New Delhi: The School of Art & Animation and the OXL School of Multi-Media were among institutions which received the BIG Research and Business and Service Excellence Awards here over the weekend.

The publication house Magna Communication also received the awards, which were given away by former cricketer Kris Srikkanth. A total of over fifty awards were given in different categories.

The award ceremony was punctuated with scintillating dance performances by Delhi-NCR?s Best Western Dance Academy, Imperial Fernando Ballet Company (IFBC).

On the occasion, Mr. Kris Srikkanth said, ?The SME and the services sectors have always been making a noteworthy contribution both to the GDP of and the employment scenario in our country. BIG Research?s initiative to promote the concept of pursuing Excellence in the Business & Services industries is worth praising. I?m sure that these awards will further boost the winners? commitment to customer satisfaction. Their success will definitely motivate others to follow their example!?

The awards are given away to diverse organizations and professionals from various states annually on the basis of their product and service quality, pricing and marketing strategies and initiatives, leadership position in the industry/market segment/geography, dedication to customer satisfaction, entrepreneurial initiatives, exemplary business practices, feedback from the end customers and the industry and business growth.

For the North India Business & Service Excellence Awards, BIG Research conducted the research study and opinion surveys in many key cities in Northern India over a period of 5 months with more than 50 field executives collecting the data from across different states.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Vice President - Marketing, BIG Research Pvt. Ltd., said, ?Today?s businesses and service providers continually strive for customer satisfaction and want their efforts to be noted. The number of organizations and professionals participating in our programs is increasing every year and we?re confident that our efforts will result in improvement in the overall quality of products and services delivered by them, bringing them at par with the international standards.?

New Delhi According to the TAM data for the period Week 44-52, Animal Planet has recorded a 25% higher channel share than History TV18 when measured across India. (Source: TAM CS4+, All India, All Day, Channel Share, Week 44-52)

In the first to go digital markets of Delhi and Mumbai, Animal Planet has registered a 117% higher channel share than History TV18. (Source: TAM CS4+, Delhi & Mumbai, All Day, Channel Share, Week 44-52)

Commenting on Animal Planet?s performance, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager ? South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, ?The surge in Animal Planet?s ratings is a testimony of its highly distinguished and highest quality content offering, nationwide appeal and robust distribution.?

As per the TAM data for the period Week 44-52, Animal Planet has witnessed an increase of 40% in channel share. (Source: TAM, CS 4+, All India, All Day, Channel Share, Week 44-52 vs Week 1-43). In the Prime Time, Animal Planet has registered a phenomenal jump of 50% in channel share. (Source: TAM, CS 4+, All India, 1800-2359hrs, Channel Share, Week 1-43 vs. 44-52)

One of the most respected television brands in India, Animal Planet is available in English and Hindi on both analogue and digital platforms. It offers entertaining programming that taps into people?s primal instincts with compelling stories, engaging characters and the innate drama of the natural world. The channel offers viewers a variety of programmes including the stunning, immersive natural history programmes for which the network is renowned, as well as quality ground-breaking CGI that brings to life the amazing diversity of the animal kingdom.

MUMBAI :BIG RTL Thrill, the action entertainment channel targeted at male audiences with the tagline Action Ka Baap, has opened to a phenomenal response among male audiences in Uttar Pradesh as it opened at 11.59 GRPs. The channel displays high male affinity ahead of established regional and national players in the market as per the TAM ratings (Week 51, CS 15-44 SEC N, UP ALL). With a majority of television channels showcasing content that is targeted towards women, the need for a male-oriented channel was addressed by BIG RTL Thrill which airs the best international action content dubbed in Hindi from around the world. Key shows on the channel include Fear Factor...Darr Se Takkar, Cobra 11...Highway Ke Rakshak, and Criss Angel...Magic Ya Sach have emerged as the top rated shows.

Data reveals that the channel enjoys a better TSV of 18.99 in Uttar Pradesh which is greater than that the competing channels in the region. BIG RTL Thrill has a comprehensive and deep distribution coverage available over 200 major analog and digital cable platforms in UP and on the Reliance Digital TV network combined with anextensive marketing campaign executed for the channel?s launch. This has resulted in an overall reach of 1153 million households, 586 from UP 1+, making BIG RTL Thrill the channel with the highest reach in Uttar Pradesh across 1mn+ towns ? more than any other local channel in the region. With a variety of new shows in the offing that will keep the male audiences engaged, BIG RTL Thrill aims to become the one-stop destination for action-related content.

Speaking about the channel?s landmark opening, Mr. Sunil Kumaran, Business Head ? Language TV, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited said, ?We are very excited about the phenomenal response which the channel has received in its first two months. Our content mix, handpicked from across the globe along with our massive integrated marketing campaign has made the channel a hit with male audiences in the market. With a variety of new shows in the offing and Phase II of DAS also on the anvil, we are confident that BIG RTL Thrill will find a better connect with a larger audience base across larger geographies.?

