Guest Column: TRAI recommendations: No cause for celebrations
Sanjeev Kotnala, Head Catalyst, P1P2Solutions comments on cross-media ownership recommendations made by TRAI, while advising to practice cautious optimism as he observes, 'these are just recommendations like many in the past'

The Minister of state for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar is a man in hurry. By release of Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India (TRAI) recommendation on Cross Media Ownership, we have once gain been shown a dream. One day this may find its own destiny.
Truth is that nothing has changed, the wheel of life continues. COMMISSIONS after COMMISSIONS after COMMISSION deliberate to give us RECOMMENDATION pey RECOMMENDATION pey RECOMMENDATION. Let’s not so early celebrate – it’s just the recommendations like many others in past.
Important to note at the end, it says ‘The Authority, therefore recommends that a commission, perhaps headed by a Supreme Court Judge, be set up to comprehensively examine the various issues relating to media, including their role and performance of various existing institutions, and the way forward.’
But, TRAI acknowledges the delay. ‘It’s been five years since the earlier recommendation on media ownership was made on 25th February 2009 and hence the new commission must be given clear time lines.’
The timing of recommendation points towards a simple truth, no one wanted to take action. And it remains to be seen if it is just a message to some industrialist. You need the will and the drive to make it happen, what has been proposed this time, unless executed through an executive order.
Presenting HERFINDAHL HIRSCHMAN INDEX (HHI), something cross media owners will have to watch. It recommends that they do not collectively cross 1000 HHI on any media front. To calculate it all sub media in that genre will be counted and monitored in a 2-year dynamic cycle. Enough gaps for a anyone to sleepwalk. HHI is just the ‘sum of the squares of the market share’ of individual units of that entity in that media and is a reflection of market concentration.
Now, the recommendations are on only Print & TV. Understood that Radio will be included when it starts carrying privately generated news, but being blind to impact of Internet is more myopic than surprising. It’s a tough case.
For HHI calculation in TV GRP will be considered for market share measurement. In print just the circulation would define the share. ABC Zindabad. Heritage DAVP mentality prevails. I can see many media owners objecting to it and real time manipulation of circulation figures on the lower side being promoted. Oh by the way, it can only be implemented when there is an agreed measurement, which is miles away.
But, it does in some ways support a regional daily wanting to go national on TV and national TV wanting to get local in print. You can do your own math. It is still open to interpretation of market (geographically) in terms of language and the state(s) in which that language is spoken in majority. Impact of this in Hindi media need to be considered. Not sure, weather this in true sense would promote consolidation or further fragmentation thus weakening media houses.
Applaud TRAI’s dreams to be strict on paid news and advertising in exchange for favorable coverage or exclusive rights in exchange for favorable coverage. Yet, it needs to be seen how it will be implemented and tracked. I can imagine the pages of a well-known title filled with disclaimers; printed in bold for paid news. Oh, we will find loopholes and trust me it will be misused to threaten many an honest publications.
Now here is something that comes with conditions applied; ‘to be seriously considered by the Government and the regulator’ – the subject of corporates owning or providing funds / loans to media, as it shows inherent conflict of interest. Something does not seem to be going right for someone. Personally I believe there should not be any restriction. If ownership is misused, the audience (viewer / reader) discounts the content and things balance out.
More than welcome is the restriction on political parties, religious bodies, Govt ministries, undertaking and other publically funded agencies and their surrogates in media ownership. Now this is for the news media only and for entities as a whole. It purposefully avoids stating stance on political person or a person of senior politician owning media in personal capacity. If, it took a strong stance , the story may be different.
Sincerely speaking, can TRAI first change its name to something that represents the wide roles it is expected to handle? Can we start with one recommendation implemented immediately; single regulatory body for TV and Print to become reality and as recommended predominately be manned by non-media people.
The author is Head Catalyst, P1P2Solutions.
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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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