MxMIndia

Tag: NBA

  • Campaign to repurpose discarded underwater fishing nets as basketball nets

    NBA launches of ‘Nets for Change’

    The National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched ‘Nets for Change’, a new campaign to repurpose discarded underwater fishing nets at basketball courts in India. The discarded nets, which pose a threat to marine ecosystems, are being repurposed as basketball nets at courts that are missing a fundamental element of the game – a functional net.

    In collaboration with Publicis Communications, Middle East and Africa, the pilot project launched at a school in Mumbai with plans to expand to other markets. The league and Publicis are working closely with seaside communities in Mumbai to retrieve abandoned fishing nets, which are then transformed into durable, eco-friendly basketball nets.

    Said NBA India Head of Marketing Murtuza Madraswala: “The launch of ‘Nets for Change’ reflects our commitments both to environmental responsibility and to growing basketball across India. Discarded underwater fishing nets pose a significant environmental threat, and through this initiative we will give these nets a new purpose, so that aspiring players have higher-quality courts where they can come together to play the game.”

  • Television channels Vh1 and MTV, and digital platforms Voot and Jio TV will air the content

    NBA moves from Sony to Viacom18

    By Our Staff

     

    The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Viacom18 announced a multiyear partnership to deliver live NBA games and programming to fans in India across television and over-the-top streaming. Until recently, NBA had a partnership with Sony Pictures.

     

    Beginning with the NBA’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season in 2021-22, Viacom18 as part of the partnership enabled and supported by Rise Worldwide will provide coverage of the NBA’s regular season and marquee events in English and Hindi through its television channels Vh1 and MTV, and through its digital platforms Voot and Jio TV.  Coverage will include weekly live games, NBA All-Star, the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoffs and the Finals.  Viacom18 will also show daily highlights and create original NBA-themed programming that will run on a number of channels across its network.

     

    Said Anil Jayaraj, CEO – Sports, Viacom18: “While sports are the biggest whitespace that we are entering, to build a truly inclusive and differentiated proposition, we need to look at diverse sporting events from across the globe. Basketball is a sport that is increasingly gaining attention and affinity in India.  Through this partnership with the NBA, not only do we want to make basketball mainstream, but also build its lifestyle appeal among sports fans.”

     

    Added Anshul Ailawadi, Head of Youth, Music and English Entertainment for Viacom18: “Globally, basketball is more than a sport – it is a lifestyle. As we look to build basketball into a cultural phenomenon in India, we welcome this deep partnership with the NBA.  Over the course of this association, we will be initiating a heavily localized marketing outreach and consumer connect programme aimed at building fandom for the sport.”

     

    Said Sunny Malik, Head of Global Content and Media Distribution, NBA India: “We are thrilled to partner with Viacom18 to broadcast and stream live NBA games to a nationwide audience. Basketball’s popularity in India continues to grow, and by offering a range of NBA programming on Viacom18 in both English and Hindi, we look forward to reaching and inspiring millions of new and existing NBA fans across the country.”

     

  • Honda Life Saver Board campaign judged as the best campaign

    Tribes Communication wins Dragons of Asia Awards

    By Our Staff

     

    Tribes Communication has finished at the top with 10 metals at the Dragons of Asia Awards 2021. The big win came on the back of two Golds, one Silver, 2 Bronze and 4 Black metals. The highlight though was the Blue Metal for the Honda Life Saver Board campaign, which was adjudged as the best campaign In India.

     

    The body of work that won the title spanned across 6 of the 17 different categories that were recognized-a fitting acknowledgment for the incredible breadth and quality of work created by the talented teams from both Ignite Mudra and The Max, working tirelessly within the Tribes Group to raise the bar on both creativity and effectiveness.

     

    The wins came for Honda’s Ganapati Festival campaign “Life Saver Board”, which endeavoured to save countless lives during the immersion of lord Ganesha during the festival of Ganpati in Maharashtra and Kansai Nerolac’s Durga Puja campaign “Shera Para Shera Pujo”, which aimed at a go green initiative by collecting plastic waste from across the state of West Bengal and turning it into public benches.

