ITV

Category: Cable TV

  • Hallmark to build brand further in the US with magazine

    Hallmark to build brand further in the US with magazine

    MUMBAI: Hallmark magazine, a new women’s lifestyle publication, is scheduled to debut later this year in the US with a September/October charter issue and planned rate base of 400,000.

    Hallmark says that the magazine will hold a unique position in the women’s lifestyle category due to its distinctive editorial point of view around home, food, decorating, entertaining, relationships and self. While many women’s titles today provide readers with basic how-to information, Hallmark magazine goes a step further by reminding readers why these connections are so important.

    Hallmark president and CEO Don Hall says that Hallmark magazine provides a strategic opportunity to bring Hallmark’s brand to life in a new and meaningful way with an important consumer segment.

    “Over the years, people have come to trust Hallmark to help them express themselves, celebrate life’s seasons and connect with those that matter most. Through Hallmark magazine, women will begin to see a new face of

    Hallmark but one they can continue to trust for insight into relationships, emotional connections and expressions of caring.”

    Hallmark Cards tested its magazine concept with four issues in 2003. Consumers’ response to the publication’s voice and storytelling confirmed the time is right for an entirely new sort of women’s magazine. Hallmark executive VP responsible for new business ventures Anil Jagtiani says, “Hallmark magazine will offer inspiring and useful information as well as simple, creative ideas from the country’s best journalists and authors. The stories will help readers savor the goodness that comes their way, rejoice in who they are and enjoy the road they are traveling.”

    In testing, Hallmark magazine’s unique editorial voice proved compelling as measured by consumer feedback, subscription response rates and newsstand sales. External direct mailing lists, traditional newsstand outlets, Hallmark’s own extensive database and its network of Hallmark Gold Crown stores proved their value in driving awareness and circulation.

    “Hallmark magazine provides a new business growth opportunity for Hallmark and will be supported by circulation and advertising revenue. Readers can expect a high quality, compelling publication they will love to read and share with their friends,”adds Jagtiani.

  • MTV US & MSN team for reality show created by students

    MTV US & MSN team for reality show created by students

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster MTV’s 24-hour college network mtvU in collaboration with MSN and Boston University (BU), will unveil Roller Palace.

    This is a comedy pilot entirely created and produced by students of BU’s Film and Television Department and the School of Theatre Arts at the College of Fine Arts.

    The pilot is the culmination of a union between mtvU, MSN and BU and marks the completion of a nearly 15 month journey. In January 2005, students in BU’s Advanced Television Writing course began pitching ideas and scripts to Professor Paul Schneider, a television director of shows such as Beverly Hills 90210 and Jag.

    At the end of the semester, the best sitcom ideas were presented to celebrity judges including E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert, NBC comedy development head Cheryl Dolans, and Fox television president Gary Newman. When Roller Palace was selected as the consensus choice, the show’s creators set off to develop, write, cast, produce and star in the original sitcom pilot.

    Roller Palace is about a pampered Manhattan debutante whose father has just been jailed for insider trading and whose mother is planning to marry her high school sweetheart — a New Jersey hot dog stand proprietor. The turn of
    events flips the spoiled daughter’s life upside down, leaving her stuck as a roller skating waitress on the Jersey Shore.

    Production of the pilot was made possible by MSN, which also lent back-end tech support throughout the production process. BU students used MSN technology, including MSN Messenger, while casting, developing, shooting and editing the pilot, and organically integrated the MSN brand into the final project. Professor Paul Schneider commented, “The student crew on Roller Palace had a priceless opportunity to create a television pilot from scratch — a demanding project that had all the challenges, complications and crises they will encounter in the professional world.”

    MSN branded content group manager Kathy Fiander “We are committed to helping college students and young people realise their dreams, and it’s been a pleasure working with mtvU and BU to facilitate this innovative educational opportunity. We congratulate the BU students on their achievement and also feel they did a great job of capturing how MSN Messenger can help users stay connected to those that matter most.”

  • Indian media Rs. 837 bn by 2010: Ficci

    Indian media Rs. 837 bn by 2010: Ficci

    DELHI: The Indian entertainment and media (E&M) industry is poised to grow at 19 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach Rs 837.4 billion by 2010 from Rs. 353 billion (Rs 35,300 crore), according to a new study.

    The television segment is slated to grow from its present size of Rs 148 billion to Rs 427 billion by 2010, according to a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report titled Indian Entertainment and Media Industry — Unravelling the potential.

