MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • The channels have reportedly shown some hugely abnormal sparks in recent times, and there are some who say this would've happened without tampering of meters

    BARC shows it has b*l*s. Suspends measurement of India News, TV9 & V6 for 4 weeks

    By A Correspondent

     

    In our April 1 ‘All Fool’s Day’ edition, we had carried a news report that BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta was going to be given Z-plus security given that he was threatened with crazy consequences.

     

    On Thursday, Dasgupta and the BARC bosses did the impossible: pulled the plug off three leading channels for four weeks. Yes, India News, TV9 and V6 will not be measured for four weeks due to “suspected malafide practices”. The channels have reportedly shown some hugely abnormal sparks in recent times, and there are some who say this would’ve happened without tampering of meters.

     

    A move as significant as this couldn’t have happened without the blessings of the BARC board which is populated by some of the biggest names in the business. BARC ownership lies 60% with broadcasters, 20% each with advertisers and advertising agencies. All three represented by IBF, ISA and AAAI.

     

    India News, which also runs NewsX is a formidable player now as are TV9 and V6 in Telugu. Expect some fireworks soon.

     

  • New leaders bring experience and and specialist skills to spearhead business evolution and expansion beyond linear

    Dicovery announces host of appointments for Asia Pacific region

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery announced it is strengthening its central Corporate Leadership Team in Asia Pacific with key appointments.  These being: Nikhil Madhok, Karun Arya, Rebecca Kent and Darrel Chan.  Commenting on the appointments, Arthur Bastings, President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks Asia Pacific said: “We are laser focused on re-inventing our existing space and growing our business beyond linear across Asia. The new leadership team members bring with them strong entrepreneurial drive and a disruptive mindset. I am thrilled to welcome them on board as we step up our efforts to redefine our product and business portfolio in the region.”

     

    Madhok who is designated SVP, Head of Products, will spearhead the re-development of the company’s product suite and champion a strong maker culture in the organisation, notes a communiqué. He will join in January 2017. Rebecca Kent is VP Business Transformation and has joined the organisation in September based in London. Darrell Chan will be VP Regional Counsel and he will join on February 1. 2017. Meanwhile, Karun Arya has joined as Director, Head of Corporate Communications from Uber.

     

  • Focuses on High Definition TV Viewing for regional subscribers

    DishTV adds new regional HD channels on its platform

    By A Correspondent

     

    Catering to the demand of regional viewers and bringing them under the HD umbrella, DishTV has added three new regional HD channels to its HD offerings. With addition of these channels, DishTV encourages regional language subscribers to opt for HD TV viewing in their preferred language such as Marathi and Bangla.

     

    Announcing this new development, CEO Arun Kapoor said, “DishTV has always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and believes in providing the maximum and the best in entertainment to its subscribers. Our endeavour is to increase affinity with our audiences by providing them the choice of content they would like to watch.  With a sharp focus on regional language content, the move aims at connecting strongly with the regional language subscribers. Addition of three new regional HD channels will not only strengthen our presence in the HD space but will also diversify our offerings.”

     

    The newly added channels from DishTV include Zee Marathi HD, Zee Bangla HD and Colors Marathi HD. With these additions, DishTV has taken the total count of HD channels on its platform from 56 to 59. DishTV’s newly added channels will be available to the subscriber for a free preview till December 28, 2016.

     

  • Irrespective of whether you watched Arnab Goswami or not, or what your replacement anchor is, a vacuum has certainly been left behind, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Life after Arnab

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s been about two weeks since Arnab Goswami went off-air, and it may be a while before we see him a hosting primetime news show again. Over a decade, and especially since 26/11/2008, Goswami had built a cult following that does not have any parallel in India’s news economy. You either loved him or hated him. There were no in-betweens. And even his harshest critics, including those running competition channels, could not ignore him.

     

    Clones of the Newshour show mushroomed across English, Hindi and regional news channels over the last five years. Journalists with more years on their CV than Goswami’s were forced to adapt to a new style of reporting and debating, where taking a stand and pushing it through was not only seen as legitimate, it became the only valid style of journalism.

