MTV Networks could be entrusting its ad sales and marketing operations to TV 18 network, promoters of TV channels CNBC and Awaaz.
Anushree Chandran
MUMBAI: MTV Networks could be entrusting its ad sales and marketing operations to TV 18 network, promoters of TV channels CNBC and Awaaz, reliable sources said.
This arrangement would be similar to the one inked between Nick and NDTV Media in 2006, where NDTV Media Ltd was responsible for selling the airtime on Nick - sponsorships, spots, promotions, and tie-ups. In effect, NDTV was appointed as the exclusive advertising sales agency in India.
When contacted, Haresh Chawla, TV 18 CEO denied the development.
MTV also dismisses this as mere speculation.
Industry heads speculate that this outsourcing is beneficial to both: TV 18 has no entertainment channel in its bouquet. The addition of a popular music channel like MTV would round off their bouquet and promise more variety to long-term TV 18 advertisers.As for MTV, this arrangement would obviously bolster their ad takings and save on time and costs.
Insiders say that it’s unlikely that heads will roll; instead it’s possible that the two channels’ sales departments could be merged in certain areas.
TV 18 network is billed as India’s Fox Interactive, with its recent acquisition spree in the online space of Cricketnext.com, CompareIndia.com, and then Urban Eye, a design and consultancy firm. It also picked up 50 per cent stake in Jobstreet.com recently, which is the Indian arm of JobStreet Corporation Berhad, an online recruitment company in Malaysia.
MTV India has never quite been the same since the departure of Alex Kuruvilla, managing director, say industry watchers.
Recently, Sanjay Puthli, senior vice-president ad sales at MTV, resigned and joined Bindaas-UTV and Astro Measat’s youth venture as senior V-P, (revenue and business head.) Puthli had joined MTV Networks in 1997.
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