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IndiaDotCom's Devika Dayal steps down as Revenue Head
Devika Dayal, who reported to Mona Jain, former Chief Revenue Officer of News and ZMCL, had joined the 6 months back
Over 80% of IPL, WPL teams' revenue comes from media rights and sponsorships: Report11fina
According to D&P Advisory titled IPL Valuation Report 2024, the central revenue pool for WPL is not expected to achieve the same rapid growth as IPLlll
BBH wins creative mandate of Smartron
The agency’s Delhi office will be responsible for the execution of all integrated creative strategy for the brand across media
Ex-Midday CEO Manajit Ghoshal launches new venture, Orion Consulting
Orion has three distinct verticals catering to Digital marketing, IT Consulting and Financial Services
Karunanidhi, Ambika Soni, A Raja & Kalanithi Maran to address ASSOCHAM’s Focus 2010 in Chennai
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) will organise the 4th Annual Global Summit on Entertainment & Media, ‘Focus 2010’ during October 28-29, 2010 at Hotel Royal Meridien, Chennai. Focus since its inception in 2007 has been officially supported by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.
Sridhar Ramanujam goes ‘En Vazhi Thani Vazhi’ on branding
Sridhar Ramanujam, CEO and Founder of brand-comm, launched his third book on branding, called ‘En Vazhi Thani Vazhi’ [roughly translated ‘My way is the original (a unique) way’], one of the cult punch dialogues from Rajnikanth-starrer ‘Padayappa’. The book on branding is targeted at small and medium enterprises.
Sun TV revamps Sunday morning offering
In a bid to revamp its Sunday morning offering, Sun Network, in association with Godrej and Big Synergy, is all set to launch a game show, which will be South’s version of ‘Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo’. The show will be aired in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu from October 2010 on Sun Network’s channels Sun TV, Udaya TV and Gemini TV, respectively.
‘Just for Women’ magazine dons a new look; to be now called ‘JFW’
‘Just for Women’, a women’s magazine with a strong presence in South India covering Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, has gone for a makeover. Henceforth, the magazine would be called ‘JFW’.
Murugappa Group unveils new brand identity; earmarks Rs 10 cr ad budget
Chennai-based Murugappa Group unveiled its new brand identity on September 8, 2010. On the occasion, the company also showcased the new corporate brand campaign crafted by JWT. Developed around the communication theme ‘Energy Unbound’, the TVC conveys in a metaphorical manner the Group’s endeavour to harness the wealth of the world for all stakeholders.
TBWA-India wins real estate Co Hygrevar biz
Hygrevar Home and Hearth Ltd, a leading real estate company in South India, has appointed TBWA\India as its communications partner. TBWA\India’s Chennai branch will handle the account. No formal pitch preceded this win. The business is expected to be worth around Rs 7-8 crore, according to industry sources.
Amaron Batteries appoints Optima Advertising as its digital agency
Automotive battery brand Amaron Batteries has appointed Optima Advertising, a Chennai-based full service ad agency, to handle its online advertising mandate following a multi-agency pitch. Optima will devise a complete strategy to manage Amaron Batteries’ online image.
Malayala Manorama Chief Editor KM Mathew passes away
KM Mathew, Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama, passed away in Kottayam on August 1, 2010. He was 93. Mathew is survived by sons Mammen Mathew, Editor, Malayala Manorama; Philip Mathew, Managing Editor; and Jacob Mathew, Executive Editor. Born on January 2, 1917, Mathew had joined the organisation as Managing Editor in 1954 and became Chief Editor in 1973.
Inasra Technologies picks 1pointsize as its creative partner
Inasra Technologies, the company behind Inasra.com, India’s largest portal for hotel room booking, has appointed 1pointsize as its advertising agency for 2010-11. Founded in 2005, Inasra.com has emerged as a leading player for booking accommodation in India.
Akshaya Homes assigns creative duties to 1pointsize; Starcom continues to be media AOR
Following a multi-agency pitch, Chennai-based realty major Akshaya Homes has appointed 1pointsize as its creative partner. The account size is pegged at Rs 8 crore. O&M, Grey Worldwide and Orchard Advertising were the other agencies that took part in the pitch. Orchard was the incumbent agency.
Sriram joins Captain TV as Head of Marketing
Sriram, who had recently quit Imayam TV as Head of Marketing, has joined Captain TV in a similar capacity. He tool charge from May 3 and reports to LK Sudeesh, Managing Director, Captain TV and brother-in-law of Vijayakanth. Sriram will be responsible for generating revenue for the company through air time sales and advertisements sales at Captain TV.
IRS 2010 Q1: Oriya dailies witness decline in readership
As per the IRS 2010 Q1 data, among the Oriya publications, the readership of the most of the publications have witnessed decline except Dharitri, which has seen a marginal growth of 0.89 per cent. Sambad remains the most read Oriya daily.
Louis Philippe steps into footwear biz; earmarks Rs 2-3 cr as ad spend for one year
As a category expansion exercise, Louis Philippe, the premium apparel brand from Madura Garments, recently announced its foray into footwear. Contract Bangalore is the creative agency for Louis Philippe. The company plans to spend Rs 2-3 crore on advertising in the next one year. While the media mix will be driven by print, the company will also look at online activities.
P Subramanian elected President of Advertising Club Madras
P Subramanian, Director – Client Servicing, Ogilvy & Mather Chennai, has been elected the President of Advertising Club Madras for the year 2010-11 at the Club’s AGM held on April 23. The office bearers and executive committee members elected include: Seshadri Iyer, Karthic Moorthy, S Sadhasivan, and KR Skandraaj.
Actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth all set to launch TV channel on April 14
Actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth is all set to launch his 24-hour news and entertainment channel, Captain TV, on April 14, 2010. As a prelude, the star has already launched the dry run of his channel from March 15.
