Reliance Broadcast Network announced the launch of a dedicated division for trade solutions and account planning. With the intent to provide strategic media solutions to clients, this move will see the strategy and solutions team coming together to deliver value to marketers. The functioning of the team comes into play with immediate effect and will be led by Sunil Kumaran, Network Strategy and Services Head – Reliance Broadcast Network.
With an endeavor to work with clients for best utilization of media spends, the Account Planning team would understand clients marketing and communication objectives and then come back with propositions which best utilize the RBNL strengths to meet the set objectives. The division will provide marketers associating with RBNL a much stronger proposal to increase the effectiveness of the media plans. This will be done through a deeper understanding of content, media consumption and local consumer insights which RBNL has acquired over the years of its existence and a strong radio entity.
Speaking on the initiative, Sunil Kumaran, Network Strategy and Services Head – RBNL said, “The idea is to ensure partners investing in our brands are getting the best value. Over the years with our Research, Strategy and Creative teams we have built a much deeper understanding of consumers and how they engage with media, how creative propositions can improve campaign effectiveness and how performance of our stations and channels can be effectively put to use to provide a strong marketing solution for client. This division will focus on utilizing this expertise to service clients partnering with us.â€
BIG Magic Ganga delivers to audiences an authentic, highly engaging entertainment destination which has made it the No 1 Channel of the region. Our production set up in Patna is part of our long-term commitment to grow this regional market while creating excellent opportunities to hone skills of local talent. It remains our endeavour to offer audiences exceptional television engagement, and marketers a great platform to ride on.â€
1. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Radio Broadcast Sector
Key Issues:
:: The current FDI limit in the radio broadcast sector is restricted to 26%.
:: In respect of television broadcasting sector, the FDI limits are as below:
Non-news content – FDI is permitted up to 100%; and
News & current affairs content – FDI has been restricted to 26%.
TRAI Recommendation:
:: TRAI on August 22, 2013 recommended that FDI limit for radio sector should be enhanced to 49%.
Requests:
:: There should be parity in the FDI limits for the television and radio broadcast industry.
:: For FM radio broadcasters airing news & current affairs, the FDI limit should be increased to 49%.
:: For all other FM radio broadcasters airing non-news content, the FDI limit should be increased to 100%.
2. Deferred payment mechanism for Non refundable One time Entry Fee (NOTEF) and Migration Fee
Key Issues:
:: Based on current guidelines the migration fee payable by existing players to migrate to new regime and NOTEF by successful Phase 3 bidders has to be paid upfront and in full.
:: It is estimated that the FM radio broadcasting sector will require additional capital investment of Rs. 3,000 crores or more for meeting the outgo on account of migration fees, Phase 3 auction license fees and capex for the creation of infrastructure.
:: This additional capital investment of Rs. 3,000 Crores amounts to 200% of the annual revenue of the radio industry.
:: The telecom industry which is much larger than the Radio Industry and which has an annual turnover of Rs. 3,00,000 Crores has already been allowed a deferred payment mechanism for the recent spectrum auction in 1800MHZ and 900 MHZ Bands. It is pertinent to note here that the total spectrum fee in the auctions was Rs. 61,000 Crores, which when compared to the annual turnover of Rs. 3,00,000 Crores, amounted to only 20% of their annual revenue.
Request:
:: On the lines of the recent spectrum auction polices for Telecom, we request a deferred payment mechanism for the migration fee and NOTEF as under:
Upfront – 25%
Moratorium – 2 years
Balance payment – Annually over the license period
3. Migration of Phase 2  to Phase 3 regime
Key Issue:
:: With licences of Phase 2 expiring from March 2015, the migration to Phase 3 is the critical concern of the Radio industry.
TRAI Recommendation:
:: TRAI on February 20, 2014 recommended that the policy of migration of existing operators to Phase 3.
Request:
:: We request that the Government accept TRAI’s recommendations and announce the migration policy at the earliest.
4. Channel Spacing
Key Issues:
:: Limited number of FM channels available in various cities and high license price makes it difficult to shift the focus away from mainstream film music. Consequently there is lack of content plurality thereby affecting radio listenership.
:: The additional capacity could provide a platform for special focus genres, regional/folk content, dedicated channels for sports and news, etc.
TRAI Recommendation:
:: TRAI on April 19, 2012 recommended that it is technically feasible to reduce the channel spacing to 400 KHz from the current 800 KHz and thereby, double the number frequencies in A/A+ and B category cities.
Requests:
:: TRAI’s recommendation of reducing channel spacing from 800 KHz to 400 KHz should be accepted.
:: The government should announce immediately the proposed number of additional frequencies that can be auctioned in A/A+ and B category cities and the associated time frame for their auctions.
