MxMIndia

Tag: Anuj Gandhi

  • The IndiaCast CEO & COO on what Dish TV's decision to charge carriage fees means to them & the trade

    Sacrificing 5 GRPs is fine, carriage fees to DTH isn’t: Anuj Gandhi & Gaurav Gandhi

     

    A few weeks after Diwali 2013, Dish TV burst what was decidedly a firecracker of sorts announcing carriage fees. The announcement was followed by a major spat with leading distribution platform IndiaCast that finally went to the TDSAT. The TV18 and Viacom18 venture which also has a partnership with Disney UTV drives all domestic and international channel distribution, placement services and content syndication for TV18, Viacom18, A+E Networks, TV18 and ETV channels as well as those of the Disney UTV stable. Following the reference to TDSAT, an agreement was hammered out on providing IndiaCast channels to Dish TV on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) terms and with no carriage fee charged. But while the dust may have settled, there is still much anger and angst at the IndiaCast headquarters. MxMIndia met CEO Anuj Gandhi and COO Gaurav Gandhi, both veterans of the business. Excerpts from an interview.

     

    So is all well on the Dish TV front?

    Anuj Gandhi: All well for sure. We don’t have a deal with Dish TV. They are carrying our channels a la carte, which are being offered on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) terms.

     

    Are your channel’s business heads happy with it?

    AG: We’ve now seen a few weeks of data post this development. There has been little or no impact of Dish TV on the ratings. We are very clear that we are not going to pay any carriage, come what may.  If there’s a marginal drop in the ratings because of Dish, we will live with it. We believe we can live without them. I sincerely doubt whether they can live without us, keep growing and compete with cable and other DTH players. So to answer your question: we are very happy and we can live without them.

     

    But won’t there be an impact in the hinterland and key LC1 markets where Dish is strong?

    Gaurav Gandhi (GG): At the overall level, while they claim the number to be 12 million, our estimate is that Dish has some 7 million homes. Now Zee was there in every single pack. We were almost there in every single pack sometime back, so we know the numbers right? At the overall level, you are talking about 130 million cable TV homes within the country and within DTH homes combined. If you not available in 2-3 million homes theoretically, first of all, it is a marginal impact. Secondly, Dish’s contributions towards the current TAM rating amounts to not more than two-and-a-half percent. And it is a tested number. We obviously have a sense that Dish has a very high skew of rural homes compared to urban homes. Realistically speaking, at the worst case, the impact can’t be more than 2%. And that is if everything is off and if the channels are off Dish. That’s not the case right now.  Also that is a universe number, each channel is viewed differently. So for example, the kind of customers who’re there on a platform like Tata Sky or on Seven Star, Hathway or Den in Mumbai; they would have consumed niche channels far more compared to somebody sitting in LC1 market. Therefore, niche channels anyway have a very low impact in terms of ratings from Dish. If you see data for two weeks, there’s no impact…

     

    Is there a worry that right now its Dish, the other DTH operators could also do the same?

    AG: I look at the other way round. If we had panicked, gone ahead and paid the carriage which is what the demand is, it would have opened a Pandora’s Box and we would have taken the industry back by a decade-and-a-half. Everybody would have paid and every platform would have asked. Unlike in an analogue environment where carriage is a necessity and there was a demand-supply gap, carriage had to be paid to be carried.

     

    We looked at it not only from our perspective but also from the industry perspective that we cannot start something which is regressive and not good for the industry.

     

    Have you had discussions with the IBF on this?

    Not formally, but informally we have been in touch.

     

    Is the IBF doing something about it?

    We have gone and met TRAI and other regulatory ministry, told them this is what is happening. Obviously, they are watching what is happening.

     

    But you do pay carriage fees to cable companies, right?

    AG: Two years back, we started reducing carriage to cable too. Every one has started reducing it and it will see a further decline over the next two years. We couldn’t cut the chord immediately.

     

    If you are not averse to cable, so why not pay Dish?

    AG: Because I am not going to start something which has been happening historically on analogue cable. It was a mistake then. Digital platforms have to grow. They have to look at ARPU growth. They have to work with content to increase customer service, quality of service, value added services. They have to go in that direction rather than going in another.

