MxMIndia

Tag: ZEEL

  • Mr Goenka was conferred the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 held in New Delhi recently

    Punit Goenka felicitated with ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award

    By a correspondent

     

    Chief Election Commissioner Dr. GV Krishnamurthy presenting the award to Mr. Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) was conferred the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 that was held in New Delhi recently.

     

    The prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) recognises and honours business leaders who have shown outstanding performance and tenacity in developing successful businesses within the region. Mr. Goenka was bestowed this award for leading an ever-growing media conglomerate with passion and determination.

     

    On receiving the award, Goenka said, “I accept this award on behalf of the entire ZEE Family, for it is the result of their hard work and dedication. Our visionary Chairman, Mr. Subhash Chandra, pioneered the private Satellite Television Industry way back in the year 1992, and has proven the importance of foreseeing the market demands well in advance, setting higher benchmarks of entrepreneurship for all of us at ZEE. With great pride, the entire ZEE Family aspires to take his vision forward.”

     

    Mr. Goenka further commented, “During the initial days of my career at ZEE, I came across this beautiful quote on ‘Entrepreneurship’ by Peter Drucker, which said that ‘A true entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.’  In my opinion, it is the best definition of a true entrepreneur in today’s era. An Entrepreneur in this era, has to be all ears to these ever-rising demands of today’s consumers across the globe, and has to satisfy the consumers, by proactively presenting them, the customized offerings. This evening, I believe is a celebration of this entrepreneurial spirit, across Asia Pacific, and I am glad to be a part of it.”

     

  • While Mona Jain joins ZEEL as EVP – Cluster Head, Rahul Sharma will be Senior VP – National Sales Head

    Mona Jain, Rahul Sharma join Zee

    Mona Jain

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced the appointment of Mona Jain as EVP-Cluster Head and Rahul Sharma as Senior VP-National Sales Head.

     

    Speaking on both appointments, Ashish Sehgal, Chief Sales Officer (CSO), Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said, “We are extremely happy to have two media stalwarts join us from the industry. Mona brings with her an immense experience and understanding of the industry. She has been instrumental in key media launches and her knowledge will be really valuable in reinforcing our relationship with agencies & clients. Mona will play a key role in developing brand solutions, setting up a business model for geo-targeting & agency relationship management. She will also head the North region leading the Business Development team, new initiatives and niche channels. Rahul comes with a digital background, which will add a new dimension in selling traditional media. His proven skills in establishing start-up operations and successful launch of channel brands will play an integral role in helping the company achieve its business objectives.”

     

    Commenting on her joining, Ms Jain who was until recently CEO of VivaKi Exchange, said: “I am extremely pleased to be stepping into this position. Zee looks poised for huge growth and it will be very exciting to be a part of this journey.”

     

    Said Mr Sharma said, “I have been a part of television and I am excited to join ZEE and be a part of the biggest television network.”

     

    Both appointments are effective today (March 5).

     

  • Hitesh Vakil, CFO with ZEEL for the last 19 years, has been an integral part of the company's journey of over two decades

    Zee appoints Mihir Modi as Chief Finance & Strategy Officer, elevates Hitesh Vakil as CEO, Service Excellence

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hitesh Vakil
    Mihir Modi

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has announced the appointment of Mihir Modi as Chief Finance and Strategy Officer in place of Hitesh Vakil who is now elevated as CEO-Service Excellence.

     

    Hitesh Vakil, CFO with ZEEL for the last 19 years, has been an integral part of the company’s journey of over two decades. Recognizing his valuable contribution, the company has elevated him as the CEO, Service Excellence, making him responsible of setting up a state-of-the-art Shared Service Centre which will offer shared services across the Group.

     

    Mr Modi’s appointment is with effect from October 10, 2013 and he will report to Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, ZEEL.

     

  • An interaction with Zee Entertainment captains Bharat Kumar Ranga, Akash Chawla and Ruchir Tiwari as the group's 6th movie channel is set to launch on Aug 18

    ‘&pictures will compete with Zee Cinema’

     

    The promos are on air and the hoardings with the bold &pictures logo dot the city. Zee Entertainment’s sixth Hindi movie channel is set to unveil on Sunday, August 18. It’s been billed as India’s first interactive movie channel and the objective is to cater to the young, digitally inclined and active Indian. The plan is to launch an entire parallel bouquet under the ‘&’ banner, and the movie channel is the first in the big roll-out that’s set to happen.

     

    MxMIndia caught up with ZEEL Chief Content and Creative Officer Bharat Kumar Ranga, Marketing Head – National Channels Akash Chawla and Cluster Programming Head – Hindi movie channels Ruchir Tiwari in an exclusive interaction to get a feel of what’s in store .

     

    Why &pictures when you already have a Zee Cinema which is doing very well? Barfi! got good ratings. And then you have four other channels – Zee Cinema HD, Zee Premiere, Zee Classic and Zee Action. So why &pictures?

    We think by 2015 there may be 25 movie channels in India and we have to make sure that we have sizeable share out of that. We are also attempting to capture a new way of thinking that people have. We have had different kind of movies… Khosla ka Ghosla, Kai Po Che, A Wednesday.