:: This will enable industry players and incumbents to take informed decisions during Phase 3 bidding.
5. Reserve price for cities undergoing auction for the first time in Phase 3
Key Issues:
:: In Phase 3, 228 cities (707 frequencies) out of a total of 294 cities will be undergoing auction for the first time. The Ministry has proposed the following methodology to calculate reserve price for cities undergoing auctions for the first time as under:
>> Highest bid price received during FM Phase 2 for that category of cities in that region.
>> In case the benchmark from Phase 2 for a particular region is not available, then the lowest of the highest bid received in other regions for that category of cities may be taken as the reserve price
The table shows the reserve price in some of the cities based on the rules provided in Phase 3 guidelines:
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Census 2011
:: In view of the table above, it is unreasonable to expect, that the price set for Chandigarh, a C category city in North region and the city which received the highest bid of Rs. 15.61 Crores during Phase 2 auctions with per capita income of Rs. 21,141, is a fair reserve price for Shahjahanpur with per capita income of only Rs. 6,164.
:: Similarly, the reserve prices for most other fresh cities look unreasonable. For instance, Moradabad a B category city in North region with a per capita income of Rs. 6,164 cannot be compared with Amritsar, which received the highest bid of Rs. 3 Crores and which has a per capita income of Rs. 21,141.
TRAI Recommendation:
:: TRAI on February 20, 2014 recommended that the methodology for determining the reserve price for fresh cities in Phase 3 should be reconsidered.
Request:
:: In case of cities going for auction for the first time, the reserve price should be ‘Average bid across all regions in the country for the same category of city’. This will eliminate any outliers and e-auction will allow fair price discovery of each city.
6. Expedite Empanelment with DAVP (Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity) of some radio stations
Key Issues:
:: The revision of DAVP rates for FM has been pending since last 3 years
:: Empanelment of radio station of some radio broadcasters, which is pending since 2008.
Requests:
:: DAVP rates/policy be revised appropriately based on the growth of FM listenership across India
:: Expedite empanelment of radio station of some radio broadcasters to ensure fair allocation of funds by DAVP.
Big Magic Bihar and Jharkhand, the flagship regional entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, rechristens itself to ‘Big Magic Ganga’, at midnight on August 15.
With this move, the channel consolidates and fortifies its position in the market, enhancing an authentic regional flavour through locally shot programmes, derived from local insights like ‘establishing self identity’ and ‘preserving local culture’.
As part of its long-term endeavor of further developing the market, the channel also sets up a production unit in Patna which will nurture local talent.
Commenting on the change, Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network said: “Big Magic Ganga delivers to audiences an authentic, highly engaging entertainment destination which has made it the No 1 channel of the region. Our production set up in Patna is part of our long-term commitment to grow this regional market while creating excellent opportunities to hone skills of local talent. With this re-branding exercise, we consolidate our position, strengthen our hold, and cement our leadership position in the region. It remains our endeavour to offer audiences exceptional television engagement, and marketers a great platform to ride on.”
Recognizing the high affinity for this rich regional content amongst the large migratory population across the country, the Channel has recently inked distribution deals with national DTH platforms like Reliance Digital TV, Dish TV and Airtel Digital TV. Additionally, the Channel is available on Hathway, Incable, Manthan, Digicable, GTPL, Siti Cable, Maurya, DEN and other all independent operators.
Accelerated with a high definition drive, BIG Magic Ganga launches with a 360 degree marketing campaign, which includes television, outdoor, activations, print and innovations across multiple locations.
Reliance Broadcast Network has announced the appointment of Gurudutt Jakhmola as the National Sales Head – Government for its Television and Radio verticals.
Bringing in his extensive experience, Gurudutt will work closely with the COO Lavneesh Gupta in streamlining and structuring the Government business. He will also be responsible in planning and optimizing the government business team for maximum efficacy, as he analyzes national and state government campaigns to be able to deliver optimally.
With varied industry expertise, Gurudutt worked with telecommunications major – Hutchison Essar Limited for duration of five years before taking on the role of National Government Lead with American IT giant – Hewlett-Packard, where he led the function for over nine years. Having completed a Bachelors of Science in Bio-Medical, Gurudutt went on to pursue an MBA in Information Technology and Marketing from GGSIP Delhi University.
Speaking of the appointment, Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “With this appointment, we further strengthened our leadership team as part of our strategic growth objective. Gurudutt brings with him a multitude of skills which we believe will inculcate strong and robust mechanisms and processes for the team and also create synergy within teams to cross leverage the best practices. Above all, we are certain that it will help elevate customer experience with our brand for the government.”
