DELHI GOES PUBLIC WITH 94.3 RADIO ONE’S PLAY YOUR MUSIC DAY

Thesynergyonline Entertainmemt Bureau

NEW DELHI, JULY 25 :
RADIO One, the ‘Maximum Music, Maximum Choice’ station, will go public in Delhi from this month. Continuing with the trend of pioneering the ‘music radio’ space in India, 94.3 RADIO ONE launched ‘PLAY YOUR MUSIC’ DAY’ in Delhi. A total of 1000 listeners will be chosen across 7 cities month on month to come to the stations and play their favourite songs. This is the first time that an FM station has opened its doors to the music loving public to take control of the music airwaves.

Play Your Music Day, a unique music proposition will give more than 1000 listeners the opportunity to come on-air, take control of the station and play their favourite songs. They will share the music space with movie stars, cricketers and famous musicians, all of whom will also play their favourite music. There will also be exciting contests, where these lucky listeners will get to win exciting prizes every month and soon the whole city will discover the ‘maximum music experience’. To get selected listeners have to just stay tuned to 94.3 Radio One and look out for the “Radio One POM POM girls” across the city.

The station received tremendous response for the on-ground activities in Delhi that began since the weekend of July 10, 2010. The road show went across various hot spots in the city like the NFC Market, DLF Place in Saket, Lajpat Nagar and Sahara Mall in Gurgaon. More than 200 listeners participated in these various on-ground activities & 4 of them have already won the opportunity to be the first few listeners who will go on-air.

Vineet Singh Hukmani, Managing Director 94.3 Radio One said: “This is what a specialist does versus a generalist. We will continue to break new ground in the music space ON AIR and OFF AIR and involve listeners and artists at a scale that has never been achieved before in the music broadcast space in India. Everyone at Radio One feels passionate towards music; many who work here are talented musicians themselves, unlike other stations where the connect with music is a very distant and superficial one. We also don’t ‘discriminate’ between film and non film music. Good music is good music!”

In Delhi the first Play Your music Day will begin on July 28 from 9am to 10pm with the iconic music directors SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY themselves taking control of 94.3 RADIO ONE to play 13 songs live and unplugged at 9am; again a feat never accomplished on private FM radio in the sphere of music. Being 94.3 Radio One’s brand ambassadors they have composed an anthem that invites the listeners to the station with a passionate call, ‘AAO APNA GAANA BAJAO, COME AND PLAY YOUR SONG’.

“The anthem song captures the essence that every person has a favourite song; something they dance to, dream to, wake up with, something that defines them. This is their chance to reveal themselves to the world through the songs they love”, added SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY.

“We have a multimedia campaign breaking soon to promote ‘PLAY YOUR MUSIC DAY’ which uses television to bring about the natural chemistry of SHANKAR, EHSAAN and LOY at the radio station, as they discover the unique music strengths of 94.3 Radio One. We will also use print, outdoor and other innovation to ‘own the music space’,” said Shyju Varkey, National head of Marketing 94.3 Radio One.

“The era of generic radio is over! It is time to specialize, focus and excel!’, said Vineet Singh Hukmani.

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JULY 22 :
Sony BRAVIA has now emerged as the market leader in Flat Panel Display sales in May 2010 grabbing a market share of 32 percent by value. The company is reported to have sold more than 35 thousand units in this month.

This is more than the sum of the LCD and Plasma TV units sold by any of its main competitors in May 2010 in India, aCCORDING to the Market Research Company GFK Nielsen India ,.

Sony has been able to substantially increase its market share (by value) from 24.3 percent in January to 32 percent in May for the BRAVIA category in a short span of 3 months.

Speaking at the milestone moment, Mr. Masaru Tamagawa, Managing Director, Sony India, commented, "Indian consumers trust and recognize Sony's relentless commitment towards quality and unparalleled customer service. Our sincere endeavor would be to maintain this leadership position in its true sense in upcoming months"

The report showcased comprehensive leadership of Sony in the Flat Panel TV category. Sony BRAVIA is the most sold LCD brand in the 22-inch, 32-inch and "40-inch and above" segment, clearly indicating its strong appeal across different customer segments.

These three segments together contribute more than 75 percent of all LCD TV units sold in India. Sony expects to attain leadership soon in other screen size segments as well. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) 

PANASONIC UNVEILS 'SOUND FOR INDIA' BLITZ

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JULY 12 :
THE 'Sound for India' caravan of Panasonic entered South Delhi today after its successful commencement in Gurgaon last week. The campaign "Sound for India" will travel to 70 cities in India and create a bank of distinctive sounds of each of the regions it travels to.