     

    Mind you, the youth is still devoted to Indian beliefs, integrity and values. But they want to branch out and take chances. They want to grow outside their existing structure and movies have captured this very well and we thought a movie channel is the best way to capture the new mindset that is emerging right now.

     

    You already have five movie channels from the Zee stable. Zee Cinema is doing very well, so why &pictures?

    Yes, the obvious objective is to be at the top. It will be a very different brand compared to Zee cinema. Its brand values are completely different. It will be highly interactive. It will have an exclusive library, with movies that are very different.

     

    But in the past we’ve seen – albeit in the GEC space – where second channel is never given the same attention and resources as the flagship channel

    Well, have you ever heard someone else saying that a new channel will compete with flagship channel. Here we are saying this. The two teams will in a sense compete. We are very clear about one thing: &pictures will compete with Zee Cinema.

     

    But, as per the numbers available, Zee Cinema is the No 1, Max is the No 1, Gold No 3 and Movies OK a distant No 3. The difference in TVTs between Zee Cinema and Max is over 20,000. Where do you think will &pictures be?

    Who is Number 2 here?

     

    Max…

    How about replacing it?

     

    Yes, but Max is at 215075. That’s a tall order!

    So how about something like 250000 or something like that? We will be aiming high, and aiming to get past Zee Cinema. That’s the ambition.

     

    But you also have three other cinema channels (other than Zee Cinema and Zee Cinema HD) which have not been promoted enough – specifically, Zee Classic, Zee Action and Zee Premiere. So why go in for a new channel when you have three in the stable?

    See Zee Action and Zee Classic were digital products and Zee Classic came out of that and went into the analogue market too. Zee Classic is a unique offering and doesn’t compete with any other channel. We have a huge library that it can take advantage of. The others being digital products are for different audiences.

     

    Your communiqué mentions the fact that you are targeting viewers who spend a fair bit of time on mobiles, social media etc. But these are people who also download films off the internet, are into Torrent and don’t care too much about piracy.

    Firstly, let us clarify. &pictures is not a youth a channel.  The communication is such that it is relevant to people who are young at. The second point is interesting and we are looking at the entire offering in a different way. Some people watch cinema on the computer, others on TV. Some people may want to interact with us on Twitter because. Today, our viewers are doing multiple activities and engaging in multiple manner so the whole philosophy behind &pictures from the particular perspective is that how are we meaningful to our consumers by every device of their choice, wherever that they are and in a more relevant manner. Hence it;s India’s first interactive Hindi movie channel. We will be relevant to them across platforms.

     

    Interactivity is a good word, but are you going to really be that?

    If you go on to andpictures.in, we are actually doing India’s first crowdsourced film. And there’s a lot more coming. In 45 days from now, you will see a digital product under the umbrella of &pictures which will help bridge the divide between internet and television in terms of talking to your stars. Wait for it!

     

    Are you doing interactive stuff with DTH platforms like Dish, since it’s part of the Zee group? Like pressing the red/green button for…

    Yes, yes, yes! DTH is a key part of our gameplans and we are already doing quite a bit with all DTH platforms including Dish which includes that red button you are talking about. There is a separate team in Zee which is just exploring all these possibilities and putting thigs in execution.

     

    Other than films, will there be any other programming on &pictures?

    No long formatted shows. We will have more of back-to-back movies basically.

     

    You are launching on August 18th. Any big bang premieres coming up?

    At first we are not doing any premieres. We will be airing films that &pictures stands. But soon after the second or thir week onwards the premieres will start happening.

     

    So what’s next after &pictures under the & umbrella?

    Well, we will first be working to get the & positioning right and getting the connect right. Once people start liking and loving it, we will come up with new products.

     

    Will it be beyond television? And Indian languages?

    We will appeato to people across the country and Indians across he world. This could be in multiple genre and languages.

     

  • Zee Entertainment will be presenting corporate partner of the ninth edition of the Kyoorius Designyatra to be held in Goa from August 29-31.

    Zee is presenting partner of Kyoorius Designyatra conference

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading fine paper provider and design evangelist Kyoorius announced that the 2013 edition of its annual conference Kyoorius Designyatra will have Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) as the presenting corporate partner.

     

    In its ninth edition, Kyoorius Designyatra 2013 will be held in Goa over three days from August 29 to 31 and likely to be attended by over 1350 delegates including design professionals,creative and art directors, marketing heads, brand heads and students. Rajesh Kejriwal, CEO & Co-Founder of Kyoorius says “attendance from ‘clients’ has consistently grown and we anticipate about 300 senior professionals this year.”*

     

    The theme for the 2013 edition is ‘Create Change’ which will push the envelope and challenge creative professionals to use design as a tool to create real change – change that’s beyond the aesthetic. Inspire them to defy convention and use design as a tool to create real impact – connecting with the audience visually and emotionally.

     

    Meanwhile, Zee and Kyoorius have also announced the launch of IAA Kyoorius Digiyatra in association with International Association of Advertisers (India Chapter).

