Category: iWorld

World Radiocommunications Conference calls for preservation of satellite spectrum from telecom

Spectrum, or the paucity of it, is an oft repeated complaint by sectors that use it, more so from telecom service providers. Are they fully using the spectrum that has already been allocated to them? How will allocating more spectrum in the ‘C band’ range affect others? Excerpts of a press release issued by Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC), Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), EMEA Satellite Operators’ Association (ESOA), Global VSAT Forum (GVF), Interference Reduction Group (IRG), Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), World Teleport Association (WTA), and other international associations of the satellite industry:

Major inter-governmental and private-sector organizations responsible for providing safety-of-life communications to millions of people have requested the national administrations of every region to preserve satellite spectrum for use in delivering mission-critical satellite services worldwide. The unprecedented demonstration of support for satellite spectrum was made during a series of briefings held at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), where the wireless industry is attempting to get access to satellite spectrum despite reports that previous efforts have already disrupted communications services with serious interference.

Included among those calling for safeguarding of satellite services were the United Nations World Food Program and Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Broadcasting Unions, NetHope, the International Maritime Organization, and the Space Frequency Coordination Group, a group of space agencies from throughout the world.

In a joint statement issued by an international coalition of seven non-profit associations representing the global satellite communications sector, the show of support was strongly commended: “The high level of support from these organizations makes clear the importance of satellite communications in C band spectrum and how further disruption of safety-of-life services due to wireless interference is unacceptable.”

As governments consider whether any portion of the 3400-4200 MHz band (‘C band’) should be identified for IMT, they have heard from the safety-of-life organizations during a series of briefings held for the inter-governmental groups of each major world region, including the Arab Spectrum Managers Group (ASMG), Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the Conference Europeenne de Postes et Telecommunications (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), and the RCC & Commonwealth of Independent States.

“Some administrations may be under a misimpression,” the coalition statement continued. “It is not necessary to support IMT identification if they have already authorized WiMax or other terrestrial wireless services. An identification for IMT is not required to make WiMax or other authorizations comply retroactively with ITU rules. No ITU rule change is required at the WRC in order to enable national deployments of WiMax or other wireless services.”

Background

1. Realistic solutions to protect existing satellite links in C band have not been identified; migration of IMT services to this band would cause more extreme harm to the global community that relies heavily on satellite services.

It is clear from the most recent reports and studies from the ITU that mitigation techniques, such as separation distance, earth station shielding, or the use of filters on satellite receive antennas, to block interference from IMT networks into satellite networks are often ineffective and moreover would be far too severe to be justifiable from a technical or economic perspective. This means that in practice, mitigation measures would not be effectively implemented. Furthermore current IMT proposals offer no protection for FSS receive-only earth stations, which are deployed broadly and on a licence-exempt basis in many countries.

Within the last few months, satellite stakeholders have experienced further degradation of services in some parts of the world due to terrestrial mobile operations using the same C band frequencies. For example, millions of Philippine citizens’ television signals were disrupted due to interference from mobile services. Similar cases of interrupted service were also reported in South Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. These are not isolated incidents – disruption of C-band satellite services from terrestrial wireless interference has been taking place around the world since 2006.

It is understood that this has been the result of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) systems being deployed in the C band. However, the negative effects will be far more wide-reaching in the case of terrestrial mobile IMT broadband services, which have larger coverage requirements and are expected to transmit at higher rates and consequently with more power.

2. Global and national studies indicate that less than 50% of the spectrum currently allocated to IMT is in use.

Claims have been made that mobile broadband will need between 1100 and 1900 MHz more spectrum by 2020, even though IMT is not using most spectrum currently assigned for its use. In anticipation of the growth of the mobile industry, the ITU has already allocated and/orrecommended a substantial amount of spectrum for use by IMT. Around the world less than 50% of this spectrum is licensed and even less is in use according to a recent detailed study on the subject by LS Telcom.

It would be unwise to unnecessarily reassign spectrum used for other often-critical services. IMT can achieve its growth targets without a need for the additional spectrum they are requesting, often on the basis of predictions, population density and traffic numbers that are grossly exaggerated.

Conclusion

New and existing C band satellite services are actually bridging the digital divide. It is the duty of the international community to safeguard these vital services. The effects of failing to do so fall disproportionately on the developing world and rural areas. IMT should be directed to use their current frequency allocations fully and more effectively, or concentrate its planning for additional allocations to other, more appropriate bands.

