MxMIndia

Category: FICCI FRAMES 2012

  • The government has done its job, now it is up to the industry to make digitization work, said Uday Varma at the FICCI Frames 2012 session on Addressable Digitization.

    @FF12: Digitization – ball in industry’s court, says I&B secy

    By A Correspondent

     

    In December 2011, Parliament had passed a bill making analog cable switch to digitization in phases, starting June 30, 2012. FICCI Frames 2012, on day one held a session on ‘Addressable Digitization – The Way Forward.’ This session had two keynote speakers, Dr JS Sarma, Chairman, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and Uday K Varma, Secretary I&B (Information and Broadcasting), followed by a panel discussion. Almost everyone in the session agreed that digitization is now a reality and an important ingredient for India’s growth. Will digitization be a game changer? Is the industry is ready for digitization, what are the challenges and opportunities that digitization has to offer, and what’s in it for the consumers – these were some of the points raised during the session.

     

    The session was moderated by Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia. The panelists were, Sanjay Gupta, COO Star India, Sunil Lulla, CEO and MD Times Global Broadcasting, Sameer Machanda, Founder DEN Networks and Punit Goenka, MD And CEO, Zee Entertainment Ltd.

     

    Mr Varma was of the view that since there has been no political opposition to the digitization of cable and the fact that the parliament too had passed the bill in December 2011 it is now upon the industry to make digitization a reality. Mr Varma was also quick to point out that as far as monitoring is concerned, the government has already set up mechanisms and task force as well as interest groups to address various concerns of the industry. “The progress of digitization must be a transparent process. There will be a mechanism that will be put in place to ensure transparency. We are certainly at the threshold of revolution. There are huge changes that will take place and these changes will certainly be beneficial changes especially on how we create contents.”

     

    Dr Sarma, who will be demitting office in two months time observed, “If India has to grow, digitization will be a vital ingredient for its growth and thus it is important that we be technologically updated. Digitization is here to stay and we need to embrace this change.”

     

    The panelists were of the view that not only the industry is ready for digitization but for some of them, it will be a game changer. While digitization will bring a lot of opportunities in terms of contents and niche channels, the industry will face some challenges too. According to Mr Machanda, digitization will be a game changer as it will bring transparency in the industry. “We are ready for digitization, we have the boxes, call centers are ready etc. I believe in the next few months we will see more momentum in the industry.”

     

    Taking issue with Mr Machanda, Mr Gupta was of the view that it was not digitization but providing democratization of content which would be the real game changer for the industry. “The big challenge however is to not carry our analog mindset in digitization. As a broadcaster we have not catered to different audiences, we must therefore unlock the value of creating differentiated contents” he said.

     

    Mr Goenka believed that digitization will not only encourage niche contents but, provide ample opportunities to provide good content and differentiated contents to consumers. Mr Lulla observed, “There is greater good in digitization. There is a lot of work the broadcasters have to do over the next few years as we will have to create pathways. What will however change is not the price of the business but, the view centric business wherein the consumers will decide what they want to watch and the price they want to pay for it.”

     

    The panelists also agreed that the industry is ready for change but it needs to educate and spread awareness about the benefits digitization has to offer consumers, such as more channels and differentiated content.

     

    Photograph: Fotocorp

  • There was no beating about the bush as digitization dominated the discussion on Day 1 @ Ficci-Frames 2012

    Digital attracts ‘desirable’ status on Day 1

     

    By Team MxMIndia

     

    The West swears by it, developed countries from Asia Pacific have already made a generational leap in terms of technological innovations while globally, the medium has shown why it is the most sought-after given the dynamic growth numbers it throws up in the shortest possible timeframe. Well, it could be said here with certainty that digital has bought about a significant change in the way the world goes about running its business in the last decade compared to what other mediums have been trying to do for decades together. Little wonder that when the organisers of FICCI Frames were faced with the choice of shortlisting a theme that could alter the media and entertainment industry in India, they didn’t have to think twice before narrowcasting on the medium of preference – digital.

     

    In keeping with the theme, ‘Embracing the Digital World’, FICCI Frames 2012 got off to a wishful start at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai on March 14. In keeping with its tradition, the morning session kicked off with a welcome address by the Co-Chair of FICCI Entertainment Committee, Karan Johar. After Mr Johar’s welcome address, Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India & Chairman, FICCI Broadcast Forum, took the stage to address the audience. Making a dash for the core topic of digital, Mr Shankar began by stating, “Digitization is a big reality which will revolutionise the way content (creation and distribution) is offered”. Even though he said that digitisation will create a level playing field for the broadcasters and the cable operators, he had a word of caution to add when he said that his biggest concern was “the chaos which will be caused by the broadcast industry’s inaction.”

     

    Though Mr Shankar admitted that there is a need for legislative enablers to remove the bottlenecks surrounding digital, he also said that the broadcast industry is still not ready to move to the digital format. To drive home his point he used the example of the film The Artist, where the star of the film loses out when he refuses to move with the times. Next it was the turn of Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra who took the stage to talk about the “exciting times that all are living in”. He said that the challenge is to adopt the regulatory framework to the new technology and ensure that over regulation doesn’t kill a good thing. He also said that the move towards digitization will create a huge employment opportunity but there is a need to explore how technology can empower the field of education. The Chief Minister also touched upon the need for regulation and suggested that instead of the state regulating the media, the medium should look at regulating itself.

     

    Following his speech, the event witnessed the release of the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2012; FICCI-Amarchand Lawbook and ‘Positivity: The impact of television on India’ by The Indian Broadcasting Foundation. Jehil Thakkar, Head, Media & Entertainment Practises, KPMG made a brief presentation about the key highlights of the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2012.

     

    Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, opened his address by stating that the concerns that the industry had over digitization and the Phase 3 of FM radio have been addressed by the move to allow 839 new FM stations and 500 community radio stations. He stressed that the government is committed to ensure time bound digitization and said that come July 1, the four metros will switch over to the digital format and the plan is to ensure that the move to digitization is completed by December 31, 2014. He agreed that the challenge was mammoth- to convert 80 million analog connections to digital format but added that it will ensure faster and deeper penetration. “This will address a plethora of issues facing the television industry, such as addressability, carriage fees, audience measurement and consumer preferences,” he said. Mr Varma added that in order to combat piracy, the government intended to carry out an all-encompassing multi-media campaign involving all stakeholders from the film and music industries, shortly.

