Category: Cable TV

Shyam P S appointed as Buena Vista International (India) film production & acquisitions head

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) and Buena Vista International have appointed Shyam P. S. as head of Film Production & Acquisitions, BVI (India). The announcement was made by The Walt Disney Company (India) MD Rajat Jain and BVI Asia VP Jeff Forman.

Based in Mumbai, Shyam will spearhead the company’s feature films production and acquisitions in India as part of the studio entertainment business. He would be responsible for the company’s initiatives to create and acquire original Indian films which combine Disney’s classic storytelling abilities with the Indian sensibilities.

Shyam would report jointly to Jain, Forman and BVI Asia VP sales Jo Yan, informs an official release.

India is a priority market in Disney’s global expansion strategy and the company is reiterating its continued commitment to the potential of the market, especially Bollywood, through the launch of Studio operations, the release adds.

“We are investing in the future of global entertainment in India through a continued thrust on building the depth and breadth of our presence in the country. Shyam’s outstanding knowledge of the Indian movie business will be an asset in the launch and future of our Studio operations. With this launch, I am happy to inform that three of our four lines of businesses have their presence in India now which creates a meaningful presence for Disney here. We are proud to expand our presence in the Indian movie business as Indian movie content prepares to take center stage on the global map” says Jain.

“India has a great wealth of stories and a wonderful history of film making”, adds Forman. “We are very excited by the prospects of making Indian language films for the Indian audience with Indian sensitivities and a touch of the Disney magic. We look forward to making great films and are very pleased to have a production executive of Shyam’s experience and talent to lead us forward.”

Shyam’s most recent assignment was with Flicks – The Motion Picture Company as executive producer of the just-released Rang De Basanti. Prior to that, he has worked with the Percept Picture Company, and a variety of music videos, docudramas and commercials.

March 16, 2006
FremantleMedia to focus on fun with comedy & entertainment for MipTV

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia will be centre stage at MipTV 2006 as it presents a number of exciting new formats to buyers worldwide.

From Australia’s Working Dog comes a spontaneous and often hilarious new format, Thank God You’re Here. The improvisation sketch show will premiere on Australia’s Network Ten as an 8 x 1 hour primetime series on 5 April. Thank God You’re Here brings together a group of celebrities whose improvisation skills are tested to the max when they are thrown into an unknown situation which they must ad-lib their way through.

Each star walks, clueless, through a doorway and into a scene which might be an operating theatre, a Roman dungeon or a spaceship. Greeted by the catchphrase “Thank God Youre Here”, the celebrity must think on their feet and quickly figure out who they are and why they are there.

Filmed in front of a live studio audience, the show supports the adage that there’s nothing funnier than seeing a great mind in panic. The programme showcases a celebrity’s versatility and sharpness of mind as well as their ability to lie and deceive.

Straight From The Heart is this new format in which six ordinary people take to the stage to perform a song for an unsuspecting special someone in the audience. Having secretly rehearsed, it’s now their chance to belt out a ballad or raise the rafters with a rock song for their loved one. It could be friends singing in thanks for a unique friendship, a teenager apologising to his parents in song, or perhaps even a melodic proposal of marriage. The surprise element delivers some very real emotional reactions when the performers sing out their special message. There’s no record contract at stake, but the chance to send out a song Straight From The Heart, and be in the running to win a holiday, as awarded by the viewers.

Variety is back and bigger than ever with Showtime! This vibrant entertainment format is a perfect fit for worldwide primetime schedules, combining talent and tantrums, humour and humility, not to mention its fair share of divas and drama queens.

The programme features celebrities – news presenters, politicians, chefs as you’ve never seen them before. Each week four well-known personalities are transformed into ‘A list’ performers. With a manager and a budget behind them, they are dressed to impress and take to the stage to deliver their surprising, convincing and sometimes hilarious performances, while the viewers decide which team has made the grade.

FremantleMedia Worldwide Entertainment executive vice president production Rob Clark said he was looking forward to the prospect of sharing this line-up of programming with MipTV buyers this April. “We are proud to present a diverse and exciting slate, with everything from inventive entrepreneurs to improvisation. With such a great mix of different styles of variety entertainment to suit the range of needs presented by broadcasters around the world, we believe they’ll find what they re looking for at FremantleMedia,” he said.

