MxMIndia

Tag: Punit Goenka

  • A cross-section of captains of media and entertainment companies tell us how they found Arun Jaitley's Budget 2015

    So what was the Budget like for M&E?

     

    A cross-section of captains of media and entertainment companies tell us how they found Budget 2015

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment

    This is indeed a futuristic and growth-oriented Super Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. It has addressed both the overall tax concerns, and portrayed a positive picture for the investor. It is a Budget to remember for the common man as well, since it has addressed all key aspects, like housing, jobs and education. Congratulations to Jaitley for wonderfully addressing the nation’s concerns through the Budget, and for setting some key goals for 2022

     

    Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network

    The Budget is positive, realistic and progressive in nature. Overall, it seems to be well thought of, with a holistic approach, and some key announcements for the services industry. The proposed reduction in corporate tax over the next four years is encouraging, as it will result in higher investments, growth and more jobs. The move to increase the service tax, however, will put smaller advertisers under pressure, and hamper advertising spends. The move on CSR is good, and radio can be used effectively as a catalyst for social transformation in initiatives like Swachh Bharat, since it reaches even the remotest of the corners [of the country] where no other medium can. This will be especially true with Phase III and deeper reach in radio.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats, Chairman, CII M&E committee & Group CEO, Viacom18 Media

    Two words sum up the essence of Budget 2015: Balance and clarity. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley walked the tightrope by staying away from Big Bang announcements that might have strained the fiscal position, while taking substantial steps on matters of tax, social security and public investment (especially in infrastructure). On the reduction in corporate tax rates to 25%, the four-year implementation roadmap is a welcome addition. This is the clarity the corporate sector needs so far as tax policy is concerned. While personal income tax slabs remain unchanged, higher exemptions are targeted towards savings and would add to retirement income in taxpayers’ wallets. These ‘wallets’ too, will have a different connotation given the FM’s vision for a cashless society. The reduction in withholding tax rates (to 10%) on royalty and FTS payments to non-residents has finally been granted. The increase in service tax is probably to bring the rate closer to the rates expected under the GST regime. In that context, the step is the proverbial bitter pill for our industry.

     

    Smita Jha, leader, Entertainment & Media Practice, PwC India

    The Budget has many references to the entertainment and media industry though there are no large announcements. The GDP growth target of an expected 8-8.5% will provide fillip to growth in the advertising industry. Clarity in the GST timetable is also significant, as entertainment tax being subsumed into GST will not only help bring uniformity in taxes across states, but also bring transparency in box office collections. There are many small reliefs provided to the industry, like exemption of the film exhibition industry from service tax thereby removing the possibility of dual taxation with the entertainment tax. Reduction in customs duty on import of digital cameras and accessories used for film production, will also help curtail production costs. The removal of certain entertainment activities from the negative list may, prima facie, seem unfavourable, but this will bring uniformity in taxation and thus be beneficial to the industry in the long-term.

     

    Zafar Rais, CEO, MindShift Interactive

    The new government’s maiden budget proposes to levy service tax for online and mobile advertising, which we believe will adversely affect the industry’s growth. It reflects differentiated treatment, as traditional print media remains unaffected with respect to the tax purview but the new, digital media that is actually driving innovation, will have to bear the brunt. Currently, India’s exponential mobile penetration and app consumption patterns are driving the growth of the mobile advertising industry, and this tax could hamper the innovation efforts of the entire ecosystem comprising mobile development startups, advertisers and publishers. We would have preferred a more future-focused policy regarding this particular aspect.

     

    Sumit Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, CommonFloor.com

    The move to allot Rs 1,000 crore to tech start-ups is only a reiteration of the government’s intent and purpose. The corpus, as such, is not substantial and we can only hope that there will be a fast and efficient disbursement of this fund. Jaitley also referred to a more liberal system of raising global capital and the ease of doing business, which are encouraging and would eventually create employment opportunities in the country.

     

  • He spoke about the changed business environment in India with initiatives by the new government

    Punit Goenka delivers keynote at WIEF

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), delivered a keynote at the 19th Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) held at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In his keynote, which was on the theme of the conference ‘India: Delivering the Dream’, Punit Goenka spoke about the changed business environment in India with initiatives by the new government and the current state of the media and entertainment industry in India. He also discussed ZEEL’s journey over the past 20 years and the opportunities and challenges he foresees over the next few years.