     

    Punit Goenka, CEO & MD, ZEEL too spoke about the pros and cons of digitization, how the ratings are inadequate and how self regulation was the need of the hour for the broadcast industry. Carolyn Everson, VP, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook elaborated on how Facebook can benefit the media and entertainment industry and cited examples from music, gaming and films to drive home her point.

     

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    BARC takes wings; Discovery Kids to flag off operations in April

    In between the many promises and hopes that were being doled out at the inaugural session came the news of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) announcing the official formation of a nationwide audience research joint body — Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).

     

    The announcement was made at the inaugural day of FICCI Frames 2012 in Mumbai in presence of I&B Secretary Uday K Varma, TRAI Chairman Dr JS Sarma, Managing Director & CEO of ZEE Punit Goenka, Star India COO Sanjay Gupta, Times Television Network MD & CEO Sunil Lulla, Star CJ CEO Paritosh Joshi, Madison Group Chairman Sam Balsara and Landmarc Leisure Corporation MD Paulomi Dhawan.

     

    While IBF will have 60 per cent stake in BARC, ISA and AAAI will each hold 20 per cent stake. The Board of the council will have 10 members, six members from the IBF and two members each from the ISA and AAAI.

     

    Another important announcement was made by President & CEO of Discovery Networks International, Mark Hollinger who announced the launch of its new network for children in India, ‘Discovery Kids’. Mr Hollinger said, “Launching in April, the network will initially be available in three languages – Hindi, English and Tamil. The channel will offer children a fun and entertaining way to satisfy their natural curiosity with stimulating and imaginative programming,” he said. The company plans to roll out the channel in Philippines and Indonesia later this year.

     

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    Post the promises and pleasantries doled out by committee members and authorities, it was time for some serious discussion which began with a panel discussion on ‘Addressable Digitization – The way forward’. Sanjay Gupta, COO – Star India, Sunil Lulla, CEO and MD Times Global Broadcasting, Sameer Manchanda, Founder – DEN Networks and Punit Goenka, MD And CEO, ZEEL comprised the panellists. The panellists agreed that digitization is the way forward and will soon be a reality. Uday K Varma, Secretary – I&B, put the ball in the industry’s court as he said that there were no political opposition to digitization and the parliament too passed the law in December 2011, therefore it is now incumbent upon the industry to make digitization a reality. Sunil Lulla pointed out that the there is greater good in digitization however, the industry has to do a lot of work over the next few years. Sameer Manchanda was of the view that digitization was a reality and that it will bring more number of channels. While Uday Varma said the government is determined and committed to ensure digitization happens the broadcasters on the other hand also displayed confidence that they are ready for the June 30, 2012 deadline i.e. when metros will switch from analog TV to digital. The session also discussed opportunities and challenges that digitization has to offer and how the industry was gearing for digitization – whether they are ready or not?

     

    A session on ‘Maximising the power of digital distribution’ saw industry leaders speak about the challenges that come along as the country is experiencing the much talked about shift – from analog to digital cable – the investments that goes into and many such challenges. Industry honchos such as K Jayraman – MD and CEO, Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd; SN Sharma, CEO, DEN; Anshuman Misra – SVP and MD, Networks and Content Distribution, Turner, Asia Pacific; Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV; Jagi Mangat Panda, Co-Founder and Director, Ortel; Prof Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law, Brooklyn School of Law and Anita Wallgren, Government Attorney, US Department of Commerce, Former Program Director, US Government’s TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia moderated the session.

     

    While digitization comes in as a relief for broadcasters who will be benefitted from additional subscription revenue the relaxation on paying heavy carriage fees, and of course providing viewers with a superior content experience – MSOs and cable operators have to quickly respond to the digitization mandate by investing in set-top boxes – the cost that is only possible to recover after four years. Jagi Mangat Panda pointed out that digitization will result in some sort of consolidation in the distribution space where bigger players will look to expand their presence in the Indian market.

     

    Vikram Chandra talked about the difference digitization makes to the news industry. “Digitisation is important for news players. It is leading players in the news industry into areas they don’t want to be in. In the race of chasing TRPs, people are forgetting that digital has a great potential that has to be tapped, a business model which needs to be looked at.” Chandra also mentioned the role of tablets and high-end devices as new distribution platforms.

     

    Anita Wallgren and Prof Jonathan Askin spoke about how the United States saw the transition of analog TV to digital – the learnings and challenges.

     

    It could be said that the media and entertainment industry of India has scripted a glorious growth story in the past ten years or so. And now, when the future looks more promising with digitisation and the advent of technology across media verticals such as broadcast, print and also films – one area which that has not seen enough progress is the lack of private equities and VC funds showing adequate interest. In a session titled “Financing the Media and Entertainment Business” eminent personalities such as Prashant Jain, Executive Director, HDFC Mutual Fund; Mathew Cyriac, Sr Managing Director, Private Equity, Blackstone; Soumo Ganguly, Managing Director, Moxie Entertainment Pvt Ltd; and Daniel Dubiecki, Founder and Partner, The Allegiance Theatre, Hollywood shared their views on the subject. Ashok Wadhwa, Group CEO, Ambit moderated the session.

     

    Mathew Cyriac started off the session by pointing out that majority of the investments within the media and entertainment industry were made in television and print as they represent a fairly large share  in terms of sheer numbers as against Internet and Radio. The Hindi GECs in TV is typically where a lot of money goes to followed by regional GECs and sports channel. For print media, it was the regional publications that command a lot of attention as regional advertising is very robust – one which extracts a lot of profit.

     

    Prashant Jain pointed out that a lot of companies in India have managed to get good funding and that it is not reflective of a very, very sorry picture as is being talked about. “It’s not that all of India in the media entertainment space are not attracting funds. Companies like UTV and a few others have attracted investors.”

     

    Ashok Wadhwa remarked that the film industry in India is not institutionalised enough to attract private equity. Daniel Dubiecki spoke about the need to be more global in concept, widen the scope of market and thereby making it more viable to attract investments in the films business.

     

    In the session on ‘Protecting Copyrights, Infringements & New Trends i.e. Remake’, the panellists chose to rummage over the impediments surrounding copyright issues in the film and music industry in India. The panellists included Sai Krishna from Sai Krishna Associates; Deborah Benattar, Head, TV & Cinema, French Embassy; Jagdish Rajpurohit, Head, RCL Motion Pictures & Producer; Bertrand Mouiller, former DG IFFPA and Amar Butala, creative director, UTV Motion Pictures. The session was moderated by Dina Dattani, Consultant & Lawyer. Sai Krishna provided a hopeful insight as he said, “The industry should take heart in knowing that the Copyright Amendment Bill is currently being debated in the parliament and is expected to be passed after the current Budget Session. There are provisions that can alter the way the entertainment industry functions in India.” But he cautioned by saying that the Bill has its setbacks too as there are no clear guidelines when it comes to copyright issues between the writer, music composer and the producer of a film. Mr Butala added here saying, “We have made huge leaps in terms of the legal paperwork with actors and performers where copyright issues are concerned. But it is just the start and the challenge would be to sort out legal issues and take the offenders to Court with the hope of finding a favourable outcome from the judiciary.” The panel proceeded to discuss the trend of moviemakers bagging rights for remaking movies and that there was a need for a law that would streamline procedures for the industry at large.

