MxMIndia

Tag: BIG FM

  • Thwink Big will focus on talent incubation, development and creating original content

    Big FM launches content studio and talent incubator

    By A Correspondent

     

    Radio network Big FM has set up Thwink Big – a short-form video and audio talent incubator and content studio. Thwink will contribute towards making the brand future ready for catering to growing consumer and advertiser needs and changing media trends. It, notes a communique, encapsulates three core aspects that are at the centre of the network’s strategy – excellent music, outstanding story-telling and captivating social

     

    Spearheaded by Manish Karnatak, the studio consists of senior talent in both audio and video like Aditya Parwatkar who heads national programming for Big FM with diverse career experiences in the media industry and Vanshika Sharma who is a passionate storyteller with over 12 years of extensive programming experience with media outfits such as Voot. The respective Audio and Video Creative Directors along with Manish and the team dedicatedly work towards delivering end-to-end content solutions across radio and digital platforms for both audio and video formats.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Tarun Katial, CEO, Big FM said: “Thwink will be a strong pillar to our content marketing offering for consumers and advertisers. We have put together a team of experts who will curate marquee cutting-edge content across mediums – audio and video deployed on Radio and Digital and work closely with talent across genres. It will also serve as a go-to partner for advertisers for creating clutter breaking content, spikes and solutions. It will enable strategic innovation and creation of quality content with increased efficiency. Thwink is our vision for the future of content in the industry.”

     

    Speaking on the studio launch, Karnatak said: “It is really important to have a strong understanding of the consumers needs in the uncertain digital domain. At the same time, it is key to possess capabilities to deliver on those fronts. Thwink BIG acts as a one-stop-shop in accelerating production of innovative content to further expand our repertoire of offerings and cater to higher volumes of media consumption in today’s times. We thrive on digital content and our aim is to empower content creators to take their offering to the next level. We have already produced and delivered differentiated content and will continue to offer this for our customers and consumers.”

     

     

  • The participants will be judged by Bollywood composer, Anu Malik and the winner will get an opportunity to sing an original song specially composed by him

    Big FM announces Season 5 of ‘Golden Voice’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM is back with the fifth season of its on-air singing talent hunt ‘Benadryl BIG Golden Voice’. Said Dimple Sidhar, Vice President – Marketing, Consumer Products Division at Johnson & Johnson Pvt. Ltd on the sponsorship: “Benadryl is proud of this association with BIG Golden Voice for the last four years. With more than 50 years of Doctor’s trust and being the Number 1 OTC cough syrup brand in India, Benadryl understands the chaos a cough creates in our life. This chaos can rattle a singer’s performance. Our brand’s promise is to provide efficacious solutions to stop this chaos so that you perform at your best. Benadryl Big Golden Voice since its inception in 2013 has been a celebration of this promise.”

     

    Speaking about the launch of the new season, a spokesperson of Big FM said:“Each year, Benadryl Big Golden Voice has raised the bar among on-air singing talent hunts with its credible celebrity judges and brilliant winners going on to win recognition in the music industry. We feel proud to witness our long-standing association with Benadryl enter the fifth year. This edition will be carried out on a whole new level with a novel theme and a massive digital outreach. In our search for the next singing sensation with the theme – Folk recreated, we intend to capture the attention of different sets of audience. Also having activated our digital platforms for auditions and voting, we will be further raising our engagement across demographics and making this an effective platform providing extensive visibility to our partners”.

     

     

  • The brand's activities will be managed by the agency's office in Delhi

    Publicis bags Big FM’s creative mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM has appointed Publicis as its creative agency. The brand’s activities will be managed by the agency’s office in Delhi.

     

    Srija Chatterjee

    Commenting on this victory, Srija Chatterjee, Managing Director, Publicis India, said, ‘We are extremely delighted to win the creative mandate for Big FM. This win means a lot to us, as Big FM proudly owns the most distinguished position in the radio category.’’

