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FM Auction Phase III : Bid Tally

HT Media, which was counted among the smaller players until now with just four stations in the metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru under the Fever FM brand, has emerged in a big way in the first batch of FM Phase III auctions. To everyone’s surprise, the radio network picked up Delhi’s lone frequency for a whopping Rs 169 crore (Rs 1.69 billion), followed by Mumbai for another Rs 122 crore (Rs 1.22 billion).
Due to the high prices in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the radio network spent around Rs 339.7 crore (Rs 3.4 billion)  for 10 frequencies, of which seven were in the Northern states (Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Bareilly and Gorakhpur). Considering the strong presence of its print business in the North, the auction wins could help the radio network cement its position in these cities quickly.

ENIL, which operates its FM radio business under the Radio Mirchi brand, spent Rs 339.2 crore (Rs 3.39 billion) and pocketed the maximum number of frequencies – 17. As a result, the total number of stations will go up from 32 to 49 (excluding the four Oye FM stations already approved for acquisition). It picked up the single frequency in Bengaluru for Rs 109 crore (Rs 1.09 billion).
Though ENIL lost out on the big metros of Delhi and Mumbai, it is now waiting for the approval of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to acquire the three metro stations of Oye FM.
Interestingly, Radio Mirchi became the only player to acquire a third frequency in the city of Hyderabad. In an interaction, ENIL MD and CEO Prashant Panday had told TelevisionPost.com that this frequency would enable the network to offer different products to people in the market.
ENIL acquired five frequencies in the North (Kanpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar), five in the South (Bangalore, Cochin, Kozhikode, two in Hyderabad), two in Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Surat), two in East (Guwahati, Shillong), two in Maharashtra (Nagpur, Pune) and one in Jaipur.

Reliance Broadcast Network, which operates the biggest network, Big FM, in terms of frequencies, was among the few players that did not go overboard in its spends during the auctions.
The network spent Rs 116.9 crore (Rs 1.17 billion) to acquire 14 frequencies spread across the country.
With the largest network of 45 stations already, Big FM will now be a 59-station network, retaining its position as the largest brand. Surprisingly, Big FM was not among the winners in the big metros. But the network managed to grab frequencies in Lucknow, Nagpur, Pune, Patna, Varanasi, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Gorakhpur, Kolhapur, Muzzaffarpur, Agartala, Aizwal, Itanagar and Shillong.
RBNL COO Ashwin Padmanabhan told TVP, “We believe the bidding for frequencies like Mumbai and Delhi was irrational and would put a question mark on viability. Hence, we did not pursue them.”
Interestingly, RBNL did not acquire even a single frequency in the Southern region. Meanwhile, it did manage to strengthen its presence by acquiring seven channels in the North, four in the North East and four in Maharashtra.
Padmanabhan said, “We are delighted with the way the first batch of Phase III has turned out for RBNL. We are the biggest network with a footprint across 59 cities covering metros, mini-metros and a deep penetration into key markets of UP, Maharashtra, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, as well as in the North East. With this we will be able to offer advertisers both wide reach and deep penetration.”
With 15 per cent cap, each network could have a maximum of 52 stations. In such a case, Big FM could have got only seven more stations. But with the NE and J&K stations not counted for the cap, it helped the network expand its presence not only in those regions, but overall as well.

Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, which operates Radio City, remained focused on Tier II markets and acquired 11 frequencies in the auctions to the tune of Rs 62.5 crore (Rs 625 million).
Radio City CEO Apurva Purohit said that this would increase the radio network’s footprint across important cities in each state. “Radio City and Radio Mantra together will be dominant players in important state clusters and continue our successful Phase II strategy of concentrating on advertiser-relevant markets.”
Recently, print major Jagaran Prakashan Ltd, which operates Radio Mantra, acquired Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd.
Mantra already has presence in eight cities in the North. Music Broadcast acquired four frequencies in the North (Patiala, Patna, Kanpur, Jamshedpur), which will help the two radio brands consolidate their position in the region.
Another point of interest is that Music Broadcast has acquired four channels in Rajasthan (Ajmer, Bikaner, Kota, Udaipur). The network presently has presence only in Jaipur in Rajashtan.
This was another network with a lesser focus on South and acquired only one channel Madurai. Meanwhile, it won Nashik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