     

    Speaking on the Media & Entertainment Industry in India, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, “Widespread technological advances in the ecosystem and the digital experience driven mainly by aspects like digitization of cable industry, has brought a new mindset to make business – quicker, targeted, transparent, and collaborative. This industry is certainly a sunrise sector for the nation’s economy. Proving its resilience to the world, the Indian M&E sector is on the cusp of a strong phase of growth.”

     

    He, furthermore, commented on ZEEL’s journey saying, “With most industry firsts to our credit, we as a global entertainment conglomerate have always been at the crest of innovation and leadership. We take immense pride in the fact that, unlike other global media companies which have travelled to India to set up their operations, ZEE has travelled against the flow and has successfully set up its presence across 169 countries, entertaining over 730 million viewers across the globe.”

     

    The Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) is a student-led business conference to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by India. Started in 1996, it is a leading India-focused business forum held annually at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania which is among the top 3 institutions in the world for business education. The WIEF attracts business leaders, policy-makers, professionals and students to engage in fruitful dialogue and is attended by over 400 delegates including Wharton MBA, Penn Graduate and Undergraduate students, Wharton alumni and industry representatives and professionals.

     

  • He will discuss ZEEL’s journey over the past 20 years and the opportunities and challenges he foresees over the next few years

    Punit Goenka to deliver a keynote at the 19thWharton India Economic Forum

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) will deliver a keynote at the 19th Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) to be held at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, February 21, 2015. Speaking on the theme of the conference ‘India: Delivering the Dream’, Punit Goenka will address the changed business environment in India with initiatives by the new government and the current state of the media and entertainment industry in India. He will also discuss ZEEL’s journey over the past 20 years and the opportunities and challenges he foresees over the next few years.

     

    The Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) is a student-led business conference to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by India. Started in 1996, it is a leading India-focused business forum held annually at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania which is among the top three institutions in the world for business education. The WIEF attracts business leaders, policy-makers, professionals and students to engage in fruitful dialogue and is attended by over 400 delegates including Wharton MBA, Penn Graduate and Undergraduate students, Wharton alumni and industry representatives and professionals.

     

    The other keynote speaker at the 19th Wharton India Economic Forum is Hital Meswani from Reliance Industries Limited while some of the other confirmed speakers include Rehan A. Khan, Abbott India, Sanket Akerker, Microsoft and V.R. Iyer, Bank of India.

     

     

     

  • Come March, the Hindi General Entertainment Channel space will see one more player…

    Zee launches &TV with much fanfare & Shah Rukh

     

    By Our Research Editor

     

    It’s been worth the wait. Industrypersons hoping that an all-new big-bang GEC will rev up the scene were not disappointed. Indian entertainment’s most sought after name – Shah Rukh Khan – was present at the launch.

     

    By the time you read this, you’ve already heard and read enough about what &TV is going to be all about. That it was to be called &TV was known now for around a year. In fact the industry was hoping for a surprise or a twist, but that didn’t happen. That a galaxy of production companies have been retained for some high visibility fictions and non-fictions was also known. In fact the names were there on the television fanzines and Indiantelevision.com even had rather detailed insider info on the launch.

     

    What was not known much in advance were the finer details of the big opening act of the channel – Shah Rukh Khan and a Siddhartha Basu/Big Synergy production ‘India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun?’. Although Khan earned his stripes on the small screen, his recent outings with non-fiction (save the award shows) have been mixed. While Kaun Banega Crorepati was fine, others like ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?’ and ‘Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout’ failed to attract audiences.

     

    Television industry observers though aren’t too worried. What Shah Rukh Khan has done is draw attention to the channel and will pull viewers to it in the early days. Just as an Akshay Kumar did for Colors, a little less than seven years back. “The good thing is that SRK isn’t one to accept defeats easily and he will keep at it until he succeeds. So you never know!”

     

    The launch proeedings at the Reliance Mediaworks studio at Mumbai’s Film City were very business-like. Before Shah Rukh Khan descended on the stage (literally!), Zee Entertainment Managing Director and CEO Punit Goenka unveiled the logo with a tap on the backdrop. “&TV will offer a more substantial viewing experience to an audience that is always seeking fresh and relevant content. The channel extends our Hindi entertainment portfolio under the ‘&’ bouquet and will add to the consolidation of our leading position in the entertainment industry.”