     

     

     

    Ravpreet Ganesh

    Elaborating on the win, Ravpreet Ganesh, Executive Director, Publicis India, said: “Big FM as a brand has established itself as a leader in the FM space and we look forward to a great partnership with them. Having similar creative inclinations and outlook, gives us all the more pleasure to work together. The vibe between the teams on both sides has been great and I think this is the beginning of an effective partnership. We are keen on doing some exciting work together and look forward to this journey ahead.”

     

     

    Praveen Malhotra

    Added Praveen Malhotra, Chief Business Officer, Big FM: ‘It gives us immense pleasure to announce our partnership with Publicis to take forward our creative mandate. I’m sure this association will be rewarding for the brand, as we place trust in Publicis and their diverse expertise. We look forward to an enriching association with the team and await to work on some great ideas together.’’

     

  • Malhotra has been associated with Big FM since inception as its Chief Revenue Officer, will be responsible for all sales, marketing, planning and service functions

    Praveen Malhotra appointed Chief Business Officer at BIG FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Praveen Malhotra

    Big FM has elevated Praveen Malhotra as Chief Business Officer. Malhotra has been associated with the radio station network since inception as its Chief Revenue Officer and will now be responsible for all sales, marketing, planning and service functions.

     

    On her new role at Big FM, Malhotra said: “It has indeed been a pleasure to be a part of such an esteemed organization since the beginning. Having a natural flair for sales, I look forward to add more value to the firm with my abilities in managing large scale business operations.”

     

    On the development, Tarun Katial, CEO, Big FM said: “We are happy to on board Praveen who comes with a flourished experience and domain expertise. With her deep knowledge on our business, she will help us develop practices that will benefit in increasing business efficiency, manage costs effectively and deliver great services to our clients.”

     

  • Big FM will be available on frequency 92.7 in Agartala, Itanagar and Aizawl and 98.3 in Shillong

    Big FM expands in North-East with four new stations

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM has expanded its footprint in the North-East region, with the launch of four new stations. The frequencies acquired by the network during the FM Phase-III auctions were 92.7 in Agartala, Itanagar and Aizawl and 98.3 in Shillong. With this Big FM is now present in 61 cities across the country. The newly launched stations will reflect the brand’s ‘SunoSunao Life Banao’ positioning, with a view to extend its legacy of curating original content and providing entertainment. As a part of its launch strategy, Big FM has taken its ‘Big City Pride Awards – For the City, By the City’ in each of these markets.

     

    Speaking on the expansion, BIG FM spokesperson said, “The north-east region comprises a varied mix of audiences that enjoy regional, Hindi and English music.  Based on this cultural diversity we aim to cater to listeners with differential music and our national and award winning shows. Also, now with our network across 5 markets we will have the largest presence in this region. We hope to offer advertisers access to the consumers across these cities, which so far have been under-served in terms of media reach.”

     

  • The radio network will replicate its retro legacy in Lucknow and will engage listeners with music from the golden era

    Big FM announces now in Lucknow

    By A Correspondent

     

    After acquiring 14 new frequencies in the first batch of FM Phase-III auctions, Big FM has now entered Lucknow with the launch of 94.3 FM. The radio network will bring in a new wave of timeless Hindi music in the city by building on its distinctive and pioneering retro format on radio. Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi launched the station earlier this week (May 23).

     

    Speaking about the launch, Tarun Katial, CEO of BIG FM said, “With the launch of 94.3 FM in Lucknow, we are extending our legacy of entertaining listeners with original content and distinctive music formats. The strategy for the station is formulated based on thorough research and listening pattern that will resonate well with listeners in Lucknow. This synchronized offering will pave way for the advertisers, to reach out to a wider set of audiences in the city. We are also leveraging the opportunity of launching a new station in the market to spread awareness around safety and respect of women, a major issue that needs cognizance of the society at large.”

  • The radio station will amplify its reach to benefit advertisers through localized content powered by national and award winning shows

    Big FM expands base in Maha with Pune & four more

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM has extended its reach in Maharashtra with with the launch of five new frequencies acquired in the first batch of FM Phase-III auctions, in addition to its existing two stations in Mumbai and Solapur. The new stations will operate under the frequency of 95.0 in Pune and 92.7 in Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur and Aurangabad.

