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<ul><li>Viewers connect with characters who are becoming increasingly stronger than them following a story.</li><li>Today, there is more affinity towards characters and how they evolve and grow and be a part of a story that viewers follow instead.</li><li><keyword id="9948836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="simran-hoon" source="Orion">Simran Hoon</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="6063565" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-q" source="Orion">The Q</keyword> writes how the content consumption patterns are changing in the media landscape and why consumers are demanding better stories.</li></ul>For 210mn TV viewing households in India, television continues to be a medium of entertainment and also a source of credible news and information. Historically, <keyword id="905070" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindi-gecs" source="Orion">Hindi GECs</keyword> have built themselves on content that circles around family drama, mythology, the supernatural, crime fiction and reality entertainment. A strong robust content supply chain ensured that viewers consumed what was on offer. However, with a wide range of content becoming increasingly available on demand at a competitive price, viewers becoming more aware, and the impact of COVID-19, viewers now hold the power to command and demand for content as per their wants and preferences. Viewers globally are thirsting for content that is inclusive, unique, fresh in format, relevant and relatable. They want to consume content that is a reflection of the outside world; a reflection of their lives. And while there will always be an audience for family dramas and soaps that run on TV for decades, there already is a visible shift in consumption and viewership patterns wherein viewers are looking for more from Hindi GECs. Following are a few trends that showcase change in consumption patterns and viewers’ appetite to experiment and taste new formats and mediums: Characters over stories Viewers connect with characters who are becoming increasingly stronger than them following a story. Today, there is more affinity towards characters and how they evolve and grow and be a part of a story that viewers follow instead. Viewers have learned to root for a particular character as opposed to how they would want to see a story unfold. For instance, chronicles of historic figures win over viewers' interest because of the character and how they evolved. It is a journey of a character that a viewer now follows and sometimes even lives. So characters have become dinner table conversations over the story. Short format content The pandemic changed consumption patterns and altered preferences. Short form content, the likes of sketch comedies, et al are formats that one, including marketers and broadcasters’ would perceive to be digital friendly only. However, short format shows curated from the digital ecosystem with digital talent have been fast selling even on TV. Short episodic shows have great stickiness with viewers given how labile viewer attention span is. Animation on a Hindi GEC Globally, animated motion graphics targeting an older set of audience are at peak popularity; but would one dare to even think of how such content would be received on a Hindi GEC if offered to a non-kid audience demographic? Typically, <keyword id="62876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-television" source="Orion">Indian television</keyword> hasn’t been a witness to animated motion work stories and the lockdown was indeed a great period for this litmus test given that shoots had to be paused. Although generalized as content for kids, shows like Akbar Birbal, Vikram Betal, Panchatantra stories in their animated form received great success indicating that the Indian viewer is more than ready for animated content. Well-timed content Relevant well-timed content received its due credit over the last couple of years owing to the pandemic. The demand for spiritual and mytho content spiked during the early phase of the lockdown. Viewers were looking for content that was reassuring in the most uncertain period. This was followed by a surge in consumption of light-hearted and humorous content as it proved to be an escape route for an audience that was stuck indoors. Essentially, there is always a market for well-timed purposeful content irrespective of its genre. For instance, Pani Puri was one of the most searched recipes in India during April 2020 according to Google. Diversification of content with new formats, unexplored genres, etc. are crucial in ensuring viewer loyalty and love. The success for a Hindi GEC is no longer defined by how long a show airs on television today or who is the face of a show. Viewers have evolved and are upbeat and acceptable of content with fresh faces, stories and story-telling formats. As programming teams are faced with new age challenges, breaking away from stereotypical benchmarks is a need of the hour.

India's General Entertainment Channel's story moving on from soaps and dramas

<ul><li>SUN TV Network to launch its refreshed Marathi General Entertainment Channel <keyword id="12005994" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="sun-marathi" source="Orion">SUN Marathi</keyword>.</li><li>The channel has announced 3 hours of original programming.</li></ul>Viewers of Marathi television space are up for a great treat this festive season as Sun TV Network Limited has launched its refreshed Marathi GEC ‘SUN Marathi’ on 17th October across Maharashtra. The channel’s Tagline is ‘Sohala Natyancha’ which translates to ‘Celebrating relationships’. Staying true to its tagline, the channel has announced 3 hours of original programming with 6 shows starting from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. Each of these shows explore unique relations in its storyline. The shows announced are ‘Nandini’ at 6.30 pm, ‘Sundari’ at 7 pm, ‘Jaau nako dur..baba!’ at 7.30 pm, ‘Abhalachi Maya’ at 8 pm , ‘Kanyadaan’ at 8.30 pm and ‘Sant <keyword id="12332032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gajanan-shegaviche" source="Orion">Gajanan Shegaviche</keyword>’ at 9 pm. The channel is not only bringing this stellar lineup of shows to its viewers, but has also announced ‘Bagha Roj Jinka Rokh’ (Watch Daily, Win Cash) contest which every day offers an opportunity for more than 1,000 viewers to win up to 2 crores in cash prize from Dusshera to Diwali. Every day during the contest period, one question will be asked in each of the six shows and viewers will have to give a missed call to register their answers on the numbers provided. The stories of the shows take place in different regions of Maharashtra. By virtue of this diversity, these shows reflect the lifestyle and culture of both Urban and Rural Maharashtra. Maharashtrians have always been aspirational, progressive and inspirational in outlook and yet rooted in cultural and social values. Through the channel we aim to reflect the same cultural values. Right from the launch phase, Sun Marathi has ensured a perfect blend of experienced and popular actors such as Avinash Narkar, Rujuta Deshmukh, Ashok Phaldesai, Aastad kale, Amit Phatak and Ashay Kulkarni along with new promising faces such as <keyword id="12332031" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="purva-gokhle" source="Orion">Purva Gokhle</keyword>, Dakshata Joil, Arti Birajdar, Amruta Bane and Anisha Sabnis.

