English Entertainment
National Geographic ropes in Karan Johar for ‘Your Lens’ campaign
Mumbai: National Geographic is celebrating the art of photography with the launch of its new campaign called ‘Your Lens’. The TV network has brought onboard Indian film director and television personality Karan Johar for the initiative.
The campaign encourages the photo-enthusiasts to share their best pictures to get featured across the National Geographic television channel, social media and a specially curated website www.nationalgeographicyourlens.in for India.
The entries spread across various themes such as breathtaking landscapes, majestic wildlife, thrilling adventures, vibrant festivals, people and portraits will be assessed by established National Geographic explorers, who are also among the most renowned photographers in the country like Prasenjeet Yadav, Deepti Asthana, and Poulomi Basu, said the statement.
“National Geographic has always held a very distinctive and revered position in photography. Our iconic photographs and ground breaking imagery have been inspiring our audiences for decades with fresh new perspectives,” said Star & Disney India’s president and head – infotainment, kids & regional entertainment channels, Kevin Vaz. “Over the years, our fans have often included us by tagging us in their stories and beautiful captures. With ‘Your Lens’, we are strengthening this relationship by giving them a dedicated and a larger platform to celebrate their passion and be a part of our brand that they love and admire.”
“We are excited to join hands with Karan Johar, a filmmaker who understands the power of emotions, to encourage everyone with a camera to continue sharing their stories with us,” he added.
“National Geographic as a brand is truly iconic and I have always admired the outstanding and striking visuals they share with the world, inspiring millions of people,” Johar said. “This association is special to me since it is an extension of the passion I have for the camera and who I am as a person. As a filmmaker myself, I believe that an image has the power to move your soul and express so many emotions. The premise of ‘Your Lens’ is extremely exciting as it gives an opportunity for everyone to showcase their creativity and get featured on a prolific platform like National Geographic.”
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.
