MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Positioned as the ultimate music destination, the music offers a strong platform to artists, both international and Indian

    BIG CBS Spark goes musical for Gen Next

    By A Correspondent

     

    For most youth today music is a lifeline and BIG CBS Spark, in keeping with the needs of its Gen Next viewers, is coming out with some of the hottest and power-packed music-based shows. In its endeavour to sharpen the channel’s musical offering, the channel brings music based shows – Hip Hop MCs, Indie Rock Mania and Hot Hitz for its young audiences.

     

    Apart from urban-international music, BIG CBS Spark will also introduce fresh Indian music blocks ranging from hip-hop, rock, pop, folk, world, brass, chamber music, latest hits and more. The music segments will complement the existing shows like Cheaters, Max, Smash Cards, Oblivious and Real TV.

     

    In connecting with its audiences on ground, BIG CBS Spark will also feature college festivals, music concerts, youth fests, music launches and the likes. The channel will also offer a platform for young and upcoming artists to be showcased on the channel.

     

    With the youth as their audiences, the channel will see heavy use of social media to connect with audiences and already has in place a series of communications on the digital platform to engage with them.

     

    The sharpening of music content also comes from a deep understanding and in-depth research of what the audiences seek for entertainment. In gearing for digitization which is in the anvil, the channel is ensuring that it caters to the requirements of quality and variety for audiences while offering a value proposition to its operator-partners. This new offering compliments Reliance Broadcast Network’s recently launched ‘Choose Your Set-Top-Box Wisely’ campaign, which is designed to increase awareness and empower consumers with adequate information to make the right choice while choosing their set top boxes, while also enabling operators to build their brand equity.

     

    A joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network Limited and CBS Studios International, BIG CBS Networks has changed the way English language television entertainment is served to Indian audiences. The JV launched 3 English language entertainment channels, marking not just RBNL’s, but the Reliance Group’s entry into the television broadcasting space and CBS Corporation’s channel entry into India.

     

    The themed channels targeted at India’s fast-growing, upwardly mobile population are BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Spark and BIG CBS Love.
    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited has a multi-media play in the spaces of Radio, Television, Intellectual Property, Out of Home and Television Production, and specializes in creating & executing integrated solutions for clients, across the country. CBS Studios International, the leading supplier of programming to the international television marketplace, is a division of CBS Corporation,

     

  • We found in M&C Saatchi a partner who has the strategy, market analysis, creative expression all figured out just right for W, says Anant Daga, CEO, TCNS Clothing Company Pvt. Ltd.

    M&C Saatchi bags creative mandate for W

    By A Correspondent

     

    The year has begun on an exciting note for W – the leading Indian contemporary ready-to-wear brand for women. The brand appointed M&C Saatchi to carry out their creative duties.

     

    Speaking on the creative association, Anant Daga, CEO, TCNS Clothing Company Pvt. Ltd. said: “We were impressed by M&C Saatchi’s in-depth understanding of the women’s apparel market and the target consumer. We found in M&C Saatchi a partner who has the strategy, market analysis, creative expression all figured out just right for W. Indian women’s wear market is large, unorganized and untapped. Being a leading women’s wear brand, W is well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity and with M&C Saatchi we look towards achieving greater successes for the brand.”

     

    The advancement was confirmed by Anjali Nayar, CEO, M&C Saatchi: “It was a great start to the year. And we are excited about having added W to our portfolio. With retail growing at this pace, we see a lot of scope to do some interesting work together.”

     

    Commenting on this advancement, Richa Sinha, Executive Creative Director, M&C Saatchi, said: “We are happy to have got W as it is a brand that’s close to our heart. What makes W so special is the fact that the brand truly embodies the true spirit of the modern Indian woman and doesn’t believe in slotting women in their clichéd roles.”

     

    Rupin Jayal, Head – Strategy & Planning, M& C Saatchi said: “W is a brand that is unique in representing the aspirations and identity of contemporary Indian women. With its blend of international influences framed within Indian silhouettes, W has the potential of becoming an iconic brand.”

