MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • The change in the distribution subsidiary’s name does not affect or impact its business with customers and stakeholders in any way

    MSMMD rebranded to SPN Distribution

    By A Correspondent

     

    MSM Media Distribution (MSMMD), the distribution arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has announced a change in its name and will now be called Sony Pictures Networks Distribution India Pvt. Ltd. The name change reflects SPN’s broader vision and is part of the alignment process to its parent company Sony Pictures Networks India. The new name is effective immediately. The change in the distribution subsidiary’s name does not affect or impact its business with customers and stakeholders in any way.

     

    With its core focus on distributing a wide array of world class television channels, spanning across different genres and languages through multiple content delivery platforms, Sony Pictures Networks Distribution Pvt. Ltd reaches out to over 120 million households in over 9000 towns in India. The company also distributes the TV Today Network channels India Today, Aaj Tak and Tez.

     

  • The agency will be mandated to handle the airtime as well as sponsorship sales for the channel in the UK

    Times Now signs up Sky Media for ad sales in the UK

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Now was recently launched in the UK market and is now strengthening its ad sales in the market. The channel has received good initial response to its programming and is positive about its rapid growth.

     

    In a partnership of sorts for two big media players, Times Now has brought on board Sky Media to handle their ad sales duties in the UK. Sky Media, the largest media sales agency in the UK, will be Times Now’s exclusive ad sales partner for all mainstream sales in the region. The agency will be mandated to handle the airtime as well as sponsorship sales for the channel in the UK.

     

    Times Now has also recently taken on board Tarun Sawhney as the country sales manager based in London to manage all the channel sales and marketing in UK and for all Times Network’s channels in India for clients in the region.

     

    With the intent to grow its mainstream sales, Times Now tested on Barb in February and has become barb rated since April.

     

    Naveen Chandra, Head International Business, Times Network said, “Times Now has had consistent ratings leadership in India and in other markets due to its product differentiation with high quality, hard-hitting journalism for the last ten years. We are happy to introduce this strong News product to the South Asian TV audiences in the UK, and build it with smart local marketing initiatives. In Sky Media sales, we believe we have the perfect sales partner for leveraging our product strengths.”

     

    Richard Hawking, Operations Director of Sky Media said, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to add Times Now to our extensive portfolio of South Asian targeted channels; it adds another dimension to our offering for advertisers with great news content for a continually growing and important audience.”

     

  • The tag line 'Har Din Utsav' is indicative of the network's attempt to offer viewers a reason to celebrate with the biggest and best stars on the channel

    With an eye on rural, Star to launch ‘Star Utsav Movies’

    By A Correspondent

     

    The three Cs which sell the most in our country are ‘Cricket, Cinema and Crime’. But let us keep aside crime for a while and focus on the other two. We already have an overdose of cricket with the Indian Premiere League (IPL) and other upcoming cricket fixtures. And, now for movie lovers out there, Star India, has announced the launch date of a free to air (FTA) Hindi Movies channel, Star Utsav Movies, which will be an exclusive offering for the rural market.

     

    Said Hemal Jhaveri, General Manager – Star Gold, Movies Ok, Star Gold HD and Star Utsav Movies in a communiqué:  “We are excited to announce the launch of Star Utsav Movies on May 28, India’s first ‘Truly Rural’ Hindi movie channel. With the advent of BARC, rural markets took the centerstage with more than half of the TV viewership coming from the heartland.  Our analysis indicated that there was a clear need gap in this category since 25 per cent of the total viewership came from movies, but the Hindi movie genre share is a miniscule 5 per cent. This is because of the non-availability of good content from the existing Hindi movie channels in the FTA space.”

     

    According to Jhaveri, Star Utsav Movies has been designed with the rural viewer in mind. The insights from research gave the network a perspective about the triggers that dictate the audiences’ approach towards life and entertainment needs. The tag line ‘Har Din Utsav’ is indicative of the network’s attempt to offer viewers a reason to celebrate with the biggest and best stars on the channel

     

    To drive reach and awareness for the new channel, a multi-media launch campaign has already kickstarted which will help Star India Network build awareness. Besides, the promotion also includes an aggressive radio plan besides unique brand experiences for viewers on ground across villages in key markets.

     

  • The thought process of avoiding IPL is based on sound marketing logic. When there is disruption and distraction around, you can get lost in the noise, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: GECs in a Promotional Traffic Jam Post-IPL

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    We are just two games away. This Sunday night, the ninth edition of the IPL will be out of the way. Out of the way for the rest of the mainstream media, especially GECs and big-budget Hindi films, who stay away from taking panga with the league. Since 2008, when the IPL started, this has been the tradition, barring a few exceptions.

