Saturday, June 13, 2009

Story of Bennett, Coleman & Co (TOI Group) and Real Estate Companies

This is about how one media group can manipulate the "news" and its content to make money and control the public opinion for its profitability. This is about Bennett, Coleman & Co (TOI Group) which owns media assets like ToI,ET(across all cities),regional newspapaers and TimesNow TV.They have something called "Times Private Treaty" which invests in emerging enterprises and small & midcap companies just like a VC. But its slightly different with Times Private Treaty(TPT) where in TPT will get equity for its media coverage (whatever TPT pays, gets back for media treatment).Investee companies will get special coverage,increased exposure and mouth piece service. We dont know much about the very details of the agreement between TPT and investee companies.

Details:

India’s largest new company, Bennet, Coleman & Co. Ltd., (BCCL) has signed Times Private Treaties with over 200 companies in the past 3 years.

What is TPT?

TPT identifies growth rich but Advertisement shy comapnies (???!!) and gives them media space in BCCL platforms. In return, they get a share in Equity. Expected value of these TPT’s - Rs.1,700 Cr- Rs.3,000 Cr.

http://www.timesprivatetreaties.com/portfolio/list-as-per-industry.html

Why TPT?
BCCL believes that Indian market is commodity driven, not Brand driven. Only 14,000 brands are actively advertising in India. But in US there are 8 lakh active brands. Hence there is a future for brands.

Who is following?
HT Media, NDTV, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Mid Day.

Conflict: Editorial lenience to TPT companies.


We could see the list (portfolio) of compnaies earlier in their website( which has been removed. I list the companies later from my memory. I noticed about these investments in 2003 and impressed by the idea(didn't know details) of Jain family but what happened latter is big let down for the indian public. There are no goverment controls at present but we expect a little ethics, social values, moral control and culture for media group with such long tradition.

List of companies from Mint
http://www.livemint.com/2008/01/14234923/F7C03521-A4FD-40D1-B769-A38A8D7DE369ArtVPF.pdf

I remember the list of companies as Sobha Builders, Rajesh Exports,Pyramid Saimira, JetKing, Peninsula and many more realty players.I guess we should stop reading newspapers like these which actually doesn't add any knowledge but only noise.

Here are the links for more understanding;

http://ajayshahblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/murky-ethics-on-part-of-media-and-firms.html

You can find many more links in Ajay's Blog.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/bennett-colemans-private-treaties-business-sees-sharp-value-erosion/357692/

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_private-treaties-a-public-and-investor-menace_1254804

http://www.livemint.com/2008/01/14234923/Should-private-treaties-be-mad.html

http://www.suchetadalal.com/?id=cc8c67c4-6674-207a-4947b1bb96dc&base=sections&f&t=CURRENT+ACCOUNT+(MoneyLIFE+Issue%2C+1st+Jan+09)

http://www.suchetadalal.com/?id=ee33e5a1-2d4b-8231-4a24f507414e&base=sections&f&t=Pyramid+Saimira%3A+Weak+Follow+Up

http://www.suchetadalal.com/?id=2f109f06-d1bf-afca-4a0176e5b38e&base=sections&f&t=Ring+of+Thieves

http://www.vccircle.com/500/content/bccl-picks-up-652-per-cent-in-sujana-industries-hats-off-to-times-private-treaty


I would like to get the views of our readers. I am sure many of you already knew but its good for those who still believe whatever newspapers say is truth and newspapers are run by the people who care very much about this poor country and its people.

5 comments:

Vidyanshu Pandey said...

Thanks for the comprehensive post. It does uncover sleazy and murky cartelization which one has long suspected. So, earlier we were talking about a nexus between the politicians, Builders/Brokers, Bhai's and the fourth estate. Now we have confirmation of how this happens..

Shouldn't the govt. be acting against the media for publishing these false reports and destroying lives/savings of countless middle class subscribers? Oh wait the Govt. is hand in gloves with these criminals..

While one can register one's disgust at this by spreading these links as far and wide as one can and to abstain from reading such stained publications..at the same time one wonders how much more will people tolerate and how much more can they be fooled before there is some kind of uprising and revolt?

-Bharat

Anonymous said...

dont believe this paid for stories by the builders ,who are hand in glove with the medis

Anonymous said...

detail interview with TPT CEO Sivakumar here - http://www.medianama.com/transcript-s-sivakumar-times-private-treaties/

Anonymous said...

Read the complete fraud story of Times group at
http://fraudsofindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/indian-media-scam-private-treaties.html

Anonymous said...

If digged well TPT will go illegal on free press act...