     

    W, a part of TCNS Clothing Pvt. Ltd, designs, manufactures and retails fashionable garments for the Indian women. It is the pioneer in introducing the concept of ‘Mix-n-Match’ in retail and has long been known for its fits and exotic inspirations. W is present in 40 cities across the country with 100 exclusive stores.

     

    M&C Saatchi Communications is one of the world’s youngest and fastest growing global advertising agency networks, with offices in 22 cities across 15 countries. It is founded on the principle of Brutal Simplicity of Thought, with all offices grounded in an entrepreneurial spirit. With offices in Mumbai andDelhi, M&C SaatchiIndiais now an agency of choice for leading entrepreneurs.

     

  • New tournament to feature 21 days of non-stop action, with over 100 hours of matches from February 9-29, 2012

    ESPN STAR Sports to Broadcast Inaugural Bangladesh Premier League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asia’s top sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) on Thursday announced the broadcast of the much-awaited inauguralBangladeshPremier League (BPL) from February 9-29 on STAR Cricket and STAR Sports.

     

    As the biggest cricketing event inBangladesh, BPL will bring all the glitz and glamour of T20, featuring some of the top names in cricket from around the globe with 21 days of non-stop world-class cricket action and entertainment.

     

    As the definitive rights holder of the best in international sporting events, ESPN STAR Sports will showcase this exciting new T20 event to cricket lovers across Asia, along with Channel 9, which will broadcast the tournament inBangladesh.

     

    With the match action kicking off on February 10, the first edition of theBangladeshPremier League will feature six teams that will play each other twice in a round-robin format of over 33 matches held inChittagongandDhaka. Each team will feature a stellar mix of a leading icon player fromBangladeshalong with current T20 stars and cricketing greats, some of which are listed below.

     

    BarisalBurners Shahriar Nafees Bangladesh- Icon player
    Brad Hodge Australia
    Chris Gayle West Indies
    ChittagongKings Tamim Iqbal Bangladesh- Icon player
    Shoaib Malik Pakistan
    Mutthaya Murlidharan Sri Lanka
    Dwayne Bravo West Indies
    KhulnaRoyal Bengals Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh- Icon player
    Nasir Hossain Bangladesh
    Herschelle Gibbs South Africa
    Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka
    S Chanderpaul West Indies
    Sylhet Royals Alok Kapali Bangladesh- Icon player
    Naeem Islam Bangladesh
    Kamran Akmal Pakistan
    Darren Sammy West Indies
    Brad Hogg Australia
    DhakaGladiators Mohammad Ashraful Bangladesh- Icon player
    Nazim Uddin Bangladesh
    Saeed Ajmal Pakistan
    Shahid Afridi Pakistan
    Keiron Pollard West Indies
    Duronto Rajshahi Mushfiqur Rahim Bangladesh- Icon player
    Zunaed Siddique Bangladesh
    Abdul Razzaq Pakistan
    Marlon Samuels West Indies

     

     

    “We are delighted to support the expansion of T20 toBangladeshby bringing this exciting new tournament to cricket fans inAsia. As the rights holder for some of the globe’s best cricket events, including ICC World T20, CL T20, India-Australia test matches, ODI tri-series betweenAustralia,IndiaandSri Lanka, and England-Australia ODIs, we are pleased to addBangladeshPremier League to our portfolio of top cricket coverage,” said Joyee Biswas, Director, Programming of ESPN STAR Sports.

     

    “As the first GEC of Bangladesh with a mix of Sports and Entertainment, and the producer of BPL T20, we are pleased to partner with ESPN STAR Sports to bring BPL to cricket lovers and look forward to a long term relationship,” said Enayetur Rahman, Managing Director of Channel 9.

     

    Running from February 9-29, the tournament will feature a mix of 1-2 matches per day. On days when two games are played, the first match will begin at 2pm local time followed by the second match at 6.30pm. In addition to the Icon player fromBangladesh, each team is allowed 9 foreign players, 5 of who can play per match per team.

