Brand managers say 'Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson' No matter how pathologic it sounds, the death of Michael Jackson has given a new lease of life to Hollywood's economy.

Neo Sports and ESPN excited about next cricketing wave Broadcasters - Neo Sports Broadcast and ESPN Software India - are licking their lips at the prospect of getting a juicy slice of between Rs 650 crore and Rs 750 crore of advertising in this period.

When power shifts to viewers for TV, it shows In the matrix of a world digitised by the binary integers, what makes us take a look at the world of television is the way it has metamorphosed from a satellite-based phenomenon to a state where digital and satellite media coexist.

62nd anniversary: What Brand India stands for today? How is the country known abroad - as the nation that invented the zero or as the land of Kamasutra, yoga, Basmati rice, Gandhi, BPOs, snake charmers, Taj Mahal, potting sadhus and Bollywood?

Hindi GECs keeping up with changing reality times Just when we thought that the death knell had been sounded for reality shows, the programming genre is trying to script a comeback.

Have you benefited yourself from social sites? Social networking sites have given a new meaning to career options. For prospective students looking at higher studies at home and abroad, such sites can be the ideal platform.

Creative encore: Do great ads make successful brands? Over the past few years, leading brands known for their iconic and creative advertising have put out what can be described as a creative encore.

Of cyber cafes, advertising and Ideacts Though personal computers have become a ubiquitous part of our homes and workplaces today, cyber cafes still remain the sole Internet access point for around 40 per cent of Indian Internet users.

Sexy campaigns of Nokia & Limca make lasting impression When it comes to matters of the heart, even the most tenacious consumer is bound to succumb to a persuasive piece of advertising . And if it relates to sex, nothing like it.

Attrition in advertising due to condescending attitude ? Among the primary reasons for people moving out of the advertising industry is the condescending attitude that prevails between the client and the advertising agency.

Who's going to rule brand endorsement world ? Fickle are the ways of the Indian advertising world and it was not so long ago when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was put on a pedestal by starcrazy brand merchants.

In-film placement: Films becoming brands by themselves Vikram and Sona are shopping at a departmental store, when suddenly Vikram spots a board announcing the Godrej Eon, caption 'Bharo Fridge Jeeto Contest'.

African safari: IPL 2 translates into huge losses for all ? Despite an enormous state police force, India lacked the confidence to hold the second innings of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) tournament.

Brand General Elections 2009 splurges for all This is the question that the new insurance kid on the block Aegon Religare, has asked the Indians in its campaign to create a buzz around the company in August last year.

Only 14 million broadband subscribers by 2010 ? This is the question that the new insurance kid on the block Aegon Religare, has asked the Indians in its campaign to create a buzz around the company in August last year.

Of TRAI, DTH players and consumers Gurneet Singh had nicely got into the habit of waking up to soothing Gurbani that plays on ETC Punjabi every morning. For the past one week, he has been getting up all cranky and red-eyed with irritation.

Are you also suffering from KILB disease ? This is the question that the new insurance kid on the block Aegon Religare, has asked the Indians in its campaign to create a buzz around the company in August last year.

IPL: Player's negative traits earns him handsome package "It's not cricket," muttered a former player, reacting to players being brought off for ridiculous amount during the second Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Goa earlier this month.

When radio has to get into self-monitor, why not now ? The onus of the next wave of expansion lies in the much talked about third phase of licensing, which is said to arrive soon.

Celebrity endorsement and terms of endurement Once upon a time, not very long ago, there were celebrities and there were consumer brands.

Celeb circus will get more and more maddening The entire jing bang concede that the magic lies in the way a celebrity is marketed.

Mumbai Attacked: The 'anti-professionalism' of news channels Late in the evening of Wednesday, November 26, a flurry of panicky SMS's caused drowsy Mumbai to switch from Jay Leno to the news.

Kollywood feels global economic meltdown pinch The star-driven Kollywood industry is shell shocked that this year, most of the movies turning out to be turkeys at the box-office.

India positions as a favourable destination for animation It's not only the brahmachari monkey-god Hanuman's story that can create a ripple in the animation industry; a love story can also create an equal amount of furore.

Future of computer on mobile not at distance anymore The world that we live in is deeply connected through technology and there are vast number of gadgets of various shapes and sizes on which we are dependent to make our lives simpler or to help us remain connected.

ICL 2 Twenty20 tournament to conclude with high octane The second season of Indian Cricket League Twenty20 tournament kicked off with a grandiose opening gala on October 10 night.

Use mobile advertising to target elusive consumers Gone are the days when marketers reached their target audience by simply buying a few ads on TV channels.

