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Tag: Ravish Kumar

  • The show will be anchored by actor-director-producer, Mahesh Manjrekar

    Bigg Boss to launch on April 15

    By A Correspondent

     

    After entertaining viewers across Hindi, Kannada, Bangla, Tamil and Telugu speaking markets, Bigg Boss is ready to capture the imagination of Marathi viewers. The first ever edition of Bigg Boss in Marathi will launch on April 15 at 7pm and subsequent episodes shall air from Monday to Saturday at 9.30pm while the Sunday episode will air at 9pm. The show will be anchored by actor-director-producer Mahesh

     

    Dabur Red Paste, has joined hands with Bigg Boss Marathi as the Presenting Sponsor in its very first edition. The show is Co-Powered by Rin, along with Special Partners Dabur Anmol Jasmine Hair Oil, Nirvana Realty’s Wollywood and Haware Intelligentia.

     

    Said Ravish Kumar – Head, Regional Entertainment, Viacom18: “The show has seen significant viewer loyalty over the years, in all languages and in all countries. The last couple of years have also seen a considerable rise in viewership in the Marathi market which can be attributed to shows with strong production values and innovative concepts. With learnings from 40 markets from across the globe we are launching the very first season of Bigg Boss in Marathi, tailor made as per the coming of age Marathi viewers who love disruptive content, human drama, real emotions and cinematic production values”.

     

    Added Nikhil Sane – Business Head, Colors Marathi, Gujarati and Viacom18 Motion Pictures Regional Movies: “Bigg Boss is pure reality in its absolute form. As a content creator I have seen the Marathi viewers evolve over time. On customizing Bigg Boss for the Marathi viewers, the thought was to break the mould and showcase something incredible that will generate tremendous curiosity. Our eclectic mix of contestants range from 25 to 65 years of age and their quirks and works will delight the viewers! And to control the reins of these inmates we have got on-board the very imposing and accomplished Mahesh Manjrekar, whose quick wittedness will keep the audiences glued to the show.”

     

     

  • The channel has roped in Marathi Director-Producer, Mahesh Manjrekar to host the Marathi version of the show

    Bigg Boss now also in Marathi

     

     

    Colors Marathi has announced the launch of the Marathi version of its reality TV show – Bigg Boss. Set to launch on April 15, the channel has roped in well-known producer-director-actor Mahesh Manjrekar to host the show.

     

    Said Ravish Kumar – Head, Regional Entertainment, Viacom18: “Bigg Boss has been one of the most successful franchises that we have. It has done wonders in every language that it has been adapted to. We believe that the Marathi viewers have worked up a great appetite for this kind of cutting edge content and this is just the right time to give them an experience that is at par with the national channels.”

     

    Added Nikhil Sane – Business Head, Viacom18 Motion Pictures Marathi, Colors Marathi and Gujarati, “The Marathi viewers have evolved to a great degree and there are very few Reality formats on Marathi television that holds their interests. Bigg Boss as a concept has borne excellent results for our Hindi, Bangla and Kannada counterparts. The show is an emotional roller coaster ride for the inmates as well the audiences. The format offers tremendous viewer engagement, and who better to present it than maverick actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar. Mahesh has explored the raw elements of human nature in his films and is best suited to take our viewers through this journey on television.”

     

     

  • Common man to share Bigg Boss House along with celebrities

    Colors Super to air Bigg Boss Kannada Season 5

    By A Correspondent

     

    Colors Super, the second Kannada language entertainment channel from Viacom18, has announced the fifth season of Bigg Boss Kannada. Host Kichcha Sudeep will return to the show in a new avatar.

     

    Commenting on the new season, Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional Entertainment, Viacom18 said: “Colors Super has been enthralling viewers with its riveting content since its launch. While Colors Kannada has positioned itself as the market leader, it’s time that we fortified the strength of Colors Super, and what better way to do that than through Bigg Boss. We feel the strategy will benefit the channel immensely and take it to its next level. The new aspects introduced in the show will make for an interesting watch for the viewers, and also hearten the business prospect for brands that associate with our channels.”

     

    Said Parameshwar Gundkal, Business Head – Colors Kannada and Colors Super as well as director of the show:“Season 5 of Bigg Boss has infused elements of unpredictably into every aspect of the show. This season we will air Bigg Boss Kannada on the fastest growing Kannada GEC, Colors Super. And we will witness a volatile mix of commoners and celebrities compete for the attention of Bigg Boss and viewers support. Sudeep is really the only constant we have on Bigg Boss and with good reason. His charm, wit, humour and style are a huge part of the Bigg Boss entertainment package. Now with commoners coming into the kind of spotlight even the famous are not used to, this season is set to become to the most unpredictable season in the history of Bigg Boss Kannada.”

