MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • New brand philosophy of Now or Nothing creates urgency in approach

    For Times Network, it will be ‘Now or Nothing’

    By A Correspondent

     

    TIMES TELEVISION NETWORK has been rebranded as TIMES NETWORK with its positioning statement of – Now or Nothing. The new, improved brand logo and rebranding will facilitate higher resonance for the channels vis-a-vis competition.

     

    M K Anand

    MK Anand, CEO & Managing Director, Times Network said, “This is not an India of passive optimists. At the forefront, at the leading edge generation of youth, at the top of corporations and organisations, India is screaming – ‘Now or Nothing’. This is something that is also being articulated in the content and the value we deliver through our channels. The content has to be rooted in the NOW. The change in name from Times Television Network to Times Network shows a paradigm shift to reflect the reality that Video is no longer just Television.”

     

    The new logo is contemporary and shows the liberalisation of the brand by stepping out of the box to be open to change. The fonts used are bolder. At the top is a pyramid mnemonic, whose tip signifies the specific Indians who are wanting and making change. These are the audiences the network and its channels are targeting. The brand belief is that the driver of change is at the top, and the philosophy of the top permeates down to all segments.

     

    As part of the change at Times Network, the expression of channels in terms of content and even positioning is undergoing a revamp. The expectation is that there will be 1-2 channels launched every year, and the content could also become regional. The action-oriented credo of the organisation will position the network as fast, agile and alert.

     

    About Times Network:

    Times Network is part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group.  It houses upscale brands including ET NOW – India’s No. 1 Stocks and Business News channel; MOVIES NOW – India’s leading English Movies channel; ROMEDY NOW – a unique destination for Love and Laughter; TIMES NOW – India’s No. 1 English News channel; and zoOm – India’s No. 1 Bollywood channel. The network delivers segmented and differentiated content under one umbrella. It informs, entertains and engages over 100 million urban affluent viewers in India and is available in over 76 countries across the globe.

     

    For further queries, please contact:

    Jimit Shah / Yasna Mistree

    LinOpinion – GH

    Mobile: 9833228876 / 8652252098

    E-mail: jimit.shah@linopiniongh.com / yasna.mistree@linopiniongh.com

     

  • The company, which started business in September 2009 with Star as a joint venture partner, has now allied with Providence Equity partners

    Star CJ is now Shop CJ, to concentrate on TV-led sales

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    Leading 24/7 home shopping channel Star CJ now has a new name. It dons a new logo and will be called Shop CJ Network Pvt. Ltd..The company, which started business in September 2009 with Star as a joint venture partner, has now allied with Providence Equity partners. According to Shop CJ Network CEO Kenny Shin, Star exited the alliance as it figured that home shopping was not a part of its core competency. “Star wished to focus on the entertainment and sports business, which is why they quit the alliance,” Shin said.

     

    At the launch of the new logo and identity of the network, Shop CJ also presented its new tagline – ‘Shop a new trend’ by which it wishes to cater to a wider spectrum of consumers.“Shop CJ is focused on trends to transform the Indian customer’s lifestyle. We are not focused on discounts and on catering to the customers pockets like our competitors Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon,” said Shop CJ Marketing head Donald Kwang. Kwang stressing that unlike some e-commerce destinations, Shop CJ’s major sales come from its television network. As much as 94 percent of CJ Shop’s sales are from TV, whereas a meagre 6 percent comes from the internet and mobile combined. “For the time being we would like to focus on our television consumers, as they contribute to the largest part of our revenue,” Kwang added.

     

    The rebranding of Shop CJ is to better align the company’s philosophy with its future strategy. Talking about future initiatives, Shop CJ CFO N. Ramakrishnan said, “We are looking to expand in the east and north-east through physical warehouses. We are also looking to enhance our warehouse management system in order to enhance logistics and boost back-end services.” In order to further their stance in the e-commerce market, the company is attempting to understand buying patterns of the Indian consumer. “Indian consumers have a much rationalizsd purchase behavior. If they don’t like a product, or if the quality of the product is not up to the mark, they will send it back. This is why we ensure a high standard of product quality testing,” said Shin.

     

    Other than India, parent CJ O Shopping operates home shopping networks in Korea, China, Japan, Thailand Turkey, Phillipines and Vietnam.