November 16, 2015
The Quint is Facebook’s Indian digital partner for instant articles

MUMBAI: Social media giant Facebook’s has partnered with The Quint in India to launch Instant Articles. Quint is Facebook’s only fully digital partner in the country

Instant Articles loads videos and photos up to 10 times faster claims a release from The Quint. Auto-play videos come to life on scrolling through an article. High-resolution photos can be tilted to explore in detail, to see the location where the photo was clicked with interactive maps and even hear the author’s voice with embedded audio captions.

“We quickly saw that this was going to lift the user experience to an altogether different level. So when Facebook reached out, they had us at hello. We fast-tracked the implementation and had The Quint’s Instant Articles (test) out in a few weeks. We’re still fine tuning the experience, but we’re very happy with the results so far’’, shared The Quint CEO Ritu Kapur.

Facebook’s News and Global Media Partnerships director Andy Mitchell said, “We’re seeing great responses from readers who are enjoying the fast and interactive experience of Instant Articles and are excited to bring that to readers Quint in India. Since its launch in April this year, The Quint has grown really quickly on Facebook and given Quint’s focus on mobile-first journalism and publishing, it is a great fit for Instant Articles.”

Prior to this, Facebook had launched Instant Articles in the US with partners like New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, NBC and National Geographic.

November 16, 2015
Times Internet buys majority stake for $15 milion in Taskbucks

MUMBAI: Indian digital products company Times Internet from the Times of India group has acquired a majority stake in Taskbucks – a mobile-only tasks marketplace. Taskbucks matches consumers with brands and enterprises on its platform. Companies offer tasks to consumers, who are rewarded for completing these micro tasks via the Taskbucks marketplace.

Times Internet VP corporate development Miten Sampat says, “Taskbucks is reducing friction in the connection between consumers and companies, in a way that drives value for both. As hundreds of millions of Indians get connected with smartphones, Taskbucks is one of the few services that has an immediate and clear value proposition for the consumer. Led by a strong, experienced team, I’m confident Taskbucks will add value to millions of Indian consumers.”

“We intend to use this funding to build out more ways for companies to leverage access to our 5 million strong and rapidly growing user base. We will soon be launching Taskbucks Pro, a premium version of Taskbucks, where users can perform real-world tasks for brands, to earn more. We’ll also be working closely with Times Internet to build our brand and drive growth of our mobile app,” added Taskbucks CEO Kumar Apurva.

Taskbucks currently offers brands the option for app discovery, user retention, referral tasks, offer signups, and social content sharing, as promotions that they can offer consumers.

Taskbucks is owned by DigiSmart Digital Media, a Gurgaon based company, founded in 2014 by Kumar Apurva. Kumar has over 15 years of new media and start up experience in the field of Internet and mobile space, playing a senior role at companies such as Info Edge, ValueFirst, Way2Online, and Times Internet.

November 16, 2015
“There is a market for “failed” and low-budget films on OTT”

Netflix shook up the cinema establishment in the US when it had the temerity to release Beast of No Nation simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming platform. The movie, acquired at a cost of Rs 78 crore, did not do well at the theatrical box office (less than $100,000 gross), but it got more than 3 million views on the Netflix app.

However, CEO Reed Hastings are going ahead with their strategy of doing simultaneous releases of future projects like The Ridiculous Six, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II in the coming months.

Indiantelevision.com got in touch with Essel group OTT player ditto TV CEO Debashish Ghosh on what he thought about Netflix ‘s bold gambit, whether it would be tried in India, and whether it would work with Indian viewers. Read on to hear his views in one of the more entertaining interviews we have had in some time.

Excerpts:

Q: Were you stunned by Netflix’s move to do an OTT release for Beast of no Nation simultaneous with the theatres like the mainline exhibition community in the US was- so much so that they refused to release the film and it got a limited release?

“Stunned” may well be too sharp a rhetoric – since its not unnatural for subscription OTT platforms to find ways to showcase content PRIOR to standard and accepted platforms. Otherwise why would a consumer pay?

That’s one of the reasons we at DittoTV are also looking at driving “content before TV / Anywhere” as a proposition as well. Significantly before!

But please don’t ask for more details as of now – give me 15 days and then we shall give you an exclusive if you want it.

India is in the nascent phase of OTT. But it has a strong heritage of filmmaking and is probably the largest producer of films worldwide.

