News Corp buys out Disney’s stake in ESPN Star Sports
In a move that will shake up sports broadcasting biz in Asia, News Corp is buying out ESPN's 50% stake in ESPN Star Sports to take full control of the company.
(6 june 2012)

TV18, Viacom18 form new JV
New JV, IndiaCast, to distribute ETV channels, post completion of acquisition by TV18; will also distribute Sun & Disney channels in HSM.
(5 june 2012)

How Bollywood braved the IPL storm
For the last four years, the IPL had choked the Bollywood industry; this year four films have successfully braved the IPL storm with Housefull 2 leading the fightback.
(7 june 2012)

Ad Slowdown Looms
A slowdown in ad economy looms large amid weakening domestic growth, a sliding rupee and wobbly markets; television to be more resilient than print.
(4 june 2012)

Digitisation deadline: Ambika Soni to meet stakeholders on 8 June
Cable networks expect the government to shift the deadline for digitisation in the 4 metros as Trai guidelines came late; broadcasters pressing for 30 June deadline.
(6 june 2012)

MSOs oppose WWIL's carriage rev share offer to LCOs
WWIL decides to share 25% of its carriage income from DAS markets with LCOs ahead of digitisation deadline; rival MSOs say that it will have no impact on them.
(6 june 2012)

Subhash Chandra urges Govt to stick to 30 June deadline
Subhash Chandra writes to Ambika Soni, stating fears that any postponement of digitisation would send wrong signals to stakeholders and investors; if govt considers date extension due to STBs, this should not be more than 60 days.
(7 june 2012)

Neo Prime begins its journey as all sports channel
The Neo Cricket rebranded channel will have networks' premium content including cricket and other mass sports; Neo Sports will air niche properties like Golf and Badminton.
(2 june 2012)

ESS retains England cricket rights for $200 mn
The rights for 7 years, including TV, online, mobile & radio covering India, Pak, SL and Bangladesh, had bidders like Sony Six; previous 5-year deal was for $80 mn.
(4 june 2012)

Radio waves to be delinked from licences, to be given through auction
All radio waves to be awarded through auction and will be delinked from licences; in existing policy spectrum was coming bundled with licences.
(1 june 2012)

Post CA Media buy, Endemol India gets TV and fiction head
Endemol restructures operations to keep in line with its growth strategy that will be built on four verticals; appoints Abhishek Rege as COO - TV and Doris Dey as fiction head.
(5 june 2012)

Hockey leagues set for fierce battle in India
Hockey India, game's official body, is set to take on Nimbus Sports and Indian Hockey Federation's World Series Hockey with its own franchise-based league; to debut in January 2013.
(2 june 2012)

NGC gets FIPB nod
NGC Network gets the FIPB nod for uplinking and downlinking of non-news and current affairs television channels through internal accruals without any foreign inflows.
(1 june 2012)

ESS eyes Rs 550 million from Olympics
ESPN Star Sports ropes in Tata DoCoMo as co-presenting sponsor & Airtel Digital TV as associate sponsor; ESS is asking for Rs 70-85 mn from presenting sponsors.
(5 june 2012)

Neo looks at Rs 400 million from Euro 2012
Neo Prime ropes in 5 sponsors for the 24-day event starting Friday; Carlsberg, Cadbury, Intel Zolo smartphone, DHL and Reliance Netconnect are already in and two more are to join.
(7 june 2012)

BMB India picks Raj Nair as CCO
Nair has joined the advertising unit of Madison World as chief creative officer; he comes in from Contract Advertising where he was regional creative director.
(4 june 2012)

Rowdy Rathore becomes this year's biggest weekend grosser
The film, marking Akshay’s reentry to the action movie genre, collects Rs 483 mn in its opening weekend, making it highest weekend grosser in 2012 & fifth highest so far. BOX OFFICE!
(4 june 2012)

Rowdy Rathore befits a B grade film of a bygone era
The film shows Akshaya Kumar mightier than combined might of scores of villains; aiming at the masses, it does not bother with finesse and lets minor details pass. FILM REVIEW!
(1 june 2012)

Executive Dossier

'Star Pravah is only entertainment channel with 25% of content aimed at males' Interview with Star Pravah channel head Nachiket Pantvaidya