MTV LOCAL BOSS DEPARTS

MTV India general manager Sunil Lulla has put in his papers at the firm. Lulla, who has been with MTV almost from the time it re-launched in India a couple of years ago, is joining a liquor company. According to sources, Lulla was finding it difficult to take MTV India - which has 70% local content - into its next phase of higher ad rates on the channel; hence he quit. MTV has, since launch, taken the low pricing strategy and commercial time is at times sold at even as low a rate as $100 for a 10 second spot. Lulla denied this saying that it's business as usual at MTV and he was leaving for personal reasons. The management of the India operations will be in the hands of MTV Asia sr vice-president (marketing, research and communications) Sudanshu Sarronwala until a replacement is found.

Meanwhile the rumour that Channel V general manager Jules Fuller was on his way out has been quashed by Fuller himself. Says he: "I'm not leaving. I have an open-ended contract with the management."

The buzz was that he was not seeing eye to eye with new Channel V managing director Steve Smith on several issues. Fuller says this is untrue. "We get along well, mate," says Fuller.