MAM
IPC Media unveils TV Listings Magazine in UK
MUMBAI: IPC Media, which claims to be UK’s largest consumer magazine publisher, has launched Britain’s very first compact paid-for TV Listings weekly TV Easy.
Backed by a £10 million marketing investment, and launched with a huge sampling exercise, TV Easy is looking to reinvigorate and grow the TV listings sector. Over 1.5 million copies of the new magazine will be given away with leading IPC titles Woman, Now and Pick Me Up from 26 April.
TV easy is the third major launch in 16 months from IPC Media’s innovations programme, initiated by the company’s CEO Sylvia Auton in 2003. It had earlier launched f the world’s first men’s weekly ‘ Nuts ‘ and the women’s weekly Pick Me Up. The research and development programme for TV Easy was headed up by Mike Soutar, IPC’s group editorial director, alongside Colin Tough, editor of the UK consumer magazine, What’s on TV, and IPC group creative director Andy Cowles.
Auton says, “I made a promise that IPC Media would launch category defining and innovative magazines, and with TV easy we’ve done it again! This is the third launch from IPC in 16 months, and reflects Time Warner’s ongoing commitment to growing its magazine business in the UK. TV Easy is the most comprehensively tested launch IPC has ever undertaken and the responses have also been the highest we’ve ever recorded.”
Colin Tough will take the role of editor-in-chief for both TV easy and What’s on TV, while Richard Clark, who is currently editor of IPC’s Internet magazine Web User, takes the role of editor on TV Easy.
MAM
Sameer Nair steps down as CEO of Applause Entertainment
Veteran media executive exits after a decade at the Aditya Birla Group-backed studio.
MUMBAI: After a decade of calling the shots, Sameer Nair is taking a bow from Applause Entertainment. The veteran industry leader and CEO of the prominent content studio is stepping down from his role, according to sources familiar with the development. This marks a significant leadership transition at one of India’s key players in the television and digital content space.
Applause Entertainment, part of the Aditya Birla Group, has built a strong reputation under Nair’s leadership for its high-quality adaptations of international formats and a slate of original series across OTT platforms. Nair, who joined the company a decade ago, was instrumental in shaping its growth and positioning it as a notable force in India’s evolving streaming landscape.
Prior to Applause, he held senior roles at major media organisations, including Star India, where he played a pivotal part in the launch of the iconic show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000. He also worked with Balaji Telefilms and NDTV Imagine.
It remains unclear who will succeed Nair or what his next professional move will be. Queries sent to Nair did not receive a response, and Applause Entertainment declined to comment on the matter.
His exit comes at a time when the Indian content ecosystem is undergoing rapid changes, with streaming platforms recalibrating investments, focusing on profitability, and adjusting content strategies amid shifting viewer preferences and increasing competition.
Industry insiders suggest the transition could signal a strategic reset for Applause as it navigates the next phase of growth.
In the fast-paced world of Indian entertainment, where hits can fade as quickly as they rise, Sameer Nair has enjoyed a remarkably steady and influential run. As he steps off the stage at Applause, the spotlight now turns to what comes next for both the executive and the studio he helped build.
