English Entertainment
Disney star launches the #KhushiyonKePeeche campaign
Mumbai: On the occasion of World Television Day, Disney Star Network launched a new campaign called “#KhushiyonKePeeche” to recognise India’s cable and DTH operators. The campaign highlights the operators’ consistent efforts to provide a seamless TV viewing experience for consumers, as well as the enormous value they add to a TV household across the country.
“#KhushiyonKePeeche” is an extension of the previous “#DisneyStarKaNaman” campaign launched by Disney Star Network to highlight the role of cable and DTH operators.
As a tribute, the campaign portrays cable operators as ‘caring and outstanding saathi’ and DTH operators as those who open the ‘door to happiness.’
In a country where television is the primary source of entertainment, the film depicts the operators as the true source of joy, working behind the scenes to bring entertainment closer to every television home.
Disney Star Distribution and International, India head Gurjeev Singh Kapoor said, “Every day the cable and DTH affiliates ensure that there is no disruption in content delivery to millions of TV households across the nation; they truly are the backbone of the distribution system. Their endeavour to go out of the way to ensure uninterrupted services to the consumers with an enhanced TV viewing experience is truly commendable.”
“We at Disney Star Network can reach our audiences from every corner of the nation thanks to the persistent spirit of the 900+ cable and DTH affiliates we work with. We take pride in having forged strong relationships with each of them over the last three decades, which helps us work together as one team with the common goal of delivering high-quality entertainment to our TV viewers. This campaign is a token of our appreciation to recognise their relentless efforts in ensuring continuous service across the nation,” he added.
The brand film is based on the life of a cable and DTH operator, ensuring that viewers have an uninterrupted viewing experience. It all starts with a cable operator getting on his bike to start the day and a DTH operator adjusting an antenna at home. They witness various emotions at various locations as they continue to do their jobs throughout the day.
They see a child watching cartoons with her father, a family watching an emotional drama together, and a group of friends cheering on a cricket match. The film concludes with Disney Star Network’s top stars thanking each cable and DTH provider, emphasising “Aap hain toh hum hain.”
The campaign will be aired across the Disney Star Network on entertainment, movies, sports, and regional channels on 20, 21 and 22 of November in Hindi and seven regional languages (Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Tamil, and Telugu).
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.
