MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • To host the channel's flagship show, The Urban Debate

    Mirror Now gets Shreya Dhoundial as its Exec Ed

    By Our Staff

     

    Mirror Now has appointed Shreya Dhoundial as its Executive Editor. In her role, Dhoundial will host the channel’s flagship show, The Urban Debate at 8 pm and will be an integral part of the editorial leadership team. Based out of Mirror Now’s Noida office, she will report to Nikunj Garg, Managing Editor, Mirror Now.

     

    Said Garg: “We are delighted to welcome Shreya to the Mirror Now team. With an in-depth understanding of the real essence of news, Shreya truly embodies Mirror Now’s brand ethos and is a valuable addition in fortifying the brand’s narrative of delivering news stories that influence, engage and impact. Raising national interest on critical topics like women safety, gender equality, energy crisis, gaps in urban infrastructure and climate change, ‘The Urban Debate’ is a highly viewed and critically appreciated news show that has redefined the prime-time news landscape. I am confident that Shreya with her sharp journalistic acumen and domain expertise, will take the show to new heights and lead national issues with a clear agenda of impacting change.”

     

  • To lead the content division for Sony digital businesses

    SonyLIV appoints Saugata Mukherjee as Head of Content

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India has announced appointment of Saugata Mukherjee as Head – Content, SonyLIV. In his new role, Mukherjee will lead the content division for Sony digital businesses. He will report to Danish Khan, Business Head – Sony LIV, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and Studio Next.

     

    Said Mukherjee: “I have witnessed the platform’s growth and proud to be part of its growth story once again.  SonyLIV has always pushed the boundaries of content by telling stories that have never been told, explored, or shown before, making my role, a challenging but exciting one.”

     

  • The International Women's Tennis Championship is held in India after 14 years

    Sony Sports to broadcast WTA250 Chennai Open 2022

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Sports Network is all set to broadcast the WTA250 Chennai Open 2022, the international women’s tennis championship,  that will be played for the first time since 2008. The tournament will be aired live on Sony Ten 2 channels and will be available to Livestream on their premium OTT platform SonyLIV.

     

    Notes a communique: “After a 14-year hiatus, India will finally witness an event organized by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). The competition is expected to get more intense as the tournament will see participation from top seeded players like world number 29, Alison Riske-Amritraj, world number 60, Varvara Gracheva, world number 70, Magda Linette, world number 87 Rebecca Peterson and more. The event will also witness wild card entries in the form of Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard and India’s number one, Ankita Raina.”

     

    The coverage will be on Sony Ten 2 channels between September 12 and 18, 2022.

     

  • The league will be held in Pune from December 7 to 11

    Sony Sports to air Tennis Premier League Season 4

    By Our Staff

     

    Tennis Premier League (TPL) is scheduled for December 7 to 11 and will be aired on the Sony Sports Network – specifically, Sony Ten 2 channels and SonyLIV. The league will be held in Pune.

     

    Said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: “Sony Sports Network has always looked to bring the best sporting properties to viewers throughout the Indian subcontinent. We are pleased to partner with The Tennis Premier League which is set to become the T20 equivalent of tennis in India with its shorter and innovative 20-point format. India is fast becoming a multi sports viewing nation and I am delighted that our network is in a position to actively contribute to that very goal with our diverse portfolio of sporting properties.”

     

  • Seasoned professional Darshan Gangakhedkar also joins the platform as Strategic Advisor

    Shailesh Amonkar joins Planet Marathi as Strategic Advisor

    By Our Staff

     

    Senior mediaperson and digital specialist Shailesh Amonkar has been retained as Strategic Advisor by Marathi OTT platform, Planet Marathi. A Vistas Media Capital Company, Planet Marathi has announced the appointment of Amonkar and Darshan Gangakhedkar, another seasoned media pro in the region, as Strategic Advisors. They will assume responsibilities of mentoring and guiding the team on monetisation and strategy for the company. They will also be associated with Planet Marathi’s expansions plans. Planet Marathi was set up in August 2021 and boasts growth of 500% since (data not verified – Ed).

     

    Planet Marathi
    Shailesh Amonkar (extreme right) with Akshay Bardapurkar (left) and Darshan Gangakhedkar (centre)

    Said Akshay Bardapurkar, Founder and Head, Planet Marathi OTT: “We are happy to announce that we will have the guidance of two exceptional names in the field of media, brand and sales, both Shailesh Amonkar and Darshan Gangakhedkar. Planet Marathi OTT needs the expertise of these talents to draw out bigger goals and set out in the right direction to achieve them. Our teams will work to develop products, revenue streams, branding and audience engagement in the OTT space under the guidance of these professionals”

     

    Amonkar, who has worked with The Times of India and Sakal Media groups, is now an entrepreneur who runs Kemistry Media Solutions, a media consulting firm. He is also Co-founder of Climatica, a firm dealing with actionables around the various challenges posed by climate. Gangakhedkar, also an entrepreneur, has over two decades of experience in running media businesses at Marathi and Hindi language pubications like Nava Bharat, Raj Express and Sakal.

     

  • Sharma, it is said, wants to focus his energies on creating new shows including reviving his iconic show Aap Ki Adalat.

    Rajat Sharma quits NBDA as President

    By Our Staff

     

    Rajat Sharma
    Rajat Sharma

    Veteran broadcaster Rajat Sharma has decided to relinquish the Presidentship of News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA), according to sources.  Sharma, it is said, wants to focus his energies on creating new shows including reviving his iconic show Aap Ki Adalat.

     

    The NBDA Board is likely to meet soon to elect a new President.

     

    At the time of writing, we couldn’t confirm the news with either Sharma or the NBDA, but will update this as soon as we hear from them.

     

  • Between sports and politics, we have a packed 12 weeks, leading up to the end of the year, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Two World Cups & A Mega Election

     

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorWe are in the last quarter of 2022. It’s been a fairly ‘normal’ year, after the painfully-disruptive 2020 and 2021. It’s also a year that saw normalcy return to the entertainment business, despite pandemic-related challenges linked to changing audience habits and taste.

     

    The last two-and-a-half months of the year promise to pack a punch from a mass media perspective. Starting later this month, we have the much-awaited T20 Cricket World Cup in Australia. The tournament was originally scheduled for 2020, but was canceled because of the pandemic. The 2021 edition in India was eventually held in the UAE, with ICC moving the Australia edition to 2022.

     

    India’s campaign kicks off with the marquee India-Pakistan clash on Sunday, October 23. With a depleted and somewhat-inexperienced bowling attack, India has its task cut out. But irrespective of how the team performs, the tournament is bound to be a viewership magnet.

     

    Cricket in Australia always makes for good television. And while the match timings (afternoons) may not be primetime friendly in India, three key India matches are scheduled for Sundays. And being in the middle of Diwali holidays helps, both from viewership and ad revenue perspectives.

     

    Within days of the Cricket World Cup ending starts the FIFA World Cup, being held in Qatar from November 20. Usually a summer event, the World Cup is being held in winters, to avoid the high summer temperatures the host nation witnesses. While the audience is understandably smaller than cricket in India, it’s the first Football World Cup in a long time where the match timings are India-friendly.

     

    And then, there’s the anticipated big-ticket political event, elections to the Gujarat state legislature. While the dates are not out, December is touted to be month. Gujarat elections always hold special interest, because it’s the state from which Prime Minister Modi hails. While a BJP win in these elections will not surprise anyone, the build-up and the campaigning are likely to gets news media all charged up. The Aam Aadmi Party has also thrown its hat in the ring, and a struggling Congress will be hoping that these elections provide some face-saving value to them, after a spate of embarrassing defeats in recent times.

     

    Between sports and politics, we have a packed 12 weeks, leading up to the end of the year.

     

    This column will take a seasonal break and return on November 18, 2022.

     

  • To expand South Asian content among customers in America

    Sony Kal Hindi launches on Xumo in US

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), in association with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), has announced that Sony Kal Hindi, a free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, has launched on Xumo, an American over-the-top internet television service. This comes on the heels of Sony Kal Hindi’s debut on TCL Channel in the US and Canada in August.

     

    Said Jaideep Janakiram, SVP, International Business- Head of the Americas, SPN: “After Sony Kal’s successful launch in the US as one of the first South Asian FAST channel in the region, we’re excited to grow the reach of the channel. Now Xumo customers in the US and Canada will be able to enjoy free access to our robust lineup of premium South Asian content that is subtitled and available across multiple devices.”

     

    Added Stefan Van Engen, SVP of programming and partnerships at Xumo: “The Sony Kal Hindi channel on Xumo is the perfect complement to our rich library of internationally-focused content from key regions around the world. There’s a growing interest in programming like this, and our ability to deliver premium, subtitled South Asian content to millions of viewers across several popular genres is a valuable addition.”

     

  • Approval marks yet another firm and positive step ahead in the merger completion process, notes communique

    99.99% Zee shareholders approve merger with Sony

    By Our Staff

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.  has informed that the company’s equity shareholders have approved the proposed merger of ZEEL and Bangla Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. with and into Culver Max Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd.)

     

    The resolution put forth during the meeting pertaining to the proposed merger was whole-heartedly supported by 99.99% of ZEEL’s equity shareholders, notes a communique, adding:  The approval marks yet another firm and positive step forward, in the overall merger completion process.

     

    Said Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd: “On behalf of all the Board members and management of ZEEL, I would like to thank the equity shareholders of the Company for recognising the value-accretive opportunities the proposed merger will deliver to all stakeholders. The continued trust and overwhelming support by our equity shareholders towards the resolution of the Composite Scheme of Arrangement, further strengthen our abilities to consistently deliver higher value as we move forward in this process.”

     

  • Her last stint was with Zee Digital as a Group Editor

    India TV appoints Puja Sethi as Group Editor – Digital

    By Our Staff

     

    India TV has announced the appointment of Puja Sethi as Group Editor – Digital. Her last stint was with Zee Digital as a group Editor. Her career has evolved around Broadcast, Print and digital journalism.

     

    On her appointment, Ritu Dhawan, MD – India TV said: “We welcome Puja to the family. We are sure she will add value to India TV’s digital ecosystem and help us attain the predetermined organisational goals.”

     

  • Will be part of the E Life bouquet

    India TV now in UAE

    By Our Staff

     

    India TV has launched in UAE, on E Life, part of Etisalat.

     

    Said Ritu Dhawan, Managing Director, India TV: “India TV’s aim is to inform and empower global Indians with accurate, in-depth, unfiltered, fact-based journalism without any bias, outrage, or sensationalism and establishing India TV as the best and most trusted place for news. Making India TV available in the UAE is one more step towards our goal.

     

  • Conceptualised by Leo Burnett

    Colors unveils brand film for Diwali

    By Our Staff

     

    Leading GEC Colors has released a brand film that underlines the message of togetherness – ‘Zindagi Ke Rang, Apno Ke Sang!’

     

    Conceptualised by Leo Burnett, the brand film captures members of a joint family bringing in the celebrations in separate houses and sharing them on a group chat window.

     

    Said Sapangeet Rajwant, Head, Marketing and Digital, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18: “We, at Colors, believe in bringing families together and in all our endeavours we strongly support our country’s cultural ethos. We’re a nation that loves to celebrate the smallest joys and the biggest festivals together with our near and dear ones. Carrying this tradition forward, our latest brand film urges viewers to break the norm of celebrating festivals over the phone. It drops a heartfelt reminder to everyone to enjoy this Diwali by getting together with family and friends.”