     

    GG: Are they selling capacity or boxes or content? The day DTH companies address this question, you will get the answer on whether carriage should be paid or not paid. If somebody is selling content, his or her job is to maximize ARPU and create more customers and make sure the content is monetized. The reality was that in the analogue world, you were short of bandwidth; you were paying for scarce capacity. The moment the billing comes to him, the money comes to him, he doesn’t need the carriage money and all the top MSOs are very clear about it. We meet them day in and day out. It is a phenomenon which will disappear. Should I start another monster who doesn’t need it, just because his business plan has gone awry? Just because you are not able to sort out your life, why should I pay carriage fee to you? Earn it.

     

    AG: Like you said, it’s a question of precedents. If I pay one, I will have to pay everybody.

     

    GG: Informally, we have got calls saying don’t do this else we’ve all had it.

     

    So what led to it?

    Well, our deal was up for renewal but they didn’t realize that our resilience will be so strong that we will go the other way round.

     

    What next now? You said IBF is not doing anything about it?

    GG: It is not an IBF issue.

     

    AG: It is a deal between two parties -Platform and Content Provider.  Clearly, I’ll not pay carriage. Yet, I am willing to do a deal which is reasonable. We will come across as mature adults and discuss it. But I will not pay carriage.

     

    And even though ratings haven’t been affected, at some point they could?

    GG: They can’t at 2% weightage

     

    Voice 1: Why does everyone keep threatening that channels can’t survive without platforms and ratings will fall?

     

    GG: 2% is 5 GRP. We will live without 5 GRPs.  Let me see whether Dish lives without Colors. I challenge.

     

    AG: It is simple. I will live without and I cannot budge under every threat as a content aggregator. Everyone will get on and say you do this or I will switch off. I will not buckle under and pay.

     

    As a network, Dish has a very large presence in the Hindi-speaking market

    GG: In the cable dark areas which are not measured.

     

    The a la carte data will of course come to you

    Yes, by February sometime, hopefully it is transparent and clear. We will see.

     

     

     

  • The GEC goes FTA in UK from September 2

    Colors goes free to air in the UK

    By A Correspondent

     

    General entertainment channel Colors will be available free in the UK from September 2. With this move, the flagship channel of the Viacom18 group, which is distributed by IndiaCast (a TV18 and Viacom18 jv), will not be available as a part of the Viewasia bouquet and will be available to all Sky Digital Viewers as well as being available on Virgin Media’s cable platform, growing the channel’s reach exponentially, adds a communique .

     

    Raj Nayak

    Said Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors in a statement: “UK has a captive fan base for Hindi general entertainment, and we are elated to offer two of our leading brands, Colors and Rishtey, to our viewers here. With this move, we will be reaching out to a much wider audience base giving them an enriching viewing experience of our top class fiction and non-fiction programming”.

     

     

     

    Anuj Gandhi

    Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast added: “UK continues to be one of our most important markets – where in the past we have challenged the status quo with the launch and success of Rishtey and now with Colors going free to air, we are making our next big move towards leadership

     

     

    Said Gaurav Gandhi, Group COO, IndiaCast: “Our business in the UK has grown tremendously and we have launched three brands (Rishtey, COLORS and News18 India) in three years in the region. Over the last 12 months, we have had phenomenal success with Rishtey that has made us the strongest challenger in the market. With Colors going free to air, we will neutralize the undue distribution advantage that  some of the other South Asian channels have enjoyed in the market, making it a level playing field and we are confident  of  being the leading south Asian network in the UK in the near future”.

     

  • Tangerine will support IndiaCast to publish its Video on Demand content

    IndiaCast appoints Tangerine Digital for digital content management

    By A Correspondent

     

    IndiaCast Media Distribution, a joint venture of TV18 and Viacom18 has appointed Tangerine Digital Pvt Ltd, digital content management agency to manage the digital content of their flagship channels on digital platforms. As India’s first multi-platform ‘Content Asset Monetization’ entity, IndiaCast is mandated to drive domestic and international channel distribution, placement services and content syndication for TV18, Viacom18, A&E Networks, TV18 and the Eenadu group. Tangerine will be responsible for curating and packaging all Video on Demand (VOD) content in order to aid discovery for IndiaCast while at the same time, ensuring stringent turnaround time for publishing of episodic videos.

