Sarthak TV founder Sitaram Agrawalla has floated a new company named Sidharth Broadcasting Pvt Ltd (SBPL) through which he plans to launch four channels.

The channels will be launched in 2020 after the completion of its non-compete agreement with ZEEL, which Sarthak had signed in 2015.

The group plans to launch three channels in Odia and one in Bengali. In Odia, the company will launch a GEC, Sidharth TV, a devotional channel, Sidharth Bhakti, and a music channel, Sidharth Music. In Bengali, the company will launch a GEC channel, Sidharth Bangla.

The group had applied for four TV channel licences and one teleport licence to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). SBPL received licences for two channels while the other three are pending.

The channels will be in the ‘pay’ category and the group is in talks with several distribution platforms. A source close to the company said, “Now that our agreement with Zee will be completed in 2020, we are planning to launch four new channels in 2020. We are in talks with the distributors. Currently, the distribution eco-system is changing every other month and so we will decide on the distributors and pricing of the channels after studying the market next year.”

In an exclusive interview to BestMediaInfo.com, Neelima Burra, Country Marketing Director, HP India, talks about the new range of mobile workstations, and how the brand is enabling conversations through its ‘#IAmAChangemaker’ campaign

L-R: Vickram Bedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP Inc. India; Zoya Akhtar; Ketan Patel; Head & Vice President : Business Personal Systems, Asia Pacific & Japan, HP, Neelima Burra, Country Marketing Director, HP India at the launch of Z by HP series

HP Inc. India recently introduced a series of mobile workstations for creative professionals — Z by HP. Designed for creative and technical professionals, the new product range features cutting-edge design, innovative collaboration tools and advanced security features to transform the creative process. 

To promote its new line of workstations, the brand has launched the ‘#IAmAChangemaker’ campaign. Through this initiative, HP is inviting change-makers from across India to come together and become a part of a larger community where artists/creators can share their love and passion for art and creativity.   

The News Broadcasters Association has got new competition in News Broadcasters Federation as the Arnab Goswami-led Republic News Network has gathered more than 50 news channels representing broadcasters from all languages and parts of the country to form the largest-ever federation of news channels.

Soon after the launch of his English news channel Republic TV, Goswami had told BestMediaInfo.com that he would not join NBA.

The federation in a press statement said that the Government of India applauded the formation of the biggest ever group of TV News channels.

In his statement welcoming the formation of this diverse news association, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said, “I am very happy today that more than 50 news channels have come together to form the News Broadcasters Federation. These members of the NBF are from various regions and broadcasting in various states of India. India has more than 700 channels and if more associations are formed in genres like news, then it is a very positive development. We don’t believe in censorship but believe in self-regulation. I am very sure and confident that the News Broadcasters Federation will be a platform to discuss matters relevant to the TV News Industry. I also hope NBF gives its recommendations and ensures discipline in broadcasting where truth does not become s casualty. I wish the NBF all the very best.”

A desire to respond to complexity and a need to rise above the “how” of data and look at the “why” of human iasight lie at the heart of Mx, which stands for Media Experience, a new global operating system from Havas Media Group. Built on a thorough understanding of the consumer and combining a new process with advanced tools, Mx capitalizes upon the most Meaningful Media to build more Meaningful Brandsâ.

Greg James

“The recent past shows media planning and buying as overly fixated on ‘platforms,’ ‘data,’ and ‘ad tech.’ These elements, while vital to success, must remain anchored in those truths that lie deep in the human language of consumers,” said Greg James, Global Chief Strategy Officer at Havas Media Group.     

Thanks to a decade exploring Meaningful Brandsâ, Havas Media knows that consumers grant brand loyalty only to those companies that relate to their motivations, behaviors, activities, and intent. Mx forges that connection because it focuses on media that matters most to consumers and lives at the crossroads of connection, context, and content.

Peter Mears

“Brands today face enormous pressure to deliver growth. Mx allows us to drive effectiveness for our clients around the world by building meaningful connections creatively – and at scale,” said Peter Mears, Global CEO of Havas Media Group.

Mumbai: The largest-ever federation of news channels has been formed with the announcement of the News Broadcasters Federation. The NBF brings together more than 50 news channels on one platform, representing broadcasters from all languages and parts of the country.

In doing so, the NBF emerges as the first news federation in India that is not centered out of New Delhi, reflecting the true diversity of news broadcasting in the country.

Applauding the formation of the biggest ever group of TV News channels, the Government of India has said that it is delighted that more than 50 news channels have already come together to form the NBF.

In his statement welcoming the formation of this diverse news association, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting has said: “I am very happy today that more than 50 news channels have come together to form the News Broadcasters Federation. These members of the NBF are from various regions and broadcasting in various states of India. India has more than 700 channels and if more associations are formed in genres like news, then it is a very positive development. We don’t believe in censorship but believe in self-regulation. I am very sure and confident that the News Broadcasters Federation will be a platform to discuss matters relevant to the TV News Industry. I also hope that NBF gives its recommendations and ensures discipline in broadcasting where truth does not become s casualty. I wish the NBF all the very best”

More than 50 news channels have come together to form the News Broadcasters Federation – the largest-ever federation of news channels. 

The NBF will represent broadcasters from all languages and parts of the country. It is the first news federation in India that is not centered out of New Delhi. 

The Government of India has said that it is delighted that more than 50 news channels have already come together to form the NBF. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javdekar has said: “I am very happy today that more than 50 news channels have come together to form the News Broadcasters Federation. These members of the NBF are from various regions and broadcasting in various states of India. India has more than 700 channels and if more associations are formed in genres like news, then it is a very positive development. We don’t believe in censorship but believe in self-regulation. I am very sure and confident that the News Broadcasters Federation will be a platform to discuss matters relevant to the TV News Industry. I also hope that NBF gives its recommendations and ensures discipline in broadcasting where truth does not become a casualty. I wish the NBF all the very best.”

