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Himanshu Shekhar, GM, MindShare Fulcrum, has decided to move on from the organisation after a stint of over seven years. No official comments were available at the time of filing the report. Details of his next destination were not known either. Sources close to the development informed that Shekhar had already put in his papers.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 25, 2008 8:00 AM
We live in a digital universe where there will be a gradual shift from multi-service networks to multi-network services. The future empires in the media will be empires of the mind. The consumer in this digital universe will be pulled in two directions.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 24, 2008 4:20 PM
The fate of the India region for the recently concluded Sony Corporation pitch for Asia is finally known. Unlike the decision taken for the region, where Mediaedge:cia has been awarded the media planning and buying mandate for the electronics major, in India the duties continue to be with Lintas Media Group (LMG). LMG defended and retained the Rs 100 crore plus business following a fresh pitch process in India.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 21, 2008 8:04 AM
The OMD growth story seems to be happening, for now, at the expense of MediaCom. VIP Undergarments, the flagship brand of Maxwell Industries, has shifted its duties from MediaCom to OMD. The account size is pegged in the vicinity of Rs 15 crore.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 18, 2008 7:49 AM
The differences between the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) seem to be finally put to rest. The IBF has decided to defer its resolution on imposing net rates on agencies for another two years. Following this, the draft agreement between the two bodies has been ratified and would be signed in a week’s time.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 17, 2008 8:23 AM
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has reasserted the ban on tobacco and liquor advertising done via the surrogate route, and the ban is effective from March 17, 2008. The broadcast industry is worried on two counts – the confusion regarding which brand advertising is considered surrogate and which is seen as genuine brand extension, and secondly, either ways, this means a blow to advertising revenues.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 17, 2008 8:22 AM
Media Content and Communications Services (MCCS) that airs the news channels Star News, Star Ananda and Star Majha, has finally decided on a CEO. The new man in the role will be Ashok Venkatramani, who comes in from Hindustan Unilever, where he is VP - Skincare.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 8, 2008 6:36 AM
Viacom18 has quickened the pace for launching its Hindi general entertainment channel, and the core team is in place already, with the exception of the marketing head. The latest senior appointment is that of Karthik Lakshminarayan, who comes in as Head of Business Planning and Strategy.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 5, 2008 7:03 AM
The broadcast media is set to see a new addition with Reliance ADAG planning to join the fray. Not only has the Group assigned the additional task of establishing the broadcast operations to Tarun Katial, COO, Big FM, appointments for the television venture have begun in all earnest. One of the first to join is Yogesh Manwani as Head of Marketing.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 5, 2008 7:03 AM
P&G India wrapped up the pitch process for its media business on March 3 and 4, 2008. It may be recalled that P&G had called for a media review after a period of seven years. Insiders informed that an unusual aspect of the pitch was that MediaCom and Madison might have joined hands to pitch for the business. The pitch may mean realignment of duties among P&G India’s roster agencies – Madison, Starcom, MediaCom and Carat.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 5, 2008 7:01 AM
The Union Budget 2008-09 has brought some positive news for the DTH industry. At present, there is zero duty on import of set-top boxes (STBs), and the Finance Minister has also removed duty on import of specified parts of STBs. Also, the broadcast and film industry has been finally given similar status as the IT sector, thus halving the duty on capital equipment to 5 per cent from 10 per cent.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 3, 2008 7:15 AM
Even as the Union Budget 2008-09 is being hailed as ‘populist’, the media and advertising industry has been ignored once again. The media and advertising industry is happy on some aspects, and at one level, at the derived benefits that the Union Budget 2008-09 presents. Apart from that, however, the Government has clearly lost another opportunity to support the advertising industry.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 3, 2008 7:14 AM
The Fedders Lloyd Corporation is facing problems due to default of payment of dues of Rs 1.62 crore to its former advertising agency Dentsu, and also non-payment to other industry organisations. Consequently, it is sorting out issues at the Allahabad High Court and also with industry bodies such as the IBF, AAAI and the INS. Until now, Fedders has not cleared its dues to anyone, and it would appear that this could create problems for JVC’s marketing in India, given the Fedders-JVC partnership here.
