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Tag: Rahul Johri

  • The session focused on how the government could play an integral role in allaying the fears of all the stakeholders concerned

    #FF14 Day 1: Issues abound but collective stand will help boost industry morale

    By a correspondent

     

    Starting off from where the inaugural session left, the session on ‘De-bottlenecking the regulatory hurdles’ on Day 1 of FICCI Frames 2014 saw the panelists touch upon grave issues facing the industry and how the government could play an integral role in allaying the fears of all the stakeholders concerned.

     

    The panelists for the session comprised Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd, Punit Goenka, CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, Rahul Johri, Sr VP & GM, South Asia, Discovery Networks and  Ajit Pai, Commissioner, FCC, USA. The session was moderated by Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.

     

    Taking the opportunity to open up, Uday Shankar began by saying that the regulatory scenario in India was very diverse in its approach with some sectors being over-regulated while the others were under-regulated. “Lack of clarity on the intent of a regulation is something that is of concern. It has to be aligned with goals that have been set by the society”, said Mr. Shankar. He went on to highlight other issues that needed industry attention including the 10+2 ad cap provision and also the just introduced aggregator policy for stakeholders.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats presented a few indicators of his own as he said that there was a need to have a purpose to regulate. This, he said, could be achieved by having multiplicity of choice, have the need to operate like a free market and have adequate transparency and data. Adding further he said that the other essential needs were clarity, accountability and foresight.

     

    Rahul Johri pitched in by saying that there was indeed a need to have clarity on where the industry was headed on the issue of regulation and finding out what the core objective is. “We have regulated ourselves very well but there are too many regulations being imposed right now and we need to find a way to tackle them systematically. The aim should be to regulate well for the future of India.”

     

    Left to defend his turf, Shri Bimal Julka did a decent job of pacifying the panel as he said that it was a collaborative effort and that the responsibility rests with all stakeholders to get the job done. “Whatever the issues, we can agree in cohesion that it is the viewer towards whom our efforts have to be directed. Thus keeping such interests of the viewer in mind, the policies are framed with the intention of achieving inclusive growth,” he asserted.

     

    On the several impending problems facing stakeholders, Shri Julka said that the focus by the government was to throw open the field for a healthy discussion amongst all players so that they could arrive at an amicable solution. Mr. Julka asserted that despite the problems the digitization exercise was showing positive results as well including the carriage fees reporting a downward slide and more transparency being bought into the system.

     

    Mr Julka went on to add that the challenge would be to complete the phase 3 & 4 schedule of digitization and only after that could the issues of subscription versus carriage fee be resolved. But he cautioned that the stakeholders also had a role to play including deciding on how to make their content standout amongst a plethora of options facing the viewer.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats went to the extent of saying that there was no need to have a licensing system except for the spectrum allocation and that even if there is a licensing system there needs to be a fixed timeframe to address that. He added that things will be clear once the entire digitization exercise is complete but prior to that it was important that the industry take a hard look on addressability factor of digitization.

     

  • The English monthly magazine will be priced at Rs 150 and will be edited by Jamal Sheikh

    India Today group launches Discovery Channel Magazine

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Discovery Channel network has expanded its portfolio in India beyond television with the launch of Discovery Channel Magazine in association with the India Today group, who will be the publishers of the magazine in India.

     

    A three-time winner at the globally acclaimed Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards for Editorial Excellence, Discovery Channel Magazine will cover a wide spectrum of engaging stories from India and around the world. Jamal Shaikh, who also edits a few other magazines from the India Today group, has been appointed Editor. The editorial board for the magazine in India from Discovery includes Rahul Johri and Rajiv Bakshi.

     

    Rahul Johri

    Said Rahul Johri, SVP and General Manager – South Asia and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific: “The launch of Discovery Channel Magazine is a natural extension of our strategy to inform and entertain consumers with compelling content across platforms. We are delighted to partner with the India Today Group and are confident that we will be able to combine our strengths to satisfy the aspirational consumers. An insightful read on a wide range of subjects, the magazine will stand out for its energetic and exciting layout, distinct content and mesmerizing photographs.”