     

    ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to viewers across 24 countries inAsia. ESPN STAR Sports operates from itsSingaporeheadquarters and has regional offices across six countries in Asia (China,Hong Kong,Taiwan,India,Malaysia,South Korea). ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its 25 television channels, 3 broadband networks, digital content services, and its on-ground Event Management group.

     

     

     

  • Bloggers need to submit an original and unpublished article on "Digital Marketing- What's in Store for 2012" in up to 800 words, along with their short bio and credentials by February 12

    ad:tech New Delhi 2012 hunts for the best Indian blog entry on digital marketing

    By A Correspondent

     

    The second edition of the world’s No.1 digital marketing, media and advertising event, ad:tech New Delhi 2012, is inviting entries for the ‘Best Blog Entry’ contest.

     

    Bloggers need to submit an original and unpublished article on “Digital Marketing- What’s in Store for 2012″ in up to 800 words, along with their short bio and credentials, by February 12t, 2012. Entries may be emailed to bloggercontest@networkplay.in.

     

    Shortlisted blogs will be put up on the official social media channels of ad:tech New Delhi 2012 and will compete against each other in a poll to get the maximum number of likes and retweets. The blog with the maximum public support will be adjudged the ‘Best Blog Entry’ which will entitle the blogger to an all access pass to the three day exhibition and conference.

     

    ad:techNew Delhiis being held at The Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon from February 22-24. It will provide the winning blogger once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet globally respected advertising and marketing experts, and to present his or her thoughts on digital marketing.

     

    This year’s ad:tech will have participation of over 70 digital marketing companies, more than 2,500 delegates and experts from the digital marketing fraternity. Promising to be bigger, better and bolder than ever, ad:tech New Delhi 2012 already has a glittering line up of keynote addresses by Shiv Singh, Global Head of Digital, PepsiCo Beverages; Pete Blackshaw, Global Head of Digital Marketing and Social Media, Nestle; Arvind Rajan, Managing Director & Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, LinkedIn; Gian M. Fulgoni, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, comScore, Inc; Satyan Gajwani, Director – New Media, BCCL; Richard Dunmall, Vice President, Global Accounts & Agencies, Microsoft Advertising; and Kent Wertime, President and Representative Director, Ogilvy & Mather (Japan) K. K., Chief Operating Officer, Ogilvy Asia Pacific.

     

    The winning blogger will also get a chance to hear over 80 leading experts in various panel discussions and sponsored workshops, and attend the vast exhibition of the latest technologies in digital marketing. ad:tech New Delhi 2012 is also inviting and evaluating nominations for the official blogger for the event.

     

  • Introduces first-of-its-kind marketing innovation designed by graduates from NID, IIT Powai and Disney's creative team

    Disney XD thrills kids with its attention-grabbing consumer outreach

    By A Correspondent

     

    Disney XD has introduced a first-of-its-kind, 3D-remote controlled model of Disney XD’s lead character Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil as part of its consumer outreach programme in select markets.

     

    A team comprising the best future minds in design and robotics – graduates from National Institute of Design (NID) and robotics students from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Powai – have created this unique model under the supervision of Disney’s creative team. Their unique creation – a remote controlled life size model of Kick Buttowski on a skateboard will be making appearances at malls across 10 cities in the next few weeks.

     

    “Interactive experiences that connect with kids and families at multiple-levels have always been the centerpiece of our marketing activities. This first-of-its-kind innovation complements our recently launched language feeds in Marathi and Bengali, first for a kid’s channel,” said Bikram Duggal, Director, Marketing, Walt Disney Television International India.

     

    “Our consumer campaign with Kick Buttowski and Spiderman riding on the back of a strong content push is already showing an upswing in the reach and GRPs of Disney XD in Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM),” he added.

     

    This life-like model skates unaided by itself, catching kids by surprise and giving them a true Disney XD ‘moment’ of action, comedy and adventure. The 3D model grooves to the music from the series soundtrack.