     

    Other metals were won for “NBA in my Backyard”, aimed at promoting the NBA games in India and Michelin’s “Drive the Change” campaigns.

     

    Gour Gupta
    Gour Gupta

    Said Gour Gupta, MD, Tribes Group: “It’s been a tumultuous journey over the last two years through the pandemic, but we at the Tribes Group came together to create the best possible outcome. As a team, we broadened our horizons and created avenues that were unknown to us. These wins are a testament to the tireless efforts put in by the teams and also our clients who believed in the work that we do and help us create campaigns that are both, thought provoking and bring about a positive change.”

     

  • To discuss issues concerning news channels and the broadcast industry

    Anurag Thakur meets the NBA Board

    By Our Staff

     

    Recently appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur met the board members of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on Saturday to issues concerning news channels and the broadcast industry.

     

    Led by NBA President and Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV, Rajat Sharma, the delegation included CEO of ABP Network,  Avinash Pandey, Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson, India Today Group, Sudhir Chaudhary, Editor-in-chief & CEO, Zee News; Anuradha Prasad Shukla, Chairperson & Managing Director, News-24 and Sonia Singh, Editorial Director, NDTV.

     

    The discussions delved into various pertinent themes like attaining a stable regulatory climate in the industry and other positive changes that can be introduced in the television ecosystem.

     

    Speaking about the meeting, a spokesperson of NBA said, “Effective communication is extremely important for us to uplift the broadcast industry and implement positive changes. Today’s discussion helped us provide direction to various issues within the industry. We are looking forward to working closely with the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Mr. Anurag Thakur to take the broadcast industry to greater heights.”

     

    Further, as per a communique, NBA members discussed the industry landscape in the post-Covid scenario and apprised the minister about their concerns. The meeting also threw light on creating a strong policy roadmap for growth in the post-Covid era for the broadcast industry.

     

  • Under the disguise of introducing a soft touch progressive institutional mechanism, will we see censorship, writes Indrani Sen

    Will Indian netizens lose their digital rights?

     

    By Indrani Sen

     

    Indrani SenOn February 25, 2021, the Electronics and Information Technology ministry notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 for news publishers and OTT platforms giving a three-month deadline to websites to comply with the same.

     

    The Government introduced the new rules aiming to “establish a soft touch progressive institutional mechanism” for adherence to Digital Media Ethics Code by the news publishers and OTT platforms “featuring a Code of Ethics and a three-tier grievance redressal framework”. The new rules are applicable to all digital news publishers, social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and all OTT platforms like Disney Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee Live, etc.

     

    The time limit of three months expired on May 25, 2021. Subsequently, on May 26 the Digital Division of the I&B Ministry has extended the deadline for OTT platforms by 15 days till June 10, 2021 through a public notice. The public notice has three different formats for furnishing information designed for three types of publishers:

    1. Digital news publishers who also publish/ telecast news through traditional media
    (newspaper/ TV)
    2. Other digital news publishers
    3. Publishers of online curated contents (OTT platforms)

     

    There is not much difference between the three types of forms except that for the first category under “Entity Information” the digital news publishers are only required to furnish the RNI registration number or details of TV channels licensed by the I&B Ministry under Uplinking and Downlinking rules. Where as the publishers of the other two categories have to provide various other details about their entity. In all the three formats, the publishers have to provide details of their membership of Self-Regulatory bodies in the industry.

     

    The first two categories of publishers are required to give details of their News Editor while the OTT platforms have to give details of their Content Manager. All three have to furnish the details of their Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) in India.

     

    In the meantime, both News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) have requested the I&B Ministry that traditional news broadcasters also publishing digital news should be excluded from coming under the purview of the new IT Rules. With only three days left before the new deadline on June 10, 2021 the Ministry has not yet replied / given a clarification to MBA and NBF. A reminder has issued a reminder on June1, 2021 asking all publishers on the digital media to furnish the required information to the Ministry.

