MxMIndia

Tag: Vikram Chandra

  • 'The India Story' and 'This World' in the new year

    Wion & Vikram Chandra partner for 2 weekly news show

    By Our Staff

     

    Wion, the news channel from the Zee Media stable, and Vikram Chandra, founder of Editorji Technologies, are coming together to present two weekly news shows – ‘The India Story’ and ‘This World’ in the new year. The shows are scheduled for an early January 2023 launch on both Wion linear and digital.

     

    In addition to these two shows, the Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) and Editorji Technologies will collaborate on programmes for social transformation, combining Vikram’s experience in programmes like ‘The Greenathon,’  ‘Save Our Tigers’ and ‘Banega Swacch India’  together with the massive reach of Zee Media including WION, Zee News and India.com.

     

    Explaining the partnership, Zee Media publisher Dr Subhash Chandra said: “Vikram is arguably the only broadcast journalist who’s managed to remain neutral, non-controversial and rise above the ‘noise at nine.’ That’s a rare attribute in these polarised times. He is seen as fair and balanced across the opinion spectrum, which lends a high degree of credibility. People trust his views on a subject, a factor we will build on with these two shows.”

     

    Added Chandra: “I have been away from TV news for several years now, building within Editorji the technologies that I feel can transform video news and information. I had no intention of returning to the noise and din of news programmes dominated by domestic politics. But WION is different. It is the only true international channel out of India – and it has tremendous reach across the world. I look forward to placing ‘The India Story’ on WION and working with their talented team to make ‘This World’ a “must-watch” weekly show on global events.”

     

    Announcing the partnership, Madhu Soman, Chief Business Officer, Wion: “Believe it or not, we connected via LinkedIn a couple of months ago. Vikram didn’t know me from Adam. Today, he’s a friend and an ally in Wion’s journey, and I’m sure our partnership will make ‘This World’ sit up and take note of ‘The India Story’ as we seek solutions.”

     

  • A personalised news app for snackable news content founded by former NDTV biggie Vikram Chandra

    Dentsu impact wins creative and digital mandate for Editorji

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Impact has won the communications mandate for Editorji, a personalised news app for snackable news content created by Vikram Chandra, until recent a senior editor with NDTV.

     

    Amit Wadhwa

    Commenting on the win, Amit Wadhwa, President, Dentsu Impact said: “Consumers at large are clearly spending more time with their phones today than TV. Therefore, it’s appropriate that video-based news broadcasting reorganizes itself to cater to the changing audience. I want to congratulate Vikram and the team at Editorji on developing such a unique AI-based platform, which will surely change the way news is consumed and give many the much-needed respite from watching news on TV. We couldn’t have been happier to partner them on this interesting journey.”

     

    Biswajit Borkataky

    Added Biswajit Borkataky, Head of Operations & Platform Relations, Editorji: “Watching video news on a mobile device can be a frustrating experience. The news clips are usually short, leaving the users to constantly search for clips that interest them. Editorji aims to improve this experience by creating a linear video stream from non-linear video clips curated to the users’ interest. Users can not only watch a curated news playlist but also curate their own and share. To take this experience to the consumers, we are excited to partner with team Dentsu Impact, who’ll help us power our growth trajectory.“

     

     

  • At the end of the day, this was neither an election ​Budget nor a very effective ​Budget, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Budget 2018: From ‘A-ha’ to ‘Uh-oh’ moments

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Given the lacklustre

    ​B​udgets from Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the last four years, was there really any expectation from this one? The last ​Budget before India goes into election mode? Several predicted that this would be an election ​Budget and to some extent they were correct. But more than anything else, at the end of the day, this was neither an election ​Budget nor a very effective ​Budget.
    It took our brave news channels some time to figure this out. First it was all about whether Jaitley would speak in only English or Hindi or both or this or that. In the New India much loved by our news channels, anything that reeks of token nationalism must be applauded. After some time, Jaitley seemed to stick to English so that was the end of that Vande Mataram moment, which don’t tell anyone, is not in Hindi and was not written by a Hindi-speaking person.