    The radio sector is projected to grow four times to Rs.12,000 million by 2010, while filmed entertainment is slated to reach Rs 153 billion during.

    The print medium, according to the study is poised to grow from the present size of Rs 109 billion to Rs 195 billion.

    Economic growth, rising income levels, consumerism, coupled with technological advancements and policy initiatives taken by the Indian government, which are encouraging the inflow of investment, will prove to be the key drivers for the entertainment and media industry.

    The industry has been forecast to outperform the economic growth in each year till 2010.

    Two factors that will contribute to the growth of the industry are low media penetration in lower socio-economic classes and low ad spends a statement quoted Deepak Kapoor, executive director of PwC and leader for the organisations Entertainment & Media Practice in India, as saying.

    Today media penetration is poor in lower socio-economic classes, but efforts to increase it even slightly are likely to deliver much higher results, simply due to the absolute numbers being large, he added.

    Strong economic growth, rising consumer spending and regulatory corrections are drawing foreign investments in most segments of the E&M industry, especially the print media.

  • Fremantle Media signs deal for ‘Project Runway’ with Discovery Asia

    Fremantle Media signs deal for ‘Project Runway’ with Discovery Asia

    MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID), the distribution arm of global production outfit FremantleMedia, has announced that the hit US reality series Project Runway, has been sold in 21 territories worldwide.

    The Asian channels that picked it up include Discovery Asia, Austalian channel Lifestyle, TVB in Hong Kong and Jak TV in Indonesia.

    For the uninitiated the Emmy-nominated Project Runway gives talented and hungry fashion designers the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to have their designs shown in front of the global fashion community in New York and displayed in the pages of Elle magazine.

    To earn this honour they have to compete against each other in a series of challenges that will determine who has what it takes to be the next “It” designer. Through each challenge, a designer is eliminated, ultimately leaving one to claim their rightful place in fashion’s spotlight.

  • PwC sees strong merger and acquisition growth in US entertainment and media industry

    PwC sees strong merger and acquisition growth in US entertainment and media industry

    MUMBAI: Merger and acquisition activity in the US entertainment and media (E&M) market is on a strong growth trajectory, and this year is projected to reach levels not seen since 2001.

    A report 2006 M&A Insights — US Entertainment and Media Industry has been published by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ E&M Transaction Services Practice.

    The report notes that increasing levels of industry consolidation and deconsolidation activity are being driven by a number of trends and are being led by the convergence of media, communications and technology. There is also shifting consumer media consumption habits; and the increasing involvement and influence of private equity firms in deal making activity.

    Also fuelling this activity is a move by some global conglomerates to separate or divest non-core assets in an effort to increase shareholder value, according to the PwC report.

    At $72 billion, 2005 disclosed deal value increased 17.5 per cent during 2004 while disclosed deal volume increased two per cent to 252. The casinos, broadcasting and cable segments proved most active in terms of high profile transactions and highest deal value.

    PwC notes that based on activity seen so far, it appears that the industry is on a fast track to achieve greater deal volume and higher deal value in 2006 than in 2005.

    In addition to mega-deals with the potential to change the competitive landscape in entertainment and media, PwC expects middle-market deals of all sizes and across all sectors, to see increased activity in both value and volume. Adding to this growth are private equity firms, which are increasing their activity and investment level in entertainment and media and related industries. This is expected to evolve as conglomerates tighten their business focus, providing additional attractive investment opportunities.

    PwC’s analysis has revealed five factors as key to understanding the forces that are driving consolidation in E&M segments including casinos & gaming, broadcasting, cable, motion pictures/audio visual, Internet software and services, publishing, and advertising & marketing:
    — Convergence: Consumers continue to gain more control over when, where and how they consume content. In response to consumers’ needs and desires, media, communications, and technology industries will increasingly converge. As a result, PwC expects to see significant transactions, including deals ranging from strategic acquisitions of niche distribution technologies to large, non-traditional mergers that cross traditional industry boundaries.

    — Shifting content consumption: In traditional media sectors, consumers’ shifting content consumption activities will cause media audiences to fragment and advertising spending to grow more slowly. Conversely, in the online and interactive markets (Internet paid search and sponsorship, video games, etc.), advertising will increase more rapidly.

    Consequently, PwC expects to see increased acquisitions by advertisers and advertising-based publishers that are attempting to preserve their core revenue streams by acquiring the ability to reach consumers online with rich media, full-motion video, and e-commerce applications.