     

    Digiyatra will be held on the first day of the three day conference – 29th August and will feature some of the world’s best and most influential professionals from global social media giant Facebook to innovative digital marketers and designers to showcase where ‘digital’ is truly going. The day will be dedicated to building online platforms, experiences and content for consumer engagement.

     

    This year’s Designyatra and Digiyatra will feature speakers including Tim Greenhalgh – Global CCO at Fitch, Margret Stewart – Director of Product Design at Facebook, Elizabeth McGuane – Content Strategy Director at LBi London, Jessica Walsh- Partner at Sagmeister & Walsh, KV ‘Pops’ Sridhar – CCO at Leo Burnett India and Subcontinent, Karin Fong – Director at Imaginary Forces, Natasha Jen – Partner at Pentagram, Laura Jordan Bambach from Dare UK, amongst many others.

     

    Said Bharat Ranga, Chief Content and Creative Officer at Zee: “Kyoorius Designyatra has always been a brilliant platform for connecting with the communicators of India, creating inspiration and fueling growth and change. We are glad to come on board as Kyoorius’ corporate partner and support the development of creativity in marketing and communications for the nation – communication that can make a real difference.”

     

    Added Srinivasan K Swamy, President, IAA – India Chapter, “IAA has been focused on ‘digital’ side of communication business where we see a vacuum in knowledge. The IAA Kyoorious Digiyatra has shaped up well and I am sure the delegates are in for a great learning experience.”

     

    *Disclosure: MxMIndia is partnering the Kyoorius Designyatra 2013

     

  • Worried that the kids are hooked to Sheldon & Co on the GECs? Enter: ZeeQ, billed as India's first edutainment channel, from the Zee group

    Now, learn the Big Bang Theory on ZeeQ

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pardon us stretching it a bit in the headline. We loved The Big Bang Theory when it aired on Zee Cafe and earlier Star World. But this big bang theory will be of the real kind.

     

    For, trendsetting broadcast network Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) seems to be at its game-changing best yet again as it announced the rollout of an all-new channel. Called ZeeQ, the channel is being tagged as India’s first edutainment channel and will focus on school-going children and attempt to help parents and teachers in the collective effort to facilitate emotional, social, academic and behavioral development of children.

     

    The channel will be beamed live from November 5 on leading DTH and digital cable platforms as a paid-for channel.

     

    Said Punit Goenka, MD & CEO – Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, at the launch announcement on Monday, October 15, “Zee as a group stands by its principle of improvement of human capital, and so is the initiative, ZeeQ. It is a step ahead in fostering the curiosity amongst children through fun and entertainment.” Mr Goenka added by stating that for two decades, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has been making a difference in the lives of millions, and now ZeeQ will sustain that philosophy further.”

     

    According to officials, ZeeQ will have mix of home produced and acquired content. While 70 per cent of the content would be beamed in Hindi the remaining 30 per cent would be in English. Elaborating further, Subhadarshi Tripathi, Business Head of ZeeQ informed that as of now, ZeeQ would be having about three-and-a-half hours of original programming and further one-and-a-half hours of animated programming. While 50 per cent of the programming would be homegrown, the remaining would be sourced from outside and will be retained with ZeeQ for a period of 5 years.

     

    Asserted Mr Tripathi, “The programming and scheduling approach of ZeeQ’s content is geared to help children with subliminal education while keeping them engaged in never-before edutainment fashion. To achieve this, ZeeQ has a mix of programmes that has been specially designed and produced by the programming team.

     

    Some of the shows that have been conceptualized for the channel include:

    • Teenovation — a show in association with The National Innovation Foundation about Children innovators who display brilliance and create utility items for problems they see around them
    • Wordmatch —  a National level Hindi game show for children, which enhances their knowledge of English spelling, word usage, sentence construction and vocabulary
    • Brain Cafe — a super-cool Cafe with anything and everything to do with Science, Brain Cafe is the perfect hang out to learn all about science theories, concepts and their applications in a fun way.

     

    To drive forward its focus on content around education, ZeeQ is relying heavily on the experiences of education division Zee Learn Ltd. On the backing being provided by Zee Learn, Mr Goenka informed, “During production and acquisition of content, we took into consideration the learnings from the 18 years that Zee Learn Limited has been interacting with as many as 300000 students, parents and teachers across India. And this has helped us make its edutainment content engaging and relevant to the needs of Indian children.”

     

    Navneet Anhal, COO – Zee Learn Limited, said, “ZeeQ is based on our core operating principle of ‘What is Right for the Child’. We are confident that the channel will benefit school-going children and help their parents and teachers in the collective effort to facilitate emotional, social, academic and behavioral development of the children. ZeeQ, will further strengthen the endeavor of Zee Learn to prepare children for 21st century by inculcating much needed knowledge, life skills and values.”

     

    MxMIndia spoke to a few media agency heads to gather their perspective on the road ahead for ZeeQ.