No doubt about that. But the mindset of film producers understandably is different here – especially the mainline ones – as they prefer making money upfront rather than later. While we understand why, it is still a limiting factor as well – for most OTT platforms – which are not also producers of films as well.

How large is your film catalogue for OTT both Bollywood and international?

We do not yet have a significant International Catalogue of movies but there are some imminent actions on that soon. As far as Bollywood is concerned – we can only put up content on our platform – for which we have rights. And we have a library of around 3000 movies – which are already up and running.

Does films get views? How much of your audience watches catalog films on OTT? How much time? And how often?

Not really – if you ask me. Especially Bollywood – most of those movies are already available in myriad other platforms – and there is no REAL Uniqueness here. And thanks to Pirates and Torrents there will never really be. So playing the game with the strengths of Movies alone – is not a viable proposition – at least today. And even platforms like YRF or Eros are struggling on account of that fact.

Having said that – it’s not as though people don’t watch movies on OTT platforms – but it’s few and infrequent and essentially driven by some sort of unique demand – on the part of the consumer (note: NOT the platform). For example : “ I am having a debate about a particular dialogue with my friend and I want to prove a point about a move when I am outside at a bar!” Such scenarios are so infrequent that they don’t drive business case – frankly.

OTT players have just begun their run in the space with original content for television shows. Is acquiring films exclusively for premieres the logical next step? How far are the Indian players from doing something like Netflix did?

This question you have to ask Netflix actually. Are THEY making money for the movies that they are acquiring at huge costs and efforts? Or are they doing it because they today have money to spare? And can using it for drumming up PR mileage like your article will serve to do?

Though that’s strictly not a bad strategy – if you ask me. But then you need to have international valuation and dollars to burn. Most OTT platforms cannot afford it. So it won’t be commonplace. And Business case will NOT let even Netflix sustain the movie strategy for too long.

Will there be sufficient views for a movie released on an OTT platform? Will there be enough ROI on big-ticket movies on OTT?

Well not really. But someone like Netflix can surely show the way and experiment – (Thanks to their success and surplus funds) – so that all other platforms can learn at their expense 😉

Will the exhibition industry accept film premieres on OTT? Or will they revolt like they did in Kamal Hassan’s case?

Ask the industry – they are the rich folk! OTT people are poor and struggling anyways – don’t rub salt on their wounds.

Will premiering films on OTT affect the revenue flows from theaters?

Not at all – to my mind. Theatres and OTT are not just about content – it’s about their respective experiences – and there is nothing overlapping about those distinct experiences. I won’t say that the audiences are different – because that’s too passe 🙂

How can Bollywood use OTT platforms better?

By synergising and using OTT for its advantages. Theatrical and Satellite releases are all about the movie in itself. So instead of treading that trodden path – OTT platforms and Producers can synergise and think together to bring greater value to the consumer. Like releasing unseen footage, shooting goof-ups, candid reactions of stars (post doing a tough shot for instance) etc. – on OTT platforms – over and above the film – or contextual to the film. Digital OTT platforms have many intrinsic advantages that need to be leveraged – which unfortunately neither the Film Industry understands nor do the OTT platforms innovate sufficiently enough – mostly since they are so fund strapped – thanks to paying huge content rights monies to producers.

There are 800 films released each year. Many don’t make it to the theaters. Some disappear after day 1. Do you think there is a market for such films on OTT? Would it make sense for smaller budget films to take this route? Will you premiere such niche content on your platform? What would the deals look like: revenue shares, or minimum guarantees (MGs) or outright purchases?

Too many questions in one! But yes – there is surely a market (even if that’s not a big one) for theatrically “failed” or smaller budget films on OTT. And yes OTT platforms should premiere such content – but as I said producers (big or small) are looking at quick upfront returns. And if their need can be logically channelised – all of this is possible and even more. But mindsets need to change (for the better) for that – and change is always very difficult.

Such deals should be revenue share and not MG / outright – as the risk is equal on both sides.

Will films work in SVOD or T-VOD? Or AVOD?

TVOD or AVOD is where it works for the consumer as of now. But AVOD does not really pay for its costs. SVOD for movies has not really worked – even for Netflix (remember Game of Thrones?).

November 16, 2015
Facebook activates Safety Check option after Paris attack

MUMBAI: The world was struck with horror as Paris bled under the terror attacks that paralysed the city early morning on November 14.

As news of the multiple attacks in six key places in the city spread through France and the world, family and friends of those present in the city couldn’t help but panic about the wellbeing of their loved ones. The attacks left 127 dead and over 200 injured including 99 that have been critically injured (as per the available statistics at the time of filing of this report)

The situation further intensified as President Holland declared a state of emergency in France, closing its borders. Like every major disaster, be it natural or manmade, chaos ensued.

Facebook did its part in abating some of the confusion with its Safety Check option.

Thousands of users took to the application to send their safety message out to the world by checking ‘Safe Now’ on their profile pages.

As per the data Facebook shared with Indiantelevision.com, 4.1 million Facebook users marked themselves safe using the tool, which notified 360 million users of their friends’ safety since the service was activated.

“We’ve activated Safety Check, so if you’re in Paris you can mark yourself safe or check on your friends and family,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg later posted on the social media earlier on 14 November, while condemning the act of violence in Paris.

According to Facebook spokesperson, 78 million people have had over 183 million Facebook interactions related to the attacks so far.

Safety Check isn’t a new offering from the tech giant. It was launched in 2011 after the devastating Tsunami had hit Japan and surrounding areas. The option was also widely used after the earthquake in Nepal earlier this year.

Interestingly this is the first time Facebook has activated the service for anything other than natural disaster.

Explaining the reasoning behind the move, Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook, “Many people have rightfully asked why we turned on Safety Check for Paris but not for bombings in Beirut and other places. Until yesterday, our policy was only to activate Safety Check for natural disasters. We just changed this and now plan to activate Safety Check for more human disasters going forward as well.”

Facebook is also allowing users to change their profile pictures in the blue, white and red shades of the French national flag in support of France and the people of Paris.

November 14, 2015
Consumers expect more devices to be connected with netizens as forerunners: Ericsson report

MUMBAI: A research conducted by Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson Consumer Lab named ‘A Networked Life’ stated that consumers expect more devices to be connected as there are endless options for connectivity. It also predicts that more connected devices will ultimately lead to redefined networked lifestyle needs.

Consumers have only now begun to enter the era of networked lifestyles, and they expect greater mobility and an increasing number of devices to become connected.

The report states that consumers recognize the benefits of various devices in their life becoming connected; the analysis has been broadly classified in three categories viz. overall, un-recognised and netizens.

Data for the report has been gathered through 45,290 face-to-face and online interviews with people form the age group of 15-69 years old, representing about 1.2 billion people across 24 countries including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US.

Chile with 32 per cent, South Korea with 29 per cent and Brazil with 28 percent have the highest penetration of internet users.

The forerunners of the networked lifestyle are the netizens who spend more time online on a wider range of services than others. They comprise 17 per cent globally.

The report says that 65 per cent of netizens participate in a sharing economy, compared to 9 per cent of un-networked. They spend the most amount of time on the internet.

Also that 98 per cent of netizens own more than one device (smartphone and other devices like a laptop or tablet).

For instance, research and analysis showed 52 per cent surveyed internet users want their TVs to be connected to the internet. Whereas 24 per cent of consumers also state that they are using services that allow them to use a movie, TV show or video on one device and then resume playing from another device.

Based on research in 12 countries, it was found that the average number of devices connected to the internet has increased to 4.1 devices in 2015 as compared to 3.1 devices per household in 2014. Because of this, consumers are spending more time online incorporating digital services and devices with everyday activities.

The report says that video streaming apps have the potential to become main stream on a global scale in the near future; which could potentially have large ripple effects on the entertainment industry.

In terms of India the report states that the percentage of Netizens in India stood at 48 per cent. And it has one of the highest levels of peer-to-peer sharing at 79 per cent among the local netizen community. A sizeable 56 per cent of people in India feel it is easier to find products and services on the internet than through friends and family.

Ericsson Consumer Lab Director Vishnu Singh said, “The reason for people’s increasing use of the internet is that their perceived value of it is growing along with the rise in usage. The networked lifestyle is all-inclusive because the benefit for each individual user increases as more people participate in the internet.”

The report states that Brazil, China and Colombia are the countries to have high numbers of netizens who use the internet less than once a week or not at all.

Whereas countries like Germany and US with lower proportions of netizens in highly industrialized countries are balanced by a larger distribution of those who use the internet with some regularity.

