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Category: News Headline

  • Activision gets license from MGM to make interactive games around Bond

    Activision gets license from MGM to make interactive games around Bond

    MUMBAI: MGM Interactive and Eon Productions have awarded Activision the rights to develop and publish interactive entertainment games based on the James Bond license through 2014.

    MGM says that the deal that combines a popular property with next-generation gaming expertise continues the Bond franchise’s long legacy of providing thrills to audiences around the globe. Since the initial release of Dr. No in 1962, James Bond films have grossed more than $3.6 billion theatrically worldwide and approximately 30 million units of video games based on the world of James Bond have been sold to date.

    James Bond, MGM notes continues to delight audiences worldwide with a quintessential blend of action, glamour and sophisticated style synonymous with top secret agent
    007.

    Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith says, “James Bond is the ultimate action movie franchise, and we look forward to establishing a long-term relationship with MGM and EON. The James Bond franchise creates tremendous global expansion opportunities for Activision as it is one of the few video game licenses that appeals equally to domestic and international consumers.

    “James Bond storylines are rich with style, drama and action, all of which lend themselves perfectly to developing extraordinary games that capture the thrill of being the most celebrated secret agent in the world.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will obtain the worldwide rights to create video games for all current and next-generation consoles, PC and hand-held platforms. The license will grant Activision the right to develop and publish games based on all of the James Bond movies, as well as non-movie based games.

    MGM executive VP, consumer products and location-based entertainment Travis Rutherford says, “MGM Interactive continues to work with best in class publishing and development teams, to ensure we deliver both memorable and fully immersive interactive gaming experiences for both core and mass-market gamers.

    “Activision’s proven expertise in developing cutting edge games, their core competency in managing large movie franchises combined with the global appeal of the James Bond property, will create a new benchmark for the next-generation gaming experience.”

    Eon CEO David Pope says, “Activision’s track record makes it the ideal partner to introduce the Bond videogame experience to a new generation of game players, as well as to provide new thrills and excitement for the legions of people who are already fans of the Bond films and games.”

  • Television producer David Kelley to be honoured at Vision Awards

    Television producer David Kelley to be honoured at Vision Awards

    MUMBAI: Many of Hollywood’s talents in film, television and music will descend in Beverly Hills on 24 June for the 33rd Annual Vision Awards.

    Television producer David Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice) will be honoured. Also being honoured is director Rob Marshall who made Memoirs Of A Geisha and actor cum director George Clooney who was Oscar nominated for directing and writing Good Night and Good Luck.

    This is a gala fundraising event, which has become an annual Hollywood tradition. It honours entertainment luminaries and companies who have exhibited exceptional gift of “sight, foresight and insight” in the creative arts, related technologies and medical research.

    The campaign Hollywood Cures Blindness, Hope Is In Sight will be launched under the guidance of the 2006 Vision Awards chairman Arthur Hiller.

  • VSNL to buy Indian ISP for Rs 750 million

    MUMBAI: Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is strengthening its broadband presence in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment. The telecommunications giant has agreed to buy out Direct Internet Ltd (DIL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Primus Telecommunications India Ltd (PTIL) for Rs 750 million ($16.7 million).

    US-based Primus Telecommunications Group Inc will exit from India, selling its entire 85 per cent stake in DIL. VSNL is also buying out the remaining 15 per cent held by an Indian partner. The deal is expected to be completed in a few weeks, VSNL said in a statement.

    PTIL provides fixed broadband wireless internet services to SMEs in several Indian cities. The company has close to 1,000 SME and 10,000 retail customers. Out of a total revenue of around Rs 550 million in FY 2006, nearly 80 per cent came from the SME segment. Retail business accounted for 15 per cent while Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) contributed to around seven per cent of the company‘s income.

     

    The retail customers are likely to be rehomed in VSNL while DIL will focus entirely on the SME segment. The company‘s operations will continue to be run with the old management. “The huge infrastructre of VSNL will allow DIL an opportunity to expand in the SME segment. VSNL has massive bandwidth which will offer DIL‘s operations greater efficiencies. In the past, we were buying bandwidth on a leased basis and this was consuming 60 per cent of our costs,” says DIL and PTIL founder-CEO Tilak Sarkar.

