MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Sony Pictures Entertainment has appointed former MSM CEO Man Jit Singh as President of its home entertainment business. He will continue as non-exec chairman of MSM in India

    Man Jit Singh is king at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

    By A Correspondent

     

    We were told that another announcement was coming on Monday. And we thought it could possibly concern the elevation of someone to the position of COO, now that NP Singh has been elevated.

     

    But that hasn’t happened, not yet. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that Man Jit Singh has been named President of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), reporting to Michael Lynton, CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

     

    Man Jit Singh

    Mr Man Jit Singh, who was previously Chief Executive Officer, Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd. (MSM), the operating company that manages Sony Pictures Television’s TV networks in India, will continue as Non-Executive Chairman at MSM while transitioning from his role in the television division to his new role in Home Entertainment.

     

    As reported earlier, Mr NP Singh, formerly Chief Operating Officer at MSM, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, managing Sony Pictures Television’s Indian TV networks. Mr NP Singh will report to Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television.

     

    “Man Jit is a savvy global executive with a long track record of success at Sony Pictures, having built our Indian TV channels into high-performance, high-margin businesses. I am confident in his vision for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and his ability to provide strong leadership for the division as the marketplace continues to evolve,” said Mr Lynton.

     

    At SPHE, Mr Man Jit Singh will continue the studio’s focus on reducing overhead costs, while growing high-margin businesses, according to a communiqué.

     

    Man Jit Singh has a strong background in technology, entertainment, and consumer products, with over 20 years of experience in global operations. He has worked in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since 2009, he has overseen Sony Pictures Television’s Networks business in India where he was previously Chairman of the Board of Directors of MSM. He spent much of his early career in general management consulting, and he held senior positions at firms including Sibson & Co., LLP in Los Angeles, The Cast Group AG in Zurich, Switzerland and Los Angeles, and Cresap in Los Angeles. Man Jit began his career at Nestle India.

     

  • The record on Open's editorial top deck has been mixed with exits of key editors soon after its launch

    Manu Joseph quits Open, successor not yet named

    By A Correspondent

     

    The magazine meant to be a contemporary, not-necessarily-political newsmagazine, but the record on its editorial top deck has been mixed, one could even say troubled.

     

    While there have been rave reviews for Open’s content and packaging, there have been several controversies related to its editorial staffing since a little after it launched.

     

    First was the exit of CP Surendran, now editor-in-chief at dna. When he quit, he was quoted as saying: “I’m looking for a very good job at a sane place if one exists”. Later, in July 2010, Sandipan Deb had a controversial exit. A few months back there was Political Editor Hartosh Singh Bal’s sacking that made news and now comes the news of Manu Joseph quitting as Editor.

     

    He announced it on his Facebook page with the following post: “I have quit Open. Will continue as interim editor until a new editor is appointed or the end of March, whichever is sooner. Third novel, come to me fast.”

     

    Open magazine is part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group. There have been rumours that the group is also in discussions with People magazine, which was until recently published by Outlook group, to revive the India edition.

    Mr Bal, btw,  has written a comment on the resignation on Firstpost.com. It’s titled Manu Joseph’s resignation: The perils of editorial surrender.

  • The second edition of our Annual issue is being readied. Pearls of wisdom from over a hundred industry captains. Insightful, unputdownable and worth the wait

    Get, set, go for the MxMIndia Annual 2

     

    Dear Readers:

     

    Indulge us this opportunity for a repeat of our special announcement.

     

    The MxMIndia Second Annual is getting readied as you read this.

     

    Over a hundred captains of industry have already contributed to the Annual. Some more are expected to come in as we close.

     

    The release of our second Annual has been delayed by a month, and we apologise for the same. But we can assure you that it will be worth the wait.

     

    Given that it is the Second Annual and marks the completion of two years of MxMIndia.com, the theme of the issue is ‘Hum Do, Humaare Do’

     

    It’s about the Man, the Woman, the young adult and the child. It is about how these consumers are changing, and how media and marketers should interact with them. And have been interacting with them.

     

    The issue is scheduled later this month.

     

    If you wish to participate in the issue by way of contributing editorially or by way of advertising, please contact: Ritu Midha or Rishi Vora for editorial (ritum@mxmindia.com and rishiv@mxmindia.in respectively) and Ramesh for Sales (Ramesh@mxmindia.in respectively). Or yours truly.