     

  • Replicating existing success stories through variants (called 'formula' in our industry) is fine to a point, but when that becomes the only way of working, you are in for long-term trouble, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Wake up to a World beyond Formulaic Entertainment

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    We are 12 weeks down in 2015, and it’s not been the most action-packed year on the entertainment business front. If you discount the Cricket World Cup, which just happened to be scheduled in this period, and the cautious excitement around BARC, there’s little that the TV industry has to show at the end of the first one-thirds of 2015.

     

    &TV’s launch has been one of the highlight events, but the channel has subsequently stabilised around its launch numbers, now waiting for the next push that could take it into the big league. There have been the regular show launches on Hindi GECs, and some of them have emerged as financially-sound propositions for their channels with above-par ratings, but none of them have made an impact that could fundamentally change the nature of programming in the category.

     

    Ironically, the most exciting programming news of the year so far was around foreign content. HBO brought Game Of Thrones Season 5 to India at the same time as the rest of the world. Despite catering to a niche, it was a move big enough to be taken note of.

     

    But look for other such moves and you would struggle to find much in these four months. The news, the regional, the movie and the kids genres continue to dish out their regular fare. No ideas have been powerful enough to shine through and make an impact.

     

    Star’s immensely successful launch of the Hotstar app is perhaps the biggest television success story of 2015 so far. But if content innovation goes missing, no platform would help over time.

     

    The story is not very different on the Bollywood front. In fact, it’s worse by a margin. Four months down, no Hindi film has crossed the 100 crore mark, which was being seen as ‘too easy’ till a year ago. The only film in line to achieve that benchmark is a foreign film, Furious 7, which has opened and sustained better than any Hindi film this year. And with the next Avengers movie lined up for April 24, we will soon have Hollywood taking the top two spots, while Hindi releases struggle to stay afloat in what is turning out to be the worst period for the industry in about a decade.

     

    At the heart of all these symptoms is the problem of not innovating enough. Replicating existing success stories through variants (called ‘formula’ in our industry) is fine to a point, but when that becomes the only way of working, you are in for long-term trouble.

     

    The audience taste, and exposure to content online and worldwide, is evolving faster than ever before. So while mainline channels struggle to innovate, we have TVF’s Permanent Roommates clocking more than a million views per episode. Before we know it, another couple of online ideas work and we could be talking of a potential dent in television viewership that’s visible on the left side of the decimal point.

     

    Wake up, people. Show us something new, something that stands out as original and exciting, something that truly breaks the clutter, as you like to say.

     

  • New alignment within the group's sales force aimed at meeting higher growth targets with an aggressive approach of Now or Nothing

    Times Network announces slew of appointments

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Network has announced strategic restructuring reflecting a new stronger growth-oriented operating model. The initiative aims at providing significant growth opportunities and greater responsibilities to the existing leadership in the advertising and sales team which will also inculcate the Network’s new brand philosophy of Now or Nothing.

     

    Given the new drive of being aggressive and restructuring, Hemant Arora who was Head Branded content has been elevated as the Sales Head for Times Now & ET Now. Hemant has more than 17 years of experience in media sales, including print, internet and television. He started his career at the Times of India in 1997.

     

    Some of the other structural changes which have been announced are:

    Hersh Bhandari has been given the charge as National Head of Ad Sales for Times Now. Also, Shilpa Shetty has been appointed as National Head of Ad Sales for ET Now. Since joining the channel, she has been instrumental in increasing the revenue of the channel by a phenomenal ratio. Shilpa is a tough taskmaster and is also the first woman to rise to the position of Head of Sales from within Times Network.

     

    To add to the team, Gaurav Dhawan Will take over as Cluster Head for English Entertainment Channels. His 17 years of extensive experience in managing advertising revenue driven business across Television, Print and Web leveraging strong client relationships, gives him an advantage in meeting his challenging new assignment, where he is pitted against TV’s major domo Star’s English Entertainment business. Also, Jogajyoti Pati will take over as National Head of Ad Sales India 2 for Times Network while Rohit Tugnait will take over as the National Head of Ad Sales & Brand Solutions for zoOm.

     

    MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “This refinement in our working model is designed to keep up with the momentum we had been sailing on through whole of the last year. While 2015 was one of hygiene improvements, 2016 will be a watershed year during which we will make an all-out effort to correct our price:value equation and build our revenue base.”

     

  • India TV Yuva awards are given away every year to youth icons who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their respective fields

    India TV Yuva Awards celebrates achievers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Union Ministers Smriti Irani and KirenRijiju, Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor were among youth icons presented with India TV Yuva Awards recently.