SUN TV Network launches Marathi General Entertainment Channel, SUN Marathi

<ul><li><keyword id="9139921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-TV">Shemaroo TV</keyword> will target the Hindi-speaking markets of India and will aim to connect, interact, and reach out to families who are continuously looking to adapt to new changes. </li><li>The channel will go live on May 1.</li><li><keyword id="203890" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-Entertainment">Shemaroo Entertainment</keyword> will market its new offering primarily on TV and Digital.</li></ul>Shemaroo Entertainment has announced the launch of a free-to-air (FTA) Hindi general entertainment channel, Shemaroo TV on May 1. Shemaroo TV will target the Hindi-speaking markets of India and will aim to connect, interact, and reach out to families who are continuously looking to adapt to new changes. The channel will come up with a mix of originals and iconic shows, which will be consumed for the first time by a broad set of FTA audiences. The channel will be available to audiences on all major DTH operators and cable networks. Speaking about the company's entry into the TV segment, <keyword id="207966" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiren-Gada">Hiren Gada</keyword>, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment said, "There is a large audience hungry for content on FTA channels. Its a largely under-served market and a huge demand for content. The content of Shemaroo is spread across different verticals through which we maintain a healthy relationship with viewers and advertisers equally. While we manage large digital platforms, entering into the broadcasting space will help us with reach and enable us to build a stronger affinity with the audiences. With the launch of our flagship channel, Shemaroo TV, we are excited to strengthen our presence in the industry and deliver our promise of entertaining the Indian audiences." While the current lockdown will mean Shemaroo will not be able to market the new offering in the usual manner, they are going big on TV and Digital. They will also partner with 'like-minded brands' spread across Digital, TV and media, shared <keyword id="32440" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-mishra">Rahul Mishra</keyword> , Head Marketing and Communications, Shemaroo Entertainment. "The idea is to reach out to audiences through each other's strengths in this tough situation," added Mishra. <keyword id="276655" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sandeep-Gupta">Sandeep Gupta</keyword>, COO - Broadcast Business, Shemaroo Entertainment added, "If we see the current TV space and particularly the Free To Air space, there is large consumption of content but with less variety of shows and genres. Shemaroo TV will be enhancing the entertainment needs of the Indian audiences by its vast offerings of iconic shows, alongwith original shows across various genres. We have worked extensively to understand the needs of our consumers and have sharpened our insights based on what will appeal to them. Shemaroo TV will have an extensive reach and we aim to become one of the most popular destinations in the Free To Air General entertainment space."

Shemaroo Entertainment announces the launch of Hindi Entertainment FTA channel, Shemaroo TV

The <keyword id="1281307" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ministry-for-Home-Affairs">Ministry for Home Affairs</keyword> has denied security clearance to 33 TV channels of the Sun Group, owing to 'economic security' reasons. It may reconsider its verdict only in case of an ownership change, or if the current board of Directors is dissolved. 
 
While the company has applied for extension of its licenses, and they certainly won’t go off air immediately, the Rs. 2,290 Crore Sun TV stock crash has left many unsettled about the general health of entertainment channels in India. 
 
After all, India has a vibrant and robust audience for entertainment channels. Among the 830 plus channels now live, around half are divided into entertainment and pseudo entertainment. So is there reason to worry? 
 
“National channels are doing fairly well. Ad revenue is on the rise, the economy is looking robust, and media spending is coming back. However, the market is accruing towards 4 or 5 top players. The lower rung is getting squeezed”, Jehil Thakkar, Head of Media and Entertainment, KPMG India says. 
 
India is touted as a ripe ground for entertainment. But is there an over-saturation of entertainment channels like many believe? 
 
“Entertainment channels in major media markets like the US, UK or Japan address very specific demographic niches. We aren’t there yet, and this is majorly because of our distribution infrastructure. Once that matures, and digitization is complete, we can expect further growth”, Thakkar says. 
 
So is the market creating hindrances for new TV channels which might not be able to match up to the might of the big sharks? 
 
Most industry experts believe there’s still a lot of headroom for growth in the Indian market given one is able to garner distribution, and have ad money pouring in. 
 
Sun TV was unavailable for comment. 
 
(Image credit: Indiatimes)

State of TV Channels in India #SunTVAftermath

New Delhi, Nov 28 () Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries on Thursday denied reports of selling its news media business to Times Group.
Bloomberg early on Thursday reported that Ambani "is in talks to sell his news media assets to India's Times Group, as Asia's richest man plans to unload a business that's been losing money".
"Reliance Industries firmly denies (the) story. The story is baseless and false," a company spokesperson said.
The report had quoted people familiar with the matter to say that Bennett Coleman &amp; Co, the publisher of the Times of India, is looking to hire advisers for due diligence on the news properties of Ambani's Network18 Media &amp; Investments Ltd.
Bennett Coleman's spokesperson couldn't be immediately reached for comments.
Reliance had in 2014 bought Network18, which owns and operates 56 local channels spanning news and entertainment, for up to Rs 4,000 crore.
Network18 owns TV channels (including CNBCTV18, CNN-IBN, CNN Awaz), websites (firstpost.com, moneycontrol.com), magazines (including the license for Forbes India), entertainment channel (Colors and MTV) among other businesses.
Unlisted Bennett Coleman, also known as the Times Group, already has two news channels -- Times Now (for general news) and ET Now (the business news channel) which compete with Network18's general news channel News18 and business news channel CNBCTV18.
TV18 Broadcast Ltd - the BSE-listed firm that houses the news channels - has a market cap of about Rs 4,100 crore. Promoters hold 60.40 per cent interest in the company which had in the July-September quarter reported a net loss of Rs 1.03 crore. It had a profit of Rs 8.5 crore in 2018-19 fiscal.
Last month, Reliance in its consolidated earnings statement for the July-September quarter reported a Rs 47 crore pre-tax profit from its media business on a revenue of Rs 1,174 crore.
"Robust 43 per cent growth in subscription income post-implementation of new tariff order (NTO) was offset by a weak advertising environment," it had said. "News portfolio solidified its leadership with a 10.9 per cent viewership share. Broad-based cost optimizations led to Entertainment Business-as-usual (BAU) margins rising to 12.9 per cent, vs 9.9 per cent in 2Q FY19." PRS ANZ BAL

Reliance denies selling news media biz to Times Group, says reports false, baseless

