ITV

Category: News Headline

  • CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has decided to exhort the government to mandate all other addressable systems in the country like DTH and IPTV, for example, as was being done with CAS or conditional access system.

    This suggestion was one of the many that were discussed today by the board of IBF, an apex body of broadcasting companies operating in India, during a debate to help formulate a stand on the issue of CAS, which can be taken to the government by 7 April.
    Another issue that the IBF would note down in a communication to the information and broadcasting ministry, which is holding meetings with industry stakeholders to finalise a rollout plan for CAS, is the pricing of such addressable services.

    Though the exact words are still to be formalized, IBF sources told Indiantelevision.com it was suggested that the government should be petitioned to follow a recommendation of the sector regulator on the pricing mechanism of addressable systems like CAS, DTH and IPTV with an aim to provide a level playing field to broadcasters vis-à-vis the cable fraternity.
    In a set of recommendations on addressable systems made in 2004, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had suggested that since addressable services depend on offering a choice to consumers, unlike non-addressable system like present-day cable TV services, pricing should be allowed to be formulated by market forces and not mandated.

    Another issue that is likely to find its way in the letter for the government involves the free-to-air bouquet of channels and its pricing.

    The IBF board feels that since the scenario has undergone a change from the time CAS was mooted in 2003 when the free-to-air (FTA )bouquet was to comprise 30 channels and priced at Rs. 72 (exclusive of taxes), more channels should now be added to the FTA package for consumers in a CAS-enabled regime.

    The argument in favour of increasing the number of channels to at least 50 is backed by the fact that the subscription-free DTH service of Doordarshan will also carry more than 50 FTA channels from May. This was announced by DD today at a press conference.

    The IBF board is also likely to express its reservation against providing a la carte pricing of channels as it might be against consumer interest.

    Though such a line of thought had been forwarded by the broadcasting industry in the US to the American regulator, the Federal Communications Commission recently put out a statement saying that the earlier report on a la carte pricing was lopsided and individual pricing of TV channels actually works to the benefit of consumers. This too is being contested by broadcasters in the US.

  • Nat Geo Intl to bring ‘Korea to the World’

    Nat Geo Intl to bring ‘Korea to the World’

    CANNES: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) and Korean Broadcasting Institute (KBI) have announce the first co-production partnership to cultivate local filmmaking talent.

    The partnership will facilitate the production of quality made-in-Korea documentaries for global viewers. It will provide $1.2 million in filmmaking funds for 4 one-hour films, titled Korea to the World.

    NGCI CEO David Haslingden says, “We are proud to be the first international factual network to partner with KBI and are delighted to expand NGCI’s presence in Asia. We want to develop and bring Korean talent to the notice of our global audience in 162 countries and in 27 languages worldwide”.

    KBI president Gyun Yu says, “We are excited to establish this partnership with NGCI. As a renowned international television network, NGCI, provides the perfect platform for Korean documentaries to reach viewers globally”.

  • Katie Couric to be anchor & managing editor of CBS News

    Katie Couric to be anchor & managing editor of CBS News

    MUMBAI: CBS Corporation President and CEO Leslie Moonves and CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus announced that one of broadcasting’s most respected and popular journalists, Katie Couric is joining CBS News.

    With the appointment, Couric becomes the first female solo anchor of a network evening news broadcast.
    As part of the multi-year agreement, Couric will become anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric beginning in September. Couric will also contribute to 60 Minutes and will anchor CBS News primetime specials as well, states an official release.

    Couric said, “It has been a great privilege to be one of the caretakers of a television institution like the ‘Today’ show for 15 years. Joining CBS is a unique opportunity that came at the right time for me. I’m thrilled to become part of the rich tradition of CBS News and look forward to working with the many extraordinarily talented people there.”

    Said Moonves. “With this move, our News Division takes yet another giant leap forward. Katie is simply one of the best in the business and represents a tremendous addition to CBS News, which continues to grow and improve every day under Sean’s leadership. Seasoned broadcasters who are at once respected, charismatic and known throughout this country and beyond are increasingly important in this fragmented media landscape. I’m proud to have a talent like Katie who personifies this rare combination of qualities, and look forward to the many contributions that she will make not only to our developing evening news broadcast, but to our entire news operation.”

    Couric joined NBC News in 1989 as deputy Pentagon reporter. She began work on Today in June 1990 as its first national correspondent, which included two stints covering the Gulf War. Couric served as substitute co-anchor from February 1991 until taking over the job permanently in April 1991. She also was a contributing anchor for Dateline NBC.

    Couric has anchored many major breaking news events over the past 15 years, including the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center; the Columbine tragedy in Colorado; six Olympic Games, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing; the funeral of Princess Diana; the Oklahoma City bombing; the Timothy McVeigh execution; the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings; and the end of the millennium coverage, which she co-anchored with Tom Brokaw.

    She has interviewed an extraordinarily diverse collection of newsmakers, from presidents and prime ministers to captains of industry and cultural icons and a myriad of authors, politicians and newsmakers.

    “This is an enormously proud day for all of us at CBS News. Katie joining our team signifies not only her commitment to doing first-rate journalism, but our strong commitment to producing the highest quality work done by the best reporters, producers and writers in television news. She is a key ingredient as we work towards our goal of making CBS News the number one news organization in America. This organization was built on quality and integrity, and Katie and her CBS News colleagues will continue to carry that legacy into the 21st century” said McManus.

    Couric is the recipient of a George Foster Peabody Award for her March 2000 series on colon cancer. She also has won six Emmy Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award, a National Headliner Award, an Associated Press Award, a Matrix Award, two American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Awards, the Harvard University School of Public Health’s Julius B. Richmond Award and UNICEF’s Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award.

    Couric’s broadcast journalism career began as a desk assistant at ABC News in Washington, D.C. (1979). She worked for CNN (1980-84) as an assignment editor, associate producer, producer and, ultimately, political correspondent. Couric was a general assignment reporter for WTVJ Miami (1984-86) and for WRC-TV Washington, D.C. (1987-89), adds the release.

  • Voting begins for BBC World Service online campaign on favourite quote

    Voting begins for BBC World Service online campaign on favourite quote

    MUMBAI: Will it be a quote from Mahatma Gandhi or William Shakespeare, Saint Luke’s Gospel or Lao Tzu? Voting has started for BBC World Service’s Moving Words online campaign to find the world’s favourite quotation.

    Voting ends on 12 April 2006 and the results will be announced on 13 April.

    Last month, people around the world were invited to nominate their most loved quotations via the Moving Words website. Their selections could come from a wide range of sources – novels, short stories, poems, plays, speeches, religious texts and songs from anywhere in the world and from any era.

    Famous people taking part included the Dalai Lama who chose an extract from Shantideva, an eighth century Buddhist monk. Crime writer PD James selected lines from Hamlet and Dr Michio Kaku, a physicist and inventor of String Field theory, was inspired by Albert Einstein.

    Asian writer Hari Kunzru found parallels to today’s infringement of personal and public space in the rhyme: “The law locks up the man or woman/ who steals the goose from off the common/ but lets the greater villain loose/ who steals the common from the goose.” (Anon).

    Nominations flooded in from people in more than 100 countries. Their selections have now been whittled down to a shortlist of ten.

    The shortlist is:

    Woody Allen “To you I’m an atheist; to God, I’m the Loyal Opposition”.

    Dalai Lama “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist”.

    Sir Isaac Newton “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”.

    Saint Augustine “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

    Gospel of Luke -“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

    Lao Tzu “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

    The US Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    William Shakespeare who wrote in the play As You Like It “All the world’s a stage, And, all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.”

    Nelson Mandela – “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

    Mahatma Gandhi “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

  • Distraction’s spoof ‘Sins Of Love’ sold to FremantleMedia France

    Distraction’s spoof ‘Sins Of Love’ sold to FremantleMedia France

    MUMBAI: Distraction has announced the sale of the spoof Sins of Love to Fremantle in France. The latter is currently negotiating with a number of French networks. With pre-production already under way, Distraction hopes the show will start airing as early as next fall.

    FremantleMedia France president Bibiane Godefroy said, “The unusual humour of this format struck me from the moment I saw it first at Mipcom. Set in a vibrant city, Sins of Love sends up the ‘soaps’ with a completely whacky universe of love triangles, family dramas and conspiracies that pay gloriously uproarious tribute to the genre’s every cliché. I think this new genre of scripted format will be attractive to French broadcasters.”

    “We are very excited to be working with Fremantle on this project. Not only are we assured of the quality of their adaptation, but we are also confident that it will become a cult series,” said Distraction president and CEO Michel Rodrigue.

    As the development of interactive content from such formats is already proving an asset on properties such as Love Bugs, Distraction has already begun work on a strategy for Sins of Love with Interactive Rights Management (IRM). The services will range from fixed line telephony brand extensions to MMS comic strips and mobile video downloads for the show, states an official release.

  • Security concerns threaten enterprises rollout of mobile technology: Global survey

    Security concerns threaten enterprises rollout of mobile technology: Global survey

    BANGALORE: Security concerns are the biggest obstacle to the widespread adoption of wireless and remote computing in businesses worldwide today, according to a global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Symantec Corp.

    More than 60 per cent of companies are holding back on deployment, citing security concerns. Close to 47 per cent of respondents cite cost and complexity as a major obstacle to deployment. All the while, almost one in five businesses has already experienced financial loss due to attacks via mobile data platforms.

    The Economist Intelligence Unit’s research highlights serious weaknesses in firms’ present security arrangements for mobile devices. While 82 per cent of businesses worldwide, indicate that they see the damage from virus attacks as the same or greater on a mobile network than on a fixed network, only 26 per cent have actually assessed security risks of smart phones, compared with 81 per cent of enterprises conducting security assessments for laptops. Despite the proliferation of mobile device use in the enterprise, only 9 per cent of companies have incorporated a new security architecture designed to include mobile device access. Of the rest, ten per cent of the companies have no measures for addressing mobile security, 39 per cent are granting mobile devices access to corporate networks on an ad hoc basis and another 39 per cent are integrating mobile devices into their existing fixed network security architecture.