     

    Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, The India Today Group, added, “Discovery Channel Magazine will encompass the DNA of Discovery’s channels into a more in-depth look that only print medium can offer. It will also add a new dimension to the diverse portfolio of magazines already published by The India Today Group.”

     

    A monthly magazine in English, it will be available for sale on newsstands and leading book stores around the country at a cover price of Rs 150.  The magazine is available in other Asian markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, Macau and New Zealand.

     

  • Advertisers like Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes and Samsung turning to kids' channels

    Adult brands patronize kiddie channels

    By Shambhavi Anand

     

    When Lata Diwan went shopping for the household, her 5-year-old daughter Tanya suggested her to choose a certain brand on mosquito repellent. “It will drive the mosquitoes out as well as leave a fragrance around,” the young scholar told her mother.

     

    Tanya’s knowledge about mosquito repellents comes from an advertisement she watches in between her favourite programmes on cartoon channels, where it’s no longer just toymakers and children’s product brands that advertise. An increasing number of nontraditional advertisers including Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes and Samsung is advertising on kids’ channels as more children participate in their parents’ purchase decisions and more parents watch television with their children.

     

    “While traditional advertisers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Hindustan Unilever, Cadbury, Mattel, Kellogg, Perfetti and ITC are amongst our top spenders, close to 50% of our revenues now come from non-traditional advertisers,” says Juhi Ravindranath, ad sales vice-president for South Asia at Turner International India, which owns Pogo and Cartoon Network channels. Most houses in India have one television set and it’s common that children and adults watch it together, and often the younger ones hold the sceptre – the remote control – and decide what to watch.

     

    Rahul Johri

    So advertisers targeting parents too are turning to kids’ channels. “Advertisers do not want to miss any opportunity of reaching out to their target audience, whether it is mothers, fathers or grandparents,” says Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager, South Asia, at Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, which owns Discovery Kids. The maximum growth in terms of adspend on these channels has been observed in fast-moving consumer goods.

     

    A spokesperson of Pogo channel says unconventional advertisers on the channel include Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes, Hero Moto-Corp, Micromax, LG, Samsung and Hitachi. “We expect the number of new categories and advertisers to only grow,” the person adds. That’s because it’s seen as a win-win. While the kids’ channel gains from the increased advertiser base, the non-traditional advertiser benefits from the huge secondary target audience of parents and grandparents.

     

    Santosh Desai, advertising veteran and MD and CEO of Futurebrands India, says, “For marketers there are a couple of advantages of being on kids’ channels. First there will be some spillover adult viewer and children’s role in decision-making for the household has also increased. Secondly, these channels are relatively cheaper in the overall media mix.”

     

    A study by Cartoon Network, ‘Cartoon Network New Generations 2012′, shows a majority of parents watch television with their kids. After serials, cartoons are the most preferred genre for parents, ranking above news channels.

     

    About 75% parents spend time watching TV at least 5-6 times a week with their kids. This number is even higher, close to 80%, for parents of younger children. Channels say that in spite of the decent growth, the kids’ genre is extremely under-monetised, with 7% viewership and just 3% of revenue share.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The science channel also gets a new logo, Morphy, as part of its younger on-air packaging.

    New look for Discovery Science

    By A Correspondent

     

    Science channel Discovery Science, will get a fresh, contemporary look from July 1. Besides a vibrant new logo, Morphy, Discovery Science will present younger on-air packaging along with the launch of multiple programme series.

     

    Rahul Johri

    Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager – South Asia and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “Discovery Science has gone beyond the imagination to explore the unknown and present the greatest discoveries, inventions and scientific breakthroughs in a relatable format. With the refreshed look and a vibrant new logo, Discovery Science begins a new journey of making science even more entertaining and popular.”

     

  • Rahul Johri to head pan-regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia Revenue.

    Rahul Johri elevated at Discovery Networks, gets additional regional role

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rahul Johri

    Discovery Networks International (DNI) has announced an expanded role for Rahul Johri as Senior Vice President and General Manager, South Asia and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia. It has also named Arjan Hoekstra as the new head of the Asia-Pacific region, effective September 1. The announcements were made by Mark Hollinger, President and CEO of DNI.