     

    The Friday after the IPL final has become a key week for Bollywood releases. Only five new Hindi GEC shows have gone on-air since the IPL started, two of them in non-match hours (before 8pm). A typical month over the last five years sees six launches. At that rate, we should have seen at least 11 launches in the IPL period.

     

    Clearly, IPL is the thing to avoid. After all, most shows do not come with an expiry date, and shifting a launch by a few weeks only means extending a long-running show by the same period. Piece of cake!

     

    The thought process of avoiding IPL is based on sound marketing logic. When there is disruption and distraction around, you can get lost in the noise. IPL certainly impacts the viewing patterns in a predominantly single-TV India, shifting the control over the remote, with complex negotiations that families have worked out for themselves over the years. In such a scenario, a new launch could be easily given a skip.

     

    But is it as simple as that? Nine to-be-launched Hindi GEC shows are being promoted aggressively by various channels currently, all slated to go on-air from this Monday (May 30) till the end of June. At least three others may announce their June presence soon. So we have two months’ quota being delivered in one month. Add to that the various events and movie premieres, and you realise the problem is back!

     

    Part 2 of the problem is equally important to state. Many existing shows will plan a major plot point in the month of June, leading to promotional focus. IPL is out of the way for them too. We may see a couple of leaps, some new characters and a few maha-episodes and maha-sangams.

     

    The very disruption and clutter that led to the IPL being ducked is going to be on full display in June. The viewer’s appetite to handling new shows is fairly limited. Even the most seasoned viewers cannot recall more than two upcoming shows unaided. In such a scenario, the more high-profile launches on bigger channels like Colors and Star Plus will still make the cut, but the problem multiplies significantly for the next set of channels, who do not have that kind of daily reach or equity currently.

     

    The GECs will be caught in a promotional traffic jam this June. Time for one of them to come up with a fresh, almost lateral, approach to manage the IPL in 2017?

     

  • Chawla will continue to be Business Head of Essel Vision Productions Limited/Zee Studios

    Akash Chawla to be Biz Head of Zee TV, Deepak Rajadhyaksha is Dy Biz Head

    By A Correspondent

     

    Akash Chawla

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has announced the appointment of Akash Chawla and Deepak Rajadhyaksha as Business Head and Deputy Business Head respectively of flagship channel Zee TV.

     

    In the new structure, Akash Chawla, in addition to his current portfolio as Business Head- Essel Vision Productions Limited/Zee Studios for content creation on films, television and digital will now also take charge as Business Head of Zee TV.  In his earlier broadcasting stint, Chawla has spearheaded the marketing function for the flagship and national channels like ZeeTV, Zee Cinema and Zee Classic. He has also played a key role in the launch of channels like &pictures, Zee Anmol and Zindagi. All the functions of Zee TV like marketing, research and PR will align with Chawla going forward.

     

    Deepak Rajadhyaksha, who has been Business Head of  Zee Marathi will now take charge as the Deputy Business Head, Zee TV. The entire programming, OAP and Operations team would align and report to Rajadhyaksha and he will report to Akash Chawla. Both will work closely with ZEEL – MD & CEO, Punit Goenka.

     

  • The new season of Splitsvilla was launched and this year the theme will be 'Where women rule'

    Women rule in Splitsvilla 9

    By A Correspondent

     

    Once upon a time, there were six princesses. 15 warriors were fighting to get the attention of these six princesses and rule the kingdom of love. Worry not! We are not narrating a fairytale. This is the basic premise of Splitsvilla 9.

     

    MTV is back with its high profile show of finding love. This year the show is hailing women power, with a mix of love and power-play, giving women the authority to call the shots with its new theme, ‘Where women rule’. It will be hosted by Rannvijay Singha and Sunny Leone. 15 boys will be pitted against each other to impress six girls. This time, some of the male contestants will be known faces while some will be new.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia at the launch, Ferzad Palia, Head- Youth and English Entertainment at Viacom18, said: “It is a consumer shift that we are seeing across the country, where women are finally coming up to claim their own right place be it in society, corporate world or anywhere. People have spoken about it; there has been faff than actual action. As a brand, we are very passionate about the fact that women need to be given their due respect and men need to learn respecting them. It is happening but the more that the brands that youths look up to, if we can push it, which is great., ” about the theme. He also added that over the years, the age group of viewers has also evolved since there has been a rise in slightly elder audiences tuning in to watch the show, which shows that Indian consumers are ready for such bold content.This is the third year that actor Sunny Leone returns to host Splitsvilla 9. “I am thrilled to be back on Splitsvilla 9 more so because the ultimate power lies in the hands of women,” she said.