Of celebrity branding, brand marketers, and India As per ICMR's survey, 46% of people buy products on the basis of merit and not on the basis of celebrity branding.

Bollywood gravitates towards a Hollywood-style setup Gone are the days when a majority of film producers had to depend either on underworld money or seedy moneylenders for their films' finances.

Animation takes characters into virtual world If you loved watching Eddie Murphy as Doctor Do-little, talking and befriending animals on screen, the credit should be given to the world of animation.

Cable TV set for major transformation soon Cable TV in India is set to go through a major transformation as a result of recommendations that the TRAI has submitted to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting a month ago.

Niche audience proves the winning strategy The Indian media and entertainment landscape is also tilting toward the niche format, given the media clutter and resultant fragmentation of mass media audiences.

The Times of India consolidating in Chennai From the Gateway of India to the Marina Beach is a tortuous journey passing through the Arabian Sea and reaching near the Bay of Bengal after kissing the Indian Ocean.

Multiplexes focus on other avenues of income PVR would be a loss making business, if we have to depend only on revenues earned by selling movie tickets.

Dish TV, Tata Sky balance sheet bleeds If there's someone who would want to steer clear of the colour red at the moment, it will be the two national Indian biggies offering DTH services.

It's all in the mind, why I&B ministry bans ads ? A decade ago, middle-class India was up in arms when models, Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre, wore nothing but shoes for an ad, with a python between them.

How would new English movie channels fare with viewers? When Dilshad Master visited the Cannes Film Festival last year, she thoroughly enjoyed watching the more than 3000 movies.

Animation, part and parcel of entertainment How often have you witnessed a tussle for an early grab of the TV remote or a PC with your siblings.

King Khan now designated as Media Don Late in the 1980s, he burst upon the scene as a gawking teenager in the serial Fauji.

Did you score last night with OOH? Code or no code, the fact is that billboards have since time immemorial been a snappy way to communicate.

Media & entertainment industry hot for MBA's "Aapki naukri mein na mazaa hai aur na matlab," declared Abhishek Bachchan to his father in Bunty Aur Babli.

Dipstick poll: Daily soap viewers hooked to IPL Daily soap viewers are slowly getting hooked to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even committed saas-bahu viewers don't mind skipping the odd episode to watch the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Mumbai Indians or the Delhi Daredevils fight the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

When CNN-IBN & Times Now outsmart NDTV When Narendra Modi had swept Gujarat in 2002, Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami were loyal foot soldiers of Prannoy Roy.

When Animation gets Animated, its Showtime When Shah Rukh Khan lent his voice for The Incredibles, little did he realise that his act of indulgence would actually turn into a booming market in India.

Is media's obsession with women publications misplaced? Whither do we go? This is the common theme at the boardrooms of many print publications across the globe.

When Kollywood nurtures Animation Man has always wanted something more than he already had. Anything beautiful was not enough for his eyes. So he painted it, but it was too artificial; he photographed it, but it was still; he filmed it, then he got bored; and so, what else could he do?

In Animation, Indian skills are making a difference While the supervisor of effects for the academy award-winning Ratatouille was a US-based Indian, a team in Mumbai can boast of its contribution to The Golden Compass.

Suno Sunao, Life Banao with Big 92.7 FM Just when punters were writing epitaphs of our age-old radio; this industry took a U-turn and rose like a phoenix from the ashes proving its naysayers wrong.

Money, money, money is the IPL name game Big Boys play at night' was the slogan in vogue when cricket first began to become an evening spectacle under the glare of spotlights, when Kerry Packer first thought of a cricket league.

Four Telugu news channels coming soon There was a time when watching TV was like a one point programme, almost like a community experience with all of us watching the same programme, at the same place, same time, day after day.

Kollywood experiences Corporate Culture The reason is that an increasing number of corporate houses have now turned to Tamil films, realising its feasibility as a potential Cash Cow.

Advertising driven by Passion or Professionalism? It all kicked off when we were driving back from our friendly, neighbourhood PVR after watching the new, flashy, designer Aaja Nachle.

JWT India now sporting youthful colour Today the giant has stirred, effected swift and impressive damage control measures and appears dead serious to re-invent its persona in dramatic fashion.

Low Notes of High Success on Reality Show Budding singers never had it so good before. Flip through a horde of TV channels and chances to spot youngsters crooning are invariably high.

Cricket becomes more Sexy, Thanks ICL & IP Everyone from Hollywood Star Russell Crowe to Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan wants to have a piece of Cricket.

The Power of Flashback & Fast-forward in Cinema Stylish bouffant's embellished with stars and beads, as Bollywood brings back the look of the glorious 50s-70s Indian cinema.

Sun TV plans to expand to other regions The Sun TV Network was incorporated in December 1985 as a privately owned company under the leadership of Kalanithi Maran.

