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Category: News Headline

  • Disney unveils its first branded apparel store ‘Disney Jeans’ in Mumbai

    Disney unveils its first branded apparel store ‘Disney Jeans’ in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: Disney India has the launched the first of its non-character franchise stores ‘Disney Jeans’ in Mumbai.

    This is the first of 20 exclusive ‘Disney Jeans’ stores that Disney, along with Indus Clothing plan to set up between now and end-2007

    As reported earlier, Disney and Indus Clothing have inked a licensing agreement wherein the latter would be pumping in approximately Rs 210 million towards the setting up of the stores.
    The Disney Jeans concept will soon be followed by three more stores to be launched in Delhi with another two more opening in Mumbai. next on the list are Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Kanpur.

    The first phase of expansion will target the Northern and Western regions while the Southern and Eastern markets will see Disney Jeans stores by spring next year.

    The core denim range is complimented with tees, fleece, jackets, woven shirts, woven bottoms and accessories in for kids between the age of 4-14 years. Elements such as adjustable waist bands which loosen and tighten according to the child’s growth, hook buttons that are easy for children to manage, offer a casual and fun option. T-shirts and tops will be priced from Rs 99 onwards while the range of jeans will be priced between Rs 800 – 1300.

    Explaining the rationale for introducing non-character merchandise as opposed to the much loved Disney characters, Softlines – Disney Consumer Products (DCP) Regional Director Lester W Lee said, “The non character market is seven to eight times larger than the character market, comprising almost 85 per cent and therefore we see this as a big opportunity for us. From packaging, labels and tags the range will bear the Disney identification.”

    The Disney Jeans product range will however, have cartoon strips and comics on the inner pockets and undercuffs of jeans. This range will also extend to accessories lie bags, hats, socks and footware.

    “We wanted to create a non-character apparel brand that kids like. Ultimately the range will evolve, to provide a total head-to-toe fashion experience for kids through diversification into footwear, eyewear, watches and innerwear,” added Lee.

    “The launch of Disney Jeans is an exciting milestone as we continue to build the depth and breadth of Disney brand among new consumers in India,” said The Walt Disney Company (India) MD Rajat Jain. “We are focused on delivering internationally successful products that appeal and offer great quality, “fashionability” and functionality and are appropriately customized for the local consumers.”

    Eyeing the ‘tween’ market as having great potential, Lee added, “Tween consumers are a key segment, they will be the new generation of spenders as they determine the trends in the market.”

    The Kids branded Apparel and Accessories market in India was at $ 600mn in FY’05 and is estimated to grow to $ 850mn by 2010. The Softlines revenue generated from Asia is pegged at 300 million, China making up for 40 per cent and India 10 per cent of overall revenues.

    “Indus Clothing continues to be the front-runner in the organized Indian fashion business. Our mission is to lead the apparel industry through a superior product portfolio, innovative technology and an unrivalled commitment to customer driven excellence. We have aggressive marketing and promotional plans to build and strengthen our portfolio of brands in India,” said Indus Clothing managing director HP Singh.

    In addition to an extensive retail push, ICL plans innovative marketing initiatives to drive optimum product visibility for the consumers. ICL also plans to invest around 210 million rupees to set up the exclusive ‘Disney Jeans Stores’ by the end of 2007. The number of Disney Jeans Stores is expected to be increased to 50 by year 2008.

    The brand is already present in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. The range will be launched shortly in North America and other parts of Europe. In Asia, the brand is currently available in Taiwan, Thailand, China and in Hong Kong the store as even been extended to include adult merchandise.

  • Singapore’s media industry projects unified front with ‘Singapore Media Fusion’ at MIPCOM 2006

    Singapore’s media industry projects unified front with ‘Singapore Media Fusion’ at MIPCOM 2006

    MUMBAI: The Singapore media industry will consolidate its presence in the global arena under a unified front called “Singapore Media Fusion”, showcasing the industry’s collective richness and diversity at Mipcom 2006.

