MxMIndia

Category: PRINT MEDIA

  • This edition of DNA Wheelocity Auto Expo which showcased cars from the every price level

    DNA drives 10,000 visitors to Wheelocity Auto Expo 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Over 10,000 visitors visited DNA Wheelocity Auto Expo on May 12 and 13 at theBombayExhibitionCenterto enquire about sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs and bikes, which were being exhibited. From Maruti to the brands like Toyota, Mahindra, Honda, Renault, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, GM, BMW, Land Rover, Volkswagen were amongst others on display. The expo also saw some vintages on display – a Ford Mustang 1969 model, a Dodge 1954 and Avon SS 1933.

     

    This edition of DNA Wheelocity Auto Expo which showcased cars from the every price level turned out to be a winner as there were interested buyers gathering information on their choice. Gautam Dalal, Vice President Marketing, DNA said: “The ability of a newspaper to deliver over 10,000 footfalls is an absolute testament to the response generating power of DNA. The clients present have ensured that working with DNA was indeed a fruitful relationship. They now want us to commission the next one at the earliest.”

     

    DNA had begun their campaign just 15 days prior grabbing the attention of their 6 lakh readers.

     

    In 6 years, DNA has become India’s 6th largest and the fastest growing English daily. Targeted at a young readership, DNA is the voice and soul of its readers intertwined with honesty. Through news, views, analyses and interactivity, DNA provides readers with a composite unbiased picture of their city and the world. Its interactive platforms seek to bring the reader and surfer at the centre of its news activity.

     

     

  • The Aditya Birla group investments may help India Today invest in launching editions of its newspaper Mail Today in Mumbai and other metros.

    Birla may use personal money for buy, Mail Today may now launch editions in Mumbai, other metros

    The Aditya Birla group investments may help India Today invest in launching editions of its newspaper Mail Today in Mumbai and other metros.

     

    By A Corresdpondent

     

    Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, has bought a 27.5% stake in Aroon Purie-controlled Living Media India, the publisher and owner of India Today magazine and Aaj Tak television channel. Mr Birla will use his personal money to invest in the New Delhi-based group, which straddles the entire media chain, from television to magazines to tabloids.

     

    A statement from the metals-to-retail group said Birla has agreed to join the Living Media group as a financial investor. It did not specify the price for the deal or the valuation.

     

    However, investment bankers close to the transaction said the deal has been finalised for Rs 600-700 crore, valuing the media group at Rs 2,400-2,800 crore. Mumbai-based investment bank Ambit Corp was the advisor to the deal.

     

    This is the second big investment by an industrialist in the media space. In January, affiliates of Reliance Industries agreed to buy a large stake in the companies of Raghav Bahl, the promoter of Network18 and owner of channels such as CNBC-TV18 and CNN-IBN. The investment was worth over Rs 1,500 crore.

     

    TV Today is listed on the stock exchanges, but it is not clear whether Birla’s personal investment companies will now have to make an open offer to buy 26% from public shareholders.

     

    The financial investment also marks the realisation of Kumar Mangalam Birla’s cherished dream of owning a media company. “The media sector is a sunrise sector from an investment point of view. I believe that Living Media India offers one of the best opportunities for growth and value creation,” Birla said in a release.

     

    Birla made an unsuccessful entry into the entertainment space by launching a movie and TV production company, Applause Entertainment, in 2003. The company, which produced the acclaimed movie Black , was closed down in 2009 after the downturn in the entertainment industry sparked off by the global recession.

     

    Living Media will use the cash from the deal to expand its presence in media. It may now look at launching its New Delhi-based tabloid, Mail Today, in other metros, including Mumbai, according to persons close to the company.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • More than the possibility of business empires exerting pressure after investing in the media, the worry is when the situation reaches oligopolistic proportions, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Why media purists needn’t worry about Kumar Mangalam Birla’s 27.5 % in Living Media

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    On April 10, the TV Today network clarified to the Bombay Stock Exchange on rumours that the Aditya Birla group was acquiring a stake in the India Today group. The clarification said the Company (TV Today) was not aware of any such transaction and was not in a position to confirm the contents of the media reports.

     

    A little over a month later, the same organization sent the BSE a copy of the press release stating that 27.5 per cent of Living Media India, better known as the India Today group, was sold to the Aditya Birla group.

     

    A senior member of the AV Birla group told this correspondent that the investment was made by chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla on a personal level and not by any of the group companies.  After the customary approvals in a few months, we would get to know the real numbers. Late on Friday, Ashish Bagga, recently appointed CEO of the entire group (including TV Today), informed staff of the development by way of an email.

     

    The question which everyone wants to know is the price that Mr Birla paid for the 27.5%. There have been various figures floating around… that the money paid is in the region of Rs 350-500 crore. In the communique issued, Mr Birla is quoted saying: “The media sector is a sunrise sector from an investment point of view. I believe that Living Media India offers one of the best opportunities for growth and value creation.”

     

    Also read:

    AV Birla group buys 27.5% in India Today group

     

    Birla may use personal money for buy, Mail Today may now launch editions in Mumbai, other metros

     

    Loss of plurality is worrying: Paranjoy Guha Thakurta

    And here’s what Aroon Purie, chairman of the India Today group said: “I am delighted to partner with the Aditya Birla group to aggressively address the current and future potential of the Indian media business which is at a tipping point. The Aditya Birla group with its strong leadership global footprint, diversified business interests and its shared values of integrity, commitment and social responsibility make it a perfect fit with the India Today group.”

     

    So where’s the money going to be used? For one, it would mean expanding its current businesses. Specifically, Mail Today to move to markets like Mumbai and other cities and for TV Today to get into the regional space, and possibly a business channel. With a question mark on overall growth of newsmagazines, Living Media needs to invest its resources on segments with a growth potential.

     

    It has already done so by investing in smaller, niche magazines which have a smaller print run and attract fair amount of advertising as also bringing in international content.

     

    The TV Today network has also been in pressure in recent months with competition gaining ground. The radio station -Oye 104.8 – also needs to grow on the ratings roster.

     

    And what does it mean for the industry? Although a 27.5% equity will give Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla a toehold in media, it’s not significant enough for him to wrest editorial control. However, while there is fear of how big business money may impact the media, the fact is that it is already doing so. Even today, there exist managements and editors which buckle under pressure from large advertisers and influential individuals. There are enough stories of vested interests at play in Indian journalism, and for the media as a whole, the infusion of money from big business houses and foreign players could possibly ensure better salaries and hence lesser corruption. Standards of journalism are bound to improve.

     

    Also, it’s not that business empires haven’t been in the media already. The KK Birla group runs Hindustan Times, the Tatas would own the Indian title of Reader’s Digest until it sold to Living Media and there are other smaller players too who are known to back media players. Zee TV’s Subhash Chandra has a successful enterprise running under the Essel brand and even The Times of India group’s Jains have had long-standing interests in other fields.

     

    Since the media needs to increase scale, it needs the money for expansion. A route followed by some groups like Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar and Deccan Chronicle has been to go public. Still others – like Network 18 and Television 18 – have been public and also secured investment. Last year, the Abhey Oswal group bought 14.17% in NDTV.

     

    The Reliance Anil Ambani group has significant presence in the media with radio and television. It has also acquired a majority stake in business channel Bloomberg UTV. Just yesterday (Sunday, May 22), one saw a programme airing consumer complaints with a subscribers’s peeve against Reliance Communications. So it’s not that Bloomberg UTV blanks out all criticism of Reliance ADAG activities.

     

    According to me, more than the possibility of business empires exerting pressure after investing in the media, the worry is when the situation reaches oligopolistic proportions. This has in fact been seen with media groups having a stake in allied business like radio, television and events.

     

    Buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me:

    pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, BBM 23050B5D, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.

     

    Disclaimer: Although he is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of this site, Pradyuman Maheshwari’s views in Mediaah! are not necessarily those of the rest of the team and MxMIndia.com.

     

     

     

     

  • Hindustan launches a specialised publication targeted at the youth

    Hindustan launches Yuva in Patna

    From the MxMInfodesk

     

    Leading Hindi daily Hindustan has launched Yuva, a specialised publication targeting the youth in Patna on Thursday.

     

    The newspaper was planned given the youth has its unique needs, likes, dislikes, aspirations and views on life. Yuva has special two-minute news sections,  vibrant pictures and special navigation panels  in line with reading habits of the youth. It has dedicated sections like Career, Campus news, Patna news, Technology and Entertainment. There are special sections where tweets are featured along with news on Social Networking. Technology, Gadget reviews.  Automobile tips and reviews are featured in dedicated sections on specific days of the week.