     

    Mr Johri, previously General Manager, South Asia, has taken on additional responsibilities in this newly created role. As Senior Vice President and General Manager, South Asia and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia, Johri will now manage the advertising sales and solutions deals for the pan-regional business as well as focus on distribution and growing local ad sales for Southeast Asia. He joined DNAP in June 2001 in the ad sales division. Since then, he has been promoted through the organization to his previous role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of South Asia where he spearheaded the operations and overall growth strategy of DNAP’s portfolio in those countries.  He was also responsible for revenue generation, portfolio expansion, affiliate partnerships, viewership, content creation and talent management, and he pioneered localization strategy and the launch of multiple language feeds across brands. Most recently, Mr Johri oversaw the successful launch of Discovery Kids, a distinct channel promising to ignite imagination of over 370 million children in India.

     

    Mr Hollinger stated, “Rahul has built a very successful Indian business for us during his time with Discovery. I am delighted that he will bring his expertise to the Southeast Asia business and pan-regional sales efforts as he takes on this expanded role.”

     

    As President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP), Mr Hoekstra will be responsible for developing the overall strategies for DNAP’s business to drive revenue across ad and affiliate sales, build the portfolio’s core brands and look for partnerships to drive the content and profile of DNAP within the region. He will be based out of the Singapore office, DNI’s hub for the Asia-Pacific region. His move to DNAP is another step that will continue to strengthen the relationship between Discovery and Eurosport as the two companies develop wider synergies in the Asia-Pacific region.

     

    “We are excited to have Arjan join our executive team,” said Mr Hollinger. “His strong management skills, his affiliate and sales experience and his deep relationships in the region will serve us very well as we look to expand our already successful business there further. Throughout his career at Eurosport, he was always looking for ways to innovate and develop new service offerings to his clients, and I look forward to his bringing this kind of ingenuity to Discovery’s portfolio in the marketplace.”

     

    Mr Hoekstra joins DNAP from Eurosport where he has been Managing Director of Eurosport Asia-Pacific Ltd. and Eurosportnews Distribution Ltd. Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong, since 2005.  In this role, he was responsible for the development and oversight of the entire Eurosport Asia-Pacific business, including Eurosport/Eurosportnews/Eurosport.com, which spans 19 countries. Under his leadership, Eurosport Asia-Pacific became one of the best-known sports media brands in the region.

     

    Having worked at Eurosport since 1994, Mr Hoekstra held several key positions within the organization including Director of Business Development Eurosport S.A. based in Paris, France; Managing Director Eurosport Television AB, based in Stockholm, Sweden; and Deputy Managing Director British Eurosport based in London, England.  During his tenure throughout Europe, Hoekstra was responsible for key business milestones including the launches of British Eurosport, Eurosportnews across Asia-Pacific, South America and Africa, and Eurosport Mobile.

     

  • In an era when the consumer is king and is faced with an array of choices for consumption, the challenge is engaging the growing audience and hiring the right people

    #Frames2013: Unlocking M&E’s true potential for a billion consumers

    By Johnson Napier

     

    That the media and entertainment sector in India is one of the liveliest and has been delivering a robust growth year-on-year is what makes it a favourite for many. Little doubt that when the economy is just about struggling to stay afloat the M&E industry surprised one and all by posting a 12.6 percent growth rate in 2012 (according to data from FICCI-KPMG).

     

    There have been a stream of avenues that have led the industry to achieve the kind of growth it is seeing thanks largely to the emergence of new mediums and technologies which in turn have led to a growth in the number of audiences out there to consume such mediums. The challenge going forward would be how the industry can engage a billion people in an era when the consumer will be king and would be faced with an array of choices for consumption. The panel discussion ‘Engaging a billion consumers in the M&E industry’ saw a high-profile display of knowledge and mantras from speakers including Ravi Dhariwal of Bennett & Coleman, Punit Goenka of ZEEL, Sidharth Roy Kapur of Disney UTV, Sudhanshu Vats of Viacom 18, Rahul Johri of Discovery and Shailesh Rao of Twitter Inc. The session was moderated by Uday Shankar, chairman of FICCI Frames 2013.

