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Tam announces ’05 Knowledge Series
MUMBAI: Tam Media Research has announced the Tam Mate Knowledge Series for 2005 specially devised for advertisers, broadcasters, media planners and advertising agencies. This, according to the company, is an effort towards better understanding and use of media research.
In addition, the exercise will also cater to educational institutes that have made valuable academic contributions in the field of media at large. Tam Mate Knowledge Series are held with a group or a combination of advertisers, broadcasters and media planners through a closed door session. Discussions are done on various issues and trends revolving around the subject of media research. Interested participants can attend these series through application only.
“Tam Mate Knowledge Series has assumed a very important role in today’s media industry ever since this initiative was instituted three years ago. With the kind of support and encouragement that this initiative has received from industry members at various management levels, our session has turned out to be one of the most sought after annual events by industry professionals. The intensity and diversity of subjects discussed and shared during these sessions contribute towards a very healthy debate resulting in a constructive learning session for not only the participants but also the Tam session specialists. One of the most sought after sessions by the industry has been when Tam shares various different caselets on viewership changes due to content, promotion, distribution and many other factors. In fact, these kinds of insights reflect the power of Tam’s Peoplemeter Study,” says Tam Media Research vice president Atul Phadnis.
Tam Mate Knowledge Series is scheduled for every alternate Tuesday starting 15 March and will be held for industry members across markets. “Each Tam Mate Knowledge Series is designed keeping in mind the specific and detailed requirements of each participant,” adds Phadnis.
Tam Media Research today provides information and specialised analysis in the field of TV viewership, ad monitoring and spends analysis in TV, newspapers, magazines and radio through AdEx India and PR and editorial content measurement through Eikona PR Track.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