    The project was initiated by Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and developed in consultation with local industry players in a process spanning one year. It articulates the attributes of the media industry – the bold and creative energy inspired by the collision and fusion of different cultures in the cosmopolitan Asian city.

    This year, fifteen Singapore companies will be showcasing their products and services at the Singapore pavilion, highlighting the country’s ability to work across the entire range of media activities and genres – from creative services to post-production capabilities, from live-action documentaries to animation series.

    MDA Chairman Dr Tan Chin Nam, said, ” In addition to lending consistency to the manner in which the Singapore media industry is represented and promoted, ‘Singapore Media Fusion’ enhances Singapore’s profile at the international level by projecting a unique voice that harnesses the collective strengths of our media industry, both in the traditional and new interactive digital media space. At the same time, local industry partners can also look to ‘Singapore Media Fusion’ as a common platform to showcase their success, one that helps us to achieve our goal of becoming a global media city.”

    Commenting on the industry’s strategic positioning, Mr Tony Chow, Singapore’s Association of Independent Television Production Companies’ President said, “Singapore Media Fusion aptly describes the cultural diversity of our industry, and our position as an ideal East-West gateway.”

    Concurrently, an online portal singaporemediafusion.com will be launched to cultivate an online community of local and international media practitioners who are interested in the Singapore media scene, whether they are seeking content, co-production partners or specialised media services.

    In the last couple of years, Singapore’s media industry has made significant inroads into the international market, with a slate of co-production projects with leading international players across various platforms, and an increasing demand for made-by-Singapore content.

    Singapore’s media scene has never been more exciting. In content development, Singapore’s media companies have made strides in the global arena with leading international players including: House of Harmony, a Germany-Singapore telemovie production that premiered to close to seven million viewers in Germany on ZDF in October 2005; Secrets of Battleship Yamato, a US-Japan-Singapore television documentary which was beamed to households in US, Germany and across Asia; One Last Dance, a China-Singapore triad film thriller directed by Max Makowski and slated for release end of this year.

    Increasing awareness and demand for Singapore-made content internationally saw Singapore showcasing its productions at Tous les Cinémas du Monde (All the Cinema of the World) during April’s Cannes Film Festival; Zodiac-The Race Begins, Singapore’s first 3-D animated full-length feature, was sold to more than 20 countries since it was launched at Cannes Film Market in 2005; PS I Luv U, Asia’s first made-for-mobile phone Mandarin drama serial produced by Singapore, has been acquired by telcos in six Asian countries.

    This year, Singapore’s animation house Scrawl Studios, sold its 2-D animated TV series Nanoboy to Thailand and South Korea, while 3-D animated series Katakune, a Singapore-China co-production, has been pre-sold to China’s CCTV.

  • IBC to offer its new show, ‘VIP Passport’ at Mipcom

    IBC to offer its new show, ‘VIP Passport’ at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Taking viewers behind the velvet ropes and into the first-class life of a jet-setter, International Broadcast Communications (IBC) is bringing LUX Entertainment’s VIP Passport to Mipcom’s global marketplace.

    VIP Passport will take viewers into the exotic lifestyle of five American jet-setters as they party at the hottest nightclubs, dine at the most exclusive restaurants, shop at the trendiest boutiques and party at the finest locales around the world.

    The 13-episode weekly series serves up extravagant settings, with intriguing plotlines—sure to leave viewers craving more.

    “The world is obsessed with the lives of today’s socialites,” says Founder and president of IBC Jon Helmrich.

    “VIP Passport allows viewers to virtually experience a fantasy lifestyle. It takes you into a world full of the hottest parties, the finest champaigne and the world’s most exotic cars. I am confident that this visually stunning show will be a hit at this year’s market.”

    Destinations for the series include Paris, Milan, Monaco, Rome, Belize, Singapore, Tokyo, Las Vegas, New York, Miami and Los Angeles among others.

    The new weekly one-hour program has been cleared on the FOX Television station group in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and is on track to be cleared in 85% of US television households by 30 October 2006, when the first-run series debuts in broadcast syndication.

