English Entertainment
Asianet News Media & Entertainment is now Asianxt Digital Technologies
Mumbai : Asianet News Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a prominent pan India media-tech player, has announced its rebranding to Asianxt Digital Technologies Pvt Ltd. The rebranding is a strategic move to reinforce the company’s tech and digital-first DNA as it embarks on expanding into new products and markets.
The transformation also reflects the company’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve in the evolving media landscape and serving its diverse audiences with innovative content.
Asianxt’s flagship platforms include the widely recognised Asianetnews.com, a multilingual digital news and entertainment hub catering to audiences in 8 languages.
The company also owns the powerful Asianet News Network, featuring leading news brands such as Asianet News (Malayalam), Asianet Suvarna News (Kannada) and the Kannada Prabha daily.
Complementing its news offerings, Asianxt also has in its portfolio IndigoMusic.com, India’s one of the leading international music brands that has a significant following in key markets like Bangalore, Goa and beyond.
As part of this comprehensive transformation, Asianxt has unveiled a new brand logo and identity. This logo serves as a symbol of the company’s renewed focus on pioneering the future of media-tech. With this rebranding, Asianxt will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of news, entertainment and events across the globe, even as it embraces a fresh perspective that aligns with the changing needs of its audience.
Asianxt Digital Technologies Pvt. Ltd, CEO Neeraj Kohli shared his insights on this transformative journey, stating, “Our vision is to serve content across audiences, agnostic of any platform, language and geography. With Asianxt, we aim to transcend barriers and offer diverse and engaging content to global consumers. This rebranding is a strategic move towards realising that vision. We are confident that our renewed focus on technology and digital-first values will resonate with our audiences and stakeholders alike.”he added.
Asianxt Digital Technologies Pvt. Ltd executive chairman Rajesh Kalra echoed this sentiment, adding, “This is a pivotal moment for us as it is a reflection of our commitment to embracing a digital-first future. As Asianxt, we aim to continue to push boundaries and set new standards for journalism. We are excited about the possibilities this transformation opens up for us and our audiences.”
As Asianxt, the company remains dedicated to delivering quality content and engaging platforms to its audiences in India and across international waters. The transition is a key move that aims to position Asianxtas a visionary and influential player in India’s fast evolving media ecosystem.
Imp – please share link to Rishi and team once published
English Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount deal
Investors wave through a $111 billion megamerger but deliver a stinging, if toothless, rebuke over half-a-billion-dollar goodbye packages
NEW YORK: The shareholders said yes to the deal. They said no to the cheque. At a virtual special meeting on Thursday that lasted barely ten minutes, Warner Bros. Discovery investors voted overwhelmingly to approve Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion acquisition of the company — and then turned around and voted against the lavish exit pay packages lined up for chief executive David Zaslav and his fellow outgoing executives.
Not that it will make much difference. The compensation vote is purely advisory and non-binding. The Warner Bros. Discovery board can, and almost certainly will, pay out as planned.
But the symbolism stings. It is the second consecutive year that WBD shareholders have voted against the executive compensation packages, and this time they had good reason. Zaslav’s exit deal is, by any measure, extraordinary. Under the terms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he is set to receive $34.2 million in cash severance, $517.2 million in equity in the combined company, and $44,195 in continued health coverage — a total of at least $550 million. On top of that, Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to reimburse Zaslav up to $335 million for taxes assessed by the Internal Revenue Service on his accelerated stock vesting, though the company says that figure will decline depending on when the deal closes. As of March 11, Zaslav also held $115.85 million in vested WBD stock awards — and last month sold a further $114 million worth of WBD shares.
Shareholder advisory firm ISS recommended voting against the compensation measure, citing “problematic” tax reimbursements to Zaslav and the full vesting of his stock awards.
Zaslav will be bound by a two-year non-competition covenant and a two-year non-solicitation of customers and employees after the deal closes.
His lieutenants are not walking away empty-handed either. J.B. Perrette, chief executive and president of global streaming and games, is in line for $142 million, comprising $18.2 million in cash severance and $123.9 million in equity. Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer, will receive an estimated $121.5 million, including $18.8 million in severance and $102.7 million in equity. Chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels is set for $120 million, made up of $6.6 million in cash severance and $113.1 million in equity. Gerhard Zeiler, president of international, will get $82.6 million, including $11.9 million in severance and $70.7 million in equity.
The deal itself, clinched in February after Netflix declined to raise its bid for Warner Bros., still needs regulatory clearance from the Justice Department and European authorities. Several state attorneys general are also weighing legal action to block it.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, was unsparing. “The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger isn’t a done deal,” she said after the shareholder vote. “State attorneys general across the country are stepping up to stop this antitrust disaster. We need to keep up this fight.”
If it does go through, the combined entity would be a formidable beast, bringing together Paramount Skydance’s stable — CBS, CBS News, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, BET, MTV and Nickelodeon — with WBD’s portfolio of HBO, Max, Warner Bros. film and TV studios, DC, CNN, TBS, TNT, HGTV and Discovery+. Paramount has said it expects $6 billion in cost savings from the merger, which is Wall Street shorthand for mass layoffs on a significant scale.
The ten-minute meeting was presided over by chairman Samuel Di Piazza Jr., with Zaslav, Campbell, Wiedenfels and chief communications officer Robert Gibbs in virtual attendance. Di Piazza was bullish. “We appreciate the support and confidence our stockholders have placed in us to unlock the full value of our world-class entertainment portfolio,” he said. “With Paramount, we look forward to creating an exceptional combined company that will expand consumer choice and benefit the global creative talent community.”
Zaslav echoed the sentiment. “Over the past four years, our teams have transformed Warner Bros. Discovery and returned the company to industry leadership,” he said. “Today’s stockholder approval is another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction that will deliver exceptional value to our stockholders.”
Paramount Skydance struck a similar note. “Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery,” it said in a statement, adding that it looked forward to “closing the transaction in the coming months.”
The shareholders have spoken on the merger. On the pay, they were ignored before the vote was even counted.
