MxMIndia

Tag: ET Now

  • The Autocar Show will air on ET NOW on Fridays starting December 11, 2015 at 10:30 pm with repeats on Saturday (11:30 am and 3:30 pm) and Sunday (10:00 am and 2:00 pm)

    Autocar joins hands with Times Network for new auto show

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Network has tied up with Autocar India to offer viewers car reviews by the most authentic and highly insightful car experts on two news channels in India, ET NOW and Times NOW.

     

    Autocar India is widely quoted by the media across the globe for its detailed views. In addition to providing car reviews in the most insightful manner, the magazine gives its readers unmatched access to the automobile industry news. With the likes of Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor – Autocar India, who has three decades of experience, and Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 racer set to grace the television screens, viewers can be assured of the most engrossing and informative ride of their lives with every episode of Autocar India.

     

    Arnab Goswami

    Speaking on the partnership, Arnab Goswami, President – News and Editor in Chief, TIMES NOW and ET NOW, said, “We are delighted to have tied up with India’s most respected experts in the automobile circuit to launch The Autocar Show. I am sure that Hormazd and his team will make the show a one-stop destination that caters to the needs of everyone interested in the magical and enticing world of automobiles. The Autocar Show, which will air on ET NOW and Times NOW, will add to the world class quality, variety and relevance of our programming bouquet.”

     

    Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor – Autocar India said. “We are thrilled to have tied up with Times Network which will give a huge boost to the popularity of The Autocar Show. It’s not just the fact that both ET Now and Times Now are undisputed leaders in their genres but the high energy and passion of the Times Network that motivates us to go that extra mile to deliver cutting edge content.”

     

    The Autocar Show is bound to keep viewers hooked with the variety of its content. The show will review the latest Skoda Superb before any other Indian media! It will look to heighten the enthusiasm through feature activities that have never been carried out before such as driving the Lamborghini Hurracan to Khardung la Pass, the highest motorable road in the world! In addition to such feats, the show will keep viewers informed through its segment that will shed light on the automobile market scenario.

     

    The Autocar Show will air on ET NOW on Fridays starting December 11, 2015 at 10:30 pm with repeats on Saturday (11:30 am and 3:30 pm) and Sunday (10:00 am and 2:00 pm).

     

  • The new channel will be a unique destination for content and information on the property market

    Times Network launches 24-hr real estate channel ‘Property Now’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Network, the broadcast arm of India’s largest media house Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. announced the launch of India’s first 24X7 realty and property news channel, ‘Property Now’. The announcement was made by M K Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network at the inaugural session of FICCI’s The Big 5 Construct India 2015 held in Mumbai recently.

     

    Announcing the launch of Property Now, M. K. Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “The Real Estate & Construction industry is a key contributor to the Indian economy today. Poised for an unprecedented growth boosted by the Government’s Smart city and housing-for-all projects, the sector commands investments from over 60 per cent of Indian Household Savings. We felt the industry needs a cohesive and powerful platform, where all the stakeholders can exchange their views, communicate with each other, influence the policymakers for the up gradation of the sector and better the life of the common man. Hence, we are delighted to announce the launch of Times Network’s 24-hours dedicated Real Estate and Property channel – Property Now. The channel will aim to address all needs related to real estate, property and infrastructure.”

     

    The new channel will be a unique destination for content and information on the property market, offering viewers unbiased information that makes the home-buying process simpler and more efficient. The channel will be a combination of news, debates, advice and analysis on real estate and allied aspects focusing not only on the buying decision but also on interiors and home improvement. The channel’s mandate is to provide relevant content and accurate information on the real estate market, home loans, the tax and legal aspects of buying a home and as well as advice on home décor in all price brackets.