  • Interbreeds a fiction concept from a love triangle that blossomed on Bigg Boss

    Colors Kannada launches finite series – Sanju Mattu Naanu

    By A Correspondent

     

    We don’t cover news on new show launches unless it’s majorly noteworthy. And this is one such in regional GECs. Colors Kannada presents the first ever finite series on Kannada television – Sanju Mattu Naanu. Starting May 27, the 24-episode show will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm.

     

    Commenting on the show, Ravish Kumar – Head, Regional Entertainment, Viacom18 said: “Colors Kannada has always been ahead of the curve in the Kannada entertainment space. Finite series as a format has become popular world over and across all platforms and we’re proud to be introducing the same to our Kannada viewers through Sanju Mattu Naanu. And, the novelty doesn’t end there. This is a step up in terms of content innovation as well. First time ever a real-life love triangle which was brewing inside the Bigg Boss house will now see its culmination in the form of a fiction show. It has been our constant endeavor to renovate our offerings so that our audiences have the best television experience on our platform.”

     

    Commenting further, Parameshwar Gundkal – Business Head of Colors Kannada and Colors Super said: “We constantly reinvent our formats to keep up with not only the growing trends but also the emerging content consumption appetite of our viewers. The popularity of finite series has been taking over the rest of the world, and we believe it shall make its place in the Kannada GEC space as well. The genesis of Sanju Mattu Naanu was formed in our reality show Bigg Boss. Going by the popularity that Pratham, Bhuvan and Sanjana gained in the show, we are now extending their chemistry in the form of a fiction show. It’s going to be a short series of 24 episodes airing over the weekend and we hope the viewers appreciate the ingenuity of our content.”

     

  • The Awards have been created to raise the bar of news and feature writing in India and to encourage fair play and high ethical standards in media

    RedInk Awards announces final call for entries. Last day tomorrow

     

     

    Mumbai Press Club has announced a final call to journalists and editors to enter their best and award-winning stories for journalism’s most sought-after awards – the RedInk Awards 2017.  The last date is tomorrow, March 31.

     

    Besides the regular 11 categories for which jury awards have been instituted, this year there will be a special award for ‘Mumbai’s Star Reporter’ for outstanding coverage of issues/events in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. As before, the RedInk Awards will also honour the ‘Journalist of the Year’ and a senior journalist for ‘Lifetime Achievement’.

     

    Entries are elicited in 11 categories that include politics, business, crime, Science and Innovation, Environment, etc. Entries from print/web and television will be judged separately by juries that are set up for each of the categories.

     

    This year, a special drive is being made to elicit entries from regional media, and the response from Hindi publications has been especially encouraging, notes a communique. Since the last two years a new category – Journalist of the Year – has been introduced, and it has created a new spate of entries. Last year, NDTV India’s Ravish Kumar won the award and before that in 2015, it was Srinivasan Jain of NDTV.

     

    The Awards will be presented to winners in Mumbai on June 7.

     

    The presenting partner along with the Mumbai Press Club for the awards is Star India, while The Hindu Group is the ‘Print Media Partner’. Other associates include Glenmark Pharma, the Aditya Birla Group, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Eros International. MxMIndia is supporting the event in the promotions.

     

  • Will report to Ravish Kumar, Senior EVP – Colors Kannada, Super, Bangla and Odia, Viacom18

    Viacom18 appoints Rahul Chakravarti as Business Head, Colors Bangla & Odia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rahul Chakravarti

    Viacom18 has announced the appointment of Rahul Chakravartias Business Head of Colors Bangla and Colors Odia. Commenting on the appointment, Ravish Kumar, Senior Executive Vice President – Colors Kannada, Super, Bangla and Odia, Viacom18 whom Chakravarti will report to, said: “Rahul has extensive experience of working in consumer packaged goods and consulting with a proven track record of managing businesses, building brands, leveraging consumer insights and solving business problems. His ability to marry strategy with execution and his understanding of consumer-focused businesses will help us in increasing our footprint both across our viewers and our advertisers. I welcome him into the Viacom18 family and look forward to working with him.