<ul><li>The deal, announced in September last year, has received the <keyword id="139820" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="competition-commission" source="Orion">Competition Commission</keyword> of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s nod. </li><li>The deal remains subject to applicable regulatory and other approvals, <keyword id="353090" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zeel" source="Orion">ZEEL</keyword> said.</li><li>The combined entity will own over 70 TV channels, 2 video streaming services (ZEE5 and <keyword id="6358540" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="sony" source="Orion">Sony</keyword> LIV) and two film studios (<keyword id="3415325" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zee-studios" source="Orion">Zee Studios</keyword> and Sony Pictures Films India). </li></ul> The Competition Commission on Tuesday gave its conditional approval to the mega-merger deal between Sony and <keyword id="6372205" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zee" source="Orion">Zee</keyword> that will create one of the largest media groups in the country. The deal, announced in September last year, has received the Competition Commission of India's nod after the regulator accepted "voluntary remedies" proposed by the parties, sources close to the development said. In a tweet, the watchdog said it has cleared the deal with certain modifications. CCI said it has approved the "amalgamation of <keyword id="1417408" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zee-entertainment-enterprises-limited" source="Orion">Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited</keyword> (ZEEL) and Bangla Entertainment Private Limited (BEPL) with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (<keyword id="55015" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cme" source="Orion">CME</keyword>), with certain modifications". Details about the proposed modifications could not be immediately ascertained. CCI had issued show cause notices to the parties after it initially concluded that the deal could have an adverse impact on competition, the sources said. Subsequently, the parties proposed voluntary remedies, which have been accepted by the regulator, they added. ZEEL said CCI has granted the approval in phase-1 after evaluating the official legal and economic submissions made by the company. Most of the deals get cleared by CCI in phase-1 and only if there are serious concerns then the deal concerned is put up for public scrutiny under phase 2. "Considering the immense value which the proposed merger will generate for all its stakeholders, the company has offered the necessary remedies in accordance with the regulator's guidelines," ZEEL said, adding that further details are awaited. On September 7, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had advised the company to convene and conduct the meeting with its shareholders on October 14 to seek their approval for the proposed merger. The deal remains subject to applicable regulatory and other approvals, ZEEL said. In a separate statement, Sony Pictures Networks India said it is delighted to receive CCI approval for the merger. "We will now await remaining regulatory approvals to finally launch the new merged company. The merged company will create extraordinary value for Indian consumers and eventually lead the consumer transition from traditional pay TV into the digital future," it said. Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited was earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd. Deals beyond certain thresholds require the approval of CCI, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices and also promotes fair competition in the marketplace. Both parties had entered into a definitive agreement for the deal in December last year and the proposed merger has already received approval from stock exchanges NSE and BSE. ZEEL, in September 2021, said it has entered into a non-binding term sheet with SPNI to bring together their linear networks, digital assets, production operations and programme libraries. The combined entity will own over 70 TV channels, 2 video streaming services (ZEE5 and Sony LIV) and two film studios (Zee Studios and Sony Pictures Films India), making it the largest entertainment network in India, ZEEL said in September last year. Under the deal, there will be amalgamation of ZEE and BEPL with CME. Besides, preferential allotment of certain shares will be made by CME to Sunbright International Holdings Limited, earlier known as Essel Holdings Limited, and Sunbright Mauritius Investments Limited, according to a release issued by CCI. CME is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation (SGC). CME has several general entertainment channels, film, sports and kids' entertainment channels in India. SonyLIV is CME's digital entertainment video service which provides OTT services in India and international markets. CME reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in 167 countries. BEPL is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of SGC and a part of the SGC Group. It is broadly engaged in the acquisition of rights for motion pictures, events and other TV cont ent; and in generating advertising revenue from the telecast of TV content. ZEE is a media and entertainment company, with presence across the segments of broadcasting, digital content, movies, music and live entertainment, spread over 190 countries, as per the release. ZEE5 is the company's digital entertainment video service which provides OTT services in India and international markets. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-to-begin-beta-trial-of-5g-in-four-cities-on-dussehra-with-unlimited-data/articleshow/94645577.cms">Reliance Jio to begin beta trial of 5G in four cities on Dussehra with unlimited data</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/with-950-billionaires-asia-outnumbers-all-other-regions-forbes/articleshow/94644883.cms">With 950 billionaires, Asia outnumbers all other regions: Forbes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/15-ott-releases-to-watch-this-festive-season-starring-madhuri-dixit-hasan-minhaj-and-more/articleshow/94640843.cms">15 OTT releases to watch this festive season starring Madhuri Dixit, Hasan Minhaj and more</a>

Competition Commission gives conditional approval to Sony-Zee merger deal

Had it been 2010 or 2012, TV shows like Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaage, Jaat Ki Jugni, Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh, Piyaji, Nach Baliye 8 would have never dared to open their seasons in mid April. No the high level of mercury or power cuts isn’t the reason for it. These shows had one common competition – the <keyword id="18413" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-premiere-league">Indian Premiere League</keyword> (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>). Move to 2017, things are quite under control. Even as the IPL series has just kicked off with loaded excitements, new shows are coming up almost every week. 
 
In fact the change started reflecting since 2013, much to the relief of the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vivo-ipl-2017-injury-is-the-main-concern-for-todays-delhidaredevils/articleshow/58078710.cms"> TV producers</a>. While the average <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vivo-ipl-2017-injury-is-the-main-concern-for-todays-delhidaredevils/articleshow/58078710.cms">TVR rating </a>was 4.64 in 2012, it went down to 3.8 in 2013. In 2016, TVR of IPL series was around 3.5. 
 While IPL is one of the biggest events in small screens in India, new strategies <keyword id="1498175" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-entertainment-channel">General Entertainment Channel</keyword> (<keyword id="264938" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GEC">GEC</keyword>) have ensured<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vivo-ipl-2017-injury-is-the-main-concern-for-todays-delhidaredevils/articleshow/58078710.cms"> TV soaps </a>are not affected. 
 
Here’s how it is done: 
 
Repeat telecasts The afternoon telecast of most popular TV series is a popular strategy to make sure viewers can watch it at the slots of their choice. Channels like <keyword id="14750" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAB-TV">Sab TV</keyword> telecasts popular shows like <keyword id="1628580" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tarak-Mehta-Ka-Ulta-Chasma">Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chasma</keyword> almost every alternate hour. 
 
