MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • It has announced the appointment of Mukul Gupta and Tauquir Zaidi as National Sales Heads for ETV News HSM (Hindi Speaking Markets) channels and ETV News Language channels, respectively

    Meanwhile, Network18 strengthens ETV’s revenue team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Network18 has announced the elevation of key sales personnel. It has announced the appointment of Mukul Gupta and Tauquir Zaidi as National Sales Heads for ETV News HSM (Hindi Speaking Markets) channels and ETV News Language channels, respectively.

     

    Joy Chakraborthy

    Commenting on these appointments, Joy Chakraborthy, President – Revenue, TV18 & CEO Forbes India said, ‘We are very happy that Tauquir and Mukul have joined our ETV News Network, I welcome them. They bring vast and varied experience of media sales, which will strengthen an already good team.’

     

    Prior to joining Network18, Gupta was Head Sales – Special Initiatives at Zee News’s regional bouquet of channels. Before that he was head of corporate sales with ETV News. On the other hand, Zaidi was National Sales Head with Prasar Bharati – Doordarshan channels, Region Head with Times Now, NDTV Media and has spent more than six years in Star India.

     

    Both Mukul and Tauquir will be reporting to Sudip Roy, EVP and National Revenue Head, ETV News Network, Network18, who in turn reports to Chakraborthy.

     

  • Premiering on June 24, the show will air every Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm on &TV

    ‘Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot’ set for launch on &TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    They are making waves with the return of Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai on Hotstar, and now the team of JD Majethia and Aatish Kapadia’s Hatsoff Productions is launching a comic caper called Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot on &TV. The show premieres on June 24 and will air on Saturdays and Sundays at 8 pm.

     

    Said Kapadia, who is writer, director and co-producer on the show: “Can a dead woman teach her family how to live life better? Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot is a sweet sour take on the unfulfilled wishes of a mischievous ghost and her afterlife adventures with her dysfunctional family.”

     

  • Namrata Tata who was previously responsible for Ad Sales – English Entertainment, will now take on the new and expanded role of Head, Ad Sales – Youth, Music & English Entertainment

    @ Viacom18, Namrata Tata elevated, Mandar Natekar takes on new role

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mandar Natekar
    Namrata Tata

    Strengthening its recent organisational restructuring that saw consolidation of Viacom18’s national brands aimed at youth and adult audiences – that’s Hindi, Youth, Music and English Entertainment under the leadership of Raj Nayak, COO – Viacom18 announced a rejig of its business and revenue leadership teams. Namrata Tata who was previously responsible for Ad Sales – English Entertainment, will now take on the new and expanded role of Head, Ad Sales – Youth, Music and English Entertainment. Mandar Natekar, who was earlier heading Ad Sales – Youth and Music, will be moving into a business role and will be responsible for one of the newest ventures of the network, the MTV Music Project.

     

    Raj Nayak

    Speaking on the restructuring, Raj Nayak, COO – Viacom18, said: “With the recent consolidation of Hindi, Youth, Music and English Entertainment clusters, Viacom18 is carving out an identity for itself in the ecosystem that cohesively speaks to adults, youth and millennials, and create opportunities that are multi-dimensional and multi-platform. Namrata and Mandar have been instrumental to the success of the youth, music and English entertainment genres and as we look to dial up synergies and expand to capture white spaces within the genres, they are best suited to support Ferzad in further strengthening our influence in these genres.”

     

    Ferzad Palia

    Speaking about the role expansions, Ferzad Palia, Head- Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18, said: “In an increasingly dynamic environment, these genres need to look beyond traditional avenues to dial up growth. As a network, our leadership plays in the Youth, Music and English Entertainment genres have set the ground for us to explore synergies within them to dial up revenues. Namrata, with her understanding of the genres particularly and broadcast as a whole, is well equipped to lead the charge for maximizing the revenue opportunities for these related business units. Mandar, with his nuanced understanding of the youth and music genre – both from content and revenue POVs, is best suited to lead the MTV Music Project, as we look to explore our latest business opportunity in this genre. I am confident that we can further dial up our plays across these wide set of brands and solutions in this space.”