     Photograph: Fotocorp

  • The move to digitisation and ensuring a smooth transition, the benefits, the bottlenecks, curbing piracy were some of the topics discussed in the augural session

    @FF12: Opening session weighs pros & cons of digitization

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    FICCI Frames 2012, now in its 13th year, kicked off on March 14, Wednesday at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai. The morning session started with a welcome address from Karan Johar, Co-chair, FICCI Entertainment Committee. After Mr Johar’s welcome address, Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India & Chairman, FICCI Broadcast Forum, took the stage to address the audience.

     

    In keeping with the theme, ‘Embracing the Digital World’, Mr Shankar said “digitisation is a big reality which will revolutionise the way content (creation and distribution) is offered”. Even though he said that digitisation will create a level playing field for the broadcasters and the cable operators, he had a word of caution to ad when he said that his biggest concern was “the chaos which will be caused by the broadcast industry’s inaction”.

     

    Mr Shankar was of the opinion that instead of lamenting the loss of carriage fees, the MSOs should appreciate the opportunity of “customisation and localisation of content” being presented by digitisation.

     

    Though Mr Shankar admitted that there is a need for legislative enablers to remove the bottlenecks, he also said that the broadcast industry is still not ready to move to the digital format. To drive home his point he used the example of the film The Artist, where the star of the silent era films loses out when he refuses to move with times. With this word of caution, Mr Shankar ended his keynote address.

     

    Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister,Maharashtra, next took the stage to talk about the “exciting times that we are living in”. He said that the challenge is to adopt the regulatory framework to the new technology and ensure that over regulation doesn’t kill a good thing. He also said that the move towards digitisation will create a huge employment opportunity. He stressed on the need to balance technology with creativity, adding that “growth should not be lopsided but all inclusive”.

     

    Shri Chavan also stated that the government is taking all possible steps to ensure that content piracy is curbed but accepted that the state has not delivered on its promises to curb piracy till now.

     

    He also touched upon the need for regulation and said that regulation is a major challenge. Shri Chavan suggested that instead of the state regulating the media; it should look at self regulation.

     

    Moving on, Shri Chavan welcomed the foreign delegates and announced that his government was creating new centres for film shooting in the state. He stated that the first such centre will come up atKolhapur, where entrepreneurs would be provided with lots of financial incentives. He said that the government will “protect any creative attempt within the framework and not allow any fascists elements to disrupt it”. He also assured the film industry that its concerns over policing on film locations would be looked into.

     

    The Chief Minister also released the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2012; FICCI-Amarchand Lawbook and ‘Positivity: The impact of television on India’ by The Indian Broadcasting Foundation.

     

    Mr Jehil Thakkar, Head, Media & Entertainment Practises, KPMG made a brief presentation about the highlights of the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2012.

     

    Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman, Motion Pictures Association of America, who took the stage next, underlined the need to look into stringent regulations against content theft.  “When content is stolen, 95 per cent of the people who contribute to the vitality and success of a film are adversely affected”, he said. Quoting an Ernst & Young report, he said, movie theft contributes to a loss of US$ 1 billion annually and threatens the jobs of half a million people. He stated thatIndiais among the top 10 nations as far as online copyright infringement is concerned. He said that technology (digitisation) and content need each other and one can’t be without the other.

     

    Mr Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, opened his address by stating that the concerns that the industry had over digitisation and the Phase 3 of FM radio have been addressed by the move to allow 839 new FM stations and 500 community radio stations.

     

    He stressed that the government is committed to ensure time bound digitisation and said that come July 1, the four metros will switch over to the digital format and the plan is to ensure that the move to digitalisation is completed by December 31, 2014. He agreed that the challenge was mammoth- to convert 80 million analog connections to digital format but added that the move will ensure faster and deeper penetration. “This will address a plethora of issues facing the television industry, such as addressability, carriage fees, audience measurement and consumer choice,” he said.

     

    Mr Varma added that in order to combat piracy, they intend to carry out an all-encompassing multi-media campaign during the 12th five year plan period involving all stakeholders from the film and music industries.

     

    He also outlined the ministry’s plan to celebrate 100 years of cinema inIndia. Mr Varma said that the Government of India, in cooperation with the film industry, has a line of activities between May 3, 2012 and May 3, 2013. It also proposes to present a tableaux of ‘100 years of Indian Cinema’ at the Republic Day parade next year where the plan is that the stalwarts of the industry also take part.

     

    Mr Varma also announced that the government is setting up a National Film Heritage Mission to safeguard India’s celluloid history by undertaking picture and sound restoration of more than 2,500 films. In Addition, theMission, with a budget of over Rs500 crore, would also look at constructing preservation vaults for archiving restored material, and for conducting workshops and training.

     

    The session closed after a vote of thanks given by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, FICCI.

     

  • The mood is upbeat at the three-day convention on media and entertainment that kicked off in Mumbai today

    Digital, growth mantras to drive agenda

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asia’s largest convention in the business of entertainment, FICCI Frames 2012, will be held at The Renaissance, Powai in Mumbai from March 14 to 16. In its 13th year, Frames is a three-day global convention covering the entire gamut of media and entertainment ranging from films to broadcast, which includes television and radio, to digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects.

     

    The Summitwill be inaugurated by Government of India’s Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma. Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session. Japanis the partner country at FICCI Frames 2012 and will be present with a high-powered delegation comprising key stakeholders from the Japanese media and entertainment industry.

     

    Frames 2012 will present opportunities for business networking, lobbying, and creative and financial collaboration and partnerships. There will also be a series of workshops and master-classes that will be conducted by venerated global gurus who will be busy highlighting the way forward to the assembled delegates. Nearly 2,000 Indian and 800 foreign delegates are expected to attend the event.

     

    The Who’s Who of the Indian media and entertainment industry will join hands with the global industry leaders and experts to discuss and debate and to announce new initiatives at FICCI Frames 2012. Mark Hollinger, CEO, Discovery, Carolyn Everson, VP-Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook, Cameron Bailey, Co-Director Toronto International Film Festival, Bruce Beresford, Director of Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy, Silas Hickey, Regional Creative Director for Animation at Cartoon Network, Max Howard, Global Animation Consultant and Lecturer on Producing Independent Animated Feature Films for the International Markets, Oscar-winner Harvey Lowry, Hollywood’s Special Effects Guru, and John Bashford, Vice Principal, LAMDA (The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts) are some of the globally well-known names who will be delivering keynote addresses, conducting workshops and master classes, and joining the panel discussions in various sessions at Frames.

     

    Other eminent speakers from the world of television, radio and print that would be present include television czarina Ekta Kapoor, Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra of NDTV, Sunil Lulla of Times TV, and Puneet Goenka of ZEEL. Print will be represented by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Express Group and T.N. Ninan, Editor of Business Standard.

     

    Bollywood too would be adequately represented through eminent faces such as Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Kamal Haasan, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar.

     

    The theme of this year’s event is ‘Embracing the Digital World’. Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mr Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, will identify and address immediate areas for successful implementation of the digital switchover and also on what’s next in the regulatory and market framework to enable and sustain the transition.

     

    The move to embrace digitization in Cable and Satellite TV services has become imperative as such services have grown exponentially inIndiain the last 17 years. A separate session at FICCI Frames 2012 will deliberate on ways to maximize the power of digital distribution. Industry leaders will share their experiences with Frames delegates, their perspectives on how funding challenges have been overcome in other jurisdictions and the takeaways forIndia. The panelists include Vivek Couto, Founder, Media Partners Asia; Anshuman Mishra, MD, Turner International India; Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV; Jagi Mangat Panda, CEO, Ortel; Prof Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law, Brooklyn School of Law, Former Senior Legal Advisor, FCC; Anita Wallgren, US Department of Commerce.

     

    The FICCI-KPMG study on Indian Media & Entertainment for 2012 will also be released on the occasion. Strong growth in tier 2 cities, the continued march of regional media and the rapidly expanding new media business helped the media and entertainment industry log a 12 per cent increase in revenues to Rs729 billion in a troublesome 2011, according to the report. Overall, the industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent to Rs.1,457 billion by 2015.

     

    Further details on the event will be available at: http://ficci-frames.com/

     

     

  • According to the FICCI-KPMG report, the growth trajectory was backed by strong consumption in tier 2 and 3 cities, continued growth of regional media, and fast increasing new media business. Overall, the study predicts the industry to register a CAGR of 15 percent to touch INR 1,457 billion by 2016.

    @Ficci Frames 2012: KPMG study says M&E sector is set for good times ahead

    By A Correspondent

     

    HILE the effects of the economic downturn were felt across sectors and industries last year, it was a steady year for the Indian Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry that registered a growth of 12 percent over 2010, to reach INR 728 billon. According to the FICCI-KPMG report, the growth trajectory was backed by strong consumption in tier 2 and 3 cities, continued growth of regional media, and fast increasing new media business. Overall, the study predicts the industry to register a CAGR of 15 percent to touch INR 1,457 billion by 2016.

     

    But despite the positive numbers recorded, the report agrees that 2011 has indeed been a challenging year not just for the Indian M&E industry, or even the Indian economy, but for the larger world economy. While India is still expected to grow at a healthy pace, growth is projected to be lower than expectations.

     

    The report notes that television continues to be the dominant medium while sectors such as animation & VFX, digital advertising, and gaming are fast increasing their share in the overall pie. Radio is expected to display a healthy growth rate after the advent of Phase 3. Print, while witnessing a decline in growth rate, will continue to be the second largest medium in the Indian M&E industry. Also, the film industry had reason to cheer, with multiple movies crossing the INR 100 crore mark in domestic theatrical collections, and INR 30 crore mark in C&S rights.

     

    Advertising spends across all media accounted for INR 300 billion in 2011, contributing to 41 percent of the overall M&E industry’s revenues. Advertising revenues witnessed a growth of 13 percent in 2011, as against 17 per cent observed in 2010. In terms of performance, 2011 proved to be a year with mixed results in terms of growth across different sub sectors. The traditional media businesses experienced a slowdown compared to last year, especially in the second half of the year. However, the new media segments like Animation and VFX, Online and Gaming businesses witnessed phenomenal growth rates.

     

    Highlighting some visible trends spotted in the report, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, FICCI said, “The key highlights are rise in digital content consumption, launch of diverse content delivery platforms, strong consumption in tier 2 and 3 cities, rising footprint of the players in the regional media, rapidly increasing new media business and regulatory shifts.”

     

    Putting forth a more pragmatic outlook, Jehil Thakkar, Head of Media and Entertainment, KPMG said, “The Media & Entertainment industry landscape is undergoing a significant shift. Cable digitization, the promise of wireless broadband, increasing DTH penetration, digitization of film distribution, growing internet use are all prompting strategic shifts in the way companies work. Traditional business models are evolving for the better as a host of new opportunities emerge.”

     

    Key trends and industry drivers:

    – Growth in digital content consumption across media

     

    Key Highlights –

    Print: The print industry grew by 8.3 percent from INR 193 billion in 2010 to INR 209 billion in 2011. The growth was slightly lower than our expectation of 9.5 percent last year due to the challenging macroeconomic environment and reduced advertising spends.

     

    Television: The over-all television industry is estimated to be INR 329 billion in 2011, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17 percent over 2011-16, to reach INR 735 billion in 2016. The share of subscription to the total industry revenue is expected to increase from 65 percent in 2011 to 69 percent in 2016. The TV industry continues to have headroom for further growth as television penetration in India is still at approximately 60 percent of total households.

     

    Films: With several high budget Hindi releases lined up across the year, 2012 is expected to sustain the growth momentum witnessed in 2011. The Indian film industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1 percent to touch INR 150 billion in 2016. The industry is estimated to be INR 93 billion in 2011 indicating a growth of 11.5 percent vis-à vis 2010.

     

    Music: While 2010 was the year of structural shift from physical formats to digital ones, 2011 provided users viable options of music consumption through different digital platforms. The Indian music industry achieved revenues of INR 9 billion in 2011, registering a growth of 5 percent over 2010.
    Radio: Overall, the industry grew 15 per cent in CY 2011 to reach INR 11.5 billion, compared to INR 10 billion in CY 2010. Volume increases in certain markets and rate increases for the leaders in metros drove growth.

