Ambika Soni ‘I encourage interactions and debates, I am a person with an open mind’
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni allayed a lot of apprehensions of the news broadcast industry in her opening remarks at the NewsNext 2009, held by the exchange4media Group in Delhi on August 26. Soni touched upon several issues concerning the industry, such as content code, carriage fees, digitisation, entertainment tax, FDI, etc. with a candid openness that touched a chord with the power-packed gathering.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni allayed a lot of apprehensions of the news broadcast industry in her opening remarks at the NewsNext 2009, held by the exchange4media Group in Delhi on August 26. Soni touched upon several issues concerning the industry, such as content code, carriage fees, digitisation, entertainment tax, FDI, etc. with a candid openness that touched a chord with the power-packed gathering.
Times Now is the main sponsor of NewsNext 2009. NewsNext provides a platform for the industry to convene and revisit various facets of the Indian television industry with the objective of growing this industry further.
Beginning on a positive note, Soni said, “I am not a person with a closed mind, my mantra has always been interaction and I believe in team work.”
She further said, “The topic of the day, ‘Triumph over Travails’, took me back to the days when we used to race for the newspapers to be the first one to read, as at that time we had all of 2-4 newspapers, which were our source of information. We have come a long way since then.”
Soni continued, “There has been a ‘wish list’ that has been given by various people in the industry like Chintamani Rao of Times Now, Ashish Bagga of India Today and G Krishnan of TV Today, which has been like a road map for me. I am not very net savvy but I am learning. I have put down all the points and issues that need to be addressed, whether it is content regulation, entertainment tax, uplinking, downlinking, DAVP ad rates, which have been far too low. Here I can say with some satisfaction that the DAVP rates have gone up since last October.”
On the content code issue, Soni said, “I don’t see why one cannot come up and talk with a Government that is so liberal. I don’t see why we should approach this with apprehension. We don’t want to have a Draconian act hanging out there that hampers creativity. Yet again, there must be some ground rules that we should all abide by.”
She added, “Another important issue that has kept the TV channels occupied and drained for long has been carriage fees. I am concerned about this issue and I do believe that digitisation is the way to go to curb this issue.”
“We have started the process on HITS and I do hope that before the end of this year HITS should be in process,” Soni said, adding, “As far as multiple taxes are concerned, we have moved far in our talks, but have not been able to address all of them. Fringe benefit tax has been removed in this year’s Budget, but I don’t know to what extent its exemption has helped. GST will be in place by next year. Also, I am trying to bring down 10 per cent GST to 6 per cent, as suggested by some of you here,” she added.
The Minister further stressed, “The I&B Ministry is not only about content regulation and DAVP ad rates. We also look after films and Akashwani. We are almost ready with the Phase III of FM radio. We also look after print by trying to create a level playing field to all players so that newspapers can remain a healthy source of information.”
Soni concluded by mentioning her own wish list which was to accelerate the pace of dialogue with the broadcasters and decide on a road map for the way forward. She further noted that news channels also had some social obligations. “All news channels today are 24x7, which means 168 hours a week of programming. I would request you all if even a mere 5 per cent of that time could be devoted to stories on human triumph over adversities, of the resurgence spirit of the young, and the never say die attitude,” she concluded.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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