     

    This will be VSNL‘s first SME-specific acquisition in the internet space. VSNL had earlier acquired DishnetDSL for Rs 2.7 billion and Tata Power broadband for Rs 2.39 billion which gave it broadband subscribers in the retail as well as the SME segments. DIL, on the other hand, has mostly SME subscribers.

     

    “The SME segment is a lowly penetrated but growing market. VSNL sees this as an opportunity to expand its presence in the broadband space,” says an analyst.

     

    VSNL has been aggressive in acquisitions over the last one year. While it bought Tyco International‘s global under-sea fibre optic cable network unit in July 2005, recently it acquired telecoms network service firm Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd.

     

    Nasdaq-listed Primus Telecommunications, an integrated communications services provider offering international and domestic voice, VoIP, internet, wireless, data and hosting services to business and residential retail customers, had reported a net revenue of $1.19 billion in the 2005 fiscal.

  • NDS to deploy full end to end system to Romania’s DTH platform Boom TV

    MUMBAI: News Corporation‘s NDS Group has announced that a leading digital satellite pay-TV broadcaster in Romania, DTH Television Group has contracted NDS to deploy a full end-to-end system including NDS VideoGuard conditional access, MediaHighway middleware and EPG on their newly launched digital pay-TV platform, Boom TV. NDS is the provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV.

    The platform had launched in May to homes in Romania. The NDS VideoGuard will protect all content delivered to new digital subscribers.

     

    DTH Television Group chose the full end-to-end system to secure their premium subscription content and will also take advantage of new services offered by NDS, including interactive TV applications, informs an official release.

    NDS Group chairman and CEO Dr Abe Peled said, “We‘re delighted that DTH Television Group has selected our proven solutions for their new service, Boom TV. This is an important contract for NDS as Romania, which has a population of over 40 million, is a significant TV market with the highest TV viewing figures in Europe by a wide margin. It also signals our expansion into the high-growth Eastern European broadcasting market, which we will continue to develop over the coming months and years.”

     

    Boom TV CEO Isaac Waldman said, “NDS is an important partner in being able to offer our subscribers enhanced TV services to make their viewing experience more entertaining.”
  • Sky News’ head Nick Pollard to quit in September

    Sky News’ head Nick Pollard to quit in September

    MUMBAI: Sky News’ head Nick Pollard who ran the network for a decade is set to quit in September. He will be succeeded by the current executive editor John Ryley as the head of the network.

    The announcement of Pollard’s opting to leave the organisation comes eight months after the channel’s expensive re-launch last October, inform media reports.

    In January Pollard admitted that recent months had been “the toughest time in Sky News history” after viewers reacted negatively to the relaunch, which failed to attract new viewers.

    Under his leadership, Sky News was recognised for its live reporting from the field of events such as the Asian tsunami, the Iraq War and the Kosovo crisis when the channel was the first to provide live pictures from inside Kosovo on liberation day.

    Since the October relaunch, Sky has featured less rolling news and more distinct programmes plus the introduction of new presenters such as Eamon Holmes and James Rubin.

    Before joining Sky as head of news in 1996, Pollard spent 13 years at ITN where he was executive producer of News at Ten. He began his career as a local newspaper journalist in 1968, before moving to the BBC where he remained until 1980.

  • Sahara One bags telecast rights of Rockstars 2006 concert

    Sahara One bags telecast rights of Rockstars 2006 concert

    MUMBAI: Sahara One Television has bagged the telecast rights of the Rockstars 2006 Bollywood concert, which involves names like Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapur, Zayed Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat and Esha Deol. These stars are currently touring Canada, US and UK for the same.

    The Rockstars 2006 concert consists of 15 shows over a period of 45 days to be held across the above mentioned countries in May and June. However, the telecast date of the shows on Sahara One have not yet been decided.