     

    New Media: Digital advertising is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30 per cent from 2011-16; digital adspend reached approximately 5 per cent of total M&E industry advertising revenue in 2011. Growth is largely driven by increase in internet penetration and proliferation of new devices.

     

    Animation & VFX: Animation, VFX and Post Production industry achieved estimated revenues of INR 31 billion in 2011, a robust growth of 31 percent over 2010. Growth was achieved on the back of increased contract work, higher VFX content in movies, 2D/3D conversion projects.

     

    Out of Home: The OOH sector was hit relatively harder by the global economic slowdown than other sectors of the Advertising industry. The sector registered a Y-o-Y growth of 7.6 percent.

     

    Digital technology continues to revolutionize media distribution – be it the rapid growth of DTH and the promise of digital cable, or increased digitization of film exhibition – and has enabled wider and cost-effective reach across diverse and regional markets, and the development of targeted media content.

     

    There has been increased proliferation and consumption of digital media content – be it newspapers and magazines, digital film prints, and online video and music or entirely new categories such as social media. Accordingly, online advertising spends have seen a spurt in growth vis-a-vis spends on traditional media.

     

    – Rise of new age user devices

    Smart phones, tablets, PCs, gaming devices, etc. all form the foundation of a new wave in media usage. This is gradually impacting the way content is being created and distributed as well. Multiple media including TV, films, news, radio, music etc are being impacted with this change.

     

    – New age consumers adapting themselves to the newer technologies

    As Indian consumers evolve, there is a heightened need to engage them across platforms and experiences. There is a greater need for integration and innovation across traditional and new media, with changing media consumption habits and preferences for niche content. Media companies today have no choice but to provide more touch points to engage with audiences.

     

    – Regionalisation

    Regional television and print continued its strong growth trajectory owing to growth in incomes and consumption in the regional markets. National advertisers are looking at these markets as the next consumption hubs and the local advertisers are learning the benefits of marketing their products aggressively.

     

    – An advertising revenue dependant industry

    The ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) for television, average newspaper cost for print and average ticket price for films continue to be low on account of hyper competition in these industries. Segments like Radio and a significant portion of online content are available free of cost to consumers. Owing to this, the Indian consumer is still not used to paying for content and hence the industry players are sensitive to the impact of the slowdown which affects the budgets of advertisers.

     

    – Awaited regulatory shifts

    Lastly, apart from the shifts in consumer preferences, company strategies and business models, one big change awaited for the next growth wave is the implementation of recently enacted and regulations on digitisation for cable, implementation of Phase 3 and copyright for Radio and the roll out of 4G. These shifts are expected to be game changers in terms of how business is being done currently and what could be the path going forward.

     

  • The Summit will be inaugurated by Government of India's Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma while Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.

    Digital, Growth mantras to drive agenda at 3-day Event

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Asia’s largest convention in the business of entertainment is here. FICCI Frames 2012 will be held at The Renaissance, Powai in Mumbai from March 14 to 16. In its 13th year, Frames is a three-day global convention covering the entire gamut of media and entertainment ranging from films to broadcast, which includes television and radio, to digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects.

     

    The Summit will be inaugurated by Government of India’s Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma while Senator Chris  Dodd, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.

     

    Japan is the partner country at FICCI Frames 2012 and will be present with a high-powered delegation comprising key stakeholders from the  Japanese media and entertainment industry.

     

    Frames 2012 will present opportunities for business networking, lobbying, and creative and financial collaboration and partnerships. There will also  be a series of workshops and master-classes that will be conducted by venerated global gurus who will be busy highlighting the way forward to the assembled delegates. Nearly 2000 Indian and 800 foreign delegates are expected to attend the event.

     

    The who’s who of the Indian media and entertainment industry will join hands with the global industry leaders and experts to discuss and debate  and to announce new initiatives at FICCI Frames 2012. Mark Hollinger, CEO, Discovery, Carolyn Everson, VP Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook, Cameron Bailey, Co-Director Toronto International Film Festival, Bruce Beresford, Director of Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy, Silas Hickey, Regional Creative Director for Animation at Cartoon Network, Max Howard, Global Animation Consultant and Lecturer on Producing Independent Animated Feature Films for the International Markets, Oscar-winner Harvey Lowry, Hollywood’s Special Effects Guru, and John Bashford, Vice Principal, LAMDA (The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts) are some of the globally well-known names who will be delivering keynote addresses, conducting workshops and master classes, and joining the panel discussions in various sessions at Frames.

     

    Other eminent speakers from the world of television, radio and print that would be present include television czar Ekta Kapoor, Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra of NDTV, Sunil Lulla of Times TV, and Puneet Goenka of ZEEL. Print will be represented by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Express Group and T.N. Ninan, Editor of Business Standard.

     

    Bollywood too would be adequately represented through eminent faces such as Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Kamal Haasan, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar.

     

    The theme of this year’s event is ‘Embracing the Digital World’. Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mr. Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, will identify and address immediate asks for successful implementation of the digital switchover and also on what’s next in the regulatory and market framework to enable and sustain the transition.

     

    The move to embrace digitization in Cable and Satellite TV services has become imperative as such services have grown exponentially in India in the last 17 years. A separate session at FICCI Frames 2012 will deliberate on ways to maximize the power of digital distribution. Industry leaders will share their experiences with Frames delegates, their perspectives on how funding challenges have been overcome in other jurisdictions and the takeaways for India. The panelists include Vivek Couto, Founder, Media Partners Asia; Anshuman Mishra, MD, Turner International India; Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV; Jagi Mangat Panda, CEO, Ortel; Prof Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law, Brooklyn School of Law, Former Senior Legal Advisor, FCC; Anita Wallgren, US Department of Commerce.

     

    The FICCI-KPMG study on Indian Media & Entertainment for 2012 will also be released on the occasion. Strong growth in tier 2 cities, the continued march of regional media and the rapidly expanding new media business helped the media and entertainment industry log a 12 percent increase in revenues to Rs.729 billion in a troublesome 2011, according to the report. Overall, the industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 percent to a size of Rs.1,457 billion by 2015.

     

  • But despite the positive numbers recorded, the report agrees that 2011 has indeed been a challenging year not just for the Indian M&E industry, or even the Indian economy, but for the larger world economy. While India is still expected to grow at a healthy pace, growth is projected to be lower than expectations.

    Indian M&E Industry set for good times ahead

    BY A CORRESPONDENT

     

    WHILE the effects of the economic downturn were felt across sectors and industries last year, it was a steady year for the Indian Media &  Entertainment (M&E) industry that registered a growth of 12 percent over 2010, to reach INR 728 billon. According to the FICCI-KPMG report, the growth trajectory was backed by strong consumption in tier 2 and 3 cities, continued growth of regional media, and fast increasing new media business. Overall, the study predicts the industry to register a CAGR of 15 percent to touch INR 1,457 billion by 2016.