     

    It’s fair to say that Arnab Goswami has transformed the Indian news landscape. The jury will be out for a long time on whether this transformation is a positive one. But it’s a transformation alright.

     

    I’ve been a fairly ardent viewer of the Newshour show over years, though there was always the need to take occasional detox breaks from the show. If you have been an ardent follower of the man yourself, you would know that there are many around us who would judge us for watching and liking him. “How can you watch these meaningless shouting matches every night!”

     

    To confess, sometimes, I even questioned if I had bad taste in news. But I couldn’t really get off the show. And today, I know why. Because there are simply no viable alternatives. Over the last two weeks, in search of a primetime news show I can gravitate towards, now that Goswami is off-air, I tried all the English news channel options available, right from 8 to 11pm. What you get is not very encouraging.

     

    Many of these shows are clones of the Arnab format, and in a very ‘wannabe’ way too. And the others are simply deathly boring, with no personality to keep you interested.

     

    News is available online through the day. Hence, primetime telecast cannot possibly be about headlines, especially in the English category, where a majority of audiences are well connected digitally. It has to take the agenda forward and provide something more than just telling us what happened. When Goswami decided to use debating as the format of his primetime show a few years ago, was it a conscious way of differentiating against the omnipresence of news online, I wonder!

     

    The search on the English news genre being futile, I moved to the Hindi news category. In Ravish Kumar, I found the closest option. There are two things Kumar and Goswami share. Both have strong, well-defined personalities, be it their style of talking or taking a dig or just commenting on the state of affairs. These personalities, while distinct from each other, have a strong sense of wit and bravado, almost nonchalance, woven into them. They are anything but boring.

     

    The second connecting element between the two is their confidence to take a stand on a topic and see it through with commentary that’s decisive. In this, I like Kumar even more, because his articulation is more colourful and vivid.

     

    But Ravish Kumar does not do multi-window debates. And hence, much as he’s a good replacement, he has not been able to fill the Arnab Goswami vacuum for me.

     

    But irrespective of whether you watched Goswami or not, or what your replacement anchor is, a vacuum has certainly been left behind. Will we see an Indian news journalist as powerful and influential as him again in our lifetime? I won’t bet on that. So, I would rather wait for him to make an on-air comeback soon.

     

    Now that’s a good 2017 wish to have.

     

  • The demise of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was news big enough to dwarf everything else that was happening around us, including the hot topic for November – demonetisation., writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Shailesh Kapoor: Death Of The Obituary

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s been another busy week for the news industry. The demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa earlier in the week was news big enough to dwarf everything else that was happening around us, including the hot topic for November – demonetisation.

    The Chief Minister has been maintaining ill-health for a while now, but it all began late night on Sunday, when she apparently suffered a cardiac arrest at the Apollo Hospital, where she was being treated. She passed away Monday late night.

    In that relatively short period of less than 24 hours, we saw frenzied news activity. That included an evening rumour that she was no more. Some Tamil news channels flashed the news, and sections of the media picked it up. This included Jaya TV, a network owned by the Chief Minister herself! It required a hurried press release from the hospital to set the record straight.

    That drama was only a precursor to what was to follow. By 10pm, it seemed apparent that the official announcement of the Chief Minister’s demise is not far away. The story was given a distinctive thriller feel. ‘What will happen now’ was the operating question.

    When the AIIMS doctors team left the venue and vehicle movement between the hospital and the Chief Minister’s residence started, a young India Today (channel) journalist, reporting from outside the hospital, said: “It seems something much bigger, much better is going to be announced soon.”

    Now that may have been just a slip of tongue. Most field journalists have poor English (wrong choice of words is not uncommon in routine stories). But there’s a meaning to the “bigger and better” here. It meant bigger news, better news.