     

    The marketing team at Disney wanted to create a unique and world class Disney XD experience for kids. The NID and IIT graduates were tasked with bringing alive Kick Buttowski in the form of a life-sized action figure, keeping in mind his persona and physical traits, and add some fun and surprise element for kids and their families. This element of surprise gave birth to the idea of making him move around in the mall atrium and follow kids. This was made possible through the inputs of robotics students from IIT Powai, who worked to attach a special motor with a remote control allowing Kick to tail kids on his skateboard.

     

    Meanwhile Disney XD continues its prolific run as a leader in the South markets and has shown increasing traction in the Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM). The first channel to launch a six language feed, Disney XD recently announced the launch of Bengali and Marathi feeds to consolidate its presence in the north markets.

     

    Disney XD India is a multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for kids aged 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor.

     

  • With this move, Flipkart has firmly established itself as the leader in the consumer electronic space

    Flipkart acquires Letsbuy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Flipkart.com has acquired Letsbuy, the second largest retailer in electronics. With this move, Flipkart has firmly established itself as the leader in the consumer electronic space. This deal will also allow for a faster rate of expansion for both companies, giving the combined entity a much larger share in the consumer electronics market.

     

    The acquisition is a combination of cash and equity. The founders of Letsbuy along with their 350+ team will continue to function independently, with the added advantage of being able to access Flipkart’s superior technology platform and supply chain capabilities.

     

    Speaking about the acquisition, Flipkart’s co-founder and CEO Sachin Bansal said: “This acquisition fits into our strategy of building dominant shares in all categories we operate in. We are already leaders in the books and media verticals. Given that we managed to build a leadership position in consumer electronics as well since its launch in early 2011, it made sense for us to consolidate when we saw this opportunity. This acquisition opportunity came at a very attractive price for us and the timing has also been ideal. The synergies will now allow us to accelerate faster and get to share similar to what we enjoy in the online books category.”

     

    Letsbuy.com founder & CEO Hitesh Dhingra said: “Letsbuy.com has experienced a phenomenal growth in the last one year and holds a dominant position in e-commerce industry inIndia. We believe that our expertise in 3Cs category matched with Flipkart’s superior technology and supply chain could be a killer combination. The company had a choice to raise a large round of funding as well, however aligning our business with the largest player in the market made sense as the resultant synergies will guarantee our customers the best possible service, price and selection.”

     

    While the finer details on mutual synergies are being worked out by both teams at present, the move has been welcomed by investors of both firms. Helion, the lead investor in Letsbuy.com has said it believes that the combined strength of the two leading players is formidable and will be able to deliver a stronger value proposition to customers.

     

    Letsbuy.com, started by Hitesh Dhingra and Amanpreet Bajaj in 2009, has built a strong presence for itself in the consumer electronics space in short span of time. It has strong relationship with over 400 brands in this category.

     

  • PR – Interface or Interference? is the theme of the conclave to be hosted by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI)

    Media, PR professionals to debate ethics at global conclave

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the role of Public Relations professionals coming under scanner in the context of the 2G scam, a global conclave of PR professionals, to be held on February 13 at Trident, Mumbai, will debate the various issues concerning them.

     

    PR – Interface or Interference? is the theme of the conclave to be hosted by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI). “We expect over 250 PR and media professionals and academicians to attend the conclave,” said M B Jayaram, Chairman emeritus and chief mentor of PRCI.

     

    Veteran media and PR professional Mr B N Kumar, who is also the conclave chairman and head of Mumbai chapter of PRCI, said: “The conclave assumes significance in view of the debates on its theme and panel discussions on social and digital media and government and political public relations.”

     

    Maharashtra DGP Mr K Subramanyam will inaugurate the conclave while veteran jiournalist-editor Mr H K Dua will deliver the key note address. Others speakers include Mrs Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, The Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, Mr Tony Good, Executive Chairman, Good Relations and veteran journalists Mr Ayaz Memon, Mr Kumar Ketkar and Mr D K Raikar.