     

    Speaking about expanding its reach in the region with the new frequencies, a spokesperson from Big FM said: “By acquiring five new frequencies in Maharashtra, we are penetrating into key markets of one of the biggest states in the country, wherein our advertisers and stakeholders will be able to draw immense value by expanding their addressable communities. While the cities we are going to kick-start operations in are bound by a common flavor, we will try and localise our offerings to cater to the unique demands of each market, both from the listener and stakeholder perspective.”

     

  • The developments include Ramgopal Iyer and Gaurav Shukla being elevated to the position of National Head – Account Planning and Regional Business Director

    Big FM makes senior-level appointments

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM has bolstered its core leadership team with new appointments. These include Ramgopal Iyer and Gaurav Shukla being elevated to the position of National Head – Account Planning and Regional Business Director, Delhi. Other key appointments include – Sunoj George Abraham and Harish Ravindranath, who have been welcomed in the positions of Cluster Head for Karnataka and Kerala and Station Head, Chennai.

     

    Commenting on the developments within the core leadership team, TarunKatial, CEO of Big FM said: “I welcome Sunoj George Abraham and Harish Ravindranath to the Big FM family and congratulate RamgopalIyer and Gaurav Shukla for their new responsibilities within the company. We are glad to have these highly skilled and experienced individuals onboard who will propel us towards reaching our goals and achieving new milestones.”

  • The new appointees will drive new strategic initiatives as part of their respective new roles in the organisation

    Big FM strengthens core leadership team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM has strengthened its core leadership team triggering a fresh era of growth for the company. Continuing her stint with BIG FM, Divya Singh has been elevated from her previous position and will take charge as the National Sales Head for key vertical, which includes Auto, Consumer Durables and Telecom sectors respectively. Dheeraj Goel joins Big FM as Regional Business Head, North & Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Rahul Saini has joined Big FM as Regional Business Head West. The new appointees will drive new strategic initiatives as part of their respective new roles in the organisation.

     

    Tarun Katial

    Commenting on the same, Tarun Katial, CEO of BIG FM said: “I warmly welcome Dheeraj and Rahul to the Big FM family, and congratulate Divya on her new role. I am confident that the new developments will effectively bolster our core sales leadership team, and fuel our growth story in the new financial year.”

  • With the launch of additional 14 stations, 5 new stations will be added in Maharashtra and Goa (Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar), making it a total of 8 stations

    92.7 Big FM adds 14 new stations in one go

    By A Correspondent

     

    92.7 Big FMhas launched the test signals of 14 new frequencies acquired recently. On April 1, the network went live with the test signals in one day.

     

    With the acquisition of these new frequencies, the radio network is moving from strength to strength with a total of 59 stations now. In Maharashtra, there will be an addition of five new stations (Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar), bringing it to a total of eight stations in the state. The network will enjoy complete coverage in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand, with the additions of Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Muzaffarpur, bringing the total to 13 stations in the region.

     

    Additionally, Big FM will also increase its hold over Northeast India as the radio network will have the largest presence in border regions with new stations in Agartala, Itanagar, Shillong and Aizawl and existing stations in Jammu, Srinagar and Guwahati. With this the network ensures that it is present in all key cities and the state capitals in the North East.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Tarun Katial, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, said: “The launch of 14 new stations will further reinforce our position as leaders in the radio broadcast industry. This is a major step in expanding our presence in all our focus markets to ensure that we continue to grow in the space and deepen our market penetration.”

     

  • A night that was all about cheering, enjoying, encouraging and most importantly radio

    Red FM, BIG FM & Radio Mirchi earn top laurels at IRF

     

    By Anuka Roy

     

    ‘Happiness is like a radio station, broadcasting all the time. You just have to learn how to tune in and receive it properly. Stay tuned and be happy always!’ Nobody knows who said that but it sure is a true saying. It was indeed a happy environment when people from the radio and media industry gathered together to celebrate the best of the best in radio. This year the Excellence in Radio Awards (ERA) were hosted on Friday the May 13 (this was another highlight for everyone) at The Westin Mumbai.