     

    Meanwhile, please await the Annual. It’s going to be fun, insightful and unputdownable.

     

    Sincerely,

    Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Editor-in-Chief and CEO, MxMIndia

     

    Pradyumanm [at] MxMIndia.com

    Telephone: 98338 76278

     

  • MouthShut.com's plea challenging IT Rules 2011 is to come up for hearing in the Supreme Court

    MouthShut’s plea on IT Rules 2011 to come up for hearing in SC

    By A Correspondent

     

    The writ petition filed before the Supreme Court by Mouthshut.com, India’s online community for consumer reviews, challenging the Information Technology Rules, 2011 is to come up for hearing on January 13, 2014. The plea seeks to declare the IT Rules as violation of Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India which guarantee freedom of expression. Mouthshut.com will be represented by senior counsel, Harish Salve.

     

    It may be recalled that Mouthshut.com had approached the Supreme Court with a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, to rescind India’s Information Technology Rules 2011 that “jeopardises the freedom of expression”. The appeal declares the IT Rules to be offensive under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India. “We are pleading with the highest court in the land to protect the rights of Indian citizens and consumers that are granted by the Constitution of India,” said Faisal Farooqui, Founder & CEO, MouthShut.com.

     

    Mouthshut.com says it has stuck to its own policy of taking down content only under legal coercion. But the IT rules stating that ‘any affected person’ can simply send an email to request the removal of any content within 36 hours or they can lose their ‘safe harbour’ protection as an ‘intermediary, pay damages, legal fee and court time’. Web-based organisations need to have a difference between free expression and making feasible services.

     

    Mr Farooqui further added, “We have been threatened with hundreds of legal notices, cybercrime complaints and defamation cases. At other times, officers from various police stations call our office, demanding deletion of various reviews or face dire consequences under the IT rules.”

     

    “It is a privilege to be a citizen of a democracy like India, where an ordinary citizen can appeal to a powerful court. Laws are meant to ensure the well-being of the nation – its people and institutions. Despite good intentions, IT Rules fall short of doing that. This law has the potential to weaken or, worse, entirely corrode the robust protection that the constitution of India offers to the freedom of speech,” he continued

     

     

     

  • Unilazer Ventures has picked up a 25% stake in online grocery retailer EkStop Shop for an undisclosed amount, the family office set up by former Walt Disney India head Ronnie Screwvala announced

    Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Ventures picks up 25% stake in EkStop Shop for an undisclosed amount

    By Biswarup Gooptu

     

    Unilazer Ventures has picked up a 25% stake in online grocery retailer EkStop Shop for an undisclosed amount, the family office set up by former Walt Disney India head Ronnie Screwvala announced on Monday.

     

    Proceeds from the Series A round of funding will be used by the Mumbai-based EkStop Shop, which runs the e-commerce website EkStop.com, to build its technology, hire talent and expand it geographical footprint, according to a press statement released by Unilazer Ventures.

     

    Launched in 2012, EkStop Shop is an e-commerce retailer specialising in home deliveries of groceries, supermarket products and daily essentials, and delivers all across Mumbai. It plans on launching services to Navi Mumbai and Thane by February later this year.

     

    “I see tremendous potential and scalability for the e-grocery space in India. A disconnected last mile experience for the customer, high customer life time value, and an ability to build local monopolies in the top metros of India – are all exciting opportunities for this kind of business to grow exponentially,” said Abhishek Shah, AVP – Private Equity at Unilazer Ventures.

     

    EkStop Shop has partnered with over 500 brands to offer over 8,000 products. It also has its own in-house logistics and warehousing capabilities. The startup had earlier raised an undisclosed amount of capital from a group of angel investors.

     

    “Ekstop.com provides consumers a convenient, efficient and cost effective alternative to the corner store kirana and the supermarket. We have, in a short span, seen incredible customer traction and retention,” Sumat Chopra, co-founder and chief executive of EkStop Shop.

     

    While sector and stage-agnostic, Unilazer Ventures has a strong investment focus on India’s early-stage internet ventures. In December it led a $6 million investment in lingerie retailer Zivame, a transaction in which the Bangalore-based e-commerce company’s existing venture capital backers IDG Ventures India and Kalaari Capital also participated.

     

    It has also invested in Valyoo Technologies, the parent company of online retailer LensKart.com, and agri-farming and horticulture firm INI Farms.

     

    As part of its mandate, Unilazer invests across three major asset classes – fixed income and commodity, public equity investments and seed-to-growth stage investments in privately held companies and startups.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The sports channel has bagged the rights for the Australian Open for five years

    Sony Six pushes Star Sports out of Aus Open rights

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Star Sports network which was established with much fanfare in November saw the rights for the Australian Open being taken away by Sony Six, the sports channel from the MSM stable. The rights for the Asian grand slam are for five years and are also the channels first entry into broadcast of a tennis major.

     

    On his first major announcement after taking charge as CEO of MSM, NP Singh said: “Over the years, the Australian Open has established itself as one of the most revered competitions in the hearts of Asian sports fans. With the strong equity that the sport enjoys, we are committed to further expand the distribution of the tournament and strengthen our position in the market”.

     

    Commenting on this, Prasana Krishnan, EVP and Business Head, Sony SIX said: “The Australian Open is seen as the paramount opener to the Grand Slam competitions and we are proud to have this prestigious event in our bouquet of international sports content.”

     

    Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said: “I’m delighted we are partnering with MSM in India for the Australian Open. MSM presented a compelling proposition and demonstrated a commitment to promote the event and the sport of tennis in India which continues to cement our position as the Grand Slam of the Asian-Pacific.”

     

  • News channels have been fined and asked to apologise as news self-regulator News Broadcasting Standards Authority has announced its order on seven complaints received

    Channels fined, to apologise as news self-regulator NBSA acts on 7 complaints

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Broadcasting  Standards Authority (NBSA), the self-regulatory body set up by the News Broadcasters Association has acted upon various complaints received by and has issued seven orders on the complaints, a copy of which was shared with MxMIndia.

     

    The following is the action taken against the complaints:

    1. Complaint filed by Atul Jain against ABP News for programme ‘Bura na Mano’ was rejected (Order 21)

     

    2. Complaint filed by the Joint GM of IRCTC against Aaj Tak against a sting operation titled ‘Dalal Junction’ was upheld (Order 22). Aaj Tak is required to display an apology from Jan 13 to 17, 2014 and also remove the video from the website

     

    3.Complaint from Seema Mittal against Aaj Tak regarding a story in the programme ‘Vardat’ with first telecast on November 7. Complaint upheld. Aaj Tak is required to carry an apology as well as pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Video to be removed from website.

     

    4. Complaint filed by RK Lal of Mallige Medical Centre against CNN-IBN on news aired on March 29 to March 31, 2013 and April 6, 2013 with a repeat airing as well as on Face the Nation on April 1. Complaint upheld. CNN-IBN has been asked to carry an apology on Jan 10 before the 9pm news.

     

    5.Complaint filed by Mr Hariharan on child rape victim being identified by CNN-IBN journalist while covering protest on December 23, 2012. NBSA has advised the channel to be more careful and responsible in future as well as remove the video from IBNlive.com and other weblinks.

     

    6.Complaint against Sakshi TV regarding report on April 12, 2013 titled ‘drunken girls hulchul midnight’and case filed against pub management by 4 students of NALSAR. Complaint upheld. Channel to pay fine of Rs 1 lakh and carry an apology on January 15-17 at 8pm. Weblinks to be deleted.

     

    7. Complaint filed regarding ‘Face the Nation’ with a discussion on the Phaneesh Murthy case aired on CNN-IBN on May 22 where complainant alleges that her name was unnecessariyly revealed and wrong info was disseminated on subjudice matters. Complaint upheld. Channel warned, asked to send an apology letter to complainant and video of the show on website(s) must be deleted.

     

  • The announcements are part of ZenithOptimedia Group's management succession moves for Performics and Resultrix in India

    Tanmay Mohanty to take charge of Resultrix and Perfomics in India as Gulrez Alam moves to Singapore as Chief Devpt Officer for ZO APAC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gulrez Alam

    After founding, growing and leading Resultrix as Global COO for close to five years and making it a name to reckon with in the digital marketing industry, Gulrez Alam moves to Singapore as Chief  Development Officer, APAC at Zenith Optimedia. In this role he will be working with Gerry  Boyle to lead New Business and develop as well as evangelize Digital in the APAC region for ZO.

     

     

    Tanmay Mohanty

    Tanmay Mohanty, who has played a pivotal role in shaping up  Resultrix under Mr Alam for more than a year now, will be taking on the mandate of MD, Performics India and in this role will be incharge of leading both Performics and Resultrix operations in India. He will also  help the ZO Group to further develop and grow its digital capabilities.

     

    In this new role, he will directly report into Anupriya Acharya.

     

    Comments Mr Alam, “I totally believe in ZenithOptimedia’s Live ROI philosophy. I am excited about offering data-led solutions to clients  across mainline and digital media. And also looking forward to working with a very passionate, performance and excellence driven team at ZO APAC office. As I move, I am totally confident in Tanmay taking  over the India responsibilities from me and am sure he will take the organization to greater heights”

     

    Said Mr Mohanty: “At ZenithOptimedia Group, we all have thoroughly imbibed the Live ROI philosophy and all our digital and mobile offerings across Content, Creative, Communication have Performance culture at the core”.

     

    Confirming the development, Ms Acharya noted that Resultrix has been a spectacular success story and will continue to be a competitive advantage for the ZenithOptimedia Group in India. As the client requirements becomes more sophisticated and move from vanilla to more expertise-based solutions, the competitive advantage will get  even more sharply defined. She said “Our revenues from digital as ZO Group in India, are already upwards of 40% and we will focus to grow this further in the coming years.”

     

  • The Jaipur Literature Festival has announced Zee Entertainment as the new title sponsor for the 2014 edition that takes place next week – January 17-21. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend each day of the five-day fest

    Zee is title sponsor of Jaipur Lit Fest

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Jaipur Literature Festival has announced Zee Entertainment as the new title sponsor for the 2014 edition of the fest which takes place next week – January 17-21, 2014.

     

    The festival, which is now in its seventh edition, will host a cross-section of top literary talent including Jonathan Franzen, Jumpha Lahiri, Amartya Sen, Harold Varmus, Tash Aw, Samantha Shannon and Reza Aslan.

     

    Subhash Chandra

    Said Subhash Chandra, Chairman, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, in a communiqué: “Literature, as they rightly say, preserves our cultural ideals, customs and morals. ZEE has been the cultural ambassador of our nation to the rest of the world for over two decades. Our traditions and rich culture, weaved into our content, reaches over 700+ million viewers across the globe. Our brand positioning – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, resonates this effort of ours, to unify the diverse cultures and traditions across the world into one Family. Celebrating this legacy further, we are extremely proud to associate with Jaipur Literature Festival.”

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, added: “The Zee Jaipur Literature Festival association further strengthens our endeavour in creating compelling and engaging story telling for our viewers.”

     

    Sanjoy K. Roy, Producer of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Zee Entertainment as title sponsor to the Jaipur Literature Festival. Their support will allow us to keep the Festival open to all, whilst bringing a wealth of world class talent to Jaipur each year.”

     

    The directors of the Jaipur Literature Festivals are William Dalrymple and Namita Gokhale and the festival is produced by Sanjoy K Roy (seen often on television news around the time of the Tarun Tejpal episode) and Sheuli Sethi of Teamwork Productions.

     

    The title sponsor of the festival last year was infrastructure company DSC and Tata Steel, Airtel and a host of others backed the event. In fact DSC has had a long association with festival as is with other literary initiatives. While the literature festival attracts a galaxy of writers and thinkers, the 2013 edition saw a controversy initially over the participation of Salman Rushdie in the proceedings and later over the remarks of sociologist Ashis Nandy on OBCs and SC/STs.

     

    Over 20,000 people are expected to attend on each day of the five-day festival. Decidedly, the biggest in the business. While there have been figures quoted of the sponsorship amount being in the region of Rs 5 crore, according to the grapevine, the actual amount could be even less than half that, with Zee putting its weight behind the promotion of the festival across media.

     

  • The deal will see titles made available through the on-demand service from February 2014, as well as future new releases. Users will have access to more than 200 films and TV series from the Warner Bros. library.