Asianet Communications launches dedicated TV channel in the Middle-East
Asianet Communications, part of Star India Network, is launching a dedicated television channel for the Middle-East audience christened Asianet Middle East. The channel is going on air with a soft launch on March 25. Currently, viewers of Asianet in the Middle-East will be offered the same programming schedules as that of the flagship channel in Kerala, Asianet TV.
Tamizh Awards 2010: JWT bags Agency of the Year Award
JWT bagged the Sakalakala Vallavan Award (Agency of the Year) with six Golds, eight Silvers and six Bronzes, while O&M pocketed seven Golds, three Silvers and six Bronzes at the Madras Advertising Club’s Tamizh Awards held on March 19, 2010.
Makkal TV ropes in V Murugan as COO; revamps content line-up
Makkal TV is all set get a facelift with an array of programmes designed to appeal to all members of the family. The initiative is spearheaded by a rejuvenated channel team headed by new COO, V Murugan.
Dinamalar.com launches novel contest zone to bring out the inherent talents of readers
Dinamalar.com, the online edition of Tamil daily Dinamalar, has launched a special contest zone for its readers. According to S Balasubramanian, Head of Marketing, New Media, Dinamalar, it was the first time such a contest zone was being introduced in a regional publication portal with an intention to expose inherent talents as well as to provide good recreation to all the readers of the website.
Cochin Ad Club invites entries for Pepper Awards 2010
The Advertising Club Cochin has called for entries for its Pepper Creative Awards 2010. A three-member panel comprising Agnello Dias, CEO, Taproot; Ramanuj Shastry, NCD, Saatchi & Saatchi; and Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar NCD, Rediffusion Y&R, would evaluate the entries for Pepper Awards 2010.
NDTV Convergence & IndiaProperty.com jointly launch new property vertical on NDTV.com
NDTV Convergence has partnered with IndiaProperty.com to power its online property vertical - NDTV Property (property.ndtv.com). NDTV’s audience can now find a home in a private, hassle free environment by surfing through more than 5 lakh properties listed with IndiaProperty.com. Property buyers can also apply for a home loan and insurance on the site itself.
Consim Info too wins Red Herring Global 100 Award
Consim Info (formerly known as BharatMatrimony) has bagged the Red Herring Global 100 Award. Consim is the only consumer services Internet company in India to have won this prestigious award. It may be recalled that Mumbai-headquartered digital brand management firm Pinstorm has also won the Red Herring Global 100 Award this year.
Christoph Riess appointed as Group CEO of the enlarged WAN-IFRA
WAN-IFRA, the global, industry organisation for the newspaper and news publishing industry, has announced the appointment of Christoph Riess as the new Group Chief Executive of the enlarged WAN-IFRA industry representative body. This appointment follows the merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA during 2009. Riess will take charge from February 1, 2010.
D’zine Garage appoints Stephen W Pardue as CEO; opens new office in the US
D’zine Garage, a leading digital agency headquartered in Chennai, announced on January 6 that its Board of Directors had appointed Stephen W Pardue as its new CEO. Concurrently, D’zine also opened its first office in San Diego, California USA, where Pardue will be based.
ING Life launches television campaigns targeting Southern market
ING Life Insurance has launched three television campaigns targeting Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The three different campaigns, with three different casts for the three states, went on air in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on January 5, while the campaign will break in Andhra Pradesh on January 10. ING is planning a high decibel marketing blitzkrieg over the next six weeks starting January 5.
Sun TV restructures its distribution biz with 2 new verticals; makes key appointments
Sun TV has restructured its distribution business with the creation of two verticals – one focused on managing the South operations and the international business, and the second on expanding the Sun TV bouquet in the North, West and Eastern markets of India. The media behemoth has also appointed two senior distribution professionals – Mohammed Mujeebuddin and Jawed Akthar.
CII’s two-day S’Marketing convention gets underway in Chennai today
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as a first-time initiative is organising a two-day S’Marketing Convention focusing on the theme ‘Smart strategies to beat emerging marketing challenges’ on December 17-18 in Chennai.
Sun Network hikes ad rates of Gemini, Udaya and Surya channels
Two weeks after announcing tariff revision for its flagship channel Sun TV, Sun Network has increased the advertising rates of its Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam general entertainment channels. The new rates would come into effect from January 1, 2010.
Anand Siva to head Cequity’s Customer Integrated Marketing Unit
Cequity, part of the RK Swamy-Hansa Group and one of the leading providers of data-led marketing services from India, has appointed Anand Siva as its Business Head to steer its newly set up unit of Customer Integrated Marketing (CIM). The new unit will focus on direct relationship and one-to-one multi-channel marketing.
TVS Motor fortifies presence in two-wheeler segment; ropes in Bates 141, BBH for new launches
TVS Motor Company on November 25 announced its foray into the 110 cc segment by unveiling two new products – an auto-clutch motorcycle called Jive and an automatic scooter called Wego. Bates 141 would handle the creative duties of Jive, while BBH India has been entrusted with the creative responsibilities of Wega.
RMAI life time achievement award for Anugrah Madison’s RV Rajan
Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI), the industry body devoted to furthering the cause of rural marketing, has decided to confer the first ever RMAI Life Time Achievement Award on RV Rajan, Chairman, Anugrah Madison Advertising and immediate past President of RMAI.
ING Bank goes the humour way to deliver its ‘Jiyo Easy’ brand promise
At a time when most marketers across the globe, more so financial institutions, are either struggling to stay afloat or thinking of new ways of cutting costs, ING Bank is going the whole hog by investing in brand building and advertising in India.
‘Deal aa No Deal aa’ to premier on Sun TV from October 31
Sun TV Network is set to launch the Tamil version of the internationally acclaimed game show, ‘Deal or No Deal’. The Tamil version of the Irish Endemol’s game show will be known as ‘Deal aa No Deal aa’ and will premiere on October 31. The show will be aired on Saturdays and Sundays between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm.
