By Our Staff
Pogo, the WarnerMedia kiddie entertainment TV channel, has announced a Telugu language service.
Commenting on the launch, Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head for Cartoon Network and Pogo, said: “The creation of Pogo’s Telugu language feed is a step in our commitment to bringing local animation content in the first languages of our young viewers. This will be our opportunity to present world-class animation and stories to even more fans in India.”
By Our Staff
Cartoon Network has launched a social media campaign to honour the relentless work of India’s supercops during the ongoing challenge of Covid-19. The campaign was launched alongside the channel’s latest Bollywood-inspired action-comedy ‘Dabangg – The Animated Series’.
Said Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head for Cartoon Network and POGO: “#ThankYouForBeingDabangg was launched to collectively pause and appreciate the constant endeavour of the police force during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was heartening to see responses pouring in from every corner of the country, in various ways and in multiple languages, like Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and more. It brings us immense joy to have created this movement and saluting our fearless heroes.”
very touching. We promise to continue being Dabangg for all of you!”
By A Correspondent
A new 10-episode series of Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka premiered on television on April 25 and will be aired every day at 12.30 pm.
Said Rajiv Chilaka, Founder & CEO, Green Gold Animation: “Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka movie has been well accepted theatrically by kids all over India, Middle East as well as South Korea. The series carries on the adventures of Bheem and team in China. With a completely new setting and all new adventures, we hope the kids will love watching the series and be entertained.”
Added Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head for Cartoon Network and POGO: “We are excited to launch this new Chhota Bheem series on POGO this summer along with fun-filled, relatable content starring kids’ superhero Bheem that will keep our young viewers engaged and entertained.”
By A Correspondent
IAMAI conducted the third edition of Pixels 2020 last week to deliberate on the next phase of growth for the digital entertainment industry. The industry is now at an inflection point, and according to a recent study, the digital entertainment industry is expected to grow at 29.1 per cent between FY19 and FY24 to reach INR 621 billion by 2024. With more than 30 OTT players and 10 music streaming apps in existence catering to various entertainment and media demands, Indians are consuming content across an array of digital formats and platforms.
Setting the context, in his keynote address, Nikhil Gandhi, India Head of TikTok, said: “The last year has seen a sharp growth in short video consumption and added to a big increase in overall watch time for online video. This phenomenon has also given rise to a rich content creator ecosystem which has seen big success with short video,” he added.
In a panel discussion on Battle of Web Series – Aiming for 100 Crore Club, speakers discussed about how revenue gets attributed in developing a web series and all the nooks involved around creating one. They also discussed how branding and culture of such shows has immensely helped and lead to monetization in the business. Discussing on the various aspects of the digital space, the panelists shared their thought on how different business is growing and helping in creating a new system.
On a session on Trend Alert – Children’s Content key panelists like Abhishek Dutta, Senior Director & Network Head – Cartoon Network & Pogo, South Asia; Uttam Pal Singh, Head – Discovery Kids, Discovery Communications; Saugato Bhowmik, Business Head, VOOT Kids gave insights on how localisation of shows has actually helping their businesses to grow and adding multiple levels to it like content in local languages has helped the industry to grow. The speakers gave an insight that around 20 per cent of the business caters to the kid’s section and how crucial it is provide correct content for them.
A fireside chat was also held with actor Amol Parashar, where he enlightened the audience how digital space has actually helped him evolve as an actor and has given him that space along with the flexibility without putting any particular constraints.
The conference also saw other speakers including Ajay Chacko, Co-Founder & CEO, Arré; Nagesh Banga, Deputy Country Manager, BIGO LIVE; Paras Tomar, TikTok Creator & Founder, Nuskhe by Paras; Ali Hussein, CEO, Eros Now ; Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited; Sameer Hanchate, Filmmaker, Sameer Hanchate Filmmaker ;Vivek Jain, COO, MX Player ; Abhishek Dutta, Senior Director & Network Head – Cartoon Network & Pogo, South Asia ; Kumaresh Bhatt, Co-Founder and CEO, UR Popular; Uttam Pal Singh, Head – Discovery Kids, Discovery Communications and Saugato Bhowmik, Business Head, Voot Kids among others.
By A Correspondent
Abhishek Dutta has been named Senior Director and Network Head -Kids, overseeing Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia. Based in Mumbai, his responsibilities include programming, channel operations, acquisitions and promotions, as well as the content direction for the two brands.
Said Siddharth Jain, Managing Director of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks in South Asia: “Abhishek brings with him a strong kids industry experience and I am confident that he will raise the bar of the kids’ portfolio and capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead of us. I welcome Abhishek to the WarnerMedia family.”
Dutt will also be working closely with and under the direction of Leslie Lee, VP of Kids Content, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks APAC.
Said Dutta: “The kids TV category has become more exciting than ever before. With my new role at the helm of Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia, I am looking forward to driving the current business through its next phase of growth. This set of brands are not only first movers, but also the most established kids brands in the country.”
His career includes stints at ALT Balaji, Discovery Networks India and, most recently, was Senior Kids Programming Director at Viacom18, a company he joined in 2016.