     

    Tangerine will bring its experience in content management and metadata services for the broadcast industry. They will not only assist IndiaCast in its endeavour to increase operational efficiencies to consolidate their distribution functions of both media houses but also support the distribution venture reach newer markets. Tangerine will capture, curate and publish episodic videos of six channels (including Colors TV) within 45 minutes of its premier on-air telecast in India. It also will create individual episodic videos of shows like Balika Vadhu and Uttaran etc of Colors in addition to regional content from five of ETV’s bouquet of channels.

     

    Anuj Gandhi

    Commenting on the relationship with Tangerine, Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast said, “Tangerine has been a very strong partner in growing our digital footprint. The team has always delivered successfully to our tight and aggressive schedules and has a rapid and effective response mechanism to meet dynamics of the digital environment. We are pleased to work with Tangerine and look forward to a long term fruitful association.”

     

    Kesavan Kanchi Kandadai, CEO, Tangerine Digital Pvt Ltd, said, “The media distribution industry is currently witnessing a phenomenal revolution in the way media content is circulated and consumed. Increased bandwidth and easy access of Internet through tablets and smartphones is fuelling exponential growth of online video consumption, in turn unlocking new channels in the way content is created, distributed and monetized. We at Tangerine are entirely focused on this evolving digital environment and will continue to pioneer new and creative ways to engage, entertain and inform audiences. We believe we have the capabilities and the focused strategic approach and expertise to add value to the brand IndiaCast.”

     

  • In the session on 'The second phase of TV digitization' noted panelists from the sector came together to discuss and mull options of making the exercise a more robust and achievable one

    #Frames2013: Making Phase 2 of TV digitization a reality

    By Johnson Napier

     

    When phase 1 of digitization became a reality in India there was a sense of accomplishment that was witnessed amongst most factions within the broadcast industry. Apart from the huge advantages that it presented to the broadcasters and allied interests, it was also seen as an exercise that enabled the consumer to become empowered like never before. But while issues remain about the impending challenges emanating from phase 1 of the rollout exercise and also the non-interest shown by some metros, the industry seems to be waiting with bated breath for phase 2 of the rollout to take shape.

     

    In the session on ‘The second phase of TV digitization’ noted panelists from the sector came together to discuss and mull options of making the exercise a more robust and achievable one. The panellists comprised of N Parameshwaran of TRAI, Sameer Manchanda of DEN, Sunil Lulla of TTN, Man Jit Singh of Multi Screen Media, Raman Kalra of IBM, Tarun Katial of Reliance Broadcast and Anuj Gandhi of Indiacast. The session was moderated by Vivek Couto of Media Partners Asia.

     

     

    N Parameswaran

    N Parameswaran, Principal Advisor, TRAI began by highlighting the outcomes witnessed by rolling out of P 1 of digitization. “We all know what has happened with P1 of digitization where metros like Mumbai and Delhi have recorded a remarkable conversion rate. We may have questions about the metros of Kolkata not yet achieving their target and Chennai not yet taking off but rather than the negatives we should focus on the positives from this exercise, including the role that the industry players and stakeholders played in making this dream a reality.” According to Mr Parameshwaran, while P2 digitization would be kicked off from March 31, 2013 it would again require the coming together of industry players, trade bodies, MSOs/LCOs and the government itself in making this dream an achievable one.

     

     

    Sameer Manchanda

    Sameer Manchanda, Chairman and MD of DEN began by appreciating the efforts put in by all from the industry and added that “digitization has been the biggest change that has ever happened to our industry. While there are a lot of positives from this exercise, one of the big drawbacks as been lack of accountability. The MSO/LCO operators have to ensure that the KYC forms are filled by the consumers as it is mandatory and binding on them. There is still some time to go before that becomes a reality. Where I see it, P2 of digitization is a transition phase and will start rolling out over the next 60 days.”