     

    Faye D’Souza, Editor, Real Estate and Personal Finance, ET Now, while discussing the programming of Property Now, shared, “The channel will have news bulletins that will share the industry and pricing trends and put into perspective any development happening on the day. It will have debates wherein we will get guests who are accountable to the customers to come and talk about what’s happening in this segment. There will be a show wherein viewers can call and address their queries related to properties, and panellists will be demystifying those queries. Besides, there will be features on various subjects like how to decorate your house, how to make it safe for a child etc. The channel will have a broad spectrum of content related to legality of buying properties, financing related to properties, and so on.”

     

    Distributed pan-India, the channel is targeted towards 1mn+ markets initially. In phases, it will reach the target markets currently being served by ET Now. Property Now is expected to grow further because the subject is of interest to a larger set of audience as it will cater to investors, property buyers, builders and infrastructure industry et al.

     

    The channel will be helmed by Faye D’Souza who is also the Editor – Personal Finance & Real Estate, ET NOW and comes with a wealth of experience in the sector. President-News Times Network, Arnab Goswami will guide the new channel and lead the editorial team.

     

  • The channel is a complete rebranding of Movies Now Plus, which will cease to exist post this launch

    Times Network launches MN+, an HD-only English movie channel

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    The Times Network, which includes channels like Times Now, Zoom, ET Now, Romedy Now and Movies Now, has announced the launch of MN+, a premium movie channel, available only in HD. The channel is a complete rebranding of Movies Now Plus, which will cease to exist post this launch, Vivek Srivastava, Senior VP and Head English Entertainment Cluster announced.

     

    The prominence of Hollywood movies in India has gone up, Srivastava pointed out, and MN+ will cater to the intelligent aspirants, the ones who believe their time is valuable, he said. “The channel has been hand-crafted not just for the informed, intelligent and discerning movie lovers, but for the cineastes as well. It is designed to give viewers a Gold Class Experience of Hollywood.”

     

    Vivek Srivastava

    MN+ and Movies Now will co-exist, showcasing two entirely different sets of movies. It is not a simulcast, Srivastava stressed. Movies that will be available on the newly launched channel include Argo, The Shawshank Redemption, The Hurt Locker, Sherlock Homes, The Bourne Supremacy and the like. Advertising duration on the channel is set to be at six minutes per hour while on Movies Now it is 12 minutes per hour.

     

    “The MN+ extension of Movies Now comes at a time when viewers across our markets have responded extremely positively to the Movies Now brand. The rapidly growing reach and ratings of Movies Now over the past year bears testimony to this,” Srivastava said, adding, “Movies Now leads the category in BARC ratings. The channel commands a 26 percent market share and has the highest reach in the category.”

     

    The network is focusing on both metros as well as Tier II and Tier III cities. “Consumers are ready to pay a premium for HD because of the quality and if you give them what they want and the content is easily accessible, then they are likely to avoid resorting to illegal downloads to catch their favourite movie,” Srivastava said. The network is confident that MN+ will add to viewer and advertiser numbers. The implementation of DAS in Phase 3 and 4 is eagerly awaited and will help in terms of subscription revenues and availability, Srivastava added.

     

    The MN+ library comprises must-watch movies across genres that are universally celebrated and are discussed extensively in social gatherings of people who have an opinion.  The channel will not only showcase great titles, but will also package them in interesting on-air properties like Center Stage, Great Adaptations, Opening Night and Hollywood Select, among others.

     

    Discussing the target audience of the channel, Srivastava said, “MN+ is for those premium audiences that have the temperament to be choosy about what life has to offer and have evolved to value only the best.”

     

    Speaking about advertiser endorsement, he said, “Not just viewer delight, we are also pleased and humbled by the strong and enthusiastic response from advertisers and marketers. Over the past year almost all the major brands have been present on Movies Now and we are increasing that count every day.”

     

  • By choosing to do so, the Advertising Standards Council of India has failed in its duty, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari in Mediaah!

    Mediaah! Why is ASCI mum on CNBCTV18-ET Now issue?

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

    The stakes are high in the news television business. The winner – in this the leader of the pack – generally takes it all – and given that it’s not an easy business to run, there are just too many claims on counter-claims on which is the #1 channel.