WAN-IFRA to host Asian Digital Conference in Singapore in November
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is all set to launch a new event christened ‘Digital Media Asia’ for digital publishers in Asia. Digital Media Asia 2009, to be held in Singapore from November 18-20, aims to explore how cutting edge organisations are using the most advanced digital media platforms to profitably multipurpose content from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting or books. The event will also focus on developing new revenue from new publishing platforms.
Breeze Advertising beefs up top management
Hyderbad-based Breeze Advertising has beefed up its top management team by inducting Ratnakar Rao, a veteran advertising professional with more than three decades of experience in advertising and brand management, as Director, Strategic Planning.
WAN-IFRA to release ‘World Press Trends’ report during ‘Publish Asia’ Conference
WAN-IFRA, the world association of newspaper and news publishers, is organising its second IFRA Expo India 2009 in Chennai. On the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the conference on September 23, WAN-IFRA’s annual report on ‘World Press Trends’ with the split edition of Asian trends will be officially released.
Jaya TV turns 10; revamps the channel with new shows
Jaya TV, one of the leading Tamil satellite channels, recently completed 10 years of its operations. As part of commemorating its decade-old successful run, the channel has upgraded some of its popular shows while phasing out a few others and has introduced news shows. The channel will be launching new content periodically from now on.
Publicis Ambience wins K7 Computing business; account size Rs 8 cr
K7 Computing has recently appointed Publicis Ambience to handle all its advertising and communications requirements. Publicis Ambience will partner closely with Publicis Groupe PR agency Hanmer MSL to build the K7 brand in India. K7 has set aside a marketing budget of Rs 8 crore to achieve its objectives for the year.
Publish Asia 2009 to be held in Chennai from September 23-25
Publish Asia 2009 conference, to be held in Chennai on September 23-25, will bring together the collective strength of IFRA India and IFRA Asia, Singapore for the first time. This year, the IFRA India Conference is combined with Publish Asia, the flagship conference of IFRA Asia, and the combined event is titled ‘Publish Asia 2009’.
Hyderabad-based Breeze Advertising adds three new clients to its kitty
Hyderabad-based Breeze Advertising recently added three new clients – HaaiLand, HarNeedi.com and Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Developers’ Association.
The Hindu to hold Metro Plus Theatre Festival in Chennai from August 7-16
Theatre lovers in Chennai can look forward to the fifth edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest, which will be held from August 7-16, 2009. This edition will feature an eclectic mix of plays from India and abroad. There will be six plays in all, which will cover different genres – Greek Tragedy, American musical, Shakespearean adaptation, and more.
Arindam Sengupta made TBWA\India’s Chennai Branch Head
TBWA\India has appointed Arindam Sengupta as Vice-President and Branch Head for its Chennai operations. Sengupta will replace Amarnath Pingalay, the outgoing head of Chennai. Sengupta has been with TBWA for over five years and has successfully led the Disruption charge for clients in Bangalore.
Asianet’s new talent hunt show gets the Mammootty touch
Malayalam general entertainment channel Asianet is gearing up to launch a new show to hunt for the most talented actor and actress in Kerala. Called ‘Mammootty - The Best Actor Award 2009’, the show will be based on actor Mammootty’s contribution to Malayalam cinema. Each episode feature discussions on the various characters performed by the veteran actor and the closeness of those characters in real life. The new show has gone on air July 25, 2009.
Suresh Iyer quits Raj TV as CEO, to float own venture
Raj Television Network CEO Suresh Iyer has put in his papers after a little over a year stint with the organisation. He is planning to float his own venture in the media space. Confirming the development, Iyer said that he was involved in talks with several television channels and multiplexes in connection with his own venture.
Asianet Plus channel goes for total revamp
Malayalam music channel Asianet Plus, part of Star Jupiter Entertainment Television Ltd, has decided to go in for a complete revamp of its programming content. The channel has introduced four new shows from the first week of July and is planning to position itself as a general entertainment channel.
Zapak joins hands with Kwality Walls for Kids Gaming Championship
Kwality Walls, in collaboration with Zapak, has launched the second edition of gaming championship for children in the country, the Paddle Pop Gaming League 2009. After receiving an overwhelming response last year with 35,000 participants, Paddle Pop Gaming League (PPGL) is set to be even bigger this summer. The Gaming League will be hosted in six cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Each city will have its own leagues, very much like the IPL.
Reliance Mobile to go live with ICC World Cup T20 matches
Reliance Mobile, the official global partner for the 2009 edition of ICC World T20 Championship, recently unveiled the glittering silver trophy in Mumbai at the hands of cricketing legend and ICC ambassador Dilip Vengsarkar. This ICC World T20 trophy will be handed over to the winning team of the 2009 edition of the championship. The unveiling of the trophy in Mumbai signifies the beginning of the ICC World T20 trophy’s preview across India before the championship begins next month.
Southern channels all set for ‘Counting’ day
With the entire country all geared for counting of votes today, TV channels have gone on an overdrive to bring vote by vote account to viewers. The southern channels have lined up an impressive list of programmes, news bulletins and live updates, besides roping in psephologists and senior journalists to analyse the results.
Kerala Tourism goes on Radio Mirchi with dream season campaign
Kerala Tourism has tied up with Radio Mirchi to promote its dream season campaign this summer. The campaign will be promoting Kerala vacations during summers among the northern as well as other domestic markets of India. Radio Mirchi stations of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore will take part in this tie-up.
R Seshadri re-elected President of Advertising Club Madras
R Seshadri, Managing Director, Anugrah Madison Advertising Pvt Ltd, has been re-elected the President of Advertising Club Madras for the year 2009-10. Seshadri has held several positions at the Club over the years, including that of Secretary, before he was elected the 37th President of the Club last year.
Emami earmarks Rs 70-cr ad budget; eyes Rs 300 cr sales
Emami, the Rs 700-crore FMCG major, is targeting Rs 300 crore sales from its summer care brands. Emami, which owns brands such as Boroplus and Navratna, has declared a 25 per cent growth in FY09. Emami will also invest Rs 60-70 crore on advertising and promotions for its brands.