     

    The awards were given away at a glittering event held at Taj Palace Hotel. Following the electric opening performance by Prince Dance troupe, Rajat Sharma, Chairman & Editor-in-chief, India TV, welcomed the Senior politicians, Bollywood, Television Sports Stars and captains of industry. During his address, he expressed his happiness over the magnanimous growth in the stature of India TV Yuva Awards. He also outlined that this initiative is solely targeted at inspiring the entire generation of future leaders by way of honoring the Achievers who still have a long way to go in their respective fields.

     

    Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for Home KirenRijiju were conferred the India TV Yuva awards for best young politician, female and male, respectively.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan presented the award to Smriti Irani, while Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat presented the award to KirenRijiju.

     

    Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor won the Special Award that was presented to her by Shatrughan Sinha. Musicians Aman and Ayan Ali Khan were presented Special Award by singer Daler Mehndi. Sonam Kapoor was presented the India TV Yuva award for best female actor by Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal. Arjun Kumar was given the award in best male actor category by Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma.

     

    Cricketer Suresh Raina’s brother collected the Sports Icon Award from Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) V K Singh on his behalf as he is busy playing IPL. Shuttler P V Sindhu got the best female sportsperson award from Congress leader Salman Khurshid.

     

    In the Business category, Neha Kirpal, director of India Art Fair, got the the India TV Yuva Award for best female businessperson from Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav, while Rahul Sharma, co-founder of Micromax was given the award for best male businessperson by senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi.

     

    India TV Yuva awards are given away every year to youth icons who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their respective fields that include politics, sports, music, films, television and business. The awards were instituted in 2013 to honour the most promising young faces of the nation.
    The winners were selected by a jury led by Sarod maestro Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, and included noted personalities like Prasoon Joshi, Vandana Luthra, Prof Pushpesh Pant and India TV Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma.

     

    Speaking about the awards, RituDhawan, Managing Director & CEO of India TV highlighted her faith in Gen Y, “It is these icons who most certainly are making our country proud now & will keep doing so in the future, while they take India to a new high in the times to come. It is indeed an honour for us to honour the spirit of excellence.”

     

  • The change happens with effect from April 27 with several other new shows planned to start alongside a revamp of Uff! Yeh Nadaniyaan as Total Nadaniyaan

    Big Magic goes in for a revamp, will turn into a 24×7 comedy channel

    By A Correspondent

     

    Laughter, the Relaince Broadcast Network management believes, is seriously good business. So from light-hearted humour offerings which Big Magic was at pains to underscore a year back, it’s now going to be a 24×7 comedy channel, in Hindi.

     

    This happens with effect from April 27 and the timing, one media planner put it, is just right given that BARC ratings are scheduled to be unveiled on April 29.

     

    The change will see popular show Uff! Yeh Nadaniyaan going in for a revamp and coming back as Total Nadaniyaan on April 27 at 9.30pm.  Several other new shows are also planned to start alongside.

     

    Talking about the changes and more comedy on the channel, Paritosh Painter, Network Creative Director at RBNL, said: “At Big Magic, we strive to offer content that is only fresh and full of over-the top comedy. Total Nadaniyaan, will bring in a sense of absolute LOL comedy followed by quirky characters represented by the madness of each character.”

     

    Says Chief Strategy Officer Sunil Kumaran: “We believe comedy is emerging as a very relevant genre and we as RBNL shall be tapping into it more extensively across our TV and Radio media platforms.  Big Magic as a  channel promise is to refresh, rejuvenate audience and this new show re-launch is  a step in that direction – poised towards the objective of creating an ultimate comedy destination.”

     

    According to information available, Big Magic is going in for a significant content upgrade with new scripts, characters. There will also be reality and non-reality shows based on international formats. A 360-degree marketing blitz is also planned with a heavy emphasis on radio and the existing RBNL network of media entities.

     

  • 25 outstanding journalists to be honoured with RedInk Awards on 30 April

    NDTV’s Dr Prannoy Roy to be honoured at RedInk Awards in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dr Prannoy Roy, Executive Co-Chairman of NDTV Group, has been awarded the Mumbai Press Club RedInk Award 2015 for Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Journalism for his consistent and pioneering contribution to news television in India. Dr Roy will be honoured for his service to journalism at a glittering ceremony on Thursday, 30th April in Mumbai at the Jamshed Bhaba Auditorium, NCPA, by Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.