BIG RTL Thrill, a joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network Limited and leading European Entertainment Network RTL Group, creates synergies with RBNL?s No. 1 radio network 92.7 BIG FM which has 6 stations in the state, along with its variety entertainment channel BIG MAGIC. Together this media bouquet is one to reckon with and stand as the leading media platform of Uttar Pradesh, delivering maximum and focused reach to marketers.

Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd.

Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties, television production, and out-of-home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands. The company houses the following verticals: 92.7 BIG FM ? India?s largest FM Network with 45 stations, reaching over 4 crore Indians each week; BIG CBS Networks ? A joint venture with CBS Studios International, offering 3 English Entertainment Channels - Prime, Love, Spark, as well as a regional General Entertainment Channel for the PCHP region called Spark
Punjabi; BIG RTL THRILL ? the first channel from the Company?s joint venture with Europe?s RTL Group, targeted at male audiences with the tag-line ?Action ka Baap?; BIG MAGIC ? a regional General Entertainment Channel for the Hindi heartland, which has also expanded into the US, Canada and Australia under the brand name BIG MAGIC INTERNATIONAL; BIG PRODUCTIONS ? the television content production division that caters to the creative needs of the diverse Indian television landscape, and BIG STREET ? which acquires and markets long term premium out-of-home inventory. Reliance Broadcast Network also distributes Bloomberg TV India, the country?s premier business news channel as part of its television bouquet. For more information log on to www.reliancebroadcast.com

MUMBAI: BlackBook, India?s only magazine to look at the business of luxury celebrates its first anniversary this month. Over the last 12 months BlackBook has successfully tracked how India is becoming a serious market for major luxury brands around the world, through articles that dissect consumer behaviour patterns, and in- depth interviews with promoters of Indian and international luxury. It has examined every new trend and has brought out exciting stories and news from across the world to the desks of people who matter within the industry.

?Information exchange within this burgeoning important luxury market was clearly missing. There was no glue that brought decision makers, influencers and the growing tribe of professionals interested in the business of luxury under one platform. We launched BlackBook to fill that gap. We have covered a lot of ground over one year and are encouraged with the industries acceptance. We have a number of activities planned for year 2 that should benefit the industry and the players within? Marzban Patel, CEO Publicitas India & Asia

BlackBook celebrates its first anniversary with Cavalli on our cover, who talks about how necessary it is for luxury brands to associate with glamour. The information-packed first issue also takes a bird eye view of the industry, as it stands at a cusp. The game changers section introduces you to people, and projects, that changed the face of luxury in India ? from furniture designer Gunjan Gupta?s bid for international recognition to Bhibhu Mohapatra, who fired the imagination of the Americans with his cutting-edge fashion, Pernia Quereshi?s successful online fashion outing, where she gets the best of Indian designers to showcase, and sell, their stuff, and Vivanta by Taj ? Bekal?s attempt to remap the India travel map with their property in this never-heard-of destination.

New Delhi: To recognise India?s best states and acknowledge their contribution, IBN7, in partnership with Outlook, announced the fourth edition of the Diamond States Awards at a glittering awards ceremony held in New Delhi. These awards highlight the remarkable contribution put in by the states to attain the set goals, which eventually leads to a better India. The event was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, prominent politicians, bureaucrats and other eminent personalities.

MUMBAI: It?s celebration time at the powerhouse of fun and laughter. The pioneering channel in the kids? entertainment genre, Cartoon Network, has been awarded the coveted ?Superbrand? award by ?Superbrands?, an independent global organization that selects winning brands basis their excellent work. The selection is done by thousands of consumers, highly reckoned professionals from the Indian advertising, media, marketing and corporate world.

Drawing from the world?s largest cartoon library of Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera titles, Cartoon Network expanded its portfolio this year to include original series such as Ben 10: Omniverse, The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time and Roll No. 21. Despite the increasing competition in the kids? TV entertainment space Cartoon Network continues to be the kids? favourite entertainment channel. The channel now reaches more than 32.5 million viewers.

Commenting on this occasion, Siddharth Jain, Managing Director, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd., said, "We are extremely honoured to be felicitated with the prestigious ?Superbrands? award. This is truly an endorsement of the valuable association that exists between Cartoon Network and its audience. It will be our endeavour to continue providing an enriching brand experience thereby reinforcing Cartoon Network?s commitment to offer quality content while keeping intact the fun element."

Cartoon Network recently launched the 11th edition of the ground-breaking kids? survey titled Cartoon Network New Generations?. First unveiled in India in 2001, this study remains the largest kids? research study in India analysing the evolution and future trends of Indian kids, including their behaviour, attitudes and preferences.

The popularity of Cartoon Network extends well beyond television. artoonnetworkindia.com is the leading kids? website in the country receiving over 5 lakh unique viewers every month. Mobile games based on Ben 10 and other characters are equally popular and receive staggering download numbers. Furthermore, on-ground events such as Toon Cricket attract thousands of enthusiastic children across the country. It is for these reasons and many more that Cartoon Network is a powerhouse of fun and laughter and, once again, a Superbrand!