MAM
Max to go big bang with blockbusters in Ist quarter 2006
MUMBAI: After keeping a low profile in 2005, Set India‘s movie and special events channel Max is now padding up for the big battle of 2006. The channel has chosen the auspicious occasion of 1 January 2006 to kick off a set of activities on the movie front. |
Max will unleash a slew of blockbuster movies through the Sunday 1 pm slot. Some of the hit movies the channel has lined up include Mangal Pandey, Veer-Zaara, Parineeta, Kaal, Iqbal, Dus and Waqt. The campaign will kick off with Yash Chopra‘s Veer Zaara telecast on the New Year Day. The following Sunday, on 8 January, Max will telecast the Bachchan-Akshay starrer Waqt. “What we have lined up is a very aggressive calendar of blockbuster movies. This will be the channel‘s driver activity for the January to March quarter period of 2006,” says Max business head Albert Almeida. |
|
Mid 2005, Max launched the Sunday vertical band Sunday Houseful which runs from 9 am to 9 pm. According to Almeida, the Sunday slot delivers 1+ TVR over a 12 hour period. “This is not just a rating driver but a huge revenue opportunity for Max. In terms of strengthening our bands, we have made significant additions to our library. These brand new blockbusters are part of that strategy,” says Almeida.
|
|
 “Max has consistently set benchmarks in the industry with its innovative marketing and promotional campaigns, receiving accolades in India and internationally. This time too, supported by an innovative and groundbreaking campaign, the big blockbusters on Max are sure to enthrall viewers and re-enforce Max‘s commitment of fuelling their passion for movies,” says Almeida. |
Max has christened the Sunday blockbuster movie marketing campaign as Saal Ke Sabse Bade Blockbusters. The campaign, covering on air promos, radio, print and outdoors, breaks on 28 December. On ground activities will be held in towns and cities through van promotions. The channel will also attempt to create a buzz in multiplexes and cinemas.
MAM
Network18 reshuffles editorial leadership across platforms
Expanded roles and new reporting lines aim to sharpen focus on growth across digital, social, CTV and linear TV.
MUMBAI: Network18 is giving its leadership structure a fresh edit because in the fast-changing world of media, even the newsroom needs a compelling new headline. The company has announced expanded roles for its editorial leadership across social, digital, connected TV (CTV) and linear platforms. In an internal communication, Rahul Joshi, MD & Group Editor-in-Chief, outlined new reporting structures designed to drive stronger coordination and growth.
Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will now report directly to Joshi. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan will continue reporting to him as well.
Prabhat Chatterjee, Business Head of Forbes, and Arun Thapar, President of Content & Communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra and lead revenue growth, marketing and product initiatives. Mallika Nath Handa will spearhead the development and scaling of special projects, including new shows and non-linear properties, and will also report to Mehra.
Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN18, will report to Ramesh Damani. Sidharth Newatia, CRO-ILC, will report to Mitul Sangani and focus on expanding reach and revenue across Hindi and regional language markets, with special emphasis on Tier-II and Tier-III regions. Pankaj Soni, Head of Marketing-ILC, will report to Mitul and work functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The branded content business of Moneycontrol has been consolidated with News18 Studio. Don Zarrar will now collaborate with Shiv in the News18 Studio business while continuing to head his existing Studio/Focus teams at Moneycontrol.
Pranav Bakshi has taken on additional responsibility for the international business, alongside continuing to lead growth in Connected TV and social platforms. Naveen Mathur, who oversees Revenue Management for Network18’s international business, will report to Pranav, who continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
Rajesh Sharma (Head of Broadcast Technology & IT), Rahul Singh (Head of Events & Technical Operations) and Bhupender Bhardwaj (Head of IT Security) will now report to Puneet Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, Head of Sales Strategy, Planning & Ops, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and Rahul Joshi, while Stanley Cyril, who manages Digital Sales Operations, will report to Darshil.
Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads the viewer and audience-focused Research & Analytics function, will now work with Santosh Menon to convert data on reach and engagement into actionable insights for content strategy, product innovation and sustained viewership growth.
In a media landscape where platforms multiply faster than breaking news, Network18’s latest reshuffle is clearly aimed at keeping its editorial and business engines firing in sync. Expect sharper storytelling, stronger revenue plays, and a more agile approach across every screen that matters.