     

    Over the last three months we have seen lot of debates in various media websites on if live news will continue on the OTT platforms and what will be the implications if OTT platforms stop live news. There has been hardly any discussion on mainline media on the implications of the proposed Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules. If we deep dive into the three-tier structure for grievance redressal or for observance and adherence to the Digital Code of Ethics, then we find that the Level I comprise Self- regulation by the specific entity and Level II comprise of Self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of which the specific entity is a member of. It is Level III which becomes an area of concern where Oversight mechanism by Central Government will be acting over and above the Self-regulatory bodies with power to censor and even block the contents.

     

    The Wire published an excellent analysis of the proposed IT rules on February 27, 2021, day after the new IT Rules were announced and commented on the three-ties system “All of this is being planned to be done without any legislative backing or a clear law made by parliament.” (https://thewire.in/tech/explainer-how-the-new-it-rules-take-away-our-digital-rights). On the same day https://scroll.in also published a detail analysis of the new It rules explaining why the same is anti-democratic and unconstitutional
    (https://scroll.in/article/988105/explainer-how-indias-new-digital-media-rules-are-anti-
    democratic-and-unconstitutional).

     

    Under the disguise of introducing a soft touch progressive institutional mechanism, the Central Government is about to introduce an autocratic digital censorship and rob all Indian netizens of their digital freedom as well as of expressing their own views on social media platforms. And this move is being executed when the country is still struggling with the second wave of Covid-19, when digital media is acting like a lifeline for many Covid patients, Covid volunteers and frontline medical practitioners all across the country.

     

    Indrani Sen is a veteran advertising professional and academic. She writes on MxMIndia on Mondays. Her views here are personal

  • The camp is being held near Film City in Noida

    NBA organises Covid-19 vax camp for mediapersons

    By Our Staff

     

    The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has organised a Covid-19 vaccination camp for media persons belonging to various news channels. The camp is being held near Film City in Noida.

     

    In a press statement, Rajat Sharma, President, News Broadcasters Association (NBA), has thanked the UP CM for arranging this vaccination camp. Said Sharma: “Noida is a big centre for national electronic media and most of the TV journalists and camerapersons belonging to news channels, toil day and night to bring news about Covid-19 pandemic to viewers across the country. These media persons  work and live here. I had requested the Chief Minister to start vaccination of media persons on priority basis because they face health hazards while interviewing Covid-19 patients, relatives, doctors and other health workers. They are among our frontline Covid-19 warriors and need vaccination en masse.”

     

  • The Board also elected Anuradha Prasad Shukla, Chairperson-cum-Managing Director – News24 as Vice President and M K Anand, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Times Network as Honorary Treasurer of the NBA for the year 2020-2021

    Rajat Sharma re-elected NBA President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rajat Sharma

    News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has re-elected Rajat Sharma as its President. At the NBA board meeting held on Thursday, members unanimously asked Rajat Sharma, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, India TV to continue as President.  The Board also elected Anuradha Prasad Shukla, Chairperson-cum-Managing Director – News24 as Vice President and M K Anand, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Times Network as Honorary Treasurer of the NBA for the year 2020-2021.

     

    The other members on the NBA Board are: –

    M.V. Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director – Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd.

     

    Rahul Joshi, Managing Director – TV18 Broadcast Ltd.

     

    Avinash Pandey, Chief Executive Officer – ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.

     

    Venkat, Director – Eenadu Television Pvt. Ltd.

     

    Kalli Purie Bhandal, Vice-Chairperson & Managing Director – TV Today Network Ltd.

     

    Sonia Singh, Editorial Director, NDTV – New Delhi Television Ltd.

     

    Sudhir Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer – Cluster 1 – Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

     

     

  • The numbers tell the story. Time for the genre to wake up, and stop fighting, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari.

    Present Imperfect. Future Shock. News Channels lose as GECs gain

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Ring-a ring-a ratings

    Claims versus shoutings

    Cops, CBI, advertisers & viewers frown

    And we all fall down!

     

     

    So here’s another take-off on our favourite nursery rhyme, partly courtesy a friend and fellow-columnist. But before you look at the graphs: here’s an exercise.

