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Category: News Headline

  • MSN and Control Room take music performances to Europe

    MSN and Control Room take music performances to Europe

    MUMBAI: MSN, a leader in delivering compelling entertainment to Indian consumers, anounced a multiyear global content distribution agreement with Control Room, the No 1 provider of live digital entertainment and the producers of Live 8.

    The partnership will see MSN as the exclusive online worldwide destination for Control Room’s live music programming, via live and on-demand streaming.

    Officially launching in the UK on 2 October, the agreement means that nearly 465 million visitors to MSN worldwide, including millions of fans in India will have access to an exclusive performance from John Legend.

    The multiple-award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist’s live Royal Albert Hall performance will be available at http://msn.co.in/johnlegend from 16.00 GMT. Additional artists already scheduled to appear on MSN through the relationship with Control Room include Rod Stewart from the Nokia Theater in NYC and John Mayer from Webster Hall in NYC.

    The partnership will further allow visitors to MSN video ongoing access to live concerts from the most popular, top-selling musical artists as well as today’s most talked-about breakthrough acts.

    “With the video content market surging as it has been in the last year since Live 8, we have proven that there is a robust market for a company like ours to change the way live entertainment is consumed, now and in the future,” said CEO of Control Room Kevin Wall.

    “With MSN, we have found a global partner that sees the value and profit in providing our rich and cutting-edge live entertainment content to its consumers worldwide,”added Wall.

    General Manager for the MSN Network Greg Nelson said,”With this collaboration, artists now have an extremely valuable, cohesive, global marketing and promotion avenue to reach and connect with fans worldwide, while in turn it creates another key access point for consumers to get high-quality content from the musicians they love.”

    With this agreement in place, MSN and Control Room will embark upon a deep, exclusive content collaboration, combining Control Room’s expertise in creating and delivering live music events for cross-media distribution with the feature-rich video programming of MSN and its global reach and branded entertainment appeal to advertisers.

    Further, through this agreement, Microsoft Corp. may stream Control Room shows to other platforms, including Xbox Live, MSN Messenger, Microsoft Windows Media Player and Windows XP Media Center Edition.

    The Control Room team will leverage its deep and broad experiences, relationships and skills accrued while creating and digitally distributing more than 59 shows in the past year to deliver high-quality live music programming to MSN. Control Room maintains the same seasoned management team, many of whom worked on the now historic Live 8, and also continues content distribution relationships with television, radio, theatrical and retail partners worldwide.

  • Zee News launches online game ‘The Prince of Kurukshetra’ on Games2Win

    MUMBAI: The news story on the rescue operation of The Prince of Kurukshetra had gripped the nation’s media and particularly the Zee News. The Hindi news channel has now tied up with the online game portal Games2win (g2w) to launch a game on The Prince of Kurukshetra, with a mission to save Prince.

    The game will be promoted it through its channel. In the near future, in partnership with Games2win, Zee News will offer the Prince of Kurukshetra game on mobile phones soon.

    The game has been templated in a the same setting of Kurukshetra. The game is enveloped on rescuing a boy that has fallen into a deep well. The challenge of the game is to correctly build a completely connected shaft using the varying types of pipe shapes provided and placing them in the correct grids of the underground map.

    According to an official release, upon completion of Level 1, the player is challenged further to complete Level 2 and 3 that increases considerably in complexity and difficulty. Also, a timer measures how fast a player can complete the levels. For consumers who get stuck, they can always ‘reset’ their scores. The game has been conceptualized, created and powered by games2win and will be exclusively premiered and featured on www.zeenews.com for the first three days of launch. It will later also be available on games2win.com.

    Zee News AVP marketing Rohit Kumar said “We are very happy to partner with Games2win.com on this really innovative concept. Zee News is one the most watched Hindi News Channels in the country and ideas like these make our viewers ‘participate’ in the content we show. This is a great synergy between passive and interactive viewer involvement.”