     

    Expressing his excitement in taking on the new role, Chakravarti said, “The media industry is unique since its business is modelled primarily on a B2B structure but all constituents caters to the end consumer who votes with his remote. Both Colors Bangla and ColorsOdia are established brand names and I look forward to working with the talented channel teams to propel these regional channels to greater heights.”

     

    An IIM Calcutta product, Chakravarti took charge as Business Head of the two channels earlier this week. He has joined Viacom18 from Emami where he worked as Senior Vice President and Business Head. He started his career at JWT and moved to the other side at Coca-Cola. Later PernodRicard, ITC, Accenture and Deloitte before moving to Emami.  He will be responsible for driving ratings, developing innovative content and increasing the reach and share of voice of the channels in the markets. Rahul is passionate about sports and competes regularly in marathons. He also loves reading and is an avid music aficionado.

     

  • The new non-fiction line up will include popular shows like Rojgere Ginni, Rannaghar e Rockstar and Gaaner Gnuto and the fiction slate includes Pita and Ki Kore Toke Bolbo

    Colors Bangla announces launch of five new shows

    By A Correspondent

     

    Come October (and post the festive Durga Puja time), Colors Bangla has scheduled a variety of new shows. Starting October 17, five fresh new shows including three game shows and two fictional dramas.

     

    Elaborating on the new show launches, Ravish Kumar, Business Head, Bangla, Kannada and Oriya, said “Just as the festival of Durga Puja brings the family together to celebrate this auspicious occasion, similarly, Colors Bangla is all set to bolster its content offering with shows that appeal to the varying demographics in a family. Catering to a varied gamut of viewers, from homemakers to teenagers, our channel aims to satisfy the diverse appetite of our audience through a more compelling and entertaining new line-up.”

     

    The new non-fiction line up will include shows like Rojgere Ginni, Rannaghare Rockstar and Gaaner Gnuto and the fiction slate includes Pita and Ki Kore Toke Bolbo.

     

  • Colors Super is the latest offering in the regional channel space from Viacom 18

    Viacom 18 Colors Super, its second Kannada GEC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 announced the launch its second Kannada GEC, Colors Super on Thursday (July 7). The new channel will be launched on July 24.

     

    The content of the new channel will be a mix, spanning from mythology, fantasy and supernatural, to romcoms, reality television and world satellite premieres of movies. The new channel promises to induct a diverse mix of genres in the Kannada general entertainment market.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, said, “In terms of market size in the Indian television scenario, regional entertainment is next only to Hindi general entertainment, as a category. Within the regional entertainment pie, the Kannada GEC ad market alone stood at an estimated Rs500 crore, financial year 2016. As we cemented our dominance on this market, we realised we had a lot more to offer – both in terms of content and brand solution opportunities. Colors Super will expand our offering to both the viewer, by bringing in missing genres into the market, and the advertiser, by increasing the available ad inventory, thereby plugging in existing gaps in the current market,” about the new channel at the launch.

     

    Speaking about the need for another channel in the Karnataka market, Ravish Kumar, Project Head, Regional Channels (Colors Kannada, Colors Super and Colors Bangla), Viacom18 said, “We had more ideas than more slots. We saw genuinely, from a viewer perspective. If I am a number one channel, I am doing well, my slots are doing well, I will not replace or change shows. There is a certain sort of break on the momentum from within. There is a demand for mythology, supernatural, romcoms etc. which is not being met today. So, our responsibility to our viewer I think is greater than self-serving needs. That is what we are trying to address with the launch of the new channel. We think the market is big enough, it is vibrant and growing enough for us to be able to accommodate content which is seen today.”

     

    Kannada actor Yash, who started his career with Colors Kannada, will be leading the marketing campaign for Colors Super. Viacom18 has planned a marketing blitz across 179 major towns of Karnataka, targeting both the urban and rural markets of the state.

     

  • COLORS Marathi HD is being launched on Airtel and Tata Sky initially and will be rolled out on all other platforms, both direct to home and cable, thereafter

    Viacom18 launches HD feed of its regional GECs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 has announced the launch of its HD feed for three of its regional general entertainment channels – Colors Kannada, Colors Marathi and Colors Bangla.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats

    Announcing the launch of the HD channels, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said, “When we brought the regional GECs under the Colors umbrella, we committed to raising the bar on regional content. This philosophy saw us attain pole position in the Kannada market, become a strong leader in the Marathi market and build up the connect with our Bengali viewers. Interestingly, during this period, the regional markets have seen tremendous growth in consumer lifestyles. With the HD launch of our regional channels, we are once again raising the bar by provisioning for the premium viewing experience that the markets now crave.”