     

    Fill in the Blank:

     

    The News Channels genre is getting _______.

     

    Since you have to putting the answer in your own language, choose whatever word you would like.

     

    The numbers tell the story.

     

    Here they are:

    Please click on image if you find this unclear

     

    If you prefer graphs, look at these:

     

    May we alert you that these numbers are not validated from BARC. They have come in from two different sources. But we will update if necessary, when we’ve got it from BARC. Btw, we chose 2+ and not 15+/22+ AB one mn plus or all-India, because it was easier to compare with GECs.

     

    The message is clear. News channels – in Hindi, Regional, English and Hindi Regionals (like MP, Bihar etc) need to do some soul-searching.

     

    If they continue to fight, if they continue to not do the right things, there’s bound to be trouble. For themselves.

     

    News channels owners, editors and managers need to stop fighting. The best of political and corporate forces have buried their differences. Many moons ago, India TV had exited the News Broadcasters Association for reasons that are best not recalled now. More recently TV9 quit the association and we heard of some talks of a possible litigation. So there’s no reason why NBA and NBF can’t combine forces. Call it something else if necessary. Rejig the set of officebearers. But it’s important to have a strong, joint force.

     

    Be competitive. Stop fighting. Let’s stop putting each other’s images on telly. Let’s stop group media entities to participate in a ‘maaro saale ko’ campaign.

     

    We’ve seen what’s happened thanks to all of this. It could only get worse. Serious.

     

    Advertisers have not yet said goodbye, but if they see lower ratings, they could.

     

    Enough said. Have a good weekend.

     

    And this Dassera, Dussehra or however you spell it, let’s kill the (d)evils within us.

     

  • NBA and TV9 have agreed to set their differences aside and not to pursue the matter legally

    TV9 Network back in NBA

    By A Correspondent

     

    News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has announced that it’s glad to have Associated Broadcasting Co. Pvt. Ltd, that’s the TV9 Network back in its membership.

     

    Notes a communique: “There has been discourse in the public domain regarding the differences between NBA and TV9 Bharatvarsh. After discussing the matter mutually, NBA and TV9 have agreed to set their differences aside and not to pursue the matter legally. We look forward to working together with all the members in addressing the larger issues facing the news broadcasting industry.”

     

    Said TV9 CEO Barun Das: “TV9 Network is delighted to return to NBA. As one of its founding members, I have proudly witnessed the long strides the NBA has taken in the rough terrain of self-regulation and in furthering the interests of the industry. I look forward to working with all our peers in these testing times.”

     

     

  • News Broadcasters Association (NBA), has addressed a letter to Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister for Information and Broadcasting

    NBA requests GOI for stimulus package

    By A Correspondent

     

    On Monday (April 27), Rajat Sharma, veteran journalist and President, News Broadcasters Association (NBA), addressed a letter to Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister for Information and Broadcasting, regarding stimulus package for the news broadcasters relating to Bureau of Outreach & Communication (BOC)/DAVP advertisements and outstanding dues of the member news broadcasters of NBA.

     

    Here’s the text of the letter:

    “As you are aware the unprecedented crisis due to the COVID19 has put the finances of the news broadcasters under severe stress.

    The news broadcasters to ensure social distancing from spread of the virus and for ensuring the safety of the editorial personnel/staff has had to take various steps/make alternate arrangements within and outside the premises for news gathering/ reporting/office purposes. This has resulted in the operating costs of news broadcasters during the current pandemic/lockdown having gone up exponentially.

    Advertisements which is an integral and essential part of the business and the main source of revenue for the news broadcasters has come under severe pressure during this pandemic/lock down. Advertising agencies are putting huge pressure to defer the payments to broadcasters and to allow more time over and above the 60 days credit period; the recovery of bills is going to be hugely challenging, while facing an even bigger task of almost zero or negligible income in the coming several months. While the news broadcasters are coping with the financial problems of recovery of dues, we are also faced with serious problems of advertising inventory/ release orders being cancelled and inventory/ bookings being less than 50 percent for even the top-rated news channels. Poor recovery and lack of future income would mean that the news broadcasters would have to weather the storm for two /three quarters and hope for a partial recovery towards the end of the financial year.

