MAM
TRP rat-race is destroying business models, country: ABP’s Avinash Pandey
NEW DELHI: The business models of how news broadcasting is done in India needs a huge overhaul, opined ABP News Network CEO Avinash Pandey in a virtual fireside discussion with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari on day two of the News Television Awards Summit. According to him, the two areas that require urgent overhaul are how TRP is measured and the high dependence on advertising revenue for running the business.
“The news business model in India is very flawed. It is 100 per cent dependent on advertising revenue, which should not be the case. That’s why we are soon going to be a paid platform,” Pandey said.
He added that going premium entails a lot of investment and the ABP News Network is actively working towards it. “If I give you an example of our Bihar election coverage, Poll Khol, hosted by Shekhar Suman, is a show that demands investment worth the complete election coverage budget of some other channels. Our reporters are doing debates in every tehsil, every district and it is a cost-heavy affair. It’s a very tough call for us to take as we have very limited resources but unless we do that, good content will take a backseat.”
He said that news channels should take a conscious call of doing good reporting and not just chase the numbers. This leads Pandey to the matter of TRP measurement, stating that he is completely against the ‘minute-by-minute stock market-like analysis of news’ showing what exactly spiked the viewership on a certain channel.
“Until and unless BARC effectively manages the impact of news, unfortunately, we all will be in the rat-race of chasing the ratings and it will destroy our businesses, people’s lives, and our country,” he warned.
Pandey insisted that the whole industry – from broadcasters to regulators – should introspect how the measuring systems are working and how the quality of news is impacting the country at large.
“To give an example, I think the biggest reform that happened in India in the past few months was the education reform. I feel it is going to bring in a lot of changes for the next decade; they have liberalised it greatly. It will also save a lot of foreign exchange. Millions of dollars are otherwise spent globally in educating our kids, which will stop. Now, none of the channels covered this because they were busy covering a certain crime story because the general consensus was that ratings will not come if you talk about anything sensible,” he bluntly stated.
In regards to how news consumption will be moderated in future, he opined that Indians will watch a lot of content on connected TVs in future and that’s how broadcasters should be preparing their strategies.
On an additional note, Pandey also talked about his expectations with the advertising revenue in the coming months. He projected that November will be bigger than last year with major high-ticket events like Bihar elections, IPL finals, and Diwali coming together. He is positive that the market will pick up from here as certain categories are already showing signs of revival in terms of sales and that will also reflect in their advertising spends.
MAM
Ganesh Chana Sattu ropes in Ravindra Jadeja for new campaign
Cricketing all-rounder fronts ‘unnatural energy’ push for high-protein roasted gram flour drink.
MUMBAI: Ganesh Chana Sattu has just bowled a natural Yorker that feels positively superhuman and Ravindra Jadeja is the man delivering it. The nutrient-rich, high-protein roasted gram flour brand has launched a fresh campaign featuring the Indian cricketing legend. Conceptualised by TBWA\ Lintas, the campaign playfully explores how something truly natural can unlock extraordinary energy, using extreme visual exaggeration and Jadeja’s larger-than-life athleticism to show the power of sattu in action.
Rather than relying on dramatic storytelling, the film celebrates sattu as an age-old, completely natural ingredient that delivers performance so effective it borders on the unbelievable. It positions the drink as a refreshing, cool fuel for the body perfect for a generation seeking honest, high-protein nutrition without the hype.
Ganesh Consumer Products Limited director Devansh Mimani said, “Sattu has always been valued for its nutritional goodness. With this campaign, we wanted to showcase that energy in an engaging way. Ravindra Jadeja’s personality and athleticism helped us bring alive the idea that a natural drink can power seemingly unbelievable energy.”
TBWA\ Lintas unit creative director Tritirtha Chatterjee added, “The thought was to position Ganesh Sattu as a refreshing, cool drink that naturally powers the body. Ravindra Jadeja was the perfect fit to bring this idea alive. As an all-rounder, his game demands constant energy across batting, bowling and fielding.”
The campaign is now live across TV, digital platforms and social media channels, aiming to boost both brand awareness and product consideration among consumers looking for natural, high-protein alternatives.
In a category full of flashy promises, Ganesh Chana Sattu is quietly reminding everyone that sometimes the most powerful fuel comes from the simplest, most honest ingredients. With Jadeja on board, the brand has found the perfect all-rounder to prove that real energy doesn’t need artificial boosts, it just needs the right sattu.