    Said Rajesh Iyer, Business Head, &TV on what the channel will stand for: “While the spirit of &TV is young, it is deep-rooted in values. We intend to be a power house of entertainment, by tapping into and harnessing the powerful changes in the thinking, mindset and belief sweeping through this country of billions. As a new channel, we will lead with innovation, try new things and new ways to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive environment. We are thrilled to have Shah Rukh Khan as the host of our flagship non-fiction property and we are certain that the audience will enjoy a different side of their superstar! ”

     

    So will &TV be an attempt to flank parent Zee TV and shave away from rating points from Colors which has been consistently at #2 among the Hindi GECs over the last few months?

     

    “If &TV weans away viewers, it will do that for not just Colors but across all GECs. But rather than that, as we have seen in the past, the genre of Hindi entertainment will grow if &TV works with viewers,” said the analyst quoted earlier. But what is the guarantee of &TV working given that Pal has a dismal outing despite being from the Multi Screen Media/Sony stable and being headed by Anooj Kapoor who turned around the fortunes of Sab TV? “It’s impossible to guarantee anything. In broadcast, as it is in life. Just because a certain channel has failed till date doesn’t it mean it can’t bounce back and others will not do well.”

     

    This, it may be noted is Zee’s third attempt with a second GEC, if one does not put Zindagi in the same bracket.  EL TV and Zee Next started out with much enthusiasm, but did not create an impact and were pulled off. “Those were different days. The attention and budgets being given to &TV with Rajesh Iyer and his team are of a dramatically higher magnitude.” Indeed they are. An IndianTelevision report pegged marketing costs to be in the region of Rs 150 crore. Other trade wags say the entire outlay in the first year to be in the region of upwards of Rs 400 crore.

     

    &TV, MxMIndia learns, will be promoted extensively on the Zee TV network. An extensive 360-degree campaign has been envisaged. The channel’s tagline is Jashn Jeene Ka” which has been rendered by musical duo Sachin-Jigar.

    Other than India Poochega – SabseShaanaKaun?’ which is an adaptation from Who’s Asking, a format owned by Israel based Armoza, the channel also uveiled a host of fiction properties. Starting with, Begusarai, a quintessential quirky land set in the hinterland of Bihar with film-maker Tigmanshu Dhulia designing the first look of this multi-starrer film on TV, being one. There’s a historical thrown in the form of Razia Sultan, there BhabijiG har Par Hai!, a sitcom, and then there’s a soap titled Badii Devrani, which, as the name suggest, will have all the family melodrama built into it.

     

    According to a communiqué handed out to the media, the ampersand or & in &TV, signifies a conjunction of aspirations and rootedness which is synonymous with the spirit of new age India. “Through its content offering, the channel will bring together people and ideologies thus fostering cohesive viewing within Indian households. &TV will showcase a diverse and dynamic mix of relatable fiction, high voltage non-fiction, marquee events and blockbuster movies.”

     

    Does all of this look a bit like what some other channels are about? A rival broadcaster, while insisting on anonymity, says the comparisons with any channel are incorrect. There is a one billion-plus viewing public, and broadcasters are tailoring content to all tastes. “We scoffed at Sab’s programming as too downmarket, but see where it’s reached. Also, look at Life OK. Despite being from the Star India stable, it has carved a unique niche for itself.”

     

    Another senior industryperson told us that it’s all about how one works around the demographics.  “Remember what happened after LC1. With an increase in the number of panels and meters across the country, we could be in for a new beginning in television in India. And this is where an &TV can score.”

     

    &TV is scheduled to launch in March, though no dates are given yet. Interesting World Cup Cricket is going to be on till March 29, but being held in Australia and New Zealand, it won’t impact primetime viewing. The 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled from April 8 to May 24. Then there are the slew of programming on all of television.

     

    And did we hear that there could be a couple of more Hindi GECs that may launch in the next year? It’s a party that will never end. Like one of our infinitely loooong television dramas.

     

     

     

  • The channel has brought on board music composers Salim Sulaiman to compose an upbeat and memorable audio composition

    Zee refreshes look, adopts core proposition of ‘Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka

    At its recently hosted annual awards show – Zee Rishtey Awards, Zee TV announced an evolution in its core proposition from ‘Ummeed Se Saje Zindagi’ to ‘Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed’. Punit Goenka, ZEEL MD & CEO unveiled an all-new, vibrant and dynamic brand packaging that resonates with its core ethos, while staying relevant to the changing palate of its loyal audiences.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Zee TV Business Head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “Zee TV’s core proposition of Ummeed se saje Zindagi was about a celebration and vindication of a woman’s emerging beliefs and a reflection of her changing hopes, dreams and optimism. This essence was embodied by each of our protagonists who emerged as role models and harbingers of hope for the masses. In that sense, Zee TV will always stand for Ummeed. It is the articulation that will change to reflect the changing times. Today, with India poised for growth, there is a feeling of ‘a new hope, every moment’.  Zee TV’s new slogan ‘Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed’ captures this spirit and its brand philosophy as also its content will reflect the same!”