     

    Dr Roy along with his wife and journalist Radhika Roy in 1988, were the first to set up a television news production company called New Delhi Television, now called NDTV. In later years, Dr Roy made a mark for his incisive and pioneering coverage of election news and changed the way people consumed TV news with his ground-breaking programmes such as ‘The News Tonight’ and ‘The World This Week’. After years of producing the news for Star News, Dr Roy launched his own broadcasting network with NDTV 24X7, NDTV India and other channels in 2003.

     

    Dr Prannoy Roy was chosen for the RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award from a shortlist of senior editors by a survey among 200 journalists all over India, and a final consideration by the Managing Committee of the Mumbai Press Club. RedInk Lifetime Achievement award winners in previous years include the late Vinod Mehta, Kuldip Nayar, N Ram, and Mrinal Pande.

     

    Judging for the RedInk Awards, which includes as many as 10 categories have just been completed, and as many as 24 journalists who have produced outstanding and impactful stories in calendar 2014 will also receive awards along with Dr Prannoy Roy on 30 April at the NCPA. The judging process proved to be a herculean task with over 800 entries in the print/online category and nearly 250 stories from television journalists. Each of the categories 10 categories had a dedicated jury of senior persons with domain knowledge assigned to judge the entries. A special curator was also assigned to sift the large number of entries in each section and guide the judges.

     

    The judging process brought in well-known names such as Harsh Mariwala, chairman of Marico, for the Business category, Dr Kiran Shaw Mazumdar, chairperson of Biocon, for the Health & Wellness category, Justice Kode and former Mumbai Police commissioner M.N. Singh for the crime category and Sudanshu Vats, CEO of Viacom18 for the ‘Entertainment & Lifestyle’ stories.

     

    Star India is the Presenting Partner for the Mumbai Press Club RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2015. Some of the awards partners includes Aditya Birla Group, Yes Bank, Indiabulls Housing, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Zee Entertainment, Eros International, SevenHills Hospitals and JSW Steel.

     

  • BBC earth inspires audiences by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe

    MSM & BBC Worldwide announce partnership on BBC Earth in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    On Earth Day, Multi Screen Media Private Limited (MSM) and  BBC Worldwide announced the intention to form a strategic partnership to launch BBC Earth, a new premium factual television channel in India.

     

    BBC Worldwide will draw on its extensive catalogue of programming from the BBC’s foremost factual film makers and reputation for excellence in the factual genre, while MSM which runs the Sony network of television channels in the country has extensive experience in operating and distributing television channels in India.

     

    BBC Earth inspires audiences by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe. The channel showcases the work of the world’s foremost factual film makers as it seeks to take audiences on a thrilling journey of discovery. From the smallest creature under the microscope to the limitless expanses of space, BBC Earth brings viewers face to face with heart pounding action, mind blowing ideas and the wonder of being human.

     

  • The channel has introduced a mascot "Binge Baba" to engage and excite viewers

    Star World expects viewers to binge on new offering

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star World is set to launch ‘Amazon.in Presents Star World Weekend Binge’ from 25th April, a property which is designed to bring an all new TV viewing experience to viewers in India. To take this innovation to the next level, Star World has created a robust integrated marketing campaign with the channel’s first-ever mascot – Binge Baba, to add fun and excitement to the campaign.

     

    Star World has conceived Binge Baba to drive home the maxim of the property – it is for those who can’t have enough and want more, in this case, the complete story of a show at one go. As the brand’s voice every weekend, Binge Baba is spreading the message ‘indulgence is good’. The channel is leading all marketing efforts for the property through Binge Baba.

     

    With the support of various engagement activities for this flagship property, multi-dimensional efforts have been initiated across cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to ensure that the show is the talk of the town for months to come. It will also be promoted in upscale shopping malls across metros and at major domestic airports. Star World is also going big on digital through a powerful reach campaign that is being rolled out to target core consumers.

     

    To mark the launch of this innovative property Star World is also rolling out an office contact program with focus on trade in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore by giving key offices and their employees a chance to binge on their favorite ice creams as they get ready to binge watch the biggest international shows on the channel starting this Saturday, 12 PM onwards.

