Salman Khan, a prominent figure in the Indian film industry, is indeed known for both his substantial earnings and his philanthropic efforts. According to the Times of India, his net worth is reported to be 2900 crores, which places him among the highest-paid actors in the industry. Despite his immense wealth, Salman is known for leading a relatively modest lifestyle in terms of his living arrangements, residing in a one-room apartment.

Salman has been active in charity work through his Being Human Foundation, which has gained significant attention and support. In a recent television interview, Salman clarified that while he does save a portion of his income—around ten percent—the claim that he spends 90 percent of his earnings on charity is not entirely accurate. He acknowledged that while he is committed to charitable causes, his financial contributions are balanced with other responsibilities, such as taxes.

Salman Khan’s lifestyle reflects his personal preferences. Unlike many of his Bollywood peers, he prefers not to indulge in extravagant mansions or bungalows. Instead, he cherishes his 150-acre farmhouse in Panvel. Among his collection of luxury vehicles, his bicycle holds a special place. Salman has a history of using his bicycle to travel to shooting locations, showcasing his down-to-earth nature despite his fame and success.

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Mumbai:

Television viewers in India are dedicating an additional 53 minutes per week to watching TV compared to the previous year. This significant increase signals heightened engagement and a reinforced connection with the medium, defying trends in evolving media consumption, according to Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation.

In a dynamic content consumption landscape, Indian television not only holds its ground but also thrives, experiencing a notable 5.1% growth in Year-to-Date (YTD) data for FY’24. This surge emphasizes TV’s enduring appeal and solidifies its position as the preferred medium for a diverse audience, a press release from IBDF said.

Younger audiences, in the age group of 15-30 years, have, in fact, seen a higher growth in TV viewership compared to the overall average with growth in viewership being seen across all economic strata and markets, reaffirming television’s appeal across diverse age groups.

This growth surpasses specific regions or language segments and extends to the majority of language markets, accounting for 87% of the Indian TV population. Television’s widespread appeal underscores its profound ability to resonate with audiences from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The commitment of television to deliver fresh, emotionally resonant content has not only retained viewers but has also driven growth.

Mr. K. Madhavan, President of IBDF, said, “The impressive rise in television viewership underscores India as one of the few international markets witnessing consistent television growth, in spite of digital media’s rapid expansion. In today’s ‘AND’ world, where digital media excels in precise targeting and immediate rewards, television maintains its distinct advantage in the realm of long-term brand building. Television creates compelling stories that deeply connect with its audience, building trust and leaving an indelible mark across age groups.” A standout trend is the significant contribution of Indian women to television’s growth, with an impressive 59% contribution to the overall TV viewership growth. This highlights their pivotal role as key influencers and consumers shaping television viewership trends.

Deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of India, television continues to be a unifying force, bringing families together. With a massive 70% penetration and headroom for further growth (90 million households), television remains the largest reach medium, inspiring and entertaining countless families. A notable 7% increase in Pay Household viewership, with 5.8 million households transitioning from Free-to-Air (FTA) to Pay, showcases the magnetic pull of quality programming.

Television viewership growth transcends economic strata and town classes, demonstrating its inclusive nature. This growth is observed across NCCS A, B, C, DE, and various town categories, including metros, large cities, smaller towns, and rural areas.

Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation is the largest body of Television Broadcasters in India. Set up in 1999, IBDF represents and is dedicated to the promotion of television broadcasting in, to and from India. IBDF members provide channels and programmes that deliver about 90% of television viewership in India. Member offerings cater to most of India’s diversity and plurality in every language and in every genre of television viewing. IBDF has, over the years, achieved the unique position of the accredited spokes-body of the television broadcasting industry. IBDF endeavours to work closely with and align industry, policy makers, regulators and partners so that the television sector in the media and entertainment industry grows to its fullest potential in an equitable manner.

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The summit, conducted virtually, entered its ninth edition in 2020. Calling 2020 “a year that has taken a toll on most of us,” Madhavan addressed all the large scale disruptions seen in the industry.

Mr. Madhavan lauded the media and entertainment industry, which came together to entertain and engage homebound viewers despite the constraints of the lockdown.

Excerpts from the speech

Good morning to you all, and welcome to the ninth edition of the CII Big Picture Summit. Even though this is the ninth edition, there is something here that is happening for the first time – the fact that it is a virtual event, which makes it different and unique. We hope that we all are able to meet physically to celebrate the milestone of a decade of the Big Picture Summit next year.

2020 has been a year that has taken a toll on most of us. In my many years in the industry, disruption on this scale had never before been imagined. Content production was halted, live sports and events were cancelled, cinema halls and theatres were shut down. With a worldwide reduction in demand for services and major cuts in advertising spends – the pandemic enforced a long pause across the entire industry. However, the entire Media and Entertainment industry came together to engage and entertain millions of viewers while they were homebound.

In these times, entertainment consumption surged across television, gaming, and digital streaming platforms. Television and video streaming increased to a peak of 37 per cent higher than pre-lockdown levels.

Live Sports made a stupendous comeback with the IPL 2020. Not only was the IPL the biggest live cricketing tournament to be held during the pandemic, but it was also a beacon of hope and normalcy for the nation. The tournament broke all the previous records – with a 23 per cent increase in viewership over last year. The response from the fans and advertisers was heartening and it set a positive tone for the festive season. It acted as a game-changer for the sector and helped revive the media spends for the whole industry.

The film industry showed resilience and adapted to the ‘direct-to-digital’ model, which helped launch new movies across digital streaming platforms. Cinema halls have taken longer to reopen, but I am confident that fans will soon be watching their favourite movies on the big screen, in safety.

Over the next three days, at the Big Picture Summit, you will get to soak in the words of more than 100 speakers, from both government and the industry. There will be several speakers from overseas, virtual format has its advantages. There will be sessions with state governments as well as with representatives of the regional entertainment industry. A special curtain-raiser for the upcoming India International Film Festival in Goa in January 2021 will be presented by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This Summit should give us a chance to discuss what has worked, and what hasn’t – and how we can put India’s Media & Entertainment sector on the global stage.

The CII report on Big Picture Summit will be released later in this session which presents a panoramic view of the Indian media and entertainment industry – how it fared in 2020, what were the viewership trends, what was the impact of the pandemic on advertising, which medium got an edge and going forward what will be the role of Indian content in the global arena.

In 2020: Industry, business, and most importantly people & livelihoods have all been affected. Especially in the Indian Media and Entertainment industry, the losses were immeasurable as several glittering stars left us to forever shine bright in the sky.

This industry has the potential to grow from the present $24 billion to $100 billion by 2030, which is what our vision is and target should be. The potential of the industry is untapped – Pay TV is still at 120 million of the 300 million households in India, we only have 500 million smartphones in a country which has over 950 million mobile subscribers. The pandemic has driven customers to adopt technology as never before – as seen in the growth in e-commerce, online video, and digital gaming – and this can drive the sector to new heights.

To achieve this potential, we need a lighter touch on regulation and a much simpler governance structure in place. There are various kinds of restrictions that this sector is being subjected to although it has within it to make India truly atmanirbhar. We can increase our exports, increase the number of jobs being given to young talent, and most importantly, make India a global leader in content if policies are shaped as per the requirements of the industry. We have senior representatives of government present in this session today. I urge them to look into the demands of the industry and facilitate its growth.

We have struggled our way out of what I would call the worst time the industry has ever seen. I invite you all to derive maximum benefit from this summit – visit the expo, attend the plenary sessions, and immerse yourself in this unique experience.

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K. Madhavan, the new chief of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), in an interview with exchange4media, discussed about a stable regulatory system for the industry, BARC, ad cap controversy and his plans for future of IBF.

The broadcasting industry faced back to back disruptions like never before in last four years. Starting from demonetisation in 2016 to GST in 2017 followed by a long legal battle against the first tariff order, the last few decades had been quite eventful, K. Madhavan said in the interview published in Impact, a weekly advertising, media and marketing news magazine.

“When the sector finally made peace with the first order called NTO 1 and decided to implement it, in comes NTO 2.0 followed by COVID 19. There was so much to tackle while keeping the pace and the morale of the industry going,” he said. In the interview Mr. Madhavan, who is Star & Disney India’s Managing Director, stressed the necessity for a stable regulatory system in the industry.

He also spoke about the need for having a separate regulator for telecom and media industry, his belief in BARC’s efficiency, his views on ad cap controversy, the impact of the growth of OTTs on the television industry, deteriorating quality of content on TV and his other plans as IBF president. Below are edited excerpts.

Mr. Madhavan said that despite the many hurdles, the broadcasting sector rose to the occasion to engage and entertain millions of viewers while they were homebound. Notably, the sector performed the important role of keeping the audiences engaged while they remained indoors due to COVID-19, despite a sharp fall in revenue from advertisements and the challenges around the production of content.

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation also supported the cine-artists and workers during these testing times when production was put on hold. Importantly, the emotional and mental effect of this pandemic tends to be underappreciated as does the role that television content played in alleviating it.

On the other side, the industry faces a challenging regulatory environment that has handicapped us to create sustained value for all stakeholders involved. “The regulatory framework is also constantly changing with the introduction of NTO 2.0 even before the issues with NTO 1.0 had been resolved.”

“Regulatory certainty is a must for any content producer or creator to feel comfortable with investing in the content ecosystem. Absent certainty, let alone basis, investment in content and therefore its quality/ quantity stand impacted with constant tweaking. The broadcast industry expects IBF to take up the issues facing the sector with both the policymakers and regulators and create a roadmap for the sector’s growth and act as a bridge for the stakeholders. We will do our best to bring the industry back on a growth trajectory,” he said

Saying that both telecom and broadcasting sectors are fundamentally different industry sectors, Mr. Madhavan said that both required separate expertise and lens to create the required sector-specific distinct frameworks. “Media and its guaranteed freedom are at the core of the broadcast sector, a factor not directly relevant in telecom.”

“Having a separate regulator for both who can work closely with the respective sectors to enable a conducive environment for all the stakeholders is the need of the hour. We need regulations to be stable and light-touch to grow the sector sustainably and attract investment for the creation and dissemination of quality content,” the leading broadcaster said.

“We have been in regular touch with the regulator before, during and even after the process of framing of regulations. However, unfortunately, the outcome of such engagements on some important issues for the broadcasting sector has not produced the desired result. As an industry body, we will continue to engage with both the regulator and the Ministry to address broadcasters’ concerns and suggestions,” he said.

“We are continually working towards finding ways to strengthen our relationship with TRAI and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I’m confident that our efforts will bring the desired results to help the sector regain its growth trajectory.”

Speaking about upgrading the infrastructure for more accurate ratings he said that BARC ratings play a crucial role, both for large and small broadcasters as well as for advertisers. “We continue to support BARC in their endeavour to enhance their systems. In a country with 200 million C&S households, increasing the sample size for the BARC TV panel would always be helpful.”

Mr. Madhavan said that he was keen for IBF to proactively work and collaborate with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and nodal authorities to tackle issues facing the broadcasting sector with a view to unlock its real potential and create a framework that is focussed on growth.

“Our pursuit is to also follow through on our long-standing request for granting infrastructure status to broadcasting. Lastly, we continue to work closely with the Ministry to implement the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s core principle of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the broadcasting sector by creating a conducive environment.”

Asked about the IBF stand on NTO 2, the IBF chief said the organisation’s attempt will always remain to engage with the regulator in a collaborative manner. IBF as well as several other constituents of the broadcasting ecosystem have challenged the NTO framework. The hearing before the Bombay High Court has concluded recently and judgment is awaited.

Speaking on the issue of cap on advertisements, Mr. Madhvan said advertising remains the mainstay of revenue for broadcasters who are already in distress from several extrinsic challenges, including the current economic slowdown. “Fundamentally speaking, any consumer subjected to excess advertising is likely to make an informed choice – therefore a natural tension already exists which acts as a check and balance.”

On the regulation on the kind of content being show in TVs he said that the IBF was a firm believer that the freedom of speech and expression should be exercised responsibly with due regard to constitutional limitations. He said that assuming that the quality of content has deteriorated over time, it must be borne in mind that the more content creators are forced to depend on advertising revenues, the more the business model would be naturally incentivised to seek out the lowest common denominator.

As a consequence, there is no incentive for creating educational, socially relevant content. He said that Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) set up in 2011 has established itself as a credible institution vis-à-vis content shown on non-news and current affairs channels. This has been acknowledged by the executive, judiciary and the larger television viewing audience.

As the real stakeholders are involved in resolving complaints it provides a balanced safeguard against impinging on creative freedom. The BCCC guidelines encourage creativity in line with the evolving social milieu and standards. “We are hoping to further strengthen the self-regulatory mechanism and to make it more robust, by encouraging the Ministry to give statutory recognition to the self-regulatory guidelines of BCCC as part of the ‘Programme Code’ in the Cable TV rules, in a similar manner as has been done in the case of ASCI’s Advertising Code,” he said.

Speaking about the OTT platform, he said that countries across the globe have seen a shift from television to OTT. These markets, he said already had a very high television penetration, and the economics encouraged customers to shift. In India, television still has plenty of room to grow, and many households are subscribing to both. He believed that in the end, the quality of the content will matter, regardless of the platform it is on.
He called upon the MIB and TRAI to ease licensing and regulatory burden on the broadcasting sector so that they can compete with digital platforms and thus giving most optimum choice to the end consumers.
Mr. Madhavan refused to comment on the BARC rating racking saying that there were a lot of developing elements in that story. He however said that the IBF will continue to support BARC’s rating system.

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The Government of Kerala has constituted a jury to decide the 2019 Kerala State Television Award. Director, actor and screenwriter Madhupal was selected as the chairman of the jury.

Directors Saji Surendran and M.A. Nishad, screenwriter and screenwriter Santosh Echikkanam and actress Anumol are the other members of the jury.

Documentary director and critic O.K. Johnny is the chairman of the non-fiction jury. The other members of the jury are senior journalist N.K. Raveendran, documentary director Shiny Jacob Benjamin, director Pradeep Nair and cinematographer Manesh Madhavan.

Journalist and writer A. Sahadevan has been appointed as the chairman of the jury for the composition section. Sharadakutty and Dr. T.K. Santosh Kumar were also selected. Chalachithra Academy Secretary C. Ajoy will be the Member-Secretary of these three committees.

In the context of COVID-19, the screening will start at the Chalachithra Academy office from September 11 in compliance with all security norms, Academy Secretary C.K. Ajoy said in a press release.

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Bigg Boss is one of the most popular reality shows in India, and the TRP rating of this show has witnessed a dramatic rise over the past few years. One of the major highlights of Bigg Boss is the charismatic anchoring of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The actor used to appear in the shows every weekend, and interacted with the contestants.

Now, the remuneration of Salman Khan for the upcoming Bigg Boss 14 has been revealed. According to a report published in Bollywood Hungama, the Bollywood superstar is charging a whopping Rs 250 crore for the show. The report also stated that the actor will be given Rs 20.50 crores every week for his appearance. Last year, the actor had charged Rs.12 to Rs.14 crores every week.

This year marks the 14th edition of Bigg Boss Hindi. Out of the 13 Bigg Boss seasons, Salman Khan has appeared as a host for 10 consecutive years.

In the meantime, speculations regarding the possible contestants in the upcoming show have already started rounding the internet. According to reports, some contestants who may appear in this year’s show are Jasmin Bhasin, Nia Sharma, Pavitra Punia, Nishant Malkani, Naina Singh, Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sara Gurpal.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, all the contestants who will be part of the show will be undergoing quarantine before entering the house. Earlier, the makers have planned to broadcast Bigg Boss 14 from September. However, due to heavy rain and the coronavirus chaos, they decided to postpone the premiere to October.

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The measures the MIB has proposed include:

· Minimum cast and crew to be engaged on sets during shoots.
· Resting and stay over facilities to be provided.
· Staggered call and packup times for production units having multiple production locations.

· Older, pregnant, and comorbid technicians and artistes take extra precautions and preferable not be exposed to front line work requiring direct contact with the public.
· Mandatory wearing of masks by all crew excepting the actors facing the camera for a scene.
· Installation of Arogya Setu app will be advised to be downloaded and used by all.
· Exit and entry signs
· Special markings to ensure social distancing is maintained at six feet for all during every stage of the film making process.
· Visitors and audiences are barred from sets.
· PPEs for make up technicians as well as hair stylist. Wigs and make up kits to not be shared. As far as possible, actors should do their own makeup.
· Rubber gloves for all working with shared equipment on sets.
· Minimise the use of props, sanitise them, if essential.
· Lapel mikes to be avoided and not share. Direct physical contact with the diaphragms of mikes to be avoided.
· A Covid supervisor to be appointed for each production.

· Permissions to be taken from local authorities.

The announcement of the SOPs for media production should come as a relief for India’s film studios and TV and digital originals producers. The sector has been for a large part held back from producing for the past five months, leading to losses running into thousands of crore.

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The producers of Animated TV comedy ‘The Simpsons’ have announced that they will no longer use white actors to voice characters of colour.

The Simpsons has received criticism for years for having Hank Azaria voice for the role of Indian character Apu. In January , Azaria said that he is stepping down from the role after it has been hugely criticized for the negative portrayal of Indian-Americans. Mr Azaria, was very upset as the portrayal of character Apu reinforced racial stereotypes. He also voiced the Simpsons characters of Black police officer Lou.

This comes at a time when the whole world is in mass protest over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died while in US police custody. His death has led to cancellation of many controversial portrayals of people of colour in the entertainment industry.

The Simpsons is the longest-running show on American television, going for 30 years, and is syndicated in more than 100 countries.

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According to the police , the four were Thrissur native and approached the actor in the pretense of a marriage proposal.They told the actor that proposal is from a Tik Tok star who is a Kasaragod native.They had visited her house and later threatened to misuse her photos.The police further questioned them for more details.

Shamna told the media that she proceeded with the complaint to save others from such fraudulent activities.

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Bimal Shivaji

It is seldom that professionals step out of the rarefied world of banking industry or the corporate world in India to battle it out in the murky world of media that face the vagaries of fickle viewership and TRP ratings.

Given the fact that the television world was ruled by the likes of Zee TV and Times TV, the move of K. Madhavan, presently the Managing Director of Star & Disney India, to take up the role of Director at Asianet Communications Ltd in 1999, forgoing his years of experience in the banking world shocked many. He soon rose to the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive.

In 1999, when he joined Asianet, the regional brand from South India was on the verge of closing down. Turning a struggling channel into a media powerhouse, Mr. Madhavan ensured that the Asianet bouquet of channels became the undisputed market leader in Kerala.

Over the years Mr. Madhavan was seen in public during the Asianet Film Awards presentations, but behind the scenes the post-graduate in Commerce from Calicut University and Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) was burning midnight oil for taking on much bigger challenges in the years to come.

He has been the driving force behind Asianet’s growth as the undisputed leader in Malayalam with more than 50% of market share.

Challenges did come his way and he took them head on consolidating the assets of the regional media company and soon built up an empire that some of the biggest media conglomerates came to covet.

Mr. Madhavan joined Star India in 2009 as its South head after Star India acquired a 51 per cent stake in Asianet, popular in the Kerala market then. Star eventually took full control and ownership of the channel in 2014 by which time Mr. Madhavan had taken Asianet to other markets in the south, sources said.

Under his leadership, the company has built a thriving regional entertainment portfolio.

Mr. Madhavan’s vision for the regional language network has led the company to set benchmarks in quality programming in South India, which is now being replicated throughout India. The channel is now present in over 100 countries.  In the highly competitive Telugu Language market, the former banking professional’s strategy has taken Star MAA to a leadership position in a short span of time.

The veteran media professional says, “Impact to me is getting results, and for that one needs to inspire the team and consumers simultaneously.”

And he did inspire many talented youngsters to think up programmes that took Asianet to newer heights garnering more viewers and better TRP ratings.

Under his trusted leadership, the channel has reached more than 100 countries. Mr. Madhavan believes in the entrepreneurial culture. His vision has forced many others in the field to set benchmarks in quality programming in the South, which is now being replicated throughout India.

As Managing Director of Star and Disney India, Mr. Madhavan oversees the company’s television business spanning across entertainment, sports and regional channels and the studios business in India. He is responsible for driving the growth of the business, focussing on innovation and creating compelling content for consumers.

Mr. Madhavan was appointed as the Country Manager of Disney and Star India in December 2019. Before being promoted as the Country Manager, he was Managing Director of South Business, Star India, a position he assumed in 2016. He was overseeing the business ventures of Star in the four southern states and a portfolio of regional channels in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

Recently, the Confederation of Indian Industry appointed Mr. Madhavan as the Chair of National Committee on Media & Entertainment for 2020-21. He is responsible for driving the growth of the business, focussing on innovation and creating compelling content for consumers.

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