MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The assignment entailed conceptualizing the positioning to naming and designing the brand – Avanse

    DY Works creates identify for Dewan Housing’s edu finance arm

    By A Correspondent

     

    Brand strategy and design firm DY Works has created and executed the strategy for Avanse, an all-new brand for Dewan Housing Finance Corporation’s foray in the educational loan category. The assignment entailed conceptualizing the positioning to naming and designing the brand.

     

    Talking about the brand, Alpana Parida, President DY Works, observed, that “the educational loan becomes the key element, the gateway to an enlightened future with the power to redefine a student’s future karma”.

     

    Observing the importance of the engagement, Benoy Joseph, Head of Marketing at Avanse, said “We were looking for a brand identity that would create a strong impact and establish affinity for the brand as a trustworthy entity with all the new age qualities that makes it a preferred and convenient choice for the consumer. When DY Works presented the idea to us, which positioned it as a fresh, contemporary brand, we knew it met all our requirements.”

     

  • Private radio channels slam government policy on 'airing news on radio'

    No news on FM radio is bad news

    By Himanshi Dhawan

     

    The Supreme Court’s notice to the Centre seeking an explanation for omission of news and current affairs on private radio channels has brought the spotlight on the government’s skewed policy.

     

    The last decade has seen a proliferation of newspapers , TV channels and news websites – all of whom are free to air news, but private radio channels are not.

     

    The proposed FM radio phase III policy had the opportunity to correct this anomaly, but the government failed to seize the chance – many industry leaders feel deliberately. They said the current policy was in contravention of the SC’s “airwaves” judging in 1995 when the court stressed that “diversity of opinions, views, ideas and ideologies is essential to enable the citizens to arrive at informed judgment on all issues touching them. This cannot be provided by a medium controlled by a monopoly -whether the monopoly is of the State or any other individual , group or organization.”

     

    However, radio remains the only medium where government has a complete monopoly over news.

     

    The Association for Radio Operators in India (AROI) president Anuradha Prasad said it would be a “welcome” step if news on radio was allowed to be broadcast. “If news organizations can generate news for television and print, then why not for radio as well,” she asked.

     

    Nisha Narayanan

    Red FM CEO Nisha Narayanan said the current policy was “unconstitutional”. Describing government concerns about law and order and national security as “spurious”, Narayanan said, “These are spurious concerns. We have over 150 news channels on cable TV, many of which are foreign channels over which we have no control. There are over 65,000 registered news journals in India. We have no idea how many news websites are there on the internet , or who runs them. To this day, I have not heard anyone suggest that we shut them all down as ‘unchecked’ news or that they might lead to a law and order problem. Far from banning news on any of these media, no one in his right mind even suggests pre-censorship of news on TV or newspapers or the internet.”

     

    Ms Narayanan added, “Reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) and the general broadcast code apply to all electronic media, including radio. The sensible method of ensuring compliance with the broadcast code is self-regulation and suitable penalties for violations. Prohibition of news on radio is a ridiculous overreach on the government’s part.”

     

    Prashant Panday

    Radio Mirchi’s Prashant Panday said, “How can private FM broadcasters be denied the right to air news? At one time, we heard the government had security concerns , because they couldn’t monitor us. But today, the technology is readily available . Then we heard that since FM radio reached one and all, even those who could not afford a TV set or read a newspaper, the government was concerned about our news content. But this is specious reasoning as we are bound by programming guidelines, and would be governed by a code similar to the one followed by TV channels,” he said.

     

    Tarun Katial

    Reliance Broadcast Network CEO Tarun Katial said, “Giving private radio the freedom to air news and current affairs can bring about a sea change in the way India consumes the medium, and position radio as a means for information dissemination , beyond pure entertainment . Inclusion of news will realize information requirements of a large section of the population, while fuelling growth of the sector,” he said.