    Games2win founder Alok Kejriwal says, “This is a pioneering concept we have created with Zee News where an Indian thematic and current topic has been converted into a very interactive online game that will be promoted by a news channel to drive participation on their website. We believe that the fusion of TV with interactivity is best represented with ideas like this and g2w is proud to be pioneering this concept”

  • DD’s new revenue mantra: big films

    DD’s new revenue mantra: big films

    NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Doordarshan has decided to attempt maximizing revenue through its film slots by showing as many blockbuster films as possible during the remaining part of the year.

    This assumes importance in view of the fact that DD does not have exclusive cricket telecast rights, which brought in sizeable revenue during the previous years.

    A high level committee headed by Prasar Bharati CEO Brijeshwar Singh has been formed to ensure smooth implementation of the rejuvenated film policy.
    The other members of the panel are Doordarshan DG L D Mandloi and Rajat Bhargava, additional DG (finance).
    DD has five film slots in a week — the Friday night feature film, Saturday night feature film, Retrospective of Sunday Afternoons, Bio-Scope serialized feature film slot and the slot on Hindi belt network.

    The films will be marketed by Prasar Bharati’s marketing divisions in Mumbai and Delhi and will be largely procured through National Films Development Corporation.
    Prasar Bharati has chosen films to be the revenue growth engines as ananalysis of revenue flow has shown that they have the maximum potential to deliver net revenue.

    For example, Friday feature film is a clear winner. Besides being the most watched feature film on television in all TV homes with ratings of 7 and above (as per TAM data), it also fetches net revenue in excess of Rs 8 million per film.

    The Saturday feature film is a close second with a net revenue realization of approximately Rs 7 million. Retrospective on Sundays, which saw films of eminent artistes, have a niche audience appeal, yet manages to draw sizeable revenue.

    Since last one and a half years, Doordarshan has been showing blockbuster films on its national network on a regular basis.

    Earlier, the frequency was once a month, which was interspersed with other new/ recent films. Gone are the days when DD scheduled only old movies.

    An internal analysis by Prasar Bharati, which manages DD, has also shown that whenever blockbuster films were scheduled, they not only managed to garner higher revenue, but also attracted a sizeable C&S home audience.

    Shah Rukh Khan starrer Swades and Akshay Kumar-Priyanka Chopra starrer Aitraz being some recent examples.

    The blockbusters offer DD another plus. They helped promote other serials and programmes of the national broadcaster, especially offering a sample to those C&S home visitors to DD.

    Last financial year ended 31 March 2006, Doordarshan earned revenue of Rs 9.6 billion. The present effort is to gear up the national broadcaster to meet the challenges and repeat its good performance this year too.

    Giving effect to the new film strategy, DD has scheduled following hit films in the forthcoming days: Munnabhai MBBS on 29 September 2006, Jism on 30 September, Hum Saath Saath Hain on 1 October on Hindi belt network and Swades on 2 October being a Dussehra / Gandhi Jayanti holiday.

    To mark the occasion of birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, DD will also be showing Gandhi Se Mahatma Tak as part of serialized film slot, Bio Scope, on Monday, Tuesday Wednesday (2-4 October).

    Koi Mil Gaya, Mujh Se Shaadi Karoge, Virudh are among other big films lined for October.

  • Bharti Airtel announces senior management changes

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, mobile services provider has announced the appointment of Gopal Vittal as director – marketing and communication and Carol Borghesi as director – customer service delivery. They will report to Manoj Kohli – president Bharti Airtel and will also be part of the Airtel Management Board.

    Vittal will succeed Hemant Sachdev, who now takes over as the corporate director marketing for Bharti group.

    Vittal will play a key role in leading Airtel’s marketing and brand initiatives. His focus will be to not only sustain but enhance the organization’s positioning amongst its customers and key stakeholders. Carol Borghesi will on the other hand will further drive Bharti Airtel’s vision through outstanding customer service delivery systems.