The 'Sound for India' caravan and exhibition will invite local talents for on the spot recording of a sound with synthesizer The most interesting sounds, as judged by the jury at the end of the contest on 11th Sept will be rewarded. The contest campaign in South Delhi was enlightened by a scintillating performance by Jassi, renowned Punjabi Singer.

Through "Sound for India" Panasonic will reach consumers across the length and breadth of India, beyond the metros and into tier II & tier III cities to address the latent demand there. With the Indian economy among the fastest growing in the world, the household incomes have increased substantially in not only the metros but also in the tier II & tier III cities. Rising incomes have also resulted in a rise in discretionary spending. The demand for digital TV has also been fuelled by the DTH boom, and the consumer expectation of experiencing the best the world has to offer.

Consumers would know the itinerary of "Sound for India" through the internet and through local announcements. During the duration of "Sound for India" the consumers can also avail the offer of a Casio synthesizer complementary with purchase of a Panasonic 32 inch LCD TV. The offer will be a limited period offer and for Delhi NCR this will be applicable till 31st July 2010.

Mr Manish Sharma, Director Marketing, and Panasonic India, "We at Panasonic are known for our consumer interest initiatives and keeping in mind the everlasting significance of melody in every individual's life in India. We have developed a better viewing experience through superior speaker quality and design in the VIERA range of TVs"

The "Sound for India" campaign will also mark the introduction in India of Panasonic 32C22, the 32 inch LCD. Driven by technology, picture quality, design and Eco friendliness, Panasonic 32C22 affords better viewing through theater like audio. At 78 Watts the Panasonic 32C22 has lowest power consumption in its category. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) 

VIEWSONIC UNVEILS 27" FULL HD MONITOR WITH 1MS RESPONSE TIME

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JULY 09 :
VIEWSONIC ® Corp., a global provider of computing and consumer electronics , has launched VX2739wm 27” Full HD monitor with a blazing fast 1ms response time .

“ViewSonic has introduced several monitor industry in India in the past including Big and Wide LCD monitors, LED Monitors and 3D Monitors” said Mr Gautam Ghosh, Country Manager, ViewSonic India . “ We are again leading the way in meeting digital lifestyle trends and customers needs by launching 27’’ monitor with fastest ever response time of 1ms. We hope to bring an ongoing innovation in the visual display market which will drive new digital trends in India,” he added.
 
Ideal for gaming and entertainment, the VX2739wm packages a 1080p Full HD panel and crystal clear 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio into a sleek and sexy design. With its 1ms super fast response time and built-in speakers with SRS® Premium Sound, the VX2739wm delivers truly immersive viewing.

With HDMI, DVI and VGA for video connectivity and a 4-port USB hub, the VX2739wm offers the diverse connectivity options consumers demand. A multipurpose device, the VX2739wm is perfect as a monitor or game console on the desktop or wall with its VESA® compliant design, or as an entertainment display when hooked up to a DVD player or cable/satellite box. Teamed with an ECO mode feature for energy savings of up to 35 percent, the VX2739wm is not only powerful but can save money and help save the environment too.

The VX2739wm comes with ViewSonic’s strongest pixel performance guarantee as well as a three-year limited warranty. It will be priced at a MRP of Rs.24, 999. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) 

6 INDIAN FILMS SHORTLISTED IN TONY BLAIR FAITH SHORTS COMPETITION

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JULY 09 :
FAITH Shorts is a global film competition run by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation providing young people with the opportunity to express their faith through film. The competition will culminate on the July 22 at a star studded award ceremony held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) hosted by British television presenter Adrian Chiles. The three winners will be flown to London to introduce their 3-minute films in person.

The powerful films produced deal with family, loss, overcoming adversity, personal devotion and hope. There have been entries from those without a faith telling us how their different beliefs inspire them, and stories from those who found inspiration in their religion.
The stories included a young Muslim and Hindu overcoming their family's resistance to form a strong friendship and ultimately helping their parents to overcome their prejudices. In another an Indian pupil presents a challenge to the viewer on child poverty with a journey through Delhi slums.