    Apart from telecasting the concert, Sahara One will also be airing a 12-episode interactive special on the concerts with the stars. Behind the scenes of their stay and exclusive footage from rehearsals, interviews, run-up to the big show, the hustle of the green room, and the moments building up to the final show is what is lined up on the channel.

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited CEO Shantonu Aditya said, “It has always been our constant endeavour to connect with our audiences by reinventing entertainment options. Bollywood is something that perks up every Indian soul. The fact that the Rockstars 2006 will be held at USA, Canada and UK explains the huge appeal of Bollywood in these countries. We wanted to give our Indian audiences a feel of the same vibe and are therefore pleased to bring the Rockstars 2006 to our viewers.”

  • NDS to deploy full end to end system to Romania’s DTH platform Boom TV

    NDS to deploy full end to end system to Romania’s DTH platform Boom TV

    MUMBAI: News Corporation’s NDS Group has announced that a leading digital satellite pay-TV broadcaster in Romania, DTH Television Group has contracted NDS to deploy a full end-to-end system including NDS VideoGuard conditional access, MediaHighway middleware and EPG on their newly launched digital pay-TV platform, Boom TV. NDS is the provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV.

    The platform had launched in May to homes in Romania. The NDS VideoGuard will protect all content delivered to new digital subscribers.

    DTH Television Group chose the full end-to-end system to secure their premium subscription content and will also take advantage of new services offered by NDS, including interactive TV applications, informs an official release.

    NDS Group chairman and CEO Dr Abe Peled said, “We’re delighted that DTH Television Group has selected our proven solutions for their new service, Boom TV. This is an important contract for NDS as Romania, which has a population of over 40 million, is a significant TV market with the highest TV viewing figures in Europe by a wide margin. It also signals our expansion into the high-growth Eastern European broadcasting market, which we will continue to develop over the coming months and years.”

    Boom TV CEO Isaac Waldman said, “NDS is an important partner in being able to offer our subscribers enhanced TV services to make their viewing experience more entertaining.”

  • BBC Worldwide announces new management team in Hong Kong

    BBC Worldwide announces new management team in Hong Kong

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced that following a review of its organisational structure in Hong Kong, it has appointed a new management team, reporting to managing director Asia Pacific David Vine.

    Pierre Cheung has been appointed to the new role of senior business development manager. He will be responsible for new business development initiatives across the Asian region working with the television, content and production and new media divisions and the sales teams in Hong Kong. Pierre and his team will also be responsible for the TV business in China , Hong Kong and Taiwan.

    Linfield Ng is the senior television sales manager and will manage the television sales team responsible for sales across Asia, excluding China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Freda Chan will continue to manage the publishing and licensing businesses.

    Helen Wong is the senior finance and administration manager. She will provide business and financial support and guidance to the sales teams and operational support staff in Hong Kong and is responsible for the overall administration of the office.

    Zwanenberg will return to his role in BBC World as regional director, Distribution and Business Development, responsible for the channel’s development across Asia and will continue to work from the Hong Kong office.

    BBC Worldwide MD, Asia Pacific, David Vine said, “I would like to congratulate the team on their new appointments and look forward to growing our business further in this important region for BBC Worldwide. In addition, I would like to offer special thanks to acting GM Nic van Zwanenberg for his invaluable support over the past 4 months and his contribution to BBC Worldwide’s business in Asia during this period of transition.”

  • ‘Our aim is to give history a more broad based appeal, which is why we are focussing on entertainment’

    ‘Our aim is to give history a more broad based appeal, which is why we are focussing on entertainment’

    Live the Story! With the aim of competing better in the English entertainment space The History Channel is pursuing a new strategic direction in India. The aim is to spread the appeal of the channel to more viewers and increase the stickiness level through a variety of shows. These include television movies, documentaries, mini series and long running series.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto caught up with The History Channel India MD Nikhil Mirchandani to find out about the plans and what lies in store.

    Excerpts:

    Could you talk about The History Channel’s new direction?
    I would like to point out that we have not changed our positioning. We own the theme of history and will continue to do so. Our aim is to give history a more broad based appeal, which is why we are focussing on entertainment. Over the last three years we did a few things that set the stage for what we are trying to do today.