    Earlier this month, ET Now released large ads in The Times of India claiming it’s the No 1.

    On Monday, June 15, we received a mail from a PR agency claiming to represent CNBC-TV18 that ASCI asks ET Now to withdraw the misleading ads.

    Quality journalism requires some no-brainer rigour. You don’t trust the source even it may otherwise be credible. If Company X says it has won a case in the courts, you want to see the Court Order. Ditto with an FIR with the cops.

    But for some, publishing is pure commerce. Like that phrase we’ve been hearing in the ongoing political drama: quid pro quo! This is not the time to shout out loud about the rigour we follow. On to the case…

    So I called the ASCI secretariat on Monday and asked if the advertising self-regulator ever gave out individual dispute orders. The person taking my call said “No”, and was surprised that the channel had done so because ASCI normally discourages the winning party from going to the media about winning a certain dispute.

    In fact the outcomes of each complaint is made public only after allowing enough time for a review request by the losing party.

    I thought it was fair.

    What this basically meant is that while CNBC-TV18 may have had its complaint upheld, the order was conveyed officially but privately to both parties (CNBC-TV18 and ET Now) and not expected to go public… ASCi would do that after two months (on June 2, we received info on upheld complaints of March 2015).

    I asked ASCI if it had indeed issued the order restraining ET Now. I got no comment. I could approach either CNBC TV18 or ET Now for more, I was told. I thought that it was a strange reaction, but then ASCI is esteemed Self-Regulator.

    We dug into ASCI’s CCC reports over the last six months and did not find any complaints against both channels.

    The story was simple until Tuesday evening. Yesterday, that’s Wednesday, June 17, The Times of India’s Mumbai edition had an ET Now ad under the paper’s masthead (on Page1) claiming the channel is #1. It was similar to the earlier one which was contested by ASCI. Now. while technically, ET Now is required to withdraw ads by June 22, the operative word is ‘by’ and not ‘after’.  In all fairness, after hearing of the ASCI order, it should have stopped carrying the dispute ad.

    My immediate response was to write to ASCI, the Advertising Standards Council of India.

    My questions:

    1. What steps does ASCI take if and when an advertiser violates its advisory and continues with its advertisements even after the advisory has been issued to the advertiser?

    2. Has ET Now contested the ASCI advisory/order on withdraw advertising that was found to be misleading.

    I waited all day only to be told by the Secretary General late evening by mail that I will not get the answers. The reason: “In our last conversation I have very clearly indicated that as a policy, ASCI does not comment on individual cases. Your query below not being generic, it would not be right to comment on the same. Our request would be to not quote ASCI since this news has not been issued by ASCI.”

    Needless to say, I was surprised with the ASCI response. At MxMIndia, our intent in approaching ASCI was simply this: “If CNBC-TV18 made a false claim on Monday, it must be exposed and if ET Now has mocked at an ASCI advisory and gone ahead with an ad, then it must be exposed too.”

    By not responding to our query, and possibly because it doesn’t want its name dragged into a controversy between two powerful media groups, we are being compelled to look at motives behind ASCI not being transparent on the incident, even if there aren’t any. As my namesake ACP Pradyuman would say in the serial CID: Kuchh toh gadbad hai!

    Also, clearly, ASCI – as a body needs to be vigilant in its attempt to lay standards in the business and craft of advertising. Perhaps it makes sense for ASCI to have in its fold some non-advertising/media industry biggies who would not be soft on erring members of the fraternity. And be strong and aggressive with advertisers who are incorrect and do not honour the ASCI code in letter and spirit.

    By not doing so, it’s only doing great disservice to the industry that has set it up.

    Remember, it was not very long ago that a minister of the central government had raised questions on ASCI’s efficacy. Some industry commentators had even raised questions about whether ASCI can deliver.

    We believe it can, but not if chooses to stay mum on key decisions such as these.