     

     

    Uday Shankar

    Uday Shankar, chairman of FICCI-Frames 2013, began by warming up the audiences on the quality of panellists that had assembled at the session who according to him were among the best in the business. “If any change has to happen in the M&E industry then it has to begin with us (pointing at the speakers) and if we cannot do it then nobody else can and it will eventually be a failure,” remarked Mr Shankar.

     

     

     

    Ravi Dhariwal

    Presenting the mantras that get practiced at his workplace, Ravi Dhariwal, CEO, Publishing, Bennett & Coleman began by saying that for him it was important to concentrate on the smaller audiences, which is roughly about 1 per cent of the total population, and try and make a business model out of it. “To get this going we lay more emphasis on hiring good creative people and give them the freedom to do what they feel like. Ours is a very federal system where we let our people do what they want to do whether it is television or Radio Mirchi, TOI etc. With this, we also make it a point to hire good marketing professionals as we believe that the creative people also need to understand where the market is moving and be able to hear the voice of the customer. We try and make this combination come together to develop brands.”

     

    Sudhanshu Vats

    On the question on whether the industry is geared to cater to the entire range of diversity in terms of content, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom 18 Media said that the emphasis going forward would be to be able to build more of this ability and be able to segment and target. “In order to cater to a billion Indians we sharply need to segment and target them.” Pointing out to three trends that were helping the industry move forward, Mr Vats said, “The first trend is the mega-consumer trend where people generally tend to fall under the ‘collectible’ category and believe in sharing with the others around them and the ‘I’ category where people focus more on themselves and what they desire. The other trends include multiple screens that are here to stay and also the role that digitization will be playing in delivering focused content for both the mediums of television and print.”

     

     

    Punit Goenka

    For Punit Goenka, CEO & MD, ZEEL, the industry has just about taken baby steps and there is still a long way to go. “In fact if we are not geared for it then fragmentation is going to be the order of the day. And if do not do something about this then the consumer is going to go away.” Adding further he said, “From a television POV we have to stop calling ourselves as broadcasters and call ourselves content creators and aggregators. As in the end we will have to customise content even to the last individual. The problem is that the industry does not believe in working together today and if the entire value chain cannot work together then it cannot be done.”

     

    Sidharth Roy Kapur, MD – Studios, Disney UTV said that where films is concerned what has happened in ten last 7-8 years is that commercial and parallel cinema have learnt to co-exist and also become popular too. “Films have managed to bridge the gap where you have audiences who like a Rowdy Rathore and are also enjoying a film like Barfi at the same time. And these are not two different set of audiences. I think the massive gap that we have in our country is infrastructure. In India there are only 12 screens per million viewers compared to the US who have 130 screens for the same number. So you can see the unlimited potential that exists in our country. Even the scope of catering to the outside diaspora is large but we hardly are doing anything to cater to their needs. The thing is that we haven’t even scratched the surface of where we want to go with our content and as we keep experimenting I think our job is to keep expanding the footprint and it needs to be done collectively.”

     

    Rahul Johri

    Rahul Johri, Sr VP & GM, India – Discovery Networks said, “Where localisation of content is concerned we have our channels available across multiple languages. The fact is that we need to have a right mix today; the way we are looking at the market is that people come to our brand to see what is happening around the world. Today about 60 per cent of the population is in the youth category and how do we engage this set of audiences that is an important TG is what is core to us. For us it is not about ratings and creating sensationalism but about building strong brands.”

     

    Putting forth his observations, Shailesh Rao, Head of Global Operations, Twitter Inc remarked, “Where the Indian M&E industry is concerned I honestly think that it is one of the finest in the world in terms of creativity and diversity of content and product that’s brought out in the market. So while we have huge assets at our disposal we have to see what is it that will make us aspire to deliver more. And I think it is technology that will help us deliver that.” According to Mr Rao the way technology can  help connect the dots is in the following manner: “We have always seen broadcast and print as a push medium but I think there is a role for something like Twitter that is used to pull. We have to ask the audience what they like and communicate with them on a continuous basis. The other thing is to use technology for effective distribution. I see mobile playing a huge role in the way we communicate with the consumers, especially SMS.”

     

    The panel proceeded by discussing other ways, including regulatory challenges, that would make this industry amongst the most preferred and profitable for the economy.

     

  • The Broadcasting Industry Awards are organised by the World Brand Congress

    Rahul Johri named ‘CEO of the Year’ at Broadcasting Industry Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rahul Johri

    Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, has been conferred with the CEO of the Year award at the Broadcasting Industry Awards, organized by the World Brand Congress. The award was given in recognition of Mr Johri’s strategy in establishing Discovery as the leading non-fiction media company in the country and his inspiring leadership to build a robust and varied portfolio of eight unique channels, led by the leading factual entertainment brand – the Discovery Channel.

     

    Mr Johri has been the driving force in company’s expansion and growth including its localization strategy and launch of multiple language feeds across brands. His venture to launch the game changing channel in the kids genre, Discovery Kids, has received industry wide applaud. His recent initiative is Discovery’s association with India Today Group to launch Discovery Channel Magazine in India. He said, “It is an honour for the entire company. I am grateful to my team, our esteemed partners and stakeholders in the region who have shared the spirit of commitment in making Discovery as one of the most respected television brands in South Asia.”

     

    “The distinction compliments Rahul Johri’s innovative thinking and creative leadership which has translated into business excellence,” declared the awards jury.

     

    Having joined Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific in 2001, Mr Johri currently leads its South Asia operations. He is responsible for the overall growth strategy of India’s highest quality factual and lifestyle portfolio including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, Discovery Tamil and Discovery Kids.

     

    He is also credited with having commissioned a range of acclaimed series including Living with a Superstar: Shah Rukh Khan, What Not to Wear: India, Oh My Gold!, and Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar. He also spearheaded Discovery Channel’s association with Yash Raj Films for the latest release Jab Tak Hai Jaan and with the Indian Army for its women officers’ expedition to Mount Everest in 2012.

     

    Mr Johri is a Board Member and Treasurer of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). He is also a member of the media and entertainment committee of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and member of the Media & Entertainment Division of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

     

  • Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific & the India Today Group have partnered to launch Discovery Channel Magazine in India in mid-2013

    Discovery partners India Today to launch channel mag

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and the India Today Group have announced their partnership to launch the Discovery Channel Magazine in India. The magazine to be initially launched in English, will be launched towards the middle of the year. Mirroring the different genres featured on the Discovery Channel, the Discovery Channel Magazine will cover a wide spectrum of topics including nature, adventure, marvels, sci-tech, history, the universe, forensics, seekers, survival, info-tech, psychology and the environment.

     

    To be published monthly, Discovery Channel Magazine will have a contemporary design and feel and will stay true to the DNA of the Discovery brand. The editorial will deliver a compelling read, with strong injections of humour and emotion.

     

    Rahul Johri

    Rahul Johri, Senior Vice-President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “Discovery Channel Magazine will provide additional touch points for our viewers and will serve as an extension of Discovery Channel’s ability to satisfy their curiosity on a broad range of subjects. We are delighted to launch the magazine in partnership with the India Today Group – one of India’s leading and most respected media companies.”

     

     

    India Today Group’s CEO, Ashish Bagga, commented, “India’s growth and the exposure of the average Indian to the world have created a market for globally acclaimed quality knowledge products. Discovery Channel Magazine with its high quality content will fill the void in this space in the Indian market. We are excited to launch this magazine and feel strongly that this will add to the vast portfolio of diversified, market leading products of the India Today Group and will add to the depth of our relationship with our customers.”

     

    Discovery Channel Magazine is currently sold in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand at newsstands, and is also available for subscription sales in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.

     

    Discovery Channel Magazine recently won the Award for Excellence in Magazine Design, at the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) 2012 Awards for Editorial Excellence.

     

  • Rahul Johri, Media Professional of the Year 2012 and Senior VP and GM South Asia at Discovery Networks Rahul Johri, on the macro issues impacting the Indian broadcast sector

    Creating balance is important: Rahul Johri

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President and General Manager,South Asia at Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific was recently named ‘Media Professional of the Year’ award at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2012. He has been associated with the Discovery network since 2001. Over the years, the Indian broadcast industry has seen lots of changes: from a two-channel to too many channels on the airwaves. “Hopefully, digitization will sort this. Well, at the same time, because the viewers are far more exposed, it is an opportunity to bring in a lot more channels, specialised channels and content,” articulates Mr Johri.