     

     

    Anuj Gandhi

    Without wanting to sound too cynical, Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, Indiacast said that while digitization has bought about a positive change for the industry there was some serious thinking that is needed. “If P1 of digitization is taking us about 7-8 months to become a reality we can imagine what P2 would be like. The onus lies on the MSO/LCOs to make this rollout a reality but I can assure you that this won’t be possible without the coming together of all from the industry.”

     

     

     

    Man Jit Singh

    Man Jit Singh, CEO, Multi Screen Media had a similar feeling to share as he voiced his excitement at the good that was seen from rolling out P1 of digitization. “Due credit should be given to one and all from the industry who made this a possibility and we can hope for a similar outlook from P2 as well. Even the government’s role has been encouraging but there are a few shortcomings that have to be worked upon if further rollout is to become more successful. There are issues that are cropping up at the MSO/LCO level regarding filling of KYC forms, data collection etc. All these have to be addressed immediately.”

     

     

    Raman Kalra

    Raman Kalra of IBM Global Business Services said, “We have entered an era where it is the end of digital. By that I mean that we are already in the know-how of how digital works and the benefits that the medium presents but the challenge now is how do we take it to the next level. There is need for the industry to come up with strategies to cater to the ever-evolving ecosystem.” Pointing out that the consumer today was faced with an array of choices to access entertainment, he said that consumers won’t mind paying more money to access content but it is essential that we know who our customer is and what are his likes/dislikes.”

     

     

    Tarun Katial

    Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast said that what DAS has done is enabled channels to have a wider reach and get carried more easily. “Early data has shown how most channels, especially those offering niche offerings, have benefitted in terms of ratings and acceptability from DAS. For new players, as you sharpen your positioning there are high chances of they getting lapped up more easily. The exercise has also opened new avenues for advertisers who will be looking at niche channels with renewed interest. I guess the advertisers will have to shell out more advertising dollars where niche channels are concerned.”

     

     

    Sunil Lulla

    Sunil Lulla, MD & CEO, TTN highlighted that the current economics do not fund the ecosystem as the industry is going through a transition and there is need for change. According to Lulla, it would do the industry a lot of good if the prices were to be lowered but that is not a logical thing to do. “In fact it is commendable to see how the industry has come together in making phase 1 a reality and the same can be expected from phase 2 too. At the end it is essential that we keep the customer at the centre of all that we do and keep on satisfying him so that he comes back to us for more.”

     

     

  • Anuj Gandhi, CEO of IndiaCast and the yet unnamed proposed jv of IndiaCast and DisneyUTV on what the new entity means for the business

    Jaldi 5 with Anuj Gandhi, CEO, IndiaCast: No dramatic, but fundamental change

     

    Anuj Gandhi, CEO of IndiaCast and the yet unnamed proposed jv of IndiaCast and DisneyUTV and a veteran in the distribution space, on what the new entity means for the broadcast business

     

    Anuj Gandhi

    01.         IndiaCast was already distributing Disney channels in India though UTV wasn’t being distributed by you… so there will be no dramatic change on the ground. Right?

    No dramatic but fundamental change in the way we are perceived in the market.

    02.         As someone who has been a participant and watcher of the Indian broadcast space, would you see any more consolidation in the space?

    Some small pieces are still to be sorted but no major change at the national level – next phase may focus in the regional space

    Will IndiaCast be ‘game’ for more partners from independent clusters of channels?

    We will look for quality rather than quantity and also brands/products which add value to the overall bouquet

    03.         Much done, yet Mediapro with 70+ channels is still far ahead of IndiaCast. What will narrow the gap in the weeks/months/years to come?

    I don’t think we need to narrow any gaps – will like to focus on what we have and how to ensure that we get our fair share in the market.

    With distribution companies such as IndiaCast playing a critical role for monetization of channels in a digitized world, do you see such a consolidation move helping achieve that?

    Yes, it does. Also, it gives us a much wider reach and helps in better negotiations.

    04.         Your international and new media distribution and syndication will not be part of the jv. Would you see independent JVs/consolidation happening towards that too?

