MxMIndia

Tag: Kevin Vaz

  • Both are expected to bring fresh perspectives and contribute significantly to the continued growth of M&E

    Kevin Vaz & Arjun Nohwar appointed Chair & Co-chair of FICCI Media & Ent Committee

    By Our Staff

    Kevin Vaz
    Kevin Vaz
    Arjun Nohwar
    Arjun Nohwar

    The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), announced the appointment of Kevin Vaz, CEO – Broadcast Entertainment, Viacom18 as the Chairman of FICCI Media & Entertainment Committee. It also announced Arjun Nohwar, General Manager for India & South Asia for Warner Bros. Discovery, as Co-Chair.

    Said Leena Jaisani, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI said, “FICCI, as the apex industry association, has consistently led the charge in fostering collaborations with diverse stakeholders within the realms of Indian commerce and government.  In navigating the complexities of this dynamic landscape, FICCI remains steadfast in its commitment to driving meaningful policy discussions and facilitating their effective adoption, thereby shaping a vibrant and progressive future for the media and entertainment sector in India. FICCI is confident that Mr Vaz, with his wealth of experience, will bring fresh perspectives and contribute significantly to the continued growth of the Media & Entertainment industry.”

    Said Vaz:  “The Indian Media and Entertainment industry is at an interesting tipping point in time. While the interplay of technology, content and consumer behaviour is reshaping the very definition of the sector, in India there is a clear headroom for growth across categories and a confluence of interests between multiple players in the ecosystem. At a global stage, the soft power inherent to our industry can act as a leverage multiplier to India’s growing cultural influence. I feel honoured to be given the responsibility to lead this committee and look forward to interacting with stakeholders across the board to further our sector’s footprint.”

    Added Nohwar: “Accepting the mantle of Co-Chair at FICCI’s Media & Entertainment committee is an honour for me and I look forward to engaging with industry leaders, government stakeholders, and policy makers. Together, with a shared commitment, we aspire to build synergies that not only guide our industry towards unparalleled growth but also solidify its standing as a global leader. In this endeavour, I look forward to working closely with Kevin Vaz (Chair) and Sandhya Devanathan (Co-Chair), leveraging our collective expertise to chart a visionary course for the industry. FICCI’s steadfast dedication to fostering collaboration and shaping progressive policies is laudable, and I am particularly excited about the prospect of contributing to the dynamic evolution of the Indian Media & Entertainment landscape.”

  • Vaz will also lead regional and marketing for Viacom18's digital entertainment business, across geographies.

    Kevin Vaz joins Viacom18 as CEO-Broadcast Ent

    By Our Staff

     

    Kevin Vaz

    Senior media professional and long-time Disney Star CxO Kevin Vaz has joined  Viacom18 as CEO-Broadcast Entertainment. Vaz will also lead regional and marketing for Viacom18’s digital entertainment business, across geographies. This announcement was made by Akash Ambani and Uday Shankar at a leadership townhall held at the company headquarters on Monday (July 10).

    Vaz will operate out of the Viacom18 headquarters in Mumbai.

     

  • Star Kirano will mark the channel's foray into the seventh regional language

    Star to launch Odia GEC, Star କିରଣ

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star will launch a an Odia general entertainment channel, Star Kirano in June 2022.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “Viewers are core to us at Disney Star and we have always set high benchmarks in delivering best-in-class entertainment to our viewers in the language of their choice and in a manner they prefer. We have seen immense success across our regional portfolio with viewers having a strong affinity for our brands and content. We are now delighted to announce our foray into a new market – Odisha, further expanding our regional entertainment footprint, with the hope to replicate the success with our distinct, differentiated offerings that reflect their sentiments and culture. Odisha is a fast-evolving market with a high affinity towards its local language and we look forward to elevating the entertainment experience for the Odia-speaking viewers.”

     

    Disney Star network currently has a presence in six regional languages – Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Bangla and Marathi with Asianet, Star Suvarna, Star Maa, Star Vijay, Star Jalsha and Star Pravah respectively. Star Kirano will be the network’s foray into the seventh regional market.