Among the founder members of the NBF are the following: Republic Media Network (Republic TV and Republic Bharat), Puthiyathalaimurai and V6 News (Tamil Nadu), Orissa TV (Orissa), IBC24 (MP and Chhattisgarh), Asianet News Network (Asianet News and Suvarna News, Kerala and Karnataka), TV9 Bharatvarsh, Newslive and Northeast Live (Assam and Northeast), First India News (Rajasthan), Kolkata TV (West Bengal), CVR News (AP & Telangana), Polimer News (Tamil Nadu), Khabar Fast (Harayana), Living India News (Punjab), Prag News (Assam), NTV (AP & Telangana), Maha News (AP & Telangana), TV5 News (AP & Telangana), MKTV (Tamil Nadu),  Vanitha TV (AP & Telangana), DNN and IND24 (MP), Shri Sankara TV  & Ayush TV (Karnataka), A1 TV (Jaipur), Power TV (Karnataka),Raj News (Tamil Nadu), Flowers TV (Kerala), CVR News Network (AP&Telangana), National Voice (Uttar Pradesh), Nirman News (Gujarat), Anaadi TV (MP&Chattisgarh), VRL Media (Karnataka), Calcutta News (West Bengal),News 7 (Tamil Nadu), DNN & News World ( MP & Chattisgarh), M H One ( Haryana), Mantavya News (Gujarat), Gujarat Television ( Gujarat), S News ( West Bengal) Bansal TV ( MP) and Onkat TV (West Bengal).

MUMBAI: English movies genre has grown 11.86 per cent in week 29 of Chrome Data Analytics and Media. In this genre, Warner Brothers gained the highest OTS with 44.7 per cent in the six metro markets.

OTS  is the actual census-based percentage connectivity of a channel spread across 81 million homes, as reported by Chrome DM, across analogue cable, digital cable, and DTH.

Digital and TV are the focus areas for Century Plyboards, an Indian manufacturer, seller and exporter of plywood and veneer, which has grown 20-25% y-o-y in the last five years in its door segment and 7-8% in its plywood segment.

The brand invests 3-4% of its total turnover on ATL marketing, of which 60-70% goes to TV, 20-25% is allocated to digital and the remaining is for radio. The brand’s TG is males in the age group of 30-40 years.

Navarun Sen

Navarun Sen, President, Panel Division, CenturyPly, said, “We use digital medium to be able to use the micro segmentation that targets individual customers depending on their search. The segmentation would further give us the opportunity to remarket them. For targeted delivery of our communication, we are much dependent on digital.”

According to Sen, digital gives an opportunity to remarket to consumers who are surfing for a product while TV targets new consumers and reaches to the rural and urban TG.

Viacom18’s Colors Bangla is coming up with a true-blue romantic show, ‘Chirodini Ami Je Tomar’, premiering on July 29, and will air from Monday to Saturday at 6:30pm.

Destined to be together, Ronodip and Anuradha are at first bound together in matrimony, but only later find a soul mate in each other. Produced by Sushanta Das, Chirodini Ami Je Tomar is a unique love story of discovering and recognising love in its truest altruistic form.

Rahul Chakravarti

“Tugging at the heartstrings, Chirodini Ami Je Tomar is a diehard romantic show that intertwines the lives of two souls who deserve to be together but may not necessarily realise this at first. We have brought together a riveting and relatable story with an ensemble cast that will make viewers believe in quixotic romance and experience nostalgia. In our own way, we’re all romantics at heart, rooting for the protagonists to find love and their happily ever after,” said Rahul Chakravarti, Business Head, Colors Bangla and Colors Odia.

Anuradha, an innocent young girl had a simple life and was completely besotted with a guy named Abir. Fate takes its course and Rono gets married to Radha only to know that she is madly in love with someone else. But Rono believes love is all about letting go and promises to help her reunite with the man of her life. The story of Radha and Rono begins from here.  

Essaying the role of the protagonists, Ronodip is debutant Souvik Banerjee, and Anuradha is Sharly Modok. Completing the ensemble cast, Surojit Banerjee (Rathindra Basak) and Tulika Basu (Mrinalini Basak) play Ronodip’s parents, and the role of Anuradha’s parents are depicted by Sanjib Sarkar (Rathikanta Saynal) and Ranjini Chattopadhaya (Suroma Sanyal).

HT Media and Hindustan Media Ventures Limited have declared their Q1 FY 2020 results. According to the company statement, advertising revenue for the print business continues to be under stress with a higher impact on the English papers. However, the company saw a positive impact due to the softening of newsprint prices, which led to the growth in operating profits and improvement in profitability.

However, the loss of Rs 148 crore that the company has posted is majorly because of pay out for the acquisition of majority share in Next Mediaworks, the company that runs Radio One, and its subsidiaries.

The consolidated total revenue for the first quarter stood at Rs 588 crore, which is a 3% growth versus last year. EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) for the same period is at Rs 89 crore, which is 42% higher, with a margin improvement of about 4% points.

PAT for the first quarter has come at Rs 28 crore (which is 511% higher at a PAT margin of 5%) versus Rs 5 crore in the same period.

As far as ‘Print’ is concerned, the company’s ad revenues have been soft. And the decline has been 9% with total revenues for the first quarter coming at Rs 362 crore as against Rs 399 crore in the same period last year.