     

    The show that has been shot in the colonial town of Pondicherry will witness the boys going to any and every extent to make the woman of their choice happy. They will make their every move worthwhile to not only win the heart of the girls but also to survive and win the reigns in this game of love.

     

    “I think what works for MTV content is that we keep evolving year after year. So, to have so many hit shows, and have the same format evolve year after year, it almost becomes a different show in itself. It does not happen by fluke. There is a lot research that goes in, a lot of this is created by design. So, we work very hard behind the scenes, which is why when we put out our Youth Marketing Forum research, a lot of people come to listen because they know exactly what MTV is talking about. So, I think research is a very integral part of what we do and that helps us stay one step ahead of the curve,” Palia said, adding that Season 9 of Splitsvilla is scheduled to start on June 11, 2016 on MTV.

     

    But today people tend to be offended if they disagree with a certain aspect of the content or the content as whole; how does one deal with it without disrupting the reality of the show? “We have dealt with it for many years, we are not being any more careful now than we were a few years back. Self-censorship is extremely important. We understand the laws of the land. We will always be a brand that pushes it to the edge but does not over step the line. We understand that we are television, very very mass medium. You could end up hurting sentiments, unintentionally sort of guiding the youth in the wrong direction; which we will never do. We are the voice of the youth. It is tough but people getting offended are age old. Today, if someone gets offended they put up a post, tweet but you just have to work within the parameters. There is no content that will work for everyone. As long your intentions are good it will largely be okay. ” he said.

     

  • 100+ FIRs against pirating networks in last 12 months due to Star India’s anti-piracy campaign

    Star India clamps down on pay channels piracy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Continuing its no-tolerance stand against illegal transmission/re-transmission of Pay TV Channels by cable operators indulging in piracy of STAR TV signals, officials of STAR TV filed complaints against cable operators in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which led to police raids on their premises, arrests and seizures of equipment. The raids were conducted at the control rooms of RST Digital (Karnataka), Ganesh Communication (AP) and Tanishq Communications (MP), who were found indulging in illegal transmission/re-transmission of the Star Pay channels.

     

    Over the last 12 months, Star India’s anti-piracy campaign has resulted in 100+ FIRs against pirating networks across the country.

     

    The rampant issue of piracy in India has deprived the broadcast industry of reach as well as revenue worth thousands of crores. It is widely believed that the Piracy menace impacts the television medium the most with cable operators under-reporting their subscribers as well as indulging in illegal transmission/re-transmission of the pay channels, resulting in significant losses to the broadcasters as well as the government exchequer.

     

    While the implementation of Digitally Addressable Systems (DAS) in the country will be a big corrective and preventive step, the implementation of DAS all over the country is yet to be done. In the interim, Star India, since the last few years, has adopted a policy of “zero tolerance” against operators indulging in illegal transmission/re-transmission of the Star Pay Channels.

     

  • Latest step in the collaboration between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and ESPN across both TV and digital

    ESPN unveils local multi-sport digital products for India

    By A Correspondent

     

    In line with its long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), ESPN has introduced an exciting new mobile-first multi-sport digital offering in India with the launch of the ESPN.in website and the ESPN app.

     

    With an emerging multi-sport landscape in India, the new site and app will further reinforce ESPN’s market leadership, authority and expertise in digital media, bringing an elegant, lively and more personal sports experience to Indian and subcontinent fans across mobiles, tablets and computers. ESPN.in site and app will also be carrying rights video content for sporting events from SONY LIV, SPN’s digital streaming platform, and SPN’s new SONY ESPN sports channels. India is the first market outside the United States to see the launch of a localized edition of ESPN’s signature app.

     

    From mainstream sports in India and the subcontinent, to the best of ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of global sports that interest South Asian fans, ESPN.in and the ESPN app will bring fans closer to the games, leagues and athletes they love via world-class digital products.

     

    Both the site and app will offer the best cricket coverage (powered by ESPNcricinfo), but also give fans a one-stop destination for world-class news, features and videos across sports currently underserved by any digital offering in the region, such as football, hockey, badminton, tennis, Formula 1, kabaddi and more.