Afternoon telecasts 
The afternoons are a perfect time for homemakers who love keeping themselves entertained in the afternoons. So houses with single television set hogs onto IPL in the evening and daily soaps during afternoons. 
 
“We are launching new content in afternoon slot with varied storylines and different backgrounds that will strike a chord with viewers in that time-band around IPL so that new shows cater to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vivo-ipl-2017-injury-is-the-main-concern-for-todays-delhidaredevils/articleshow/58078710.cms">right audience</a> at right time band," <keyword id="28971" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaurav-banerjee">Gaurav Banerjee</keyword>, president and head of content studio of a leading Hindi GEC told The Times of India. 
 
Apps help too 
It is a common argument in a middle class Indian household as in which show to watch. While homemaker mothers prefer TV soaps, father wants to watch news and children want sports or movies. At such a juncture, the smartphone penetration in India has saved the GECs. With apps like Hotstar streaming the IPL matches live, most<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vivo-ipl-2017-injury-is-the-main-concern-for-todays-delhidaredevils/articleshow/58078710.cms"> youngsters</a> prefer not to bother their mothers and instead stick to mobiles. 
 
(Image: India Times)

IPL series don’t bother the TV producers with viewership threats anymore . Here's why

<ul><li>The year 2020 has been one of turbulence and disruption that will have a far-reaching impact on consumer behaviour.</li><li><keyword id="1530230" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Markand-Adhikari">Markand Adhikari</keyword>, Chairman and Managing Director, <keyword id="3517320" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="sab-group">SAB Group</keyword> writes how the year drawing to a close will change the <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> and entertainment industry.</li></ul>The year that is drawing to a close has changed the world forever. For each of us, life is going to be marked in two periods - ‘<keyword id="9311631" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-covid">pre-COVID</keyword>’ era and ‘post-COVID’ era. After the Spanish Flu of 1918, the world had forgotten pandemics and when one broke out, we were not prepared at all. As lockdowns and mobility restrictions came into force to counter the spread of the virus, various sectors were forced to hastily work out their business continuity plans. The only solace was that the <keyword id="50691" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital">digital</keyword> connectivity had matured enough in recent years to keep life going amid shutdown. Thus, many sectors could figure out ways to ensure continuity. Remote learning and continued education is one example. The other is, of course, the entertainment and media sector, which, like any other business, has also faced unprecedented turbulence in 2020. COVID-19 Impact on Media and Entertainment Industry Television channels, as utility service, had to go on, and their viewership witnessed a spike, as people were largely confined to their homes and the TV set (or the mobile phone screen) was their only point of contact with the outside world, and thus the only source of news as well as diversion. The consumption of content, thus, increased greatly. Unfortunately, this did not result in a similar increase in revenue. This is ironic. With the overall economy taking a hit, there were wage cuts and job losses, reducing the overall purchasing power of consumers. As a result, their spending was restricted to the most essential items alone which means that at least during the period of the extended lockdown, from April to early July, there was no point in any marketing activities, including advertising. Thus, while viewership increased, content consumption increased, for entertainment and media industry expenses increased, but its revenues hit rock bottom. As the lockdown was gradually lifted, restrictions were eased and life began to limp back to normality in July, the revenue streams started picking up again – though very slowly. Further, with the onset of the festive season, general entertainment channels reached pre-COVID levels in terms of revenue, but most niche channels have not yet reached the same point. However, one big exception has been the news segment: for obvious reasons, news channels have benefitted from the lockdown because more and more people turned to them more and more often for updates on the coronavirus and lockdown measures. Post COVID-19 Media and Entertainment Industry As the world adjusts to a new normal, consumer behaviour is rapidly evolving. There is ever-increasing demand for at-home digital media like OTT platforms which are now expanding to new demographics and locations. This will continue to magnify post-COVID. Further, even once the crisis subsides; it would take some time for consumers to adopt external consumptions models again. Therefore, technological advancements would play a pivotal role in bringing outdoor entertainment directly to consumers at their home. The future is digital. We will not just see the addition of new users but also increasing the retainership of existing digital consumers. Online gaming consumption and demand for OTT originals is only going to increase as technological advances greatly aid them. The best part is that their model is subscription-driven and not dependent upon advertisers. Though television is very much here to stay, OTT is going to gain a lot of traction in the mid-term. Further, the dependency of M&amp;E companies on technology will likely increase to leverage cost-efficiency and create revenue enhancement opportunities. As monetisation and revenue in terms of ad-spend, continues to grapple, profit protection and cash management with greater technology integration will gain strategic significance for M&amp;E companies. The industry is likely to remain focused on sustenance at current levels along with a renewed emphasis on flexibility which would accelerate the move to a variable cost model and reduced fixed costs. While the long-term implications of COVID-19 are yet to emerge, the above mentioned developments will likely come into focus in the M&amp;E industry as the post-COVID reality becomes clearer. Summing Up! If we take a long-term view, COVID-19 has put the world behind by at least two to three years, and returning to the normal will take as much time. Moreover, it may not be normal as earlier, but a ‘new normal’. A year is a long time, and many fears and many habits have become a part of us, and it will be difficult to dislodge them for long. Many people may continue taking precautions even after successful administration of the vaccine, which will further impact consumer decisions and behaviour.

