MUMBAI: Seeking to tap a growing demand for trained personnel in India?s vast entertainment industry besides meeting its own needs, Balaji Telefilms is soon going to launch a chain of academies under the banner of Institute of Creative Excellence (ICE) that will train students aspiring for a career in TV and film entertainment industries.

The new academies are likely to come up in Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad besides Mumbai where the ICE?s pilot project was launched last year. The academies will offer courses in acting, direction, editing and scriptwriting, sound recording, cinematography and production among others, divulged ICE CEO Anurag Gupta.

The company will employ graduates to work on its content; it will also help meet the needs of the rest of India?s vast entertainment industry. The fees of the academies will range between Rs 300,000 to Rs 600,000 per semester.

Gupta, however, refused to divulge on the kind of investments that will go into the setting up of the academies as a matter of his company?s policy.

ICE offers three-six-month certificate programmes.

MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) has appointed Simmi Karna as the business head for its television content production arm Big Productions.

In her new role, she will be responsible for creation and marketing of shows designed both for regional and Hindi GEC. She will also be responsible for the P&L (profit and loss) of Big Productions.

Karna will report to RBNL CEO Tarun Katial.

Her last stint was with Balaji Telefilms as chief revenue officer. 

On her appointment Katial said, ?Simmi?s vast experience across a variety of genres with her erudite stamp on programming makes her an asset to the organisation. Her ability to ideate and conceptualise basis audience preferences, while ensuring in line with clients? briefs is her strength which will work excellently when coupled with her people management skills to lead the business into its next level of growth.?

On her new role Karna added, ?The television industry is geared for exploratory programs and these are really exciting times for TV in India. RBNL has some great properties for television and I look forward to a challenging and exciting career in television production.?

Over the last 15 years, Karna has worked across television brands like Zee, Channel V and IMG, as a writer and creative director across genres of fiction, non-fiction, sports and fashion.

MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has reported an eight per cent fall in its net profit for the quarter ended 31 December compared to the earlier year.

The production company, which currently has three shows on top Hindi general entertainment channels, has posted a net profit of Rs 11.2 million for the third quarter, as against a net profit of Rs 12.1 million in the earlier year.

However, the performance is much better when compared to a net loss of Rs 7 million the company had registered in the trailing quarter.

The production major witnessed a 15 per cent dip in income from operations to Rs 330.2 million in the quarter under review compared to Rs 390.4 million a year ago.

Balaji Telefilms has shows like Bade Acche Lagte Hain (Sony Entertainment), Parichay (Colors) and Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV).

The company reported an Ebitda loss of Rs 18.8 million for the quarter under review, compared to an operating loss of Rs 4.3 million a year ago. The other income of Rs 51.2 million helped the company to be in black.

Balaji Telefilms? realisation per hour from commissioned programming increased to Rs 2 million in the quarter, compared to Rs 1.85 million a year ago. However, in the trailing quarter, it was at Rs 2.1 million. The realisation per hour from sponsored programming was at Rs 330,000 in the quarter, compared to Rs 480,000 in the Q2 FY?11.

Commissioned programming remained flat at 120 hours in Q3, compared to Q2 FY?11, while sponsored programmes reduced to 94.5 hours in Q3, compared to 99 hours in Q2.

The company?s total investments as of 31 December stood at Rs 2.57 billion, including Rs 300 million in wholly owned subsidiary Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd (BMPL).