     

    But despite the positive numbers recorded, the report agrees that 2011 has indeed been a challenging year not just for the Indian M&E industry, or even the Indian economy, but for the larger world economy. While India is still expected to grow at a healthy pace, growth is projected to be lower than expectations.

     

    The report notes that television continues to be the dominant medium while sectors such as animation & VFX, digital advertising, and gaming are fast increasing their share in the overall pie. Radio is expected to display a healthy growth rate after the advent of Phase 3. Print, while witnessing a decline in growth rate, will continue to be the second largest medium in the Indian M&E industry. Also, the film industry had reason to cheer, with multiple movies crossing the INR 100 crore mark in domestic theatrical collections, and INR 30 crore mark in C&S rights.

     

    Advertising spends across all media accounted for INR 300 billion in 2011, contributing to 41 percent of the overall M&E industry’s revenues. Advertising revenues witnessed a growth of 13 percent in 2011, as against 17 per cent observed in 2010.

     

    In terms of performance, 2011 proved to be a year with mixed results in terms of growth across different sub sectors. The traditional media businesses experienced a slowdown compared to last year, especially in the second half of the year. However, the new media segments like Animation and VFX, Online and Gaming businesses witnessed phenomenal growth rates.

     

    Highlighting some visible trends spotted in the report, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, FICCI said, “The key highlights are rise in digital content consumption, launch of diverse content delivery platforms, strong consumption in tier 2 and 3 cities, rising footprint of the players in the regional media, rapidly increasing new media business and regulatory shifts.”

     

    Putting forth a more pragmatic outlook, Jehil Thakkar, Head of Media and Entertainment, KPMG said, “The Media & Entertainment industry  landscape is undergoing a significant shift. Cable digitization, the promise of wireless broadband, increasing DTH penetration, digitization of film distribution, growing internet use are all prompting strategic shifts in the way companies work. Traditional business models are evolving for the better as a host of new opportunities emerge.”

     

    Key trends and industry drivers:

    – Growth in digital content consumption across media

    Digital technology continues to revolutionize media distribution – be it the rapid growth of DTH and the promise of digital cable, or increased digitization of film exhibition – and has enabled wider and cost-effective reach across diverse and regional markets, and the development of
    targeted media content.

     

    There has been increased proliferation and consumption of digital media content – be it newspapers and magazines, digital film prints, and online video and music or entirely new categories such as social media. Accordingly, online advertising spends have seen a spurt in growth vis-a-vis spends on traditional media.

     

    Key Highlights –

    Print: The print industry grew by 8.3 percent from INR 193 billion in 2010 to INR 209 billion in 2011. The growth was slightly lower than our expectation of 9.5 percent last year due to the challenging macroeconomic environment and reduced advertising spends.

    Television: The over-all television industry is estimated to be INR 329 billion in 2011, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17 percent over 2011-16, to reach INR 735 billion in 2016. The share of subscription to the total industry revenue is expected to increase from 65 percent in 2011 to 69 percent in 2016. The TV industry continues to have headroom for further growth as television penetration in India is still at approximately 60 percent of total households.

    Films: With several high budget Hindi releases lined up across the year, 2012 is expected to sustain the growth momentum witnessed in 2011. The Indian film industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1 percent to touch INR 150 billion in 2016. The industry is estimated to be INR 93 billion in 2011 indicating a growth of 11.5 percent vis-à-vis 2010.

    Music: While 2010 was the year of structural shift from physical formats to digital ones, 2011 provided users viable options of music consumption through different digital platforms. The Indian music industry achieved revenues of INR 9 billion in 2011, registering a growth of 5 percent over 2010.

    Radio: Overall, the industry grew 15 per cent in CY 2011 to reach INR 11.5 billion, compared to INR 10 billion in CY 2010. Volume increases in certain markets and rate increases for the leaders in metros drove growth.

    New Media: Digital advertising is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30 per cent from 2011-16; digital adspend reached approximately 5 per cent of total M&E industry advertising revenue in 2011. Growth is largely driven by increase in internet penetration and proliferation of new devices.

    Animation & VFX: Animation, VFX and Post Production industry achieved estimated revenues of INR 31 billion in 2011, a robust growth of 31 percent over 2010. Growth was achieved on the back of increased contract work, higher VFX content in movies, 2D/3D conversion projects.

    Out of Home: The OOH sector was hit relatively harder by the global economic slowdown than other sectors of the Advertising industry. The sector registered a Y-o-Y growth of 7.6 percent.

    – Rise of new age user devices

    Smart phones, tablets, PCs, gaming devices, etc. all form the foundation of a new wave in media usage. This is gradually impacting the way content is being created and distributed as well. Multiple media including TV, films, news, radio, music etc are being impacted with this change.

     

    – New age consumers adapting themselves to the newer technologies

    As Indian consumers evolve, there is a heightened need to engage them across platforms and experiences. There is a greater need for integration and innovation across traditional and new media, with changing media consumption habits and preferences for niche content. Media companies today have no choice but to provide more touch points to engage with audiences.

     

    – Regionalisation

    Regional television and print continued its strong growth trajectory owing to growth in incomes and consumption in the regional markets. National advertisers are looking at these markets as the next consumption hubs and the local advertisers are learning the benefits of marketing their products aggressively.

     

    – An advertising revenue dependant industry

    The ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) for television, average newspaper cost for print and average ticket price for films continue to be low on account of hyper competition in these industries. Segments like Radio and a significant portion of online content are available free of cost to consumers. Owing to this, the Indian consumer is still not used to paying for content and hence the industry players are sensitive to the impact of  the slowdown which affects the budgets of advertisers.

     

    – Awaited regulatory shifts

    Lastly, apart from the shifts in consumer preferences, company strategies and business models, one big change awaited for the next growth wave is the implementation of recently enacted and regulations on digitisation for cable, implementation of Phase 3 and copyright for Radio and the roll out of 4G. These shifts are expected to be game changers in terms of how business is being done currently and what could be the path going forward.

     

  • The only problem is the bloody ads. Most of them are sick, boring and nerve wrecking to hear. And each ad enjoys high frequency because radio is an inexpensive medium.