  • Philippe Cardon to head Warner’s home video ops globally

    Philippe Cardon to head Warner’s home video ops globally

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Time Warner has announced that Philippe Cardon will head its home video operations globally. He is Warner Home Video (WHV) president, international. The announcment was made by WHV president Ron Sanders.

    Cardon will be responsibile for all WHV territories outside the US, with the exception of Canada. This is a newly formed position for WHV.
    Cardon was earlier WHV executive VP and GM Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

    The heads of the WHV regional offices (EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America) and the heads of the International Functional departments (International Marketing & Sales, International Supply Chain Management, and International Finance) will now report to Cardon.

    Sanders says, “Philippe has over 20 years of industry experience and has played a central role in the growth of WHV. Aligning International under one person will improve consistency, coordination and best practices across all the countries. This is particularly important with our maturing DVD business, and in the context of the launch of new technologies like High Definition and Electronic Delivery.” Cardon will continue reporting to Sanders.

  • Motorola, PCCW launch mobile TV technical trial in Hong Kong

    Motorola, PCCW launch mobile TV technical trial in Hong Kong

    MUMBAI: MKobvile communications service provider Motorola has announced an agreement with Hong Kong’s telecom service provider PCCW.

    The two parties will conduct a six-month technical trial using Motorola’s end-to-end mobile TV system in Hong Kong.

    The trial will run till March 2007 within Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay district and will include Motorola DVB-H enabled mobile devices, network solutions and interactive services platform. During the course of the trial, PCCW will evaluate the technical capabilities and the operational performance of DVB-H in Hong Kong.

    Motorola Asia Pacific president Simon Leung says, “Mobile TV is the next generation of mobile video entertainment experiences and this trial is an important step forward in bringing this experience to consumers.

    “We are pleased to work together with PCCW to support their efforts and hope to see these services based on our solutions to become commercially available for Hong Kong subscribers soon after the technical trial.”

    Motorola says that it is committed to delivering the ultimate mobile video entertainment experiences to consumers — and part of that vision is mobile TV. By leveraging its expertise across mobile and video, it is bringing new mobile TV enabled handsets and solutions to our partners and wireless operator customers around the globe.

    Motorola says that it is actively driving development efforts in global mobile broadcast standards such as DVB-H and WiMAX and working with members of the cellular and mobile broadcast value chain to bring next generation services to market even faster for consumers.

  • Capital rollout for BIG FM; Bachchan Jr. brand ambassador

    Capital rollout for BIG FM; Bachchan Jr. brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: BIG 92.7 FM, an Adlabs Films venture, began its nation-wide station roll out from Delhi today with future plans of getting into Internet radio also.

    The station has signed up Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, son of Hindi film legend Amitabh Bachchan, as its brand ambassador.

    Over the next fortnight, BIG 92.7 FM will be heard across the six metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad, apart from FM radio virgin territories of Jammu, Srinagar and Aligarh.

    The tagline of the station being: BIG 92.7 FM. Suno. Sunao. Life Banao (listen to BIG FM, make others also listen to it and make your life).

    Unveiling the brand, BIG 92.7 FM COO Tarun Katial today said here, “At BIG 92.7 FM, we will be driven by the desire to give new and innovative radio programming to millions of Indians. We will not only present unique, city-specific content but also rope in personalities who will connect with the listeners and provide the glamour quotient”.

    Aimed at touching the lives of 200 million listeners – that is, every fifth Indian in the country; every third Indian in the cities and every eighth Indian in the villages — BIG 92.7 FM claimed it would redraw the broadcast map of the country.

    “Our detailed research on the city’s psychographics will ensure that the station sounds refreshing and different, with a major focus on utilities and entertainment”, Katial, a former programming head of Sony Entertainment TV, added.

    Based on extensive research and in-depth analysis, BIG 92.7 FM has made special effort to customize its programming to the preferences of each of the cities that it plans to enter.