    These streams are still growing for us and traditionally there hasn’t been much consolidation, so not sure. We would like to build on what we have rather than aggregation.

    05.         It’s interesting that the world’s largest media conglomerate (Disney) ties up with a jv of the fourth-largest media conglomerate (Viacom) for distribution. Was it just the ground realities in India that brought you’ll together or was it a lot more?

    I think it is the way distribution business in India works where aggregation happens at the content level. So, it is just ground realities in this market.

     

  • New aggregation and distribution company will have a combined bouquet of 35 channels owned by both partners

    IndiaCast, Disney UTV agree to form JV

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what could impact the marketplace in a digitized distribution scenario, Indiacast, the jv between TV18 and Viacom18 which happened in June last year, and UGBL, a Disney UTV group company, have announced a strategic joint venture for the aggregation and wholesale distribution of their respective TV channels.

     

    Anuj Gandhi

    The 74 (IndiaCast) : 26 (Disney UTV) joint venture will become operational after necessary regulatory approvals and will provide 35 channels from the TV18, Viacom18,  Disney UTV & A+E Networks | TV18 to Cable, DTH and HITS platforms in India. IndiaCast CEO Anuj Gandhi will be the Chief Executive Officer of the yet unnamed entity.

     

    Talking about the joint venture, Mr Gandhi said, “This partnership will build a strong distribution company that will offer a broader and more diversified range to platforms giving us a foothold across genres – including in general entertainment, general and business news, movies, youth and kids genres. We have had a great first year for IndiaCast and this JV will give our domestic distribution business scale and wider reach.”

     

    “There are some clear and unique synergies in this partnership. The new bouquet is a more comprehensive offering from the viewer’s perspective that gives the combined entity an edge in the marketplace”, said MK Anand, Managing Director – Media Networks, Disney UTV.

     

    IndiaCast will move its domestic distribution business into this new venture, while continuing to manage its other content monetization businesses which include the international distribution, adsales and content sales business as well as the new media distribution for TV 18, Viacom 18, A+E Networks | TV18 and Eenadu channels. Disney UTV will also move its domestic distribution activities for its bouquet of all nine channels to the new entity.

     

  • In the run-up to the first phase of Digitization, we spoke to Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast about the ground realities and beyond

    Jaldi 5 with Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast

    1. We have a little less than a month to go for digitization in the four metros. If the government estimates are to be believed, by now over 70 per cent of four metros have been digitized. Is that the case?

    The data does not take into consideration that homes have 2-3 TV sets now. That is the only gap I see, which will have to be plugged probably in the first month. Other than this, we think that the numbers are in line with what the situation is on the ground.

     

    2. With digitization, audiences will be able to choose channels. Would IndiaCast channels lose out?

    It depends on what packages the channels are on. Of all the packages that have been declared, I am pretty pleased that our channels are very well-placed. I do not think that is a worry at all. Packages have been announced. we have done deals with most operators in the market and we know where the channels are being carried.

     

    Have you signed the deal with all the operators?

    We have signed deals that cover 70-75% of the market. Our intention is to sign with each and every operator.

     

    3. There is a worry that there will be some piracy in the form of pilferage of signals after November 1.

    In any transformation or reset in the industry, there is always going to be chaos or piracy. We will have to deal with it. Of course, I am not saying that there will not be. But I do not think it will be on large scale and we will have to deal with it when it comes.

     

    4. What more would you like the other stakeholders to do to ensure 100% digitization?

    The critical work that needs to be done, has to be carried out by ground personnel. The last mile operators and MSOs have to ensure that there are enough boxes available on the ground, and that the right communication is going to the final customer.

     

    5. Will digitization cause paradigm shifts in how media brands create value in the future?

    Absolutely. Most of the big media brands have been under-monetized with the subscription revenues for a very long time. And once we start getting our fair value of subscription, I am sure better part of the money will go into making better content and putting more money in the channels.

     

    As told to Ananya Saha

     

  • With the growing scope of monetizing multimedia content, IndiaCast is poised for interesting times

    We want to be in the forefront when new media merges with traditional: Anuj Gandhi

     

     

    The writing was on the wall the day Anuj Gandhi joined Network 18 in March this year to oversee the group’s distribution and new business development. And the reason for this was the all-new relationship between Network 18-TV 18 and Reliance Industries forged a few months before his joining.

     

    Other than the providing of the much-needed funds and the consequent stake in one of India’s largest (and more powerful) media conglomerates, Reliance was also looking at making full use of the content produced and owned by the various Network18 and Television18 arms, especially for the Reliance 4G services.

     

    Also, in the post-digitization era, distribution becomes a key driver in the revenues of a broadcaster, especially for niche channels. And with various mobile devices becoming popular and wireless technology progressing rapidly from 2G to 4G even in India, the monetization potential for multimedia content leapfrogs.

     

    Enter IndiaCast, a joint venture of TV18 and Viacom18 to create India’s first multi-platform ‘Content Asset Monetization’ entity.

     

    IndiaCast Group CEO Anuj Gandhi is a veteran in the distribution and the affiliate sales front. An MBA from the SP Jain Insitute of Management, he has worked with Discovery Communications as Director – Affiliate Sales (1997-2002),  as President of SET Discovery (2002-07) and CEO of DEN Networks (2007-2010) and worked as an independent consultant for a little over a year. He has also worked with IndusInd Media in distribution (way back in 1994) and prior to that with Ranbaxy. Clearly, being an early leader in every aspect of the distribution business, Mr Gandhi is well-poised to monetize the wide variety of content that IndiaCast has in its basket.

     

    Hours after announcing IndiaCast, Anuj Gandhi spoke with MxMIndia, his first and until the time of publishing only detailed interview on the shape of things to come.

     

    So we see the the birth of a laaarge distribution company…

    IndiaCast is much larger than other traditional distribution companies because it entails monetizing content assets of all the groups – right now TV18 and Viacom18, and post-acquisition of Eenadu, but for all rights. It’s effectively all non ad-sales kind of monetization businesses. It will be online, traditional brick-and-mortar distribution businesses at a global level. So it is pretty huge.

     

    It’s just the beginning. My sense is that most people will do it because the lines are diffusing between various rights that people use in the market. It has already happened in the international market where a DTH guy blocks Over The Top (OTT) or IPTV rights from you and vice versa. So you will have technologies where OTT rights will sit on a box so the cable guy will come and tell you that I not only want to do cable rights but I also want OTT rights. Thus, with the passage of time, new media will get merged with traditional media and we want to be at the forefront of the revolution which will happen in the next few months/years.

     

     

    Any international tie-ups in the offing?

    We already have international updations in the US, UK and Dubai. Colors is being distributed there and going forward, we want to expand our portfolio. We plan to distribute more and more channels internationally. So it’s work-in-progress on that front.

     

    So what happens to Sun18 now that IndiaCast has been formed?

    Sun18 was an alliance that worked very well and will continue to do well. The deal at Sun18 was that we will distribute Sun and Disney channels in Hindi-Speaking Markets  (HSM) and they will distribute us in the South. So, the only change in the whole alliance is that instead of distributing in the whole of South, they will only do Tamil Nadu now. Otherwise everything stays the same, we still distribute them in the North and also Disney which is part of their network. With this, Sun18 North has kind of folded into IndiaCast.

     

    Is it a coincidence that IndiaCast happened days before the scheduled digitization in the metros or was it on the cards for a while?

    No it was in the pipeline and we were talking about it for a while now and we knew that we needed to get all our pieces in order.

     

    Any major challenges you see coming up in the future?

    I think the major challenge would be to get the deal right for digitization. Whether it happens in 25 or 90 days (as digitization in the four metros is likely to get delayed by a few months), this is a chance where the industry needs to correct itself; we all need to work in getting the ARPU situation right in this country. So the challenges are basically at the industry level. Also, on the global front, the challenge is to be able to do more channel launches in international markets and be seen as a serious player. Also, one more challenge will be about how new media unfolds in the country.

     

    With viewers being able to subscribe to channels a la carte, do you anticipate reach/visibility of channels to take a beating… for instance, what if a person just takes one or two channels a la carte?