     

    He insists that robust distribution becomes the key in Indian broadcast space, adding: “A lot of channels understand the importance of affiliate revenue, which drives more mature content. If you look at our television landscape, we have channels that are very sensational in nature. Even if not many channels, a good number of channels are. The number of sensational channel exceeds the number of non-sensational ones. That is because if you are free-to-air channel, you are chasing only eyeballs and then you are bound to be sensational. If you are a pay channel, you expect viewer to actually pay for the content, more so in a digital environment where you will pay for what you wish to watch.” He is also hopeful that digitization will see a balance being achieved between the sensational and non-sensational channels, even though the later will not stop beaming completely.

     

    Mantra for success: Stay Contemporary

    Mr Johri says that staying contemporary and relevant to younger audience has helped channels like his to grow steadily. “Our viewership numbers have grown steadily over the years and it is clear testimony to the fact that this is a young country and 65% of audience is under 30 years of age who are interested in mature content. If you continue to give same fare to three generations, someone will walk out of the room,” he said.

     

    And contemporary is definitely the buzzword with the channel itself. The branding of Discovery was recently seen in the Yash Raj Film – Jab Tak Hai Jaan where the female lead Akira plays a documentary-maker from the channel. “The way I look it, it is the first from any broadcaster or any marketer that it is a perfect interplay between fact and fiction where Discovery Channel is fact and the movie is fictional. Discovery is seamlessly a part of the script. It is much more than a plain branding. The branding opportunities like this does not present itself everyday – it is like the perfect storm where everything comes together,” observed Mr Johri.

     

    The fact that in 2001, Discovery was seen mainly as educational channel pushed the broadcaster towards a lot of marketing and promotional activities. “Today, we are not a one-channel service, and hence, our job is more complex. For instance, we have programming from 10 channels in theUS, international channels, we have programming that we are producing. So all that progamming is being sorted here and then sent to various channels that we have here. There was a time when same streams were there but you had to put it only on one. So you choose whatever you thought was right. Today, the job is more complex to identify what goes in TLC or there is a gap here, or it needs to be edited. No doubt that the number of variables has increased manifolds,” says Mr Johri.

     

    The way forward

    Mr Johri is optimistic of the growth of the Indian media industry even though he thinks that we have a long way to go. He said, “Industry will continue to grow. We have a long way to go. Even though we might think we are a big industry, by global standards, we are not one of the biggest industry or market. There is tremendous opportunity in Indian marketplace. Broadcast companies need to grow over next few years.”

     

    He also believes that there is no reason that advertising revenues and subscription revenues for a broadcaster will not equal themselves in the time to come. “All over the world, subscription revenues are higher than advertising and I foresee the same trend here,” Mr Johri says

     

    He, however cautions, “Digitization playing out all over the country is going to be huge task. Once Digitization is completed, then the need for quality and diverse entertainment will grow. Five years from now, if you are in the perfect digital world with 1000 channels, these channels are going to be content guzzlers. While on one side, it will spell tremendous amount of opportunity to content creators and production houses etc, but at the same time how much quality will one be able to maintain? The critical balance between quality and quantity will be a challenge.” He thinks, however, industry bodies such as IBF will help channel the industry growth.

     

    For the record, Mr Johri is also a Board Member and Treasurer of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). He is also a member of the media and entertainment committee of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and member of the Media & Entertainment Division of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

     

  • Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has been awarded the prestigious "Media Professional of the Year" award at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2012

    Rahul Johri is ‘Media Professional of the Year’ at World Brand Congress

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rahul Johri

    Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has been awarded the prestigious “Media Professional of the Year” award at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2012.

     

    The award reflects Discovery’s performance and growth in South Asia region under Rahul Johri’s leadership and his contribution in building a robust and varied portfolio of eight unique channels, led by the leading non-fiction network the Discovery Channel.

     

    Having joined Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific in 2001, Mr Johri currently leads its South Asia operations. He is responsible for the overall growth strategy of India’s highest quality factual and lifestyle portfolio including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, Discovery Tamil and Discovery Kids. He has also been the driving force behind networks’ pioneering localisation strategy and the launch of multiple language feeds across brands and expanding their nationwide penetration. His recent initiative, the launch of the game changing channel in the kids genre Discovery Kids, has received industry wide applaud.