    — Rise of consumer-created content and communities of interest: This trend will offer consumers alternative media options and simultaneously provide advertisers with access to a “sticky” and potentially profitable environment of large audiences. As traditional content providers adapt to this changing landscape, they can seize opportunities to acquire companies that offer specialised content or technology serving the social network media space.

    — Continued impact of private equity firms: It is very likely that private equity firms will maintain and grow their significant presence, thus influencing the E&M industry. Increasingly, both the major global private equity firms and smaller, niche-oriented players are taking lead roles on the deals that are shaping and re-shaping the entertainment and media landscape. Private equity firms will continue seeking deals in solid, cash-flow-rich media companies and sectors that can generate strong shareholder returns.

    — Analysts and shareholders raising questions about global entertainment and media conglomerates: Both analysts and shareholders alike are increasingly questioning whether global conglomerates have become too large and complex to manage effectively, and companies are reacting. As a result, during the past two years, a significant trend in conglomerates looking to separate their organisations and/or divest non-core assets has occurred. (e.g. Clear Channel, IAC/Expedia and Liberty Media/Discovery in 2005; Viacom, Disney/ABC Radio Network and Stations, Cendant and Time
    Warner book publishing in 2006).

    This trend appears to be accelerating. So more E&M conglomerates deconsolidating and shedding additional non-core assets should occur in 2006. This trend presents opportunities for existing players to strengthen their holdings through strategic acquisitions, and for private equity players to craft investment platforms in a wider array of entertainment and media sectors.

  • Tivo reports a 45 per cent growth in subscriptions

    Tivo reports a 45 per cent growth in subscriptions

    MUMBAI: American firm Tivo which creates television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), has reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the year ended 31 January, 2006.

    Total subscriptions were approximately 4.4 million, which represents a 45 per cent growth in the subscription base during the past year. Service and technology revenues for the year increased 48 per cent to $170.9 million, compared to $115.5 million last year. Service and technology revenues for the quarter increased 37 per cent to $47 million, compared to $34.2 million for the same period last year.

    TiVo achieved its first positive cash flow from operations. For the year, Tivo lessened its net loss to $34.4 million and net loss per share of ($0.41). This was a 57 per cent and 59 per cent improvement respectively, compared to a net loss of ($79.8) million, or ($0.99) per share for the previous year.

    For the fourth quarter, Tivo reported a net loss of ($19.5) million and net loss per share of ($0.23), a 42 per cent and 45 per cent improvement respectively, compared to a net loss of ($33.7) million, or ($0.42) per share, for the fourth quarter of last year.

    Tivo-owned subscription gross additions were 221,000 for the quarter, compared to 276,000 in the fourth quarter of last year. This fiscal fourth quarter was the second best quarter in Tivo’s history in terms of Tivo-owned subscription net additions. Tivo-owned subscription net additions were 183,000 compared to 251,000 in the fourth quarter of last year. These numbers represent a decline compared to last year, reflective of the more challenging competitive environment. However, the fourth quarter results also suggest an improvement in year-over-year trends.

    In terms of sequential quarter-over-quarter percentage growth, this year represented a significant improvement over last year, showing early traction from the company’s new marketing programmes. Separately, as expected, TiVo added 173,000 DirecTV subscriptions in the quarter, compared to 379,000 in the third quarter of the year.

    Tivo CEO Tom Rogers said “This was a steady quarter for Tivo as our subscription base continued to grow, even in this more competitive environment. During the last six months, we have implemented a number of marketing programs designed to support our long-term goal of driving increased scale in our
    subscription base.

    “We are starting to see the results of these programmes as the fourth quarter was our best on-line quarter ever through TiVo.com. In addition, virtually all new subscriptions during the quarter signed on for a minimum one-year period, helping to further reduce our already comparatively low churn rate.

    “One of the key ways to drive our subscription base is to continue to differentiate TiVo’s service features from those of generic DVRs, which is an important driving force for us in 2006. Along those lines, we have just introduced a groundbreaking way for parents to supervise television in the home with all the simplicity that the Tivo service has come to be known for. TiVo has stepped in to solve an age old problem in the children’s television arena with the support of the largest children’s television groups in the country,
    Common Sense Media and The Parents Television Council.

    “As the pioneer in the DVR market, we continue to blaze the trail by providing our subscribers with unique content and programming features like TiVo KidZone, TiVoToGo, Advertising Search and the Yahoo! partnerships for TV scheduling, traffic, and photo distribution, which will continue to separate the TiVo service as a best of breed product.

    “In addition, as demonstrated by the Verizon Wireless announcement earlier this week, and a number of device integration initiatives made in the fourth quarter including the updated capability in our TivoToGo feature to transfer TV shows to portable devices including the Sony PSP and our work with Intel to seamlessly integrate content from TiVo units with Intel’s Viiv platform. Tivo is demonstrating that it is a central point of integration in the home with other digital devices and services,” adds Rogers.

    Tivo has also announced new, simplified pricing structures that make it easier for consumers to add Tivo to their home entertainment options. TiVo developed the new pricing structure after completing several months of market research among new and existing Tivo subscriptions and extensively testing the pricing options in the marketplace.

  • MSOs moot Re 1 a day rent scheme on STBs

    MSOs moot Re 1 a day rent scheme on STBs

    MUMBAI: The digital set-top box (STB) that will sit in consumer homes to receive pay channels will come cheap. Facing the threat of competition from direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, cable TV operators are preparing to enter the conditional access system (CAS) regime with an aggressive price plan.

    Multi-system operator Hathway Cable & Datacom has decided to introduce a rental scheme on its STBs with a fee as low as Re 1 a day. Incablenet is likely to follow suit but will be finalising its pricing on Monday, sources say.

    “We will be charging a rent of Re 1 per day on our boxes. Consumers will have to pay upfront Rs 999 as a refundable deposit,” Hathway Cable & Datacom CEO K Jayaraman tells Indiantelevision.com. Currently, the boxes are available for purchase at Rs 3,000 with no rental schemes.

    Even in Kolkata, Manthan Cable Network is considering a rental scheme of Rs 50 per month on an initial deposit of Rs 800-1,000. Competition can further drag down prices. “We are planning to charge a rent of Rs 50 per month on our STBs,” says Manthan director Gurmeet Singh.

    Cablecomm Services Pvt Ltd, another big operator in Kolkata, is also planning to structure its tariff plans for the CAS era.

    Siticable, which is the only MSO that has operations in the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata where CAS is going to be initially launched, could not be contacted for its comments. Chennai is the other city where CAS is already in place, but has seen slow uptake in demand.

    While broadcasters have expressed concern on the supply of boxes to seed the market at such short notice, cable networks have dismissed such fears as “being fictitious.” A phase-wise rollout of CAS in the three metros and an existing stockpile of STBs will make the transition smooth, operators say.

    “The industry has a stockpile of 800,000 boxes while estimates put the number of cable TV households in the notified areas of south Delhi and Mumbai for the first phase of rollout at over 600,000. Based on the demand, the boxes can be quickly replenished to keep the supply line flowing. It will take around one month to import the boxes,” says Jayaraman.

    Kolkata, where Hathway has no operations, has an estimated total of around 250,000 cable TV homes to be covered in the first zone CAS rollout. “We have a stock of 100,000 boxes and are offering 195 TV channels on our digital cable,” says Indian Cable Net CEO Amit Nag. Last year, Siticable acquired Indian Cable Net from the RPG Group to become the dominant MSO in Kolkata.

    Manthan, the largest operator in south Kolkata, has installed a digital headend and is in the process of putting its encryption system in place. “Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has around 1.8 million cable TV homes. The logistic cycles will be worked out,” says Singh.

    Mumbai and Delhi together have around seven million cable homes. “With CAS, we expect to give healthy competition to DTH. The ground will also get more organised and volumes, as they pick up, will drive down the cost of boxes,” says Atul Saraf, one of the founder-promoters of 7 Star.

  • Hong Kong organising an Entertainment Expo later this month

    Hong Kong organising an Entertainment Expo later this month

    MUMBAI: Entertainment Expo Hong Kong will take place from 20 March to19 April 2006.

    The event, which is in its second year, will bring together eight fixtures in Hong Kongs entertainment calendar, including film, digital entertainment, music and TV. Industry professionals from around the world will converge at Asias world city to partake in this month-long entertainment showcase.

    The events brought together under the Expo include the three founding events; the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

    There are also five core events – Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum, Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Excellence Awards, IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award, Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum and the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards.

  • Telekom Malaysia acquires 49% stake in Spice Telecom

    Telekom Malaysia acquires 49% stake in Spice Telecom

    MUMBAI: Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) has secured a critical piece in its regional footprint, with the acquisition a 49 per cent stake in India’s Spice Communications Pvt Ltd (Spice) for a consideration of $178.85 million.