     

    Shashi Sinha
    Shashi Sinha

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, Lodestar Universal

    It’s a good idea as the genre is said to be expanding by the day. The move is good one by Zee as India is a young country and is getting younger by the day. Also the investor power is increasing so there is a growing market for Zee and they want to complete their bouquet of offerings. I think there is enough space for more such channels to exist. I do not know what the exact content line-up is but I presume that it will good enough to drive viewership to the channel.

     

     

     

    Gautam Kiyawat

    Gautam Kiyawat, CEO, Madison Media

    With digitization there will always be higher potential for new entrants to be viable. It’s good for everyone.

     

     

     

     

     

    Mona Jain

    Mona Jain, CEO, VivaKi Exchange

    There aren’t many options from a learning point of view for kids today. The (kids) channels of today are more entertainment-centric and do not have much of educative content to offer. This is a good move by Zee where the key would be to have a far more qualitative viewing and bring in a lot of quality content in an interesting manner. Also, this venture is such that it can be promoted by the schools and the parents themselves. This is what happened with Discovery where it managed to get in the required traction as it began beaming as an infotainment channel, an option that was received well by the parents as well.

     

    If you look at the viewership pattern that the kids have right now it emaps into the adult viewership to a large extent. That’s because in India you have large number of single TV households and the kids’ viewership is driven by probably what the mother or parent is watching. Having said that the kids do have content now that is tailored specifically for their viewing. So if one is able to provide such content that is compelling enough and gives information about what’s happening around their universe, I am sure they will be able to pull in their audiences. The USP is that it is niche and not a mass channel, so they shouldn’t have a problem attracting viewers to the channel.

     

    Where Zee is concerned, this move will give them a better bandwidth and better genre-play. For a network to operate across various genres that caters to all possible requirements and needs of advertisers is a preferred option. There are many who prefer to be a one-stop shop for all genres and very few succeed in doing that. This move would surely strengthen Zee’s overall position.

     

    Anwesh Bose

    Anwesh Bose, Senior VP, DDB MudraMax, Delhi

    Nowadays kids have become very important as there has been a sudden spurt of channels that are out to target them. But the way the kids of today evolve, they have already made space for quite a few brands in their minds from a channel perspective. Today there is distinctly nothing for a 4-14 yr-old to whom you can offer everything in one channel. It’s just not possible. It therefore would have made sense if Zee would have changed their TG to 4-9 or 9-14 yr-olds.

     

    I get a feeling that what they used to have as Zee Kids is being recreated again through ZeeQ. But the issue is different: with the coming of age of internet as a medium the kids of today do not want any gyaan; what they want is entertainment. They anyways get enough gyaan in school and if they want more they have Discovery Kids or Discovery Turbo or Discovery Science that has some amazing content to boast. So kids have gone beyond a phase where you can be professorial to them.

     

    To put it aptly, I think the TG could have been more sharp for ZeeQ to have shortlisted. And secondly, if your TG is sharp then the content needs to be planned accordingly. According to me what ZeeQ needs to do is get more contemporary in their approach. It is very essential today for a channel to understand what brandworld a child is living in and act accordingly.

     

     

  • While viewers don't seem to mind popular actors appearing on primetime shows, does it help TV with ratings and filmwallahs with ticket sales?

    Do pre-release star appearances work?

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    What is common between Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu? The answer is: CID. Yes, both the actors were rescued by none other than our very own team of ACP Pradyuman and his agents.

     

    Today, seeing actors on television is not a surprise. Most of them can be seen on the small screen as hosts or judges on reality shows. However, in the recent past one has seen them play a character or themselves in fictional shows where the plot of an episode is scripted around them. And the two actors are the latest to join the bandwagon of various other actors who have made a “special appearance” on the small screen to promote their upcoming film.

     

    Dinesh Rathore

    According to Dinesh Rathore, COO, Madison Media Omega, the difference between the big screen and the small screen faded away in the last decade as superstars entered the medium. “Actors making an appearance on television is a win-win situation for both. Television has vast reach so actors get to promote their films, and a channel can save money if the actor appears on their shows to promote his/her film.”

     

    He’s not alone, even broadcasters which are competing with each other to get the stars to their channel before others do also feel the same. Vivek Bahl, Chief Creative Director, Sony Entertainment Television says, “Big fiction shows with a dedicated & measurable viewer base is a great platform for an actor to promote his / her upcoming film with the show. And, for the show itself, one can always create buzz and sampling with the

    Vivek Bahl

    anticipation of a star appearance.”

     

    On the same note, Ajay Bhalwankar, ZEEL’s Content Head (Hindi GECs) feels that fiction shows are the staple diet of any General Entertainment Channel and the presence of a Bollywood celebrity is woven into the existing storyline of the fiction show, hence increasing the chances of a better recall. “As a medium TV cannot be ignored by marketers.”

     

    Prashaant Bhatt

    “Be it with a Jhalak Dikhhala Jaa or Madhubala, the audience for each show is varied and this is what works in favour of the movie that is promoted on the show,” explains Prashaant Bhatt, Weekday Programming Head of Colors, who believes that the trend is only going to move forward. “It is vital for any promotional activity to be present on all the mediums that helps them connect with the viewer. So, in the future, the trend could possibly be digital with the introduction of various apps etc, anywhere the audience/moviegoer is.”

