Modi Entertainment Network and Percept Advertising have joined hands to form a television software production company that will ‘produce quality content and develop stylised promotions‘. The joint venture, christened TygerMEN, aims to create high level fiction and non-fiction TV software in different genres. For the time being, it seems likely that the bulk of the company‘s productions will fill programming slots on Sahara TV.

Tyger Productions is a division of Percept Advertising and was established in 1993 with a view to offer turnkey solutions for the print and audio-video production needs of clients. It will now pool its resources with MEN, which is essentially a distribution and subscriber management services company.

The JV‘s aim would be to produce television software in Hindi as well as in regional languages, creating channel IDs, image spots, vignettes, promos and interstitial hosted shows. Low budget films in Hind and English and content to entertainment portals are also part of TygerMEN‘s agenda.

It‘s all happening at Sony Entertainment television. Close on the heels of the launch of its new serial Kutumb on Monday, the channel is all set to take on a whole new on-air look from Saturday, 3 November, at 7 am.
All part of the "course correction" exercise underway at Sony, sister channel MAX will also sport a new look soon.

ETC Networks Limited announced its Q-2 results for the year 2001-2002 with its net taking a 71 per cent dip to Rs 3.8 million from Rs 13.33 million in the corresponding quarter in FY 2000.

The net revenue went down by 13 per cent from Rs 97.08 million to Rs 84.28 million. "The downturn in revenues is due to the encryption of the channel which has effected its reach," clarified Vijay Shah, company secretary, ETC Networks Limited. The distribution of decoders is still on. The bad market condition has also affected revenues, Shah said.

When queried as to how staff costs had gown down from 10.57 million to 7.03 million, Shah said it was due to the successful restructuring operations the company had undertaken. When asked about the 25 per cent increase in the sales and administration costs from Rs 20.4 million to Rs 25.70 million he said it was due to operational expenses of etc channel Punjabi which was not there last year.

The increase in the depreciation amount is due to the buying of additional machinery and equipment, Shah said.

On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the share price of the company held steady today at Rs 12. It went down marginally to Rs 11.85 and closed at Rs 12 with only 1,700 shares changing hands.