Monday, April 13, 2020

Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) pledges INR 100 million to Film and Television industry daily wage earners affected by unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, SPN will pay a month’s salary to each of the daily wage earners working on shows of the network. This initiative will be activated in conjunction with the producers of the respective shows.

In addition, SPN will support a month’s supply of groceries and household essentials for 50,000 daily wage earners of the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry The network is contributing INR 10 million towards ‘Swades Foundation’ COVID-19 Relief fund for medical equipment and consumables for Mumbai, Nashik and Raigad

The network’s Sony Pal channel tariff is waived off for two months Network’s advertising inventory is being utilised for PSAs

In response to the nationwide lockdown undertaken as a measure to contain the widespread
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has decided to contribute a fund of Rs.100 million to support the daily wage workers in the Media & Entertainment industry.

With the entire media ecosystem including all television, cinema shows and films production
coming to a halt since 20th March, the M&E industry is grappling with mass unemployment. It has especially impacted the sustenance of the daily wage earners from production crew involving a gamut of people like artists, camera men, spot boys, light boys and their dependent families.

The network is reaching out to the daily wage earners identified by their respective trade
associations with free coupons which they and their families can exchange for their daily
necessities like food and essential items at select retail stores. SPN is also working with its
various commissioned production houses to disburse a month’s salary to each daily wage earner.

Additionally, the network has also contributed to the ‘Swades COVID Fund’, set up by the
Swades Foundation. Founded by Zarina & Ronnie Screwvala, the foundation is providing authorities of Mumbai, Raigad and Nashik districts of Maharashtra state, medical equipment and consumables, procured under their direction for their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in Mumbai, the foundation is supporting infrastructure, healthcare staff, volunteers and consumables in identified government & private hospitals.

Comments:
N.P. Singh, Managing Director and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
“In light of the global pandemic, we are witnessing large communities across the world
coming together to tide over the crisis. These unprecedented times have had a cascading
impact on the media and entertainment industry, which employs a huge number of daily wage workers. As a conscientious conglomerate, it is our responsibility to direct efforts towards ensuring aid reaches our primary beneficiaries who have contributed to the success of the network.

Besides this initiative, we are also providing coupons to the migrant workers from this daily
wage workforce, which they can trade off at certain retail outlets for groceries and essential
supplies. We will leverage every opportunity to help our country at large to get through trying
times like these.”

Additionally, in unanimous support with the industry, the network has made its channel Sony PAL, available free of charge on all DTH and cable networks to its viewers for a period of two months.

This will provide people who are restricted to their homes, wholesome entertainment and
invigorating content and will help provide relief during the period of lockdown.

Several channels in the network including Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, Sony
Pictures Sports Network, Sony Marathi and Sony YAY! have created PSAs. Additionally,
advertising inventory across SPN is being extensively used to promote public service messaging.

About Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation, Japan. SPN has several channels including Sony Entertainment Television (SET and SET HD), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel; MAX 2, another Hindi movie channel showcasing great India Cinema; MAX HD, a high definition Hindi movie channel airing premium quality films; WAH, the FTA channel for Hindi movies; SAB and SAB HD the family-oriented Hindi comedy entertainment channels; PAL, a genre leader in rural Hindi speaking markets (HSM) showcasing the best of Hindi general entertainment and Hindi movies from SPN’s content library; PIX and PIX HD, the English movie channels; AXN and AXN HD, the channels showcasing the best in Reality, Entertainment and Drama; Sony BBC Earth and Sony BBC Earth HD, the premium factual entertainment channels, Sony AATH, the Bangla entertainment channel; YAY!, the kids entertainment channel; sports entertainment channels – SONY SIX, SONY SIX HD, SONY TEN 1,  SONY TEN 1 HD, SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 2 HD, SONY TEN 3, SONY TEN 3 HD; Sony मराठी, the Marathi general entertainment channel; SonyLIV - the digital entertainment VOD platform; SPN Productions, the networks’ film production arm and Studio NEXT the independent production venture for original content and IPs for TV and digital media. SPN reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in
167 countries.

The network is recognized as an employer of choice within and outside the media industry. SPN is a recipient of several awards, including the Great Place to Work®, ‘Aon Best Employers India’ awards in recognition of SPN’s unique workplace culture and
exceptional people practices, consistently ranking amongst India’s Top 10 Companies with Best Health & Wellness Practices by SHRM & CGP Partners and listed by Working Mother & AVTAR as one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India.
Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited is in its 25th year of operations in India. It has a subsidiary, MSM-Worldwide Factual Media Private Limited and an affiliate, Bangla Entertainment Private Limited in India.

For more information, log onto www.sonypicturesnetworks.com

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