     

    A STAR spokesperson commented: “Star World Weekend Binge will mark a new beginning and set a new trend for consuming content in India and to support this innovative initiative, we have ensured that no stones are left unturned with the marketing of this property. Our objective was to create a differentiated marketing campaign and developing a mascot like Binge Baba is a step in that direction. The character has already gained popularity amongst our core target audiences on digital and we are very excited with the positive response and sentiments that are being built for this weekend innovation of ours.”

     

    Keeping in mind the growing need for uninterrupted entertainment, Star World Weekend Binge will give viewers a chance to watch all seasons of television’s popular series at one go, thereby showcasing more than 1200 hours of award –winning shows from the biggest studios, and premiering more than 30 shows across 52 weekends for its viewers. The Binge line-up includes popular shows like How to Get Away with Murder, Homeland, 2 Broke Girls, Modern Family, Two and a Half Men and Agents of SHIELD, among several others.

     

  • This is indeed big news. Sony Max has earned 306 GRPs in Week 16 of 2015 as per TAM ratings even as Star Plus has got only 254 GRPs, losing 26 from last week. Interestingly Colors and Zee haven’t lost much, though Sab has lost 11 GRPs

    Sony Max goes past Star Plus in TAM Week 16

    This is indeed big news. Sony Max has earned 306 GRPs in Week 16 of 2015 as per TAM ratings even as Star Plus has got only 254 GRPs, losing 26 from last week. Interestingly Colors and Zee haven’t lost much, though Sab has lost 11 GRPs. This is of course early days of the IPL still.

     

    These are highlights of the IPL numbers:

    • 14 matches of IPL 8 were sampled by 145 million unique viewers.
    • Time Spent by Viewers per match was 49 Minutes and 4 Seconds; which is 17% more compared to IPL 7.
    • Avg. TVTs showed a growth of 31% for IPL 8 compared to IPL 7.
    • 14 matches of IPL 8 garnered 4.1% Avg.TVR which was 30% more compared to its previous edition.
    • 54% of the All India Universe tuned to watch IPL 8 matches.

     

    Do take a look at the ratings.

     

     

     

     

  • He had joined the group in February 2015 and quit the group last week citing personal reasons

    Adarsh Mishra quits Mi Marathi Live as Business Head

    By A Correspondent

     

    Seasoned media professional Adarsh Mishra has put in his papers as Business Head of Mi Marathi Live, a Marathi daily launched by the group that also runs news channels Live India and . Mr Mishra led the newspaper’s high profile launch last month.

     

    Confirming the news, Mr Mishra, who had joined the Mi Marathi Live group in February 2015, said that he will disclose the details of project that he is likely to launch soon. “Yes, it will be in the news media space,” he disclosed. The information on his quitting was ratified by a source in the Mi Marathi Live group. Mr Mishra has worked with Diligent Media Corporation (dna) and Lokmat amongs others.

     

  • The two brand films aimed at engaging the audiences to the most significant period in the evolution of Indian Cinema

    Zee Classic unveils new positioning – ‘Woh Zamaana, Kare Deewana’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Classic unveiled its brand films highlighting its core proposition of ‘Woh Zamaana, Kare Deewana’ during the telecast of its celebrated musical concert ‘RD Night’ on Sunday, April 26, 2015. The two brand films aimed at engaging the audiences to the most significant period in the evolution of Indian Cinema.

     

    Designed and developed by Whyness and produced by Abstract Films, the films are directed by Pariskhit Vaidya.  They encapsulate the ethos of bringing alive an era of films that not only enchanted but was also revered by the audiences. Rehashing the cult classic path-breaking films such as Padosan and Sholay, the brand films reconstruct the scenes merged with contemporary situations and characters.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Ruchir Tiwari, Business Head, Hindi Movies Cluster, ZEEL said “Zee Classic is a trendsetter within the cluttered television environment and its success lies in the truly distinct content. Classics, in its true sense, embody the cultural and cinematic roots that exude timeless warmth transcending generations. Zee Classic with its tagline of ‘Woh Zamaana, Kare Deewana’, promises to bring home the eternal magic of classic Hindi cinema. However, in order to make the content relevant for today, we are recreating those immersive moments with our brand films that will resonate with our dedicated audiences.

     

    The insight behind our new brand films is simple – classic cinema in its intrinsic value has the ability to transport you to a different world which today’s films rarely do and that is also in sync with our positioning Bhool Jao Sab Kuch aur Kho Jao Zee Classic ki Haseen Duniya Mein. With the best collection of movies spanning several eras of Indian Cinema, we are setting out to indulge our audiences to the finest treats.”