     

    The campaign takes on the issue of smoking and the various harms related to it, which have ended many lives. This campaign by 92.7 BIG FM is an extension of the larger campaign called ‘Mumbai Manao, Life Banao’ which celebrates the spirit of Mumbai. As part of the campaign for World No Tobacco Day, 92.7 BIG FM’s RJ Ankit spoke to various celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Javed Jaffrey, Ayushmann Khurrana on dangers of smoking and its effects. Besides this listeners shared their experiences and doctors gave tips.

     

    Actor Vivek Oberoi has been associated with the Cancer Patient Aid Association (CPAA) for over ten years. This opportunity with 92.7 BIG FM gives him another platform to spread awareness across a wider audience. Mr Oberoi, while speaking to RJ Ankit, said he strongly felt about the need to spread the message of the dangers of smoking and how tobacco-related diseases like cancer, tuberculosis can wreck the lives of individuals and their families alike.

     

    Commenting on this initiative, a company spokesperson said: “As the leading media brand that reflects the city’s passions and emotions, we believe in using our medium – radio to spread awareness and promote noble causes which are of relevance to the society. This campaign has been conceptualized to draw attention towards World No Tobacco Day. As a brand that celebrates Mumbai’s passions, this is our way to create awareness and draw people away from using tobacco.”

     

  • The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, will allow News Corporation unit to own and operate all ESS businesses, including STAR Sports, ESPN and STAR Cricket

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to buy ESPN’s 50% stake in ESPN STAR Sports

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has agreed to acquire the 50 per cent it does not own in its Asian sports TV joint venture, ESPN STAR Sports, bringing to an end a 16-year-old relationship which, among other things, dominates cricket broadcast in the sub-continent.

     

    A unit of News Corporation will buy ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest, a statement from the two partners said.  The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, will allow News Corporation unit to own and operate all ESS businesses, including STAR Sports, ESPN and STAR Cricket.

     

    ESPN STAR Sports, which generates about Rs2,500 crore in revenues, also owns television broadcast rights for the ICC World Cup Cricket and T20 Champions League.

     

    No financial terms were disclosed but people close to the transaction said that it could have cash and non-cash components.

     

    While the cash component would not be very substantial, the non-cash portion could involve handing over the non-India distribution rights of possibly the T20 Championship League rights to ESPN.

     

    “News Corporation’s acquisition of the interest of ESS that we did not already own continues the programme of simplifying our operating model, consolidating our affiliate ownership structures, and furthers our commitment to delivering incredible sports programming to consumers across the globe, and particularly enhancing our position in sports programming in emerging markets,” said James Murdoch, deputy chief operating officer and chairman & CEO International, News Corporation.

     

    Wednesday’s announcement comes just weeks after STAR broke up with long-time Indian partner, the Kolkata-based ABP Group and sold its stake in Hindi news and regional language channels.

     

    “After 16 years jointly managing ESS, we have decided to independently pursue future opportunities in Asia,” said John Skipper, president of ESPN and co-chairman, Disney Media Networks.

     

    The partners also announced that Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESS, who has led ESS in the past 16 years, will hand over charge to Peter Hutton, SVP of sports for Fox International Channels (FIC).

    Mr Hutton will report to the ESS Board. Mr Sawhney will be staying with the company until August 31 to work with Hutton on a smooth transition.

     

    STAR’s ambitions in the sports broadcasting space were evident when it acquired the rights to Indian cricket from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, beating rival Sony and paying Rs4,000 crore.

     

    Speakingfrom the US, STAR India CEO Uday Shankar said: “Till the regulatory framework is done, it will be business as usual. As for the money we spent on acquiring the Indian cricket rights, it is money which will be paid over several years, (six) and I am confident of a broadcast transformation and a bigger market. A lot of distortion in this space will also have sorted out.”

     

    Mr Shankar also clarified that all the ESPN employees would continue not only as of now, but post the regulatory framework. “It’s not as if STAR has a ready-made sports setup all ready,” he added. As for competition and raising prices for acquisitions, he said, there are four active players and all will compete very vigorously.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • Hindi News Channel, Aaj Tak hosted the Aaj Tak Care Awards in the capital on June 6 to honour the corporate entities who are changing the face of the society by their CSR initiatives

    Aaj Tak Care Awards are good news for society: Aroon Purie

    Bollywood Star Akshay Kumar & Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-n-Chief, India Today Group with winners of Aaj Tak Care Awards

     

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Mr.Aroon Purie, Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the Aaj Tak Care Awards

    TV Today Network’s Hindi news channel Aaj Tak hosted the first edition of Aaj Tak Care Awards on June 6 at the Taj Palace Hotel inNew Delhi. The awards seek to honour corporate entities who have contributed towards inclusive and sustainable development keeping in mind the society as the focal point.