     

    Importance of PR and corporate communications is growing in leaps and bounds. The profession is no longer what it was even a couple of years back and the technological advancement in the present digital world has added a new challenging dimension to the profession. With the availability of new tools for communication and PR, the corporate communication or PR professionals runs the risk of being outdated if they become complacent even for a short time.

     

    “Add to this, the dilution of media ethics, the growth of investigative journalism, the fight for eye ball share, the TRP focus, and the high cost of square millimeters in print and millisecond on TV and you have yet another dimension to the profession,” said Mr Jayaram.

     

    The conclave will thus offer thought leadership and empower the PR practitioners to upgrade their skills and knowledge to manage communication. This conclave is also an opportunity to meet some high profile communication experts of national and international distinction, and exploring the immense potential of PR, he added.

     

    Another highlight of the conclave is the presentation of its signature annual Chanakya Awards and PR Hall of Fame recognitions. There will another set of awards for corporate collaterals like annual reports calendars and communication campaigns.

     

    PRCI is a national body of Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Advertising and Media Practitioners, Event Managers and academicians. Established in 2004, PRCI strives to enrich the professional development of media practitioners and provide networking opportunities to further the course of the profession. With its headquarters atBangalore, PRCI has 21 active chapters and many more are in the offing.

     

  • Available in twenty languages, 'The Serenade' is designed to put love in the air and smiles on faces around the world

    Heineken lets you ‘serenade’ that special someone Live on YouTube

    By A Correspondent

     

    Heineken is helping ignite romance this Valentine’s Day with the launch of a fun new Facebook application called ‘The Serenade’. Based on the brand’s second global film ‘The Date,’ the new app enables Heineken consumers to send humorous personalized songs to potential partners, inviting them on a date.

     

    Available in twenty languages, ‘The Serenade’ is designed to put love in the air and smiles on faces around the world. Millions of adult consumers across the globe will be able to participate and create their own Serenade songs via Heineken’s Facebook page.

     

    ‘The Serenade’ is part of the brand’s ‘Open Your World’ global campaign which celebrates and encourages aspirational behaviours among adult consumers. It follows the recent launch of ‘The Date’, which celebrated a man taking a woman on a legendary date, set to the catchy 1960’s Bollywood track, Jaan Pehechaan Ho by Mohammed Rafi. Through the app the same band that appeared in the ad will create songs for Heineken fans.

     

    “The Serenade is designed to take some of the stress out of asking a partner to go on a date. It’s fun, interactive and guaranteed to make an impression” said Cyril Charzat, Senior Director, Global Heineken Brand. “We are committed to connecting with our adult consumers both on and offline. The Serenade is one more positive example of how we are doing this.”

     

    Co-developed with advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, consumers can create their own fully personalized Serenade for a date in just 4 clicks. With a total of 640 different Serenades available, consumers should be able to find the legendary Serenade that will bring them romance. Mark Bernath, Executive Creative Director from W+K Amsterdam said: “In a way, we want people to be in the films we make. The idea of giving our drinkers the band from the spot to help them ask someone out is our way to make that happen for real. Let’s hope we make a load of offers that can’t be refused.”

     

    On February 9, Heineken will host “Serenade Live”, nine-hour YouTube event, during which individuals around the world will get the chance to serenade the object of their heart’s desire live online, which will hopefully lead to a host of many  successful dates.

     

    To watch The Date: [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57zo8O5pDXc[/youtube]

     

    The event will feature 50 live personalized Serenades. A select number of Heineken fans were selected to create a Serenade that was written specifically for each couple and will be performed by Paul “Kiss” Kissaun and The Serenades, the singer and band that will be immortalized in the popular Heineken commercial “The Date.” Each couple will tune into the live event via Skype and their reactions will be broadcast live to the public. (Timing forIndia: 11.30pm – 8.30am).