Noor Fathima Warsia Mar 3, 2008 7:12 AM
After a stint of over a year, Neel Chowdhury has decided to move on from Times Now. Chowdhury is serving his notice period and is slated to join Network18 as VP-Marketing for CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz from March 2008. Chowdhury would be working with Ajay Chacko, Director, TV18 Business Media.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 29, 2008 7:53 AM
Star Plus is very busy these days, and with the new properties that the channel has lined up, including on slots such as 8.30 pm, the channel would have an almost new look very soon. ‘Paanchvi Paas’, ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil’ are among some of the new names that the channel has planned.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 27, 2008 7:10 AM
The Hindi general entertainment genre is growing and the last week saw a difference of only 4GRPs between Zee TV and Star Plus. NDTV Imagine was in the No. 3 slot for yet another week. The genre has new things to talk about, but industry experts state that these changes are not growing the Hindi GEC genre per se.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 25, 2008 6:40 AM
TBWA\India has completed 10 years in India, and TBWA\International officials are especially pleased with the growth of the agency in the last year. TBWA is targeting similar growth in the year ahead, and Tequila is a clear area of focus in 2008, where TBWA is working towards a complete restructuring plan for the unit.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 21, 2008 6:43 AM
Madison Communications has been vocal in its intentions to expand in international markets, and the next market in the organisation’s radar is Sri Lanka. Madison Media is in the process of finalising details for launching an office in Colombo, and expects to commence operations there within a month.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 20, 2008 6:38 AM
Exemption from service tax, no custom duties on set-top boxes, occasional checks to control under-declaration by cable operators are some of the recommendations made by the IBF in its pre-Budget memorandum of the Indian broadcasting industry to the Finance Ministry.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 20, 2008 6:36 AM
STAR India, in association with BCCL and a South Korean company, is all set to test the waters in the home shopping business. Paritosh Joshi, President, Ad Sales and Distribution STAR India, is expected to move to this JV, with Kevin Vaz, EVP-Ad Sales, STAR India, now reporting directly to Uday Shankar, CEO, STAR India for the sales function.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 19, 2008 6:45 AM
The International Advertising Association (IAA) convenes its World Congress every two years, and this year the IAA World Congress will be held in Washington DC. This is IAA’s 41st World Congress and it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Association. The three-day Congress commences on April 7, 2008.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 19, 2008 6:41 AM
Chintamani Rao has joined Times Global Broadcasting Company Ltd as CEO, replacing Sunil Lulla, who was associated with the venture since its inception. Rao said that the challenge of a market leader was different and that he was already looking forward to the road ahead at Times Global, which also had a business news channel on the cards.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 18, 2008 6:58 AM
OMS has bagged the media duties of Disha Direct. The real estate marketing player, which currently has operations in Western India, is looking at a pan-India presence in addition to spreading its wings overseas. Santosh Naik, CEO, Disha Direct, said that his company had earmarked an ad budget of Rs 40 crore for the year ahead for this.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 18, 2008 6:54 AM
OMD India, which has just completed a year of operations, has won the media duties of financial player Motilal Oswal Group. No pitch process preceded the development. The incumbent on the business was MediaCom. The ad spends of the business is pegged upwards of Rs 10 crore.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 15, 2008 6:59 AM
Television in India has several bodies representing various domains and interests of players in the business. Perhaps one of the early ones to recognise the need for a united industry voice for production houses and television executives was the Indian Television Academy (ITA). The Academy has several initiatives up its sleeve to bring the content creation industry together and discuss issues that face it.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 14, 2008 6:48 AM
NDTV Imagine’s strategy to place ‘Ramayan’ in its daily weekday primetime block was seen as a gamble by many, and at least the first two weeks’ ratings show that the gamble has paid off. Now Ekta Kapoor is in the process of making ‘Mahabharat’, which would air on 9X. Bobby Bedi, too, is working on the epic ‘Mahabharat’, however, the channel for that is not known yet. The love of God is indeed showing in Hindi GECs.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 14, 2008 6:47 AM
NDTV Imagine is geared up to add more brands to its fold, and its partnership with NBC Universal is playing a key role in achieving this objective. Not only are new channels from NBCU earmarked for launch in India soon, NDTV Imagine is also considering brands from Sparrowhawk and Oxygen Media, which come to NBCU by acquisition, for India.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 13, 2008 6:53 AM
Sunil Lulla, who is transitioning from his current role as CEO of Times Global Broadcasting Company Ltd, is set to join Alva Brothers as Director on the Board of three of its companies – the holding company of Alva Brothers, Miditech Pvt Ltd and the soon-to-be-launched general entertainment broadcasting network with Turner International. On March 1, 2008, Lulla will additionally take on the role of Group CEO across the Alva Brothers group and its subsidiaries.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 12, 2008 6:49 AM
Though only two weeks of ratings for NDTV Imagine are here, the channel has lived up to industry expectations – and caution – of retaining and growing its ratings. This week, the channel has clocked 87 GRPs, and with this, it is the clear No. 3 channel in the Hindi general entertainment genre, at least for the latest TAM week.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 11, 2008 7:07 AM
Aegis Media has seen senior level changes in India and South Asia, and on the face of it, it would appear that the agency needs immediate attention for India. Patrick Stahle, CEO, Aegis Media, Asia Pacific, however, asserts that India operations are on track and that under the new management, headed by P V Narayanamoorthy, the organisation has marked 2008 as the deadline to re-launch Posterscope and launch Isobar in this market, and to work towards doubling Carat India revenues.
Noor Fathima Warsia Feb 11, 2008 7:06 AM
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