    Pathetic radio ads

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    OKAY, so I have ‘upgraded’ to 94.3 Radio One and have chucked all my CDs into the Arabian Sea. Spending time in the car, despite Mumbai’s
    horrendous traffic conditions, has become fun once again. And I must say the RJs don’t ramble much, and the music collection is superb. A good mix
    of new stuff and retro. So far so good.

     

    The only problem is the bloody ads. Most of them are sick, boring and nerve wrecking to hear. And each ad enjoys high frequency because radio is
    an inexpensive medium. Imagine what a downer it is to listen to rubbish in the middle of Cold Play and U2. This is like a tapori waiter on duty at the
    Zodiac Grille. Doesn’t work. So who’s at fault here, can we blame the radio station? Ideally, 94.3 should be picky about the sort of ads they
    broadcast, so that the overall ambience of the station doesn’t get screwed. They cannot disown the ads completely. But private FM radio stations
    are bleeding in India, so we really can’t blame them for lapping up whatever ads they can get their hands on. They have to survive, no? So I guess
    the station can be forgiven.

     

    What cannot be forgiven is the sad quality of the radio ads. I cannot understand why, after all these years, agency creative directors don’t get this
    fantastic medium. At a very low cost, one can produce award winning work in this space. With no dependence on visuals, the listeners’ imagination
    can be fired, they can be left to fit in their own images. And how very tantalizing that can be! I suspect the key reason radio advertising continues
    to languish is that the entire attention of the ad agencies is focused on TV commercials. And perhaps radio spots are still being written by bored
    copy trainees, who must be treating it as a chore rather than as a creative challenge.

     

    Come on, dear Creative Directors. It’s a fab medium and a huge opportunity. Don’t waste it. And I would also appeal to the clients not to accept
    garbage scripts. They must put pressure on their agencies to come up with sparkling radio spots. Even if the spots cost less, money is being spent
    on them, so they better be paisa vasool. If the brand managers quietly accept mediocrity, then that’s what will be dished
    out to them.

     

  • Rakesh Jariwala, partner and tax expert, Ernst & Young and one of the finest minds in determining the taxing truths for the Indian media and entertainment sector, presents his budget wishlist to MxMIndia

    DEAR MR. FM…

    Rakesh Jariwala, partner and tax expert, Ernst & Young and one of the finest minds in determining the taxing truths for the Indian media and entertainment sector, presents his budget wishlist to MxMIndia

     

    – High entertainment tax burden on industry that showcases Indian art and culture to the world is totally unjustified. Hence, the entertainment tax structure across the country should be rationalized by bringing down rates of entertainment taxes in important states like Maharashtra, Delhi, UP, West Bengal, Gujarat, Haryana and others.

     

    – Film producer generates revenues from theatrical and non-theatrical rights both of which are liable to service tax. Separately, various State Governments classify ‘copyright’ as goods thereby levying Value Added Tax on transfer/ licensing of copyright on non theatrical streams. To prevent multiple taxation, the government should exempt ‘copyright in theatrical distribution of cinematograph films’ from service tax levy and continue this exemption in the negative list.

     

    – The Government should take a cue from steps taken by federal/ state governments across the world such as Singapore, UK, Germany, South Africa, US and incentivise the film industry through a well defined plan, for both, content creation and infrastructure. This will help the industry parallel its western counterpart.

     

    – The concessional rate of 10% on gross basis, as prevalent for non-resident sportsperson for participation in any sport in India should be extended for taxation of foreign artists, performers and entertainers.

     

    – An alternate mechanism for obtaining Income-tax Clearance Certificate (‘TCC’) for clearance or a monetary threshold for triggering TCC provisions is provided as the current set up provisions and administrative burden discourages foreign talent to shoot in India.

     

    – A clarification from the government that the payment for grant of distribution rights to foreign telecasting companies is not for the ‘copyright’ in the content and hence, is not in the nature of royalty thereby preventing protracted litigation.

     

    – Entry into premises such as films, theaters, amusement parks could be liable to service tax under the negative list based service tax legislation. Since these activities are already liable to high entertainment taxes by states, entry into premise where entertainment is held should be excluded from service tax levy.

     

    – The Government should grant relief from levy and collection of service tax on subscription charges received by cable operators and DTH operators since these charges are already subject to entertainment tax.

     

    – Rakesh Jariwala is Partner and Tax Expert, Ernst & Young. Please log on to mxmindia.com on Saturday, March 17 for our budget special.

     

  • Rockstar won a total of 4 awards making it the most prolific winner at the FICCI Frames Excellence Awards 2012, held at FICCI Frames 2012.

    Rockstar triumphs at FICCI Frames Excellence Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The 13th edition of the FICCI Frames 2012 culminated with the FICCI Frames Excellence Awards 2012 at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai recently. Celebrating excellence in the verticals of Film, Television and Radio, the FICCI Frames Excellence Awards was hosted by Mandira Bedi and featured stunning performances by the talented Usha Uthup and rock sensation Papon.

     

    Rockstar won a total of 4 awards making it the most prolific winner of the evening. Imtiaz Ali won Best Director for the film while Ranbir Kapoor bagged the Best Actor Award. A R Rahman was felicitated with the Best Music Director Award and Mohit Chauhan with Best Singer – Male for the same film.

     

    Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani walked away with the award for Best Film for the path-breaking movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Vidya Balan received the Best Actor – Female award for The Dirty Picture and newbie Parineeti Chopra got the Best Debut – Female for her comedic role in Ladies VS Ricky Behl. The Award for Best Debut – Male went to Vidyut Jamwal for Force and Abhinay Deo was adjudged Best Debut Director for the highly acclaimed Delhi Belly. Usha Uthup and Rekha Bhardwaj received the award for Best Singer Female for the film 7 Khoon Maaf. Prashant Panday of Radio Mirchi took home the award for Best Radio Channel while Big FM received the award for Largest Radio Network.

     

    Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Award for Maximum Impact made by a Personality while Sony received the award for Maximum Impact created by a Television Channel.

     

    Earlier, the convention was witness to the FICCI-BAF Awards on the second day of the event. While Redchillies.vfx won the Special Jury Award (VFX Shot of the Year) for Ra-One, Red Digital bagged the Special Jury Award (Open Category) for Lufthansa Park & Fly.