    Some were so excited by the new announcement of a National Heathcare scheme. Others were upset by the reintroduction of long-term capital gains tax on investments after 13 years. Almost everyone was upset by the fact that not enough was done for farmers. A few brave people pointed out that not enough had been done for manufacturing or job creation either.

    On NDTV, Prannoy Roy (the rare occasions that one of India’s most popular anchors appears on TV,

    ​Budgets and elections) was first all about the “A-ha” moment but later in the day added quite a few “Uh-oh” caveats to the healthcare idea. Primarily because no one knew where the money was coming from. To counter Roy’s criticism – and this is my conjecture – anchor Vikram Chandra cut short anyone who criticised the ​Budget or was not from the BJP to allow a pro-BJP person or member to have their say. In fake journalism gobbledygook this is known as being “balanced”.
    Rahul Kanwal on India Today for the short while that I watched that channel was reasonably balanced. Times Now also had a few critical numbers floating the TV screen about in the morning but by the evening, some of the anchors had that look of beatific gratification whenever someone from the BJP spoke. If you turn off the sound – in any case, no one says anything worthwhile anyway – it is a fun game to play because you will know when the anchor receives benediction from the BJP and when it is some devilish person from another party or persuasion speaking. Arnab Goswami of Republic TV looked very smug at some point and that is when, dear reader, I gave up and started reading the various analyses instead.

    Agricultural distress will not be alleviated, manufacturing has no impetus, job growth was barely mentioned in the Budget, the rising fiscal deficit is worrying and no one understands where the money for the healthcare scheme will come from. It was pointed out that similar schemes exist all over India so there was nothing new in this one either. Across all TV channels by the way, the word “jumla” was liberally used. I beg forgiveness from rightwing bigots for my use of the word “liberally” but in this context, it has a slightly different meaning than the red

    ​-f​​lagged “liberal”.
    The long-term capital gains tax was a downer, the fact that the middle classes had been ignored was another and as far as I’m concerned, the use of the term “grandfathered” led me into the dark areas of management and fiscal jargon that I usually avoid. The mangling of language in these sectors could do with a drastic budgetary cut as far as I’m concerned.

    Meanwhile, after the dust settles, India’s media has to figure out how to play the five poll results which also came out on February 1, running alongside the Budget. The Congress won all three in Rajasthan, the Trinamool Congress won both in Bengal. The small consolation for Bhakt News Channels is that the BJP came a distant second in Bengal, ahead of the Left and the Congress. Don’t tell them I said this but eventually someone will factor in the possibility of Opposition coalitions against the BJP and look at the results in Bengal in that light. Nidhi Razdan had a very civilised show on the elections results on NDTV, a welcome break from all the Budget coverage.

    **

    Lastly, the new allegations that two people who Judge BH Loya confided in about his misgivings about the Amit Shah case died mysteriously, and one just managed to survive a freak accident, have received little traction in the media and especially very little on television. Given that the Supreme Court hearings into Loya’s death begin today, that is indeed surprising or is it?

    No prizes for guessing that one right. I only know this much. Both my grandfathers would have been surprised and that is ample proof that I don’t understand what I’m talking about. Or do I?

     

    ​Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia.​ The views here are her own

     

     

  • He has expressed the wish to return to full-time journalism within NDTV and focus on the TV shows of the Group

    Vikram Chandra quits NDTV as Group CEO & ED, to stay with group as full-time journo

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vikram Chandra

    The Board of Directors of New Delhi Television (Board) has approved the decision of Vikramaditya Chandra to step down from the position of Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director of NDTV with immediate effect. Vikram Chandra was appointed as Group CEO in 2011 for a term of three years which was further extended by another two years, with the specific mandate to strengthen the company’s diversification into digital areas while retaining NDTV’s position as the most respected media brand. He has expressed the wish to return to full time journalism within NDTV and focus on the TV shows of the Group.