     

  • Together with Sequoia India and Sikhya Productions

    NatGeo films series on Indian women entrepreneurs

    By Our Staff

     

    National Geographic has joined hands with Sequoia India to spotlight the inspiring journeys of Indian women entrepreneurs with its brand-new digital series – ‘She Builds’. The six-part series of short digital films will touch upon the lives of seven successful Indian female founders, who are defying the odds by taking risks, dreaming big, and driving innovation in India.

     

    The series, which will air over two weeks, will feature innovative and inspiring entrepreneurs like Neetu Yadav & Kirti Jangra, Animall, Ashwini Asokan, Mad Street Den, Ghazal Alagh, Mamaearth, Prukalpa Sankar, Atlan, Rashi Narang, Heads Up For Tails, Divya Gokulnath, BYJU’S.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “At National Geographic, it is our constant endeavour to bring stories that take our audiences on an immersive, inspiring and sympathetic journey. With ‘She Builds’, we are delighted to bring motivational stories of seven women entrepreneurs who have contributed in changing the narrative of women leadership in India. We understand that short-form content presented in an interesting manner are appreciated and preferred by our audiences, so we are bringing these stories in bite-size formats and premiering them on our highly engaged social media platforms.”

     

    The films were produced in collaboration with Guneet Monga, CEO & Founder, Sikhya Entertainment Private Ltd. and Executive Producer for an Academy award winning film, and directed by Vijayeta Kumar.

     

    Added Gayatri Yadav, CMO, Sequoia India and Southeast Asia: “At Sequoia India we have been privileged to meet ambitious and successful women entrepreneurs who challenge the status quo every day, building game-changing businesses to be the pioneering leaders they are. Their stories are inspiring, relatable, and incredibly uplifting. But they just don’t get told often enough. We are very grateful to our founders for giving us this opportunity – and sparking a flame that we hope will inspire many.”

     

  • Executes 24-hour roadblock to drive awareness

    Disney Star helps Tata Sky rebrand to Tata Play

    By Our Staff

     

    Disney Star network executed a 24-hour roadblock for Tata Sky to drive awareness for their recent rebranding campaign as Tata Play.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star: “Disney Star is thrilled to associate with Tata Sky at a critical juncture in their 18-year journey, as they rebrand themselves as Tata Play. This 24-hour network roadblock across all the entertainment channels of Disney Star demonstrates the strength of our network and the pivotal role it can play to support brands in their business transformation efforts. Our entertainment network’s rich experience and unparalleled reach of 700 million monthly unique viewers makes us the platform of choice for advertisers to derive the maximum investment value.”

     

    Added Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO, Tata Play: “The 24- hour roadblock on the Disney Star network has helped create massive awareness across India, of Tata Play and its offerings right on Day 1 of the launch. Disney Star teams across various channels worked closely with the Tata Play team and amplified the message through their well-known characters, and created many other value-adds which added further ammunition to the execution. It was an absolute delight to work with Disney Star network who brought all their resources together to provide a seamless execution for this brand transformation campaign.”

     

  • Brings a power-packed line-up of shows and movies

    Star ups entertainment quotient

    By Our Staff

     

    Star India network has unveiled content across channels and languages for the festive season.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, President  & Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Star & Disney India: “Viewers are at the front and centre of everything we do; as a network, we understand their pulse and are committed to offering content that resonates with the entire family. We are thrilled to present power-packed shows with the biggest celebrities including Kamal Haasan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sonu Nigam, Remo D’Souza to entertain our viewers this festive season. This is a terrific opportunity for advertisers to reach and engage with viewers across demographics and make most of the festive period.”

     

     

  • With this new feed launch, the channel will be available in six Indian languages

    NatGeo now in Kannada

    By Our Staff

     

    National Geographic India has announced a Kannada feed with effect from January 31.

    Said Kevin Vaz, President  & Head – Infotainment, Kids & Regional Entertainment Channels, Star & Disney India:  “We have been constantly working towards making our relationship with our viewers more personal, relevant and connected through our localized efforts. Over the last years, we have seen a significant interest towards our authentic style of storytelling from our viewers in the regional market; including Karnataka. We saw this as a great opportunity to bring our storytelling in yet another language and wonderfully complement our successful and well-established portfolio of channels in these markets.”