     

    Hindustan has over the last year re-launched with a new positioning and design philosophy. Yuva is a step in that direction to create a young and relevant news brand for the Hindi reading audiences.  The launch in Patna is supported by print, radio spots and outdoor with a aim to establish a strong connect with the youth.

     

    The news and content published in reports crediting MxMInfodesk are mostly unverified and based on press releases and communiques sent by organizations and/or individuals either directly or through their PR agents.

     

    However, not all press releases and requests are carried, and we take care to ensure that at least the source of the information recent is authentic.

    Requests for carrying communiques and intimations must be addressed to editor@mxmindia.com.

     

  • In his new role, Mr Chandra will have end to end responsibility of finance and related operational aspects of Radio business

    Prateek Chandra appointed CFO @ Fever FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prateek Chandra has been appointed as CFO, Fever 104 FM. Mr Chandra has spent more than 4 years with HT Media and in his last role as Senior Financial Strategist, he has been instrumental in adding value on various strategic initiatives and successfully driving several projects including IPO of HMVL. Mr Chandra will be replacing Ritesh Handa who, after 18 months of tenure as CFO, Fever, has decided to move on to pursue other opportunities.

     

    Prior to joining HT, Mr Chandra had spent almost 6 years with KPMG and EXL handling different aspects of Finance function. In his new role, Mr Chandra will report to Harshad Jain, Business Head, Radio with a functional reporting to Piyush Gupta, Group CFO. He will be a part of the Leadership Team of Radio Business, and have end-to-end responsibility of finance and related operational aspects of Radio business.

     

  • Inext won the top award in the Public Service category for this year's World Young Reader Prize and has also been named World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year for 2012

    Inext seals the big show at WAN-IFRA awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taking yet another big leap, Inext has bagged the top honours in WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) awards for 2012.  With an unrelenting focus on espousing youth’s philosophy, Inext, won both the top award in the Public Service category for this year’s World Young Reader Prize and has also been named World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year for 2012. The prizes will be awarded on July 10 inBangkokat the 1st Asia-Pacific Young Reader Summit.

     

    WAN-IFRA, a global organisation of the world’s press, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, gives away awards for excellence in the defence and promotion of press freedom, quality journalism, editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses and technology.

     

    Welcoming the announcement, Shailesh Gupta, Director, Jagran Prakashan Limited, congratulated the team and lauded the efforts that went into the winning campaigns and the stories. “It is due to the substantial focus and tangential wisdom of the team Inext that such smart campaigns which incorporated both the news value and more importantly, the societal concerns, were run. It has been yet another token of excellence for the Jagran group and I believe the good work would be kept up with in the future too.”

     

    This year, Inext’s success at WAN-IFRA hinged on three major stories: The Power of youth; wherein survey was done to tap the thinking and preferences of youth in run-up to the assembly elections in UP and Uttarakhand. Tol Mol Ke Poll was an election page carried daily till elections which focused on an issue related to elections almost daily and succeeded in connecting with youth through a column ‘Sadda Haq’.

     

    Second campaign was Bhari Basta; an educative and investigative campaign that activated the government machinery – school authorities, parents and teachers – to reduce the weight of schools bags of kids. It was run across 12 cities in 4 states and proved to be a catalyst in children empowerment. The Jury also found Inext’s iktara campaign, a unique folk singing competition, integrated online to bring out the talent in folk singing, a new approach to entertainment. It created a strong buzz across the country in favour of the old, relegated art.

     

    The jury observed that these campaigns provided a refreshing perspective on the 3Cs-corruption, compassion and creativity. “Inext did an excellent job in galvanizing youth to get out and vote. We found it especially interesting that youth considered corruption the number one topic of concern. The other two projects entered also showed creativity and relevance. The investigative report and campaign about heavy back-packs truly made a difference, and the folk singing contest was a fresh approach to youth entertainment,” mentioned the official communication.

     

    Last year, the World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year award was won by Indonesian newspaper JAWA POS, while for 2010 the winner was French newspaper Le Monde. This year, Inext has joined the distinguished league of such illustrious antecedents for the top honour.