The Media and Entertainment industry post Covid-19: The best and worst of times

<ul><li><keyword id="397085" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Broadcast-Audience-Research-Council">Broadcast Audience Research Council</keyword>, (<keyword id="65298" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BARC">BARC</keyword>) India launched the third edition of its yearbook titled The Year After Two Thousand &amp; Nineteen.</li><li>It revealed that TV viewership grew by 9% in India in 2020.</li><li>Non-Prime Time (NPT) Viewership for General Entertainment Channels (GEC), News and Kids, grew by 16%, 26% and 31% respectively in 2020 compared to 2019.</li></ul>Broadcast Audience Research Council, (BARC) India in the third edition of its yearbook titled The Year After Two Thousand &amp; Nineteen revealed that the total TV viewership in India grew by 9% in 2020. It also revealed that ad volumes grew by 34% in the 2nd half of the year compared to the 1st half. The Yearbook offers insights and data on 'What India Watched' in 2020 along with trends across the pandemic struck months with a special focus on four distinct phases, viz., Pre-COVID, COVID: During Lockdown, COVID: Unlock, and Year Ender. COVID-19 forced people to stay confined to their homes starting March 25, 2020. The lockdown made viewers turn to their favourite mode of entertainment and news – Television. TV played a significant role in keeping people connected with the outside world during the lockdown. Consequently, TV Viewership witnessed a growth of 23% during Mid-March to June (Week 11-26) as compared to the January to early March period (Week 1-10). Commenting on the launch of the YEARBOOK, <keyword id="217320" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Lulla">Sunil Lulla</keyword>, Chief Executive Officer, <keyword id="2801660" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BARC-India">BARC India</keyword>, says, “The year was a consolidation and reaffirmation year for television in India. It was marked by a substantial increase in TV viewership with total TV growing by 9% and Ad Volumes experiencing a staggering growth of 34% in the second half. 2020 reaffirmed the strength of television as a medium in India amongst both viewers and advertisers, proving TV is indeed the screen of choice for the household. TV continues to grow with regional markets gaining prominence. BARC India will continue to work towards our vision, to always be the trusted source of authentic measurement and reporting of “What India Watches’”. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Highlights from What India Watched in 'The Year After Two Thousand &amp; Nineteen'" text="Highlights from What India Watched in 'The Year After Two Thousand &amp; Nineteen'">Highlights from What India Watched in 'The Year After Two Thousand &amp; Nineteen'</cmsannotation> <ul><li> Non-Prime Time (NPT) Viewership for General Entertainment Channels (GEC), News and Kids, grew by 16%, 26% and 31% respectively in 2020 compared to 2019.</li><li> Ad Volumes grew by 34% in 2nd half of 2020 compared to 1st half of 2020.</li><li> Top 10 Advertising sectors contributed 80% to Total Ad Volumes in 2020</li><li> Communication by the Government was on an upsurge during lockdown. Ad volumes for government messaging grew by 184% (2.7 times) during Apr-June 2020 compared to same period in 2019.</li><li> Mythological Classics like <keyword id="6373819" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ramayan">Ramayan</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="6366669" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mahabharat">Mahabharat</keyword> made a comeback on our TV screens, Week 13, 2020 onwards. Ramayana now holds the record of the most watched TV program in the world!</li><li> Driven by the classics, advertisers placed their bets on DD’s GECs during lockdown. Ad Volumes for DD’s GECs grew by 62% in Apr-June quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.</li><li> IPL-13 viewership grew by 23% compared to IPL-12 with 400 billion Total Viewing Minutes.</li><li> The Opening match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Abu Dhabi, was the most viewed with 11.2 billion viewing minutes.</li></ul>

TV viewership in India grew by 9% in 2020: BARC

<ul><li><keyword id="17942" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sony-Entertainment-Television">Sony Entertainment Television</keyword> was launched on October 8, 1995.</li><li>From one channel, they have became a 24-channel network with a digital OTT service SonyLIV, a film production arm, <keyword id="10077323" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="spn-productions">SPN Productions</keyword>, and a content creation studio, Studio NEXT.</li><li><keyword id="305969" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="NP-Singh">NP Singh</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO, SPN writes a letter celebrating SPN's important milestone in the last 25 years.</li></ul>SPN@25: <keyword id="10077324" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="creating-impact-with-purpose">Creating Impact with Purpose</keyword> NP Singh, MD &amp; CEO, SPN In the early 1990’s the Indian broadcast industry was in its infancy. When the government opened the country’s airwaves in 1991, a few visionaries seized the opportunity. One of these was Sony, known mainly for its massive consumer electronics business and Hollywood studios. They entered the Indian market on October 8, 1995, with the launch of a Hindi entertainment channel, Sony Entertainment Television. From one channel, bit by bit, we became a 24-channel network with a digital OTT service SonyLIV, a film production arm, SPN Productions, and a content creation studio, Studio NEXT. The company has steadily grown over the years to an employee count of around 1200, with its services available across 167 countries and reaching over 700 million viewers. Today, Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), with aggressive growth demonstrated in the last few years, is among the top entertainment and sports networks in the country, recognized as an employer of choice within and outside the media fraternity. Thinking back, the strategy from the start has not only revolved around running a successful business but also creating impact for all stakeholders coupled with the intent of building a brand known for innovative content. It is my firm belief, doing things only for the sake of doing, inevitably leads to stagnancy than success. Impact is a true measure of organizational vision. When one talks about creating impact there is no better example than the bold bet on the IPL. This was uncharted territory in 2007 when cricket leagues were unheard of. We invested in it when there were hardly any believers and molded it into one of the most valuable <keyword id="5666248" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sports-Entertainment">sports entertainment</keyword> properties in the country. Rest, as they say, is history. Creating category firsts over the years stands out when I look back. After the launch of SET in 1995 came the launch of Sony MAX in 1999. It was a one of its kind channel that offered to our viewers blockbuster Hindi movies, cricket and special events. This created a unique and unparalleled three-pronged channel identity which has not been replicated since. Challenging the status quo has always been in SPN’s DNA. Some of the India’s most iconic entertainment properties that have stood the test of time have been from the SPN stable. We have pioneered many a trend in the market and are immensely proud of it. I am also gratified that SPN has always observed fiscal discipline. This has been a key reason for our success in a highly competitive space. We have invested where we expected a strong strategic and economic value and exited from properties which appeared unviable over the longer term. In the last 25 years, we have only invested where we knew there was a clear ROI. Acquiring SAB took our entertainment business to another level, giving us a strong market share of <keyword id="9473540" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindi-general-entertainment">Hindi general entertainment</keyword>. We acquired TEN Sports to further strengthen our place in sports entertainment and that too worked well for us. Another acquisition that has worked really well is Sony Aath. We took our time to launch a kid’s channel, Sony YAY! The new channel had to come up with a unique proposition in a cluttered category, and it did so through homegrown content; again, a category first. Our foray into the regional language space with the recent launch of Sony Marathi shows great promise. We have had a fair share of challenges but have always taken them head-on. Through rigorous focus, our flagship channel SET has been turned around and now, is a torchbearer for relevant, progressive content. Presently, our footprint pervades the categories and genres of English, regional and factual entertainment besides Hindi entertainment, sports and movies. Societal reflections have been delicately portrayed in our movies; be it the story of a legendary mathematician (Shakuntala) or an inspirational hockey star (Soorma) or the fun side of arranged marriages (Mubarakan) and father-daughter relationships (Piku).Truly, film productions under our banner have left lasting impressions. We realised early on that digital needed to be the cornerstone of our strategy. In 2013, SPN became the first broadcaster in the country to launch an OTT platform. For all practical purposes, SonyLIV was like a start-up in an established organization and this came with its own set of challenges. But today, SonyLIV in its refreshed avatar, with its emphasis on premium original web series, live sports, global content, movies in multiple languages and popular entertainment content from our linear business, is among the most watched OTT platforms in India. I am very confident of its bright future. What also served SPN well has been valuing its partnerships with content creators, top talent, distribution platforms, advertisers and advertising agencies, media, vendors, employees and other stakeholders. Whether distribution or advertising, our partnership approach has been fortified by our “Solutions at any cost” philosophy. We have forged a strong partnership with BBC Worldwide to launch a very successful premium factual entertainment channel, Sony BBC Earth. Our long-standing partnerships with some of the biggest names in the world of sport including WWE, NBA, Cricket Australia, ECB and Sri Lanka Cricket, bring live content to our viewers in India. One can go on and on about SPN’s achievements. But it is more important to understand that at the end of the day, an organisation is only as good as its people. It is a matter of pride that we have cultivated an empowering workplace culture, standing tall on the tenets of consumer centricity, innovation, collaboration and diversity; recognised by the industry as one of India’s Great Places to Work. Our workplace ethos encourages larger participation of women at all levels of the organisation and we are considered one of the best places to work for women. Through our D&amp;l vision – Bring Your Own Self (BYOS), we seek for everyone to lead with humility and bring their individuality, their uniqueness, to work every single day. Focused on inclusive workplace practices, we envision a company where in the next five years, 50% of our workforce will be women, people with disabilities or from the LGBT+ community. Our social programmes under the aegis of ‘Ek India Happywala’ have given a purpose to many in society. Rooted in the pillars of education, environment and empowerment, we are working across sectors to create societal impact. From educating the girl child, supporting rural communities, teaching music at prisons, encouraging and arranging sports for the blind and the homeless to providing relief to the daily wage earners of our industry during the ongoing pandemic, SPN continuously endeavours to enable a happier India. It’s been an eventful journey of 25 years and we have come a long way. We will continue to go all out and live up to our corporate ethos of ‘Go-Beyond’, not just in name but in action and spirit. Only time will tell the shape and form the forward journey might take, be it through entering new categories, exploring new markets, innovating through new content formats, etc. One thing I am certain of, now and in years to come, when people close their eyes and think of India’s media and entertainment industry, Sony Pictures Networks will always be among the first names to come to mind. In closing, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for being a guiding ally in our journey. You have had an important role to play in the success of SPN and I fold my hands in gratitude. Thank You! #BondsThatGoBeyond NP Singh