Entries have been shortlisted from around the world including India, the USA, Egypt, Argentina, Pakistan, UK, New Zealand, Singapore, Lebanon, Jordan, Singapore, and the Philippines. Young people of every background with no access to equipment took part - by sending their written "pitches". The Foundation sent flip cameras to the best 50 entries in these countries to ensure every young person could bring their ideas to life.

Many of the young people that were shortlisted came from schools in India taking part in the Face to Faith schools project that links secondary school children around the world through video-conferencing including Apeejay School, Bal Bharati Public School and Ahlcon International School.

These stories have impressed the global judging panel which includes Tony Blair, Jonathan Caplan QC, Hugh Jackman , Anil Kapoor, Amr Khaled , Jet Li, Kishore Lulla, Wendi Murdoch, Natalie Portman, Nik Powell , Queen Rania of Jordan, Rabbi David Rosen, June Sarpong, Deepak Verma and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation Fellows.

Faith Shorts judge and Hollywood actor, Hugh Jackman said after watching the films, "I had a great time judging and viewing all the films. I think they were all very brave, very personal in nature, very honest and I found them inspiring and touching."
Bollywood star Anil Kapoor said of a Jordanian entry about a young Christian girl dealing with the aftermath of terror attacks in her country:

"The film maker clearly communicates that her faith teaches her the importance of forgiveness and it is this practice that has truly freed her."

Tony Blair, one of the judges commented,"I'd like to congratulate six the young filmmakers in India on making the shortlist for the 2010 Faith Shorts film competition for a group of powerful and creative films that celebrate India's diversity.
"I've been deeply inspired by the films I've seen. These are films made by young people who have something to say about their faith and about the world they live in," he added.

" The stories they tell are incredibly powerful, some challenging, others uplifting they all confront head on the prejudices that so often abound about different religions. I am proud to have been a part of providing these young people with the tools to share their faith with the world and I am sure the films they've produced will be a powerful resource in breaking down barriers between different cultures and religions ," he said.

The young people are very excited about being shortlisted, Shiv Tandan from Delhi said, "Getting shortlisted is a heady feeling; I never expected it! Religion is a big thing in India, and we talk about it a lot anyway, so the topic was close to heart; which is why I suppose I got the determination to do a good job out of it. I learnt a lot from the research I did; much thanks to the wonderful friends and family I've been blessed with. I'm really excited! Thank you!"

Five of the shortlisted entries were in the under 18's category and their teachers share their excitement, Shalini Rastogi from Ahlcon International School, school said,"Faith has made us winners externally and internally! My pupil is very happy with this kind of international exposure and achievement. She has become a more confident and extrovert girl."

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JUNE 25 :
THE replacement cycle of TV sets and home appliances has shrunk by 50 per cent due to evolving lifestyle of Indian consumers, in which income levels have risen due to two primary reasons which include - implementation of 6th pay commission report and enactment of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), according to a joint report of Ernst & Young (E&Y) and ASSOCHAM.

According to estimates, MGNERGA alone provided employment opportunities to over 47 million households from fiscal 2008-09 onwards and significantly put purchasing power in hands of individuals, part of which is being used to discard old articles at their home, especially TV sets and home appliances.

Quoting the findings of report, ASSOCHAM Secretary General, Mr. D.S. Rawat said that replacement cycle for TV sets and home appliances before 2008-09 was 9 years and 12 years respectively.

It is now fallen to approximately 4-5 years and 7-8 years from 2008-09 and will further go down if household incomes improve.
The specific reasons have been assigned in the ASSOCHAM & E&Y report for this development which include a fast rate of obsolescence in technology is bringing down the prices of products and making them affordable to lower income groups as well.

Secondly, some initiatives taken by the government in improving income levels of households comprise execution of 6th Pay Commission report in which salaries of nearly 5 million central government employees have been revised by an average of 21% with an additional spend of US$ 3.7 billion (INR 157 billion for fiscal 2008-09) points out the report.

With an allocation of US$ 8.15 billion (INR 391 billion) in budget for 2009-10, the MNREGA by the government aims at increasing wage employment in the rural areas. The scheme already provided employment opportunities to more than 44.7 million households in fiscal 2008-09. The bill guarantees 100 days employment in a year. In the financial budget 2009-10, a wage rate of INR 100 per day was committed by the finance minister.

The report, therefore, gives emphasis to manufacturers of televisions and domestic appliances for designing and offering low cost products to a significance market of 121 million households with income levels in the range of US$ 1500-10000.

The report also observes that credit purchases account for nearly 20 percent of the overall consumer appliances sales and this factor has underscored growth in consumer appliances industry over the past decade.

In addition the rural electrification in India stands at 76.5 percent as on March 31, 2010 as per the Central Electricity Authority of India. This restricts households which can afford electronics and appliances products in unelectrified villages for using them.

The ASSOCHAM and E&Y report also highlights that under Bharat Nirman Project, towards the end of 11th five year plan period, electrification of 125,000 villages with 23 million households is also expected.

In addition 146,185 km of new rural roads network is also expected to connect 66,802 habitations and drinking water to 55,067 uncovered would also be provided. Besides, irrigation to 10 million hectare and telephone connectivity to 66,822 villages are likely to be provided.

All these promised initiatives will open up markets for consumer electronics and appliances such as televisions, audios, refrigerators, air coolers and air conditioners, concludes the report. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) 

SUPERIOR INFRA A PRESSING NEED FOR INDIAN M & E SECTOR

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, JUNE 11 :
THE unavailability of original quality content in films is one of the main reasons for the box office failure rate of Indian films being as high as 95 per cent, highlighting the pressing need for building a world class creative and business infrastructure for the media and entertainment industry in the country, an ASSOCHAM paper said today.

A white paper on media and entertainment in India, jointly issued by ASSOCHAM and Nishith Desai Associates pointed out that although India produces a large quantity of content, it is often unoriginal and does not match international standards.

In the M & E sector, both individual and collective creativity drives content which in turn drives the business. The poor content quality is also limiting India's outsourcing potential in the areas of gaming, animation, runway productions and other non mainstream areas.

The major factors contributing to the poor quality of content are the lack of best practice processes and unavailability of high quality training and educational institutions in this sector, the paper said adding this has resulted in creation of a workforce that is under-trained and under-performing vis-à-vis global standards .

"Over 5 million people are working directly and indirectly in the Indian filmed entertainment sector; and most of the direct workforce comprises self taught craftsmen having no formal education or training in their fields of work. Only a coincidence brings the best of them together on a project and ensures its success while most other projects meet with failure", the paper noted.

The focus must therefore be on raising world class creative talent by building superior inter-disciplinary creative and performing arts training and educational institutions. Such centers of excellence will be one of the keys to unlocking the potential of the Indian M & E sector in the coming years.

On the other hand, it is equally important is to provide strategic direction towards building world class business infrastructure in the
Indian M & E sector. Globally, this sector is going through a huge structural change due to its transition into digital media, which is expected to revolutionize the way in which we create, manage, market, distribute and consume M & E products and services.

The paper remarked that the current business infrastructure of the Indian M & E sector is lagging even in its existing needs, much less being prepared for the new future.

An underdeveloped business infrastructure could, however, prove to be positive for our M & E sector provided we can "leapfrog" straight to digital technologies as we have already done in the telecom sector, the paper observed.

India needs improved content creation, distribution, delivery mechanism and innovative business models to match the peculiar realities of the Indian market (such as the poor physical infrastructure) in order to make our M & E business infrastructure 'future ready'. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

'UNVEIL III PHASE POLICY FOR FM TO DEEPEN ITS BASE'

Thesynergyonline Economic Bureau

NEW DELHI, MAY 07 :
THE Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has urged Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) to roll out FM Phase III Policy in a bid to add more than 780 radio channels in about another 275 cities and towns as also make recommendations to Foreign Investment Promotion Board to raise FDI's limit in FM radio from existing 20 percent to 49 percent.

In a representation addressed to Ministry of I&B by ASSOCHAM President, Dr. Swati Piramal, the Chamber has also suggested that foreign equity stake in Direct to Home Services (DTH) be raised from 49 percent to 74 percent.

The Chamber Chief said that success of FM radio industry and it's popularity and access would depend provided it is broadbased for which FM Phase III Policy draft needs to be unveiled as soon as possible.

The policy if unveiled as recommended would expand and broadbase spread of FM channels to large number of cities and towns as it's popularity has already grown in more than 200 towns and cities for which licences were issued as per earlier FM policies with appropriate royalty structure for licencing music content, holds the ASSOCHAM.

However, the FM phase III policy document which should have been released a couple of months ago has been delayed inordinately.