     

    Pradeep Hejmadi
    Nitin Karkare

    Zee TV has rolled out a 360-degree marketing campaign across HSM to unveil the new identity. The creative agency FCB Ulka has conceptualized a simple visual device of ‘fingers crossed’ to bring alive the new proposition. The channel has also brought on board ace music composers Salim Sulaiman to compose a very upbeat and memorable audio pneumonic to bring alive the essence of the new brand proposition.

    Nitin Karkare, COO, FCB Ulka said, “Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed – the power of the moment that can bring hope/ummeed being the notion and tagline, the creative idea had to be something that not only sticks to people’s minds, promotes a telegraphic take-out of the message but also has a viral potential to become the talk of the town.”

     

  • The two industry leaders have done some splendid work making them worthy winners of the awards

    Announcing! Punit Goenka is Mediaahperson of the Year and Uday Shankar is Mediaahperson of the Decade

     

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    It’s that time of the year when we decide on who’s are those who have done well and who are those who haven’t all done that well.

     

    And since this is also the time that Impact magazine announces its Person of the Decade, we also thought of participating in the exercise. And then figuring whether our choice matches with Impact’s.

     

    The Mediaah! view is of course one person’s opinion, Impact’s belongs to the industry and is managed by WPP-owned IMRB. But as a process, it has its chinks.

     

    The first stage requires people to send in their nominees. This could be any name. You could even name the barman at Toto’s, if you please. The editorial team then sifts the names and adds on a few if they think a certain name deserves to be in the final list of nominees. Later,  a mail goes out to select industryfolk and the final winner is decided upon by voting on certain parameters. Now, given that the voting happens around October, whoever is making waves in the second half of the year is almost always the winner.

     

    This year, the nominees were:

    Sam Balsara

    Piyush Pandey

    Prasoon Joshi

    Punit Goenka

    BD Park

    Sachin and Binny Bansal

     

    If Sachin and Binny Bansal were in this list, then we thought Prime Minister Narendra Modi should’ve also been in it. After all, Impact has had Ambika Soni winning the award once and the PM has had a great year – winning the polls, super multiple media campaign and great use (and non-use) of the media after he got the top job.

     

    But that’s a decision of the Impact bosses and why get into it.

     

    BD Park is the bossman of Samsung,for those not in the know. Our view is he didn’t fit the list although Samsung has done some great work.

     

    We think Sam Balsara and Piyush Pandey have done some fantastic work on the BJP campaign and of course kept the flag flying high in their respective organisations – Madison World and Ogilvy. Ditto with Prasoon Joshi who was also elevated to an APAC role, won some good awards and also was part of the BJP creative offensive.

     

    But  is their achievement this year – note this year and not in their professional careers – big enough for the Person of the Year? I am not sure.

     

    The choice is now between:  Sachin and Binny Bansal and Punit Goenka.

     

    If the Impact Person of the Year selection process is to be seen and given that the public sentiment will naturally be towards the Flipkart Bansals, do you think they will bag the top honours. Or will they get the IPOY and Punit Goenka be made IPOY (Editorial Choice)? Or the other way around?

     

    My sense is that the Bansals are indeed deserving, but then from the branding and media perspective, PM Modi had a bigger impact.

     

    And the PM isn’t among the final nominees.

     

    As for Impact Person of the Decade, I am unaware of the procedure that’s going to be followed. There are various names that come to mind.

     

    Samir and Vineet Jain: for consolidating BCCL, warding off threats in Mumbai, leading Times Now to be the #1 in English News and leading India’s most successful media enterprise.

     

    Sir Martin Sorrell: He may not be a full-time in India but is active here and has a firm handle on his many businesses in the country. The last 10 years have seen Sirji’s empire rise and rise.

     

    Subhash Chandra:  Despite all the competition on the general entertainment channel front, his organisation is now no longer dependant on the flagship GEC for determining its fortunes. While he may keeping a tight grip on finances, he has taken the risks in the business and ensured he is one of the most profitable amount the big broadcasters.

     

    The Agarwals of Bhaskar and Guptas of Jagran: Consolidated their respective news empires with multiple editions in their markets. Made course corrections in some of their ventures and have moved far beyond the mindset of hinterland media magnates.