    Channels, especially their field staff in Chennai, had been reporting on the events of the day for almost 20 hours without a break. They were starting to suffer from news fatigue. The viewer may have only tuned in an hour ago, but for the channels, what happened earlier in the day was already stale news. Their patience was being tested. They wanted to move on. Report the inevitable death, secretly hoping it gets announced in the prime time and not late night.

    But there was no waiting beyond a point anyway. Obituaries had started during the day itself. Jayalalithaa was being referred to in the past tense. The succession plan of AIADMK was being discussed. Life had moved on, even as death waited.

    The next morning, though, was even more striking. By 7am, channels were in official “obituary” mode. Except that the meaning of the word has changed significantly, one realised. The new definition may as well be: “Hurriedly-put together footage with Wikipedia information to go with it”.

    The mood of the morning was not somber, by any stretch of imagination. In the age of T20 news, there is no time to take an introspective position on a story today, it seems. The obituary is dead. It’s made way for news drama. Long live the obituary.

    One wondered if the lack of poise and grace in the coverage was a function of the person in question. The more one thought of it, one concluded that even if the most revered politician passed away today, the discourse will be very similar in tone and tenor. A combination of the news paradigm of the day and lack of respect for the political class as a whole will ensure this.

    At the end of it all, if you wanted to know more about Jayalalithaa, you had a destination that would beat all news channels hollow. It’s called the internet.

     

  • Established in July 2010 and incorporated as an Indo Asian News Channel Pvt. Ltd., Reporter TV is the first journalist driven news channel from South India. Reporter TV

    Reporter TV partners with Aidem Ventures for their ad sales

    By A Correspondent

     

    Aidem Ventures has signed an agreement with Reporter TV for the ad sales monetisation of their TV channel and digital platform.  Established in July 2010 and incorporated as an Indo Asian News Channel Pvt. Ltd., Reporter TV is the first journalist-driven news channel from South India. Reporter TV thrives not only to deliver quality news but also for providing unprejudiced & socially responsible news and current affairs. The channel has been on air since 13th May 2011 and has already made a mark in the socio-political arena in Kerala.

     

    V Nikesh Kumar

    Announcing the news, V Nikesh Kumar, Chairman, Reporter TV said, “With Reporter TV and Reporter Live, our motive is to reach out to the news-buff audience not only across Kerala but globally with unbiased and ethical journalism. We distinguish ourselves as a news platform with our bold content adept to bring about a revolution. Aidem’s association will be highly beneficial to network with the best of Indian advertisers to leverage our unique platform for the finest TV & digital promotional opportunities.”

     

     

    Alok Rakshit

    Added Alok Rakshit, President of Aidem Ventures: “Aidem being a versatile media house leaves no stone unturned to bridge the gap between the partners and advertisers. We have a boastful cluster of partners ranging from regional to international TV channels, sports and entertainment shows. The newest feathers in Aidem’s cap, Reporter TV & Reporter Live give the advertisers, TV & digital benefits coupled with global viewership. Understanding the potential of Reporter Live, we are confident of driving its business to a new height.”

     

  • The brand reinforces its impetus to be the ultimate provider of relevant and evocative entertainment across varied genres

    SonyLIV undergoes revamp, unveils new logo & positioning

    By A Correspondent

     

    SonyLIV, the digital entertainment platform with content for audiences across genres has unveiled a refreshed brand identity. The renewed brand ethos “We LIV to Entertain” endeavours to make SonyLIV the “ultimate destination” for rich entertainment across genres, screen types and audience preferences. With its new positioning, the brand underlines its commitment to fulfilling the most basic and pressing of human needs – that for robust, high-quality entertainment.

     

    To complement its brand ethos, SonyLIV has also rolled out a new logo which encompasses a full spectrum of colours with a young, energetic and self-effacing approach. The logo represents the brand’s intent on filling the lives of viewers with vivid entertainment that covers the key aspects of variety, depth, novelty, relevance and popularity.