     

    Expressing pleasure at the development, Inext’s Project Head and COO, Alok Sanwal revealed that it is Inext’s youthful vision that provided the cutting edge to the tabloid. “We have always tried to capture the social concerns with a young eye. All our major campaigns are directed at influencing young minds and developing in them a taste of societal awareness and understanding. We would continue to undertake such path breaking campaigns that underline our responsibility to change the world around us.”

     

  • The programme aims to encourage individuals with a business idea to come forward and connects them with relevant mentors and investors

    Eco Times launches The Power of Ideas 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Economic Times brings back The Power of Ideas,India’s largest entrepreneurship development programme. It aims to encourage individuals with a business idea to come forward and connects them with relevant mentors and investors. The programme was first launched in 2009 when it received over 12,000 business ideas followed by over 16,000 the next year. This year, armed with a bigger corpus of funds, the initiative seeks to transform more business ideas into real businesses.

     

    Ravi Dhariwal, Chief Executive Officer – Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd said: “We at The Economic Times believe that the future of the Indian economy lies in the hands of young entrepreneurs. It is the energy and drive of these young people with an idea that will giveIndiaits next big leap. I am happy to say that The Power of Ideas initiative has provided critical impetus to many such ideas.”

     

    The programme is conducted by The Economic Times in partnership with the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. DST brings to the programme its expertise and relationships in the entrepreneurial space as well as a corpus of Rs6.2 crore of guaranteed funds. The funds are open to all those with genuine innovation on their mind, regardless of whether they have just an idea or a fully functional start-up.

     

    Working alongside ET and DST is IIM Ahmedabad’s Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE).CIIE is a leader in the field of mentoring, guiding and making business ideas investor-ready.

     

    The greatest value CIIE will add to The Power of Ideas will be by way of their wide network of mentors and investors who will evaluate every single business idea received as part of the programme. The most deserving ideas will be given personalized mentoring. In the last phase, entrepreneurs who make it to the final cut-off will be taken through a nine-day period of intensive mentoring by CIIE, as a residential programme at IIM Ahmedabad. This unique public-private-academia partnership remains in place in 2012 to drive the programme to new heights.

  • Former Bloomberg UTV business head Deepak Lamba joins The Times of India group as President

    First on MxM! Deepak Lamba joins BCCL as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Deepak Lamba who had moved on from Bloomberg UTV as business head in end-April has joined Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited as President.

     

    Although Mr Lamba was not available for comment and nor has it officially been announced at BCCL, MxMIndia learns that he has joined BCCL today. He is likely to be heading a few new ventures that the group proposes to enter.

     

    Mr Lamba was business head of Bloomberg UTV from January 2010 to April 2012 and prior to that was Director – Viacom Brand Solutions and worked with MTV India for five years.

     

  • The Association of Indian Magazine's Magazine Engagement Award wins commendation at the FIPP Research Awards

    AIM’s Magazine Engagement Study wins big at FIPP Research Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Engagement Study by the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM), the apex association of the Indian magazine trade, has won the Highly Commended Award for Best Research By Any National Association at the FIPP Research Awards 2012. In a ceremony that took place in London, on May 29, AIM was presented the citation by Chris Llewellyn, President and CEO of FIPP and Kathi Love, President and CEO of US market research company GfK MRI, the sponsors of the Awards dinner. The overall winner for the category was the entry by the Spanish Association.

     

    Commenting on why the survey received a Highly Commended Award, Mr Llewellyn said “The Research Award judges were impressed by the insights provided by the survey, and the technical excellence of its methodology. The survey has demonstrated the key underlying strengths of the magazine medium, strengths which explain why magazines are such an effective medium for advertisers. The judges felt that the survey deserved the international recognition it is receiving.”

     

    Meanwhile, it is learnt that information from the Engagement Study has been included in the forthcoming book ‘Proof of Performance: The Case for Magazine Media’, and an action code in the book will enable readers to play the video on their smartphones. The book is authored by Guy Consterdine, Research Consultant to FIPP.