Arc Worldwide gets a Webby Honoree for Jaagore.com
After winning at the Abby’s, Arc Worldwide’s award-winning site Jaagore.com has been selected as an Official Honoree in the Activism category at the 13th Annual Webby Awards.
Henkel India’s Pril and Bref bag Product of the Year awards
Henkel India Ltd has won the ‘Product of the Year’ title for two of its power brands, Pril and Bref. Both the products have been selected for the most innovative product offering in 2008 in their respective categories.
Perk goes online to tell the youth to ‘take it lightly’
Cadbury recently relaunched its brand variant Perk with a TVC that was targeted at the youth and along with that has also gone online with their website www.takeitlightly.com. The idea for this campaign arose from the question – how best to reach the target group. This gave birth to an idea that took the campaign directly to where the youth was present, in places where the message would be relevant and contextual.
Ad Club Cochin announces winners of Pepper Awards 2009
The Advertising Club Cochin has announced the winners of its annual creative award competition, Pepper 2009. Mudra South bagged the Agency of the Year Award in the third edition of Pepper Awards. Mathrubhumi won the Advertiser of the Year Award.
BharatMatrimony to observe April 14 as Matrimony Day
Matrimony portal BharatMatrimony will celebrate April 14 as Matrimony Day – a day to promote the concept of matrimony by spreading awareness about the benefits of matrimony. The portal has been recognised by Limca Book of Records for the highest number of marriages online.
Thums Up goes digital with its new campaign
Coca-Cola India is all set to launch its digital initiative, christened ‘Thums Up Thunder Wheels’. The initiative is designed to leverage the popularity of digital media like mobile phones (GSM, CDMA and IVRS) and the Internet, among soft drink consumers.
Webchutney launches mobile arm, Culture Mafia
Webchutney has recently launched its mobile division called Culture Mafia. Culture Mafia is a full service independent mobile agency, which will integrate mobile marketing, advertising, and mobile Internet development supported with in-house media and technology capabilities.
Amrita TV steps into the ‘War Zone’ for the Lok Sabha elections
Amrita TV has launched ‘War Zone’, an election special programme, which is an analytical survey of the ground situation in each of the 20 Parliamentary constituencies in Kerala, which are due to go to the polls in April. ‘War Zone’ will be telecast Monday-Friday at 5 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 11.30 am.
Bigadda joins the Times | Audience Network
The Times | Audience Network, formerly the Zoom | Audience Network, the newly-formed online video arm of the Times Group has announced its partnership with web and mobile Indian social networking site bigadda.com.
New Media offerings for ‘Power Women’
Different media platforms are out to celebrate Women’s Day in various ways. Bigadda.com, the youth networking site from Reliance ADA Group, would be launching ‘power women’ from diverse fields to blog on the special occasion. Online bus ticketing site Ticketvala.com has also come up with special offers for women.
TRAI issues guidelines for improved broadband services
TRAI has issued guidelines to improve the quality of broadband services in the country by specifying several norms related to the contention ratio, that is, the number of subscribers that can be packed into a single unit of bandwidth. The recommendations are aimed at ensuring that subscribers get the speeds for which they have sought the connection.
Matrimonial websites get on to mobile networks for the perfect match
Matrimonial websites are increasingly looking to tap platforms other than the Internet in a bid to increase reach. With the growing penetration of mobile network in the country, major matrimonial sites are entering into strategic pacts with mobile service providers to increase reach.
Zee Turner takes off signal from Asianet Networks
Television viewers in Kerala will not be able to view as many as 33 channels of Zee Turner as the broadcaster has deactivated its signals to Asianet Networks. The channels will go off air for Asianet customers from February 19. The signals are being switched off owing to large outstanding payments from Asianet since November 2008.
Ad Club Cochin calls for entries for its Pepper Awards 2009
Pepper 2009, the annual creative awards function of Cochin Advertising Club has started inviting entries from advertising agencies in south India and has kept March 15 as the last date for receipt of entries. The awards function will be held at Le Meridien on April 3.
Vijay TV to capitalise on IPL season with a host of new shows
STAR’s Tamil channel Vijay TV is all geared to usher in the IPL Season 2 fever with some new shows. What’s more, the channel is planning to rope in none other than India’s cricket captain MS Dhoni for the shows’ promos. Two of these shows are ‘Chennai Super Kings Juniors’ and ‘Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders’.
Bucking the trend: Sun TV Network net up 9.72 pc, total income up 23 pc
Sun TV Network has reported a 9.72 per cent rise in its Q3 net profit to Rs 112.24 crore as against Rs 102.3 crore in the corresponding quarter of FY08. Total income for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 was up 23 per cent at Rs 285.27 crore.
Dexterity appoints Palanivel Kuppusamy as Chairman and CEO
Marketing and customer informatics firm Dexterity has reappointed founder Palanivel Kuppusamy as Chairman and CEO, replacing Anantha Krishnan, who will continue as a strategic advisor.
Media and market research firm Arbitron sets up shop in India
Arbitron, an international media and market research firm serving the media – radio, television, cable, online radio, advertisers and advertising agencies – in the US and Europe for the last 60 years, has set up its fully-owned subsidiary, Arbitron India, in Kochi.
Lintas Media Group Chennai bags Oriental Cuisines account
Lintas Media Group Chennai has been assigned the media mandate for Oriental Cuisines Pvt Ltd. Oriental Cuisines run a chain of bakeries, food courts and restaurants in Chennai, and is now expanding across the country.
Pay Neo Sports Rs 3 cr for signal as an interim arrangement, TDSAT tells Sun Direct
TDSAT has directed Sun Direct to make an advance interest free deposit of Rs 3 crore to Neo Sports and sign the RIO published by Neo Sports. Once Sun signs the RIO, the sports broadcaster will have to start supply of signals to the DTH service provider within two days as per regulations.