     

    Sam Balsara: for leading MadisonWorld remarkably, for being an industry leader and ironing out several issues

     

    Raghav Bahl: Would have been a worthy contender until he decided to exit Network18. Remarkable success story, but he may be the man to look for in the next decade with his digital forays.

     

    Arnab Goswami:  You may not agree with his brand of news television, but there can be no denying the fact that he’s the most watched news anchor today… and all of this has happened in the last six years.

     

    Uday Shankar:  Ensured Star Plus gets back to the top slot after being beaten by Colors and consolidated to be far ahead in the pack. Taken bold decisions to make Star India a mega-empire. Virtually controls sports broadcast in the country and is by far the most influent media professional in the country from amongst the non-owners

     

    There have been some others who have done some great work and we’ve some remarkable turnarounds. Shobhana Bhartia’s HT Media and CEO Rajiv Verma have done some splendid work on rebuilding the media conglomerate. Aroon Purie has ensured his empire stays relevant and continues to rise and Headlines Today becomes a force to reckon with. Kalanithi Maran with his Sun Network has continued to be the #1 in the South. Tarun Katial with the turnaround of Big FM. The retro positioning has worked wonders for the channel. Rajat Sharma’s stock is rising as India TV chief. Ashok Venkatramani has made a huge success of the MCCS channels after a forced rebranding.  Kartikeya Sharma’s iTV is gaining ground by the day. This list could go on.

     

    **

     

    So who is the Mediaahperson of the Year and the Mediaahperson of the Decade?

     

    Punit Goenka and Uday Shankar, respectively.

     

    Punit Goenka has consolidated ZEEL in a big way over the years and has taken his risks in programming and new iniatives. His role as BARC chairman has been tremendous and along with a sound team in Shashi Sinha as head of the techcom and Partho Dasgupta as CEO, is all set to deliver.

     

    And Uday Shankar.  Let’s repeat what we said before: Ensured Star Plus gets back to the top slot after being beaten by Colors and consolidated to be far ahead in the pack. Taken bold decisions to make Star India a mega-empire. Virtually controls sports broadcast in the country and is by far the most influent media professional in the country from amongst the non-owners. And add one more: he is the true inspiration for many (or should we say most) young professionals in the country. Rising from a rookie journalist to a mega-professional.

     

    **

     

    Many friends and acquaintances have asked me why we write about exchange4media events. Why publicise activities of competition? Why talk nice things of someone who damns you in private?

     

    Our view is simple: we are in the business of covering media, advertising and marketing. And by media, we mean all media. There are some who perceive as competition, a view cited as the reason for disallowing us to attend the Indian Marketing Awards on December 12.

     

    So is MxMIndia going to attend the Impact Person of the Year tonight (Friday, December 5). No, we are not. An invitation was sent to us. When we accepted it and asked if those who had sent it were sure that it was sent as part of the massmail from the Chairrman, the invitation was declined. Unfortunate, but then that’s the way the news media works. How many other Hindi news channels aired the India TV Aap Ki Adalat event live? Does an Indian Express ever cover the Filmfare awards? Such is life.

     

  • Sunil will also head Network Marketing, Audience Content Research, Brand Activation & Identity Strategy

    Sunil Buch joins ZEEL as CBO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced the appointment of Sunil Buch as Chief Business Officer (CBO). Sunil will be responsible for the business deliverables critical to the organization via effective and quick implementation of prioritized strategic initiatives across the organization. In addition, Sunil will also head Network Marketing, Audience Content Research, Brand Activation & Identity Strategy.

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, said “As we work towards accomplishment of our Vision 2020 goals, we want to undertake enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that focus on not only enhancing business performance but also bring in operational excellence and efficiency across the network. We are confident that Sunil’s high degree of consumer connect, his creativity and communication skills coupled with his sharp business focus and ability to manage a wide spectrum will enable us to gain significant competitive advantage.”

     

    Sunil has over two decades of well-rounded experience in Functional & General Management across various sectors including FMCG, Advertising, Media & Entertainment and Telecom Retail. Prior to joining ZEE, he was the Business Head – Reliance Own Retail at Reliance Communications.

     

  • He has stepped down after a 16-year stint with ZEEL

    Bharat Ranga quits Zee after 16-year stint

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bharat Ranga, the Chief Content and Creative Officer (CCCO) has stepped down after a 16-year stint with ZEEL.

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “Since 1998, Bharat has been an invaluable member of the ZEE family. During his career span with us, Bharat has contributed to the overall growth of the organization by leveraging new revenue opportunities, bringing about path breaking content, starting new streams of content through new channel launches and transcending the business beyond geographies; to name a few. We wish to sincerely thank him for the valuable contribution he made to the organization.”

     

    Speaking on his tenure at ZEE, Bharat Ranga said, “I have turned 16 in the ZEE family this year and I am confident that all the values and experiences that ZEE has imparted will stand me in good stead. I am thankful to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Punit who have always backed us in our pursuits to achieve organisational goals and attain personal growth. And I sincerely wish ZEE all the success in the years ahead.”

     

    Ranga’s last day with the organization will be 7th October, 2014. All verticals and functions at ZEE who currently report to him, will now report into the MD & CEO, Punit Goenka.

     

  • Star India CEO Uday Shankar will once again be President of the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters in India.

    Uday Shankar re-elected President of IBF

    By A Correspondent

     

    Uday Shankar

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar will once again be President of the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), the apex body of television broadcasters in India. At the 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) IBF held in New Delhi on Wednesday, and the Board of Directors meeting thereafter, Mr Shankar was elected President.

     

    The IBF Board also elected Punit Goenka as Vice President – Measurement, N P Singh as Vice President – Distribution, Rajat Sharma as Vice President – Strategic Affairs and Rahul Johri as Treasurer.

     

    Commenting on the development, Uday Shankar said: “I am privileged to be trusted by the members of IBF to lead the industry body at a critical juncture when the industry needs to leap to the next level by working collaboratively with the Government and other stake holders.”

     

    The move is seen to be significant as the all-important television viewership measurement system of joint industry body BARC is scheduled to be functional in the next few quarters.

     

  • The former commercial head at Zee Entertainment and Colors has moved to Broadcast Audience Research Council as Chief Business Officer

    Romil Ramgarhia joins BARC as Chief Business Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has appointed Romil Ramgarhia as Chief Business Officer of the organisation. This is a move to strengthen its core management team as BARC moves closer to the launch of its services. In his new role, Mr Ramgarhia will report into BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta.

     

    In his last role, Mr Ramgarhia was Chief Commercial Officer at ZEEL. Before joining ZEEL, he was also associated with Viacom18, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints and ACC, in different capacities. However, he has been associated with BARC for a while and was spotted at the announcement of Mediametrie as the technology partner.

     

    Said Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, ZEEL and chairman, BARC: “Romil has played a key role during his limited assignment at ZEEL. It is unfortunate that he has quit ZEEL however I am confident that his rich experience will bring greater value to BARC India. As he now moves on to a new challenge in a new role and domain, I wish him luck for his continued success.”

     

    Added Mr Dasgupta: “BARC India is moving closer to launch. Romil has an excellent background in broadcast, in telecom and in other industries. He was already associated with BARC India as part of its Commercial Committee and hence is well initiated in the processes. With his great business acumen, he will further strengthen the organization.”

     

    Talking about his appointment, Mr Ramgarhia said, “My assignment with ZEEL and Viacom18 has been one of my most challenging as well as gratifying periods of my professional career. It is great to be a part of a start-up which is  slated to be the biggest audience measurement system across the world.”

     

  • It's Zee's boldest venture thus far: a premium all-India Hindustani GEC with 'Made in Pakistan' (and elsewhere) fictions. An interview with ZEEL MD & CEO Punit Goenka

    Nothing wrong in airing Pak content: Punit Goenka

     

    It’s Zee’s boldest venture thus far: a premium all-India Hindustani GEC with ‘Made in Pakistan’ (and elsewhere) fictions. Launching on June 23, it is targeted at, as a communiqué notes, family viewing with today’s Indian sensibilities of wanting to balance household responsibilities and at the same time, creating one’s identity, the channel is set to infuse fresh storytelling to the Indian television industry.  An interview with ZEEL Managing Director & CEO Punit Goenka.

     

    Bold move to launch a channel like Zindagi?

    You have to do something every couple of years, to keep the blood rushing.

     

    Hmmm, since when has this been in the making?

    We’ve been working in the concept for a long time, but truly, about 15 months.

     

    Do you anticipate any problem given that Pakistani serials in India are not official aired in India. It’s not a done thing to be showing Pakistani serials.

    Well, there’s no law that says you can’t do it. I’ve received all my permissions. I’ve got everything in order. We’ve acquired all content on legal basis through legal entities. So my view is that if Hollywood content or content from the West can be brought here, why not content made in Pakistan? As long as it’s nothing to do with anti-India sentiments, there should be no reason why any entertainment content can’t be brought here.