     

    SonyLIV has also launched a brand film which has been shot in Romania. At the heart of the film is the figure of the eternal entertainer, the clown and the message is driven home with the refrain ‘Kamaaldikhaana, Kamaalkakaamhai’ (It’s no mean feat to keep everyone entertained). Through the film, SonyLIV has positioned itself as the theatre of emotions which has the ability to amplify every feeling and thought of the viewer with engaging and evocative content.

     

    Uday Sodhi

    Said Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head – Digital Business, Sony LIV: “For the last four years, SonyLIV has enjoyed a pioneering and undisputed leadership position in India’s digital entertainment industry. As OTT content becomes more ubiquitous, it is time for us to renew our brand focus and differentiate ourselves on the key facets our viewers identify us by; that of providing them rich, stimulating and thought-provoking entertainment.”

     

  • The Voice India Season 2 airs starting December 10th, every Saturday-Sundayat 9.00 pm only on &TV

    &TV ready with season 2 of The Voice India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Transcending musical boundaries to bring alive ‘Awaaz Se Bada Na Koi’, &TV premiered the second edition of its acclaimed reality show – The Voice India over the weekend. Mentoring these musical exponents in their journey are musicians Shaan, winner of The Voice India Season 1, songstress Neeti Mohan, winner of The Voice India Kids and joining them will be Benny Dayal and Salim Merchant.

     

    Speaking about the show, Rajesh Iyer, Business Head, &TV said: “The Voice India has struck a chord with the audience with its unbiased and transparent format where the participants are judged only on the basis of their vocal talent. The thought of the campaign – Awaaz Se Bada Na Koi was inspired by the format itself and we aligned all our ideas towards breaking barriers of media usage. From Radio to Outdoor, Digital and TV, we have some key innovations that are in sync with the campaign thought and will resonate with our audience.”

     

  • Retains spot for 7th year as the largest individual food channel in India

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor crosses the 1 million-subscriber mark on YouTube

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sanjeev Kapoor

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor digital presence Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana has crossed the million-subscriber mark, and for the seventh year running retains the much coveted top spot on the Indian YouTube channel charts.

     

    An early adopter of the digital space, Sanjeev Kapoor’s channel Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana currently hosts almost 6,000 videos. The channel has within the last year increased its subscriber base by twofold, and in its seventh year it still remains the most viewed individual channel in the food genre in all of India.

     

    On achieving this milestone, Kapoor says, “Television looks at engaging a large group of people at once and keeping in mind today’s scenario, it is very important to be active on social media/ the digital space. Interaction on the Internet is in real-time, making it faster and more personalised.”

     

    Commenting on his success, Gurpreet Singh, COO and Co-Founder of One Digital Entertainment which has orchestrated the effort, said, “Driving reach and viewership for online video has been a challenge for a lot of entities in this space but One Digital Entertainment has developed its own secret recipes to ensure we’re able to deliver each creator their due. We knew right from the start that Sanjeev Kapoor has what it takes to take the digital world by storm, and we are delighted to have partnered up with him on this journey.”

     

     

  • Based out of Mumbai, he will report to MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network

    Times Now appoints Rahul Shivshankar as Chief Editor

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rahul Shivshankar

    Times Network has announced the appointment of Rahul Shivshankar as its Chief Editor at Times Now. This would be Shivshankar’s second stint with the network after a gap of around six years.  He assumed office yesterday (Dec 15).

     

    Meanwhile, Hector Kenneth Kumar who had moved to NewsX earlier this year, is back at Times Now as Executive Editor. Navika Kumar is reported to be appointed Managing Editor.

     

    In his new role, Shivshankar will lead the editorial team and will work closely with the business and leadership teams to ensure that the channel grows significantly and profitably. Based out of Mumbai, he will directly report to MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network.

     

    Said Anand: “We are confident that the vast knowledge and domain expertise which he brings with him will hold Times Now in good stead and reaffirm the channel’s leadership position in the market.”  Commenting on his new role, Shivshankar said, “This is my second stint with Times Now and it’s more like a homecoming. Leading a channel that has already set a very high benchmark is always a challenge. I look forward to taking on this mantle and hope to help Times Network achieve our objectives.”