As Sony Pictures Networks India completes 25 years, NP Singh writes a letter celebrating its journey so far

New Delhi, Jan 7 () Trai's amendments to the new regulatory framework for cable and broadcasting services could potentially lower DTH/cable bills by up to 14 per cent from the present levels, rating agency Icra said on Tuesday.
 Last week, the broadcast regulator amended the new regulatory framework for cable and broadcasting services under which cable TV users will be able to access more channels at lower subscription price. These changes come into effect from March 1.
 The regulator capped at Rs 160 the amount consumers will have to pay monthly for all free to air channels, and reduced the maximum Network Capacity Fee (NCF) to Rs 130 (excluding taxes) for 200 channels.
 "These changes in tariff could potentially lower the direct-to-home (DTH)/cable bills of the subscribers by up to 14 per cent from the present levels and encourage subscribers to exercise their right to choose and opt for a-la-carte channels," Icra said in a statement.
 It noted that the tariff order of 2017 had aimed at giving the subscribers their right to choose by mandating the broadcasters to declare the nature of channels as free to air (FTA) or pay channel as well as declare a-la-carte pricing of all channels.
 "However, contrary to Trai's expectations, given the high channel pricing of popular general entertainment channels (GECs) and sports channels (with 66 of the 330 existing pay channels being priced at ceiling rate of Rs 19 per month), the very purpose of the tariff order was defeated, resulting in up to 23 per cent surge in bills for subscribers (as per Icra's estimates) and continued dominance of bouquets in the subscription patterns," it added.
 Sakshi Suneja, Assistant Vice President at Icra, said after the recent changes in tariff, the prices of popular GECs and sports channels are expected to reduce from Rs 19 per month to Rs 12 per month, given the revised ceiling rates for a-la-carte channels, to be included in bouquets.
 She added that the amendments also seek to improve the attractiveness of a-la-carte channels by reducing discounts that can be offered on bouquet pricing to 33 per cent (vis-a-vis a-la-carte prices, from the existing average levels of discounts of 40-54 per cent), as well as through introduction of two new conditions.
 "Icra does not expect the bouquet prices to increase, though the channel offerings under the bouquet are expected to reduce. While an earlier bouquet price of Rs 349 included 81 pay channels, the same is now expected to fetch only 51 pay channels. However, the same should not adversely impact the subscribers, as their viewing is largely restricted to few popular channels," she said.
 Kinjal Shah, Vice President at Icra, said the recent amendments will adversely impact revenues of broadcasters.
 Shah explained that the subscription revenues are expected to reduce (as subscription charges for a-la-carte channels will reduce and also due to the expected shift of subscribers from bouquets to a-la-carte selection).
 "Furthermore, given the reduction in the number of channels that can be offered in a bouquet (for a given price), bundling of non-popular channels with established ones will reduce, thereby impacting their reach and thus advertisement revenues for the broadcaster. This, however, would eventually lead to increased focus on content quality," Shah added. SR ANU