     

    The new ESPN.in and ESPN app brings Indian and subcontinent fans a clean, dynamic presentation for ESPN’s content and storytelling, including scores, news, video, features, stats and more. Additionally, they will feature LIVE streaming video content of select sporting events in collaboration with SONY LIV.

     

    Ramesh Kumar, Vice President, Head of ESPN India and South Asia said: “ESPN has a strong connection with fans in India and around the world because we are fans ourselves, driven by a similar obsession for sports. The launch of our multi-sport products showcases our digital leadership and offers sports fans outstanding news, features and video experiences around top sports of interest to Indian fans. They also provide the perfect complement to our television collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India as well as reinforce ESPN’s signature ‘Game around the Game’ analysis across platforms.”

     

    Uday Sodhi, Executive Vice President & Head, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “Sony LIV has been instrumental in bringing the best of entertainment to the digital millennials. Sports is an integral part of our offering. Together with ESPN, we are geared to increase our offering manifold.”

     

  • Witness the achievements of India’s finest luminaries of the year 2015

    CNN-News18 announces 10th edition of ‘Indian of the Year’

    By A Correspondent

     

    After nine successful years of honouring individuals and organisations that embody the spirit of excellence, CNN-News18 is set to celebrate the iconic Indians who have made a significant contribution to our society with their achievements in 2015. CNN-News18 presents the 10th edition of its flagship initiative – ‘Indian of the Year’ (IOTY), which over the years has become one of the biggest and most credible awards in Indian media. The winners will be felicitated at a glittering ceremony to be held at Taj Palace, New Delhi on 9th June, 2016.

     

    Instituted in 2006, the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year has over the years achieved prestige and credibility unmatched by others in the media industry. The award distinguishes itself by celebrating not only exemplary individuals and their achievements but also the ideas that have inspired India and impacted lives.

     

    The awards adhere to a transparent and robust selection procedure that includes the Editorial Board drawing up a list of nominees, further leading to the final selection of winners by a Jury comprising a select group of distinguished personalities. This year’s jury panel includes Soli Sarabjee, Former Attorney General of India, Kiran Karnik, Former President of NASSCOM, Kunal Bahl, Co-Founder & CEO of Snapdeal, Harish Salve, Leading Lawyer and Former Solicitor General of India, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & MD of Biocon, Deepak Parekh, Chairman of HDFC, Mohanlal V Nair, Noted Thespian and Leander Paes, Tennis Champion.

     

    The carefully selected categories for the awards are Sports, Entertainment, Business and Public Service. Other achievers are awarded under the categories of Special Achievement, Outstanding Achievement, Special Jury Award and Lifetime Achievement. One individual/organisation will be bestowed with the coveted ‘Indian of the Year’ Award for their indelible contribution to society. Over the years, the recipients of this prestigious award have included the likes of PM Narendra Modi, NGO Stop Acid Attacks, Vishwanathan Anand, AR Rahman, Team Chandrayan and E. Sreedharan.

     

    Commenting on the announcement of the Awards, Radhakrishnan Nair, Managing Editor, CNN-News18, said, “I take great pride in the fact that Indian of the Year has seen immense success and acceptance as an institute that has over the years established itself as an exemplary model for Indian media awards. The 10th edition of the awards marks a tremendous milestone for CNN-News18 and we look forward to a great show honouring the winners.”

     

  • Calling for arrests and giving primetime importance to something that shouldn't have made it to television in the first place is a sign of our times, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Highly Non-troversial: When Snapchat Videos Become News

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Pointless controversies have kept our media buzzing for about a decade now. When Indian celebrities started taking to Twitter a few years ago, using social media as a source of news collection and reporting became an acceptable proposition. Slowly but surely, such news made its way into the primetime and on the first page. Then, it became a topic of news debates.

     

    But nothing beats the silliness of the ‘non-troversy’ of this week. The Tanmay Bhatt Snapchat video spoofing Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar offended many Indians. Being allowed to take offence is a sign of a thriving democracy. But calling for arrests and giving primetime importance to something that shouldn’t have made it to television in the first place is a sign of our times.

     

    It’s a sign of how news-starved our channels are, and how publicity-hungry several celebrities, starlets and politicians are. What’s there to even debate on the said video? It’s a piece of humour with no social or national security ramifications. And this is not the first time we have seen celebrities been spoofed. Why should the idea of a whether a spoof is acceptable or not depend on who’s being spoofed? The constant use of ‘Bharat Ratna’ in the argument made us non-Bharat Ratna-winners seem like worthless algae.

     

    In a mature society that respects its art, the response of an artist who felt disgusted at the video would have been to put up a piece of work (a Snapchat repartee or an open letter, perhaps) to counter the one that offended him or her. But we have no such luck, do we? Our model is simple enough. Our ‘celebrities’ will tweet their disgust against something like the video in question. News channels, forever on a Twitter prowl, will handpick the most interesting tweets, and a taskforce will be put to get them to appear on the primetime show. Not that it’s a challenge. The other side is ever eager anyway.

     

    Yet, there are some appearances that can perplex you. How would Rakesh Bedi, an actor who’s largely inactive now and hasn’t tweeted for two months, make it to a primetime debate? Who would even come up with the idea? Answers to questions like these can make for fascinating reading in a book called “How TV Channels Run”.

     

    If you thought this was a controversy big enough, brace yourself for what’s to follow over the next three weeks. Udta Punjab is coming up, but a messy mix of certification board, courts, state governments and religious-cum-political ‘activists’ will thwart its flight. And Udta Punjab’s battle to get a fair release will only be a trailer to what is likely to happen to Dangal later this year.

     

    Enjoy the chaos. For it is a reflection of what we have become.

     

  • Going free to air will help rural India explore moments of optimism and become more informed, said Zee Media Corp Exec Director and CEO RK Arora

    Zee News goes FTA

    RK Arora

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee News is going free to air with effect from today (June 8).

     

    Said R K Arora, Executive Director and CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd, on the development: “Zee News’ mission has always been to nurture more informed and aware citizens, and hence we decided that Zee News will go Free To Air (FTA). This will aid rural India to explore moments of optimism and become more informed, creating value and making a difference to their lives.”

     

    Sudhir Chaudhary

    Added Sudhir Chaudhary, Editor, Zee News: “My innumerable interactions with people across India had revealed their urge to view Zee News even in remote locations, but were unable to afford a paid channel,” adding: “With Zee News going free to air, our constant endeavour to create news for public welfare will now finally also impact millions of lives in rural India.”

     

  • A 360-degree marketing offensive planned as more action and drama to be packed in Season 2 of '24'

    Colors to launch Season 2 of ’24’ in July

    By Anuka Roy

     

    “When you meet someone for the first time, there is chemistry, magic and love at first sight. That is what happened between me and Anil.” This is how Raj Nayak, CEO of Colors, described the channel’s association with Anil Kapoor’s popular show ‘24’. Colors unveiled the first look of its show 24: Season 2 amidst much fanfare at PVR Icon, Mumbai.

     

    Speaking to the media, Anil Kapoor, who plays the protagonist Jai Singh Rathod said, “We are exploring different plotlines to enhance content relatibility, shooting at multiple real locations outside Mumbai, and ramping up the production scale to enhance the overall television viewing experience. I also thank the entire team of Colors for being with us in this journey and see our labour of love fructify.” The show is co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Company and Ramesh Deo Productions.

     

    Given the scale of production, marketing plays a very important role in the show’s existence. “We launched this show like a movie because the scale and size of the show deserves that kind of attention. We launched the four-and-a-half minutes trailer which is on Twitter right now. We have learnt what the target markets are, which medium works better from the last season. So, we will tweak it but you will see us everywhere. We will be in print, radio, outdoor, cinemas; in terms of marketing it is going to be one of our biggest properties for this year,” said Nayak about the marketing strategy to make the show much bigger than what it was last season.

     

    Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is presenting sponsor and Oppo mobiles is the ‘powered by’ sponsor. RS Kalsi, Executive Director, Maketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, spoke about the association at the launch, he said, “S-Cross is a premium offering, which offers a unique combination of power and performance of a SUV and the comfort and refinement of a sedan. The target audience that 24 caters to and its genre allow us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross and 24, which makes it an ideal crossover.” Since cars play an important role in the series, this association is indeed perfect. Even though Kalsi is quick to add that the product placement in the series is not very in-your-face but subtly blends in to the storyline.

     

    “Oppo mobiles have been game-changer in the mobile devices industry through its innovation and leadership and so is the show 24. Our alliance with the show enables us to draw synergies with the show’s target audience and cater to their needs while increasing market penetration and brand recall,”said Sky Li, VP of Oppo and the MD of International mobile business and President of Oppo India.

     

    Season 2 of 24 is being directed by Abhinay Deo and Rensil D’Silva. Along with the cast and crew of the show, Aamir Khan and Sonam Kapoor were also present to support the show at the media briefing.

     

    The show will premiere on July 17, but the time slot has not been decided yet.