NEW DELHI: Staying ahead of competition, Dish TV has launched the first-ever standard definition box with recorder to cater to the majority of subscribers who are not hooked on to high definition.

Dish TV expects the pricing to be a killer as recording facilities offered by rival direct-to-home (DTH) service providers are only in high-definition boxes and are much costlier.

The STB with recorder to be known as Dish+ would cost a mere Rs 100 more than the present STB which is priced at Rs 1590. Dish TV is also giving a 4 GB pen drive free as promotional offer.

?Dish+ is a comeback of recorders in the living room and is a clear differentiator vis-?-vis other alternatives including digital cable. Its highly competitive launch price will position it as a preferred option amongst all DTH buyers?, Dish TV chief operating officer Salil Kapoor said

Dish TV?s high-definition box which has a recording facility is priced at Rs 2690. Dish would charge another Rs 200 for installation.

Any USB port can be connected to the standard box for recording, and there is facility for unlimited recording.

A budget of Rs 250 million has been set aside for a 360 degree marketing campaign, Kapoor told Indiantelevision.com.

"The high-definition market at present is just five per cent of the total households (around 50,000 subscribers). The majority are, thus, deprived of any recording facility. Since the video cassette recorder fades out for recording facility, most subscribers are going to welcome this new innovation."

The government has mandated digitisation in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai by 1 November. "The second phase will cover a total of 40 cities. We want to be able to give the viewers an option," said Kapoor.

Mumbai: The promoters of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL), Hyderabad-based publisher of newspapers and owner of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Deccan Chargers, have pledged 54 per cent stake to Future Capital Holdings Ltd.

The promoter holding in DCHL at the end of June 2012 was 73.83 per cent with T Venkaram Reddy, T Vinayak Ravi Reddy and P K Iyet owning 24.61 per cent stake each, according to information on the National Stock Exchange.

In a filing to the stock exchanges, Future Capital Holdings said over 112.8 million shares (or 54 per cent) of DCHL have been pledged by the promoters as part of collateral for funds borrowed by DCHL and a company named, Aviotech Private Ltd. The amounts of borrowings by DCHL from Future Capital were not disclosed.

DCHL‘s annual report for 2011-12 is not available. According to the company‘s 2010-11 annual report, DCHL had loans of Rs 3.13 billion but also had cash and bank balances of Rs 7.03 billion as on March 31, 2011.

DCHL shares fell 19 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange to close at Rs 18.55 per share on the pledging of a substantial portion of the promoter shareholding. DCHL‘s share price has fallen from a high of Rs 73.50 per share as on July 29, 2011.

The market value of the 54 per cent of the shares pledged works out to Rs 2.43 billion.

DCHL is the publisher Deccan Chronicle, a leading English newspaper in South India with a circulation of over 1.45 million copies per day across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. DCHL also publishes ‘Asian Age‘, an English daily newspaper in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and London, a financial English daily ‘Financial Chronicle‘ from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai and a Telugu Daily, weekly, monthly, all titled ‘Andhra Bhoomi‘ in Andhra Pradesh. DCHL also owns a chain of 50 retail stores of lifestyle products, including books, music, stationery, gifts, toys, pens, and eye ware.

MUMBAI: The FIM has appointed World Sport Group (WSG) as its exclusive agent to sell TV & Media rights and Marketing & Licensing rights to the events managed and promoted by the FIM throughout the territories of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.

The Singapore-based sports marketing, media and event management company has signed a four-year deal with the FIM, which will also see WSG provide management and coordination services for select events in Asia (excluding Japan) and Oceania.

FIM CEO Stephane Desprez said: ?We are very proud to have the opportunity to work with WSG in Asia and Oceania. They will provide the specialist expertise and knowledge needed to help the FIM to boost motorcycling awareness and activities in one of our biggest and fast expanding markets. WSG will be the FIM?s key partner within those territories.?

WSG, which also has offices in Beijing, Beirut, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo and Delhi, has a long and successful history operating throughout Asia and has played a key role in the development of football and golf in the continent during a 20-year association with the respective regional governing bodies.

WSG will bring the company?s extensive experience of working in the region to the relationship and will seek to further enhance the FIM?s profile and engagement across all media and event platforms.

?It?s a great pleasure to have the opportunity to work with and represent the FIM throughout a region as dynamic as Asia and Oceania, where there is an insatiable appetite for motorcycling,? WSG President, East Asia Nick Mould said of the partnership.

MUMBAI: With India as one of its priority markets in Asia, FremantleMedia, a leading creator and producer of television content, has opened a new regional office in Chennai to focus on creating content for India?s large non-Hindi speaking markets.

This is FremantleMedia Asia?s second office in the country, and will join the existing Mumbai operations to further the company?s on-ground production business and provide entertainment content to a wider audience in India.

FremantleMedia Asia MD Paul O?Hanlon said, ?The Asian market place is thriving and this new office represents a great opportunity for FremantleMedia to improve its already strong foothold in the region. FremantleMedia Asia has produced a number of prime time formats in India in recent years, including Indian Idol, India?s Got Talent and X Factor India. The new Chennai office will target and forge proactive partnerships with top broadcasters, enabling us to effectively roll out popular television shows for the non-Hindi speaking population, and deliver outstanding entertainment content across the country.?

The Mumbai office will continue to focus on the Hindi speaking market while the new production hub in Chennai will focus on non-Hindi speakers, which account for over half of India?s population.

FremantleMedia Asia Pacific CEO Ian Hogg said, ?This is a fantastic opportunity for FremantleMedia Asia. India is the second most populous country in the world and this expansion will allow us to access new markets, work with new broadcasters and reach a greater audience with the world-class entertainment for which we are known."

MUMBAI: Paresh Chaudhry has joined as Madison PR. The current CEO Veena Gidwani retires after a stint of 12 years on 30 June.

Chaudhry will be based out of Mumbai.

With over 24 years of experience in brand communication and reputation management experience across industries and key global markets, Chaudhry has worked with companies like Reliance Industries, Hindustan Unilever, Ranbaxy and Wockhardt. His last assignment was as group president -corporate communications, Reliance Industries where he reported to Reliance Industries Limited chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani. At RIL he was responsible for putting together systems and processes for effective global (internal and external) communications at RIL.

Through the years, Chaudhry has been involved in building the Ranbaxy?s corporate brand in North America, Europe and India. He was also associated with the campaign for aligning regional communication country teams to bring alive ???the transition to one Unilever brand? and driving the corporate name change from ?HLL? to ???HUL?. He is also the founder President of the Indian Forum of Corporate Communicators (IFCC).

Madison World chairman and managing director Sam Balsara said, "Paresh?s cross client category and cross country experience should help him add great value to our FMCG clients. Veena has done a wonderful job in building Madison PR into a specialist Brand PR consultancy and meeting the professional needs of our over 40 clients in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune and I wish her a very happy and fulfilling life ahead."

Chaudhry said, "I am delighted with the opportunity to work with Madison PR that has carved out a distinct and distinguished niche within the industry and is known for its strong values and relationships with some of the best known companies in Corporate India. I look forward to working with Sam & his team of professionals to take Madison PR to the next level."

Madison PR is a 12-year-old image management company specialising in innovative brand building techniques and campaigns. Its clients includes the likes of Procter & Gamble, Britannia, Godrej, Levis, Caf?? Coffee Day, Titan Fastrack, Parle Agro and many other brands; and has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune.