MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has narrowed its loss before tax and interest from the television business to Rs 116.6 million in the second quarter ended 30 September from Rs 228.3 million a year earlier.

RBNL?s revenue from TV business rose 121 per cent to Rs 83.56 million in the second quarter from Rs 37.65 million a year earlier.

RBNL runs six channels, four of them in joint venture with CBS Network which includes Big CBS, Big CBS Love, Big CBS Spark and a regional general entertainment channel called Spark Punjabi. It also runs Big RTL Thrill in JV with Europe?s RTL Group. Besides, it also has a regional General Entertainment Channel for the Hindi heartland called Big Magic.

The company?s radio broadcasting business Big FM posted loss before tax and interest of Rs 22.27 million in the second quarter against a profit of Rs 120.27 million a year earlier, as its revenue shrunk 31 per cent to Rs 392.5 million from Rs 571 million. In the first quarter of this year, its loss before tax and interest was Rs 14.14 million.

The company?s consolidated net loss for the second quarter was Rs 217.1 million, down from Rs 244.5 million a year earlier.

RBNL?s consolidated net income from operations shrunk to Rs 526.1 million in the second quarter from Rs 557.1 million a year earlier. However, the decline in revenue was offset by control in expenditure, which fell 30 per cent to Rs 701.3 million from Rs 960.2 million a year earlier.

The company said its total borrowing as on 30 September was Rs 3.14 billion.

Mumbai: Big CBS Spark, the youth channel from the JV between Reliance Broadcast Networks (RBNL) and CBS Corp, has bagged the television rights for a three-day musical event hosted by Lou Majaw?s as a tribute to Bob Dylan.

The event will be held in Shillong and with this move Big CBS Spark will make a debut in the north eastern region. The concert titled ?Knocked Out? and ?Loaded? will most certainly be a musical offering that will be unique and cannot be missed, the channel said.

With the exclusive television rights of the concert, the channel promises to take it to a national level and further strengthen its reach in what is known as the music hub of India.

Majaw lives Dylan?s music and hosts the concert each year on Dylan?s birthday. He pays tribute to the American singer-songwriter, musician and artist Dylan, by performing on some of his best songs. The concert will also witness some of the bands like Indus Creed performing and paying tribute to Dylan.

MUMBAI: Big CBS Spark, the youth channel from RBNL and CBS JV, has partnered with the music company Universal Music.

The partnership will allow audiences of Big CBS Spark access to the expansive library of Universal Music. It offers Universal Music a platform to reach its content to relevant youth audiences in India.

Big CBS Spark is sharpening its music positioning, backed with research and audience insight mapping. The channel hopes that music from Universal Music will add to the appeal of the channel.

Big CBS Networks business head Vishal Rally said, ?This alliance allows our young audiences immediate access to world class and an enviable music library, featuring some of the best and latest from the international music industry. We further sharpen our positioning as the ultimate music destination and are confident of this content resonating excellently with our loyal young audiences. With our channel, we offer the youth the entertainment that they seek while offering marketers the best RoI for their brands.?

Universal Music has a library ranging from international artists like Madonna, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Enrique Iglesias.

MUMBAI: 9X Media is expanding its fleet of music channels to stay ahead of its competitors in a space that is governed by slow revenue growth and high clutter. The sixth channel in its bouquet will be an international music channel, 9XO.

Making its appearance on 24 April, 9XO will join market leader Vh1 and a recently repositioned Big CBS Spark. An encrypted but free to air channel targeted at the upscale urban youth, it will air English and international music from across the globe.

9XO will also provide a platform called OmeGrown, for independent Indian music bands playing English music to showcase their talent.

Says 9X Media Sr VP and business head Punit Pandey, "Post a series of successful launches across the regional and Hindi markets and the launch of 9XM in the United Kingdom, we are pleased to present 9XO - an international music channel. The urban youth in India clearly feels the need of a platform that delivers International music in a great audio visual format. With 9XO we believe that we address this need gap by airing the best of English and International music."

9XO?s tagline is ?I?m On.? The channel packaging has been designed using pop-art influences from different periods which have been animated. There are elements of humour and attitude. "We worked with different creative agencies including Bombay Design House. The channel?s look is different from the standard graphics that other channels use," says 9XO programming head Luke Keny.

9X Media already runs 9XM (Hindi music), 9X Tashan (Punjabi music), 9X Jhakaas (Marathi music), 9X Jalwa (timeless Bollywood music) and 9XM - UK (Bollywood music for UK audience).

"There is a big resurgence happening in terms of demand and consumption of international music. Youth are becoming increasingly aware of and consuming international trends through platforms like the Internet. Music is a big part of international trends that are influencing the youth," says Kenny.

What will separate 9X0 from its rivals is its positioning of presenting unadulterated music experience. "The aim is to bring the music video experience back full circle the way the audience likes it, uninterrupted? with no non-music programming whatsoever. Other channels stopped being pure music channels a long time ago and started mixing lifestyle and fiction content. We did tests with viewers and we found that they just want to listen to and watch music. They do not want to be interrupted by other kinds of content," avers Kenny.

The channel has stitched content deals with labels like Warner, Sony and Universal. 9XO?s focus will be on Top 40 hits in the US and UK. There will also be a sprinkling of classics to cater to the 25+ age group. The channel will function like a jukebox and offer variety to listeners.

The channel will also have segments such as ?O-Vid?, ?Who Dat?, ?Wotta Song?, ?Hot Sh*t? and ?Out There?.

In terms of marketing, the channel will use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. It will also have on-ground and on-campus presence during the May-June period when colleges re-open.

"We will get involved with college festivals. The message will be that anybody who is on international music can watch it. Also anybody that wants to be introduced to international music can tune in," says Keni.

Media agencies say the channel will find it tough to rope in advertisers as the genre is very niche and has no appointment viewing. Also, it will have to fight for eyeballs with other genres like English entertainment.

"Getting in good revenue will not be an easy task for these channels. They will have to get their share of audiences. These channels are very niche in nature," says VivaKi Exchange CEO Mona Jain.

Jain also notes that appointment viewing will not happen. "This genre will compete for revenue with other niche genres like English entertainment which has the likes of AXN and Star World," she avers.