    Ravish Kumar – Project Head, Colors Kannada, Colors Bangla and Colors Odiya said, “We strive to offer varied content to our viewers without compromising on excellence – be it powerful storytelling, high production values, international reality formats, festival programming or movie premieres. Our aim is to delight audiences’ everyday with an entertaining and cohesive television viewing experience and launching  HD channels is yet another pioneering step in that direction.”

     

    Anuj Poddar – Project Head, Colors Marathi and Colors Gujarati elaborated saying, “Colors Marathi has consistently innovated and redefined the entertainment landscape for Marathi audiences with its varied bouquet of shows and big scale events, while yet staying true to the roots of its culture.  We are yet again playing a pioneering role and upping the ante by being the first to provide viewers with High Definition viewing experience.”

    The channels will be available on leading cable and DTH platforms.

     

  • The move will bring in a concentrated effort towards building both the channels in the space

    Sujay Kutty is Channel Head, ETV Bangla & Oriya

    By a correspondent

     

    Regional general entertainment network ETV announced the appointment of Sujay Raghavan Kutty as Channel Head – ETV Bangla and ETV Oriya. With a view to strengthen the eastern region, the move will bring in a concentrated effort towards building both the channels in the space.

     

    In his new role Sujay will report to Ravish Kumar, Executive Vice President and Business Head – Regional Channels|ETV Oriya, ETV Bangla & ETV Kannada.

     

    Based out of Kolkata, Sujay brings with him over 18 years of experience and has worked extensively in the media & entertainment industry with a keen focus on regional general entertainment channels.

     

    Speaking on the appointment Ravish Kumar, Executive Vice President and Business Head – Regional Channels |ETV Oriya, ETV Bangla & ETV Kannada said, “The appointment of Sujay will just help us take this growth to the next level. His in-depth understanding and experience in the eastern markets will truly help us transform the Bengali & Oriya GEC landscape via innovative, intriguing and incredible content that will entertain and enthrall viewers.”

     

    In his previous assignment Sujay was Business Head for Zee Bangla & Zee Bangla Cinema.

     

  • A quick chat with Ravish Kumar, EVP Viacom18 and Business Head, ETV Kannada who is riding high on the success of ETV Kannada.From a #5 two years back, the channel has emerged as a strong #2 in the Kannada GEC space.

    Jaldi 5 with Ravish Kumar, ETV Kannada: Movies are like steroids, they do great things for the channel but one should never get used to them

    A quick chat with Ravish Kumar, EVP Viacom18 and Business Head, ETV Kannada who is riding high on the success of ETV Kannada. From a #5 two years back, the channel has emerged as a strong #2 in the Kannada GEC space. Driving synergies from the Viacom18 bouquet with the Kannada remake of Madhubala (Ashvini Nakshatra) and Balika Vadhu (Puttagowri Madhuve), it is the slot leader in the fiction genre with the shows constantly crossing the 900TVT mark.

     

    01. From #5 in 2012 to #2 in 2014, ETV Kannada has taken rapid strides. What would you attribute this success to?

    Well I would like to attribute this success to three things – People, Programming and Passion.

     

    The entire journey from being at # 5 to now being at #.2 has been totally driven by the kind of content we produce and showcase on our channel that is overlooked by our Programming Head Parameshwar Gundhkal. Under him, we have our Fiction Head Chitrasri and our Nonfiction Head Raghav and it’s them and the amazing attitudes of the team that has helped us become a success story. This team has a proven track record, they have an intuitive understanding of the Kannadiga consumer and their needs. Coupled with interesting concepts for shows across genres, this is now a dream team to work with.

     

    Secondly, at ETV Kannada, our aim and belief is to play on pure-content/programming philosophy. On the non-fiction front, ‘Bigg Boss’ was a big gamechanger for us and then working on strength to strength we followed up by a show called ‘Indian’ that is a home grown format and right now we are doing ‘The Dancing Star’ wherein we have licensed the content from BBC and we are producing it which makes for a hybrid format. All three formats of programming seem to work for us and provide the same numbers.