Due to Madras High Court orders, the frequencies acquired by Sun TV, South Asia FM and Kal Radio were not revealed. Thus, only the results of Sun TV’s associate companies Digital Radio Broadcasting (Mumbai) and Digital Radio Broadcasting (Delhi), which operate Red FM Mumbai and Delhi respectively, were revealed.
While Digital Radio Broadcasting Mumbai won a channel in Mumbai for Rs 122 crore (Rs 1.22 billion), its Delhi counterpart won two frequencies in Jodhpur and Srinagar for a total of Rs 12.06 crore (Rs 120.6 million).
Among the smaller players, DB Corp, which operates My FM, emerged strong by winning 14 frequencies for Rs 32.4 crore. (Rs 324 million).
While DB Corp could not afford the bigger metros, it focused on expanding its presence heavily in Maharashtra as nine of its 14 acquired frequencies were located in Maharashtra, namely Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nanded, Akola, Aurangabad, Nashik, Sangli and Sholapur.
With no focus on the South, it won three channels in the Northern region through Hissar, Karnal and Muzzaffarpur.

Rajasthan Patrika, which operates Radio Tadka, also won 14 frequencies. It strengthened its presence in the North with eight of the 14 frequencies in the region—Agra, Srinagar, Muzzaffarpur, Jammu, Gorakhpur, Bilaspur, Bareilly and Allahabad.
The network spent Rs 12.4 crore (Rs 124 million) for the 14 channels.

Being counted as among the differentiated players, Next Radio Ltd, which operates Radio One, did not win a single frequency. Radio One MD and CEO Vineet Singh Hukmani said, “We opted out as prices were inflated and we did not want to compromise on present profits for speculative growth. The market is growing at 6 per cent and break-even at these auction prices is next to impossible. It seemed that the auctions are an example of financial muscle being flexed for domination with perhaps short to medium term (5–7 years) operating profit taking a back seat.”
The new entrants also performed well with Abhijit Realtors and Infraventures Pvt Ltd spending Rs 6.3 million to pick up two frequencies Akola and Bilaspur respectively.
Renderlive Films and Entertainment won Aligarh for Rs 3.1 million using up the entire amount it had set aside.
Meanwhile, Sarthak Films won the competitive markets of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, paying up Rs 8.4 crore (Rs 84 million) for both.
Abir Buildcon won Bilaspur for Rs 3.3 million. Similar was the case with Odisha Television which won Rourkela for Rs 1.02 crore (Rs 10.2 million).
Matrubhumi Printing and Publishing (Club FM) picked up one station in Kozhikode for Rs 7.02 crore (Rs 70.2 million), exactly the amount it had put aside for the bidding.

Besides Radio One, Malar Publication (Hello FM) and Pudhari Publications (Tomato FM) won no frequencies.

Source : TelevisionPost

Raj Nayak elected as President of The Advertising Club

Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, has been unanimously elected as President of The Advertising Club at their Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai. Nayak, an industry veteran, has been on various industry bodies, including the Indian Broadcasters Foundation, Advertising Standards Council of India, and the International Advertising Association – India Chapter. He was chosen earlier this year to lead the Indian Delegation to AdAsia 2015, to be held in Taipei in November.

Source : Bestmediainfo.com

'American Idol' Voting Controversy hooked with AT & T

AT&T, one of the biggest corporate sponsors of “American Idol,” might have influenced theAmerican Idol outcome of this year’s competition by providing phones for free text-messaging services and lessons in casting blocks of votes at parties organized by fans of Kris Allen, the Arkansas singer who was the winner of the show last week.

From its perch as the exclusive provider of cellphone text voting for "American Idol," AT&T has reaped lots of revenue from millions of voting fans not to mention millions of dollars in publicity and on-air mentions. But now AT&T finds itself with some unwelcome PR amid charges that it may have swung the outcome of the top-rated talent show.


AT&T, the No. 2 U.S. carrier, struck a sponsorship deal with "American Idol" in 2003 that allowed only users of its cellphones to cast votes via text message. Since then the volume of text votes related to the show, including sweepstakes and trivia, has jumped. This year the carrier processed 178 million "American Idol"-related text messages, vs. last year's 78 million.


Read more...

Congrats Obama

A sand sculpture congratulating US President Elect – Barack Obama, by Indian Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik in a beach in Puri

Mr Sudarsan Pattnaik
International Sand Artist
Marchikote Lane, Puri Orissa,
sudarsansand@hotmail.com,
Mobile:- 09437035950 , Phone:-91-06752-228477

15 Creative Agencies empanelled for the global Incredible India campaign

Ministry of Tourism has empanelled 15 creative agencies for the global Incredible India campaign.