     

  • Myntra.com, the largest online retailer of fashion and lifestyle products inIndia, is aiming revenue of Rs500 crores in the financial year 2012-13. The company, which entered the lifestyle and fashion retailing segment in December 2010

    Myntra targets Rs 500 cr revenue for next fiscal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Myntra.com, the largest online retailer of fashion and lifestyle products inIndia, is aiming revenue of Rs500 crores in the financial year 2012-13. The company, which entered the lifestyle and fashion retailing segment in December 2010, has registered a 10-fold growth in 2011 and is, relatively, the fastest growing company in the e-commerce space inIndia.

     

    Mr. Mukesh Bansal (Founder & CEO) said: “Myntra has undergone phenomenal growth in the last 12 months and has emerged as the clear leader in Fashion/Lifestyle space. We have now reached a scale where we ship up to 10,000 products every day. We are planning to cross revenue of Rs500 crores in FY 2012-13, which will further strengthen Myntra’s leadership position in the lifestyle category. This is an exciting category with the total market size projected to be over $100 billion in 5 years with mid-single digit portion being online, making this, possibly the largest online category inIndia.”

     

    He added: “We have built the largest catalogue in fashion & lifestyle category with over 200 brands, have very extensive supply-chain capabilities, including world-class warehouse in multiple cities and our own logistics network in large cities. We will continue to invest aggressively in our technology platform, supply-chain and the Myntra brand to rapidly scaling the business.”

     

    The e-commerce company has received overall funding of $40 million through top-tier venture capitalists like Tiger Global, IndoUS, IDG & Accel Partners.

     

    Myntra.com is among the Top 5 e-commerce companies with over 2,00,000 daily visitors to the site. The company has already reached out to 10,000 zip codes across the country and is constantly expanding its network to support the growing demand.

  • The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch based on its understanding of the real-estate business

    DDB India bags creative duties of Nirmal Lifestyle

    By A Correspondent

     

    In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, DDB India, part of DDB Mudra Group has won the creative duties for Nirmal Lifestyle. It will be handled out of Mumbai office.

     

    The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch based on its understanding of the real-estate business. The size of the business is said to be in the range of Rs25-30 crore.

     

    Elated with the win, Rajiv Sabnis, President, DDB India said: “Dharmesh Jain’s vision of a Fit India and creating a living environment where people can enjoy sports, is what really excited us about the business. For any sports lover and someone whose passion has been sport, this is an opportunity to pursue their passion. We look forward to partnering the team at Nirmal in creating a very distinct sports lifestyle brand in the realty space. This is a brand to watch out for in the long run.”

     

    Confirming the win, Rajeev Jain, Director, Nirmal Lifestyle, “We, at Nirmal Lifestyle, have a vision to be the largest real estate company by 2020. In the last ten years, Nirmal Lifestyle has successfully built state-of-the-art residential and commercial spaces. Our Nirmal Lifestyle mall is one of the largest open dome malls inIndia. We are focused on making sports and fitness a part of everyone’s life in the next 10 years. Keeping this growth plan in mind, we wanted an agency to understand our vision, translate it into a visual and make it more relatable for our audience. We have found just the right partner in DDB India. We are happy to welcome them in our family and looking forward to a great working relationship with them.”

     

    DDB India has started the creative duties for Nirmal Lifestyle from February 1.

     

  • An industry first that enables a tapeless TV commercial delivery that is faster, cheaper and greener

    Star India invites advertisers to “Go Digital, Go Green” with STAR Content LIVE

    By A Correspondent

     

    In yet another game-changing move, Star India is pleased to announce Star Content Live, an industry first where the network will provide its advertisers and business partners a tapeless TV commercial delivery service which is faster, cheaper and greener.

     

    Star Content Live is a digital solution that enables the advertisers to deliver their TV commercials for telecast across the Star Network. This service will enable better cost and time efficiencies across the value chain and is a tapeless end-to-end workflow that is safe for HD and SD digital advertisement distribution.

     

    Star Network has always been extremely conscious of its carbon footprint and this initiative also forms an integral part of the movement to reduce the same by terminating the use of tapes for all TV commercials telecast across the network.

     

    With Star Content Live, the advertisers can turn around their campaign faster by instantly uploading their TV commercials. It is cheaper because it helps save costs incurred on betas for multiple campaigns, edits, languages and channels. It is also a greener option that helps reduce carbon footprint.

     

    Announcing this as an industry first, Kevin Vaz, President, Ad Sales, Star India Pvt. Ltd. said: “At Star, we believe that receiving tape-based commercials from advertisers is riddled with time and cost inefficiencies. The order-to-air cycle is slow and involves logistical and preparation costs such as purchasing tape, dubbing, shipping, digitising again for play-out and so on. It is also vulnerable to outside factors such as custom hold-ups, traffic which can further delay the process. Going tapeless, in addition to being a greener option, also eliminates many of these inefficiencies. We are sure that our advertisers, business partners and eventually the whole TV broadcast industry would move to this digital solution sooner rather than later.”

     

    Advertisers on Star Network can avail of this service by delivering their commercials using any one of the following three options:

     

    Option 1: Upload commercial as a file on http://content.startv.com/tvc via the internet.

    Option 2: Drop the commercial in a returnable hard drive at the Star TV kiosks located in Mumbai, New-Delhi and Kolkata.

    Option 3: If the commercial is being compiled at a Prime Focus studio, the studio can pick up the final files from the edit suite itself.

     

    STAR India is a leading media and entertainment company, broadcasting 33 channels in eight languages to more than 400 million people every week across India and more than 100 countries across the globe. Star India has defined India’s broadcast entertainment industry for over two decades with its unparalleled reach and unrivaled thought leadership position. Today STAR India is a sprawling media conglomerate, with a number of widely admired properties that transcend the barriers of language and culture and enlivens the lives of millions of Indians every hour of the day.

     

  • Surender Sharma's show on 92.7 BIG FM & BIG Magic, the first time inIndiathat a daily show features simultaneously on two media platforms

    Reliance Broadcast launches ‘Kings Of Kavis’

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) on Thursday announced the launch of their show with Surender Sharma – one of India’s most famous Hindi poets and humorists on 92.7 BIG FM and BIG MAGIC.

     

    For the very first time a top humorist will feature simultaneously on two media platforms through a single show titled ‘Hasya Panchayat’. The famous hasyakavi, popularly known as Sharmaji, will feature daily across 92.7 BIG FM stations in Hindi speaking regions as well as on BIG MAGIC, with his hilarious trademark one-liners to people’s queries on different subjects related to everyday life.

     

    Sharmaji, known for his straight faced, glum expression, offered fans a brilliant glimpse of his show at Shivaji Stadium Airport Metro where he, along with other eminent hasyakavis, participated in the ‘Hasya Panchayat’, and made the crowd burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

     

    Together with his fellow kavis, he presented a range of enjoyable poems and on a serious note urged listeners to reflect on modern-day issues such as inflation, corruption and unemployment. From the election fever in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to popular Bollywood flicks such as Dirty Picture, the humorist took on some very hot topics and added his distinctive touch of humour and sarcasm to them.

     

    The 92.7 BIG FM show will entertain listeners for one hour every evening and will feature the best of Sharmaji’s performances on a special weekend show.

     

    The artist will simultaneously feature on BIG Magic’s daily show titled ‘Hasya Panchayat’ in a special segment, where he will present his hilarious take on different topics. People from the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Biharand Jharkhand will also get to watch shorter capsules featuring Sharmaji’s celebrated one­-liners.

     

    Speaking at the event, company spokesperson said: “Few things in life can compare to the joy one gets in making someone laugh. We’re proud to bring a much-loved persona like Surender Sharma into the lives of our consumers and trust his wittiness will give us many reasons to laugh. This double treat on 92.7 BIG FM and BIG Magic will ensure people never miss out on the King of Kavi’s rib-tickling humour.”

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands.