MUMBAI: It was on this day last year, Saam Marathi started. SAAM kept its promise of producing out of the box. Media & Entertainment industry last year experienced huge turbulence and Saam Marathi was no exception in feeling the glacial temperature in the market. Importantly, we remained strongly rooted and fought hard to establish ourselves where we are today and surely, for Saam, its time to soar high above.

Today, on 15 August, Saam Marathi confidently completes its first anniversary. Meanwhile, the channel has kept on experimenting and catering programs which are absolutely ‘out of the box‘. It takes courage and confidence to experiment such and come out successfully with it. Right now, for us, it‘s not a question of how much GRP we could grab. It‘s a question of how much we could change a perception; how much we could shape audience‘s taste in viewing programs on television. It‘s not just what we believe or some kind of gut through which we worked, we have proper understanding of our audience. With 75 years of people-connect, being a part of Sakal Media Group, we know the culture and traditions of Marathi-speaking people well. We know what is close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Not only this, we believe being in the media, we have a role and a responsibility. Saam Marathi is relentlessly producing programs which are indeed revolutionary compared to the contemporary television productions and we are sure we have the right formula to be successful in the long run.

Saam Marathi produces one of the most unique properties - Maitrin, the afternoon slot dedicated totally to the women audience. This is probably the first time ever that a channel telecasts 5 hours of live interactive programs from Monday to Saturday dedicated totally for the women audience. And the result has been exceptional! We have received good feedback through TRP as well as through direct response. And just in the last week, the afternoon women slot completed its 100 days and the slot is going stronger. The program saw many a celebrity become part of the show.

With programs like Family Doctor and event based shows highlighting the good work done across Maharashtra especially in the field of health in places like Sangli, Kolhapur, etc. Saam Marathi has taken up the good work in keeping motivated the whole of Maharashtra of those who are indeed contributing towards the wholesome development of the state as well as the country.

This year, Saam Marathi successfully covered the Lok Sabha election results with prompt and accurate results. Saam Rajya news has become a popular news program with a niche audience already in place. Not only that programs like Maharashtra Kunacha, Entry Poll, Maharashtra Mann have been able to bring a new dimension in catering news in the region. News is the something that Saam Marathi knows better. Being a part of Sakal family it is only obvious that SAAM Marathi will cater authentic news with analysis and comparisons which will leave nothing to your imagination.

Saam Marathi throughout the year has celebrated every single festival popular amongst the Marathi speaking population helping the younger generation appreciate and celebrate what could be rightly called a part of Marathi culture. Musical-drama program, Mangaleche Lenye telecast on Gudi Pawda brought out such sentiments wonderfully which would certainly go a long way in keeping the best of Marathi culture close to the people for a long time to come. The program wonderfully depicted the festivals celebrated so popularly in Maharashtra throughout the year.

Celebrating the glorious anniversary thus, Saam Marathi will telecast on the evening of 15th August, a musical special "Mann Marathi Matichey". The program is presented by ‘Sapat Chaha‘ and the associate sponsor for this program will be Nandan Builders. The program will be telecast from 7:30pm to 10:00pm. With Swapnil Joshi and Kranti Redker anchoring the show, the program will have dance, song, fun and frolic. Popular singers like Rabindra Sathe, Anuradha Marathe, Chintamani Sohoni, Anandi Joshi, Sanjeev Mehendale and others will indeed mesmerize one and all during the evening! The afternoon women slot starting from 1:00pm to 6:00pm will have Rohini Hattangidi giving you a tip or two on cooking. Also, Dr. Pradeep Awate very kindly will grace the show of Saam Sanjivani on the day giving us a clear idea on the do‘s and don‘ts to avoid Swine Flu.

While the evening and afternoon will be celebrating Saam Marathi‘s birth anniversary, the morning will be in dedication and in celebration of our Independence Day with a heartwarming concert, Jago Hindustani from 8:45am to 11:00am.

MUMBAI: It?s a short time in the lifetime of a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year medium, but the fledgling business channel from the Times Group, ET NOW, has already made a mark. Less than two months after its launch, ET NOW has achieved leadership position in the key market of Mumbai. For the second week in a row, the channel had more than 50% share of the English business news category.