     

    Both Tata and Natekar will continue reporting into Palia.

     

  • The 're-energised' channel will see a new line up of comedy shows, lively packaging and vibrant visuals, notes a communique

    Sony refreshes Sab TV with new identity and “energy”

    By A Correspondent

     

    For long, the humour channel of the Sony Pictures Network has been the highest rated. Even ahead of flagship Sony Entertainment Television. The channel has ensured that it’s fit for family viewing and hence it has steered away from stuff that even border on the risqué. Now, Sony Sab has launched its a new brand identity. The ‘re-energised’ channel will see a new line up of comedy shows, lively packaging and vibrant visuals, notes a communique.

     

    Actor Varun Dhawan has been roped in as a Happiness Ambassador for the channel. Said NP Singh, ‎CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India: “For over a decade, SAB has emerged as the most distinctive channel in GEC and built a sizeable loyal audience. The new, re-energised SAB is all set to deliver on the promise of Haste Raho India as its mission is to be recognised as the ‘frown flipper’ for Indian audiences.”

     

    Added Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Head, Sony Sab and Max cluster: “The re-energised SAB further strengthens our core proposition through a reinvigorated language of humor and a compelling purpose of making more than a billion Indians laugh more, every day. The new brand identity along with a range of new shows offering more laughter, modernity, relatability and variety, will help us strengthen the connect with our core audiences as well as attract newer audiences to the channel.”

     

  • The new website attempts to add a fresh dimension, Imagine more… to Star India's empowering vision

    Star India launches new interactive website

    By A Correspondent

     

    What should the website of a leading broadcast-led media conglomerate look like? Share its vision and showcase its offerings? So if it’s a Star then possibly highlight its rise and rise, right?

     

    Over the years Star India has embarked on initiating ‘nayi soch’ (a new thinking) in the way it conducts itself. And in order to bring alive its mission of ‘Inspiring a billion imaginations’, it has revealed an all-new corporate website at www.startv.com.

     

    The attempt is to be an inspiring storytelling platform, and in order to do this, it commissioned global brand agency Design Studio which helped rebrand among others Airbnb and Premier League and closer home Snapdeal. Notes the London and San Francisco-based agency: “Designing their platform was just the start. We defined how they talk about themselves and how to identify and articulate stories. We developed a new editorial style and helped identify, assess and develop the stories that are most relevant and impactful. To truly bring Star’s stories to life, we travelled back out to India for a photoshoot that spanned the country. We went behind the scenes and beyond the shows to capture the impact of their work in everything and amplify Star’s initiatives… Inspired by CEO Uday [Shankar]’s quote “It is about enabling, empowering and stimulating everyone to find his or her own answers; answers shaped by their own imagination”, and everything we learnt in our immersion phase, we defined the creative idea – ‘Imagine more…’”

     

    Said Gayatri Yadav, President, Consumer Strategy and Innovation, Star India: “At Star, our mission has been to ‘Inspire a Billion Imaginations’ and the website brings this mission to life. It seeks to inspire and instigate each and every individual to unlock their potential of limitless possibilities. Imagine more… articulates how we take this mission forward and creates a powerful new storytelling address. This is a new home for Star’s incredible stories of change, inspiration, and bold ideas.”

     

    Added James Hurst, Executive Creative Director, Design Studio: “Our role is often to sift for the magic. Star is very unusual, there is magic everywhere! It has been (and continues to be) an absolutely inspiring rollercoaster getting to understand the breadth and depth of their impact on society and their hopes and ambitions for such an exciting and extraordinary future. We are thrilled with the work so far, and can’t wait for what happens next.”

     

  • Sun TV (SD) garners over 1 billion impressions every week with close to 90 per cent reach across TN

    Sun TV announces partnership with Amagi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sun TV Network is commencing its business association with Amagi Media Labs, the leaders in targeted TV advertising and cloud-based TV broadcast infrastructure.

     

    Amagi Media Labs is expanding its offerings by adding new HD channels of the Sun network to its bouquet of channels offering targeted advertising solutions; namely Sun TV HD, KTV HD, Sun Music HD, Gemini TV HD, Gemini Movies HD, Gemini Music HD, Udaya TV HD & Surya TV HD, to help advertisers reach out to the niche Southern India audience. Using Amagi’s technology, Sun TV network will monetise its HD feed by separating HD feed from SD feed for which Amagi will have exclusive rights to sell.

     

  • The new show will be a tale of love and revenge portrayed against the backdrop of magic and mysticism

    ‘Chandrakanta’ to replace ‘Naagin 2’ on Colors

    Starting June 24, Chandrakanta will replace Naagin 2 on Colors

     

    General entertainment channel Colors has announced that Chandrakanta will replace Naagin 2 wef June 24. The show will air on Saturdays and Sundays at 8pm, and will also be produced by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. Chandrakanta  showcases a power struggle between two rival Aiyaar kingdoms, Vijaygarh and Suryagarh, and is laden with myths, legends and magic.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the show, Raj Nayak, COO – Viacom 18 said:  “For two back-to-back seasons Naagin has enjoyed the status of being a favourite of the viewers. It’s their confidence in our content that has allowed us to explore this genre further. The recent success of costume dramas and fantasy offerings not only on television but also in films is a testimony that our viewers have evolved, and is willing to explore different narratives. We are thrilled to collaborate with Ekta Kapoor’s creative intellect yet again to showcase a unique rendition of a story which, though has been narrated before, leaves a lot of scope for creating a cohesive viewing experience.”

     

    Speaking about the new fiction offering, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – Colors said, “As a channel, we are committed to bringing viewers a variety of entertainment – be it Naagin, now Chandrakanta or the upcoming Mahakaali that makes for edgy yet pacier story telling as compared to the daily fiction dramas. The success of Naagin tells us that viewers still have a huge appetite for this genre and with Chandrakanta, we are scaling up every aspect of the show and making it as spectacular and thrilling as ever. True to the ethos of the channel that offers differentiated content, be it weekdays or on the weekend – we hope that this enchanting story will be enjoyed by the audiences as much as Naagin was.”

     

    Said  Kapoor in a statement: “Chandrakanta is a very special show for us and it has very big shoes to fill. That said, we were filled with excitement over the prospect of creating this show. The plot is gritty, complex, passionate and is laced with top class VFX which will transport the viewers into alternate reality. We hope that Naagin’s ardent viewers and voracious fantasy-fiction aficionados enjoy watching Chandrakanta and support this mammoth venture.”

     

    To promote Chandrakanta an integrated 360-degree marketing campaign will be unveiled.

     

  • Sun NXT, as the name suggests, is all about the digital, multi-screen, global future of content

    Sun TV launches digital content platform Sun NXT

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sun TV has launched its new digital content platform Sun NXT. According to a communique, there 1.1 million downloads within hours of the launch.

     

    With a film library of over 4000 titles, over 40 channels streaming live, catch-up TV and everything else that a viewer looks for in a world class digital content platform, Sun NXT aspires to be the global destination of choice for content in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

     

  • The only Indian broadcaster to be bestowed with this honour since 2009"

    Rishtey Cineplex bags Gold for Best Channel On-Air Branding at Global PromaxBDA

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rishtey Cineplex, Viacom18’s Hindi movie channel, has been awarded a Gold at the 2017 PromaxBDA Global Excellence Promotion, Marketing and Design Awards held in Los Angeles on June 8. It bagged the Gold for the Best Channel Image On-Air Branding in the category of Total Package Channel Image – On-Air Only (Art Direction and Design).

     

    The design objective of Rishtey Cineplex was to create a branding that is active yet non-intrusive.

     

    Created in collaboration with New Zealand-based visual artist and designer David Frearson who introduced the idea of simply using a bulb and the team then translated the simplicity and beauty of this idea throughout the branding and communication. In addition to the Gold for Rishtey Cineplex, Viacom18 has bagged six other metals including two Golds and three Silvers.

  • The programme will provide six entrepreneurs a platform to help them reach their business goals through a digital campaign

    Colors Infinity partners with Ketto for Pitch Please

    By A Correspondent

     

    Inspired by Shark Tank and the growing start-up movement in India, Colors Infinity has partnered with Ketto – a popular crowdfunding platform, to support six passionate entrepreneurs raise funds for their start-up initiatives.

     

    The channel has created a series of videos with the selected entrepreneurs that will be published across the digital network of the channel, enabling them to garner financial support and visibility for their unique business ventures.

     

    Looking forward to the campaign, Sabrina Dsouza, Head of Marketing, English Entertainment at Viacom18 said: “Since inception, Colors Infinity has continually been involved in innovative yet meaningful initiatives. The Pitch Please initiative will create a unique platform for six aspiring and zealous businesses to reach their goals, and we’re proud to be associated with Ketto to help these entrepreneurs in their mission.”

     

    Added Varun Seth, Founder – Ketto: “Ketto was born out of a belief to enable visionaries achieve their goals and create a change. This association with Colors Infinity is a step in that direction, and our combined efforts aims at enabling six entrepreneurs reach their goals, and eventually inspire many more businesses.”

     

  • Publicis communications has crafted the campaign around the line 'Jahaan Fan Dikhe, bol do"

    Publicis Communications conceptualises Sony LIV’s sports campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sonyliv, the OTT platform from Sony Pictures Network has released a 360-degree campaign for the upcoming cricket series of India.

     

    Publicis Communications has crafted the campaign around the line ‘Jahaan Fan Dikhe, Bol Do’. The thought behind the campaign comes from the fact that a fan of the game cannot but help share with his fan friends, any piece of news concerning the sport they love and the team they love.

     

    Said Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head – Digital Business, SonyLIV said: “By making India’s international cricket tour available to SonyLIV audiences we intend to reinforce our credentials as the online destination for fans to enjoy an ultimate cricketing experience. ‘Jahaan Fan Dikhe Bol Do’ fuels the passion that rages within each fan while celebrating this sport. The campaign urges cricket fans to spread the cheer and unite in the rallying cry of superior sporting action.”

     

    Added Paritosh Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Communications: “Indian cricket being available on SonyLiv is a huge opportunity. The idea is to maximise this in terms of attracting fans to our platform. Tough part was to come up with an idea on cricket that is fresh and unseen. We believe that ‘Jahan fan dikhe bol do’ captures the true spirit of the Indian fan and does justice to the religion cricket is on our country. The idea has the potential to make the fans the evangelists of the brand.”

     

    Said Jigar Fernandes, Head of Creative, Publicis Communications: “The insight here is that when a fan gets any news about his team, he cannot help but share it with his gang. For Indian cricket fans, the news that cricket is now on SonyLiv is big. All this campaign does is nudge these fans to go out and spread the word.”

     

  • With the re-branding the channels content offerings will further see a ramp-up with bigger and better viewing experiences as a network

    Star Maa unveils new brand identity for network channels

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Maa, the Telugu GEC of Star Network, has rechristened its network channels under the Star Maa umbrella. On June 25,2017 the brands Maa Music, Maa Gold and Maa Movies got refreshed to Star Maa Music, Star Maa Gold and Star Maa Movies. Apart from the refreshed channels, an HD addition has been added to the bouquet – Star Maa Movies HD.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, CEO, South Region, Star India:  “We are in the entertainment space and with changing aspirations and expectations of viewers we always look to redefine entertainment. Innovation, content variety, spiffy packaging and quality of the channel is a sign of our commitment to Telugu viewing audiences, globally.”

     

    Added Alok Jain, the Telugu networks’s EVP & Business Head: “Star India’s Integration with Maa was a testimony to Star wanting to build and grow in Telugu market. With the new brand name and proposition, we plan to significantly scale up our offerings of all our network channels which has seen tremendous growth starting from the year of 2017’’.