     

    Here’s the press release we received from a PR agency representing CNBC-TV18:

    ASCI asks ET NOW to withdraw misleading ads

    June 15, 2015, Mumbai:

    The Advertising Standards Council of India, (ASCI) has upheld CNBC-TV18’s complaints against the advertising campaign released by ET NOW news channel on May 31. ASCI has advised ET NOW to withdraw or modify appropriately the said ads by 22nd June 2015.

    Their campaign, launched on 31st May, 2015, was declared to be based on BARC data and their ‘internal data’.  In its ruling, ASCI made the following observations:

    On ET NOW’s claim – “India’s No. 1 Business Channel.”

    ASCI has upheld the complaint against this claim. Firstly, the data provided by the Advertiser is for leadership among English Business channels only and it does not consider the other regional business channels. Hence it was concluded that this declaration is misleading by omission on the advertiser’s part and contravenes Chapter I.4 of the ASCI Code.
    Secondly, the source quoted is of BARC covers only two weeks of data. It refers to TV audience in the 10 to 75 lakh town class and this does not constitute the whole of India and this contravened Chapters IV.1 (b) & (d) of the ASCI Code.
    On ET NOW’s claim – “Built on Expertise. Monthly Positive Stock Calls: ET Now – 1044 CNBC TV18 -326”

    ASCI has upheld the complaint against this claim. The proprietary data source quoted for the claim, “Monthly Positive Stock Calls: ET Now – 1044 CNBC TV18 -326” was “Research – Consult Kraft | Period: Nov ’14 to Apr ’15 | Based on Avg.  Monthly Positive Stocks recommendations All Market Days, 7:30am to 3:30pm. This data period does not overlap with the viewership data period referred to in the advertisement.  The data provided therefore, was likely to mislead by implication and ambiguity and this contravenes Chapter I.4 of the ASCI Code.
    On ET NOW’s claim – “Built on Speed. 6 out of 10 Business Stories Break on ET Now”
    ASCI has upheld the complaint against this claim. This claim was not substantiated with evidence to prove that the Advertiser was indeed able to break more stories / break stories faster than others and was therefore misleading. This contravened Chapters I.1 and I.4 of the ASCI Code.

  • Gurumurthi assumes charge of all editorial and programming, taking over from Managing Editor R Sridharan who has moved on

    Sandeep Gurumurthi takes charge of ET Now

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sandeep Gurumurthi

    Business channels ET Now has elevated Sandeep Gurumurthi as its Executive Editor.

    Bidding adieu to R Sridharan, erstwhile Managing Editor of ET Now and wishing him luck for his future endeavour, the channel welcomed the newly promoted Gurumurthi to take on the reins of sustaining the momentum of keeping the channel abreast at the top.

    On this development, M K Anand, CEO & MD, Times Network said, “Sandeep has maturity and aggression in the right doses and will bring energy and dynamism to the news room. He has played a critical role in ET NOW’s leadership so far and going forward his expertise will be invaluable in building ET Now into a power brand. In his new role as the Executive Editor, he will be responsible for all editorial and programming for the channel.”

    Concurrent to Gurumurthi’s elevation, Nikunj Dalmia is being elevated to the position of Chief Editor- Financial Markets, responsible for Market Hours and Morning band and Supriya Shrinate is being elevated to the position of Chief Editor- News, with all bureaus reporting into her.

     

  • New alignment within the group's sales force aimed at meeting higher growth targets with an aggressive approach of Now or Nothing

    Times Network announces slew of appointments

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Network has announced strategic restructuring reflecting a new stronger growth-oriented operating model. The initiative aims at providing significant growth opportunities and greater responsibilities to the existing leadership in the advertising and sales team which will also inculcate the Network’s new brand philosophy of Now or Nothing.

     

    Given the new drive of being aggressive and restructuring, Hemant Arora who was Head Branded content has been elevated as the Sales Head for Times Now & ET Now. Hemant has more than 17 years of experience in media sales, including print, internet and television. He started his career at the Times of India in 1997.