The delay should not happen further as government has been loosing volumes of revenue. The FM phase III policy should have clear provision for providing autonomy to operators of FM news channels to telecast their own news content. Although, earlier FM policies are quite liberal but news content broadcast in FM channels are still regulated by Ministry of I&B which produce news from All India Radio.

The Chamber would recommend that in Phase III policy of FM, licencees should have the liberty to create their own news content with proper infrastructure in place, added Dr. Piramal.

On the issue of FDI limit in FM channels, the ASOSCHAM has recommended that it be raised to 49% from current level of 20%.
The Chamber has pointed out that presently rules regarding FDI vary from segment to segment in entertainment industry which create confusion and discourage foreign investors from investing in India's media and entertainment.

Dr. Piramal pointed out that 20% FDI's permitted in FM radio segment are also subject to approvals of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). In addition, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Wireless Operating Licence from the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing, which falls under jurisdiction of Ministry of Communications too have roles in 20 percent FDI's permitted in FM radio. The process even now is too cumbersome to woo FDI's in FM segment and thus needs to be not only reviewed with single window clearance but also required to be hiked to propose limit of 49 percent.

In Direct-to-Home Services, current ceiling of FDI's is 49 percent provided FIPB approves such investments. Licence from I&B in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Space also needs to be taken simultaneously.

Standing Advisory Committee for Frequency Allocation (SACFA) clearance is also required from Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing from Ministry of Communications. Shouldn't it be reviewed urgently, paving waves for higher FDI's in DTH, asked the ASSOCHAM President.

The ASSOCHAM has, therefore, urged the government to consider it's proposals as regards to streamline FDI's regime for M and E sector so that it grows at the required pace and catch up with the best existing in developed and developing economies. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)

'PERMIT FOREIGN VENTUTRE CAPITAL INVESTORS IN MEDIA , ENTERATINMENT '

Thesynergyonline Entertainment Bureau

NEW DELHI, MAY 04 :
THE Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has sought streamlining of foreign direct investment (FDI) regime in media and entertainment (M&E), especially stressing that foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs) be allowed to invest in media and entertainment sector.

In a representation submitted to Ministries of Information & Broadcasting, Finance and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by ASSOCHAM President, Dr. Swati Piramal, the Chamber has emphasised that government should remove sectoral restrictions as far as FDIs are concerned in M&E segment.

This is particularly so when the RBI allows investments by FVCIs in sectors of infrastructure, biotechnology, information technology, nano technology, research in new chemical entities in pharmaceutical sector, dairy and poultry industry among others.

However, FVCIs investment in M and E are restricted for best reasons known to the government and RBI continues to regulate them and allows such investments only in case to case basis.
Dr. Piramal pointed out that media and entertainment sector are still in growth phase and require capital for it's expansion and create employment opportunities including revenue generation capabilities for which funds from other sources are not easily available.

FVCIs investment in media and entertainment should be permitted especially at times when they are willing to come forward to park their surpluses in entertainment and media industry of India.

Elaborating on the issue of streamlining FDI's regime for M&E sector, Dr. Piramal pointed out that such a regime needs to be broadbsed for FM radio, cable network and direct to home services including setting up hardware facilities such as uplinking a news and current affairs TV channel.

According to the Chamber FDI's ceiling in FM radio is to an extent of 20 percent which is subject to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) while in case of cable network, it is confined to 49% with approval of FIPB. In DTH, the FDI's limit are restricted up to 49% that too is subjected to FIPB approval. In uplinking a news and current affairs TV channels, FDI's are allowed only to 26% with prior approval of FIPB.

The Chamber Chief further pointed out that currently rules regarding FDI vary from segment to segment in M&E sector. This creates confusion and discourages foreign investors from investing in India's media and entertainment.

Therefore, there is a strong case for review of FDI policy to bring consistency in policy and to provide a level playing field for competing technologies. The issue has gain importance on account of increasing convergence in broadcasting and telecommunication technologies and impact of this convergence on competition and market, she added.
Due to restrictions placed by the government in domestic media and entertainment industry, penetration of television into India is just around 49 percent whereas in the US, it is around 99 percent and in China it is around 90 percent.

It should be observed that M and E is capital intensive sector with the long gestation period and it require substantial investments to be made. Such investments are required for dual purpose of making modern technology available to domestic industry and bringing in international best practices.

In terms of ensuring entry of new technologies, it is important to provide an acceptable degree of control to any foreign entity that wishes to provide technology and do business in India, observed Dr. Piramal. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)