Mediaedge:cia Chennai wins three new businesses worth Rs 18 cr
Mediaedge:cia Chennai has recently added three new businesses to its kitty – Zee Tamil launch brief, Nalli Silks and CRI Pumps. The total business of the three accounts together is pegged at Rs 18 crore in annualised billing.
Hyderabad-based Kapil Group to foray into television space with 24-hour news channel
Kapil Group, a well-diversified group headquartered in Hyderabad, is all set to foray into the television space through its subsidiary company, Hyderabad Media House. The Hyderabad Media House is gearing up to launch a 24-hour news and current affairs channel called HMTV.
Rediffusion Y&R Chennai assigned creative duties for Schwarzkopf Professional
Rediffusion Y&R Chennai has been appointed the agency on record for the creative duties of Schwarzkopf Professional. The size of the business is estimated to be Rs 3.5 crore.
Kasturi TV’s collaboration with Aj Impact Media yields record revenues
Kannada GEC Kasturi TV has reported advertising revenues close to Rs 12 crore in it very first year of operations. The channel claims this to be the highest revenues clocked through advertising sales for any regional Indian channel in the country till date. Kasturi TV credits its consultant, Aj Impact Media Pvt Ltd, for its revenue performance.
Big FM and Access Atlantech Edutainment to roll out RJ training courses
Big FM has joined hands with Access Atlantech Edutainment (AAT) to roll out a six-week certified RJ training programme to be conducted at AAT campuses across 10 cities in India – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Dibrugarh, Cochin, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram.
Social Media and Kalaignar TV to celebrate festive season with musical event ‘Illamai Saravedi’
Social Media, in association with Kalaignar TV, is gearing up to celebrate this festive season with much fanfare. The two have roped in popular playback singers from Kollywood to perform before a 4,000-strong audience on October 18 in Chennai as part of a musical event called ‘Illamai Saravedi’, which would be later aired on Kalaignar TV.
Eye on regional markets, Canon India launches Print City project across 6 cities
Digital imaging company Canon India is going regional in a big way. It has embarked on a six-city Canon Print City project drive, from October to December, which would focus on regionalising all communication and promotional activities to connect better with the local customers.
Rachana Television’s women centric channel Vanitha goes on air
Rachana Television Pvt Ltd on October 9 launched its Telugu exclusive women centric channel Vanitha. This is the third channel from the group after news channel NTV and devotional channel Bhakti.
ZEEL’s Tamil GEC Zee Tamizh goes on air from October 12
Zee Tamizh, a 24-hour Tamil general entertainment channel from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, part of the Essel Group, went on air on October 12. This is Zee Network’s 33rd channel and third in the South after the Group’s Telugu and Kannada channels.
Asianet forays into Telugu GEC space with new channel Sitara
Asianet Television Network has announced the launch of its Telugu GEC ‘Sitara’ in Hyderabad recently. The group will shortly launch their 24-hour Telugu news channel as well. Amidst the much-hyped speculation of its JV with Star TV, Asianet extends its strong regional presence a step further with this recent Telegu venture.
Amrita TV lines up special programmes for Vijaya Dashami
Malayalam general entertainment channel Amrita TV has announced a special programme line-up for Vijaya Dashami on October 9, which marks the culmination of the 10-day long Navratri/ Dussehra/ Durga Puja celebrations.
O&M, JWT dominate Madras Ad Club’s Tamizh Awards
The first ever Tamizh Awards from the Advertising Club of Madras had the advertising industry abuzz in the South. Held in Chennai on October 1, Tamizh Awards 2008 saw O&M Chennai bag the most metals, closely followed by JWT Chennai.
Venturian Media launches news website on consumer finance
Venturian Media Ltd, a Hyderabad-based global online publishing and marketing company has announced the launch of a consumer finance news and comparison site Money-india.com. This site will offer free and comprehensive tools to help consumers to make their choices when searching for the right product to suit their needs.
BharatMatrimony.com launches matrimony services on Airtel
BharatMatrimony.com has launched its matrimony services on Airtel. The service will be available on Airtel Live, India’s largest WAP Portal, wherein Airtel subscribers can access the matrimony services via GPRS-enabled handsets across the country.
Amrita TV to showcase old and new Malayalam film songs in new show ‘Music Mix’
Riding the reality wave, Amrita TV is all set to enhance the entertainment content of its evening time band with a new film based show, ‘Music Mix’. The show will go on air from September 29, and would be telecast Monday to Friday at 5.30 pm. ‘Music Mix’ would be a blend of Malayalam film songs old and new.
Thums Up gears up for festive season with new ad campaign; goes the 'thunder' way
Keeping in mind the forthcoming festive season, Thums Up is launching a new look ‘Taste the Thunder’ communication initiative. The launch of the new integrated marketing communication plan includes a TVC featuring popular Telugu actor Mahesh Babu.
Vijay TV beefs up programme line-up with two new serials
Continuing with its efforts to strengthen its prime time band, Vijay TV is all set to launch two new serials – ‘Khaki’ and the third season of ‘Kana Kaanum Kaalangal’. Both ‘Khaki’ and ‘Kana Kaanum Kaalangal 3’ are premiering on September 22.
Discovery Channel creates robust 9 pm band with ‘Ultimate Discover’
Discovery Channel has announced the launch of new programme band called ‘Ultimate Discovery’, which promises some breathtaking, cutting-edge action adventure. The one-hour time band to be aired daily from October 2008 at 9-10 pm would comprise shows ranging from science, technology, history, adventure and exploration.
Real Image acquires US patent for its media and advertising distribution and tracking system
Real Image Media Technologies Pvt Ltd has acquired patent for its media and advertising distribution and tracking system in India and the US, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This technology is marketed by Real Image under the brand name QMedia.
INX Media to roll out 10 new channels by 2009-10
INX Network is gearing up for the next phase of launches. The media company plans to launch 10 new channels in the next 12 to 18 months, including another Hindi GEC and a national music channel. This was confirmed by Indrani Mukerjea, Chairman, INX Media, who also said, “before anything else, INX would be coming out with a metro news channel in Chennai”.