    To overcome the financial crisis, we are suggesting that the MOI&B announce a stimulus package for the broadcast media by (1) increase the rates of BOC/DAVP advertisements by 50 per cent and (2) substantial increase in budgetary allocations of all Ministries/ Departments and organizations of the Govt. of India for dissemination of information/communication relating to COVIND 19 pandemic by BOAC/DAVP through private satellite TV channels for its widest reach to all sections of the society.

    Further, we have been representing to the MoI&B for several years, the issue of outstanding dues of BOC/DAVP of our member broadcasters, which is pending since 2010, and there has been no resolution till date.

    We have collated the current outstanding dues reported by our member broadcasters with regard to various Ministries/Departments released by BOC/ DAVP up to 31.3.2020. The total outstanding dues reported by members of NBA is approximately Rs.64,49,87,733/-, a substantial amount, which has remained unpaid over the years. Against the said outstanding, it may kindly be noted that that the outstanding dues of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B) reported by the members is approximately Rs.8,62,25,333/-.

    We are attaching three statements. Annexure 1, gives the breakup of outstanding Ministry-wise, Annexure 2 gives the breakup of the outstanding dues member-wise. Annexure 3 gives the individual member details of the said outstanding.

    We request you to kindly instruct the BOC/ DAVP to clear all the outstanding dues of various ministries and in particular the dues of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B)of approximately Rs.8,62,25,333/-. Payment of these outstanding dues of BOC/ DAVP will give some relief to the broadcasters who are under severe financial stress. If the payments have not been made to the broadcasters due to non-receipt of payment we request the MoI&B, to kindly take up the matter with the concerned client Ministries /Departments and organizations of the Govt. of India, to release the long overdue payment expeditiously to BOC/ DAVP.

    NBA Board members will be happy to be on a Zoom call with you and your officials to explain further the imperative need for the suggested stimulus package for the sustenance and survival of the news broadcasters. It would also give us an opportunity to discuss other issues which we have represented to the MoI&B.

     

     

  • This particular trend has been noticed after electronic media recently exposed the role of Tablighi Jamaat in the spread of Coronavirus

    NBA expresses concern over threat faced by news reporters (+MxM View)

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has raised concerns on the tendency among people belonging to a certain section of society resorting to abuses and threats against anchors and reporters working in news channels.

     

    Notes a statement: “Anchors and reporters working in news channels are being specifically targeted through social media platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok and Twitter. There are videos circulating on social media in which some religious preachers are naming some TV news anchors and threatening attacks on the reporters of those channels. The NBA strongly deplores this pernicious trend in a section of society and appeals to the government and law enforcing agencies to take immediate preventive action against such anti-social elements.”

     

    MxM View: We think the NBA should also ask some of its member-channels to exercise caution in the headlines and direction of its news reports. Yes, it was congregation of a certain religious community, but one needs to be careful that you don’t damn the entire community.

     

     

  • Rajat Sharma stated that NBA appreciates the concern shown by the  Prime Minister in this matter

    NBA condemns ban on Asianet News and Media One News

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the decision of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to impose a 48 hours  ban on Asianet News and Media One News, two news channels of Kerala.

     

    President Rajat Sharma stated that NBA appreciates the concern shown by the  Prime Minister in this matter and the subsequent withdrawal of the ban imposed on the two news channels. He stated that it is shocked to learn that a decision like this was taken without the knowledge of the Minister for Information & Broadcasting. NBA demands that the Minister should institute an inquiry as to how the Order prohibiting the news channels from broadcasting was issued without his approval. NBA would like the inquiry report to be shared with it.

     

    NBA is of the view that all complaints relating to broadcast of news should be referred to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) the self-regulatory body headed by retired Hon’ble Justice A.K, Sikri, former judge of the Supreme Court of India in order to avoid recurrence of similar incidents in future.