     

     

    Shailesh Kapoor

    However, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of Ormax Media feels that film star presence on fiction shows helps the films more than the channels. But the channels can use the stars in the promos and create buzz around it. It can give a viewership spike only if the star does something really interesting in the show. “In a recent study conducted by us, television emerged as the driver of both reach and appeal for film campaigns, way ahead of print and outdoor. I believe that channels should start charging film producers for such integrations, the way they charge advertisers.”

     

     

    Priti Murthy

    If both stars and broadcasters are winners here, Priti Murthy, National Director – Insights at Maxus India adds that viewers too don’t have much to lose out on. “I think even viewers win here as they get to see new faces or a new plot in their regular shows. Also, stars appearing on shows is a global phenomenon; in the west, stars appear on shows like Saturday Night Live.”

     

    It appears no one has anything to lose here!

     

  • The two-day Indian Television Fest on Nov 2 & 3 in Goa aims at getting the fraternity together to network and exchange ideas

    Broadcasters set to mix ideas & business @ITF

    Announcing the Indian Televsion Fest (from left to right): Keertan Adyanthaya, Monica Tata, Sunil Lulla, Uday Shankar, Punit Goenka and Lydia Buthello

     

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The god-like status that the medium of television commands in India today is indicative from the endless attention that gets showered on it from all and sundry. Whether for the advertisers who are willing to bend rules and swing  to their tunes or for the viewers who can take a liking to anything that’s thrown across at them (well, almost), the Indian broadcast industry is calling the shots in a manner that is pivotal to its growth.

     

    In fact, the popularity that it commands can be gauged from the growth that the medium has been throwing up in the past five years, which has been in the range of 12 per cent. This of course is backed by its ability to occupy a lion’s share of the ad pie and still remain a favourite medium for the advertisers.

     

    But while there are some obvious highs that ensue from the medium, the medium has been at the receiving end as well. Like the constant criticism it attracts for not being able to display a show of unity to voice common issues rather letting personal goals take precedence. Then there are also those who question the absence of a platform for the industry to come together and air and share views of common interest. But the last peeve may well be a thing of the past with the announcement of the Indian Television Fest 2012.

     

    The Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), led by president Uday Shankar of Star India and core festival committee members comprising Sunil Lulla of Times Television Network, Punit Goenka of ZEEL, Keertan Adyanthaya of NGC Networks, Monica Tata of Turner International India and Lydia Buthello of Star India announced the first-of-its-kind event for the industry. The two-day festival will be held at the Baga Grounds,Goa on November 2 and 3, 2012.

     

    The two-day fest would be a unique platform for the Indian and global broadcasting industry to network and exchange ideas through engaging panel discussions and master classes. Renowned names from India and across the globe are expected to participate in the mega event. And since it’s Goa, with the inviting beaches for company and some fun.

     

    Throwing open the idea to the gathering, Mr Shankar began by thanking his core team members, without whom the fest wouldn’t have been a reality. Explaining the thought process behind the exercise, Mr Shankar said: “The idea has been in the pipeline for almost a year now. We felt it was the right time to launch Indian Television Fest as the industry has grown big enough to manage an event of this scale. It basically stemmed from the need to create a platform where the entire broadcast industry could come together under a single roof – irrespective of the organisational and competitive background – so that there could be co-sharing and exchange of ideas and conversations on how the industry can take a big leap into the future.”

     

    According to him, what would make the event special would be its ability to get together honchos and industry persons from different verticals under television to come and be a part of the give-and-take. He affirmed: “Apart from some familiar and popular names the event will see the best in broadcasting brain trust from India and the world descend at the venue. The ultimate aim of ITF would be to service the larger Indian broadcasting community. It will also be driven with the dual need of being business-minded in its approach while at the same time having a social connect, as we believe the two are interlinked and cannot work in isolation from each other. All in all, we plan to make this event truly iconic in nature.”

     

    Giving a lowdown on the two-day event, Monica Tata of Turner India began by bringing to light some of the high points of the Indian broadcast industry. Providing a bird’s eye view of the current media scenario, she said: “India is the third largest market for media behind US and China. It has reported a growth of 12 per cent in the last five years which will continue to keep swelling. Further, the country boasts a reach figure of 500 million and is estimated to be worth Rs33,000 crore. This number is expected to triple to almost Rs100,000 crore by 2017. Needless to say there are tremendous opportunities that will enable the industry reach this figure in the coming few years.”

     

    Highlighting the tremendous opportunities that the Indian market presented for the future, Ms Tata said: “India has a penetration level of just 60 per cent leaving a lot to be achieved going forward. Further the C&S households are expected to grow to 88 per cent from the current 81 per cent. Also, the average time spent on television viewing is still low at 150 minutes compared to other countries that are almost double the number. And finally, with digitisation, DTH, HD taking off in a big way coupled with the unhindered growth of regional channels should see the industry enjoy prime status in the near future.”

