Sony India and Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) have agreed to sell three Hindi channels--Big Magic, Zee Action and Zee Classic--to address anti-competition concerns arising out of their proposed merger. The broadcasters submitted their proposal to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which gave a conditional approval on October 4. On Wednesday, the CCI made public its detailed 58-page order, specifying the channels that would be dropped.
Turner Broadcasting System has decided to shut down its Hindi general entertainment channel, Imagine TV. It had acquired the channel from NDTV in 2010.
The channel was bought over by Turner Broadcasting System from NDTV in 2010.
By becoming associate sponsor, STAR Plus brand will get assured mileage on broadcaster SET Max.
With advertising a little less robust than last year and television ad rates not showing any sign of climbing up, thanks to viewership fragmentation and increased competition, the Hindi general entertainment channels are tapping non-advertising revenue streams to shore up incomes. This includes content-repurposing, overseas subscription, and licensing and merchandising.
DD Freedish is the 'largest TV platform in India', going to 58 million homes, featuring 70-odd private channels. DD Freedish reaches about 278 million people, and is easily among the top five TV platforms in the world.
Colors has been unable to regain the top slot even with its star-studded reality shows. But Rajesh Kamat, COO, Viacom18 Group and CEO, Colors, says that the channel has been able to maintain its distinct brand image and will soon be able to move up the rating points.
The Rs 2,200 crore (Rs 22 billion) Star India has for long been the biggest contributor to parent News Corporation's Asian revenues and profits (over 80 per cent).
The group seems undeterred by stiff competition posed by new entrants like Colors and NDTV Imagine in the general entertainment segment.
Indrani Mukerjea was the founder and chief executive officer while Peter Mukerjea was chairman and chief strategy officer. They set up INX Media three years ago after Mukerjea resigned as Star India CEO. According to a press release issued by the company, they will continue to be shareholders in the broadcasting company.
A long and bitter funding winter in the start-up world is beginning to take its toll on start-up advertising across properties. Earlier this week, Mastercard replaced Paytm as the title sponsor for all international and domestic cricket matches organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But this is just one part of the story. The other side is that organisers of high-impact shows and events on Hindi general entertainment channels, too, are feeling the winter chill.
Former Star TV CEO Peter Mukerjea promoted INX Media and INX News on Wednesday officially announced plans to launch a new television network.
Rakhi Ka Swayamvar worked for NDTV Imagine. Bidaaiis working on Star Plus. So both reality and fiction are working on prime time, says Sunil Lulla, Director, Real Global Broadcasting.
Arjun Bijlani, better known as Alekh in the first season of Left Right Left, is currently busy with a period drama Mohe Rang De being produced by Dipti Bhatnagar.
Raghav Bahl, MD of TV18 Group, said the production, distribution and other labels will get transferred to the JV.
Star Plus is rewriting the rule book to take on its latest rival, Colors.
It means more tickets sold and therefore more revenues and hastens the recovery of the devastated-by-the-pandemic film business.
News viewership was the biggest gainer during the first full week of lockdown, growing 298 per cent versus the pre-COVID period between January 11 and 31. Ramayana, whose rerun has begun on Doordarshan, was the top-rated show on Saturday and Sunday.
Dangal's and Shemaroo's entry shows there is ad-supported gold at the bottom of the Indian consumer pyramid if you can keep the costs low.
The marketing spiel for the Hindi version has been around Shah Rukh Khan's inclusion as Pride Rock's patriarch and his son Aryan Khan's debut as Simba's voice.
While the 'Made in China' tag continues to be dominant as far as handsets in India go, things are beginning to change.
he battle has moved to the small screen and guess who's winning? Urvi Malvania reports.
The problem is not that more people are not watching more TV, but that they are not finding anything of interest on Hindi television, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
Gujarat-based tea major will run a Rs 2-cr roadblock on Hindi and regional news channels.
Mythological and historical shows are lapped up not just by the young, but equally by grown men and women.
The four major Hindi general entertainment channels -- STAR Plus, Sony, Colors and ZEE -- have all launched music and dance reality shows in the 9-pm slot on weekends.
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