     

    In a career spanning almost 20 years, Shivshankar has served as Editor In Chief of NewsX where he was employed until last month, Executive Editor of Headlines Today (TV Today Network) and as Senior Editor of Times Now. He has also worked for the editorial page of The Times of India.

     

  • Kicking off our lookbacks is Shailesh Kapoor with his view on how television has been in Twenty-Sixteen

    2016: Television’s Tough Year

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    We are nearing the end of 2016. It’s been one of the more, if not the most, lacklustre years for the television business since the start of satellite television more than 25 years ago.

     

    The defining television highlight of the year would be that it was the year when the transition from the old ratings method run by TAM, to the new one run by BARC India, was completed. BARC India launched in mid-2015, but it took some time for the dust to settle and the new numbers to acquire normative status. That has happened, despite stray voices that still compare the old system to the new.

     

    Leave aside this big industry-level change, and some others on the regulatory front, 2016 did not have anything substantive to offer on the content side. There were no big channel launches headlining the year. And by and large, the hit shows from 2008-2014 continued to rule the roost in most GEC genres, Hindi or regional.

     

    Earlier this year, I wrote about us being in the Dark Age of Indian Television. Six months later, the argument only gets stronger. In an era when media proliferation is so high that it has acquired nuisance value in many ways, not moving forward with the times can be a catastrophe of no small proportion. Because if you won’t, the world around will anyway.

     

    The year marked good activity on the digital content front. Netflix and Amazon Prime launches bookended the year, and brought more scale and corporatisation to the digital content universe, which so far had seen only flashes of creative brilliance in the middle of a lot of mediocrity. Can SVOD be the next big thing in a market like India, where you get 200+ channels at a total price of less than Rs 10 a day? The jury is out on that one.

     

    In the absence of entertainment content breaking new grounds, it ended up being a year where two heavily male-dominated genres found traction, namely Sports and News.

     

    It’s been a very good year for the Indian cricket team, and a particularly good year for Virat Kohli, and that helped cricket viewership. The Rio Olympics got good coverage, especially with two medals for India in the last week, after a frustrating first two weeks.

     

    The news front had many stories to tell, right from Arnab Goswami’s exit from Times Now to the demonetisation saga that started on November 8. The latter is still a story in development. It may not move out of the headlines in a hurry, especially because it will drive the election agenda in key states in early 2017.

     

    Even as news prospered, the two biggest entertainment businesses in India – Hindi television and Hindi films – are in a tough phase they would love to get out of. The stagnation that started in 2014-15 is now clear and apparent for even the ostrich to see.

     

    All eyes on 2017 to fix what’s definitely broken.

     

  • Fights to be broadcast on SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD channels

    Sony Pictures acquires onair and digital broadcast rights of Super Fight League

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s first mixed martial arts promotion, the Super Fight League –which is promoted by British business magnate and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and British professional boxing sensation and two-time world champion Amir Khan announced Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) as the official broadcast partner for the first ever MMA league to be hosted in India January 20 to February 25, 2017.

     

    The franchisee based league that will feature eight teams, being organised in association with the All India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA). SPN also has the broadcast rights for the league across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives.

     

    Said Bill Dosanjh, CEO and Principal Founder, Super Fight League: “Sony ESPN is the channel that is synonymous for bringing MMA to the television sets of the Indian audience. We at Super Fight League are really excited about Sony Pictures Networks India coming on board as the broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the league. Having Sony as the broadcast partner will help us in our endeavor to reach the maximum variety of audience and make Super Fight League a household name for MMA in India.”

     

    Added Rajesh Kaul, President, Distribution and Sports Business, Sony Pictures Network: “Having been a forerunner in popularizing MMA, the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for viewing mixed martial arts. We are pleased to announce the expansion of our MMA portfolio with the addition of the Super Fight League which is India’s first mixed martial arts league on our network.”