     

     

  • The new season of ‘Kannadada Kotyadhipati 2018’, the Kannada version of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, will launch next month

    Star Suvarna revamps with 3rd editon of KBC and Ramesh Aravind as host

    By A Correspondent

     

    The third season of Kannadada Kotyadhipati, the Kannada version of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ will mark the revamp of Star Suvarna, the Kannada GEC channel of the Star network. The third season of the show  will premiere in June 2018 after a gap of five years.

     

    Said Kevin Vaz, CEO of South Entertainment Channels for Star India : “Star Suvarna is known to provide differentiated and wholesome family entertainment and we are excited to bring Kannadada Kotyadhipati back to the viewers. We are confident that with Mr Ramesh Aravind as the host and the new feature, ‘Play Along’, this show will engage viewers very well, and Star Suvarna will flourish to become Kannadigas favorite channel yet again.”

     

     

  • Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu (MEK) and brand new fiction shows aim toattract aspirational Telugu audience

    Maa TV repositions itself to Star Maa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Popular Telugu channel Maa TV which was acquired by Star India has announced a new positioning and refresh along with a new logo, tagline, pneumonic theme track and a new name. Star is now prefixed to the name.

    Actor Chiranjeevi, the chief guest, unveiled the new logo and the brand tagline. Maa TV now becomes Star Maa. The logo’s new identity is red with the intrinsically bold Maa written under it. According to a communique, Star Maa has aggressive and forward-looking plans of growth and expansion. It has plans to consolidate its position in the Telugu market and achieve dominant thought, content and image leadership.

    Said Kevin Vaz, CEO, South Region: “Star India’s acquisition of Maa was a testimony to Star wanting to build and grow in this market. With the brilliant synergy of the strengths of Maa and Star, we believe, we have come a fair distance in the last few months but we are now poised to take a leap,” he said, adding: “Keeping tune with changing aspirations and expectations of audiences is the key to long-term success. Programming innovation, content variety, and modernising the entire packaging and quality of the channel through Star Maa brand refresh is a sign of our commitment to the Telugu people, globally.”

    Speaking on the occasion, Alok Jain, Business Head of Maa, said: “Our aim is to make Star Maa more current and relevant to the viewers. We are crafting a philosophy that respects the spirit of the Telugu peopleacross the globe. Our story-telling develops linkages with the dreams to create an entertainment brand that is consumed by the entire family. We educate, uplift and usher in new thinking. Every Telugu woman and man, who is optimistic and growth-oriented, yet rooted in home and state, is our key audience. Our aim is to be innovative, revolutionary and original in every aspect of our business and hopes to deliver best in this journey.”

  • The channel will showcase movies never released in the country

    English movies genre hots up with Star Movies Select HD

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s all a-happenin in the English movie entertainment space. Close on the heels of the launch of Times Network’s MN+, Star India has announced the launch of Star Movies Select HD. The insight for this channel comes from an extensive consumer research that highlights how people yearn for variety and great stories, notes a communiqué. The channel has in its line-up a slew of movies lined up including Gone Girl, Fault in our Stars, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, Theory of Everything and Birdman. Some 30 premieres are planned for the year and the channel will be available only in High Definition (HD) and the premieres and the 9 pm movies will not be screened on any other channel.

     

    Kevin Vaz

    Speaking on the occasion, Kevin Vaz, General Manager – English Cluster, Star India said, “We have curated content from the biggest Hollywood studios, created a programming line-up that will need no introduction to our select audience. Movies unreleased in India, award winning premieres and festivals are just some of the initiatives that will enthrall them with the sheer strength of spectacular stories.”

     

  • Amit Chopra will be the new sales head at Star India as Kevin Vaz moves to the new position of general manager – English and Bengali channels

    Amit Chopra new sales head at STAR, Kevin Vaz is now GM Eng and Bangla channels

    Kevin Vaz

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    Kevin Vaz, responsible for revenue generation for the entire bouquet of Hindi, English and niche genres under the STAR umbrella will now be incharge of Star Jalsha, Jalsha Movies and the English cluster of the network. He is the new GM of the channels.

     

    Meanwhile, Amit Chopra who joined Star from Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL) to handle sports telecast business will be heading the to revenue function.

     

    Mr Chopra began his career in 1993 with Hindustan Unilever.

     

    While MxMIndia has confirmed the news, the official Star spokesperson was tightlipped on the development.