March 14, 2006
Discovery Communication launches online homework service

MUMBAI: Capitalizing on broadband video, Discovery Communications has launched Cosmeo, an online homework help service engineered for the twenty first century family.

The site has been designed for the generation that lives online, Cosmeo harnesses the power of broadband and media to help kids achieve academic breakthroughs.

In an official statement, Cosmeo is the only comprehensive digital library that includes easy to digest homework help, interactive learning games and more than 30,000 video clips that are correlated to grade level and state curriculum standards.

The intuitive interface allows kids in grades K through 12 across the 50 states to instantly reference video clips and other learning tools for any required assignment in all key subject areas.

For more than 20 years, Discovery has been committed to providing knowledge that satisfies human curiosity across any platform,” Discovery Communications founder and chairman John Hendricks said. “Cosmeo will bring the world to students at the click of a mouse and will allow them to continue their learning experience at home and improve their performance at school.”

“Cosmeo is the first educational tool to teach today’s kids in the way they learn best. This online product meets them where they’re spending most of their time and is helping to define how they learn today,” said Discovery Communications president and CEO Judith A McHale.

“Cosmeo also gives parents a terrific window into their kids’ education and the ability to participate in their progress at school like never before. We sense families across the United States will find a real benefit in, for example, the WebMath section, which offers a full spectrum of math learning — from third-grade multiplication tables to advanced calculus — with easy-to- understand, step-by-step solutions,” added McHale.

Cosmeo’s features include:

30,000 educational videos that make complex topics easier to understand and retain;
Powerful search tools that instantly locate information by subject,grade level, and keyword — something no other search engine can do;

Over 15,000 interactive quizzes and 200 subject-related Brain Games, all supported by videos;
20,000 high-resolution digital photos and 2,300 clip art images available for school projects;
Digital encyclopedia with access to over 27,000 research articles, soon to be expanded;

WebMath equation solver detailing step-by-step explanations to most math problems; and much more.

Cosmeo, tested by educators and consumers with content proven to help students with homework and learning, is available for the introductory price of $9.95 per month or $99 per year after a free 30-day trial. The standard retail price of Cosmeo is $12.95 per month or $129 per year.

March 14, 2006
Bradford & Chua to speak at BroadcastAsia 2006 Intl Conference

MUMBAI: This years knowledge exchange forum for the broadcasting and multimedia industry, the BroadcastAsia International Conference will feature industry veterans including Tandberg Television president Reggie Bradford and Asia’s first interactive cross media channel The Interactive Channel (TIC) founder Robert Chua.

The BroadcastAsia International Conference will take place at the Singapore Expo from 19 to 22 June alongside BroadcastAsia2006. BroadcastAsia is Asias premier broadcasting and multimedia technology event.

Delegates will benefit from Reggie Bradfords keen insight and experience as an entrepreneur and visionary within the global internet and television business.

As president of Tandberg Television, Bradford plays a pivotal role in enabling customers to realise the full potential of their video networks. His primary focus is providing content providers and network operators in the Americas region with the world’s most advanced live and on-demand digital video solutions, states an official release.

Robert Chua will be presenting an address on Cross Media Interactive TV Channels. Robert is a pioneer of terrestrial television in Hong Kong where he launched TVB. He brought Hong Kong audience their first and longest running variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight and created the first Miss Hong Kong pageant, the release adds.

The conference will present 14 tracks covering a wide spectrum of pertinent technology and business issues facing Asias broadcasting and multimedia industry today. These include:

High Definition (covering HDTV technology)
IPTV
Broadcasting to Handhelds
Digital Audio Broadcasting
Interactive TV session
Asian D-Cinema Summit (with a keynote address by 20th entury Fox)
Capacity Building of Broadcast Sector
Production (covering production issues and technology updates)
Content Delivery
Protecting Broadcast Content
Satellite Interference Issues in the Broadcast Industry
Testing and Measurement
Two industry dialogues:
Developments of Contents in / for Asian Markets,
Content and Outsourcing
States BroadcastAsia International Conference conference director Martin Salter, I am excited about the line-up of topics that address the hot issues facing the fast changing dynamics of the electronic media industry – from the large screen experience of D-Cinema, through to the opportunities of IPTV, and the new challenges of content creation and delivery to mobile devices.