     

    Given that there’s over rising hatred towards Pakistan and you have the likes of the Shiv Sena creating a lot of fuss about Pakistan, do you anticipate trouble. You may be on the right side of the law, but is there a fear or worry?

    No, it’s not a fear or a worry.

     

    And have you taken any one into confidence….

    No, I don’t think I need to take anybody into confidence, I’m doing what I believe is a good for the business and a good thing for the country also. I think, at the end of the day I’m entertaining and also bringing about a change which would allow people see the similarity in our cultures is so much that the reason for hatred is only select people. So, hate those select people. Don’t hate a country! That’s my view.

     

    Pakistani serials have been very popular in India in the last 25-odd years. I remember how they were huge even in the early days of the video wave. How old or new are the shows that you will be airing?

    They’re in the last two to three years’ range. Nothing older. Everything is as recent as the last two years.

     

    And are these among the top shows from Pakistan?

    Our barometer for selection was not how they’re performing in Pakistan. But the category we want to create is of the progressive mindset. While the predominant viewer is female here, the mindset of the female is progressive; not traditional… unlike what we offer through normal GECs that exist today. Therefore we handpick shows on that basis, irrespective of the fact of what the ratings were in Pakistan.

     

    Is the handpicking of shows been done by you or do you have somebody in Pakistan helping you..

    We have a team in Pakistan also and those are more outsourced kind of people. But largely it is our team in India.

     

    Would you also look at freshly produced content at any point?

    We’ve already started. We’ve already commissioned 12 telefilms that we’re producing and we’ve identified shows that we will be producing going forward. So it won’t be just syndicated content…

     

    How much of originai content will we see?

    Within a year I think we should be doing about 10 hours a week of original production.

     

    How much new programming every day?

    Four to start with, per day.

     

    Your press statement says that the footprint of the channel is all-India and you are also targeting South India? Are we going to see the channel dubbed in South Indian languages?

    No, it’s not dubbed. It’s going to be in Hindi and we do believe that the progressive mindset will consume Hindi, even down South, irrespective of the fact that it might not be their mother tongue. Our research has shown there are enough audiences available in different states, but therefore we deliberately chose to make it an all India launch.

     

    This is a significant difference from the audiences regular Hindi GECs have always looked at?

    Because they focus on the mass. This focuses on the premium mass. We’ve defined a new category which doesn’t exist today. My research tells me the premium mass are willing to accept content, irrespective of the language. They have to make a connect with the content rather than the language.

     

    In terms of distribution will it be part of the Zee package?

    Yes, absolutely, it will be in the Base Tier.

     

    So no extra money to be paid for this?

    Well, I think they should be charging extra for a premium channel like this. If they don’t pass on the cost to the customer, that’s the platform’s choice. But I do believe this gives them the opportunity to increase prices.

     

    Have you tested the concept with advertisers?

    We’re getting reasonably good response from them as well. So, I’m quite hopeful that we will have some sponsors and tie-ups on board before we launch the channel.

     

    Coming back to the original shows,  would you look at syndicating to Pakistani channels too?

    Why not?

     

    Zee TV is already available in Pakistan, now will it officially available?

    No, we cannot be officially available. Even Zee TV isn’t officially available in Pakistan. Pirated signals go, but officially we can’t sell it there.

     

    You mentioned that a year from now there will be 10 hours of original content. Would there be reality shows also or..

    No reality shows on this channel. It will predominantly remain fiction based.

     

    Any reason for this?

    I think the USP is the fiction part which we want to highlight. There are many reality shows which are already being done. So we didn’t want to bring in another element here. It helps us focus on the TG we’ve targeted and reality shows go away from the core and try and target a lot more than your bread and butter. So, we want to focus on the bread & butter rather than get garnished sprinkled on top of it.

     

    In the past we have had instances of popular shows being moved to the flagship channel of the network? Could that happen here too?

    No, that will not happen. How does it matter to me if tomorrow Zindagi becomes my flagship? Should it matter?

     

    Over the years, the second GEC hasn’t done well

    Zee Next.

     

    And before that, EL TV

    Well,  EL TV did very well. In fact Zee got scared of EL and therefore had it converted to a news channel (laughs)

     

    On a serious note, the second channel across networks hasn’t done well. Life OK took off well, but is still not up there. What is the Zee Network’s commitment to Zindagi?