DTH/cable bills may fall by up to 14 pc post Trai's amendments: Icra

<ul><li><keyword id="203890" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-Entertainment">Shemaroo Entertainment</keyword> has ventured into the broadcast space with the launch of a Hindi free-to-air GEC, <keyword id="9139921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-TV">Shemaroo TV</keyword>.</li><li>The channel will give the audience a combination of freshly brewed content as well as acquired content that has so far been available only on paid channels.</li><li><keyword id="207966" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiren-Gada">Hiren Gada</keyword>, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment speaks to us about how the organization succeeded in launching a TV channel in the midst of the lockdown, and its marketing strategy going ahead. </li></ul>Shemaroo has managed to pull off a brave feat, it has launched a free-to-air (FTA) general entertainment TV channel, in the midst of a national lockdown, when most players are cutting spends and cancelling or postponing big-ticket launches, events and projects. Going live today, Shemaroo TV is aimed at catering to the under-served FTA category, giving the audience a combination of freshly brewed content as well as acquired content that has so far been available on paid channels. The launch comes at a time when most of us are stuck at our homes and television viewership is at an all-time high. Considering the adverse times we are living in right now, we thought it would be interesting to know what went behind Shemaroo’s TV channel launch and Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment let us in on their strategy. Work on the channel launch had started close to 8 months back when the company mapped the ecosystem, exploring the opportunities available. Around October it was decided that they wanted to operate in the FTA space. The process behind the launch Earlier this year, Shemaroo also launched its Marathi channel, Marathibana and a lot of learnings from that experience went into the launch of Shemaroo TV, shared Gada. Shemaroo had also simultaneously been working on the content side of things for the Hindi channel. “Since we started work almost 7-8 months ago, we were in a state of quasi-readiness even before the lockdown. Our content strategy was already in place. However, eventually putting everything together was a huge task and I would like to thank our team who in a way are our warriors who put everything together, in spite of everything. There was a lot of remote working involved around how do we ingest the content, around programming, the channel identity elements and a lot of the technical aspects too. A lot of work happened off-site. But there was a small set of people that managed to be in office for the ingestion of the content, which was the most important link,” shared Gada. The limitations (and opportunities) of launching during a pandemic The lockdown has led to the OOH and experiential industry also witnessing a complete shutdown. Spending on the Print medium is also largely muted. And when one has to organize a launch, these are the three primary mediums that organizations rely on. So how challenging has marketing been for the organization during the lockdown? “Its been both a challenge and an opportunity. We are missing out on a few key media that would ideally have been a part of the launch campaign. However, since people have been indoors, they are spending a substantially higher amount of time on television and digital. That opens up the digital and TV marketing aspects significantly,” explained Gada. Shemaroo will be largely using these two mediums to connect with audiences, letting them know about the new channel. Gada believes that due to their strong presence on digital, the medium could be their strength. “We will also be running a whole lot of campaigns on various mediums, including social media,” he added. Looking at the brighter side of the lockdown, Gada also said that this is a time when people are far more open to experimentation and sampling. “During normal times, people are hooked on to their daily soaps and to make people move t a different channel is a challenge. But now, the opportunity to get people to sample a new offering is significantly higher,” he explained. From the advertiser’s perspective While the FTA space is driven by advertising, brands at this moment are cutting down on spends. Shemaroo doesn’t have advertisers on board right now but the conversations with marketers have been positive, shared Gada. “Fundamentally, advertising follows viewership. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a new channel or an already-existing one. There may be some relationships and legacy deals in place but today, TV advertising has become much more scientific. When we mapped the FTA space post the new tariff order, we realized there’s a natural opportunity opening in the space to capture a considerable share of the estimated Rs 2,500 crore FTA advertising market. Also, with leading broadcasters pulling out from Free Dish, Rs 1,000 crore of advertising opportunity opened and was potentially available for existing and new channels in the FTA space. Also, there’s a severe shortage of content in both the <keyword id="874299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindi-GEC">Hindi GEC</keyword> and Marathi market. This means that while the eyeballs and mediums are in place, the vehicle is not there for the advertisers. And this was the sense we got from many of the agencies and brands we spoke to. We understand that in the ultra short-term, there’s a dip in ad spends, but once the lockdown opens, to a reasonable extent, we should be bouncing back reasonably well because ultimately India is a consumer and consumption-based economy where brand-building is very important and TV is the biggest medium to build any brand today,” shared Gada. Shemaroo’s focus for the next 2-3 months would be to increase consumption and get consumers hooked on to their content. “We believe the monetization is 2-3 months away as we get the entire process of capturing ratings in place. In the meantime, we will build our viewership and get more and more people to sample our channel,” he added. Launching today, the channel will be available on all major DTH operators and cable networks.

How Shemaroo pulled off the launch of its channel Shemaroo TV during the lockdown