     

  • NDTV and Aircel announced the third season of Aircel NDTV 'Save Our Tigers' – the largest and the most comprehensive media campaign

    3rd edition of Save Our Tigers to highlight key issues

    By a correspondent

     

    Carrying forward the mission to ‘Save Our Tigers’ – the largest and the most comprehensive media campaign on tiger conservation till date, NDTV and Aircel announced the third season of Aircel NDTV Save Our Tigers. Launched in 2010, the campaign was successful in setting the tiger agenda for the Nation.

     

    The launch of the third season of Aircel NDTV Save Our Tigers initiative witnessed the coming together of well known personalities from different walks of life to participate in a panel discussion and set key focus areas for the season. Present on the occasion were Belinda Wright, Executive Director, WPSI, Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel; Dr. K. Ramesh from Wildlife Institute of India; S P Yadav, ADIG, NTCA; Dr. Anish Andheria, Director, Wildlife Conservation Trust; Bittu Sahgal, Editor of Sanctuary Asia; and was anchored by Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV Group.

     

    Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel said, “Aircel has been passionately working towards its initiative ‘Save Our Tigers’ with noted conservationists and organizations with an aim to create mass awareness on the plight of the magnificent tiger and rally efforts to save it. There is no denying the fact that ‘Tigers are Irreplaceable’ and are extremely crucial for securing the environment for our future generations. We are confident that like the past two editions, this year’s edition of Aircel-NDTV ‘Save Our Tigers’ campaign will further increase the level of participation and support for the cause.”

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Speaking on the occasion, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV Group said, “NDTV is overwhelmed by the nationwide response received for the first 2 editions of the campaign. We are now coming up with the Tiger Agenda for the 3rd edition and will be looking at key factors such as reducing man-animal conflict, protecting tiger habitats, strengthening the forest department and more.”

     

    The current edition will focus on and highlight key factors – existing buffer zones and corridors to be clearly identified and control to be ensured by forest department; local community involvement; strengthening of forest department; human-animal conflict management solutions; bio-diverse forest areas to remain inviolate and push for political will.

     

  • 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 session on 'Television 3.1' on day 1 of FICCI Frames saw the panelists assess the future of the broadcast industry

    #FF14 Day 1: Seamless content delivery across multiple platforms the way forward

    By a correspondent

     

    With so much being written and said of the emergence of multiple platforms and content delivery mechanisms in India, it was only apt to gather opinion from those that are driving the change to get a firsthand feel of the effects being spotted. The session on ‘Television 3.1’ on day 1 of FICCI Frames saw the panelists assess the future of the broadcast industry, in terms of content, marketing and distribution strategies in the era of convergence and multiplatform delivery mechanisms.

     

    The panelists comprised speakers like Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast, Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV Group, Mathieu Bejot, Executive Director, TV France International, Bharat Ranga, Chief Content and Creative Officer, ZEE Entertainment, Ashok Mansukhani, President, MSO Alliance and Todd Miller, CEO, Celestial Tiger Entertainment. The session was moderated by Janine Stein, Editorial Director, Content Asia.

     

    Vikram Chandra began by highlighting how 4G and smartphones will be the next big change agents in the Indian media landscape. “The recent months have witnessed a lot of people moving to the second screen to access content of their choice and with the access becoming more fast and affordable, smartphones will be the next big thing where content consumption is concerned,” he said.

     

    For Todd Miller, what will drive India in the months ahead will be the explosion of HD technology. Assisting that would be content from China that would be finding its way around the world, including India.

     

    Providing a different perspective, Bharat Ranga said that the way his network functioned it was a matter of tackling markets on a ‘meta’ level. Meta-national approach by companies that caters to market-specific conditions will drive the growth for broadcasters. Also, it will be essential for broadcasters to have a consumerist understanding of data and not marketing understanding. With the emergence of new platforms, Ranga noted that the industry will see the emergence of budding talents who will be able to bring in a different perspective.

     

    Ashok Mansukhani proposed that each stakeholder should be able to make money from the digitization exercise but that the consumer should have the final say. He said that the phase 3 and 4 of digitization will see a lot of players going fiber. While that will boost output, it is essential that the distribution rights of such an exercise are retained with the distributor, he noted.