Raj TV spruces up content line-up with a slew of new shows
Chennai-based Raj TV is strengthening its programme offering with the launch of new primetime shows and give a boost to its viewership. The newly launched shows vary from reality shows to mythological serials, Hollywood movies, interactive games shows, celebrity chat shows, kids shows and talent hunt shows.
SatNav Technologies launches GPS navigation product for retail chains in India
Hyderabad-based SatNav Technologies has launched its GPS navigation product – SatGuide – for major retail chains across India. SatGuide has partnered with chains like Croma, Staples, E-Zone and Reliance Autozone to bring its widest range of GPS products into the neighbourhoods of consumers across India.
DQ Entertainment to collaborate with French companies to make TV series
Hyderabad-based gaming and animation major DQ Entertainment Ltd (DQE) has entered into an agreement with France’s M6 Studio and Method Animation SA for the co-production of a TV series based on the iconic brand ‘Le petit Nicolas’ (Little Nick).
Subhiksha MD R Subramanian appointed Chairman of Indian Retail Forum
R Subramanian, MD, Subhiksha, has been unanimously appointed the new Chairman of the Indian Retail Forum (IRF) for the year 2008. His name was nominated by Bijou Kurien, President & CEO, Reliance Lifestyle Holdings; Sanjiv Goenka, Vice Chairman, RPG Group; and BS Nagesh, MD, Shoppers Stop, according to an official communiqué.
Sun Network ventures into film production through ‘Sun Pictures’
With the cost of acquiring television rights of films becoming prohibitively expensive, several media houses are entering into film production. The latest such venture is that of Sun TV Network, one of India’s largest media and entertainment networks, which has announced its foray into film production through its new subsidiary, Sun Pictures.
SICCI’s first ever retail summit in Tamil Nadu kicks off in Chennai
In a bid to promote organised retailing in India and help small players scale up as organised retailers, Southern India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) is holding the first ever retail summit in Tamil Nadu, titled ‘Emerging Retail Paradigm’. The two-day summit began in Chennai on September 5.
IFRA appoints Thomas Jacob as Deputy CEO & MD for Greater Asia/ Pacific region
Thomas Jacob has joined IFRA as Deputy CEO & Managing Director in charge of the Greater Asia/ Pacific region. In his new role, Thomas will be based in Singapore and will be responsible for IFRA activities in South Asia, South & North East Asia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Rachana Television to launch women-centric channel Vanitha by year-end
Hyderabad-headquartered Rachana Television Pvt Ltd is planning to launch an exclusive women’s channel, Vanitha, in Telugu by the end of this year. Vanitha would be the third channel from the Group, which already has a 24-hour Telugu news channel, NTV, and a devotional channel, Bhakti.
After Daily Thanthi, No. 1 Tamil daily Dinakaran also launching in Mumbai
Tamil dailies are finding a new lucrative market in Mumbai. A day after Daily Thanthi announced its Mumbai edition, Dinakaran, the largest circulated Tamil daily, has also announced an edition in Mumbai, which will hit newsstands on September 5.
Chennai-based Ken Creative Studio ventures into the US for films and TV series
Ken Creative Studio, the production arm of Bangalore-headquartered multinational conglomerate Ken Group, has positioned itself for overseas growth by launching its production arm in the US for developing original animated feature films and TV series.
Daily Thanthi to launch Mumbai edition on September 5
Daily Thanthi, the second largest circulated daily in Tamil Nadu, is launching its Mumbai edition on September 5. This will be the third edition of the newspaper outside Tamil Nadu, the other two being Bangalore and Pondicherry. Initially, Daily Thanthi would be printing 50,000 copies in Mumbai.
Asian Health & Nutri Foods assigns Rs 10-cr media mandate to LMG Chennai
Salem-headquartered Asian Health & Nutri Foods appointed Lintas Media Group Chennai as its media AOR. The size of the business is estimated to be in the region of Rs 8-10 crore. The pitch involved one more agency besides LMG. The creative duties are being handled by RK Swamy Chennai.
Big FM Chennai’s Dheena RJs his way into new Guinness World Record
It seems there is no stopping Big FM Chennai RJ Dheena, who has set a new Guinness World Record by RJing non-stop for 150 hours. And when last contacted, Big FM officials said that Dheena was still at it even after setting a new record and despite the doctors asking him to stop.
NetXcell launches hosted voice exchange service MobiSmart
Hyderabad-based NetXcell has recently launched ‘MobiSmart’, a hosted voice exchange service incorporating an automated voice dialer that allow subscribers to communicate to any number of people regardless of location, language or mobile device.
Ad Club Madras invites entries to award communication targeted at Tamizh audience
The flagship event of the Advertising Club Madras is back. Re-christened Advertising Club Madras Tamizh Awards 2008, the event seeks to celebrate communication that displays a unique understanding of the Tamizh consumer.
It’s reality season on Amrita TV
In the run-up to the forthcoming Onam season in Kerala, Amrita TV has beefed up its programme line-up with three reality shows – ‘Great India Race’, ‘Junior Genius’, and ‘Super Star Junior-2’.
Grey Chennai appoints Sunu Charles as Creative Director
Grey Chennai has beefed up its creative leadership with the appointment of Sunu Charles as new Creative Director. Charles brings with him over 20 years of experience in the advertising industry. He will be reporting to Christabelle Howie, General Manager, Grey Chennai.
Mango season goes strong in Kerala
Malayala Manorama Group’s FM offering, Radio Mango, is increasing interactivity among its radio audiences in Kerala with on-air weekend contests with the launch of Mango Weekends in its Kochi station. Through this initiative Radio Mango will offer hundreds of free movie tickets and movie merchandises to its listeners.