     

    This year, a total of 43 awards were given out across various categories. To celebrate the spirit of radio and the winners everyone in the audience was given a whistle to cheer for the winners. And did they cheer? The only thing that can be said is, hardly anything else was audible every time an award was announced. Some of the award-winning stations this year included Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Suryan FM, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, Radio City, Radio Mango, Club FM and MY FM.

     

    Without any doubt this year’s ERA was painted red with Red FM winning 13 awards including the ones won by sibling Suryan FM across different categories and regions including the ‘Best Radio Sparkler (Hindi)’ for the character Bauua, who plays pranks on people over the phone and the ‘Best Community Service Award’ for ‘Himmat ki Kimat Delhi’, an initiative by Red FM Delhi in recognising the true heroes of Delhi.Suryan FM won two awards ‘Best Breakfast Programme/Show (Tamil)’ and ‘RJ of the Year (Tamil)’ which went to RJ Blade Shankar. Reliance Broadcast Network Limited or Big FM also won 8 awards, including the award for the ‘Best Radio Programme  (Hindi – For Non-Metro Station)’ and ‘RJ of the Year (Hindi – For Non-Metro Station)’ which went to AnnuKapoor for his show ‘Suhaana Safar With AnnuKapoor’.‘RJ of the Year (Hindi)’ went to RJ NeeleshMisra of Big FM.TLG India (Zenith Optimedia India) won two awards for’ Most Effective Use of Radio in an Activation Campaign’ and ‘Most Outstanding Use of Radio in an Ad Campaign’. However, the most anticipated award of the evening, ‘Best FM Station’, was taken home by Radio Mirchi Delhi.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Vishaal Sethia, Senior Vice President, Programming at Radio Mirchi said: “It always is a fabulous feeling. It is a station which has a lot of initiatives regularly. It is a very creative team; this also re-establishes the fact that we are leaders in Delhi. It is a great feeling to be rewarded for all of that”.

     

    Nisha Narayanan, COO of Red FM spoke about the road ahead for the station. She said: “What I am really happy about is the fact that, we are winning a lot of regional awards. I have always been saying that awards need to move out of Delhi and Mumbai, needs to be encouraged in other cities as well. The road ahead, as I keep telling the team, we need to continue to innovate, be fresh in our thoughts, think out of the box and keep entertaining. ” Speaking on behalf of Team Red FM on bagging a dozen awards, Rajat Uppal, National Marketing Head said: “It is nice. We always have been winning so many awards and this year is no exception. We won 13 medals today; it feels great.”

     

    With much debate on about the future of radio in our country, the awards surely are a source of encouragement and a hope for brighter days ahead for the radio industry.

     

     

  • Jay's primary responsibility will be to manage the P&L of the Station, ensuring profitability it continues to deliver value to listeners and advertisers alike

    Jay Mehta elevated to Station Head at 92.7 BIG FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Jay Mehta

    BIG FM has announced the elevation of Jay Mehta as Station Head, Mumbai. Jay joined 92.7 BIG FM in August 2014 in the position of Sales Head – Mumbai and has been an ace performer, steadily growing revenues for the Station. In his role as Station Head, Jay’s primary responsibility will be to manage the P&L of the Station, ensuring profitability it continues to deliver value to listeners and advertisers alike.

     

    Jay Mehta will report to Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head, 92.7 BIG FM.

     

     

    Ashwin Padmanabhan

    Jay carries with him over a decade’s work experience, with companies like Uninor, Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications. Jay’s key strengths include innovations, strategy formulation and execution, brand launches, brand associations, and sales and distribution. He has to his credit, been a key part of the launch team of two telecom giants in India – Uninor and Idea Cellular and has been instrumental in seeding the brands during its initial periods.

     

    Speaking on his appointment, Ashwin Padmanabhan said, “It is an absolute delight to meet and work with committed employees like Jay. His relationship skills and ability to deep dive and understand the Clients requirements and offer suitable solutions, is phenomenal. We couldn’t have found anymore more apt for this role than Jay and I am confident he will lead the entire team to the next level.”