    The acquisition, made through TM’s international investment holding company TM International Sdn Bhd (TMI) involved the purchase of the stake held by Deutsche Bank AG and Ashmore Investment Management Limited consortium (DBA).

    The remaining 51 per cent remains with the existing shareholders, the Mcorp Global Ltd and its associates (Mcorp).

    A statement jointly released in Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi stated that the definitive agreements governing the transaction were executed in Kuala Lumpur today. Completion of the transaction is expected within a month, subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals. A media conference-cum-briefing explaining the transaction was also held in Kuala Lumpur jointly by senior TM and Mcorp officials.

    Spice is a privately held company incorporated in India providing cellular telecom services in the states of Punjab and Karnataka. The company commenced operations in 1997 after receiving its cellular licences from the Government of India.

    With the company’s recent decision to migrate to the Unified Acess Licensing regime, the scope of services allowable has since broadened to further include full and limited mobility fixed and wireline services, VAS, as well as broadband services.

    Through new applications, the company is also in the process of obtaining licences for 6 new circles (namely Jammu/Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh West/East), as well as National Long Distance (NLD) and International Long Distance (ILD) licences.

    According to TM chairman Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Mansor, the proposed investment is consistent with TM’s objectives of becoming a significant mobile player in the Asian markets, and to participate in the growth opportunities in the Indian cellular market. TM, which has re-strategised its international investments to focus on regional markets closer to Malaysia, has strong presence in the Asia Pacific region, with investments in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore and Pakistan.

    “India is the missing piece in our regional footprint. Now with Spice as part of the TM family, it strengthens our regional presence and complements our existing presence in Sri Lanka where we are the number one, and Bangladesh where we are the number two mobile operator. We are excited about sharing our experience and learn more about the Indian market from Spice,” he said.

    “With Punjab being the most prosperous state in the country and Karnataka dubbed as the “Silicon Valley” of India, there is tremendous potential for mobile telephony in these markets. We are optimistic that Spice will contribute positively to the overall performance of TM in the near future” he added.

    TM Group CEO Dato’ Abdul Wahid Omar described organic growth as the key approach for creating shareholder value in Spice. “Apart from growth through new cellular circles expansion, we are excited about the implementation of other services under the Unified Access licensing regime. TM and its partner Mcorp will seek to grow Spice to be a market leader in the geographies it operates in, including attaining a pan-India presence,” he said.

    “Spice customers today join TM’s global mobile subscriber base of over 20 million. Apart from TM’s operational and management experience both in Malaysia and key Asian regional markets, Spice customers stand to benefit from through the creation and innovation of new products and services, sharing of technological experience and implementation, and the leveraging of group synergies such as in global procurement,” he further added.

    Mcorp Global chairman Dr B K Modi described India and Malaysia as natural allies and which have strong historic cultural ties, and share the same values and aspirations.

    “Today, both countries are at the forefront of the revolution in information, communication and entertainment (ICE) technologies and have much to offer each other. Together, they could become a powerful force to take Asian companies to an entirely new globally competitive level,” he said.

    “We are totally committed to the principles of enhancing human productivity – boosting the prosperity of the entire Asia Pacific region, and promoting global peace for the sake of all humanity. It is now time to redefine our relationship, rewrite our destiny, and reinvent the future. I am confident our strategic partnership with TM will create a new synergy and help us in maximizing growth in one of the world’s fastest growing markets,” Modi added.

    Dr Modi also described Spice as the pioneering brand of mobile telephony in India, committed to becoming the most preferred choice for energetic young minds through synchronised performance in ICE products and services. Spice, he said, has been built on the bedrock of its values: fun, innovation, vibrancy, empathetic, trustworthy and fast to respond. It has a presence in two of the high potential markets of Punjab and Karnataka.

    Lazard India were sole financial advisors to TM and TMI on this transaction.

  • Cartoons to resurrect Chinese mythology

    Cartoons to resurrect Chinese mythology

    MUMBAI: China has approved the first batch of cartoon adaptations of classic mythologies and historical novels for 2006. However, The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) said the cartoons must not fabricate or distort the original work and must not advocate superstition.

    The 220 approved cartoons will generate 193,867 minutes of content. The list includes classic mythologies and historical novels such as the Creation of Gods, the Pilgrimage to the West and Three Kingdoms.

    Reportedly, SARFT has denied approval to approximately 25 cartoons because of the inapt subject matter or repetition of the same subject.