     

    The PIL filed by NGO Common Cause pointed out that there was no such ban in countries like the US, Spain, Sri Lanka and Pakistan despite a large number of radio stations in these countries.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Media magnate Rupert Murdoch and top industrialist Mukesh Ambani team up for IPL-style football league next year

    Murdoch, Mukesh team up for football league

    By Ratna Bhushan & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    Mukesh Ambani

    Rupert Murdoch and Mukesh Ambani will join hands to spearhead a plan, one of the most ambitious yet, to make football a major television sport in cricket-crazy India.

     

    Mr Murdoch’s Star India has picked up a one-third stake in a company jointly owned by Mr Ambani’s Reliance Industries and IMG that’s set to launch an Indian Premier League-style football tournament starting January, a move that may just work, experts said.

     

    This follows similar attempts to popularize sports other than cricket – like the Premier Hockey League and Indian Badminton League – but it’s the first time a major broadcaster has taken a stake in such a venture. Star is paying Rs 2,000 crore in a deal that includes equity and broadcast rights for 10 years.

     

    “Having Star on board as a partner strengthens our efforts and commitment to propel Indian football to its rightful place. We see the launch of the football league as the realiation of a dream of billion plus Indians to experience the most cherished game globally in new ways,” said Nita M Ambani, Mukesh’s wife and chairperson of IMG-Reliance. The Ambanis are already prominent in sports as owners of the Mumbai Indians IPL team.

     

    IMG-Reliance acquired commercial and marketing rights for football in India in 2010 from the All India Football Federation for Rs 700 crore to be paid over the 15-year period of the deal. The deal included starting a new football league.

     

    Star India initially considered just a 10-year broadcast deal for the as-yet-unnamed, three-month-long league before deciding to buy a stake in it. The deal is on the lines of the state television broadcaster CCTV partnering IMG for a 10-year rights deal for the Chinese Super League.

     

    “India is hungry for its second sport. Our attempt is to bring an unparalleled football experience to our viewers,” said Uday Shankar, chief executive officer of Star India. “We want to put India on the global map.” Mr Shankar has been instrumental in Star’s India strategy of investing heavily in sports, which he sees as the next biggest generator of viewership and revenue after entertainment.

     

    Each of the eight teams in the football league will have 22 players, with 10 of them from overseas, eight from India and four from the local area under 23. The eight cities are Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. Bidding for the franchises will take place at the end of this month. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and cricketers MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly have shown interest in bidding for the city teams.

     

    Though AIFF runs many tournaments, including Nehru Cup, Federation Cup and the revamped National Football League, now called I-League, football hasn’t been able to get anywhere near the fan following that cricket has. But things could change, experts said.

     

    “That Star is making this aggressive foray is a good thing for sport and for television,” said Sam Balsara, chairman and managing director at top media buying firm Madison World. “If large investments come into football, it could create another culture of sport in the country instead of only cricket.”

     

    European football clubs also see potential in the country, especially going by the growing following for the English Premier League as well as tournaments in other countries. Viewership numbers for cricket and football aren’t that far apart, although the gulf in advertising rates is much wider, since the bulk of this is for overseas soccer. In 2011, there were 83 million TV viewers for football in India, compared with 122 million for cricket. Between 2005 and 2009, the audience for football in India rose 60%, according to TAM Media Research.

     

    Arsenal recently signed a deal to open official Arsenal Soccer Schools across India. Liverpool Football Club is setting up a residential football coaching academy to develop players up to age 18. Real Madrid Foundation has set up a social and sports academy in Kolkata. The world soccer federation Fifa itself has shown interest in developing the sport in India.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

     

     

  • In addition, directors may have to be cleared by the MHA every time an existing TV company launches a new channel

    Home min tightens screws on TV channels. Director credentials to be reverified every 3 yrs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Television channels will have to get the credentials of their directors re-verified by the Union home ministry every three years, creating a major stumbling block in their smooth functioning. Adding to the bureaucratic hurdles, sources also said that directors would have to be cleared by MHA every time the same TV company launches a new channel.

     

    At present, the process of clearance of directors’ credentials by MHA has no time limit and can meander on for months, even years.

     

    Until now, security clearances given by the home ministry to TV channels was not time-bound, and companies were only required to report any change in their board of directors to the I&B ministry, which in turn would seek a clearance from the home ministry. There was also no requirement to have fresh MHA clearance every time the same company launched a new channel.

