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, internet, filmed entertainment, digital business, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses
Revenue ₹3403 crore (US$510 million) (2016)
Number of employees
 7,500
Parent Reliance Industries
Divisions TV18, Viacom 18 (50%)
Website www.network18online.com

Network18 Media & Investments Limited (BSE: 532798, NSE: Network18) is an Indian mass media company which is owned and operated by Reliance Industries. Headquartered in Noida, India. It has interests in television, print, internet, film, mobile content and allied businesses.

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

The ETV News Network is the largest regional News Network in terms of its geographical reach and the number of languages its covers. It was one of the first entrants in the regional news market and currently has a considerable viewership base. With its bouquet of 10 regional news channels it now covers all of north India and most of south India.[6]

The ETV News network of channels include 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. It has also launched three new channels - News18 Assam/North East, News18 Kerala and News18 Tamil Nadu.[7]

Print / Publication Business

Digital Content

Network 18’s digital content and commerce segment includes a diversified portfolio of brands catering to a wide range of interests and services, including news and entertainment, markets and finance, online shopping and ticketing, and mobile phone services and applications. Its digital content and commerce segment encompasses (i) the content business that spans websites and mobile applications covering general and business news, entertainment, technology and sports, and (ii) the digital commerce business that includes online and out-of-home shopping and ticketing.[8]

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.[10] [11]

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.network18online.com/brand_TV_regional_new.html
  7. ↑ http://www.televisionpost.com/television/tv18-to-launch-3-regional-language-news-channels
  8. ↑ http://www.network18online.com/brand_web.html
  9. ↑ http://www.network18online.com/brand_web.html
  10. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forbes-india-editors-sacked-for-demanding-stock-ownership/article4795699.ece
  11. ↑ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/reliance-enters-media-by-opening-pursestrings-for-network18/895439/

External links

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