Online magazine ‘PR-e-Sense’ goes commercial
‘PR-e-Sense’, an online magazine catering to the public relations domain, is all set to go commercial after being operational for more than two years. Launched by the Chennai PR Club and Prime Point Foundation, the ezine already has ONGC, Karnataka Power Corporation, Tata Chemicals and Oriental Records Inc., USA, as its sponsors.
Kalaignar TV’s music channel, Isai Aruvi, scores high with Tamil Music Awards
The Tamil Music Awards aired on Isai Aruvi, the music channel from Kalaignar TV, has garnered high TRP scores for the channel. The even was telecast on the channel over the weekend.
Vijay TV creates primetime band of reality shows replacing daily soaps
Vijay TV is all set to create a 9 pm band with a series of reality shows replacing the daily soaps. ‘Super Singer 2008’, dance reality show ‘Amul Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva’, and celebrity dance show ‘Jodi No. 1’ are the three reality shows that would dominate the primetime band on Vijay TV soon.
be positive 24 bags Xenos account
Close on the heels of adding Food Empire’s Melosa, Social Media, and Style One accounts to its kitty, Chennai-based creative shop be positive 24 has bagged the creative duties for Xenos Technologies Ltd, a company engaged in marketing and distribution of automotive accessories.
The Hindu to hold Metro Plus Theatre Festival in Chennai from August 1-10
Chennai’s theatre lovers can look forward to 10 days of plays, workshops and a symposium. The Hindu is bringing its Metro Plus Theatre Festival 2008 that would be held in Chennai from August 1-10. The Festival, which was first launched in 2005, would be accompanied by workshops and a symposium on theatre.
Vikatan Group forays into film production
Vikatan Group has forayed into film production. The first film to be made under the banner Vikatan Talkies is titled "Siva Manasula Sakthi" (SMS). The Group also unveiled the ``all new youthful' Ananda Vikatan recently.
Big FM Chennai pays the shopping bills of its listeners
Big FM Chennai, in association with RMKV, a well-known textile outlet in Chennai, is organising a contest on weekends, wherein the FM station is paying the shopping bills of lucky customers shopping at the outlet from 12 pm to 8 pm.
Isaiaruvi TV to telecast Tamil Music Awards 2008 on July 25-26
Isaiaruvi, the music channel from Kalaignar TV, will telecast the first ever Tamil Music Awards ceremony in two special two-hour episodes on July 25-26 at 8 pm. The Tamil Music Awards 2008, organised by Social Media in association with Isaiaruvi, were held in Chennai on July 5.
Publicis Groupe’s Digitas expands base in India with second agency in Chennai
Publicis Groupe’s Digitas in increasing its India footprint, launching its second agency in the country in Chennai. With this launch, Digitas plans to have specific focus on providing high end digital and CRM services, including CRM analytics, to its global and local clients, and will concentrate initially on the southern markets.
Malayala Manorama Group appoints Ramesh Subramaniam as Marketing Head for its TV division
Ramesh Subramaniam has recently joined Malayala Manorama Group as Marketing Head for Malayala Manorama TV (MMTV), the Group’s television division. Prior to this new assignment, Subramaniam was General Manager and Vertical Head of The Times of India, Bangalore.
be positive 24 adds Food Empire’s Melosa account to its kitty
Chennai-based creative agency be positive 24 has recently bagged the account of Melosa, the instant coffee and tea brand of Singapore-based food and beverage company Food Empire Holdings Ltd. Food Empire had launched its proprietary brand, Melosa 3-in-1 instant coffee and ice tea in Chennai in March 2008.
Amrita TV on the lookout for ‘Best Citizen Journalist’, again
Amrita TV’s tryst with reality shows continues as the channel readies for the second season of ‘Best Citizen Journalist’. The show was aired for the first time in February 2008 and following its success, the channel now expects a higher degree of response for the second season.
Vijay TV to launch Season 3 of celebrity dance show ‘Jodi No. 1’ from today
Following the success of Seasons 1 and 2 of ‘Jodi No. 1’, a popular reality show for small screen artists, Vijay TV is back with Season 3 of the show. The third season is on air from July 18, 2008 at 8 pm and would be aired Friday to Saturday.
State-owned Arasu Cable kicks off operations in Tami Nadu
Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd, a Tamil Nadu State Government enterprise for providing cable television service, commenced operations from July 15. As a multi-system operator, Arasu Cable is setting up digital control centres in Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Vellore to extend its services across the state.
UK’s Guardian News & Media acquires ContentNext Media for $30 million
Guardian News & Media, the new media division of UK-headquartered Guardian Media Group, has acquired US-based ContentNext Media, which owns sites like Paidcontent.org (US), PaidContent.co.uk (the UK and Europe), MocoNews.net (mobile content news blog)) and ContentSutra.com (India). The deal is believed to have taken place for $30 million.
Rediffusion DYR Chennai appoints Kishore Karumbaiah as Creative Head
Rediffusion DYR has appointed Kishore Karumbaiah as Creative Head for their Chennai operations. Karumbaiah will be handling the entire Rediffusion DYR Chennai client portfolio that includes Airtel, MRF, Arihant, ITC, etc. He comes on board from O&M, Bangalore, where he was part of the team that handled the Lenovo worldwide business.
DishTV announces ‘Hattrick Offer’ to woo South Indian consumers
In a bid to further expand its market, DishTV has embarked on a special ‘Hattrick Offer’ for audiences in South India from July 10. The offer, which will continue till August 31, is open to customers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
be positive 24 adds Social media, Style One accounts to its kitty
Chennai-based creative agency be positive 24 has recently bagged the accounts of Social Media and Style One. Social Media is the media conglomerate that handles events for Kalaignar TV’s music channel Isayaruvi and Telugu music channel TV5, while Style One is a retail chain which recently launched its flagship fashion store in Chennai.
Muthoot Group enters media space with talk radio Chennai Live
South-based business conglomerate Muthoot Group has ventured into the media space with its first radio channel, Chennai Live. The talk radio is targeted at the 25-plus age group. The Group has invested Rs 20 crore in this radio venture, and according to George M George, Executive Director, Muthoot Group, “This is just the beginning of our media enterprise”.