<ul><li><keyword id="9139921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-TV">Shemaroo TV</keyword>, the flagship Hindi GEC from the house of <keyword id="203890" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shemaroo-Entertainment">Shemaroo Entertainment</keyword>, is launching an original TV show titled ‘<keyword id="10809040" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="jurm-aur-jazbaat">Jurm aur Jazbaat</keyword>.’ </li><li>We caught up with <keyword id="207966" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiren-Gada">Hiren Gada</keyword>, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment to understand how it was all put together, walked us through the channel's journey so far and future of FTA channels in India. </li></ul>Shemaroo Entertainment launched a Free-to-Air (FTA) channel last year in the midst of the lockdown, when businesses were coming to a standstill. A company that has effectively adopted to technological changes and macro economic disruptions since the early 1970s, Shemaroo has been smoothly sailing through all waves of changes. As the lockdown eased and the country slowly started limping towards normalcy, Shemaroo TV was burning the midnight oil to put together an original series for its audience. Now, it is all set to foray into original TV series with a crime show titled ‘Jurm aur Jazbaat.’ The general entertainment content on Hindi TV channels largely revolves around domestic issues, mythology, historical personalities or desi love stories. OTT audiences, on the other hand, are a fan of thriller films, sci-fi or crime shows. However, Shemaroo has taken the OTT route for its TV channel with the launch of its first crime-based TV show. In the recent past, even courtroom sagas have become a huge hit on OTT platforms: Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, Nail Polish, Illegal season 1, Your Honour and The Verdict – State vs Nanavati (2019) are proof. On why the TV channel chose crime as its debut genre, Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment, said, “We did a market research to identify what is trending, what are the consumers watching, what they aren't, etc. So we finalised various categories to work with. After deep-diving into the market research we conducted, we realised that the crime genre has a very good connect with the Free-To-Air audiences. What also strongly came out was the fact that there is emotion behind every crime. So, to simplify the name, we called it Jurm aur Jazbaat. Once we decided the route we wanted to take, we worked with a couple of production houses in terms of creating pilots, ramping up and then going into the production part. Parallely, because this was our first fresh and original programming, we wanted to have a very strong mentor, who can connect with the audience, create a great viewing experience for them and that's how we zeroed in on <keyword id="6360486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ronit-Roy">Ronit Roy</keyword>.” Journey so far Since the inception of Shemaroo TV last year, the channel wanted to offer a mix of original content, licensed content and existing content. However, due to the nation-wide lockdown, the channel had to put a pause on its production like everyone else. It did not stop the entertainment house from launching a new channel. It wanted to lay a strong foundation before launching its original content. “We had to revamp our whole process for two reasons. One was logistically, we were not in a position to shoot at that time. And secondly, advertisers' spends had also reduced. So, we decided at that time to focus on our existing library as well as fresh creations and acquired shows from Star like Devon ke Dev Mahadev, Jeet hui parai, Shor from Sahara, and we had our own movies and shows. The focus at that time was to establish the channel in terms of viewership, distribution, primarily marketing, viewership, programming, consumer connect. Many other things and milestones which we wanted to achieve before we launch an original,” shared Gada. Present and future of FTA channels in India Currently, as per Gada, not more than two FTA channels are creating original content and Jurm aur Jazbaat will help the channel carve a niche for itself. While Shemaroo had also launched its Marathi channel, MarathiBana and a lot of learnings from that experience went into the launch of Shemaroo TV, the latter was rolled out while working from home. It launched unique initiatives to pull in more viewers. Overwhelmed with the response the channel has seen so far, Gada said, “Given the fact that we are a GEC less than nine months old, we have seen very good response and viewer traction. In fact, we've done many contests where we could gauge consumer participation. We received a lot of very good messages from our audiences and they showered us with love. That has helped build the overall viewership. And obviously, the team's hard work has paid off too.” It has also seen a good response from the top FTA advertisers. “I'm sure that a very strong connect with the core Shemaroo brand and being part of this ecosystem for decades, has played its strong part as a strong beautiful partner, given the challenge that overall advertiser revenue and spends have gone through, in the last year. We are part of that same trend but the fact that we have seen very good acceptance borne out by the fact that all the top spenders on the FTA space, most of them are already present on both our channels. We keep adding more brands and new categories as we move forward,” added Gada. This year, with the economy coming back on track, Shemaroo is expecting to see more advertisers on-board who cater to rural and Tier II and III audiences. Gada said, “With the economy back on track, and companies launching more and more products, good agriculture output with a good monsoon, the rural economy has done exceedingly well. With this, a lot more categories are now willing to participate on the FTA platform, because they are all seeing more consumption coming from these pockets. Over the next few years, as per capita income of the country grows, more and more categories of consumption will open up for these audiences. That will bring in many more categories into the FTA space. And I think that’s really the exciting part in the next three to five years. This is a segment which has been underserved as far as television is concerned and as far as products are concerned. In the next three to five years, this situation is bound to get corrected.” After measuring the response of its fresh content, Shemaroo is planning to launch more original content and simultaneously, keep acquiring popular series and films to be able to cater to a large audience. Sharing his plan for this year, Gada said, “We are going to take it one step at a time. We definitely have more originals lined up. The fact is that there's just two channels, which are offering fresh programming or original content. We are upping the game for ourselves at a certain level and that's going to be a continuous process for us, because that's how we plan to keep up our audiences loyal to us and keep coming back to us as we keep launching new offers for our viewers.”

A lot more categories are now willing to advertise on FTA channels to reach out to rural India: Hiren Gada, Shemaroo

<ul><li>IBDF, an industry body of Television Broadcasters and Digital Streaming Platforms in the country, has re-elected <keyword id="926832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="k-madhavan" source="Orion">K Madhavan</keyword>, Country Manager &amp; President - The Walt Disney Company India &amp; Star India, as its President for the second term.</li><li>Members of the foundation have also re-elected Aroon Purie, Chairman, TV Today Network, <keyword id="12366679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shashi-s-vempati" source="Orion">Shashi S. Vempati</keyword>, CEO, Prasar Bharati, <keyword id="372268" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-joshi" source="Orion">Rahul Joshi</keyword>, Managing Director, Viacom 18 and Kevin Vaz, President &amp; Head - Network Entertainment Channels, Star and Disney India to the Board of IBDF.</li></ul><keyword id="12366680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-broadcasting-digital-foundation" source="Orion">Indian Broadcasting &amp; Digital Foundation</keyword> (IBDF), an industry body of Television Broadcasters and Digital Streaming Platforms in the country, has re-elected K Madhavan, Country Manager &amp; President - The Walt Disney Company India &amp; Star India, as its President for the second term after the 22 nd Annual General Meeting of the company held earlier today. “I am humbled by the trust and faith IBDF members have reposed in me to lead the foundation for a second term. We are at an interesting crossroad where the combination of consumer, regulatory and technology trends is remodelling the media landscape and ecosystem. I hope to continue working with the government, industry and other stakeholders for accelerating the growth of the broadcast and digital media sector in the country," said Madhavan. During the AGM, members of the foundation have re-elected the following members to the Board of IBDF: 1. Aroon Purie, Chairman, TV Today Network 2. Shashi S. Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati 3. Rahul Joshi, Managing Director, Viacom 18 4. Kevin Vaz, President &amp; Head - Network Entertainment Channels, Star and Disney India (Representing Asianet Star Communications) The appointment of R Mahesh Kumar, MD, Sun Network as a Director on the Board under Casual Vacancy has also been ratified by the members of the foundation. In the subsequent Board meeting, the Board also elected other office bearers as under: 1. Vice President-IBDF (News &amp; Current Affairs) - Rajat Sharma, Chairman, India TV 2. Vice President-IBDF (Government &amp; Regulatory Affairs) - Rahul Joshi, Managing Director, Viacom 18 3. Vice President-IBDF (Sectoral Growth) - Shashi Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati 4. Treasurer-IBDF – <keyword id="2533303" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="punit-misra" source="Orion">Punit Misra</keyword>, President - Content and International Business, Zee Entertainment

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