     

    Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee graced the event as the chief guest and felicitated the winners at the awards ceremony. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who launched the Aaj Tak Care awards anthem, was also present at the awards ceremony.

     

    Inaugurating the awards ceremony, Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group said: “The industry realises it must make more than just profit; that it must give back to the society. TV News channels have been accused of concentrating only on what’s wrong with the society, so these awards are ‘good news’.”

     

    Speaking at the event, Mr Pranab Mukherjee urged the corporate sector to build CSR in a big way into their business: “You need to give back to the society. We need more Nandan Nilekanis to join the cause. CorporateIndiahas to help with new ideas to deal with some of the prevailing socio-economic issues. We need to work together towards a better future.”

     

    Aaj Tak Care Awards were given away in five different categories, Education, Empowerment, Environment, Healthcare and Livelihood. Leading research agency, IMRB International filtered entries for participation in these awards based on parameters like replicability, sustainability, people participation and innovativeness. In the second phase, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI), with their expertise in various sectors, partnered to further shortlist the companies. They compared and evaluated the CSR initiatives of all entries and nominated the final 40 companies for the second phase. The third and last phase of the Aaj Tak Care Awards was the selection process by the jury where eminent personalities debated and arrived at a list of final 12 winners.

     

    The Jury was chaired by Mr Gurcharan Das, Chairman, author & management consultant. Other jury members included, Prof Dipankar Gupta, noted sociologist; Mr Arun Kapur, Executive Director, Learn Today; Mr Sandeep Pandey, social activist; Mr Rajender Singh, environmentalist & chairman, Tarun Bhagat Sangh; Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman of Fortis Group of Hospitals (Cardiovascular Sciences & Cardiology Council); Mr Sandeep Chachra, Executive Director, Action Aid India.

     

    Commenting on the awards, Joy Chakraborthy, CEO, TV Today Network said: “The Aaj Tak Care Awards is an endeavour by the TV Today network to recognize and honour the real champions of corporateIndiawho have positively impacted the society. We looked at companies who have gone beyond their corporate objectives of growth and profitability, and laid an emphasis on the improvement of the society as their larger objective.”

     

    List of winners in all five categories:

    Education

    Amway India Enterprises Pvt. Ltd

    PVR Limited

     

    Environment

    Suzlon Energy Limited

    ONGC

    Dabur India Ltd

     

    Healthcare

    Eli Lilly & Company

    JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd

    Standard Chartered

     

    Empowerment

    Gitanjali Gems

    Microsoft Corporation

     

    Livelihood

    Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)

    First Source Solutions Ltd

     

  • Karmik designers like Rohit Bal, Neeta Lulla, Anamika Khanna, JJ Valaya, Rocky S, Shantanu & Nikhil, Rina Dhaka and Kavita Bhartia to be part of the show

    ‘I Love Style’ powered by Karmik on BIG CBS Love

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the success of India’s Glam Diva, BIG CBS Love has launched its second home grown property, ‘I Love Style’, powered by Karmik. BIG CBS Love, the joint venture channel between Reliance Broadcast Network and CBS Studios International, is known for its international content. The channel has recently begun to create content locally and ‘I Love Style’ powered by Karmik, will be the ultimate destination for to all that one would desire to know on style and fashion.

     

    Karmik, the latest name to accessible designer-wear fashion, is the most appropriate partner for the show, and together, the brands promise to offer a show that depicts style and panache.

     

    At a press conference, held in C’est La Vie Lounge, Mumbai, Neeta Lulla, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated designers, along with Genelia Deshmukh, shared insights of some of her famous bridal outfits, the intricacy that goes in to dressing up a bride, what fashion really means and why she loves style.

     

    I Love Style will take all the style and fashion-conscious women through an intimate expedition of the latest in style, fashion, grooming and more.

     

    As the show progresses, it will feature biggest names in fashion from the Karmik stable like Rohit Bal, Anamika Khanna, JJ, Valaya, Rocky S, Abraham & Thakore, Gaurav Gupta, Ranna Gill, Shantanu and Nikhil, Rina Dhaka, Kavita Bhartia and more…

     

    The show is hosted by the model and anchor, Karishma Naina Sharma and is backed by veteran fashion guru, the founder editor of Harper’s Bazaar India, Sujata Assomull as the style expert on the show.