The 15 empanelled agencies include Mudra, Lowe, Contract, W+K, Dentsu Marcom, TBWA India, Mercantile Advertising, Stark Communications, Crayons, Critique, Quantum, Basic Four, FS Advertising, IBD India and India Tourism Development Corporation’s creative wing (also known as Ashok Creatives). The ad spends are estimated to be more than Rs 120 crore for the global campaign.

The 15 agencies have been appointed for a period of two years. Recently, four agencies – Crayons, Euro RSCG, Span Communications and ZenithOptimedia – were appointed to handle the media duties for Incredible India.

While this is news of the global campaign, the creative and media duties for the domestic one will be decided much later. It is learnt that popular actor Aamir Khan has been appointed brand ambassador for the domestic campaign, and since he is currently busy with some other assignments, the ministry will work out the details once he is back in action.

Source : afaqs!

Madison to pick majority stake in Sunil Gavaskar's PMG

Media and advertising agency Madison will acquire a majority stake in cricket's "little master" Sunil Gavaskar's sports management company, Professional Management Group (PMG). An announcement to this effect is expected to be made soon.

Sources close to the development said, “Madison will invest in expanding the business, while PMG’s expertise will be used to usher in growth.”

One of the first sports management companies in the country, PMG’s various achievements include the Ceat Cricket Ratings - India’s first cricket awards, The Castrol Indian Cricket Awards and the Signature Club Golf Championship.

The acquisition will mark Madison’s foray into the sports genre which is emerging as a hotspot for most advertising companies. Madison, which was founded by Sam Balsara in 1988, already operates in the advertising, public relations, media verticals, among others.

UTV plans biz news channel

Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV Software Communications is in talks with the Walt Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company News (ABC News) for launching a business news channel.

Sources in the know said the foreign media company would pick up a minority stake in the venture and provide technical support. The laws allow a foreign company to pick up a maximum 26 per cent stake in a news venture.

The discussions were at an advanced stage, and the deal would be announced shortly, they said. Walt Disney holds 14.85 per cent stake in UTV as on March 31, 2007.

'Sivaji' TV rights sold to Kalaignar TV

The ongoing media war in Tamil Nadu between Marans and Karunanidhis has moved from television channels to movie rights. Television rights of the most expensive Tamil film ever made - Rajnikant starrer Sivaji - have been sold to the soon to be launched DMK-run Kalaignar TV.

Since the Maran family owned Sun TV network had till now acquired virtually all major movies so far the acquisition of the Rs.50 crore Sivaji is being seen as another example of the widening rift between Karunanidhis and Marans.

AVM productions which has produced Sivaji said that the film will be telecast on Kalaignar TV after three years. The channel was recently born out of the recent rift between Maran and Karunanidhi.

It will be interesting to see how Tamil film producers respond to this development. Tamil Nadu has a huge fan-following for cinema and the battle for television rights for blockbusters could spill into the current media war between the two channels.


Source : indiantelevision.com

Mittal Arcelor may eye Japan steel firm

A Japanese steelmaker could become Mittal Arcelor’s next takeover target as the world’s No1 steel maker eyes technology for high-end automotive sheet, the head of Kobe Steel Ltd said on Tuesday. Kobe Steel president Yasuo Inubushi said the European steel giant, formed after Mittal Steel’s unsolicited bid for Arcelor last year, is entering a new stage in its expansion drive.

Mittal’s hostile bid for Arcelor last year has rattled current world No 2 Nippon Steel Corp, the biggest beneficiary of strong worldwide sales of Japanese cars made by Toyota Motor Corp and others, prompting it to raise defences. Nippon Steel quickly ditched its strategy focusing on high-end products, and has since been seeking growth in size by consolidating domestic and Brazilian firms, while boosting ties with Asian peers such as South Korea’s POSCO Ltd and China’s Baoshan Iron and Steel Co.

Its Brazilian affiliate Usiminas recently announced a $4.3 billion production expansion plan in Brazil, with full technological support from parent Nippon Steel. “We were lucky that Mittal turned to Arcelor last year, not to us,” Nippon Steel president Akio Mimura recently said on a TV programme about its efforts to avoid a hostile bid. Kobe’s Inubushi said his company had no plans to expand through mergers and acquisitions.