November 14, 2015
Facebook launches Agency Ambassadors Program in APAC

MUMBAI: With the ever-evolving nature of the digital landscape and millions of pieces of online content being created every minute, it’s never been more important for marketers to understand how to cut through the clutter to reach their audience.

In a bid to keep its agency partners up to speed on its products and services as well as support the development of local agency talent, Facebook’s initiative saw top creative and media minds from agencies across Asia-Pacific took part in the very first Agency Ambassador program for the region.

Facebook launched the Agency Ambassador Program in Asia-Pacific as a hands-on education session. During the three-day session in Singapore, Facebook’s teams worked closely with agency representatives from India, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia on how to apply best practices to campaigns and client briefs so the knowledge sticks.

Joining it for the Agency Ambassador sessions in Singapore were representatives from Amnet, Carat, CyberAgent, Dentsu, iProspect, OMD, PHD, Hakuhodo, Havas Media, IPG, Madison, Resolution Media, Septeni, Starcom Mediavest and ZenithOptimedia.

What they did?

A little bit of work and a little bit of play. Day one was kicked off with a tour of the new Facebook Singapore digs and a local goodies swap, agency reps sharing snacks from their home country as a ‘getting to know you’ icebreaker. The reps were then broken into teams for a Blueprint download, each group given a hypothetical client brief they had to bring to life using Facebook marketing principals they had learnt throughout the day. The session covered everything from dissecting a brief, putting up ads wireframes to align with business objectives, creative best practice, a targeting module as well as campaign measurement and reporting.

It was a full day of planning, executing and reporting, where participants soaked up knowledge not only from Facebook but also from each other.

“We found agencies and clients learn more efficiently when they take concepts and apply them immediately so they stick. It’s not just about listening to someone talk—it’s about interacting with your team members and putting what you learn into action as the day goes on,” shares Facebook APAC agency development lead Matthew Drury.

Day two was a mix of deep dive learning sessions from Facebook and Instagram experts like Fergus O’Hare from the Creative Shop, Amit Chaubey from Marketing Science and Swati Rai who chatted about Atlas and what it means for agencies and brands.

Participants had the chance to ask questions after each session to better understand how Facebook can help them achieve the best results for their current clients as well as win new business.

But it wasn’t just work—it was also a chance for agency teams from around the region to connect with each other, mingling and networking over drinks in the Facebook Singapore beer garden before heading out to dinner.

What’s next?

Facebook will continue to work closely with the agency representatives that took part in the Ambassador Program, helping them to hand select Blueprint courses relevant to their agency. The agency ambassadors will head up Facebook and Instagram product learning within their agencies so other team members are brought up to speed on the marketing products available to them.

“We will continue the conversation now that everyone has gone back home. They are part of our Facebook and Instagram community so we want to keep the dialogue flowing. We will work with our ambassadors to get feedback on our products so we can tailor them to better suit their clients’ needs and ultimately collaborate to produce more stand out, award winning work,” added Facebook APAC agency development lead Edel Horgan.

November 13, 2015
Netflix to premiere original 10-part documentary crime series

MUMBAI: Netflix ’will exclusively premiere an original ten-part documentary crime series called Making a Murderer on 18 December, 2015.

Inspired by a newspaper article from 2005, directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have spent the last decade documenting an unprecedented real-life thriller that spans more than thirty years. Set in America’s Heartland, Making a Murderer follows the harrowing story of Steven Avery, an outsider from the wrong side of the tracks, convicted and later exonerated of a brutal assault. His release triggered major criminal justice reform legislation, and he filed a lawsuit that threatened to expose corruption in local law enforcement and award him millions of dollars. But in the midst of his very public civil case, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.

The series takes viewers inside a riveting, high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear. The filmmakers have documented every angle of the story, following the second investigation and ensuing trial of the accused, petitioning the court to avoid having to turn over their footage, gathering archival materials, and interviewing those closest to the case.

“There are an unbelievable number of twists and turns in the story arc of Making a Murderer, it feels like it has to be fictional. Ricciardi and Demos have navigated very complex terrain and skillfully woven together an incredible series that leaves you feeling like you’re right in the middle of the action,” said Netflix VP – original documentary programming Lisa Nishimura.

“If we had not been there to witness these events we would have trouble believing they actually occurred. Our goal has always been to share that experience with viewers. Our partnership with Netflix has allowed us to tell this story in a way that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else,” added directors Ricciardi and Demos.