     

    According to Ms Tata, some of the key themes scheduled at ITF include: best practices and masterclass that’ll be weaved around core areas of content, distribution, revenues, technology, etc; presence of visionary speakers like James Murdoch of International News Corporation, Andy Bird of Walt Disney, Hugh Johnson of Channel 4, Michael Lynton of Sony Corporation of America, Subhash Chandra of Zee & Essel Group, etc; debates and conversations; interaction with regulators and policy-makers; and finally encouraging cross-genre ideation.

     

    Presenting his viewpoint, Sunil Lulla of Times Television Network said: “There was no platform as yet in India where the issues and concerns of the Indian television industry were being raised and addressed. ITF will be a platform where one can learn, interact and demonstrate the road for the future. Three factors that’ll drive this event include the need for conversations, need for confidence to hold an event of this stature and need for commitment from the industry to take this industry from Rs33,000 crore to Rs100,000 crore by 2017.”

     

    On the key highlights to be expected at the event, Punit Goenka of ZEEL said: “We all know how New Media is going to be the platform of the future and we also know how regionalisation is going to take the industry further…and since regional has a lower base it is growing faster than the other genres. However, there are avenues that we need to discuss. Nobody has an answer as to how we will reach the Rs 100,000-crore mark but one has to start the process of thinking about it.” When asked if it would be a practically possible to reach the Rs100,000 crore mark in a short span of four years he said: “We have to talk about it and see how we get there. Nobody has an answer as to how we would get there. But unless you talk about it and bring it up in discussions how do we even make a beginning to reach there? I think the end goal is not important; it’s the journey which is going to be important.”

     

    When asked on the initial response that the event has managed to generate, Mr Lulla said: “Members from the broadcast industry have shown tremendous enthusiasm to the initiative, which can be seen from the initial buzz that is being created where registrations are concerned. As you know, we are a little late industry as we like to start things a little later. We hope the television industry supports us in a fashion by sending more members to attend the event. We have fantastic line-up of speakers from India and abroad; and of course, we would like the industry to stretch themselves a bit and sponsor many other themes and elements that we have lined up out there.”

     

    Mr Lulla added: “As you know, we are always a last-minute booking.com industry, so it’ll be a challenge to get a lot of people to attend the event. Also, there will be the challenge of generating advertising revenues so that we can stage the event successfully. But we are confident of putting up a successful event.”

     

    On the benefits that will accrue to IBF from the event, he said: “What IBF will particularly benefit from is take the ideas that come out and find out what will be the cornerstones for the industry going forward and what will become items of agenda. What people who come there to attend the event to take off is personal learning – so there will be ideas, new friends will be made…in all, it will be a mind-opening event, so to speak.”

     

  • The mood is upbeat at the three-day convention on media and entertainment that kicked off in Mumbai today

    Digital, growth mantras to drive agenda

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asia’s largest convention in the business of entertainment, FICCI Frames 2012, will be held at The Renaissance, Powai in Mumbai from March 14 to 16. In its 13th year, Frames is a three-day global convention covering the entire gamut of media and entertainment ranging from films to broadcast, which includes television and radio, to digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects.

     

    The Summitwill be inaugurated by Government of India’s Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma. Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session. Japanis the partner country at FICCI Frames 2012 and will be present with a high-powered delegation comprising key stakeholders from the Japanese media and entertainment industry.

     

    Frames 2012 will present opportunities for business networking, lobbying, and creative and financial collaboration and partnerships. There will also be a series of workshops and master-classes that will be conducted by venerated global gurus who will be busy highlighting the way forward to the assembled delegates. Nearly 2,000 Indian and 800 foreign delegates are expected to attend the event.

     

    The Who’s Who of the Indian media and entertainment industry will join hands with the global industry leaders and experts to discuss and debate and to announce new initiatives at FICCI Frames 2012. Mark Hollinger, CEO, Discovery, Carolyn Everson, VP-Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook, Cameron Bailey, Co-Director Toronto International Film Festival, Bruce Beresford, Director of Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy, Silas Hickey, Regional Creative Director for Animation at Cartoon Network, Max Howard, Global Animation Consultant and Lecturer on Producing Independent Animated Feature Films for the International Markets, Oscar-winner Harvey Lowry, Hollywood’s Special Effects Guru, and John Bashford, Vice Principal, LAMDA (The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts) are some of the globally well-known names who will be delivering keynote addresses, conducting workshops and master classes, and joining the panel discussions in various sessions at Frames.

     

    Other eminent speakers from the world of television, radio and print that would be present include television czarina Ekta Kapoor, Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra of NDTV, Sunil Lulla of Times TV, and Puneet Goenka of ZEEL. Print will be represented by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Express Group and T.N. Ninan, Editor of Business Standard.

     

    Bollywood too would be adequately represented through eminent faces such as Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Kamal Haasan, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar.

     

    The theme of this year’s event is ‘Embracing the Digital World’. Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mr Uday K Varma, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, will identify and address immediate areas for successful implementation of the digital switchover and also on what’s next in the regulatory and market framework to enable and sustain the transition.