     

    FICCI FEAMES 2012 DAY ONE
    Digital attracts ‘desirable’ status on opening day
    Text of Star India CEO Uday Shankar’s Keynote
    Discovery to launch kids’ channel in India
    Financing, a cause for concern in media and entertainment
    IBF, ISA and AAAI announce launch of BARC, finally
    Inaugural session weighs pros & cons of digitization
    Entertainment has become a revolution
    TV influences life: IBF study

     

    FICCI FEAMES 2012 DAY TWO
    Price control equals creative shackles for broadcast: Hernan Lopez, Fox Intnl Channels
    No alternative to the cloud: Manish Agarwal
    Time to experiment with technology
    ‘Console gaming in India is in big trouble’
    Phase III will bring more innovation in radio
    Niche isn’t niche any more
    Dedicated tee time as Ten Golf is launched

     

    FICCI FEAMES 2012 DAY THREE
    How relevant is newspaper content to the reader?
    Integrated media best way fwd: Vikram Sakhuja
    Digitisation will allow broadcaster to make money off ground: Tarun Katial
    No disadvantage of being a woman
    CCI is an overall market regulator: Ashok Chawla
    Adapt to the digital tide or be left out
    Digital will decide the fate of TV
    Turning 3 into 10, a percentage issue for digital

     

    FICCI FEAMES 2012 wrap-ups and takeaways
    Counting on digital to be M&E’s trailblazer
    Day 1: Digital attracts ‘desirable’ status on Day 1
    Day 2: Seamless blending with traditional mediums – a big want!
    Day 3: Industry expects thoughts to lead to pertinent actions
    Takeaways: Digitization rules the roost @FICCI Frames 2012
  • MxM India caught up with delegates @FICCI Frames 2012 to know their respective takeaways from the three day convention

    @FF12 Takeaways: Digitization rules the roost @FICCI Frames 2012

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZnsO1Wtb0[/youtube]

    Text and Video by Shruti Pushkarna

     

    FICCI Frames 2012 concluded on March 16 in Mumbai. MxM India spoke to some delegates at the event to find out what were their respective takeaways from the three-day convention.

     

    Nachiket Pantvaidya, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Star Pravah

    Well I think FICCI Frames has always been a good meeting point to exchange new ideas but in India this FICCI Frames is very important because we are at a juncture where most creative fields are exploding at exponential rates and I think we are at a stage where we are going to grow at an unreal pace both in terms of numbers and qualitative content. And it’s very important that all of us come together to surf over the waves of growth. So it’s been a very enriching experience.

     

    Naresh Chahal, Director-Finance, Indian Broadcasting Foundation

    I am coming since last ten years, there have been useful discussions on various issues, I like FICCI because of the fruitful discussions on various aspects.

     

    Leela Samson, Chairman, CBFC

    I come to these sessions to bring some sign of relief for the industry in terms of certification, the manner of certification. The speed of certification, these are things that film producers and directors are really worried about. So we are trying very hard in CBFC to make that as easy as possible, as agony free as possible but we expect the industry also to follow some norms in terms of the time that it would take to do that. So it’s a win situation for everybody if we can work together.

     

    Raman Kalra, Director & Partner, Industry Leader- Media & Entertainment, IBM Global Business Services India

    This is perhaps the best forum that can happen on media. FICCI has been doing a terrific job year after year and the best part this year is that for the first time Frames is completely away from movies and the focus is on digitization, essentially TV industry completely swept it away. A lot of positivity, people have stopped asking basic questions like, ‘will digitization happen’, the questions are more like. ‘will it happen on time’. So I think that shift itself is a lot of positivity, people have accepted the fact that it’s going to happen now. And the discussions are more on how to monetize it better, so I am quite happy.

     

    Gary Mittlestaedt, Policy Manager, Content & Media, Intel Corp

    It’s been very encouraging and informative session. An incredible place to come for networking, to explore business opportunities. The sessions have been very insightful, the quality of the engagement are better than years past, so it’s been very good.

     

    Ashok Mansukhani, Director, IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd

    I think it’s one of the most productive that we’ve had in the last decade. I think this time there’s been a lot of serious discussion, it’s been a good platform for various service providers to come together, a good platform for audience to participate with service providers and understand their viewpoint and I think this time FICCI Frames has been very focused.

     

    Ravi Mansukhani, Managing Director, IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd

    Being an MSO, a wonderful surprise to see a few sessions on digitization and on cable. FICCI is more about content but content has got a prominent role to play with digitization coming in, so it was very pleasant surprise to see people taking digitalization so seriously.

     

    Achyut Vaze, Dean, FLAME School of Communication. Veteran theatre & TV professional

    There was a full session on shortage of skills in media but what was not discussed at all was the need for education in basic arts related to media, starting from theatre, inclusive of filmmaking, going up to all the related areas. We require a combined area which can look into this so that we can have good media people, not just in films but also in print, TV, print and new media. I have been coming every year…I am finding it a little monotonous now. There have been a lot of issues which have been discussed over the last three days about the digital future, about how that can affect society at large, so that’s quite a significant aspect that has been discussed here.

     

  • Girish Agarwal, Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group spoke to MxM about the readership wars and the perceived threat of Internet

    We are a silent partner in DNA: Girish Agarwal (on Video)

    The Dainik Bhaskar Group has been making rapid strides in publishing and its expansion into hitherto uncharted territories like Maharashtra have led to questions on where the group will head next. Girish Agarwal, director of the group, spoke to MxMIndia’s Shruti Pushkarna in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of Ficci-Frames 2012.

     

    Dainik Bhaskar was among the first to innovate in order to get more readership. What are the new frontiers… where are you headed next?

    We operate already in some 14 states in India. We have recently launched a Marathi newspaper, so we have some time to spend in Maharashtra as well as Jharkhand. At the same time, the states which we are already present in, like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab, we need to work a lot there also to grow, because those states have a huge potential for us to grow. A large part of the growth we’ve been seeing in last 10 years, is coming from our existing states, so we need to work hard there.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN43L63SCoU[/youtube]

    Technology and internet hasn’t really taken off as well as it was expected to have taken off. What are your views on the same?

    Internet penetration in India is roughly around 7 to 8 per cent, so with this kind of penetration, I don’t think we need to fear anything that they would take away from us. But at the same time we need to prepare for the future. For example, our website in Hindi today is the largest website in Hindi news as well as the Gujarati one, so we are preparing ourselves for the future. But at the moment, is the business shifting from the print platform to the internet? No.

     

    How do the readership wars affect newspapers?

    I think it is pretty good because anything that’s good for the market is good for the organization too. For the readership war, you actually go out and try to take more readers, for that you need to ensure that you are still relevant to the reader, because if you are not relevant, the reader won’t buy you at all.

     

    There is talk about Dainik Bhaskar opting out of DNA, how true is that?

    Yes, it is true that DNA is currently managed by our partner, Zee Group, which has the majority in DNA. We are a silent partner.