     

    Every broadcaster is granted a licence for 10 years, but after the home ministry clears all the directors on the company’s board.

     

    A few months ago, the I&B ministry had sent a letter to the home ministry seeking information on the validity of clearances for broadcasters. There was no such validity prescribed by the home ministry until then, but after I&B ministry’s query, MHA replied that security clearances would be valid only for a three-year period.

     

    KVL Narayan Rao

    KVL Narayan Rao, executive vice-chairperson, NDTV Group and president, News Broadcasters Association, said he is yet to see the ministry order but said all broadcaster will be affected. “If true, it’s bizarre, absurd and will affect the operations of all broadcasters – both proposed and existing.”

     

    He said approvals from the MHA take up to two years and if the nod for a director has a validity of just three years, existing broadcasters too will be affected. “Is this some way to regulate the media?” he questioned.

     

    Ashok Venkatramani, CEO of Media Content & Communication Services, that owns channels such as ABP News, said the move could cause delays in the launch of new channels as such approvals require 3-6 months. He questioned the rationale of the move: “Why does an Indian broadcaster, all directors of which are Indians, require an approval from India’s home ministry? Such a stipulation might be reasonable for an MNC broadcaster with foreign directors, not otherwise.”

     

    There are close to 300 companies running over 800 television channels in the country today. This move would mean that all clearances given to channels prior to October 2010-a majority of channels received clearances before this date -will be reviewed again by MHA and is likely to have a major impact on running of businesses.

     

    “We would visualise that the ministry should streamline processes, rationalise them rather than increase them. This is a repetition of a process,” Sunil Lulla, managing director and chief executive officer of Times Television Network.

     

    The query by the I&B ministry a few months back has also meant all new permissions issued by the ministry have stopped for the last six months, the last one being granted in May 2013.

     

    Another important fallout is that the I&B ministry has now started referring all new applications by broadcasters to MHA for their clearance, even if the application is by a registered broadcaster. Earlier, the ministry used to process new applications of registered broadcasters without any reference to MHA, unless if there was a change in the Board of Directors of the company.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

     

     

  • The channel FashionTV is to intensify its India focus by partnering with Trinity Dreamworks and Helios Media for revenue and brand management

    Fashion TV restyles India act, appoints Trinity Dreamworks & Helios

    By A Correspondent

     

    Fashion broadcaster  ‘Fashion TV’ is restyling its India presence with a rehaul of programming, brand and revenue functions. The broadcasting and operations of the channel including programming, licensing and merchandizing have been entrusted to Trinity Dreamworks Ltd who have extended the revenue and brand management mandates to Helios Media – the specialized revenue monetisation firm for the broadcast industry.

     

    Said Michel Adam, founder of FashionTV, “FTV the brand has been growing from strength to strength across the globe as THE fashion destination be it our broadcast brand or various categories we are into under the “F” brand. With the surge in Indians consuming global brands, it’s only natural that we affirm our presence in the market with renewed vigour”

     

    The brand’s commitment to India is underlined by the growing off-air presence. F Bars have been set up in Mumbai and Bengaluru and the first ever F Residence in India is progressing rapidly in Pune. There are advanced level discussions for 40 F Cafes around the country in the next three years. Apparels and accessories under the F Accessories label are in the pipeline and the F Vodka might soon be at a bar near you.

     

    Commenting on the India programming agenda, Vishal Gurnani of Trinity Dreamworks  said, “The Indian fashion industry is growing phenomenally. The markets are flooded with the best of brands from all over the world indicating growing awareness and consumption. Fashion TV in India has contributed towards enhancing the viewer’s knowledge and experience in the world of fashion, for over a decade. It is now time for us to enhance positioning of the channel itself so we can continue to satiate the viewer’s increasing love for fashion.”

     

    “Being entrusted to represent and partner the world’s biggest Fashion brand is an appreciation of our ability at Helios to position channels as brands and not commodities. With MTunes HD and FoodFood, we have exhibited how this takes the agenda beyond merely selling inventory. The teams across our offices are ready to offer advertisers the opportunity to associate and integrate with the #1 global Fashion destination” said Divya Radhakrishnan – MD of Helios Media, commenting on the assignment.

     

  • Sab TV launches 'Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar' in partnership with home appliances firm TTK Prestige

    Prestige partners Sab for a show that goes beyond an AFP

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was an idea that saw acceptance and execution of just three months. Leading home applicances company TTK Presige has tied up with Sab TV to launch a light-hearted cookery show titled ‘Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar’. “We didn’t want a typical AFP,” explains Chandru Kalroo, COO of the cookers-to-kettles-to-induction stoves  major. “No one gave us an idea like Anooj Kapoor (EVP and Business Head of Sab) did and he too was certain that it shouldn’t be an AFP,” Mr Kalroo said on why he chose Sab over other channels for the tie-up and how once the decision was taken the execution happened in super-quick time.

     

    The Sab TV show follows Prestige’s ambitious marketing campaign with Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan as brand ambassadors.  According to Mr Kapoor, the show is in line with the differentiate and innovative content that his channel offeres. “It is a refreshing concept that will appeal to the modern consumers, as they get to learn & cook quick and easy recipes with Prestige.”

     

    Produced by Deepti Bhatnagar Productions, ‘Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar’ promises to make cooking an enjoyable experience and showcase quick-to-cook and tasty recipes that will bring families together across India. The show premieres on Sab from October 28 and will be aired Monday through Friday at 7.30pm

     

  • Amit Misra joins as Executive Vice President & Director – Public Affairs of the firm in Delhi and Rekha Rao as General Manager of 2020MSL in Mumbai

    MSLGroup hires Amit Misra & Rekha Rao for key roles

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading PR and communications firm MSLGROUP has announced the appointment of two senior professionals to its fold – Amit Misra joins as Executive Vice President and Director – Public Affairs, MSLGROUP in Delhi and Rekha Rao as General Manager in Mumbai of 20:20 MSL.

     

    Mr Misra will head the team in Delhi as well as be the Practice Leader for the Public Affairs practice across India for the MSLGROUP. In addition, he will also strategically collaborate with 20:20 MSL in Delhi for business development, PA, key client relationships and talent development.

     

    In her role, Rekha Rao will report to Ian Sequeira, Senior VP at 20:20 MSL and her key responsibilities include operational performance, growth, profitability, talent management and client engagement.

     

    Jaideep Shergill

    Jaideep Shergill, CEO India, MSLGROUP, says: “Each of them comes with capabilities necessary to provide the more value-adding, strategic and content centric offerings that our clients increasingly are looking for in India. By appointing Amit Misra and Rekha Rao in their new roles, we are strengthening our functions, which will further add impetus to our continuing growth story.”

     

    Before joining MSL, Mr Misra was Managing Director of Zeno Group, an Edelman Group Company and led the launch of its operations in India.  Ms Rao specializes in FMCG, consumer and lifestyle PR and was last with Weber Shandwick in Mumbai.

     

  • Starsports.com has entered into a partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team for the 2013 Indian Grand Prix (Oct 25-27)

    Starsports.com partners McLaren Mercedes F1 team in Indian GP

    By A Correspondent

     

    Starsports.com has entered into a partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team for the 2013 Indian Grand Prix (Oct 25-27). As a part of this tie-up, the 200mph-plus Vodafone McLaren Mercedes cars, driven by 2009 world champion Jenson Button of Great Britain and his team-mate Sergio Perez of Mexico, will carry Starsports.com logos on their rear wings. This will be the first time that an Indian digital brand will become part of a Formula 1 team’s livery.

     

    Starsports.com will be streaming the Indian Grand Prix race live on Oct 26 and 27. In addition to the live streaming, Starsports.com will be working closely with the Vodafone McLaren team in the run-up to the Indian Grand Prix. The website will develop Formula 1 programming including exclusive interactions with the team drivers, Button and Perez, as well as senior management of the team including Martin Whitmarsh (team principal) and Sam Michael (sporting director).