     

    Lastly, being a young and creative team at ETV Kannada the content on-air reflects the enthusiasm, passion and the creativity of the team. Like on the fiction front, we had reached a plateau with the ratings for our show Ashvini Nakshatra and we needed to peg the marriage of an ordinary girl to a superstar on a large scale. We brought in the wife of southern superstar Sudeep Kicha to give tips to our protagonist on what it’s like to be married to a superstar and cut a promo on that which had the TRPs plummeting upwards thereafter.

     

    02. There is a charge from purists that the channel lacks enough original Made-in-Kannada programming, given that you have Madhubala and Balika Vadhu remakes, dubbed international shows etc. Comment?

    Well, we have experimented with both – fiction and non-fiction programmes. So while in the non-fiction line-up we have the remake of ‘Bigg Boss’ , at the same time we have built our own IPR with ‘Indian’ that gave us the same ratings. On the fiction front, we have 5 shows that feature in the top, of which 3 are original programming led- Charanadaasi/ Lakshmibaramma and Agni Sakshi followed by Ashvini Nakshatra (Madhubala) and Puttagowri Madhuve (Balika Vadhu) that are remakes. Both models of airing original content and adaptations that suit the sensibilities of the Kannada market have worked successfully for us.

     

    03. ETV Marathi has seen much success with KHMC. While Suvarna has had the KBC in Kannada, is it a format that you would look at acquiring in future?

    Well, we are always looking at adapting big format shows to the Kannada market and if this opportunity comes our way, then we would be open to it.

     

    04. Since ETV has in its bouquet a slew of Indian language channels, are there any characteristics of the Kannada channel that are noteworthy vis-a-vis the others

    The Kannadiga viewers have a voracious appetite for content but content that is well-made. They have a flair for adventure – they love shows like Indian that are task led, wherein the contestants have to walk the talk and prove themselves. Bigg Boss is a format that is a perfect blend of high voltage drama and emotions that brings out the voyeur in viewers across regions including the Kannadigas. They appreciate drama that is both relatable and progressive which is supported by our fiction programmes and these are their basic characteristics.

     

    05. It’s interesting that you’ve grown despite showing Kannada films. Is that going to stay as is or will you change as you go along especially as you take a shot on reaching #1?

    Well we are the only channel in the Kannada GEC space that do not rely on movies for gaining viewership. I personally believe that movies are like steroids as it does great things for the channel but one should never get used to them. Also in the coming future, the strategy/thought will probably not really change since the movie acquisition market has reached a point where it is not economically viable to acquire films.

     

  • The sixth Edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards presented on Tuesday

    Josy Joseph & Ravish Kumar win Ramnath Goenka Journalists of the Year awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The sixth Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards were presented on Tuesday (July 23) in New Delhi by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam. Celebrating excellence, courage and commitment of print and broadcast journalists, the awards acknowledged the outstanding contributions of 29 of the country’s finest journalists.S

     

    peaking on the occasion, Chief Justice P Sathasivam said “The momentum of journalism is due to two reasons – one, the award is in the name of a kingpin of journalism and two, the prominence of the awards is because of the winners.” A free and strong media is indispensable and journalism “empowers people with information and keeps the democratic process going on,” he added.

     

    As part of the centenary celebration of its founder Ramnath Goenka, the Express Group instituted the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2006. The awards stand for the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and ethics in reportage.

     

    The Journalist of the Year Award for print went to Josy Joseph of The Times of India, for his expose of the Adarsh Housing Society scam, which forced a chief minister out of office and the government to order a probe.  Ravish Kumar of NDTV India won the Journalist of the Year Award for broadcast journalism. His programmes, Ravish Ki Report and Hum Log, stood out for their sensitivity, seriousness and research.

     

    The awards were given for work done in 2010. The winners were handpicked by a 10-member jury. Comprising: N R Narayana Murthy, Executive Chairman and Founder, Infosys; Deepak Parekh, Chairman of HDFC, N. Chandra, leading civil servant; Dr M S Swaminathan, agricultural scientist and Rajya Sabha MP; Shobhana Bhartia, Vice-Chairperson and Editorial Director, HT Media Limited; Bakul Dholakia, former IIM-A Director; Rama Bijapurkar, leading management consultant; Shyam Benegal, filmmaker; legal luminary Fali S Nariman and Keshub Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra.

     

    The Express Group also released ‘The Prize Stories’ on the occasion – featuring stories and reports that won the fifth Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards. The book showcases some of the best journalism on politics, environment and business, sports and films, reports from conflict zones and ‘invisible’ India; stories that helped shape public opinion.

     

    RAMNATH GOENKA EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS 2010