    We established our positioning of history that no other channel has. History is our middle name so to speak. In a scenario of over 300 channels distribution is very important. We managed to do that since we are a part of the Star family.

    We are the 16th best distributed channel in the country. We established a loyal viewer and advertiser base. We have also marketed ourselves well like getting Diana Hayden to host Biography. Moving towards entertainment is the next logical stage of evolution in our product lifecycle. Our aim is to attract more viewers and advertisers.

    In what way has the programming strategy been embellished?
    We begin our primetime with factual content at 8 pm. Then there are drama series at 9 pm There will be classic product from our library at 10 pm. At 11 pm there will be a thriller band. On the weekends you have a television movie on Friday at 9 pm For example Hitler The Rise of Evil.

    There will also be a combination of fact and fiction. For instance you could see a biography of Marilyn Monroe followed by a drama or a television movie. We are also targeting women in the afternoon with programming that we are confident will appeal to them.

    The primetime moves from a youngish factual content to drama to thriller. That evolution of our programming blocks is logical.

    According to research how do viewers perceive the channel?
    Viewers perceive us as a well respected credible authority on the subject of history. They have constantly expected that of us and we will not dilute that offering. They find us interesting as we deal with personalities like Hitler, Helen of Troy.

    The great thing about the History Channel is that it is not restricted by formats. That is not the case with a movie channel that focuses on blockbusters. If they deviate one immediately notices that. Our only concern is whether the story is historically relevant. I would say that English movie channels are undifferentiated from each other.

    We have a wide basket from the lifestyle genre, to thrillers to even perhaps stories on 9/11. It will be in terms of formats. By this I mean documentaries, movies, series, one off biopics, long series. The topics have also grown. We will also showcase concerts like Woodstock. History is never going to be the same again and we take advantage of that.

  • VSNL to buy Indian ISP for Rs 750 million

    VSNL to buy Indian ISP for Rs 750 million

    MUMBAI: Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is strengthening its broadband presence in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment. The telecommunications giant has agreed to buy out Direct Internet Ltd (DIL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Primus Telecommunications India Ltd (PTIL) for Rs 750 million ($16.7 million).

    US-based Primus Telecommunications Group Inc will exit from India, selling its entire 85 per cent stake in DIL. VSNL is also buying out the remaining 15 per cent held by an Indian partner. The deal is expected to be completed in a few weeks, VSNL said in a statement.

    PTIL provides fixed broadband wireless internet services to SMEs in several Indian cities. The company has close to 1,000 SME and 10,000 retail customers. Out of a total revenue of around Rs 550 million in FY 2006, nearly 80 per cent came from the SME segment. Retail business accounted for 15 per cent while Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) contributed to around seven per cent of the company’s income.

    The retail customers are likely to be rehomed in VSNL while DIL will focus entirely on the SME segment. The company’s operations will continue to be run with the old management. “The huge infrastructre of VSNL will allow DIL an opportunity to expand in the SME segment. VSNL has massive bandwidth which will offer DIL’s operations greater efficiencies. In the past, we were buying bandwidth on a leased basis and this was consuming 60 per cent of our costs,” says DIL and PTIL founder-CEO Tilak Sarkar.

    This will be VSNL’s first SME-specific acquisition in the internet space. VSNL had earlier acquired DishnetDSL for Rs 2.7 billion and Tata Power broadband for Rs 2.39 billion which gave it broadband subscribers in the retail as well as the SME segments. DIL, on the other hand, has mostly SME subscribers.

    “The SME segment is a lowly penetrated but growing market. VSNL sees this as an opportunity to expand its presence in the broadband space,” says an analyst.

    VSNL has been aggressive in acquisitions over the last one year. While it bought Tyco International’s global under-sea fibre optic cable network unit in July 2005, recently it acquired telecoms network service firm Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd.

    Nasdaq-listed Primus Telecommunications, an integrated communications services provider offering international and domestic voice, VoIP, internet, wireless, data and hosting services to business and residential retail customers, had reported a net revenue of $1.19 billion in the 2005 fiscal.