     

    Speaking on the occasion, an ESPN Software official said, “We believe this partnership will help in promoting starsports.com as the definitive destination for sports on digital.”

     

     

     

  • Havas Media India has strengthened its digital team with two key senior appointments.

    Havas Media makes senior digital hires

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sumit Kumar
    S V Sunilkumar

    Havas Media India has appointed Sumit Kumar as General Manager, Mobext India while S V Sunilkumar, has joined as Business Head Digital-Mumbai.

     

    In tune with the group’s integrated structure, Havas Media India’s full-service digital portfolio includes digital media planning and buying, display advertising, digital direct response, search engine marketing, SEO, pay-per-click, social media, as well as ‘Mobext’ for mobile solutions and performance marketing using data and analytics.

     

    Anita Nayyar

    Speaking on the appointments, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India & South Asia, said, “Digital is a focal point for us and these appointments will further consolidate our attempt to offer the latest digital services to our clients. Both Sumit and Sunil are talented and committed digital players – we are glad to have them on board.”

     

    “Sunil and Sumit are mandated to entrenching and expanding the Havas Digital footprint in Mumbai and India”, added Anurag Bhatnagar, MD-Digital, Havas Media India.

     

    Anurag Bhatnagar

    “Mobext not only provides mobile solutions to engage the customer but can also help brands make their sales force more effective with our enterprise solutions – a unique proposition in itself. The profile is a huge challenge and opportunity to create unique experiences and expand the Mobext offering in India,” explained Mr Kumar.

     

    Commented Mr Sunilkumar: “As a digital enthusiast, it is always exciting to work with an agency whose mantra is ‘Digital at its core’. Havas Media has been on an aggressive growth path and again it is good to be where the action is. I look forward to creating some of this action”.

     

  • Media captains like Subhash Chandra, Srinivasan Swamy, Harindra Singh, CVL Srinivas others to speak at the conclave on Saturday, October 26 in Mumbai

    IAA announces knowledge conclave for ’emerging’ agencies

    By A Correspondent

     

    The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter is organising a Knowledge Conclave with industry stalwarts sharing, interacting and networking with MDs, CEOs of emerging Advertising Agencies.

     

    Titled ‘Emerging Agencies: Taking it to the next level’, the conclave will be held on Oct 26 at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. The speakers include Srinivasan K Swamy, Harindra Singh, Ali Merchant, B S Nagesh, CVL Srinivas, Pranay Chulet, Suryanarayana, Vinod Nair and Sandeep Tarkas. The highlight of the event will the Chief Guest Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Zee Group, sharing his experiences on taking one’s business global.

     

    The event (by invitation only) starts at 9.45am and ends at lunch. It has been powered by the Free Press Journal group.

     

  • 'Love. Laugh. Live' is the credo of the channel and the attempt is to spread the love and happiness across a high visibility campaign

    Romedy Now unveils 360-degree marketing campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Romedy Now, the all-new English entertainment channel from the Times TV Network stable, has unveiled a 360-degree marketing campaign. To be spread over two months across print, television, digital, outdoor, radio and cinema, the objective will be to spread the innovative language created across all communication platforms. So expect words like Happymeltify, Awesomejoysome, Freehug-a-lugs etc spread all over the media. ‘Love. Laugh. Live’ is the credo of the channel, and the warm colours will be a highlight of the marketing arsenal.

     

    Ajay Trigunayat

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Ajay Trigunayat – CEO, English Entertainment Channels, Times Television Network, explained that the reason for the deferred kick-off of the marketing campaign was hectic activity on getting the distribution act together. We should now be reaching 80 percent of our targeted homes, Mr Trigunayat said. While there are still some holes like Tata Sky which has a bandwidth issue, Mr Trigunayat is not fazed because the DTH carrier reaches out to only 3.2 percent homes across the eight metros. But isn’t Tata Sky an important platform for his TG? That’s a myth, he tells us, citing statistics.

     

    While print advertising will happen on all Times group publications, on television, the TVCs will be seen on 20 channels including Times Network offerings. For radio, other than the group’s Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Red FM have also been used. In outdoor, there are over 300 sites across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata and a similar number of multiplexes and single screen theatres have also been taken up. The highlight of the marketing campaign which could well be the biggest in the English entertainment space is the digital media adopted. Digital media whether it’s in the Facebook or Whatsapp users has grown, and the Romedy Now primary TG will be reached through that, Mr Trigunayat said.

     

    The thought behind Romedy Now is to spread love and laughter in everyone’s lives, through movies that strike an emotional chord.  This will be reflected digitally on the official microsite www.romedynow.com, Facebook Page at facebook.com/romedynow, on Twitter  via @romedynow and the ‘Love. Laugh. Live’ website.

     

  • The Walt Disney Company today announced that Managing Director Ronnie Screwvala will step down on June 30, 2014 and Siddharth Roy Kapur, currently Managing Director of Disney UTV's studio business, will take over the company's India operations. Mr. Kapur will become Managing Director of TWDC India effective January 1, 2014, and Mr Screwvala will assist in the transition until 30th June 2014.

    Ronnie Screwvala to step down at Disney UTV on June 30, 2014. Siddharth Roy Kapur will be MD wef Jan 1

    Ronnie Screwvala

    By  A Correspondent

     

    The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) has announced that Managing Director Ronnie Screwvala will step down on June 30, 2014 and Siddharth Roy Kapur, currently Managing Director of Disney UTV’s studio business, will take over the company’s India operations. Mr Kapur will become Managing Director of TWDC India effective January 1, 2014, and Mr Screwvala will assist in the transition until June 30, 2014.

     

    “It’s been a fantastic seven-year working relationship with Disney,” said Mr Screwvala, “first as a co-shareholder, then when Disney held a majority stake in UTV, and since February 2012 as Managing Director of Disney UTV India. It has been a great experience to be part of the world’s No 1 entertainment company and to have worked with such a talented team to solidify our footprint in India as a diversified and successful business across television, broadcasting, movies, consumer products, games and digital.”  After June 2014, Mr. Screwvala will pursue his entrepreneurial goals in some of the impact sectors in India and devote more time with his foundation, Swades.

     

    Andy Bird, Chairman of Walt Disney International added, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ronnie for the past seven years and appreciate his entrepreneurial drive and vision for Disney in India. He has successfully managed integration efforts and set the foundations of long term growth for our business. In 2012 when we acquired UTV, Ronnie had a clear mandate to merge two organizations, build a single team and lay the strategic direction for a diversified media and entertainment company that would be part of the growing India growth story. When he passes on the baton in June 2014, almost two-and-half years since the acquisition, he will leave the company in a great place strategically and with a strong leadership team.

     

    “I want to thank Ronnie for helping to shape Disney’s journey in India and for his contribution to our success. We are delighted that he will continue to be associated with Disney in the future,” added Mr. Bird.

     

    Mr Bird also announced that Mr. Roy Kapur will become Managing Director of TWDC India effective January 1, 2014. “Sid has been an integral part of the Disney UTV family and brings to the role a diverse set of business and creative skills and a strong pulse on the Indian audience and consumers.”

     

    “Sid’s innate understanding of the Indian viewer, his ability to leverage those insights in business, coupled with his experience and expertise in fast-moving consumer goods businesses, television and in building India’s leading movie studio made him the natural choice for the role. I look forward to working with Sid to take Disney UTV to its next level of growth in the years to come,” added Mr Bird.

     

    “Disney is one of the most admired media brands in the world and I see this as a great opportunity to work together with the incredible team we have at Disney UTV in India, to take our content and our brands to the next level of growth in one of the most dynamic media markets in the world,” said Mr Roy Kapur. “It’s been close to 15 years for me in media and entertainment, more than half of those at Disney UTV, and it’s wonderful to be part of a fantastic team and the diversified businesses that now make up the combined company.”

     

    The Walt Disney Company India started operations in July 2004 with its head office located in Mumbai, and significantly expanded its footprint in February 2012 after acquiring a controlling stake in UTV