IFRA India to organise CEO-Publishers Conclave on September 16-17
CEO-Publishers Conclave, a special stand-alone event with an international focus, would be held in Goa on September 16-17. The Conclave would focus on strategy and business topics and feature some well-known Indian and international management experts. It would conclude with the commencement of 16th IFRA India annual conference on September 17 at the same venue.
Filmfare Awards South ropes in Radio Mirchi, Sun TV as media partners; Tiger Balm is title partner
The 55th Filmfare South Awards, which will be held in Chennai on July 12, has brought on board Sun TV as its official television partner, while Radio Mirchi Chennai will be the official radio partner. Tiger Balm is the title partner for this event.
Visage Images to expand its image library, upgrade content
Visage Images, the master delegate of Getty Images, is looking at rapidly expanding its library of images and intends to upgrade its content. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the company currently has a stock of over one million images and hopes to touch the five-million mark by the end of 2013.
Yagna Raman appointed Creative Head of TBWA Chennai
TBWA\India has appointed Yagna Raman as Creative Director for their Chennai operations. He will team up with Josie CD to manage the eight-member creative team. Raman, known as Yegi among friends, has been the Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Xerago before moving to TBWA\India.
Rahul Srivastava joins Media Direction, Chennai as GM
Media Direction, the media arm of RK Swamy Group, has appointed Rahul Srivastava as General Manager. Srivastava will be based in Chennai and provide additional leadership to the agency in order to further strengthen one of the rapidly growing offices of the Group.
The Hindu’s Education Plus strengthens brand image with first International Education Fair
In a bid to create a greater brand connect with its TG, Education Plus, the education supplement of The Hindu held its first ever International Education Fair in Chennai on July 13-14. The two-day event saw a turnout of 2,470 students registering on entry and total footfalls of over 4,500. Universities and institutions from the UK, the US, Australia, Singapore, Dubai, the Philippines and New Zealand had taken part at the Fair.
Vijay TV on the lookout for the next Prabhu Deva in Tamil Nadu
Vijay TV’s romance with reality show continues. After hitting the jackpot with shows like ‘Hutch Kalakkapovadhu Yaaru’ and ‘Airtel Super Singer’, Vijay TV is ready with yet another reality show titled ‘Amul Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva’. The new show will scout for Tamil Nadu’s next Prabhu Deva, dancer extraordinaire.
Retail chain Odyssey chalks out aggressive growth plans; assigns creative duties to Contract
Retail chain Odyssey is bullish about its growth and has charted out aggressive expansion plans involving 50 large format stores and 200 small format stores across India in the next two years. The company has roped in Contract to handle its creative duties and partner in its growth plans.
Vijay TV gears up for second edition of ‘Airtel Super Singer’ senior
Following the huge success of ‘Airtel Super Singer’ junior and senior editions in 2006 and 2007, respectively, Vijay TV is all set to launch the second edition of ‘Airtel Super Singer Senior’. The show will take off on July 7 and will be aired Monday to Wednesday at 9 pm. This year’s show, like the earlier edition, will scout for best singing talent in Tamil Nadu.
Optima Marketing Solutions beefs up creative team with two key additions
In a move to strengthen its creative team, Chennai-based Optima Marketing Solutions has appointed Murali Krishnan as Vice President, while Ravi Krishnan comes on board as Associate Vice President.
With G Ramprasad as CEO, Zee South, ZEEL eyes stronger presence in Southern market
After consolidating its foothold in the Hindi general entertainment space, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) is all set to strengthen its presence down South. Apart from launching a Tamil GEC, the media behemoth is also looking at the Telugu and Tamil news and Malayalam general entertainment space. Zee has also made some key appointments recently to boost its South operations.
Raj Network launches Tamil news channel; Telugu news channel next in line
Raj Television Network rolled out its first 24-hour free to air (FTA) Tamil news channel Raj News 24x7 on June 23. Raj TV Network has invested around Rs 5 crore in the news channel. The Group will shortly be launching a 24-hour news and bushiness channel in Telugu.
Radio City Chennai hosts road safety Campaign with city police
Radio stations have set a trend of involving their audiences with various events aimed at building social responsibility. Radio City recently hosted a Road Safety Awareness Campaign in Chennai in association with the Chennai Traffic Police with great success.
Social Media joins hands with Isayaruvi and Hello FM for Tamil Music Awards 2008
Social Media is organising the Tamil Music Awards 2008 in association with Isayaruvi and Hello FM. The Awards are aimed at recognising and honouring the achievements of the Tamil music fraternity with nominations and votes from the general public. The award function will be held in Chennai on July 5.
Raj TV Network now part of Sun Direct DTH bouquet too
Raj TV Network and Sun Direct have finally reached a pact following which Raj TV will now be available on the latter’s DTH platform. Raj TV is already available on DishTV.
Madras Ad Club brings best of European and South African commercials in its first Gyan Series
The Advertising Club Madras is holding its first Gyan Series in Chennai on June 13. The Club has invited all its members for a special screening of ‘Shots’, which would showcase the best of European and South African commercials. Shots would be presented by Lowe Chennai and sponsored by The Hindu.
Sanguine Media forays into in-film advertising with Rajnikanth-starrer ‘Kuselan’
Superstar Rajnikanth-starrer ‘Kuselan’ will become an in-film advertising platform for Sanguine Media Ltd. ‘Kuselan’ is a bilingual film (Tamil/Telugu) produced by Kavithaalaya and Seven Arts. With more than 400 films being produced in South India annually, Sanguine is optimistic about scaling new heights with this new venture.
Big FM appoints Suresh Iyer as Regional Director, South
BIG FM has announced the appointment of Suresh Iyer as Regional Director, South. With over 15 years of experience in media, Iyer will be looking after the entire functioning of the southern region and will be based in Chennai.