    Mr Johri said, “I am grateful to the jury of the World Brand Congress for honouring me with this prestigious distinction. This award is a recognition of the excellence of my team who have contributed significantly in my journey to build Discovery as one of the most respected networks in South Asia.”

    With over 19 years of experience in the industry, Rahul has worked across media verticals, from news channels, magazines and news dailies., Mr Johri is a Board Member and Treasurer of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). He is also a member of the media and entertainment committee of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and member of the Media & Entertainment Division of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

  • The 13-part series, 'What Not to Wear – India' is scheduled to air every night at 10pm beginning September 2, 2012 on TLC

    TLC to launch ‘What Not to Wear’ India edition

    By A Correspondent

     

    After its recent ‘Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar’, the India-based hair styling and makeover series, lifestyle channel TLC is all set to launch the India edition of the international makeover series – ‘What Not to Wear’. The channel has roped in actor Soha Ali Khan and acclaimed stylist Aki Narula.

     

    The 13-part series, ‘What Not to Wear – India’ is scheduled to air every night at 10pm beginning September 2, 2012 on TLC. With two back to India productions – ‘Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar’ and ‘What Not to Wear – India’, TLC is said to be planning more localised programming in the near future, thus further strengthening its localisation drive. ‘What Not to Wear – India’ will be available in both English and Hindi languages.

     

    Each episode is said to be a personal journey of women reinventing themselves with new-found vigour, as they bid adieu to clothing items from their wardrobe they never should have worn in the first place. Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President and General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, “TLC has been the front runner in bringing the world’s best experience to Indian television. Pushing the boundaries of differentiated and inspiring television entertainment, we are delighted to present another pertinent and refreshing India centric series- ‘What Not to Wear – India.’ Hosted by Soha Ali Khan and Aki Narula, the series will activate a new wave of style change and become the new benchmark in lifestyle programming.”

     

    Soha Ali Khan said, “I am excited to be part of TLC. ‘What Not to Wear – India’ is an extremely interesting makeover series that beautifully captures the emotional, psychological and physical journeys of women to style enlightenment. We hope that viewers enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed making it.”

     

    Aki Narula said, “This is a thoroughly researched, interactive and insightful series, where I can aptly put all my years of experience of fashion and style to great practical use for the participants and the viewers.”

     

    ‘What Not to Wear – India’ is based on the original format devised by BBC and produced by BBC Worldwide.

     

  • With availability on Dish TV, the channel expands its penetration inIndia, targeting Tamil speaking viewers around the country

    Discovery Tamil now on Dish TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Channel Tamil has announced that it will now also be available on Dish TV. Already available across all analogue homes, Discovery Channel Tamil is one of the most widely distributed channels in Tamil Nadu reaching over 10 million subscribers.  With availability on Dish TV, the channel expands its penetration in India, targeting Tamil speaking viewers around the country.

     

    Dish TV, being one of the major DTH platforms will drive Discovery Channel Tamil’s to reach viewers throughoutIndia, especially catering to Tamil population inNorthern India.

     

    Announcing the affiliation with Dish TV, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said: “Discovery Channel Tamil has received tremendous response from the Tamil speaking viewers for its attractive look, engaging and unmatched content. The availability of the channel now on Dish TV demonstrates our commitment to reach viewers around the country and offer them enhanced viewing experience.”

     

    Nearly one year of its launch, Discovery Channel Tamil, the standalone channel for Tamil Nadu market continues to grow ratings month-on-month. Discovery Channel Tamil is a customized product offering for Tamil viewers. The 24-hour factual entertainment channel has programmes scheduled as per Tamil audience tastes and preferences.

     

    Salil Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dish TV, said: “Dish TV is proud to provide content in regional language. The latest is the addition of Discovery Channel Tamil on Dish TV platform to our subscribers. The launch of Discovery Channel Tamil will provide us with a perfect offering which will help us serve our Tamil customers in a better way. Dish TV has been a trendsetter in offering its viewers the best content, service and quality.”