Making a Murderer examines allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering and witness coercion. The filmmakers look at what went wrong in the first case and question whether scientific advances and legislative reforms over the past three decades have gotten us any closer to delivering truth and justice in the system.

Netflix will present a special preview of the first two episodes of Making a Murderer at the DOC NYC film festival on 13 November.

Making a Murderer is the latest project in Netflix’s slate of original documentary and docu-series programming, including the Oscar-nominated films The Square and Virunga as well as What Happened, Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom and Chef’s Table.

November 10, 2015
Amazon orders three original kids series

MUMBAI: Amazon has ordered three new original kids series namely Dino Dana, The Kicks and Lost in Oz. Additionally, the company has also ordered half-hour special Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas to debut on Prime Video.

The new series come from creative talent including Aardman Animations, Bureau of Magic’s Mark Warshaw, Abram Makowka, Darin Mark and Jared Mark, novelist James Frey and J.J. Johnson.

All three series will be available for Prime members in the US, UK, Germany and Austria and will debut next year. Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas will make its world debut for Prime members in the US on 13 November.

“We’re excited to offer our Prime members a beautifully reimagined world in our first original kids 6-to-11 animated series and bring to the screen Alex Morgan’s successful book series with an inspirational role model at the core. Aardman and Sinking Ship are award-winning producers and we’re excited to debut Dino Dana and Shaun the Sheep on Prime Video,” said Amazon Studios head of kids programming Tara Sorensen.

A follow up to the 2015 Emmy award-winning series Dino Dan, Dino Dana is a preschool program that takes viewers on a whole new level of dinosaur encounters. The series will feature 16 new prehistoric creatures, an adopted baby dino and, for the first time, two sisters. Created and directed by J.J. Johnson, the series will be executive produced by Sinking Ship partners Johnson, Blair Powers and Matt Bishop, co-executive produced by Christin Simms and written by Johnson and Simms.

In The Kicks, a live-action series for children ages six to 11, Devin Burke (played by newcomer Sixx Orange) was the star player on her soccer team back home until her family moved to California midway through the school year. Now, Devin has to rise to the challenge after discovering that her new school team has been on a losing streak over the last few months and is badly in need of a leader to rally the team together. Based on a book series by US Olympic Gold Medalist and current US Women’s National Team soccer player Alex Morgan, the project is executive produced by Full Fathom Five’s novelist James Frey and Todd Cohen, as well as Andrew Orenstein. The series also stars E’myri Crutchfield as Zoe Hanson, Gabe Eggerling as Bailey Burke, Sophia Mitri Schloss as Emma Gelbaum, Monica Lacy as Sharon Burke, and Tim Martin Gleason as Tom Burke.

Lost in Oz is an animated, action-adventure comedy for children ages 6 to 11 set in a modern, metropolitan Emerald City. Stranded in this spectacular world, 12-year-old Dorothy Gale befriends West, a young, street-smart witch grappling with dark temptations, and Ojo, a giant munchkin. With Dorothy’s dog Toto, this unlikely crew embarks on an epic journey, seeking out the magic Dorothy needs to get back to Kansas. The challenge for Dorothy, and everyone else in this world, is that Oz is facing the greatest magic crisis in eons. Developed and produced by Bureau of Magic’s Mark Warshaw, Darin Mark, Jared Mark, and Abram Makowka, this contemporary re-imagining of L. Frank Baum’s extraordinary universe is designed by Flaunt Productions, music by Adam Berry with theme music by Mark Mothersbaugh.

In Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas, the Farmer and Bitzer go to a Country Fair and Shaun accompanies them intent on causing mischief. The Aardman Animations special is written by Lee Pressman, Richard Starzak and Nick Vincent Murphy, directed by Jay Grace and produced by Paul Kewley & John Woolley.

November 10, 2015
Reliance Globalcom denied permission to acquire GCX India

NEW DELHI: The Government has denied permission to Reliance Globalcom Ltd to take over GCX India Ltd.

The Finance Ministry on the recommendations of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board (FIPB) rejected the proposal by Reliance for the India owned and controlled company.

GCX Ltd is involved in database activities and distribution of electronic content, which includes data base development, data storage and data base availability.

Meanwhile, the Government deferred a decision by FireFly Networks Limited for 50 per cent existing foreign investment (indirect) and to permit commencement of activities as a Telecom Infrastructure Provider Category-I (IP1).

November 9, 2015