    According to brand ambassador Abhishek Bachchan, “Radio has risen phoenix-like after being overshadowed by the visual medium. With the launch of BIG 92.7 FM, this romance with the radio is set to continue and intensify. My association with BIG 92.7 FM gives me a chance to connect directly with the Indian audiences.”

    To ensure high aspiration and connect with the listeners, BIG 92.7 FM has signed on celebrity radio jockeys such as Mona Singh aka Jassi and Gaurav Gera aka Nandu of the Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi serial fame.

    Apart from these, ace comedian Sunil Pal of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Shweta Tiwari from Kasauti Zindagi Kay will host shows on BIG FM.

    On the day of the official launch of the station, BIG 92.7 FM hosted a city-wide awareness telethon to sensitize Delhi to the issue of safety as part of its initiative of “providing entertainment with a cause”.

    For this initiative, the station roped in several celebrities to come on air and discuss with Delhi-ites various safety concerns facing the Capital, including crimes against senior citizens, women and foreign tourists.

    Among the celebrities who joined this forum were singers Shuba Mudgal and Kailash Kher and actors Sushma Reddy, Smriti Irani, Isha Koppikar, Arjun Rampal, Neha Dhupia, Mandira Bedi and Varun Badola.

    ADLABS MAKES BIG INVESTMENT

    Adlabs Films, which is majority controlled by Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), is making big time investment in its FM radio venture.

    According to company sources, a total of Rs. 4 billion will be invested in the radio venture out of which approximately Rs. 2.4 billion will be spent on the rollout of 45 stations across the country, which includes programming costs too.

    The remaining investment is in the form of licence fee.

    Asked whether programming would consist of only music — mostly from films and Indipop like other FM radio stations— a senior executive of Reliance said that sports programming is also being explored, subject to clearance from the government.

    At present, the government hasn’t come out with a clear policy whether sports programming like running commentary of cricket matches on private radio stations would be categorized as news and current affairs or entertainment genre programming.

    Present FM radio policy guidelines don’t allow news and current affairs programming, except weather and stock market quotations, on private radio stations. Only All India Radio’s FM channels are allowed to broadcast news.

  • Star Chinese Channel to debut SPTI’s Game Show Format

    Star Chinese Channel to debut SPTI’s Game Show Format

    MUMBAI: Singapore cable TV audiences will soon be able to enjoy Sony Pictures Television International’s (SPTI) unscripted game show format Blackjack Bowling on Star Chinese Channel, a popular entertainment channel in Taiwan.

    Called Lucky Star and hosted by well-known TV personality Hu Gua, the game show’s premiere is on the back of Star Chinese Channel’s launch on StarHub on 2 October, 2006, and marks the first broadcast of the game show outside Taiwan.

    The channel will broadcast 130 episodes of the first season of Lucky Star in Singapore. When the channel first launched Lucky Star in Taiwan in June 2005, it registered an audience of 6.6 million, and a 31-percent reach in viewership in the first three months. Since then, it has consistently been ranked among the top three most watched game shows on pay TV channels in Taiwan.

    The success of the first season led Star to license 212 episodes in the second season.

    Blackjack Bowling is the only show of its kind that combines two of the world’s favorite pastimes – blackjack and bowling. Just as the two simple elements of the roulette wheel and hangman were combined to create Wheel Of Fortune, SPTI united two activities that are popular throughout the world. Blackjack Bowling’s format is flexible and can be played in either a 30-minute or 60-minute format.

  • NDTV brings opt-out tech for Kolkata viewers during Durga Puja

    NDTV brings opt-out tech for Kolkata viewers during Durga Puja

    NEW DELHI: NDTV today announced the launch of the `opt-out’ technology in Kolkata starting with Durga Puja and the onset of the festival season.

    This initiative will enable the viewers of Kolkata to watch region-specific news and special programmes on NDTV 24×7. With this launch, Kolkata becomes the fourth location to have the opt-out technology, according to an official statement from NDTV.

    Earlier this year, NDTV had launched the opt-out technology for its viewers in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

    The viewers of Kolkata will be able to watch the 30 minutes `opt-out’ programming at 10.30 pm everyday, which started on 25 September and will last till 2 October.

