English Entertainment
Comedy Central and BSF join forces to ‘Spread The Cheer’ among the Jawans in Jammu
MUMBAI: Comedy Central – India’s leading 24-hour English Entertainment channel is committed towards making India smile and spreading cheer in citizens’ lives. The channel’s innovative efforts transcend beyond television programming and translate into meaningful actions through its ‘Spread The Cheer’ campaign. Taking forward the promise of inducing happiness one laugh at a time, Comedy Central reached the BSF Training Camp – Paloura in Jammu, mobilizing its esteemed CSR initiative.
Facing enemy lines in extreme weather conditions, at all hours of the day and night without apprehension or hesitation, the BSF Jawans signify real-life superheroes. Honoring the valor of these Jawans, Comedy Central resolved to step into the new year with hope and cheerfulness, by spreading happiness amongst these heroes at their basecamp in Jammu.
Commenting on the channel’s unique campaign, Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18, said, “’Spread The Cheer’ is an extremely special initiative of Comedy Central with an unwavering mission to touch people’s lives and extend the channel’s ethos of being #YourHappyPlace in true sense of the term. This year we scaled up our endeavor by taking the much-loved actor-entertainer Maniesh Paul to the BSF training camp in Jammu to foster an unforgettable evening and attempt to requite the service of our real heroes, who tirelessly protect our borders from every kind of threat.”
Bearing a motto of ‘Duty nto Death’, BSF is rightly-considered as our first line of defense, that stands guard bravely protecting Indian border extending over thousands of kilometers surrounding our country. Taking time off from their arduous duty, over 200 BSF Jawans and dignitaries at the camp were entertained by actor-cum-host Maniesh Paul on Saturday. Best known for his wit, comic-timing and mimicry prowess, the supremely talented Maniesh charmed his audience with rib-tickling laughter, foot-tapping dance moves, finger-licking food and many memorable moments.
Welcomed with overwhelming adulation, Maniesh was given a special tour of the camp, starting with a visit to the Martyrs’ Memorial paying tribute to the BSF Jawans who heroically lost their lives in the line of duty, followed by a glimpse of the intensive training demonstration of the BSF Commandos and finally playing kabaddi with the Jawans.
At the end of the programme, on behalf of the BSF Frontier – Paloura Camp, Sh N S Jamwal, IG BSF, Jammu Frontier thanked Maniesh Paul for a splendid evening with the BSF jawans and presented him with the Frontier Jammu Memento on behalf of all BSF Border-men.
Commenting on his experience, Maniesh Paul added, “Collaborating with Comedy Central for ‘Spread The Cheer’ and visiting the BSF camp has been an extremely gratifying experience. We play heroes on screen but these fearless BSF Jawans are undoubtedly the symbol of heroism and I salute them for their steadfast onus to the job. My visit to the hallowed grounds of these brave Jawans and an evening filled with merriment is etched as one of the most memorable and treasured events of my life. I congratulate Comedy Central for a splendid campaign in bringing happiness to such an integral part of our nation and I look forward to visiting the BSF camp again.”
The fun and frolic concluded with Comedy Central surprising the BSF Jawans by gifting them specially created hampers courtesy – Ustraa, a specialized men’s grooming products brand.
‘Spread The Cheer’ has also associated with Ketto – a popular crowdfunding platform for social, creative and personal causes, to help amplify the efforts of Aditya Mehta Foundation. The foundation raises funds for the ‘Divyang Jawans’ initiative, which strives to enable Para athletes with equipment and training to participate in various Para sports events including the upcoming Paralympics 2020.
English Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount deal
Investors wave through a $111 billion megamerger but deliver a stinging, if toothless, rebuke over half-a-billion-dollar goodbye packages
NEW YORK: The shareholders said yes to the deal. They said no to the cheque. At a virtual special meeting on Thursday that lasted barely ten minutes, Warner Bros. Discovery investors voted overwhelmingly to approve Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion acquisition of the company — and then turned around and voted against the lavish exit pay packages lined up for chief executive David Zaslav and his fellow outgoing executives.
Not that it will make much difference. The compensation vote is purely advisory and non-binding. The Warner Bros. Discovery board can, and almost certainly will, pay out as planned.
But the symbolism stings. It is the second consecutive year that WBD shareholders have voted against the executive compensation packages, and this time they had good reason. Zaslav’s exit deal is, by any measure, extraordinary. Under the terms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he is set to receive $34.2 million in cash severance, $517.2 million in equity in the combined company, and $44,195 in continued health coverage — a total of at least $550 million. On top of that, Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to reimburse Zaslav up to $335 million for taxes assessed by the Internal Revenue Service on his accelerated stock vesting, though the company says that figure will decline depending on when the deal closes. As of March 11, Zaslav also held $115.85 million in vested WBD stock awards — and last month sold a further $114 million worth of WBD shares.
Shareholder advisory firm ISS recommended voting against the compensation measure, citing “problematic” tax reimbursements to Zaslav and the full vesting of his stock awards.
Zaslav will be bound by a two-year non-competition covenant and a two-year non-solicitation of customers and employees after the deal closes.
His lieutenants are not walking away empty-handed either. J.B. Perrette, chief executive and president of global streaming and games, is in line for $142 million, comprising $18.2 million in cash severance and $123.9 million in equity. Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer, will receive an estimated $121.5 million, including $18.8 million in severance and $102.7 million in equity. Chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels is set for $120 million, made up of $6.6 million in cash severance and $113.1 million in equity. Gerhard Zeiler, president of international, will get $82.6 million, including $11.9 million in severance and $70.7 million in equity.
The deal itself, clinched in February after Netflix declined to raise its bid for Warner Bros., still needs regulatory clearance from the Justice Department and European authorities. Several state attorneys general are also weighing legal action to block it.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, was unsparing. “The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger isn’t a done deal,” she said after the shareholder vote. “State attorneys general across the country are stepping up to stop this antitrust disaster. We need to keep up this fight.”
If it does go through, the combined entity would be a formidable beast, bringing together Paramount Skydance’s stable — CBS, CBS News, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, BET, MTV and Nickelodeon — with WBD’s portfolio of HBO, Max, Warner Bros. film and TV studios, DC, CNN, TBS, TNT, HGTV and Discovery+. Paramount has said it expects $6 billion in cost savings from the merger, which is Wall Street shorthand for mass layoffs on a significant scale.
The ten-minute meeting was presided over by chairman Samuel Di Piazza Jr., with Zaslav, Campbell, Wiedenfels and chief communications officer Robert Gibbs in virtual attendance. Di Piazza was bullish. “We appreciate the support and confidence our stockholders have placed in us to unlock the full value of our world-class entertainment portfolio,” he said. “With Paramount, we look forward to creating an exceptional combined company that will expand consumer choice and benefit the global creative talent community.”
Zaslav echoed the sentiment. “Over the past four years, our teams have transformed Warner Bros. Discovery and returned the company to industry leadership,” he said. “Today’s stockholder approval is another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction that will deliver exceptional value to our stockholders.”
Paramount Skydance struck a similar note. “Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery,” it said in a statement, adding that it looked forward to “closing the transaction in the coming months.”
The shareholders have spoken on the merger. On the pay, they were ignored before the vote was even counted.