     

    The move to embrace digitization in Cable and Satellite TV services has become imperative as such services have grown exponentially inIndiain the last 17 years. A separate session at FICCI Frames 2012 will deliberate on ways to maximize the power of digital distribution. Industry leaders will share their experiences with Frames delegates, their perspectives on how funding challenges have been overcome in other jurisdictions and the takeaways forIndia. The panelists include Vivek Couto, Founder, Media Partners Asia; Anshuman Mishra, MD, Turner International India; Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV; Jagi Mangat Panda, CEO, Ortel; Prof Jonathan Askin, Professor of Law, Brooklyn School of Law, Former Senior Legal Advisor, FCC; Anita Wallgren, US Department of Commerce.

     

    The FICCI-KPMG study on Indian Media & Entertainment for 2012 will also be released on the occasion. Strong growth in tier 2 cities, the continued march of regional media and the rapidly expanding new media business helped the media and entertainment industry log a 12 per cent increase in revenues to Rs729 billion in a troublesome 2011, according to the report. Overall, the industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent to Rs.1,457 billion by 2015.

     

    Further details on the event will be available at: http://ficci-frames.com/

     

     

  • Ditto TV is India's first Over-The-Top TV distribution platform offering live TV & on-demand content on mobile and traditional devices

    Zee aims to Ditto its DTH success story

     

    By Rishi Vora

     

    It is said that one who adapts as per the changing times is the one who succeeds in the long run. Recession or no recession – it doesn’t matter. If organisations continue to focus on what the market needs, success stories will continue to emerge and growth will eventually take precedence over many a hurdles.

     

    Adapting to the market and launching a relevant product in India’s broadcast sector is Zee Enterprises Ltd; the company that has been credited for making early inroads in the TV entertainment space in India and making it big internationally. It has now set an example in the New Media space with the launch of Ditto TV.

     

    Punit Goenka

    Ditto TV is India’s first Over-The-Top TV distribution platform offering live TV and on-demand content to end consumers on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment boxes and connected TVs.  The product has been brought out in the Indian market with the help of technology partner, Siemens.  “The offering fundamentally turns appointment viewing as a concept on its head,’ said Punit Goenka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ZEEL.

     

    On what it means to the group Mr Goenka said: “It adds a different dimension to business model. The idea was to bring cutting-edge wireless broadband digital services to customers across the world. Over the years, we have launched many industry firsts, but this is a launch that I’m excited about; I believe that Ditto TV will transform the way content is consumed and monetised.”

     

    Vishal Malhotra

    “For our channel partners- namely, for content owners, distributors, retail, OEMs and service providers, Ditto TV creates unique revenue generating opportunities,” explained Vishal Malhotra, Business Head – New Media, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, on what it means to its channel partners.

     

    Apart from India, the platform will be available in the UK, UAE, New Zealand and Australia. And United States will follow in the priority list, by end of this quarter.

    So yes, it’s an experiment by Zee, but as experts have pointed out, it’s a risk worth taking as consumption patterns of consumers are going through a sea change with the advent of digital technologies.

     

    Ditto TV will offer features such as adaptive streaming, elaborative programme guide, content recommendation engine and an interface which is integral to enhance the user experience. Moreover, it allows for complete customisation in terms of cost as well as content – where users are given an option to handpick a basket of channels as per their own personal preferences.  Price points start at Rs49, where the consumer gets access to three channels of his choice.

     

    Yogesh Radhakrishnan, a veteran in the field of TV distribution in India, said: “There are some issues like inadequate bandwidth; broadband connectivity is a pain, but having said that OTT is a technology for the future. For it to reach to the masses, it will take some time.”

     

    As for the broadcasters, Ditto TV comes in as an additional platform to showcase their channels on. And just as the thought crosses the mind, as to how many broadcasters will Zee be able to get on board, the news is that already 21 channels have agreed to use this platform.

     

    MSM Group, TV Today Network, BBC, and Zee are a few networks that will allow their channels to be available on the platform. A few important contracts yet to be signed which includes Reliance Broadcast, Star and Times Network. The company expects to offer a complete set of 50 channels shortly.

     

    The sense is that it is a matter of time before the rest of the industry embraces this new platform from Zee. As informed by Mr Goenka, monetisation via advertising can only happen once it reaches out to a critical mass – at least 5 per cent of the audience which consumes TV content on a daily basis. So there is still some time for advertisers to worry about this new delivery platform. But, that doesn’t make this venture of any less significance for Zee.

     

    Mr Goenka pointed out that a significant investment has gone into setting up Ditto TV and that he expects his new media division to contribute about 10 per cent to the group in terms of revenue in the next five years. Needless to say that Ditto TV is the first step in the bigger game to boost the company’s digital and new media play.

     

    On what this means to DTH and cable operators, Mr Radhakrishnan explained: “These are very, very early days. There is no doubt that OTT is the technology of future, but for now, it is just a beginning and not a threat to other distribution channels. Also, it is unlikely to replace the existing mode of distribution channels, as new media and technology comes as a welcome ‘value addition’ to the business.”