    The new technology will enable viewers in Kolkata to watch special programmes, catering to the taste of local viewership during this festive season.

    Opt-out works on a technology, which is an innovative step in the broadcasting system. The process involves automatic satellite transmission without any manual intervention.

    There are individual boxes that are programmed to receive and switch frequency at the desired time to opt-out of the regular feed and again switch back to the main feed when the opt-out is over, with a two second changeover interval between the switch.

    NDTV plans to expand its coverage for the `opt out’ service to other states also in the near future and this will be executed for all its three channels, NDTV 24X7, NDTV Profit and NDTV India.

  • DVD rentals under legal scanner

    DVD rentals under legal scanner

    MUMBAI: DVD rental businesses across the country have come under heavy legal scrutiny following the judgment by the Delhi High Court to curb DVD rentals from issuing DVDs copyrighted by the Motion Pictures Association.

    In a judgment that is expected to have far-reaching impact on the film rental business in India, Justice Reva Khetrapal of the Delhi High Court has passed orders restraining the rental library, ‘Cinema Paradiso’ from renting out any films copyrighted by Motion Picture Association (MPA) member companies including Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Disney Enterprises, Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Tristar Pictures, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios, LLP., New Line Productions, Inc. and Orion Pictures Corporation.

    Head of Operations and legal counsel for the MPA in India Chander M Lall, said, “Although copyright law does not permit the unauthorized rental of films, rental libraries are functioning all over the country without licenses and without the authorization of the copyright owners. This ruling by the High Court sends a strong message that India is committed to the protection of copyright and intellectual property, not only to the benefit of MPA member companies, but to the benefit of local filmmakers and everyone in the film industry in India.”

    The development has resulted in many DVD rental outlets scurrying for permission from respective licensees.

    Excel Home Videos MD MN Kapasi says, “There has been a sudden growth in rental license applications from DVD rental outlets across the country. There is scarce knowledge among rental companies due to the lack of awareness of copyright laws. Due to this many innovations in rentals end up being on the wrong side of the law. We are happy plus ready to offer rental specific legal products and license support to whoever wanting to do rental business in India.”

    Piracy in India affects the Indian film industry more than American producers and distributors. It is estimated that only 20 percent of pirated goods infringe the copyrights of foreign film titles. The remaining 80 percent of pirated product infringes the copyrights of domestic films. According to Government estimates, the entertainment industry loses up to 1,700 crores annually on account of piracy. Since the beginning of 2004, the MPA has conducted close to 1,000 raids and seizure operations in India in cooperation with law enforcement authorities. Additionally, civil raids have been conducted through court-appointed Local Commissioners in civil suits initiated by MPA member companies.

  • Pix has a treat for viewers next month

    Pix has a treat for viewers next month

    MUMBAI: English movie channel Pix has announced that it has got a treat in store for viewers this month.

    The spread kicks off with Will Smith. He will feature on the interview show Inside the Actors Studio on 1 October at 7 pm. Viewers can also get Jiggy with Will with Men In Black right after on Pix of the Week at 8 pm. Smith incidentally had come down to India for the launch of the channel in April.

    Cameron Diaz on 8 October and Julianne Moore on 22 October will also feature on Inside The Actors Studio. Versatile veterans Ian Mckellan and Ben Kingsley feature on the show on 15 and 29 October respectively

    The channel will also featre Sir Sean Connery in The Great Train Robbery and The Man Who Would be King on 2 and 3 October on Perfect 10.

    Action buffs can check out Cheap Thrills Friday. Krull airs at 8 pm and The Golden voyage of Sinbad airs at 10 pm on 6 October. In Krull a prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet.

    The channel will also air The Greatest Story Ever Told. This is a retelling of the story of Christ and airs on 21 October 2006 at 8 pm on Damn Good Drama.

    Pix will also be kicking off an SMS contest. This basically gives viewers a chance to win a holdiday trip this festive season. Pix also has a contest for Inside The Actors Studio where through SMS viewers can win DVDs.