    While there will be some percentage of the market that will opt for it because by law you have to offer it. Like when CAS started, everyone talked about a la carte and people taking only one or two channels, but it just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen anywhere in the world and it won’t happen inIndiatoo. There may be a few people who would want that but that would be a single-digit percentage for me. So I am not too worried about it. But what will happen is, as they say, the time spent on niche channels will go up with digitization as everybody will be getting the same quality of channels. But if you start picking and chasing packages, some channels will start suffering. Not everybody is going to take all Hindi news channels, for example. So if they are in the same package, then people may pick them but if they are placed differently then it may not be the case. So some impact will happen, but not in the short term.

     

    We see that IndiaCast will also represent Sun and Disney in HSMs. Any others on the anvil? Since UTV channels are now part of Disney, will they move too?

    Nothing right now, I think we already have too much on our table right now. If something happens tomorrow, we do not know but we are not looking at adding anything new as yet.

     

    As part of Network 18/Television 18 agreement with the Reliance Industries Ltd’s Independent Media Trust stake, there was also a plan of all Network 18/Television 18 content being syndicated to Reliance 4G? Will it be done via IndiaCast?

    I won’t be able to comment on this but as is known, all content monetization businesses lies with IndiaCast so the same businesses will be done with any 4G networks whether it is from Reliance or any other telco from the business.

     

    So going back to the earlier discussion, the arrangement with Sun18 stays…

    Yes, we have just changed the definition in terms of the three states in the south. Otherwise it remains where it was. So Sun18 continues to exist and holds up in IndiaCast. It won’t be called Sun18 anymore. There is no shareholding changing – Sun18 North is just folding up into IndiaCast.

     

    Do you see consolidation gaining prominence as we move ahead?

    I think it will happen for some time. What way and form – will now change as technology is becoming a critical part of our business. The traditional mergers may not happen as much but there has been a lot of M&A happening on the platform side which will also have an impact on broadcasting.

     

    With digitization happening, do you anticipate the revenue from non-advertising sources will actually be more than what comes from advertising?

    I cannot generalise it and will depend on channel to channel. But will certainly grow; I feel that it could be 50-50 at the network level. So niche channels will benefit more from subscription than ad sales but mass channels will still earn revenues from ad sales.

     

    So just as it holds true for the sales folk these days, do you see the distribution team also have much say in content in the future?

    I wish my bosses here say that distribution guy must have a say in content (laughs). But it’s not that now. Until now the interaction with the consumer was through various means and the stakeholders were too many in the value chain. Going forward, because it will be a box and be kind of a direct deal – so if I am going to an MSO, he can probably tell me area specific complaints – it will reach back to the content owners much faster and in much clearer terms than what is happening today. That is what is happening in international markets and it will start happening inIndiatoo. But we are a couple of years away from that.

     

    So we’ll soon have distribution heads becoming CEOs of networks…

    Touche.

     

  • Anuj Gandhi to take charge as Group Director, Distribution & New business development

    Anuj Gandhi joins Network 18, to head distribution & biz dev

    Distribution veteran Anuj Gandhi has joined Network18 as Group Director, Distribution & New business development, with immediate effect.

     

    Mr Gandhi brings with him almost two decades of rich broadcast experience, across a variety of mandates including leadership roles at some of India’s leading distribution companies and broadcast networks.

     

    Speaking on this development, Mr B Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network18 said: “Broadcast digitization and growth in new media will cause paradigm shifts in how media brands create value in the future. Our bouquet of channels straddling genres from news and entertainment to kids, music, factual entertainment etc across national and regional spaces is uniquely placed to make the most of this opportunity and we are delighted to have Anuj on board to drive it. His experience & understanding of broadcasting and distribution in India and his leadership record is impeccable, positioning him well for this task”

     

    Added Mr Gandhi: “Network18 is a benchmark player in the broadcast and new media space in India and it is now at a very exciting stage in its journey. I look forward to being part of it at such a momentous time and hope to work closely with the team to unlock value for our brands in an increasingly digitized environment”