     

    So whether Ditto is able to script a ditto success story that of Dish TV – Zee’s DTH offering, is something to watch out for. For now it looks like a welcome initiative – both from the consumer and the trade point of view.

     

  • DID viewers can pick up the phone and give a Missed Call to vote for their favourite contestants

    One missed call to vote for DID 3 participants

    By A Correspondent

     

    We all have hopes. It’s what equips us to deal with life’s trials and tribulations. Each one of us has endless hopes….It’s this ‘Umeed’ that keeps us going.

     

    Zee TV’s dance reality show, Maruti Suzuki Presents Dance India Dance will be shortly announcing its Behtareen Terah (13) contestants. And the key decision has been thrown open to the janta. Voting is our fundamental right and if we can vote for free to choose our government, then why should we spend money to vote for our favourite reality show contestants?

     

    Taking this thought forward, Zee TV has made the entire voting process in reality shows free of cost. DID viewers can pick up the phone and give a Missed Call to their favourite contestants.

     

    The thought of giving audiences an opportunity to choose the winner of a reality show through a public voting system, as a concept, was initiated by Zee TV for the very first time in 2003 for the show, Zee Cine Stars Ki Khoj.

     

    After that, the concept of ‘one mobile- one vote’ was introduced during the time of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar in 2010, to avoid duplication while counting of votes made from the same number.

     

    Now, the channel has devised a method which nullifies the entire debate about voting being a money making mechanism between the channel and the telecom companies! The Missed Call voting system devised by Zee TV in Dance India Dance Season 3 will ensure that there’s no fallacy in choosing a winner and will also erase all doubts about the existence of any benefits to the channel in the voting process. The channel will incorporate the same in its future reality shows as well.

     

    “With DID Season 3 – Voting Free, we are aiming for never before achieved viewer’s participation in the show. With this voting system, every unique missed call will be counted as one unique vote thus making the janta janardan, the true adjudicator in deciding the fate of our show.  Technology is helping us value the viewer’s point of view even further. The decision of free voting is a welcome change to those who have hitherto refrained from participating owing to extra charges for an SMS to special numbers! There can be nothing more transparent than this mechanism in the decision of choosing the final winner of any reality show on ZEE TV,” said Akash Chawla, Head Marketing, National Channels, ZEEL.

     

    Here’s how the mechanism works: Every contestant in the Behterein Terah has been designated with an unique number. All a viewer has to do is dial that number and after one ring, the call gets disconnected automatically. The viewer gets an acknowledgement message that his vote for the particular contestant has been registered. In one week, a viewer can vote for a particular contestant only once. However he can vote for multiple contestants in the same week. The best part is the viewers can call to vote their favourite contestant even with zero balance. The mechanism has already assisted in choosing the Wild Card entrants of the show.

     

    Dance India Dance has always believed in exploring unique initiatives on a large scale to build its brand equity. Be it the grand Carnival that was conducted on the streets of Mumbai during DID Season 2 or the unique ‘Dance Mobs’ that were conducted in malls, multiplexes, railway stations and streets of Mumbai and Delhi during the launch of DID season 3 or the very recent Licensing & Merchandizing deal that the show has done with apparel giant Reebok to further build the brand.

     

  • As he celebrates his 61st birthday, Zee MD & CEO Punit Goenka writes on his father & Zee Chairman Subhash Chandra. Exclusively for MxMIndia.

    Happy Birthday, Mr Subhash Chandra!

     

     

     

    By Punit Goenka

     

    Although I was too young in 1992 when Zee TV started, our family was confident of him achieving success in the media and entertainment space.

     

    * I have been fortunate to work with him. His perseverance, never-give-up attitude, and complete commitment to his work have helped him achieve the status that he has today. It was his visionary abilities that enabled him to foresee opportunities much before others and launch pioneering ventures like India’s first Hindi satellite channel – Zee TV, India’s first Hindi News Channel – Zee News, India’s first direct-to-home company – Dish TV and many more.

     

    * Zee, under his leadership, has always remained grounded through its journey spanning two decades. Our ability to implement cost-control initiatives has helped us overcome the economic slowdown and achieve further operational efficiencies, which is why Zee has been able to deliver a shareholder value CAGR of over 30 percent since inception. Apart from this, the connect with our viewers and ability to innovate and create successful indigenous home grown formats have helped us sustain our leadership.

     

    * He has done a lot for all of us. We want to consolidate on the strong foundation he has created for Zee. We are working towards making Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited one of the leading Media and Entertainment Company from the emerging markets.

     

    * By becoming the first Indian to be conferred with the prestigious Emmy Directorate Award 2011 recently, he has done the entire Indian M&E Industry proud.

     

    * His vision when he started was to take entertainment to the home of every Indian. In fact he was able to envision and understand the value chain of the entire TV broadcast business from content creation to content delivery – right upto the last mile. Now he wants to take Indian entertainment to the global audiences.

     

    Punit Goenka is Managing Director and CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited

     

    As told to Johnson Napier