     

    Some of the other structural changes which have been announced are:

    Hersh Bhandari has been given the charge as National Head of Ad Sales for Times Now. Also, Shilpa Shetty has been appointed as National Head of Ad Sales for ET Now. Since joining the channel, she has been instrumental in increasing the revenue of the channel by a phenomenal ratio. Shilpa is a tough taskmaster and is also the first woman to rise to the position of Head of Sales from within Times Network.

     

    To add to the team, Gaurav Dhawan Will take over as Cluster Head for English Entertainment Channels. His 17 years of extensive experience in managing advertising revenue driven business across Television, Print and Web leveraging strong client relationships, gives him an advantage in meeting his challenging new assignment, where he is pitted against TV’s major domo Star’s English Entertainment business. Also, Jogajyoti Pati will take over as National Head of Ad Sales India 2 for Times Network while Rohit Tugnait will take over as the National Head of Ad Sales & Brand Solutions for zoOm.

     

    MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “This refinement in our working model is designed to keep up with the momentum we had been sailing on through whole of the last year. While 2015 was one of hygiene improvements, 2016 will be a watershed year during which we will make an all-out effort to correct our price:value equation and build our revenue base.”

     

  • The biggest thought leadership platform will see the confluence of India's Brightest Minds~

    ET Now to host 2nd India Economic Conclave in New Delhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    In the backdrop of India’s new-found confidence, ET NOW is back with the second edition of India Economic Conclave aptly themed – ‘India: The Giant Awakens.’ The event will be held on December 06 at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi from 11 am onwards.The Conclave will bring together captains of Indian industry, policy makers, institutional investors and civil society leaders. The deliberations will pave the way for a constructive dialogue on how the Government and Industry can seize India’s unique moment in history.

     

    Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will inaugurate the event and deliver the keynote address.Key ministers including Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Industry Minister NirmalaSitharaman and Power Minister Piyush Goyal will be addressing the day-long conclave.​

     

    MK Anand, Managing Director and CEO, Times Television Network said,“The domestic and global sentiment over India’s economy has undergone a sea change, which gives us confidence for new beginnings. As a catalyst of positive change, ET NOW feels that this is the opportune time to bring together various stake holders to deliberate and agree on ways so that the potential of the nation can be realized.”

    R.Sridharan, Managing Editor, ET NOW said, “Buoyed by​ the success of the first edition of India Economic Conclave, we are delighted to bring it back bigger and with a far more optimistic outlook.

     

    ​The conclave theme aptly captures the prevailing mood in the economy and we believe this unique thought leadership platform will provide breakthrough ideas and solutions for both the Govt and Industry.”

     

  • ET Now's '5 Year celebration' reloads with the Theme of 'Five years of excellence

    Biz channel ET Now turns 5

    By a correspondent

     

    Leading business news channel ET Now has completed five years of meaningful existence in India. The channel has carved a niche for itself over the years with superior coverage and analysis of markets, business and economy. ET Now’s ‘5 Year celebration’ reloads with the Theme of ‘Five years of excellence.

     

    Extending their wishes, noted industry captains had the following messages to share: “ET Now is not only the default channel but also the go-to channel, when you know something is happening out there and you want to get a grip of it”, said KV Kamath – Chairman, ICICI Bank. NR Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys had the following to share: “Congratulations to ET Now for completing five wonderful years. ET Now has scaled up using innovation, hardwork and some extraordinary ideas. They have reporters who are enthusiastic, energetic, hungry, inquisitive and very persuasive. Their anchors ask deep, proactive questions and bring out the best in the interviews.”

     

    “My congratulations and best wishes to ET Now on its fifth anniversary. In an increasingly cluttered media landscape, the channel stands apart for its insight, initiative and integrity while covering Indian business and the economy. With the country poised yet again at a crossroad, I look forward to watching the channel as it unveils the next chapter in the story of a nation on the move,” observed Anand Mahindra, Chairman & MD, Mahindra & Mahindra.