     

  • This is the first BBC Knowledge campaign targeted at parents; the campaign will run across mainstream dailies, magazines, outdoors and digital

    BBC Knowledge launches brand campaign that speaks directly to parents

    By A Correspondent

     

    BBC Knowledge has launched a new campaign -‘There’s no telling what knowledge can do’ – directed at parents. The crux of the campaign hinges on the fact that the magazine – with its focus on science, history and nature – gives the child a head-start in today’s competitive world. It has been timed with the reopening of schools in major metros.

     

    This is the first BBC Knowledge campaign targeted at parents; the campaign will run across mainstream dailies, magazines, outdoors and digital. There will be dedicated parent-child contests run by the magazine for this campaign.

     

    “The campaign, which is targeted at parents, reminds them that knowledge is the only edge they can give their kids. And that it’s not an option, but a prerequisite today, when it has become as important to outdo the competition as it has to outdo yourself ,” said Ayesha Bedi, Creative Group Head, DDB Mudra Group.

     

    Soela Joshi, brand publisher, BBC Knowledge said: “Marketing to parents is much more insight-driven. Parents as central role models have the responsibility to bring knowledge into their children’s life. By targeting parents, we are opening doors for their kids too. ”

     

  • Invites readers to vote for their favourite travel experiences and win luxury holiday stays

    Conde Nast Traveller India announces Readers’ Travel Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Conde Nast Traveller is inviting its readers to vote for their most memorable and treasured travel experiences by participating in the annual Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards 2012, recognized internationally as a benchmark for excellence in the travel and tourism industry.

     

    Readers can vote for their favourite holiday destinations and travel experiences by filling in the Readers’ Travel Awards questionnaire available in the Conde Nast Traveller June-July 2012 issue or by logging onto www.cntraveller.in. The award winning destinations, hotels, airlines amongst other categories will be announced at an awards ceremony later in the year.

     

    Since their introduction in India last year, Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards have been recognized as the most prestigious travel awards in India.

     

    Divia Thani Daswani, Editor, Conde Nast Traveller India said: “We were overwhelmed by the response the awards received in their first edition in India. The Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards are widely acknowledged as the most prestigious awards in the travel industry, because they are voted for by our discerning readers, who understand, appreciate and ultimately consume luxury travel products and services. We look forward to an even greater response this year, given the increased circulation and reach of the magazine, and the growing appetite for luxury travel.”

     

    Conde Nast Traveller India readers have the opportunity to vote across 22 categories for their favourite destinations, hotels, airlines, spas, airports and more.

     

    Talking about the success of Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards in India, Shri Subodh Kant Sahay, Honourable Minister of Tourism, Government of India said: “Now is the time to properly market India’s tourist destinations and achieve our vision to double the number of tourists to India. Conde Nast Traveller has contributed extensively to the Indian tourism industry since its arrival in India and we believe that the magazine will offer a significant boost to our initiatives thanks to its circulation and credentials – which are tremendous, no doubt.”

     

  • He discussed various aspects of news and gave his valuable guidance to the resident editors across the editions. He showed keen interest in the various aspects of the news papers and gave his suggestions

    Dr Kalam is the guest ed @ Prabhat Khabar

    By A Correspondent

     

    “If you only do what you know you can do – you never do very much.” That’s why Prabhat Khabar, the leading Hindi daily of eastern India, always seeks inspiration from personalities of eminence.

     

    On June 15, Prabhat Khabar was honoured to have Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India as the guest editor.

     

    When invited Dr. Kalam wanted to know, if Prabhat Khabar was owned by any political party or owed allegiance to any political group. After going through some of our issues he was convinced that Prabhat Khabar is an independent publication and attempts to raise issues of the ‘common man’ and be their voice to the government.

     

    After this assurance, Dr. Kalam agreed to be the guest editor for the day. Articles like children bypassing a vital educative link of their childhood and being burdened with the worries of the adulthood and the loneliness of senior citizen were appreciated by Dr. Kalam.

     

    He discussed various aspects of news and gave his valuable guidance to the resident editors across the editions. He showed keen interest in the various aspects of the news papers and gave his suggestions.

     

    Dr. Kalam is the founder of PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) and he was glad to know about Prabhat Khabar’s rural newspaper – Panchayinama. He called it a big step towards rural development.

     

    While leaving he gave his blessings to the Prabhat Khabar family for a bright future ahead. This is the first time Dr. Kalam had agreed to be a guest editor of any newspaper in Bihar, Jharkhand or West Bengal.