     

    Tarun Katial said that India was ready to see content as the core subject that can be created for various platforms. The ability to have good investment strength and also the right mix of talent and content will help companies achieve the goal faster, he noted. Mr Katial added that while earlier ‘Content was King and Distribution was God’, the phrase has now changed to ‘Content is king and Technology is God’. Going forward, it is important that broadcasters have a hold on the IPs as that is what will matter in the future. And while much of the content at Reliance is being rented, Mr Katial added that very soon they will be working on producing content that would be their own.

     

  • Former Attorney General and legal eagle Soli Sorabjee will provide an independent perspective on NDTV's coverage as also investigate viewer complaints against NDTV media entities

    NDTV appoints Soli Sorabjee as ombudsman. Now will he clear air on Barkha Dutt episode?

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s a welcome move, but one wonders what would have been the impact had this appoinment been before the entire Niira Radia episode was raging where the channel’s star editor and anchor Barkha Dutt was embroiled in a controversy over unethical practices.

     

    Be that as it may, NDTV has now announced the appointment of former Attorney-General of India and eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee as its Ombudsman who will provide an independent perspective on our coverage and investigate any viewers’ complaints regarding NDTV.

     

    In his honorary position, Mr Sorabjee will be entirely independent from NDTV and will investigate any complaints viewers may have about NDTV’s coverage.

     

    Sonia Singh, NDTV’s Editorial Director and President of the Ethics Committee said, “Every day, we in the media face new editorial challenges regarding journalistic boundaries and we are delighted that Mr Sorabjee will, with his unchallenged integrity, be able to provide much needed insight and advice.”

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Added Vikram Chandra, NDTV Group CEO and Executive Director: “NDTV has always been committed to the highest standards of integrity and balance in its news coverage and we have now decided to take that one step further by appointing an independent ombudsman who can adjudicate on any issues that may come up in the future.”

     

     

     

    KVL Narayan Rao

    Speaking on his appointment, KVL Narayan Rao, Vice Chairperson, NDTV Group said, “Mr Soli Sorabjee is an independent, highly respected, highly regarded legal luminary, with years of experience in handling issues relating to freedom of expression and freedom of the press and censorship. We are delighted he has agreed to be the ombudsman for NDTV.”

     

    Viewers can send in complaints and questions to http://www.ndtv.com/soli

     

    MxM View: We do not know whether Mr Sorabjee will examine the Barkha Dutt-Niira Radia episode, but since the ‘case’ hasn’t closed yet, it would be interesting to have his views on the issue. It may well clear Ms Dutt’s name once and for all or we could well have Mr Sorabjee aver that by doing what she did, Ms Dutt has brought disrepute to the profession and the NDTV group.

     

  • After the success of its flagship programme The Property Show, NDTV is now presenting its first Property Awards to be held on June 3 in the capital

    NDTV announces first edition of Property Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The stage is set to honour and acknowledge excellence in Indian real estate as NDTV gets ready to confer NDTV Property Awards on June 3, 2013, presented by CERA. After the success of its flagship programme, The Property Show, NDTV has now announced its first “Property Awards”, a platform to recognize and applaud individuals and establishments who have achieved notable success in the real estate segment in the country. The Awards ceremony, to be held at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, will be attended by the Union Minister for Housing & Poverty Alleviation, Ajay Maken as Chief Guest.

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Announcing the first edition of the awards, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “The real estate sector in India has come a long way by becoming one of the fastest growing markets in the world. It is the efforts of many establishments and individuals in the sector that have marked this growth and with these awards we aim to recognise their contribution to the country. We at NDTV are proud to announce the first edition of the NDTV Property Awards, a credible and distinguished platform to recognise and honour the most resilient and the strongest real estate leaders of this year.”