Source : Financial Express

71 pvt satellite channels to uplink from India

The proposals for 71 private satellite TV channels for permission to uplink from India are at various stages of scrutiny in accordance with the existing uplinkling guidelines, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
In a reply, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting P R Dasmunsi said the ministry has permitted 222 private satellite channels to uplink from India and six TV channels uplinked from abroad have also been permitted to downlink in India.
In addition to this, 54 foreign TV channels have been provisionally permitted to downlink in India, the minister said.
The minister also said the number of proposals received by the ministry for producing regional films on social causes such as girl child development during the last three years were 67 from Children Film Society of India and eight from the Films division.
There is no proposal in this regard from the National Film Development (NFDC), the minister said.

Rediff.com bucks trend with top line growth

In 2000, when internet companies across the world were shutting shop, this start-up refused to join the crowd and continued with its operations despite the losses – a move that defied conventional business logic at that time.

Seven years later, Rediff.com has recorded a net profit of $2 million (Rs 8.82 crore) in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase of 278 per cent from $0.53 million (Rs 2.33 crore) posted during the same period of the previous financial year.

Its earnings more than tripled to $0.07 per American Depository Share (ADS) on a 66 per cent top line growth, beating the expectations of Wall Street analysts who had projected Rediff.com’s earnings at $0.05 per ADS with 61 per cent growth in revenues.

Its online revenues, which included advertising and fee-based revenues, totalled $6.30 million (Rs 27.89 crore) in the fourth quarter, an increase of 76 per cent compared with the same quarter in the previous year. This is more than the industry average of 71 per cent. The number of companies advertising on Rediff’s website totalled 177 – a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent. However, analysts feel that the company depends a lot on its top clients. For the fourth quarter, the company’s top-10 advertisers contributed around 55 per cent of the advertisement revenue for the Indian online advertising business.

According to Rediff.com vice-president (marketing) Manish Agarwal, the company’s business model has matured, which is reflected in the confidence of advertisers and users.

“This is a result of Ajit’s (Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO) conviction. From day one, he used to stress on the fact that we have a sustainable revenue model and are here to stay,” he said.

To increase its email users, the company last month revamped its website and announced free unlimited storage space. The company had then said that they wanted users to make Rediffmail as the first preference.

The company also launched a new platform Predict and Win. This platform uses neural network concepts to generate odds and allows users to predict the outcomes of various events. Last year it also acquired a start-up. “We strongly believe that Indian start-ups have the ability to produce world-class products. Our partnership with Tachyon is to help in making Rediff popular among the youngsters,” said Agarwal.

Nimbus planning Rs 300 crore IPO

Broadcaster Nimbus Communication, which operates sports channel Neo Sports, is in talks with banks to float an initial public offer (IPO) for nearly Rs 300 crore.

Sources said that four domestic banks and three global banks met the management early last week. The IPO is likely to hit the market in 6 months.

Confirming the development, the company’s spokesperson said, “The management has met banks for the IPO and we are at a very early stage of discussions.”

Early this year in January, three foreign private equity investors 3i, Cisco and Oman International Fund stuck a private equity investment deal with the broadcaster for Rs 552 crore.

The deal is one of the largest private equity investments in the media and entertainment sector.

At that time, Nimbus’ chairman Harish Thawani confirmed that this would be the final round of private equity investment before the company was listed. The investment was through compulsory convertible debentures which was likely to converted before the company’s listing.

Currently, Thawani holds 54 per cent stake in Nimbus. However, post the conversion, his stake would come down to around 40 per cent.

With the IPO proceeds, Nimbus plans to further strengthen and explore new avenues. The company is already gearing up with its home video foray.

Nimbus is believed to be considering a venture in video-on -demand and internet protocol television (IPTV) services having partnered with Cisco which has presence in the space.

The company plans to launch an entertainment channel and invest in sports management.

Corporates take rivals head-on through ads

Confrontational advertising has become the order of the day in India with corporate houses taking on rivals head-on.

While industrialist Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines is fighting a pitched battle with Jet Airways through its outdoor advertising in Mumbai on the retail front, Kishore Biyani’s Pantaloon has decided to take its rivalry with Shoppers’ Stop and Lifestyle to the streets. Not to be left far behind are the job portals, where Times Jobs, owned by the media company Bennett, Coleman & Company is targeting its competitor Naukri.com.

