iWorld
Rathore urges govt. officials to aggressively use social media
NEW DELHI: Taking a cue from Prime Minister Modi’s effective use of social media, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Rajyavardhan Rathore’s message to his officials is use social media aggressively for disseminating information on government.
“We need to open up. Typically, governments have been with iron curtains all around. But today time is changing, so we first need to change our mindset,” A PTI report quoted Rathore as saying today.
The junior MIB minister was inaugurating a workshop for government officials in Press Information Bureau (PIB) on how to use Facebook more effectively for communication.
PIB is the public relations division of the government and its official under a director-general are entrusted with disseminating information on government initiatives.
Addressing PIB officials, the PTI report states, Rathore advised that the process of how information is shared from decision makers to disseminators needs to get faster and social media can play a key role as it not only shapes debates on TV but also public opinion.
According to the minister, “You cannot hide information in today’s world. You have to share that information. The idea is to send the right kind of content that people can engage with.”
Pointing out that often incorrect information regarding ministries and government departments goes on social media, Rathore advised that on such occasions the correct facts should be provided.
“That is the time you could get to the social media and correct that information. People are hungry for information,” Rathore is said to have opined as per the PTI report.
The minister compared old and present times regarding communications. He said had it been older times pigeons would have to used for communicating and the head of PIB would have had maximum number of pigeons, hinting at the amount of communication that a government undertakes as part of its outreach programme.
A lot of people dismiss social media, saying the debate going on there is “junk”, he said but emphasised that this very debate shapes what is reported on television and in the print media.
“It is shaping your mind when you sit on the dining table during dinner time and do your discussions,” he is quoted as having said.
The minister pointed out that 85 per cent of federal ministers were on Facebook and 80 per cent ministries already have verified FB accounts.
Referring to PM Modi’s love for technology and effective use of social media, Rathore says the “coach has shown the way and it is now for the athelets to act.”
Interestingly when Rathore was questioned on Twitter for this government support to a private enterprise (Facebook) as being strange, the minister tweeted back saying: “Yes, but all communication tools, public/ private need to be utilised for empowering & enhancing outreach.”
Facebook executives were present on the occasion.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