     

    With close to 20 years of experience, Kevin Vaz has spent almost 16 years with Star India. He started his career at the Times of India as assistant manager, where he handled advertising and marketing functions. He joined Star in 1996.

     

  • Star Jalsha boss Kevin Vaz on what viewers can expect from the new Jalsha Movies, and why the channel is already a winner in the buzzing Bengal television market

    Jaldi 5 with Kevin Vaz: Blockbusters to boom Bengal

    Having gained an unmatchable reach and popularity with its brand Star Jalsha in Bengal, Star India is also set for the launch of a new movie channel titled Jalsha Movies. The launch is in line with Star Jalsha’s philosophy of Chalo Paltai (let’s change) that aims at delighting viewers through contemporary stories from their surroundings.

     Kevin Vaz, President and General Manager – Star Jalsha and President – Ad Sales at Star India Pvt Ltd tells MxMIndia what viewers can expect from the new offering and why the channel is already a winner in the already buzzing Bengal television market.

     

    01. The third Bengali movie channel, and the second launch in close succession. From the sales point of view, is Bengal the new ‘hot’ market?

    I can’t comment on it being a hot market, but Bengal is definitely growing very fast. It has become a Priority One market for most brands today be it across telecom, consumer durables, FMCG etc. Most importantly, it is not the national clients but the retail business that is growing rapidly here. So whether it is jewellery stores or saree shops or biscuit manufacturers… a lot of local interest is gaining prominence here.

     

    As for the launch, Bengal is a huge consumer of Bengali cinema irrespective of the channel that it gets played on. Star Jalsha has always been offering quality movies to its audiences and has achieved a TVR as high as 12. Keeping these trends in mind we thought it was right time for us to launch a Bengali movie channel. According to us, there is nobody right now offering blockbuster movies regularly and that is what Jalsha Movies will stand for.

     

    02. Star Jalsha has been a huge success whereas at least one of the channels from a well-pedigreed media company has shut down. What’s the secret of the success with Jalsha?

    When we launched Star Jalsha, we were very clear that we had to be different. In fact within a few weeks of its launch it was a clear leader and has been so for the last four years with our GRPs totalling 500 compared to our closest competitor at 400 GRPs or so. More importantly we attained that position by redefining the market and the storyline that we do. With such a benchmark, we said that we clearly expect Star Jalsha to be leaders within the channel. I see that we have the necessary content that will help us deliver that promise.

     

    a. How fast do you hope to be on top of the pack?

    If we get into something we clearly look at become leaders at once. So the answer is: as early as possible.

     

    03. We see that you’ve stitched up quite a few alliances with film companies.  Will we also see any international/Indian movies dubbed in Bengali in future?

    We’ve got a great library of Bengali movies and the reason to launch a regional channel is for people to consume it in their own language. So we will be going ahead only with Bengali movies as of now.

     

    04. How has the response been from advertisers and media agencies?

    We’ve got a great response from them. Vivel has already come aboard as the channel partner. Going forward you will see a whole lot of clients who will be associated with us. In fact, most of these advertisers have seen Jalsha operate in the last four years and know the kind of mileage we offer to them. So most of them are excited enough to partner with us from day one of operations.

     

    A market like Kolkata is counted in as part of the extended HSM. Do you think with three Bengali movie channels, the Hindi movie channels will get impacted?

    I wouldn’t like to call Bengal as an extended Hindi Speaking Market and has rather reached a stage where it holds its own. At one point in time it was considered an add-on market but for most brands it has become a priority market. Also, if one were to see Star Jalsha delivers higher ratings than any other Hindi GEC or channel by a distance. So to reach out to the masses is our number one priority. If I may add here, Bengal is witnessing a huge surge in retail advertising and more and more brands are hopping on to be a part of the association with us.

     

    05. Tell us more about Vivel being the Channel Partner? The performance of this partnership could open the floodgates for many more?

    As I said, Vivel has come on board as the channel partner but it’s not we have closed our doors to the others. Probably as the numbers start to trickle in people will want to make bigger commitment to the channel. That will be an ongoing effort but a few brands have come based on faith and seeing potential in what we have to offer them. Jalsha has a very strong equity in the market with its advertisers and it is purely on that front that many have partnered with us.