Yet current issues like the digital transition are not ignored. Presentations will be delivered by eminent speakers from a broad international base. These key sessions are augmented by specialised sessions from renowned organizations from around the world, he adds.

Singapore Exhibition Services project director Jackson Yeoh says, The conference aims to provide delegates with the maximum opportunity to exchange ideas and network. This years conference will do just that – increase the level of sharing and knowledge exchange as well as provide them with insights and new perspectives, which can be applied to their daily work long after the conference ends.

March 14, 2006
Telstra, Microsoft, Broadcast Australia plan live mobile TV demonstration

MUMBAI: Telstra, Microsoft and Broadcast Australia have announced plans for Melbourne’s first live demonstration showcase of mobile TV as part of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

This announcement follows the recent launch of Telstra’s live Big Pond mobile 3G and broadband service for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The demonstration will use Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) technology, which allows simultaneous transmission of television, radio, video, audio and internet content to mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and other handheld devices.

The Melbourne showcase service will broadcast up to seven channels of live Commonwealth Games coverage, including Channel Nine coverage of the games on specially enabled Windows Mobile handheld devices. The handsets will operate using Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software, and the content will be broadcast using Windows Media Video 9 compression technology to ensure efficient use of bandwidth. Broadcast Australia will provide the transmission infrastructure for the showcase service.

Telstra Commonwealth Games executive Phill Sporton said viewers would be able to catch medal-winning performances in the DVB-H showcase at the Telstra Discovery Centre in Birrarung Marr for the duration of the Games. “Telstra is pleased to be able to provide an opportunity for our customers and partners to experience the new entertainment content available on mobile devices of the future,” said Sporton.

The transmission of the DVB-H broadcast will begin on 15 March and end at the conclusion of the closing ceremony on 26 March.

March 14, 2006
Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends season 2 premieres on Nick

MUMBAI: Miss Spider and her fun-loving clan ofbugs are back. Nick Jr. has begun airing the second season of Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, the 3-D animated series based on the book series by David Kirk from 13 March.

The new 20-episode season of Nick Jr.’s hit preschool series rolls out with a new half-hour episode premiering every day this week at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT) through Thursday,16 March. Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends airs regularly weekdays on Nick Jr. at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and weekends on CBS.

Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends follows the days of Miss Spider, her husband Holley and their eight kids, four spiders and four adoptees from different insect species. Nearby are Spiderus, Grandma Betty, Uncle Gus and many other hoppers, fliers and crawlers. The Sunny Patch bugs are a miniature menagerie of creatures of every size, shape, color and personality that strive to get along and accept each other despite their differences. This CGI-animated show stars Emmy-nominated actress Kristin Davis as the voice of Miss Spider.

Nick Jr. is a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (ET/PT) and weekends on CBS. Completely dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.’s Emmy, Peabody and Parents’ Choice award-winning programs are curriculum based, fun and commercial free. At Nick Jr., kids play to learn with innovative, original shows created just for them.

March 14, 2006
Brown Shoe teams with Nickelodeon for new lines of kids’ footwear

MUMBAI:A strategic multi-property licensing agreement has been announced between Brown Shoe company’s Buster Brown & Co. kids’ division and the entertainment brand for kids, Nickelodeon.

The two companies plan to collaborate to create and launch several lines of footwear based on Nickelodeon’s newest television programs.

The first four collections will ship to retail stores in July, just in time for the back-to-school season. The lines include a full assortment of casual shoes, boots, sport fusion athletic shoes and slippers featuring popular Nick Jr. characters from Go, Diego, Go! (for boys) and Backyardigans (girls and boys) for ages 2-6, as well as new girls’ fashion brands based on the Nickelodeon shows Unfabulous and Zoey 101.

Brown Shoe director of marketing and licensing Todd Murray said, “This partnership with Nickelodeon enables us to give kids the Nickelodeon brands they know and love in stylish, fun footwear. Our Nickelodeon footwear will be as dynamic and engaging as the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows.”

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world with $4.7 billion in retail sales in 2004, from such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

In its 26th year, Nickelodeon is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films.