    Lukup Media & Warner Bros partner for India’s first on-demand TV channel

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bengaluru-based Lukup Media announced a partnership with Warner Bros Digital Distribution, through which the Studio’s newly released movies such as Gravity and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and a selection of new releases, catalogue titles and popular TV series will be offered to viewers via an on-demand TV channel. The Lukup Player will deliver a combination of live and on-demand content on Televisions and other devices people use to consume content.

     

    The deal will see titles made available through the on-demand service from February 2014, as well as future new releases. Users will have access to more than 200 films and TV series from the Warner Bros. library.

     

    Said Kallol Borah, Chief Executive Officer, Lukup Media: “We are very happy to partner Warner Bros. and bring a wide selection of popular and new movies and TV shows which will be available through India’s first on-demand TV channel. The channel will allow people to choose titles from their TV programme guide, pay for them and view them at a time of their choice.”

     

    Chris Dyde, Senior Vice President, International Licensee Markets, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group said: “Providing consumers with more choices and improving the movie experience at home is at the heart of Warner Bros.’ Digital strategy and we’re delighted to be working with Lukup Media, which will see a fantastic selection of both new and library movies offered to viewers in India”.

     

  • The online home store has appointed Bang in the Middle as its communication partner

    FabFurnish appoints Bang in the Middle as creative agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Online home store FabFurnish.com has appointed Bang in the Middle as its communication partner. Appointed after a multi-agency pitch, Bang in the Middle has commenced work on the brand leveraging both online and offline communication mediums.

     

    Said Vaibhav Aggarwal, Co-founder, Fabfurnish.com: “We are poised for the next phase of growth. Till now, we have been very successful in building a wide consumer base for ourselves. Today, we are the largest player in this space.And, in due course, we want to become even larger. Our new communication will ensure that we become an even stronger leader in the furniture and furnishings market.”

     

    Naresh Gupta

    Added Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle: “FabFurnish is a great brand to be associated with. Our understanding and expertise across digital and mainstream medium is what helped us win the mandate. FabFurnish.com is a very challenging brief. Our new work will make the brand stronger.”

     

  • IBN7 Managing Editor Ashutosh is moving on and will be succeeded by Vinay Tewari, Managing Editor, CNN-IBN

    Ashutosh quits IBN7, Vinay Tewari to take additional charge of news channel

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s a move that not’s entirely unexpected in the capital’s news circles. IBN7 Managing Editor Ashutosh has decided to move on. He will be succeeded by Vinay Tewari, Managing Editor, CNN-IBN who will now also lead IBN7 editorial operations in the same capacity. In this expanded role, Tewari will also drive network synergies across CNN-IBN and IBN7.

     

    Speaking on the development, B.Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network18 said: “Ashutosh has played a key role in IBN7’s emergence as one of the most credible brands in Hindi news. We thank him for his immense contribution and commitment to the Network. Vinay has led CNN-IBN admirably and in this expanded mandate, we’re confident that he will not only take IBN7 to new heights editorially but also strengthen our general news network further”

     

    Commenting on this, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-In-Chief, IBN News Network added “Ashu has been a driving force behind IBN7 and his passion and leadership has been instrumental in making it into a fearless and independent voice in Hindi journalism. We thank him for his stellar effort and wish him the very best. Vinay has been an integral part of the general news network from the very beginning and I’m confident that he will bring his unique perspective and rich news experience to bear at IBN7 and the network ”

     

    Said Ashutosh: “Building IBN7 into what it is today has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my professional journey. I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support and look forward to newer challenges”

     

    And this is what Mr Tewari said: “IBN7 today stands for the best in hard-hitting and inclusive journalism and it’s a privilege for me to lead it further. I look forward to working closely with the talented and passionate team to ensure we honor the trust of our viewers in IBN7 and ensure that both CNN-IBN and IBN7 benefit and capitalize from the general news network in equal measure.”

     

    Although the communiqué received from the channel doesn’t mention where Ashutosh is moving to, there are rumours that he may join the Aam Aadmi Party. “These are again historic moments, societal churning is on, everybody has to contribute to make the change robust and beautiful,” Ashutosh tweeted earlier today.