The corporate ownership story of Multi Screen Media, formerly known as Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India, has taken one more turn. Dr Bhupendra K Modi’s MCorp Global has taken a 32 per cent stake in Multi Screen Media India for a sum of $320 million.  more...

After a month-long series of intense parleys, the Jains of BCCL have succeeded in retaining their editorial top honcho, Jaideep Bose. According to sources close to the development, Bose, who had virtually decided to move to Network18’s JV with the Pearson Group of UK, has now changed his mind. As part of the deal, ESOPs and hefty remuneration hikes are on the anvil for senior editors. Arindam Sengupta, Resident Editor, TOI Delhi, will be elevated as Executive Editor as Bose moves higher up.  more...

The ratings for the first two weeks of ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain’ are here, and the numbers have caused some concern for the advertisers on the show. The show that opened at a TRP of 4.6 has dropped to 2.6 and 2.9 in the latest episodes. Media observers state that these numbers are below expectations.  more...

Winners of the 11th annual One Show Interactive Awards, which form part of the One Show Festival Week, have been announced. And India has drawn a blank this year, barring a merit award, despite having 31 entries. Sweden tops the list with a total of 12 Pencils, followed by Japan and Germany with 11 and seven Pencils, respectively.  more...

DishTV, Zee TV’s direct-to-home service provider, will be providing free set top boxes (STBs) to its subscribers on paying a year’s maxi subscription and installation/activation charges. This move is expected to give competition to new players like Videocon, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Big TV and Bharti, as also to existing players like Tata Sky.  more...

Skin care product ads in print went up by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 as compared to the corresponding period last year. Face Creams and Fairness Creams were two of the highest advertisers in print during this period. Ratan Ayurvedic Sansthan was the top advertiser in the skin care category in print.  more...

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India's biggest firm by market capitalisation, is drawing up plans to convert its fuel retail outlets, which were recently closed owing to unviable operations, into malls and multiplexes.  more...

Nirula's, a restaurant-chain that has a presence primarily in the northern region, is planning a nation-wide expansion with an investment of Rs 200 crore in the next three years.  more...

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” declares Aaron Eckhart in the forthcoming Warner Bros summer blockbuster ‘Batman: The Dark Knight’. Unfortunately, in the case of his co-star Heath Ledger, both possibilities came true simultaneously. And because of that, some rather intense marketing headaches developed for Warner Bros.  more...