Brown Shoe is a $2.3 billion footwear company with global operations. The company operates the 900+ store Famous Footwear chain, which sells brand name shoes for the family.

March 14, 2006
Rahul Johri promoted as senior VP ad sales at Discovery Networks India

MUMBAI: Discovery Networks India has promoted Rahul Johri to senior VP advertising sales.

In his role, Johri will partake in the company’s overall growth strategy and new ventures in the region. He will continue to lead the company’s national sales team.

In addition, he will also spearhead the public relations department. Johri will continue to report to Discovery Networks India managing networks Deepak Shourie, with whom he has worked for many years at Outlook, Hindustan Times, Zee and now at Discovery, informs an official statement.

Johri joined Discovery Networks India as director-advertising sales in 2001. Promoted to vice president – advertising sales in 2003, he led a strong and motivated sales team and brought the country’s leading brands to advertise on the company’s three channels in India – Discovery Channel, Discovery Travel & Living and Animal Planet.

Shourie says, “Rahul has significantly contributed to the success of the India growth strategy. He has led a highly motivated team that has firmly established the three channels in the minds of the advertising community.”

March 14, 2006
Zee TV to launch ‘Business Baazigar’ by month-end

MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra will make his debut appearance on television in the network’s big budget reality business talent hunt show Business Baazigar.

The one-hour show will launch in the last week of March as a weekly.
Chandra will be seen playing the role of a no-nonsense judge to perfection, as the show promises to give Zee TV lots of scope for reality-oriented programming.

According to market estimations, Zee TV has spent in the range of Rs 100 to 120 million for the first season of Business Baazigar. The season will have 24 episodes, from which 15 episodes have completed the post-production phase. One winner will be chosen at the end of the season.

Chandra and Passionfunds CEO Mahesh Murthy, along with a new guest judge each week, will judge the contestants through personal interviews. MTV veejay Cyrus Sahukar will anchor the show.

Business Baazigar will enter the marketing and promotion phase next week, with the channel officially announcing the launch. The show has been slotted in the weekday band.

Zee has already devoted a lot of time on this pet project of Chandra’s. The media house first announced the big ticket property in the second half of 2004. The channel had even roped in Aditya Birla Group as the title sponsor of the show well in advance. The show, which was initially produced by 24 FPS, is now being handled by Zee’s in-house team.

Business Baazigar is a search for people with smart business ideas. The show proposes to give these people the money they require to start a business based on their ideas. This money, which is essentially in the form of venture funding, will run into millions, and different winners will get different amounts depending on their business idea.

The entry of Business Baazigar will see Zee TV parading as many as three reality-oriented programmes in the weekday line up. The channel already airs the game show Kam Ya Zyaada Monday to Wednesday. It will telecast the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 offspring Sa Re Ga Ma Pa: Ek Main Aur Ek Tu on Thursday and Friday, starting 16 March.

March 14, 2006
International Academy accepts entries for Intl Emmy Awards

MUMBAI: The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has begun accepting entries for this year’s International Emmy Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in television. The last date for submitting entries is 3 April.

The International Emmy World Television Festival will take place 19 and 20 November. The awards will be presented at the International Emmy Awards Gala on 20 November 2006 in New York City.

Entries are being accepted in 11 award categories: Breaking News, Continuing News Coverage, Best Performance by an Actress, Best Performance by an Actor, Arts Programming, Children & Young People, Comedy, Documentary, Drama Series, Non-Scripted Entertainment and TV Movie/Mini-Series.
Entries are judged during three rounds over the course of six months by some 500 television professionals in 35 countries.

Meanwhile, The Hidden Life, a one -hour documentary produced by Long Island residents, Suzy Shechtman and Dr. Burton Grebin, has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.

The Hidden Life traces the rich history of the first order of Episcopal nuns in the United States, the Sisters of St. Mary. Despite all precedent, the sisters broke a tradition of more than 100 years of silence to allow the creation of this documentary about their order, their beliefs and their lives. The irony is that though they live in silence, they have much to say.

Shechtman says, “Everyone has a story to tell and many of those stories are lost with the passing of generations. I am committed to preserving those stories and bringing them to life.”

March 14, 2006