     

    The show will also go on-ground with audience connect properties like ‘I Love Style Bazaars’ – where designers with quirky styles will be invited to showcase their collection; and ‘I Love Style Parties’.

     

    Ensuring connect on social media, BIG CBS Love and Karmik will also launch a hunt for their stylish ‘Karmik Diva’.

     

    Commenting on the show, Mr. Vishal Rally, Business Head, BIG CBS Networks said: “The property is unique and first of its kind in India, tailored keeping in mind the specific preferences of our audiences. We are confident that we have the right concept to ensure the show delivers everything that the audiences desire to know on Style. We are happy to partner with Karmik and see excellent synergies coming into play which will benefit both consumers and marketers alike.”

     

    Mr. Pradeep Hirani, founder of Karmik said: “What would have better than to partner with and BIG CBS Love to make a stylish show - ‘I Love Style’. I am sure that people will love the show.”

     

  • Anil Thakraney reviews the Fox Movies ad which he says will not work in India where the average Indian male’s eyes are fixated ‘out there’ in any case

    Debrief | Fox Movies: Brilliant!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Haha. Real cool ad. Will keep you in splits and very entertained because it’s delightfully salacious. FOX Movies decided to offer cinema dubbed in regional languages for the Thai market, and their ad agency turned it into an idea for subtitles-free communication.

     

    The fun commercial features a young male exec whose eyes are shamelessly trained on his pretty lady boss’s breasts. And the dude gets a couple of tight slaps as his just reward. Poor chap, not his fault. He’s used to reading subtitles in the foreign language movies he watches. And is unable to kick the ‘bad’ habit.

     

    Yup, it’s super stuff. The TVC packs in all the ingredients of a good ad film. It is entertaining, surprising, engaging and single-minded. And there’s cool lateral thinking at play to highlight what is otherwise a very uninteresting product promise. Full marks!

     

     

    As a naughty aside, this particular treatment will not work in the Indian market. Only because the average Indian male’s eyes are fixated ‘out there’ in any case, and it has nothing to do with watching foreign films that carry subtitles. 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 5. Fabulous advertising

     

  • For four-and-a-half years, unknown to everyone, Magal has been the anonymous writer behind 'The Secret Journal of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala', a popular parody blog that tore into people in the news with biting sarcasm

    How ‘Fake Jhunjhunwala’ writer Aditya Magal impressed the ‘real’ Jhunjhunwala

    By Sruthijith KK

     

    On Tuesday, 26-year-old Aditya Magal nervously walked into the Nariman Point offices of billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. Most people who looked up from their terminals didn’t glance a second time, possibly concluding that the boy-faced youngster must be an internship-seeker at Rare Enterprises. But Jhunjhunwala himself took a keen interest in Magal, seating him in his private office, enquiring about his background, his family, his stylish haircut and his girlfriends.

     

    As word about the young visitor spread, Jhunjhunwala’s colleagues – hardnosed traders and analysts – streamed into his office to meet Magal. They shook hands with him. Everyone smiled. Some said they were fans. Magal’s stock was on the rise. The encounter, facilitated by ET, saw uproarious moments.

     

    For four-and-a-half years, unknown to everyone, Magal has been Fake Jhunjhunwala, the anonymous writer behind ‘The Secret Journal of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’, a popular parody blog that tore into people in the news – politicians, actors, journalists, other stock market players, anyone – with biting sarcasm.

     

    He caricatured the identity of Jhunjhunwala, an opinionated ace stock picker with interesting quirks, into a loud, wildly entertaining character who spared none. His blog gets 30,000 unique visitors a month.

     

    Magal’s Twitter account is followed by more than 45,000. Even his online fan club has 2,500 followers on Twitter. Well-known people on Twitter, such as Gul Panag and Pritish Nandy, are amused by his writing.

     

    Not everyone’s amused though. Like some journalists, who were mercilessly taken down by the Fake Jhunjhunwala, who then called the real Jhunjhunwala to complain. “I told them I don’t write it,” the real Jhunjhunwala said. “Then they wanted to know who wrote it. Arrey, how do I know?”

     

    Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya once told Jhunjhunwala that he liked to start his day by reading his tweets. “The first time I didn’t say anything. Then, another time he again said, ‘Rakeshbhai, you are very funny, what all you keep tweeting?’ Then I told him I don’t write it,” Jhunjhunwala said.

     

    In his column in The Indian Express, editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta mistakenly attributed Fake Jhunjhunwala’s tweet to the real Jhunjhunwala, to illustrate the prejudices and dominance of the “upper caste, creamy layer of our society”. The newspaper later apologised.

