The first meeting of Chinnen Das, the newly appointed CEO of Vijayanand Printers Limited, with the top editors and managers of the Vijaya Karnataka group has ended with firm goals being set for all three newspapers:
# to maintain a minimum 1.5 lakh circulation lead for Vijaya Karnataka over Praja Vani at all times, and to keep it No. 1 in all 27 districts;
# to make Vijay Times No. 2 in Bangalore while retaining its No. 1 position across the State; and
# to make Usha Kirana No. 2 in select markets.
VPL, which will be retained as a distinct legal entity by the Times Group with independent financials, aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 250 crore in the next two years, with profit projections in the region of Rs 30 crore.
The goals were enunciated through a power point presentation titled “VPL Integration—Employee Communication” made by Das, in the presence of Jyotirmayee Bose, director, human resources; Chandrashekhar Mukherjee, general manager, employee relations; and Sreenivasan, the HR head who will join Das in Bangalore to take care of VPL.
Insiders described the first meeting as “healthy” and “reassuring”, especially after Das reportedly promised the harried employees of all three newspapers that their jobs were not in danger, subject to “integrity”.
Das is reported to have promised VPL employees that the existing salary structure, pay benefits and service conditions would be maintained. And all employees and unit heads at all 10 printing centres will also be retained at current locations. Annual increments to VPL employees will be paid in August, with retrospective effect from April 2006.
Jaideep Bose, alias JoJo, the Bombay-based executive editor of The Times of India, currently on a visit to Bangalore, is slated to be introduced to the Vijay Times staff tomorrow.
Chinnen Das’s summit meeting began at 2.30 pm and went on for two hours. The staffers of the three papers met him and his team in three batches.
First, it was the turn of Vishweshwar Bhat, Ramanand Bhat and Venkat Narayana, the editors of the three papers. Then, the VK team of news editors, assistant editors and chief reporters went in, followed by a larger meeting with the VT staff, concluding with an interface with the UK team and the circulation and marketing teams.
Although it is too early to say, the first indications are that the Times Group intends to retain Usha Kirana. But an editor for VT has still has not been firmed up although several names, many of them self-floated, are doing the rounds.
It is nice story. Very good pice of information. Das will set a target for UK And that will be unreachable. So, UK’s days are counted. Uk is taken over by another marwary.
The flash is that Vishweshwar bhat is to hold additional chrage of VT, as its EME.
looks like a MOM rather than a insight of what happens when a new management takes over in the press industry..
KP, no intrigues , no swarasya in this dispatch :(
30 crore profit in year 1 with 220 crores investment is not a bad idea (around 14% ROI). the delayed investment from TOI (now they have paid only 100 crores)might increase the profit ratio a bit higher.
But can they do it?
I think the travel business yields much more than 14%. Sankeshwar’s have gotta good deal folks.
Great work KP..speaks volumes of your investigative skills to get such inside info..can we have the privilge of your analyses of the situation pl ?
Thank u
Good Development. And thanks to Mr. Das team. But as per the report if VK circulations will be increasing, these steps are essential and it shoud be taken to das.
1. Resheffel the editorial team and to give responsiblity to them.
2. Resheffel the sections in the editorial.
3. Some of the Sub Editors were missed the oppurtunity ex : hihking of salary, positions etc. due to some seniours kiri kiri. ( tumba jana knowledge iddu avakasha vanchitaragiddare)
4. The integration is required in the eployees.
5. Das, will rectify the difference of opinion between News Editor, Chief sub, Reporter and Sub Editors.
So, these are the prilimnary stpes to taken Mr. Das, rest of thing is very good in VPL group. Employes are very enthusiastic.
thank you
Complete revamp of editorial team required for VK. It requires copy editors for editing news items. It requires good number editorial hands. I think sub-editors are less in number in VK.
It is very good information. But if they remove all the senior like karnic, panieker, sudhakara nair, basavanada, jaydevaiah and finally lokesk K V, then really vijay times will defintely come to expectation of TOI.