Marketing experts call it the champion-challenger theory. In each of these categories the challenger brands — Kingfisher, Pantaloons and Times Jobs — are taking on champions, who have ruled their respective categories for a while namely, Jet, Shoppers’ Stop and Naukri.com. According to advertising executives, these ads help the challenger brands tackle complacency that might have set in to the marketplace, leverage the power of the underdogs and talk to a younger mindset.

In the airline industry, where a dozen domestic airlines have sprung up in the last few years, the new players felt the need to stand out in a fiercely competitive space. When Jet Airways announced a change in livery, their advertising campaign read, “We’ve changed”. Kingfisher retorted with a billboard, placed directly above the Jet Airways’ that read “We made them change!!”.

In the retail segment, dominated by Shoppers’ Stop, Westside and Lifestyle, Pantaloon defied the order through these taglines – “Keep West-aSide. Make a smart choice”, “Shoppers! Stop” and “Change your Lifestyle”.

Rajan Malhotra, CEO of Big Bazaar said, “We have always adopted an advertising model that is aggressive and in-your-face.” He added, “We are addressing our customers rather than giving free publicity to our competitors; we are using them as a reference point.”

As recruitment advertising becomes increasingly online, Timesjobs.com immediately grabbed attention with their hard-hitting ads saying, “Everyone’s quitting Naukri. And making a beeline for Timesjobs” and “Don’t waste time in a dead-end Naukri”.

Rajan Krishnan, vice-president, strategic planning, Ogilvy & Mather, said, “It requires a maverick mindset that’s not afraid of failure to break into the consumer’s mindset. These ads put champions off course and also act as a morale booster for the challenger brand’s loyalists.”

Ajay Uthaman, associate VP, Equus Red Cell, the advertising agency that created the Kingfisher ads, gave a thumbs-up to the new-age marketing style.

Kapil is exec board head of Chandra's ICL

Former India captain Kapil Dev will head the executive board of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The other members of the board include former stumper and ex-chief selector Kiran More, former England captain Tony Greig and Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Dean Jones.

While making the announcement, Himanshu Modi, business head, Zee Sports, said more positions would be finalised later.

Kapil said he was delighted to be associated with the league and would utilise his experience to nurture young talent.

"It's great pleasure to lead the executive board of the ICL, the first professional league. I will try and utilise my experience of motivating and guiding players, both as captain and coach, to take young talent to the pinnacle of success," Dev, who's the country's lone World Cup winning captain, said.

Murdoch plans to launch Sun with Sun group

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is entering the Indian newspaper space in association with Chennai-based Kalanithi Maran, owner of the Sun group.

The Sun, the flagship publication of Murdoch’s News Corporation, is in talks with Maran’s Sun group to launch an English tabloid in the country.

Sources close to the development said the tabloid was likely to be titled Sun and would be introduced in south India. The partners planned to launch it in other markets later, they added, but did not reveal the time frame for the launch.

When contacted, a Sun TV executive in Chennai said, “We do not want to comment on the issue.”

According to sources, the proposed entry into print media is a part of Sun TV’s expansion and diversification. The company had indicated that it would raise Rs 2,000 crore to finance its expansion and entry into new businesses such as aviation.

It recently announced plans to foray into the domestic and international aviation industry. The company has put forward a proposal to this effect before its shareholders through a postal ballot, the result of which will be announced in mid-May. The company is also in the process of getting into distribution of content through mobile phones, Internet, IPTV and radio.

Murdoch’s Star TV was the first foreign broadcaster to transmit from India. Murdoch, the owner of newspapers and broadcast and publishing houses across the world, has been upbeat about investments in India.

Thomson in talks to buy Reuters for $17.6 bn

Canada's Thomson Corp is in talks to buy Reuters Group Plc for about 8.8 billion pounds ($17.6 billion) to create the world's biggest news and financial data company, the two firms said on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the two firms said Reuters shareholders would get 352-1/2 pence in cash and 0.1600 Thomson shares for each share, worth an equivalent of 697 pence a share based on Monday's closing prices.

That would be 42 per cent above Reuters closing share price on Thursday, the day before it announced a bid approach.

The enlarged, dual-listed group will be called Thomson-Reuters and the combined Thomson Financial unit and Reuters financial and media businesses will be called Reuters.

The combined group will also adopt the Reuters trust principles aimed at safeguarding the independence of Reuters news, the joint statement said. The Reuters trustees have a "golden share" capable of blocking a takeover of the company.

Woodbridge, the Thomson family holding company that will own about 53 per cent of the combined company, will vote in favour of the deal, the joint statement said. Other Thomson shareholders will own 23 percent of the combined business and Reuters shareholders will own 24 percent. The deal is subject to approval by both Thomson and Reuters shareholders.

Thomson President and CEO, Richard Harrington, who has transformed the company from traditional publishing to an electronic-based business, will retire on completion of the deal, at which point Reuters Chief Executive Tom Glocer will become chief executive of the combined company.

The firms said they expected to make over $500 million of annual synergies within three years of completion.

Neo Sports, Raj TV in deal for Bangladesh series

In a first-ever deal, a sports broadcaster has tied up with a regional network to telecast live cricket in language feed.

Neo Sports will supply Raj Television Network Ltd. feed in Tamil and Telugu for the India Bangladesh cricket series which kicks off on 10 May.

The telecast will be on Raj TV and Vissa TV, the Tamil and Telugu channels. The cricket series comprises three one-dayers and two Test matches.


The cricket feed will include the Neo Sports logo bug and will present an advertising opportunity for local advertisers and brands to ride on live India cricket.

Toonz`s JV in pact with BBC

London-based First Serve Toonz, a joint venture company between Toonz Animation India and First Serve International, has inked an agreement with BBC for the telecast of a new animation series, based on the Marvel character Wolverine.

As per the deal, the BBC has secured the television rights in the UK for the series of 26 half-an-hour episodes.

According to P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Animation India, the agreement with BBC is a good step in quality programming and the BBC will be a platform for Wolverine, which is one of Marvel's most popular characters. The show will be represented internationally by Liberation Entertainment and in the United States by Marvel, he said.

London-based Liberation Entertainment is an integrated independent entertainment distribution company, which is into the business of acquiring and selling film and television content and DVD distribution, digital distribution and TV broadcast sales.

Part of the Geneva-based Comcraft Group, Toonz's client list now includes Marvel, Hallmark, Paramount, Disney, BBC and Cartoon Network.

Thiruvananthapuram-based Toonz Animation operates out of the Technopark on a 25,000 sq ft studio. Over 500 artists work in this facility from across the world including Philippines, Singapore, Canada, the US and India.

Sony pumps in Rs 2 billion+ on movie acquisitions

The World Cup is over and so too has ended the cricket monicker for Sony Entertainment Television's Max channel. The shift in identity to a pure movie channel has seen Max going all out to mop up big, medium and small movies over the last two months, with spends having reportedly crossed Rs 2 billion.

While the chances of Sony's being able to recover the high costs it has incurred for these purchases appear suspect, Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta has set his sights on maximising revenues through leveraging digital platforms, particularly DTH.

Dasgupta, while refusing comment on the purchase price of the movies his network had acquired, says he views a video on demand service on DTH platforms like Tata Sky as one option that has huge potential going forward.

The biggest slate of titles Sony has acquired is a 16-film package it bought last month from Eros International for a reported Rs 650 million.

The new acquisitions include last year's blockbuster hit Lage Raho Munnabhai and big releases of 2007 like Salaam-E-Ishq, Namaste London, 'Provoked (Hindi) and Eklavya - The Royal Guard.

The Eros package also includes films releasing in the coming months like Partner, No Smoking, Cheeni Cum, Mahatma Versus Gandhi, Nanhe Jaisalmer, Buddha Mar Gaya, Chess - A Game Plan, Friends For Ever, Mr Black Mr White, Mr Hot Mr Kool and Aur Pappu Paas Ho Gaya.

Dasgupta is at pains though to stress that it is not just Eros that Sony has locked in as far as new titles are concerned. "Barring UTV, we have got all the big banners and directors in our movie mix," Dasgupta says.

Sony has acquired the latest titles from, among others, Yash Chopra's Yashraj Films, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Dasgupta points out.

The notable films on the list include Yashraj's Dhoom II and Fanaa, both blockbuster hits, Dharma's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Vishal Bhardwaj's critically acclaimed Omkara.

The acquisitions Sony has made give the network exclusive global satellite broadcasting rights to the original version of these titles for a period of five years.