     

    Magal carries clear disclaimers on both his Twitter bio and his blog. And as long as he does that, Jhunjhunwala says, he has no problems with what he writes. “Who am I? You have a right to express yourself. And you are saying you are not me. Then what is the problem?” In a country where people compete to take offence, Magal picked the right man to parody.

     

    As it happened, Magal didn’t pick Jhunjhunwala. The blog was started in 2008 by Mark Fidelman, an American who then worked in Indian real estate. Inspired by the success of the Fake Steve Jobs blog, Fidelman created the blog as a platform to vent his frustrations with India after his business here suffered. After three months, Fidelman told Magal, who he knew through a business association, about the blog, and asked him to take over. Magal says he started laughing.

     

    “I have been following Rakesh sir since the time I was 20 or so. I was following a number of investors and gradually, what Rakesh sir said started making the most sense for me.” Magal dabbled in the stock markets and like countless retail investors before him, was taken in by Jhunjhunwala’s knowledge and his uncanny ability to make the right bets.

     

    If he was a follower before, writing the blog for four years turned Magal into something of a devotee. He has read and watched nearly every interview the investor has given. He knows everything there is to know about Jhunjhunwala, from the year his sister got married to the architect of his Lonavala home. From the brands of cigarettes and whiskeys he prefers to the Mercedes S Class he drives. “Why, I also have a Bentley,” Jhunjhunwala helped along, amused by Magal’s grasp of J-trivia. But Magal knows not just trivia about Jhunjhunwala. He also knows his investment portfolio closely.

     

    But Magal’s natural funny side is more often on display. At lunch with this correspondent, he recited a poem: “Jhunjhunwala goes to Lonavala to live in a house by Killawala.” Nitin Killawala is the architect. In Jhunjhunwala’s office, as his colleagues gathered around to meet the famous blogger, Magal parodied Jhunjhunwala’s TV appearances. His habit of talking up the India story, the peculiar way in which he says ‘humongous’. Everyone laughed.

     

    When Jhunjhunwala lit another cigarette, Magal told him that he should cut down on his smoking. “What is this sir? Earlier in interviews you used to say you smoked 10-15 cigarettes. Now you say 20-25. And you have stopped doing yoga.” Jhunjhunwala demonstrated some yoga-style breathing for him.

     

    The atmosphere was warm and convivial. When Magal sought permission to click some pictures of his office, Jhunjhunwala readily agreed. “Please, please, do. Click whatever you want Aditya, we are simple people.”

     

    Jhunjhunwala found Magal so funny that he saved his number as ‘Aditya Joker’ on his phone. “You are a natural joker. You have a talent for humour,” he said.

     

    Niraj Dalal, who works with Jhunjhunwala, said he was relieved to meet Magal. “People used to suspect it’s me!” Jhunjhunwala said he also thought the writer was someone who knew him closely or worked with him. “There were things only seven or eight of us would know and that would be on the blog. That used to unnerve us,” Dalal said.

     

    Jhunjhunwala asked Magal what he wanted to do in life. “Write books and help people. The moment I have a plot ready in my head, I’ll drop everything and write a book,” he said.

     

    Jhunjhunwala wished him the best. Magal invited Jhunjhunwala to visit his Bangalore home sometime. “Surely. Will you invite me for your wedding?” Certainly, Magal said. “Will you come in a helicopter, sir?”

     

    Magal told Jhunjhunwala that he would love to write his autobiography if he ever considered writing one. The investor was hesitant. “Why should we self-glorify? Let’s see when it comes to that.”

     

    Magal gifted him two Ganesha idols, which Jhunjhunwala is known to collect. He asked a colleague to place the brass idol alongside dozens of idols on a shelf in his office. The other one, a sandalwood idol, he placed right in front of him, along the five monitors on his desk that he uses to watch the movements of his empire of wealth.

     

    Before Magal left, Jhunjhunwala asked him if there was anything he could do to help. “I’d be foolish not to ask you for investment advice. But then I’m not a pretty girl and you are not tipsy,” Magal said, referring to a wisecrack Jhunjhunwala made during an interview regarding his rule about stock tips. Jhunjhunwala made an exception, and gave him a stock tip. “Buy.”