Reality of regressive serials hits high note Budding singers never had it so good before. Flip through a horde of TV channels and chances to spot youngsters crooning are invariably high.

Young cricket blood hots up Brand India It's a double bonanza for Dhoni & Co. As the Jharkhand dasher lifted the T20 trophy in South Africa, India Inc. was bowled over by the Men In Blue.

It's raining biographies in Bollywood amOur megalomaniac stars don't believe in the power of elusiveness. Rather, they opt to flaunt selective prized moments in their lives not just for the camera but for a personal book that highlights the glorious chapters in their lives, of course the negatives are clearly edited out and when the book is written by a fawning fan, the process becomes that much more easier.

The Madras-Chennai circa Many would say that in those days, you could walk on the roads without fear of being knocked down by a rikshakaran.

Animation, the Future of Entertainment industry Do you know who Shrek is, quizzed a colleague quite innocently. In answer, at least eight pairs of eyes looked daggers at her.

Bollywood enters Sports to win Box Office Bollywood is no longer just about mushy romantic tales, emotional dramas and comic capers. Desi filmmakers have now entered the sports field to score a winner at box office.

Night-time viewer connects better with TV Bollywood is no longer just about mushy romantic tales, emotional dramas and comic capers. Desi filmmakers have now entered the sports field to score a winner at box office.

The News Room Budding singers never had it so good before. Flip through a horde of TV channels and chances to spot youngsters crooning are invariably high.

Its Magazine World Ask Riyaz Shaikh, who runs a magazine stall outside VT station, how business is doing and he will shake his head disbelievingly.

Kyunki Zee Bhi Kabhi Star Tha One is a tall and handsome guy from Haryana; one boasts of an elite Oxford education, while other is a class 12 drop out; one has a net worth of over $9 billion, but the others worth is about the quarter of that amount in the level playing field.

Hollywood Viewers Increases in India Call it a dramatic breakthrough, Hollywood blockbusters no longer have limited viewers in India. In fact, foreign movies are now taking a bigger slice of the Indian box office pie.

Religious channels have great Bhakti & Shakti In an early-morning slot on Etc Punjab channel, raagis sing shabads against the backdrop of the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

The Media look at Karnataka Karnataka, the eighth biggest State in India has been known for both its manufacturing as well as service sectors, it is rightly called the IT hub of India.

Original Programming Best Works in India We import a KBC, or an Indian Idol or one Kam ya Zyaada and claim so much of hard work has gone in to making such shows.

Kids Channels loved by Adults too, Watch Summer Special Gone are the days when only cats and mice chased each other or ducks got into trouble. These days, thanks to channels like Animax, a new era of animated series have started, which deal with mature themes.

For Star One & Sony Reality Shows rule the Roost Sony already has a slew of reality shows running currently, think Indian Idol and Deal Ya No Deal and you get the picture.

Bollywood, the Big Brother of Boob Tube Actors who once tried to carve a niche for themselves in Bollywood, are now testing their luck on the boob tube. While some seek fame, for others it is a stop-gap arrangement till they bag a role on the silver screen.

CAScading effect of Conditional Access System Mumbai's television viewing public had better gear up for CAS, because it could be a new fixture in city living rooms very soon.

Cricket the God in India, Channel the Faith One may have been foxed by the BCCI cricket rights imbroglio, now Nimbus Communications may undoubtedly have the sole authority for at least four years to step in the shoes of BCCI to award telecast rights.

Get ready for 78th Academy Awards Get ready for March 5. The occasion is momentous, the 78th Academy Awards, where Hollywood's crème de la crème will walk down that plush red carpet, dressed by couture houses like Chanel, Christian Dior and Versace.

CNBC TV18, NDTV Profit & Zee Biz Addiction According to SEBI data, there are roughly 30 million equity and 1.6 crore mutual fund investors in India and between 10 to 4 pm from Monday to Friday a large chunk of these investors are captive viewers of business channels.

DON   Bhais make television new target When television producer-director Anand Mahendroo was shot at by some anti-social elements recently, people started talking about 'underworld' stepping into the world of television.

Amitabh Bachchan Be Healthy Always A number of people are keeping their fingers and toes crossed from the Big B's quick recovery.

Daily News & Analysis and The Round Up The billboards are hard to miss. Bombay has been plastered with nearly 1,300 in-your-face ads featuring all manner of ordinary citizens, young, old, hip, conservative, speaking out on everything from global politics to local corruption to sex.

The Newspapers Big Fight Nowhere in the world is the print medium elastic enough to expand. If anything, top newspapers have gone tabloid and retrenched staff to stay alive.