    Bharti Airtel president Manoj Kohli said, “Customer service excellence and innovation are two strategic pillars on which rests our vision of becoming the most admired brand in India by 2010. I am confident that Gopal and Carol’s rich experience will take our brand to a new high by setting new industry benchmarks.”

    Vittal brings with him more than 16 years of experience across various aspects of marketing and sales. He started his career with Unilever India, working in India and Asia and was responsible for conceptualizing and rolling out Project Bharat, Unilever’s rural marketing initiative in India. He also lead the 1.3 billion Euro laundry category in Asia, informs an official release.

    Prior to joining Bharti Airtel, Carol was the managing director of 21st Century Customer Experience, which is responsible for British Telecom’s 10 billion pound investment for transforming the core network, systems architecture, portfolio and customer experience.

     

  • Starcom’s Porwal promoted to MD India-West & South

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of Ravi Kiran’s promotion to CEO – diversified services for the Asian region, Starcom MediaVest Group has announced that current executive director, India-West Manish Porwal will now assume the responsibility of managing director, India-West and South, effective from 1 January 2007.

    Said Kiran, “Manish has been with us for over three years, during which period he has contributed immensely to the stability of our team, to our product and to client delight. He was instrumental in the setting up of our Chennai office last year and to the robust growth of our Mumbai office. He is also one of our biggest advocates of holistic communications, an area, where we are pinning our future on.

    As we prepare for what looks like a roaring 2007, it is only natural that he takes additional responsibility of our South India operations, gives our businesses there a new impetus and moves our clients to a new level of delight.”

    In his new role, Porwal will provide guidance and support to Indranil Datta, who heads Starcom Bangalore as executive director and Narendra Alambara, general manager of Starcom Chennai. He will be the overall revenue head for all three offices of Starcom Worldwide in the West and South of India – Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, informs an official release.

    Porwal added, “It is a great responsibility and I am truly excited about taking it up. I love Starcom more than any other place I have worked in and it is an honour to be entrusted with such a large role by the organization. I daresay, we have some of the smartest young people in the business with us and I have always had fun working with them. I hope to be able to support our teams in Bangalore and Chennai, to the best of my abilities, in continuing the great work they are already doing.”

  • Cricket bonanza for Airtel subscribers

    MUMBAI: Cashing on the ongoing India- West Indies- Australia tri series in Malaysia, Airtel has announced the launch of ‘Cricket Subscription Pack’ for all its post and pre-paid customers in Delhi and NCR.

    By subscribing to this pack, Airtel customers will receive cricket updates on the series. The customers would be able to follow every match through SMS scores alerts, ball commentary, silly point and cricket predictor on a toll free voice number after subscribing the service.

    The ‘Cricket Subscription Pack’ will be available to its customers on dialing 646 from their Airtel mobile and by saying the keyword – ‘Cricket’.

    “Cricket has a fanatical following among all demographics. We are delighted that Airtel customers will now have the advantage of following their favorite team’s progress and accessing rich and exciting cricket content on their mobiles,” said Airtel Delhi circle CEO Christopher Tobit.

    This pack will also be available for subscription on a toll free number 646601. Airtel customers can subscribe this pack by sending the SMS CK to 170(toll-free) and will start getting SMS alerts and can hear commentary for a subscription fee of Rs 99 (valid for the complete India-West Indies – Australia series).

  • HBO announces Diwali special programmes

    HBO announces Diwali special programmes

    MUMBAI: Come October and HBO promises a treat for its viewers with non-stop Blockbusters, dazzling stars, exciting action, fun romantic comedies all through the month.

    Every Saturday night at 9 pm, viewers can tune in to watch films like Without a Paddle, Stealth, The Interpreter and Cellular. Two friends try to fulfill their dead friend’s dream in Without a Paddle on 7 October. Humanity must save itself from a computer in Stealth premiering on 14 October. The Interpreter starring Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn will be shown on 21 October0. And Cellular on October 28.

    Every Saturday night after the 9 pm movie and every Sunday night after the 8 pm movie, HBO will show hits like- Hitch, Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, Spiderman 2, Troy, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous,The Last Samurai, Collateral, Hellboya and Resident Evil.

    And every weekday from Monday to Friday, Diwali Fun Fare at 11:30 am will treat its viewers to Julia Roberts film Mona Lisa Smile. The ultimate bachelor will face the ultimate challenge in 50 First Dates. And a 13 year old girl who plays a game on her birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30 year old woman in 13 going on 30. Besides Mean Girls, A Cinderella Story, Peter Pan, and many more films will be shown as part of Diwali Fun Fare.

    Every Thursday, ‘Diwali Laughs night’ after the 9 pm movie will make the viewers laugh, with comedies like Connie and Carla, The Guru, The Nutty Professor and Almost Heroes.

    Drawing inspiration from the spirit of Diwali, HBO presents Diwali Treat: The Good Always Wins every Monday night at 9 pm. Catch the battle upfront in Boa Vs Python, Dinocroc, Gargoyles’s Revenge, Pterodactyl and Anaconda. The heroes, the heroines, the legends, the art- its Kung Fu invasion in Diwali Kung Fu every Tuesday night right after your 9 pm movie with adrenaline pumping movies like The New Legend of Shaolin, The Bride with White Hair, Wonder Course, American Shaolin and The King of Kingboxers.

    HBO’s multi-award winning Original series Deadwood returns with a brand new addictive second season premiering 18 October after the 9 pm movie and thereafter every Wednesday night after the 9 pm movie. Set in an ungoverned stretch of South Dakota soon after the 1876 Custer massacre, Deadwood concerns a lawless, evolving town attracting fortune-seekers, drifters, tyrants, and burned-out adventurers searching for a card game and a place to die.

    Gus Van Sant’s gripping drama Elephant in the HBO Original Movie of the Month on October 3 at 9 pm.

    The movie explores the contemporary reality of high schools in America, a reality that has been transformed in recent years by school shootings like the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

    Prime time viewing on HBO includes HBO Blockbuster Of The Month, a special television event that premieres a mega blockbuster movie every month, HBO Saturday Nights, which premieres a new box office hit each week throughout the year; HBO Sunday Super Hits, which showcases the blockbuster hits, star-studded hits, favourite genre hits, Asian hits, highly acclaimed hits and so much more. In addition, HBO features at least 3 – 4 new movie showcases every month to offer viewers an interesting mix of Hollywood movies based on exciting themes.

  • Star Plus Lightens the mood as soap opera Fatigue Sets in

    Star Plus Lightens the mood as soap opera Fatigue Sets in

    Come Monday and Star Plus will tickle the funny bone with Krishna Sharma – C.A. Yesterday producers Cinevistaas Ltd. and Contiloe Films Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of the weekly comedy series. The show airs from 8-8:30pm.

    With game show Kamzor Kadii Kaun and the Balaji Soaps Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki showing a gradual drop in ratings. Star Plus needed to do something different to maintain its leadership status by ensuring viewer loyalty.

    Also Star Plus lags behind in the comedy genre where rivals like Sabe TV and Sony Entertainment Television have scored points with shows like Office Office and Hubahu.

    Krishna Sharma C.A. represents the second venture between between Cinevistaas Ltd. and Contiloe Films Pvt. Ltd.The first venture Shhh… Koi Hai is a suspense drama that airs in the night on the channel.

    On Star Plus Cinevistaas also has the religious show Dharam Aur Hum. The show hosted by Anup Jalota airs every Sunday morning. Cinevistaas also has the mythological Draupadi running on Sahara TV.

    The director of Krishna Sharma C.A. Vijay Krishna Acharya said that the aim was to strike a delicate balance between serious and comic elements without sounding preachy. The show has a slapstick element to it. The show is also aiming to hit a nerve by dealing with basic issues that affect everyday lives like eve teasing, dowry, the controversial issue of child marriage.