Premier market research agency AC Nielsen?s TAM data for the week ending August 8 show ET NOW with 55% share of the English business news genre followed by NDTV Profit with 23%, CNBC TV18 with 16% and UTVi with 6%. ?That sounds like a fantastic start,?? said Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, Group M South Asia, ?and I?m sure it?ll get better from here.??

The audience considered is a key demographic for advertisers males aged 25 years and above, from socio-economic class A&B. ?Advertisers are focused on this age band,?? said Jasmin Sohrabji, managing director, OMD, ?so what matters is how a channel does with the audience that?s relevant to them.?? The TAM panel data is the standard yardstick used by advertisers and media agencies.

In its launch phase, ET NOW is focused on a few key markets, and the channel is fast consolidating its overall No. 2 position. ?With this kind of channel share in Mumbai, it?s only a question of time before it establishes itself in the other markets,?? said Punitha Arumugham, CEO, Madison Media. But on the niche profile of viewers that premium advertisers target, she said, ?I would say this kind of profile is found in the key metros, and there?s nothing better than the financial capital.??

On the weekends, ET NOW is a leader in the four key markets ?Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat and Hyderabad ?with 43% of weekend business television viewers, compared to CNBC?s 32%. And the top 5 programmes in the business television genre for this audience last week were all shows on ET NOW. ?I wouldn?t have expected any less of ET NOW, given the equity and backing of ET,? said Sohrabji.

Chintamani Rao, CEO of Times Global Broadcasting, said that he was delighted that the channel has captured the imagination of the financial capital. ?It?s early days and the game has just begun. Let?s not read much into these numbers, but it does strengthen our resolve that there?s an alternate, credible and intelligent way of tracking the markets. We don?t want to fuel wild speculation, we hope to encourage sensible, intelligent investing.?? ET NOW is continuing to ramp up distribution in key markets, and is now available on direct-to-home services from Bharti and Reliance?s BIG TV.

MUMBAI: LIVE INDIA - The 24 Hours National Hindi News Channel emerges as one of the strongest contender and preserved rank 4 in the second consecutive week in Mumbai market. Recently, leaving behind the existing players like IBN 7, Zee News, NDTV, Samay and News 24 persist to notice the remarkable performance of LIVE INDIA in Mumbai in Week 32 and 31.

In second continuous week, Television Audience Measurement (TAM) data for the Week 32 in Mumbai CS 15+ showcased LIVE INDIA as one of the leaders among Hindi News Channels. LIVE INDIA ranked No. 4, followed by IBN 7 at No. 5, Zee News at No .6, and NDTV India at No. 7.

Week 32 and 31 has been good weeks for LIVE INDIA. The GRP figures stood at 16.3 and 15.2 for LIVE INDIA, 13.4 and 12.0 for IBN 7, 11.9 and 13.9 for Zee News & 11.9 and 11.2 for NDTV India in Mumbai respectively. As far as Channel Share of Week 32 and 31 is concerned LIVE INDIA garnered 8.5 and 8.3, IBN 7 at 7.0 and 6.7, Zee News at 6.3 and 7.7, & NDTV India at 6.3 and 6.0 respectively.

Sudhir Chaudhary, Editor & CEO, Live India and Mi Marathi says, "We believe that progressively we will definitely grow in terms of content as well as ratings. Very soon we will have more innovative and interactive serious news based programs to strengthen the channel further and I am sure we will then be able to grab more market share. As far as competition amongst channels is concerned, we believe that competition always helped in improving the content of the channel."

"LIVE INDIA‘s key programs like- Point Blank, Ye Desh Hai Mera, Live Care, Fit Rahega India, India Prime, Live Special, Kal Aaj or Kal, Live Taare, exclusive interviews with renowned celebrities, extensive coverage of various big events and Breaking News are wholeheartedly appreciated by the viewers of Mumbai. LIVE CARE is a recently launched special news series through which LIVE INDIA is trying to support the social cause. We firmly believe that its time to give it back to society & nation whatever support and values we have got from the society. Our prime focus is on Aam Aadmi and seriousness towards his/ her social issues which result the gaining of numbers week by week."

LIVE INDIA has pioneered the creation of memorable experiences not only for its viewers, but for all those who have supported the channel in its endeavors. In regards to the road ahead, LIVE INDIA is going to be more aggressive with some fresh content of responsible journalism. The focus would be to be Aam Aadmi driven news channel.

MUMBAI: After a hugely successful first year which raised over Rs. 2 crores to light up 50 villages in India for TERI?s ?Lighting a Billion Lives? project, NDTV and Toyota are ready to roll out the second wave of their ?Green Campaign? which includes the 24 hour nonstop television programming ?Greenathon?. The second year encourages every citizen to adopt simple yet compelling causes, like ? Say No to Plastic Bags; Save Water; Plant a Tree; Get Rid of Air Pollution; Save India?s Coastal lines & Save the Rivers ? enabling them to create a cleaner and greener tomorrow. Actor Priyanka Chopra will play a key role as the campaign ambassador in this initiative.

These mini-campaigns will culminate into Greenathon, a 24-hour non-stop live television programming across all NDTV channels dedicated to improve the environment, like the previous year. With the aim to garner public support, NDTV will telecast documentaries on each of the mini-campaigns, organise on-grounds events, clean-up drives and signature campaigns. Citizens will be encouraged to donate financially and contribute with ideas for the cause on green.ndtv.com. This campaign will make use of different media platforms like TV, internet, paper, mobile, radio to reach across to the widest audience possible.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV Ltd, said, ?From the smallest individual to the highest level of government, each one of us has to take action to minimise future harm to the environment. NDTV and Toyota, through the Green Campaign have taken the responsibility to initiate a nationwide movement for people to take the green pledge and do every bit to stop further harm to our environment. The staggering response we received in the first year from our viewers and people from all walks of life only makes our belief, to effect a change, much stronger. This year too, we strive to continue our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through actions that will make a difference.?

Pledging her support as the Green Campaign?s ambassador, Priyanka Chopra added, ?The environment needs our attention?now! Every little effort we make as individuals will grow into a nationwide movement that will ensure that we collectively arrest the damage being done to our environment. With NDTV?s initiative, we hope to raise awareness about the simple solutions that can affect a big change. I?m very proud to be a part of this initiative and I hope, together, we are able to take on the responsibility of continuing a collective action to preserve our environment.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment and Forests said, "The issue of global warming needs a nationally coordinated response that is both conscientious and sincere. While environment is an area where our society is active, there is still a need for a nationwide effort to educate our people to use our depleting resources more efficiently. NDTV & Toyota have come together to take up this huge challenge and their efforts combined with the participation of the Government, concerned individuals, educational institutions and civil society groups, will help expand our green footprint and secure the planet for our future generations?

Dr. RK Pachauri, Nobel Laureate for Peace Prize 2007, Director General TERI and Chairman IPCC who has lent his support to this campaign since its launch, commented, ?We need to start worrying about the environment and ensure that some of the damage can be reversed. I believe India must lead in bringing about this revolution and hope that this Green Campaign is only the start of something that will really spark the beginning of a movement. The first year of this initiative was really an inspiring experience. The atmosphere at the Greenathon was absolutely electrifying with response from everyone, people phoning in, stars, prominent industrialists and leaders from all walks of life. It is wonderful to see this partnership flourishing between NDTV and TERI and we look forward to the second year with a great deal of interest and enthusiasm.?

Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motors added, "In today‘s times, it is vital to integrate corporate philanthropy into core business strategies. After all, saving energy and reducing waste contributes to the well being of the organisation, its employees and to the society at large. At Toyota, our highest priority is to ensure that our operations are in harmony with both the environment and society. We are proud to carry forward our association with NDTV into the second year of the Green Campaign and look forward to promote the cause of the environment.?

?NDTV-Toyota Green Campaign? with the premise ?Open up Tomorrow, Today?, is a three year nationwide environment campaign that aims at creating awareness about issues that threaten the future of our planet. The campaign received an overwhelming response from India?s leading corporates, top Bollywood stars, musicians, environmentalists, NGOs and educational institutions who showed their solidarity towards the cause by participating in various clean up drives, marathon and entertaining the audience round-the-clock with their performances as part of the Greenathon, the 24 hour nonstop television programming. The money raised through this effort was donated to TERI?s ?Lighting a Billion Lives? project, solar powering villages across the country. Some of the generous donors for the campaign who adopted villages last year were Shilpa Shetty; Shahrukh Khan and Billu team; Lalit Modi; Yuvraj Singh; Sanjay Dutt

and family; Preity Zinta, Nokia; Coca-Cola and, Aarav, son of actor Akshay Kumar.

MUMBAI: Shahid Kapur in an exclusive interview with Music India, talks about his upcoming movie ‘Kaminey‘ & shares how it is a different film than the movies that are being made today in Bollywood.

Shahid begins by talks about his double role in the film, of twin brothers named Charlie & Guddu. Both have a speech defect, Charlie lisps as he speaks whereas Guddu stammers. They are as different as chalk and cheese, and they can‘t stand the sight of each other. He further reveals how it is one of the best roles that he has done so far & is fortunate that the director of the film i.e. Vishal Bhardwaj offered him this role to play. He further goes on to say how the track from the film named ‘Dhan Ta Na‘ has already gathered a huge fan following not just in India but also abroad. Shahid reveals how the entire movie is about ones inner self & that actually makes us what we are i.e. ‘Kaminey‘. He further goes on to say how difficult & challenging it is to play a double role & how he made a conscious effort to not be evidently different (look or expression wise) but to be two different characters.

He also speaks about his co-star in the film, Priyanka Chopra who has done a brilliant job while playing her character ‘Sweety‘ in the film. Also how she approached the role in a mature way knowing for a fact that Shahid would be occupying much more screen space than her as he is playing a double role.

Shahid further talks about characters without which Kaminey wouldn‘t be complete like ‘Bhope‘ played by Amole Gupte who is a small time gangster turned rouge politician; he fancies himself as the Messiah of the slums; a ‘Son of the soil‘, his rabid racism and free for all vandalism has earned him his true reputation. Carlos Paca plays the character called ‘Cajetan‘ who is a rebel mercenary who will not flinch to pile up corpses to get what he wants. His deathly eyes can inspire fear in the bravest of men. Chandan Roy Sanyal plays the character of Mikhail who is wild and reckless; nobody can take this young colt. Mikhail dreams of being a bookie along with his best friend Charlie. The type of guy who acts before he thinks, then lives to pay for the consequences.

Shahid Kapur shares that ‘Kaminey‘ will be very entertaining, as it is the first of its kind to be experienced by Bollywood.

MUMBAI: Fever 104 FM, Delhi?s popular FM station announced an exclusive opportunity wherein listeners got a chance to meet Shahid Kapoor, lead actor of the forthcoming ?Kaminey? at the Fever studios in New Delhi.

Announcing the promotion, Mr. Neeraj Chaturvedi, National Marketing Head- Fever 104 FM said, ?We are extremely happy to host Shahid Kapoor in our studios. Giving our listeners the chance to meet one of the hottest young stars in Bollywood is extremely gratifying. It is always our endeavour to create exciting opportunities for our listeners and at the same time creating innovative programming that is engaging and rewarding?.

DJ Lokesh interviewed Shahid Kapoor about his role in the movie and the experiences of working with Priyanka Chopra. In a twist, the entire interview was given by Shahid Kapoor in the movie?s trademark lisp creating a fun on-air experience for our listeners.

Fever 104 FM also formulated a unique contest for its listeners in Delhi. Through ?Kaminey contest?, Fever 104 FM once again reinforced its promise of giving its listeners the most engaging and entertaining experiences. Under the initiative in Delhi, Fever 104 FM selected 5 lucky listeners on the basis of a special on-air contest.

The contest tested listeners on their lisping skills, one of Shahid?s roles in the movie. As a part of the contest, listeners were given sentences to convert into Shahid?s lisp in an interesting Rapid fire round. For instance, one of the answers given by the winner of the contest was ?Kaisa filfala hai ye Salman aur feekh kabab ka? which was actually ?Kaisa silsila hai yeh Salman aur seekh kabab ka?

The winners of the contest were given an opportunity to personally meet and greet with Shahid Kapoor. In addition to this they also got CD?s, Fever mugs and Posters signed by Shahid Kapoor. The names of the winners who won the contest are: a) Sanjay b) Amarjeet Gabba c) Pankaj d) Sumeet and e) Sidharth.