Speaking of his new role at Reliance Broadcast Network, Gurudutt stated, “I’m extremely delighted to be come on-board Reliance Broadcast Network. The vision that the team at RBN has for the company is what drew me closer to taking up this opportunity. I’m certain that with my experience I’ll be able to contribute to a greater success for the company and help take the businesses there to a newer level.”
Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd has bought over the European television giant RTL’s stake in the joint venture that ran the channel Big RTL Thrill.
According to sources close to the development, the stake sale happened in June 2014 and an application has been made to the I&B ministry for a name change.
It may be recalled that RBNL had inked a 50/50 jv with the RTL group in 2011 for the launch of thematic action-oriented channels in the country.
The channel, the source told MxMIndia, will now see renewed vigour with loads of original Made-in-India content.
Reliance Broadcast Network Limited has issued a statement on the recast of its broadcast portfolio and consequently the dissolving if the joint venture with CBS Studio International. This follows unconfirmed reports that the Reliance ADAG group firm had shuttered the three channels operating as part of the CBS jv.
The Company has issued a statement to this effect. “Reliance Broadcast reorganizes and recasts strategy for it’s broadcast portfolio, with increased focus on local and original content along with IPs. The priority being flagship brands 92.7 Big FM, Hindi GEC Big Magic and regional foray with BIG Magic Bihar and Jharkhand.”
“Radio continues to be the growth driver and will further benefit from the upcoming Phase 3 FM radio auctions. Similarly, Big Magic has successfully increased its footprint across the Hindi speaking markets demonstrating over 200% viewership growth in the last three months, and is gearing to fortify its position in the Hindi entertainment space. These also offer complimentary offerings to our advertisers and synergies in content and promotion,” the statement continues adding that the company has reviewed its portfolio of niche English Channels and the JV with CBS Studios International. Reliance Television Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited and CBS Studios International have mutually decided to dissolve their Joint Venture, the statement added.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Katial said, “Lavneesh’s vast experience and in-depth market understanding makes him an asset to the organization. We are happy to have him on board and are confident of him leading the television business through the next growth phase.”
On his appointment at Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, Mr Gupta said, “RBNL is among India’s most vibrantly growing organizations and I am excited about my new role here. The company has an exceptional potential for growth and I look forward to working with the team at RBNL to make this vision a reality.”
An engineering graduate from IIT-BHU, Varanasi, and a postgraduate in management from SP Jain Institute Management and later trained at the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Mr Gupta has worked across leading brands in the BFSI industry ranging from Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO and Tata AIG to Max Life and IndusInd Bank.
Parle-G has come on board as presenting sponsor for Big Junior Star, a property that showcases the best young talent across the core Hindi markets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. To be aired as a show on Big Magic and amplified across Big Magic Bihar and Jharkhand as well as radio network 92.7 Big FM, the talent encouragement platform is targeted at children between the age of 8-15 years. The show will be created into a 40-episode special that will air on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting October 2013 to March 2014.
Said Pravin Kulkarnii, GM-Marketing, Parle Products said, “With Big Magic now being aired across all major cities in India and becoming popular amongst its target audience, we are certain that our association with their upcoming show, Big Junior Star will help us take forward the brand ideology of Parle G.” Added Mayank Shah, Group Product Manager, Parle Products, “This platform will help us focus in bringing out natural curiosity in kids, encourage their desire to try new things, experiment and learn from their mistakes. We want them to realize that they can learn everywhere and from everything and that school is beyond just books and classrooms.”
Said Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Big Magic: “With an interactive format and a diverse platform of categories, we are confident that Big Junior Star will garner mass appeal, engaging excellently with our target audience – kids.”
Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has announced three key appointments in its television business. These include:
Anirudh Maheshwari
Anirudh Maheshwari – appointed National Sales Head for Language TV at Reliance Broadcast. In his new role, Mr Maheshwari, who has had a rich past in the financial services sector, will be responsible for key decision-making in the area of sales, and growing the business for the now-turning-near-national Big Magic and Spark Punjabi. Some of the organizations he has been part of include Citibank, ICICI Prudential Life, Standard Chartered Bank and Xerox. He will be reporting to Sunil Kumaran, Business Head – Language TV.
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Maheshwari said, “I look forward to taking up this challenging role and working towards ensuring that the channel grows consistently towards leadership positions in this space.”
Shweta Arora
The second appointment is that of Shweta Arora has been appointed National Sales Head, BIG CBS. Ms Arora will be heading the sales function for Big CBS Networks and will be leading the charge for planning and driving the sales strategy nationally to increase marketshare and revenues for Big CBS. Like Mr Maheshwari, she too isn’t from the broadcast sector. She joins RBNL from ING Vysya Bank where she served as Associate Business Head – North, for the bank’s private banking division. She has worked with Citibank, Kotak and ABN Amro Bank. Interestingly, Ms Arora has also had a four-year stint with the hospitality industry when she worked with the Taj group of hotels.
On her appointment, Ms Arora said, “My agenda will be to utilize the company’s core strengths and built long-term partnerships with new and existing clients, while making the brand experience more enjoyable.”
Brijesh Tanna
And the third appointment is that of Brijesh Tanna who is appointed Head of Content and Communications for Big CBS channels. He will lead the mandates of Content, Brand Solutions, OAP (on air promotions), and Marketing among other areas. The former Senior Producer for Star India has also served as Associate Vice-President, Content Development & Head Entertainment Commissioning for Astro Malaysia.
Mr Tanna, who has been recognised for his work at NY Festivals, Promax World and Promax Asia, is looking forward to his new role at RBNL. “The company is looking to expand its reach and increase its much-respected offerings. This presents a massive opportunity for a challenging career,” he said.
It started off as an entertainment channel for the Hindi heartland pockets in central, northern and eastern India. After having tasted some success, it started a localized channel for Bihar and Jharkhand. And, now, the channel is extending its footprint across what’s known as the Hindi-speaking Market.
In order to do this, it has entered into arrangement with key cable networks and DTH players across the regions reaching out to 123 mn households across the HSMs.
Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Language TV said, “Over the last two years, Big Magic has built itself into a powerful regional brand with a loyal audience base. While we invested in building a strong brand, we are now ready to take it to its next level of growth and reach. The timing couldn’t be more perfect with Phase @ of digitization pointing at an opportunity to reach our content to millions of Indians. Our robust distribution network and insight-backed programming ensures we offer audiences an entertainment avenue that will resonate excellently with them.”
The channel was launched in April 2011 and has a mainstream Hindi GEC-like content mix with family dramas, sitcoms crime shows, reality shows, weekend movies et al.
While the channel proposes an extensive multiple media marketing push, the effort is to evolve into the bigger league. Reliance Broadcast Network is banking big on the complete roll-out of Phase 2 of digitization and later the final phase for growing the Big Magic franchise.
Meanwhile, viewers in Bihar and Jharkhand will continue to receive both the local and national feeds of Big Magic.
Big RTL Thrill, the joint venture channel between Reliance Broadcast Network and the RTL Group, has announced its English feed, beginning Wednesday, June 12 across key Hindi-speaking markets. Targeted at the 15-44, SEC Males, the channel will now be available in dual feeds of Hindi and English.
Commenting on the addition of the dual feed, Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Big Network, told MxMIndia: “We are also very excited about launching the English feed for BIG RTL Thrill which is seeing excellent traction amongst male audiences. We are confident of our channel mix, both on the English as well as the regional side, which are poised to optimize from digitization, as we steadily expand our presence across the 1mn+ markets.”
Added Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Regional TV, Reliance Broadcast Network, “With this latest development we intend to emulate the same success that we have achieved in Hindi-speaking markets. We have chosen the content as per our viewers’ penchants and preferences and are confident it will work. With the dual feed, variety of new shows in the offing, and Phase II of DAS being implemented, we are confident that Big RTL Thrill will find an enhanced relevant male audience base, proving to be the best possible choice for marketers wanting to reach out to this desirable audience.”
Backed by the success in Uttar Pradesh, the channel has also recently announced its foray into the key markets of Mumbai and Delhi and now reaching over 17 mn households across the country. With the dual feed, the channel hopes to reach 29 million male audiences of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Maharashtra 1Mn+, Gujarat 1Mn+ , Rajashthan 1 Mn+, Madhya Pradesh 1 Mn+, Bihar 1 Mn+, Jharkhand 1 Mn+, Haryana 1 Mn+, Punjab 1 Mn+, West Bengal 1 Mn+ and Uttar Pradesh 1Mn+.
The English feed of Big RTL Thrill will see a major launch across media. The promotional budget is said to be in the vicinity of Rs 5 crore, this includes advertising on RBNL channels and radio stations. Big RTL Thrill is available across DTH and Digital platforms of Reliance Digital TV, Digicable, Siti Cable, In cable, Hathway Digital, 7 Star Cable, JPR Global Satellite, Star Broadband and others.
BIG Magic Ganga delivers to audiences an authentic, highly engaging entertainment destination which has made it the No 1 Channel of the region. Our production set up in Patna is part of our long-term commitment to grow this regional market while creating excellent opportunities to hone skills of local talent. It remains our endeavour to offer audiences exceptional television engagement, and marketers a great platform to ride on.â€
By A Correspondent