     

    To drive consumer engagement, the channel arranged a contest titled ‘YOU WISH.YOUWIN’ that invited the viewers to share their messages on Facebook, Twitter and Google + using #FiveYearsOfExcellence. The best entries received till 17th June were entitled to win some cool gifts.

     

    On the programming front, the theme of ‘5’ was brought alive through a set of 5 fund managers; CEO’s and  economists that appeared on various shows from morning till evening.

     

     

     

  • A new notification issued by the regulator on Monday limited the amount of advertising on TV channels and disallowed any shortfall in a particular hour to be carried over

    Broadcasters slam TRAI notification to limit ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    Broadcasters and advertisers have slammed Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) move to limit the duration of television advertisements to 12 minutes in an hour, and accused the regulator of exceeding its brief.

     

    A new notification issued by the regulator on Monday limited the amount of advertising on TV channels and disallowed any shortfall in a particular hour to be carried over. According to industry estimates, this could impact advertising revenues of broadcasters by 15-40 per cent.

     

    “Trai has no jurisdiction in the subject. Advertising is governed by the Cable and Satellite Act and the appropriate authority is the ministry of information and broadcasting,” said Uday Shankar, president of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, and the chief executive officer of Star India. “The regulator is overstepping its brief,” he added.

     

    According to Mr Shankar, the low revenues from subscriptions give broadcasters no option but to rely on advertising inventory and revenues to survive.

     

    An Indian Broadcasting Foundation official said an earlier government guideline stipulated that Trai could issue an advisory with regard to advertising but not a notification.

     

    Sunil Lulla, managing director and chief executive officer of Times Television Network, which runs Times Now, ET Now and Movies Now channels, too criticised Trai’s decision. “This move is completely ridiculous. Self regulation is the best regulation,” he said.

     

    “This move will have an immediate impact because right now there is no other big source of revenue for broadcasters,” said Rohit Gupta, president of Multi Screen Media, the company which runs Sony Entertainment Television. The IBF will appeal against this new regulation, he added.

     

    Barun Das, chief executive officer of Zee News, questioned the timing of the regulation at a time when the entire broadcasting industry was going digital. “We have a limit mentioned in the Cable Act. If at all there is a need for regulating duration of advertising, it possibly could have waited some more time for the digitisation process to settle down.” he said.

     

    Mr Das said his channel had voluntarily cut its advertising inventory by 30per cent earlier this year. “We realise that too much advertising is a deterrent to viewership. We were not driven by regulations, rather we were driven by market forces,” he said.

     

    Mr Das said the viewers had choices not only of channels but also of media platforms. “I am not sure if advertising volume needs to be regulated. I would tend to believe that too much advertising would anyway drive away viewers,” he added.

     

    Sale of television rights have become an important source of income for sports bodies such as BCCI but the restriction on advertising will adversely impact the ability of broadcasters to recoup their investments, forcing them to scale down their bids.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies

    Jury meets to select winners of the 9th Mirchi KAAN Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ninth edition of the Mirchi Kaan Awards had an unprecedented response when the Ad gurus met to select the best radio ads of 2011. There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies. And the number of entries for the Best Use of Radio as a Medium saw a tripling of entries to a record 31. Entries were spread across 15 categories, ranging from food to cosmetics.

     

    The winners will be felicitated at a gala event hosted by Cyrus Broacha on April 17 at Comedy Store, Phoenix Mills. The Mirchi KAAN Awards was introduced in 2004 to celebrate creativity in the challenging and evolving field of radio advertising. Over the years it has recognised and honoured ground-breaking and original radio campaigns.

     

    Speaking about the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards, GG Jayanta, National Marketing Head, Radio Mirchi, said: “Every year the stakes get higher. In our 9th edition, the entries and the number of participating agencies have doubled. This is a testament to the prestige that winning a KAAN award gives. I thank the jury for having taken the time out of their busy schedule and selecting the winning entries.”