     

     

  • As NDTV reports a PAT of Rs 2 crore for FY 2012-13 as compared to a loss of Rs 87 crore for FY 2011-12, there are few aces up its sleeve

    Austere and reporting profits, NDTV to relaunch biz channel in new avatar

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Happy days are here again for NDTV as it posts profits for the year ended March 31, 2013. NDTV has reported a PAT of Rs 2 crore for FY 2012-13 as compared to a loss of Rs 87 crore for FY 2011-12. It has reported net profit after tax of Rs 28 crore for this quarter as compared to a net loss of Rs 41 crore in the same period last year.

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV, told MxM India, “There are range of factors that have contributed to the profits. We have been doing series of austerity measures across the businesses. The benefits are now starting to be seen. To a large extent, we are trying to de-risk ourselves from the pure FCT-based model and trying other ways to provide brand solutions to companies. Those revenue streams are looking very robust and doing very well.” He also said the benefits of digitization, though it has been in play for the last few months only, are starting to be felt even as full benefits will be felt only in few months or year from now as subscription money starts to come in and carriage fees drops.

     

    “Exciting new growth verticals, Convergence for instance, the online business has started to contribute meaningful money in terms of revenue and profitability. So that also adds to the impact,” Mr Chandra reasoned.

     

    Mr Chandra also spoke about the re-launching NDTV Profit in a new avatar, when asked about the reasons to shift the channel back to Delhi. He said, “One of the big focus for us in the next few months is going to revamp and re-launch NDTV Profit. And as part of that, we thought it was not an optimal thing to do to have two hubs – one in Delhi and one in Mumbai. A lot of programming that the renewed channel is going to be doing now is stuff that can be very well managed out of Delhi.”

     

    While he did not say anything about how soon will the revamp go on-air, he did talk about how the profits are a reflection of what the industry is facing as a whole. Mr Chandra said, “A lot of what we are seeing is the impact of external factors that the industry as a whole is seeing, whether it is on net ad billing or fixing the ratings system or digitisation, many of these are factors that the industry has been fighting and we are a part of it. And we hope to have some success in those areas.”

     

    On the recent development on the call for a statutory regulator by the Parliamentary Committee over the issue of paid news, Mr Chandra shared, “Obviously, none of us like paid news. It is an obnoxious concept. In general, we have preferred self-governance and we have always preferred it as a way to govern the industry. We do believe, till the model of television news is set right – by digitization – and reliance of advertising and reliance on TRPs starts to come down, both will improve the business model of the broadcaster, and some of that would help remove some of these tendencies.”

     

    During the year, NDTV Emerging Markets BV, a step-down subsidiary of the company, ceased to exist with effect from September 12, 2012, having been placed into liquidation earlier. However, Mr Chandra is positive about the future of the group. He concluded, “Once you start posting profits, you have to keep posting profits, is obviously our intention. Now, we cannot make a forward-looking statement as to what we are going to do, but we are going to take a lot of measures that will keep the business on a robust footing.”

     

     

  • Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia will be the chief guest at the 7th edition of the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards to be held in New Delhi on April 8

    Corporate czars to be honoured at NDTV Profit awards on April 8

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV Profit is getting ready to confer business czars with the Business Leadership Awards on April 8, 2013, presented by Supertech.

     

    Instituted in 2006, the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards have successfully established themselves as the premier platform to recognise individuals and establishments who have achieved notable entrepreneurial success in the country. The 7th edition will salute business pioneers whose inexorable pursuit of excellence has fuelled India’s journey to the forefront of the world economy. The Award ceremony will be attended by the creme de la creme of the corporate world with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, as Chief Guest.

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Announcing the 7th edition of the awards, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “In the past couple of years, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. One of the backbones of this achievement is Corporate India and with these awards we aim to recognize their contribution to the country and honour the most resilient and the strongest business leaders of this year.”

     

    Leading names from industry and the business world comprised the jury for this year’s NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2012  including Ms. Shanti Ekambaram, President, Corporate & Investment Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Mr. T N Ninan, Editor & Publisher, Business Standard; Mr. Dorab R Sopariwal, Editorial Advisor, NDTV; Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager & Country Head, HSBC India; Ms Kalpana Morparia, CEO, J P Morgan India; Dr Tarun Das, Former Chief Mentor, CII, Dr. Prannoy Roy, Executive Co-Chairperson, New Delhi Television Ltd; and Mr Aunindyo Chakravarty, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV Profit.