     

    As he rode the elevator down and got into the waiting cab, Magal was overjoyed. When he walked in, he didn’t know what to expect. “I can now cross off one item on my bucket list,” he said.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Ranjona Banerji believes that the papers must devote half a page so that hapless viewers can make sense of all that the news channels air

    Newspapers must make sense of TV news

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Something has to be done about newspapers being so serious and stick-in-the-mud. Look at yesterday on television. There was so much excitement over two loos at the Planning Commission’s offices – spending Rs 35 lakh to do potty comfortably while millions of Indians were consigned to surviving happily on Rs 32 a day (am being generous here). To rub salt in the wound, Rs5 lakh was spent on a security system to keep the janata-public out. Everyone was spitting fire, from the opposition to activists to ordinary people. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission also had a wee tantrum – at the media and also RTI, which opened the bathroom doors as it were.

     

    Then Thursday morning comes and you open the newspaper. Hmmm. Does anyone oblige you by putting the story upfront with lots of diagrams and graphic details? Of course not – there’s just news on display like the economy and monsoon and a murder here and there. You have to trawl through the newspaper – page 12 or 15 or something to get a small little story about this toilet transgression. Even that CWG man who said that Indians have different cleanliness standards – anyone remember him – because of dirty bathrooms at CWG homes got more purchase on the press. Of course, I don’t remember his name but that may be because my brain has very strict hygiene protocols.

     

    If this example of newspaper perfidy is not bad enough, how about the other big story of the day? Some folliclely challenged man in Indonesia had something to do with Jharkhand politician and former chief minister Madhu Koda’s ill-gotten crores of rupees. The part of the day that wasn’t about Montek’s potty was about Koda’s friend. Some squeaky tapes played on and on as the anchors’ voices tried to match them for squeakiness and outdid them in decibel levels. Don’t ask me what the whole thing was about because I never figured it out. I must also clarify that I have nothing against men or women who don’t have a lot of hair on their heads but I have no other way of identifying this man who has something to do with Indonesia.

     

    Is one to find a code in the morning’s newspapers? Nyet, nada and all the rest of it. The monsoon and its arrival got more play in the newspapers than Koda’s not too hairy on the head friend and all that money. There will be at least one grateful person.

     

    It’s been said before, but it has to be said again. Newspapers must dedicate at least half a page a day making sense of TV news stories for hapless viewers.

     

  • As I&B Minister Ambika Soni meets stakeholders tomorrow to decide on the June 30 deadline, MxMIndia presents a status report from the 4 metros

    Ready, Steady, Go? Or Delay?

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    With less than a month to go for the sunset date of June 30 for Phase I of digitization of cable television in India, MxM India gets you a status report from the ground in all the four metros, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

     

    As per the directive issued by the government of India and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are to be completely digitized by June 30. Starting July 1, all analogue signals will be switched off. But is the industry geared up to meet this deadline? And moreover, are the consumers aware of this change that will bring about a significant change in their television viewing. While all industry stakeholders seem to be in favour of digitization, they all have their share of concerns. Some believe that an extension of the deadline will be a welcome gesture by the government while some feel that any extension at this point will only slow down the process further. The industry, some believe, is lacking a sense of urgency to embrace this change and roll out the new technology.

     

    MxMIndia learns that I&B Minister Ambika Soni has called for a meeting of all stakeholders tomorrow, Friday, June 8 at 3 pm at the Vigyan Bhavan. A final decision will be taken post this meeting. An earlier meeting with I&B ministry officials held on June 1 generated mixed take-outs. While one participant at the meeting told this writer that there was no indicator that there will be a postponement of the Sunset Date, another industry captain told MxMIndia that there were fair signs that the D-Day will be pushed by at least two months, if not six.

     

    Meanwhile, MxMIndia gets you varied views from stakeholders as well as media experts on the status of digitization for Phase I.

     

    Cable operators unprepared to meet the deadline, blame lack of set top boxes and consumer awareness

    Mumbai: Arvind Prabhoo, Owner, Orbit Television Network: The deadline cannot be met because most of the MSOs have run out of boxes. The LCO has to place an order after which it takes about a week or so for the MSOs to bring in the boxes. The other problem is, since it was May, approximately 30 percent of the people were on vacation, so they have not really spoken to a LCO on the requirement of STBs. Also, despite all the ads running on digitization, people are still quite wary of STBs and the technology, especially the older generation. Explaining it to the elderly is becoming a major problem for installation of the set top box because at such a place one has to spend almost one hour explaining the need and benefits of this technology. So in a day if you get five homes like these, your day is gone. Thirdly, at this time in Mumbai, most cable operators are busy taking care of the monsoon issues and this exercise goes on for about a month or so. Moreover, the task has not been tackled with any kind of seriousness so far. Then there have been ads by DTH players saying that cable will cease to exist post July 1 which has become a deterrent. It takes some time for the LCO to convince the consumer that cable will not switch off, it’s only the analog transmission that will be blacked out. There is no clarity if digitization is going to increase the cost of channel viewing or it’s going to decrease it or if it’s going to have any effect at all. In Mumbai, I don’t think more than 35 percent of the required STBs have been seeded. If the extension comes, again there will be complacency amongst the operators but at the same time, if it starts raining tomorrow in Mumbai, the efficiency to work, transportation etc, will all go haywire. Only 5 percent installations took place in the entire month of May as people were travelling and before that there were exams, so not many installations happened. If the government decides to postpone the date, it will be a welcome gesture but if on June 30 the analogue signals black out, there will be total chaos.