     

    The eminent jury included stalwarts like Pratap Suthan, Priti Nair, Amit Akali, Malvika Mehra, Manohar Nayak, Josy Paul, Rekha Nigam, Deepa Krishnan, Ramanuj Shastry, Tista Sen, Sonal Dabral and Ravi Deshpande.

     

    Sharing his thoughts about the quality of entries received this year, Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director- BBDO India, said:  “Radio is a very personal and one to one medium. Hence good execution is of utmost importance. There has been resurgence in lot of fresh ideas this year which has lead to more freshness in programming.”

     

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said: “I am on the Mirchi KAAN Jury for the very first time this year and I am quite excited to be a part of this process. Radio as a medium has a lot of potential. Unlike earlier, a lot of brands have now started including and demanding for Radio advertisements to be included in the overall marketing campaign.”

     

    Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising, said: “Advertising is always evolving, and especially radio advertising has seen tremendous amount of growth. Interesting trends of conversations are always happening and it’s nice to see them getting adapted to the medium of radio”.

     

    Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “It’s fun to be a part of the Mirchi KAAN Awards. New writers are coming in, innovative projects are being showcased. As a jury member it is a pleasant experience to watch this fantastic trend”.

     

    Amit Akali, National Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, said: “The Tony Hertz workshop for these aspirants as a run-up to the main KAAN Awards is a commendable initiative by Radio Mirchi. The workshop will help the listeners to learn the nuances of radio advertising and improve the quality”.

     

    This year the theme of the Mirchi KAAN Awards’ ‘Listen, Learn, Shine’ focuses solely on the quality of work in the developing industry of radio advertising. Celebrated and renowned ad guru, Tony Hertz, will conduct a seminar on the art and craft of radio advertising for the aspirants from various ad agencies on April 17 as a build up to the Awards night. ET Now is the television partner and Afaqs.com is the digital partner of the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards.

     

  • Avinash Kaul will now be Chief Executive Officer ET Now and Zoom, and Ajay Trigunayat will be Chief Executive Officer, English entertainment channels

    Times TV boost for Ajay Trigunayat, Avinash Kaul

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Television Network has enhanced the responsibilities of two of its senior personnel: Avinash Kaul, who will now be Chief Executive Officer ET Now and Zoom, and Ajay Trigunayat, who will be Chief Executive Officer, English entertainment channels.

     

    Mr Kaul and Mr Trigunayat will continue to report to Sunil Lulla, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Times Television Network.

     

    Announcing the new organizational focus, Mr Lulla said, “2011 has been a significant year of growth for Times Television Network (TTN). As the channels consolidate positions, it offers opportunities for talent to develop. Mr Kaul and Mr Trigunayat will bring new ideas, energy and passion for the network’s ambitious growth agenda. We wish them great success.”

     

    During the course of 2011, TTN’s revenue has grown by over 50 per cent, its reach has spread to 26 countries besidesIndiaand its channels are in leadership positions.

     

    Speaking on his appointment, Mr Kaul said, “‘Bollywood’ and ‘Stocks’ are deep passions ofIndia. I’m delighted to have a blend of entertainment and information as part of my mandate. I look forward to ensuring that ET NOW continues to consolidate its position asIndia’s premier stock market channel.”

     

    Mr Kaul was previously the CEO of Zoom and prior to that has worked with Fulcrum (Group M), Discovery Communications, Star, NDTV Media and Sahara One in strategic and management roles.

     

    Mr Trigunayat, commenting on his new role, said, “Movies Now has just about completed one year of stellar performance and I am looking forward to consolidating and growing the franchise of Hollywood entertainment for Times Television Network”.

     

    Mr Trigunayat was earlier Channel Head of Movies Now. Prior to joining Times Television Network, he has been in theMiddle Eastin an entrepreneurial capacity. He has also held the position of Business Head of the Zee English Channels bouquet, built brands and strategies for Lintas, Contract and Rediffusion and was in Sales at Pepsi.