    The focus is on the clever manner in which the lead protagonist gets out of tricky situations. Each episode deals with the intensity of a different issue.

    He also said that though Krishna Sharma is a cartoon artist the word C.A. could lead to people thinking of a chartered accountant. Through the title the director said that he wanted to put across the point that the nature of people can be both dual and deceptive.

    Regarding his background he mentioned that he aided Kundan Shah for three years on Kabhie Na Kabhie.

    He also mentioned that he had earlier worked on a pilot for Cinevistaas. He also pointed out the difference between working for national broadcaster Doordarshan and private channels. With DD one has to take care of advertising in addition to conceptualising the story. However one has the rights to the show.

    With a private channel things work in a reverse fashion. Finding advertisers is the channels headache but the rights remain with them. It is somewhat similar to writing an article for a newspaper he said.

    The channel also pitches the idea to the show producers and the show is monitored by an executive producer for the channel. Abrupt changes in future episodes are not uncommon if ratings are not upto scratch.

    About the choice of Shradhha Nigam for the title role he said that he found that she was able to tackle subtlety and difficulties of different situations in a natural fashion. He also found her quick on the uptake.

    Anjan Srivastava plays Krishna Sharma’s father. He said, ” This concept is about true spirit and what television is all about i.e. a programme about ethical values with a message for the common man’. Other cast members include Ravi Baswani, Neelu Kohli, Sandeep Mehta.

  • Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    MUMBAI: In a top level executive reshuffle, Max Channel business head Albert Almeida has been handed over the responsibility of the flagship channel Sony Entertainment India business head.

    At Max, Almeida will be replaced by Sneha Rajani, who is presently heading Max Programming & Acquisitions.

    Albert and Sneha will report to Set India COO NP Singh. The new appointments have been made with immediate effect.

    On the new leadership team, Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta says, “As an organisation our efforts have always been focused on creating a combined powerhouse of channels where each of our channels are led by strong professionals who are able to provide sound and effective leadership. In order to further strengthen this leadership these movements have been made where Albert and Sneha can take their teams to greater heights”.

    Commenting on this new announcement, Set India COO NP Singh said, “Both Albert and Sneha have contributed immensely to the growth of the network and now leading SET and Max respectively will give them an opportunity to further grow these brands. Albert will however continue to oversee ICC Champions Trophy till the end of the tournament.”

    Almeida has been with Set for over three years and has provided leadership as marketing head of Set Channel as well. Rajani has been with the company for over seven years and has been involved in areas such as programming, acquisitions & cricket.

  • Discovery channel launches ‘Discovery Marquee’, ‘Discovery Week’

    Discovery channel launches ‘Discovery Marquee’, ‘Discovery Week’

    BANGALORE: Over the next 13 Mondays starting 2 October, the primetime 8 pm slot on Discovery will deal with historical epics as the channel plans to bring history and virtual history to viewers’ homes in a new series – Discovery Marquee.

    The episodes have been created using archival footage with recreated images produced using computer generated imagery (CGI) on personalities and events that affected history in a major way, along with a couple of episodes on earth, informs an official release.

    From Hannibal-Rome’s worst nightmare to Krakatoa to the Deep Ocean as seen by the eyes of the sperm whale, to Genghis Khan, Pompeii’s last day to Flight 913, to the failed plot to kill Hitler, Supervolcano, Dinosaur Planet and more is what one can expect. India also figures in the series by way of Jim Corbett and the Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, a cat that slaughtered 126 people over an eight year period.

    Also starting 30 September, in a bid to facilitate Indian viewers navigate the channel better, a new half hour series hosted by actor and one time VJ Rahul Khanna called Discovery Week will be aired every Saturday 10 pm with a repeat at 11:30 am the following Sunday, adds the release.