     

    The categories to receive awards are Automobile (Four Wheelers and Two Wheelers), Aviation, Banking (Public and Private), Consumer Durables, Consumer Product Goods, Engineering, Hospitality, Infrastructure and Insurance Life, Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion and Diversity.

     

    Some earlier recipients of the NDTV Profit ‘Business Leadership Awards’ who have been honoured for their entrepreneurial excellence include Mukesh Ambani, Uday Kotak, Anand Mahindra, Sunil Bharti Mittal, AM Naik, Kumar Mangalam Birla, N Chandrasekaran, Pawan Munjal, Vikram Pandit, NR Narayana Murthy and Deepak Parekh.

     

  • NDTV has filed a suit in the New York State Supreme Court seeking damages of around $1.4 billion for negligence and fraud and hundreds of millions more for interference and breach of fiduciary duty

    Trade shocked as NDTV sues Nielsen,Kantar,TAM & others

    By A Correspondent

     

    New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) has sued The Nielsen Co, a global research and information firm, and its partner Kantar Media Research in a New York court for tampering with TV viewership data to favour broadcasters who allegedly bribed executives in its Indian JV, TAM India.

     

    In an unprecedented action, the Indian television producer and broadcaster, NDTV, which owns the news channels NDTV 24×7 and NDTV India, has filed a suit in the New York State Supreme Court seeking damages of around $1.4 billion for negligence and fraud and hundreds of millions more for interference and breach of fiduciary duty. Advertisers and media agencies depend on TAM data – the only available measurement for TV viewership – to negotiate ad rates.

     

    In its 194-page lawsuit, NDTV claims that it had confronted Nielsen with evidence of data manipulation, including taped meetings with TAM India employees, which showed that they were willing to tamper data for bribes. Nielsen, according to NDTV, had admitted in meetings and through emails that its data was indeed being manipulated and that it was willing to address the issue by July 1, 2012.

     

    NDTV says that Nielsen continued to publish these ratings despite repeated demands to stop distribution of TAM TV ratings until the sample size was increased and a proper security mechanism was put in place.

     

    The broadcaster has charged Nielsen and Kantar with “operating worldwide through a deliberately complex web of subsidiaries and joint ventures, creating, at least in India, a monopoly and abusing the power of that monopoly.”

     

    It has also called the Nielsen board of directors “proxies for the world’s largest and most powerful group of corporate takeover specialists (referred to herein and in Nielsen’s 2011 Annual Report as ‘Sponsors’)” and alleged that they took this approach to “‘cash out,’ as part of the typical leveraged buyout ‘exit strategy,’ making billions of dollars in profits.”

     

    Among the sponsors of Nielsen are KKR, The Blackstone Group, The Carlyle Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners, Alpinvest Partners, Hellman & Friedman and Centerview Partners. These sponsors, however, have not been made defendants in the suit.

     

    NDTV has also said that the problem extends to other markets such as Turkey and Philippines.

     

    NDTV managing director Vikram Chandra declined comment as “the matter is in court”. LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research said: “There is no comment to make right now as the matter is sub judice.”

     

    NDTV is being represented by law firms, Sabharwal & Finkel and Luthra & Luthra.

     

    The news created ripples in the media industry with many advertisers saying they were shocked by the developments. “I am shocked. They (TAM ratings) are a key component of all media investment decisions today,” said Madhukar Kamath, group chief executive officer and MD of advertising and media major, Mudra group.

     

    A media planner who did not wish to be identify, said: “We take TAM ratings very seriously and all our investments depend on them. It is hard to believe that a company like Nielsen, which invests so much in market research, would manipulate the ratings.”

     

    “There have been questions about the sample size of TAM and number of meters it uses to arrive at ratings, but in the absence of an alternative in the TV measurement space, we depend on TAM as large investments on advertising have to be made on the basis of some numbers.”

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved