MUMBAI: The Raghav Bahl promoted Television Eighteen has embarked upon a big and aggressive expansion not only into the online media, but also leveraging on the strengths of the 'CNBC universe' in order to cash in on the advertising boom.

Thus, TV18 Media Networks, the ad sales division of the group has realigned ad sales operations to strengthen and capitalize on the TV18 Group’s television, online and mobile media properties.

Raj Kamath

According to TV18 Media Networks CEO B Saikumar, "The kind of growth our TV18 network has seen, the challenge now is to do justice to individual products and revenue streams."

The business news channels, the online ventures, the CNBC bestsellers CD division and Focus (the ground events division have, thus, been grouped under an umbrella brand loosely referred to as the 'CNBC Universe'.

Streamlining the responsibilities of key professionals like Raj Kamath, Anil Uniyal and Sanjay Dua is one such move in this direction, says Sai Kumar. Reason: create 'new touch points' for clients and offer better business solutions, which all would add to the company's revenues.

For example, Kamath's role has been expanded from handling sales activities of CNN-IBN to be in charge of ad sales inventories of the TV18 Network (business and general news channels).

Anil Uniyal

Uniyal, who earlier handled the west and south Indian regions of TV18 business channel, has been given the added responsibility of 'CNBC Universe'. Dua, who earlier was responsible for north and eastern markets of India for the four channels (CNBC TV18, Awaaz, CNN-IBN & IBN7) will henceforth oversee CNN-IBN and IBN7 and possible local channels in the near future.

This significant change is indication that the group has done away with regional head portfolios and placing four professionals of the company in charge of coordinating the sales activities of various products with each of them reporting into Kamath who is answerable to Sai Kumar.

Reinstated what SaiKumar has said, Kamath adds that through this streamlined process, the clients will be offered an integrated marketing communication via the multi-media platform.

Sanjay Dua

Dua points out that the new structure will 'help further in creation and optimizing' of the brand clout of the TV18 Network. Though the Hindi news channel space is cluttered, for Dua IBN7 is bringing in more brands on board that have a national profile instead of mere regional appeal.

The restructuring drive is also aimed at future plans of the TV18 Group, which includes expanding further into the web space through acquisitions and making forays into markets and language that have not been tapped by the company.

As Sai Kumar points out, the group is poised to leap into the next level of growth as newer operations near profitability levels.