Government mulling stimulus for entertainment industry

September 8th, 2009 Columnist Army Archerd dies at 87LOS ANGELES — Veteran entertainment journalist Army Archerd, who wrote a column for the entertainment trade publication Variety for over 50 years, has died. He was 87. Archerd's spokeswoman said he died Tuesday at UCLA Medical Center of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs strongly tied to asbestos exposure.

July 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Ahluwalia, on Tuesday said that since the budget has given a substantial boost to a slowing economy, there won't be any more stimulus packages for industry. "The Budget includes a very stringent boost, plan expenditure and investment.

July 16th, 2009 COIMBATORE - The circus industry in India today struggles for survival as stricter wildlife norms and advent of new age entertainment has spelled doom for the industry. Circus, the traditional art, began its first show in India during 1880 in Mumbai to entertain people apart from cinema and theatres.

June 17th, 2009 COIMBATORE - Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran has said that the government would try to achieve seven to eight per cent growth in the industry during the current fiscal year, April 2009-March'10. This would generate more than two million jobs every year, he said.

April 28th, 2009 Wind industry adds nearly 3,000 MW, group saysDENVER — Wind farms added more than 2,800 megawatts of capacity in the first quarter, a trade group reported Tuesday, offering a sliver of good news for an industry pummeled by frozen credit markets and the recession. From January to March, about three dozen developers started wind farms in 15 states adding about twice the capacity that came on line last year during the same period, according to a report by the American Wind Energy Association.

April 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Corporate India's budget for brand promotion and entertainment will fall by nearly 32-35 percent in 2009-10 on account of the current meltdown, an industry lobby said in a report released Thursday. An internal assessment of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), which involved nearly 300 companies, said a 'vast majority' of private sector firms were yet to make their promotional budget public.

March 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hollywood aficionados in India have a reason to smile as entertainment biggies Turner International India and Warner Bros. Entertainment will soon launch a new English entertainment channel WB.

February 16th, 2009 MUMBAI - The Indian media and entertainment industry was a $11.68 billion (Rs.584 billion) business in 2008, growing at 15 percent annually since 2006, says the annual joint study of a leading chamber and a consultancy released here Tuesday. But the growth projection for the industry for 2009-13 has been lowered to 12.5 percent per annum from 18 percent for 2008-12, says the joint study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and KPMG.

February 16th, 2009 MUMBAI - The Indian media and entertainment business that grew 15 percent annually since 2006 into a $11.68-billion (Rs.584 billion) industry in 2008 is seen to top $21 billion over the next five years, says a joint study by a leading chamber and a consultancy released Tuesday. But the growth projection for the industry for 2009-13 has been lowered to 12.5 percent per annum from 18 percent predicted earlier for 2008-12, due to current economic meltdown, adds the study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and KPMG.

February 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A stimulus package for the Indian media will be announced soon, the government said here Saturday. Media houses have been hit hard by the global financial meltdown.

January 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives has approved President Barack Obama's $819 billion economic stimulus plan containing emergency spending and tax cuts. The House measure, which was approved Wednesday, combines roughly $275 billion in temporary tax cuts for both individuals and businesses along with about $544 billion for job-creating investment projects, health industry improvements, expanded aid for the poor and unemployed, and improving education.

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Even as the Rs.513-billion Indian entertainment and media industry is trying to recover from the after-effects of the global economic meltdown, international audit firm KPMG has predicted a double-digit growth rate for it this year. The firm, which has been roped in as the knowledge partner for industry forum Ficci, will come out with its annual report in Ficci Frames, the global convention in Asia on the business of entertainment to be held in Mumbai Feb 17-19.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Maintaining that India will grow by at least 7 percent this fiscal, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath Monday said the government was considering another stimulus package to pump prime the economy. Addressing the 'Partnership Summit 2009' of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, the minister said the falling inflation rate, now at a little over 5 percent, would help unveil another package.

January 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The second stimulus package unveiled Friday is in the right direction but falls short of expectations that it would be around Rs.1 trillion, as against the Rs.200 billion (Rs.20,000 crore) announced, a leading industry lobby said. According to D.S.

December 23rd, 2008 NEW DELHI - In a bid to help the economy tackle the global financial meltdown, the government is expected to come out with its second stimulus package within the next three days, commerce Minister Kamal Nath said here Wednesday. 'We are looking at financial, some liquidity issues, export, and something to stimulate demand and realty also,' Kamal Nath told reporters.