Network 18

Network18 Media & Investments Limited
Public
Traded as BSE: 532798
NSE: Network18
Industry Media & Entertainment
Founded 1993
Headquarters Noida & Mumbai, India
Key people
 Adil Zainulbhai - Chairman
Products Television, publishing, films, internet, ecommerce, mobile content
Revenue Q3FY16 consolidated revenue at Rs.905.6 crores
Number of employees
 7500
Parent Reliance Industries
Website www.network18online.com

Network18 Media & Investments Limited is a media and entertainment group with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. Through its subsidiary, TV18 Broadcast Ltd. [BSE: 532800, NSE: TV18BRDCST] (“TV18”), the group operates news channels such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-IBN and IBN7. TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels such as Colors, Colors HD, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, VH1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group’s filmed entertainment business. TV18 has also forayed into the Indian factual entertainment space through a joint venture with A+E Networks and operates History TV18. In the regional space, the group operates a Gujarati business news channel – CNBC Bajar, a Marathi general news channel – IBN Lokmat and operates ten regional news channels under the ETV umbrella and five regional entertainment channels under the Colors brand. The group also operates a 24 hour Indian news channel in English – News18 India, targeting global audiences. TV18 and Viacom18 have formed a strategic joint venture called IndiaCast, a multi-platform 'content asset monetization' entity that drives domestic and international channel distribution, placement services and content syndication for the bouquet of channels from the group and third parties. Through 'Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.' [BSE: 532798, NSE: Network18], the group operates its digital, publishing and e-commerce assets including moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, in.com, news18.com and firstpost.com. 'Network18' also operates e-commerce properties like HomeShop18 and bookmyshow.com and publishes Forbes India, the nation's first local edition of a foreign news magazine in collaboration with Forbes Media. In addition, the group operates Network18 Publishing, a player in the special interest publishing space, which publishes magazines such as Overdrive, Better Photography and Better Interiors. 'Network18' also has strategic investments in Yatra, Colosceum, Topper, 24X7 Learning and Ubona.

History

The company was incorporated as a private limited company on 16 February 1996. In April 2006, the name was changed from SGA Finance and Management Services Private Limited to Network18 Fincap Private Limited and subsequently in November 2006, it was converted into a Public Limited company. Network18 got listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange on 2 February 2007. The shares of the company of face value of Rs 5 each opened at Rs 312.10 at the NSE and at Rs 300 at the BSE. The same year in December, its name was changed from Network18 Fincap Limited to Network18 Media & Investments Limited.

The Network 18 Group announced a restructuring plan to create a two listed entity structure for the group in July 2010. The restructuring became effective on 10 June 2011 with the approval of the Delhi High Court and the group successfully completed the re-alignment of its business operation into 2 sections – Network18 and TV18. Network18 undertakes the digital and publishing side of the business and TV18 contains the television assets of the group.[1]

Raghav Bahl founded and served as managing director till July 2014.[2] In Jan 2012, there was a large investment by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited in a complex deal that offered a possibility that Ambani-held Independent Media Trust (IMT)t might eventually gain a controlling interest.[3] In July 2014, the ownership was transferred to Independent Media Trust. On 29 May 2014, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) announced it would be acquiring control in Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd, including its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Ltd. The board of RIL approved funding of up to Rs. 40 billion to Independent Media Trust (IMT), of which RIL is the sole beneficiary, for acquisition of control in Network 18 and its subsidiaries.[4] On 8 July 2014, RIL stated that it has completed the Network18 take-over.[5]

The Network

Business News

General News

Regional News

ETV Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand , ETV Madhya Pradesh - Chhattisgarh , ETV Rajasthan, ETV Bihar - Jharkhand, ETV News Urdu, ETV News Kannada, ETV News Bangla, ETV News Gujarati, ETV Haryana-Himachal Pradesh & ETV News Odia

Print / Publication Business

Digital Content

Digital Commerce

Hindi General Entertainment

English Entertainment

Kids Entertainment

Nick , Sonic, Nick Jr..

Regional Entertainment

Colors Marathi, Colors Gujarati, Colors Kannada, Colors Bangla, Colors Odia.

Factual Entertainment

History TV18 - One of the leaders in the factual entertainment genre

Film Business

Viacom18 Motion Pictures - Part of the Viacom18 venture, it is involved in acquisition, production, syndication, marketing and distribution of full-length feature films within India. It also distributes Indian films in several international markets. It has an alliance with Paramount Pictures to distribute and market its films in the Indian subcontinent

Content Asset Monetisation

IndiaCast Media Distribution Private Limited - It is a joint venture between TV18 Broadcast Limited and Viacom18 Media Private Limited to create a multi-platform 'Content Asset Monetisation' entity. It distributes various channels across multiple distribution platforms such as cable, DTH, IPTV, HITS and MMDS in India and Internationally

Other Investments

Yatra a leading online travel portal , Colosceum, Topper - an education portal, 24X7 Learning and Ubona

Controversy and criticisms

Abrupt firing of Forbes India editor

In June 2013, it was reported that the Forbes India editor Indrajit Gupta was fired after he refused to accept a severance package without consulting his lawyers. On the same day, the Managing Editor, Charles Assisi was forced to quit on the same grounds. The following day, Executive Editor Shishir Prasad, Director Photography Dinesh Krishnan and Director Online Deepak Ajwani were called in and asked to accept the new terms or quit. Shishir Prasad and Dinesh Krishnan quit while Deepak Ajwani stayed on. The Press Club, Mumbai condemned the incident. The CEO of Network18 Group said that the problems were due to the restructuring of the Network18 Group with the merger of Firstpost.com and Forbes India.[6] [7]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Restructure complete for Network 18". rapidtvnews.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.network18online.com/people.html
  3. ↑ Sandeep Bamzai (14 January 2012). "RIL deal-Network18: Is Mukesh Ambani the new media mogul?". India Today.Quote: the instrumentality ... is an optionally convertible debenture which has every possibility of turning into equity. Analysts say that going forward, Ambani will turn into a majority stake-holder of Network 18 and TV18 through this mechanism. On 29 May 2014, Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance industries, purchased the company for a reported Rs. 40 billion
  4. ↑ "RIL to acquire control of Network 18, Rajdeep may go". HT Media Limited. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "RIL completes Network 18 takeover". Patrika Group. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forbes-india-editors-sacked-for-demanding-stock-ownership/article4795699.ece
  7. ↑ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/reliance-enters-media-by-opening-pursestrings-for-network18/895439/

External links

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