     

    New Delhi: Nagraj, Cable Operator, Old Seemapuri: Only 10 percent boxes have been seeded as of now.  Customers are not ready to take the set top boxes, they are not ready to pay. On the other hand, distributors are putting so much pressure to purchase boxes from them saying that if we don’t purchase the boxes now, they will increase the prices later. Government hasn’t issued a single declaration notifying the exact price of the box. And then there’s the issue of Rs. 45 share, how can we survive in that? I don’t know what has prompted the government to lower the rates of cable to this level. Videocon d2h came out with an ad recently saying that cable will cease to exist after June 30, so switch to d2h. Why isn’t the government reacting against such advertisements, this just means that they are teaming up with Dish players. Misleading ads are adding to the confusion and the customers have not been made aware of the issue well enough, they think that if they have to switch to digital they can just buy Dish. I fear that we will have to surrender and leave this profession after July 1. We have been trying to approach the Minister of I&B but she is avoiding us and not giving us a time to meet.

     

    Chennai: M R Srinivasan, General Secretary, Chennai Metro Cable TV Operators Association: It’s not possible to meet the notified deadline of June 30. As far as Chennai is concerned, we have a 3 million subscriber base for digitization and of the 3 million so far only 2 lakh boxes have been seeded and the rest of 2.8 million is left. There are two MSOs available in Chennai and none of them have ordered for the new boxes till date. As far as I know, both MSOs have only 15000 boxes and the requirement is for 2.8 million. Moreover, the Tamil Nadu government has written a letter to the I&B ministry for an extension of the sunset date. We require an extension of at least six months.

     

    Kolkata: Swapan Chowdhury, General Secretary, Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association: Nobody is going to meet the mandated date. If it still happens on the set date then the channel/platform will be different, it will be the DTH players who will be given a chance to do business.   As far as seeking an extension goes, it’s not the cable operators but the MSOs who should seek for an extension because they are not able to supply the set top boxes. There is no physical stock of STBs. There are about 40 lakh STBs required in the Kolkata Municipal area and the existing MSOs have supplied only 4.5 to 5 lakh boxes. At the maximum they would have 50,000 to 1 lakh more boxes, which means with less than one month left, the remaining number will face a black out if digitization is implemented by July 1. The government was supposed to conduct four open house discussions for each metro but Kolkata has not been taken into account. Only recently, last week I&B Secretary Mr Uday Varma visited Kolkata and conducted a meeting in the Writers’ Building. After the meeting we have come to know from the daily news that he has agreed to talk to the MSOs and the LCOs for implementation of DAS. Right now only 15 to 20 percent boxes have been seeded and if digitization is implemented on July 1, then a minimum of 50 to 60 percent of the market will black out.

     

    Mixed response from the Multi System Operators (MSOs), admit to shortage of boxes

    Jagjit Singh Kohli, CEO, Digicable: No we are not ready, we are expecting an extension of the date. The main issue is that there are not enough set top boxes available to meet the demand. We are asking for an extension and most likely it will happen.

     

    M G Azhar, COO, DEN Networks: We are ready to roll, we already have the boxes in. If you talk of the larger MSOs, they have got all the boxes ready and the DTH players also have the boxes ready. So in terms of preparedness, we are ready. Only if the government steps in and changes the dates, otherwise I see nothing holding it back. Resistance is coming in because LCO thinks that once these boxes are put, he will lose control but that’s not the case. We look at them as partners and we want to take them along. We are ready to meet the deadline.

     

    Ravi Gupta, Independent MSO, Delhi (Delhi Distribution Company): No, we are not ready to meet the deadline of June 30. It is almost impossible to install digital cable system in such short time as given by the government. Even if we manage to collect funds and purchase the material, it is not possible to install it in the given period of time. Secondly, no company in the world can provide you with set top boxes in less than six months’ time. Thirdly, government announced the terms and conditions of licensing on May 28 and we submitted our license applications by June 1 and till date nobody has been issued a DAS license. How can we operate without a licence? The government has taken no expert view on this matter before formulating the policy. After July 1, the people will sit without television.