    My view is that if we as a network were not sure about giving this a full shot, I wouldn’t be sitting here doing these interactions. I think we’re very clear on what has gone wrong. We can debate that till the cows come home! The fact is, have we plugged all those holes? Have we made sure that our go-to-market strategy is right or not? I think we’ve covered all grounds. The success, the viewer will decide. I’m no one to decide that. I have to make sure that I’m available. I’ve made the consumer aware of the product and then I’ve to get him or her to sample it and like it.

     

    Would you at some point also look at Bangladeshi content or from other markets in newer channels?

    I haven’t studied that market yet. But I do remember we were discussing the possibility of getting Bangladeshi movies which could run on the Bangla channel. But we haven’t studied it in that much detail. We’ve studied this market. It’ll be 15 months by the time we launch. A lot of work has gone in to get it to this stage and get it ready to launch. But definitely, we’re not closed to that. We can study that market also and if we find there is some proposition that can work, why not!

     

    And would you look at other cross-border content coming into Zindagi?

    I must add, in Zindagi itself we’ve identified content that we’ll be sourcing from markets like Turkey, Egypt and some of the Latin American countries where it’s not that we’ve just picked up shows, dubbed them and are going to be running them. We’re actually remaking those shows in Hindi. That’s part of the 10 hours of content I talked about. So, it’s not just Pakistan…

     

    You mentioned Hindi, but these are shows in Urdu, right. It may be a little tough for some to understand the language….

    This was one of the key parameters in my research. To my pleasant surprise, it came out that people appreciated that fact! Rather than making it a negative. They said that while some words are difficult to understand, in a conversation or sentence, as long as you get the gist of it, it’s fine. And the Urdu that was in existence 20 years ago when we watched PTV or Lahore TV has simplified. Quite like the way our Hindi was 20 years back to what it has become today. So, from that perspective I don’t think it will be such a big issue that it gets rejected. I’m quite hopeful that people will appreciate it and that will be one of the USPs. The dialect is so soothing to the ears unlike the tu-tadaak that you see here on our GECs today.

     

    Would you also at some pint of time look at other cross border content on your other channels? Like with your food channel Khana Khazana given the similarities between food in India and across the border? Do we see a Khana Khazana Pakistan?

    That’s quite possible. Definitely. Why not? We’ll definitely explore all that. Thank you for a business idea!

     

    With Zindagi and the rest of the offerings you have, what is the direction you’re looking at for the Zee Network over the next year?

    We’re definitely looking at outward growth for the Zee Network going forward. And as you know we love to beat the market projections every time. And that’s the endeavour for us. If the market is growing at X, how can we grow at 1.5X…

     

    Any specific targets for Zindagi?

    Yes, we have all those targets in place. The investment levels and all those things have been done to keep those parameters in mind. I wouldn’t want to pre-empt what my targets are right now, but I can tell you that they’re definitely aggressive.

     

  • Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, received the The Economic Times '40 under Forty' – India's Hottest Business Leaders Award 2014 at a function in Mumbai

    Zee CEO Punit Goenka recipient of ET’s 40 under Forty’ awards initiative

    By A Correspondent

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL, received the prestigious The Economic Times ’40 under Forty’ – India’s Hottest Business Leaders Award 2014 on April 29th at a glittering function held at the Four Seasons, Mumbai. He was presented the award by Deepak Parekh, Executive Chairman, HDFC. The list of the 40 winners was finalized by a study conducted by The Economic Times and Spencer Stuart to identify India Inc’s upcoming leadership.

     

    Out of the original list of 2000 leaders, the final 40 were identified based on a combination of quantitative business results (growth, margins and turnaround) as well as qualitative attributes (innovation, reputation, people leadership, and contribution to the ecosystem). The jury was chaired by Deepak Parekh, Executive Chairman of HDFC while the other eminent members on the panel were Anjali Bansal, Managing Director of Spencer Stuart India, Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, Tata Communications, Janmejaya Sinha, Chairman of Boston Consulting Group, Asia Pacific, Harish Manwani, COO, Unilever and Non-Executive Chairman, Hindustan Unilever, D Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo India and Sanjeev Bhikchandani, CEO and Co-Founder, Info Edge India.

     

    Other notable names who received the honour are Sachin Bansal, Co-Founder & CEO, Flipkart, Schauna Chauhan, CEO, Parle Agro, Aditya Ghosh, President, IndiGo Air and Siddharth Roy Kapur, MD, The Walt Disney Company India, amongst others.