Aidem Ventures to Handle Ad Sales Duties for AM TV

The mandate covers two channels - Prag TV and Rengoni, across Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. The deal will aid Aide's expansion plans in the north-east.

AM Television has selected Aidem Ventures to handle the ad sales duties for its two channels - Prag TV and Rengoni across Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. According to the company, the deal will also allow Aidem to expand its reach in the north-east.

AM Television has been operating in the field of electronic media in the north-east for the last 13 years. Prag TV claims to be the oldest news channel in the region - it was launched in 2000. It is currently available across Assam and the entire north-eastern region, and enjoys a viewership of over 10 million, says the company in an official communique.

Rengoni, on the other hand, is positioned as a premium Assamese general entertainment channel (GEC) that delivers a mix of fiction and non-fiction shows, catering to the north-eastern region. Commenting on Aidem's appointment, Rajeev Bora, director, AM Television says, "Aidem's national footprint will give the channels the advertising exposure they need. We hope that this, combined with their expertise, will prove beneficial to the channels' overall growth."

Bora goes on to say that marketers have always ignored the north-east, as a market. "Now one sees FMCG, pharmaceutical, food & beverages (F&B), tourism and auto clients apportioning a good amount of their advertising budgets to this market. Steadily, the region is moving into the national spotlight, with some states performing better than the national average, both in terms of economic growth and socio-economic progress," he says, going on to add that the economic structure of this market is changing too. Traditionally, the region has been more "primary sector dependent" than the rest of the country, but this is changing rapidly.

Alok Rakshit, business head, regional channels, Aidem Ventures adds, "Prag TV & Rengoni give us access to the north-east market which has been untapped by major television networks so far." Prag TV and Rengoni are both distributed by Assam Cable Communication (ACC), in association with the Digital system of Scientific Atlanta USA. ACC claims to provide its services through more than 2000 local cable operators in the region. Both the channels are distributed across India by Citi Cable apart from parts of Bihar (Darsh Network), J & K (7 Sea), Punjab (Fast Way) and West Bengal (CTVN).

For the record, Aidem is also the exclusive media representative for NewsX, Mi Marathi, Live India, Sahara One, Sahara Filmy, Microsoft, Economist.com, KBS World, Al Jazeera English (AJE) and other Al Jazeera channels, CIRA Media Network, Jai Maharashtra, Get Punjabi, Jaya TV Network, Enter10 TV Network, Shagun TV, InSync, ABN Andhrajyothy, Junta TV, Samachar Plus, Buland Samachar Plus and Channel UFX.

Aidem, along with eBUS (a Group IMD Company), also offers a complete solutions package for the digital distribution and management of television commercials to advertisers, agencies, media owners, content producers and broadcasters.