     

    Dish TV ready for digitization, no shortage of STBs

    Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV: The entertainment arena of television viewing will witness a paradigm shift after digitization is implemented in four metros. As we are Asia’s largest DTH players we have around 12.5 million subscribers in India. We welcome the noble move of digitization by the government. This is a humongous task in terms of implementation and we are ready to take first move of Phase-I in four metros. Though DTH industry is already burdened by multiple taxation but for us we are not short of STBs and we are ready to roll on. There is a buzz that the Sunset Date will be extended but till the government is not issuing or confirming we cannot comment on this.

     

    Broadcasters prepared to meet the deadline but not sure if the rest of the industry is ready

    Rahul Sood, Head- Network Distribution & Affiliate Sales, NDTV: From a broadcaster’s perspective we are definitely ready but the question is while we are ready, is the cable fraternity, especially the LCOs and distributors, ready to go out and make that extra effort to install boxes? The DTH companies are ready, the broadcasters are ready, it is just the local cable operators and the distributors who might not be ready. While the MSOs are also ready, the resistance is coming in from LCOs and distributors. So those are the two key people who’ve got to make sure that this happens. We are not expecting any magic in 30 days to happen, that all analogue will convert to digital. But the process will start from July 1 and I think once the analogue signals are off then the process will gather a lot more momentum. So there has to be that impetus which will come from the ground. Consumers will start asking for the box and the cable operator or the DTH provider will not have a choice but to give it because if he doesn’t give it, somebody else will. But let’s be clear that it will not be a switch over from 0 to 100 in one day, it will happen over a period of time and the process will gather momentum starting July 1.

     

    In India, till the time you don’t switch off someone’s water or electricity meter nobody goes and pays the bill. So that’s the reality of the Indian psyche that we only wait for everything to explode and then we wake up.  So everything in India is last-minute! I can assure you that if government delays this and gives an extension of deadline, we will be having the same discussion six months later as well. If the cable guys don’t do it then the DTH guys will take over, not that the consumer will be blacked out.

     

    Media planners based in the the four metros feel the industry is not prepared to meet the deadline

    Nandini Dias, COO, Lodestar UM, Mumbai: Moving to 100% digital is a significant change. If July 1 is the deadline by now at least 90% digitization should have been in place across the four metros. My understanding is that it is far from it. In addition the industry bodies of the affected industries have not put out any guideline on the next steps. By now ISA, AAAI, IBF all should have put out some guidelines, implications etc. for clients and agencies to follow. For example, viewership and ratings maybe significantly affected. So as per the usual behaviour pattern the deadline is likely to just get shifted.

     

    Mohit Joshi, MD, MPG, Delhi: We are not ready to meet the deadline for the digitalization. I read somewhere that over 19 million set-top boxes are to be shipped to India during 2012 in order to fulfill the ambitious programme to digitize the country’s cable network according to ABI Research predictions. I’m not sure whether we have the infrastructure / back-end for the same. Moreover, there is not much of general information among the viewers and finally there seems to be no urgency in the system. Even the media is downplaying this whole issue.

     

    Raj Datta, Senior General Manager, TME, Kolkata: I don’t know about other metros but keeping Kolkata in mind, I don’t think we are ready to meet the deadline. The main reason behind it is the fact that a lot of low-income households have cable connections and it would be a tedious task to replace that with setup boxes. The main problematic area is the Sec D and E unlike Sec A and B where it won’t be difficult to replace setup boxes with analog system. The demand is much higher than the supply and manufacturers are running against time to fill that gap.

     

    Sriram Sharma, Vice President, SMG India- Southern Operations, Chennai: See it’s a directive saying they will have to complete it before June 30 in Chennai, so I guess it will be done. Most of them have already geared up for it, there are two networks in Tamil Nadu, Arasu Cable and SCV. About 80 to 85 percent of the total TV homes are cable and satellite homes and they are handled by them. If these two are taken care of then 85 percent of it will almost be completed. So I am sure they are geared up for doing it and I have also seen these two networks distributing set top boxes free of cost to begin with and then amortising the cost over the next four or five months. So they give you an STB and instead of charging Rs 120 or 150 a month, they’ll charge you Rs. 180. So that Rs. 50 a month will be amortised over 6 to 8 months. So it should happen as it will benefit the industry as a whole.

     

    An independent commentator on how the deadline is quite a challenge given the state of preparedness

    Dinyar Contractor, Editor and Executive Publisher, Satellite and Cable TV Magazine: Nearly 67 percent of the homes in Mumbai still don’t have digital boxes, so it’s pretty much an impossible task that this 67 percent will go digital in the remaining days. In Chennai, Arasu Cable has confirmed that they don’t have set-top boxes. Incidentally, there is a lead time just for a component of a set-top box in the world market today of four months. That means if you order your box today and the manufacturer orders the component, it will be four months before the manufacturer gets the component. What that means is that the box will not be manufactured and it will definitely not reach you before five months. TRAI has declared that every digital headend must deliver 500 channels but a major portion of the boxes already deployed are incapable of doing 500 channels.

     

    With inputs from Meghna Sharma

     

    Imaging: Rafiq

     

  • There has been a mixed response to the announcement that Newscorp will buy ESPN’s equity stake in ESPN Star Sports

    Mixed response to Newscorp’s total control of ESS

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Corporation and ESPN announcement that the latter would buy ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest in ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has been welcomed by the industry.  The transaction will allow News Corporation units to own and operate all of the ESS businesses while providing ESPN more independence and flexibility in future support of The Walt Disney Company’s overall efforts in Asia.

     

    There has been a mixed response to the development. For one, they say it’s an internal matter between the two shareholders and will not impact the bidding or media selling process. ESPN and Star Sports (and the other channels) were being sold as one unit, said one observer. Yes, even though it was a 50:50 jv, the feeling was that it was a little more aligned to Disney than Star, remarked a senior official in a rival network.

     

    Talking about the development, Hemant Kenkre, cricket analyst and a senior communications professional said: “I’m excited about the news as everyone knows that the News Corporation is an innovative organization. For instance, when they bought KBC to India, it changed the whole Indian GEC scenario. Even now they are one of the first organizations to launch fully HD channels. When one thinks of cable TV, News Corporation is the real king in India. Thus, one can say that they think differently so the sporting world too should get ready for a dhamaka. I’m sure even cricket fans will be happy with it because it will bring other sports on the forefront too.”

     

    Commenting on the news, Mahesh Ranka, founder & CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship said: “This only means that the war between sports channels in India will intensify. ESPN will now be able to launch new channels and I’m sure they will as they are a major player globally. It will also mean that now a broadcaster might have to dig deeper into his pocket as it might push broadcasting rights in the near future. Having said that, it is good news because it signifies the growth of sport broadcast industry in the country.”

     

    MxMIndia was unable to ascertain whether the terms of ESPN’s exit from ESPN Star Sports stipulates a cool-off period whereby ESPN will not be able to operate any similar channels in the region for a certain period. For instance, when Star pulled out its brand from the MCCS news channels, it was clear that it would not be able to launch Star News for the next 18 months after serving the notice (said to have been in January 2012).

     

    With inputs by Meghna Sharma

     

  • Video automatically increases engagement by keeping the user busy, while advertising and other messaging can be shown non-intrusive to the user experience, says Upen Rai

    The Anchor: Upen Rai on 5 reasons why online videos are important for marketers

    By Upen Rai

     

    1. Video gets undivided attention

    Web pages are full of hyperlinks, images, advertisements, and so on which distract the user. When a video plays, the user is fixated on the audio and video with undivided attention. What better medium to get your message across to the user?

     

    2. Video is ubiquitous 

    The web is full of conflicting standards and making things work across device form factors and browser quirks can be frustrating. Video playback is ubiquitous and works equally well on all device form factors – so it is easy for online marketers to ensure that their message gets conveyed like it was meant to be!

     

    3. Video increases engagement

    Ever since web analytics were measured, website owners have struggled to keep bounce rates low and engage the user with interesting content. Video automatically increases engagement by keeping the user busy, while advertising and other messaging can be shown non-intrusive to the user experience.

     

    4. Video enables a higher call to action

    With the right mix of audio and compelling visuals, it is easier for brands to create a call to action and on the online medium, even lead a user into then completing a task. Video raises emotional connect with the brand and eases the user into completing actions like supporting a cause, liking a brand’s social media page, sharing the message with more users, and so on.

     

    5. Anybody can make online videos

    Whether it is a large corporate or a small group of non-profit volunteers, a compelling brand message is easy to create, produce and distribute in the online space. It is the best way for viral marketing and to gather more eyeballs.

     

    Upen Rai is Director, Times Internet Ltd