    “It’s prudent for enterprises to gain experience in mobile deployments and security before a serious attack makes it mandatory and time critical,” said Paul Miller, director mobile and wireless solutions, Symantec Corporation. “In today’s enterprise, there are multiple end points to account for and proper protection cannot be tackled as one-size-fits-all. While most enterprises are aware of the risks introduced with mobility, they continue to lack the appropriate security measures and policies required to protect themselves from potential threats.”

    The Economist Intelligence Unit, surveyed more than 240 global company executives and conducted a number of in-depth interviews with executives across a range of industries, to explore awareness of security risks associated with the widespread adoption of mobile data solutions. The research also looked at business readiness to respond, should a security threat be realized. Regional responses were aligned on a number of matters, with regional contrast strongest around security risk assessment on specific devices and security software deployment. For example, 55 per cent of Western European businesses have deployed security software to protect mobile data, compared to 44 per cent in Asia-Pacific and just 36 per cent in North America.

    “Security is the one particular issue that continues to impede the widespread adoption of mobile computing in the workplace and if it continues to be overlooked there is a danger that some businesses will miss the advantages mobility can bring to their workforces,” said Economist Intelligence Unit director of custom research Gareth Lofthouse.

    The Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Volume IX, published in March 2006, highlighted that malicious code that targets mobile devices, particularly smart phones, continued to grow through the second half of 2005. The report also highlighted several new examples of malicious code for smart phones including Cardtrp, which was the first cross-platform threat with the ability to affect both Symbian and Windows operating systems. The end of 2005, also saw the emergence of Pbstealer, which is distributed as a file that represents itself as a phone book utility for smart phones, in order to entice a user to download and execute it. Once a device has been compromised by one of these Trojan horses, information such as the user’s phonebook, notepad, calendar, and to-do list will be transmitted to Bluetooth-enabled devices that are within range. This may pose a serious breach of confidentiality if a corporate device is compromised in this manner, as sensitive contact information and appointments could be shared. The risks connected with mobile data will increase as larger mobile networks become a more attractive target for cyber-criminals.

    “A coherent strategy for mobile security would work towards alleviating the concerns of many enterprises. Companies can begin leveraging mobile technology as a competitive advantage by adding mobile protection to 5 or 10 per cent of their mobile workforce and heeding to best practices. This measured approach will help tremendously in preparing for major deployment,” said Miller.

  • Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    MUMBAI: Zee Jagran will launch a pilgrimage-based show Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin on the occasion of Ram Navmi, on 6 April.

    According to an official release, the pilgrimage will have none other than Shri Arun Govil as the guide. The pilgrimage covers two countries, 10 states, 72 districts and 250 places. The program will be anchored by veteran actor Arun Govil.

    Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin gives its viewers a unique chance to explore and know in detail, about all the places visited by Shri Ram during his journeys – first with Rishi Vishwamitra and Rishi Vasishta as a child, and then the famous 14 years spent in exile. They can experience the divinity of all the places blessed by the footsteps of Shri Ram but lost and forgotten over a period of time, states an official release.

    Viewers will discover places like ‘Makhauda’ a small village 20 Kms from Ayodhya where Raja Dashrath performed the Putrayesthi Yagna, and where the Havan Kund in which this yagna was performed is still present, the release adds.

    Says Zee Jagran channel head Anil Anand, “A sense of divine history discovery & exploration, an intrinsic urge to understand one’s roots and an opportunity to be at one with God will make viewers respond to this program.” He further states that “The Channel has spared no cost to make this program special and meaningful for its viewers. The program has been shot – on location – all 250 of them; many of these places are inaccessible by modern means of transport. We have also specially composed over 400 Chaupies which will feature in the program. The title song has been very soulfully given voice by Shri Pankaj Awasthi. The program also gives travel advice to its viewers, should they want to visit any of these places. To involve and reward the viewers, we have an interactive format wherein viewers can win special gifts by sending answers to questions asked by Shri Arun Govil during the program.”

    The program is being promoted heavily on the Zee Network and other TV Channels, apart from viewer contacts being made through van activities across North Indian States.

  • Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus are kids’ favourite channels: New Generations 2005

    Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus are kids’ favourite channels: New Generations 2005

    MUMBAI: Mobile phones with cameras, computers, Shahrukh Khan, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus, Rani Mukerji, Sachin Tendulkar, online games, pocket money and Sania Mirza.

    The common factor among these is that they are Indian kids’ favourites according to the findings of Cartoon Network’s sixth edition of its patented kids’ lifestyle study – New Generations 2005.

    This year, the scope of the research has been expanded to include 15-19 year old teens, 4-6 year old kids, socio-economic class SEC C, as well as a number of new categories such as Health and Diet, Gadgets and Technology brands and Shopping and Kids’ perspectives.

    Conducted in association with Synovate India, New Generations 2005 is the largest and most in-depth research on Indian kids and seeks to gain insights on various aspects of their lives such as, pocket money, media habits, values and attitudes, product consumption habits etc.

    This year a couple of new elements have been added to the study, which are:

    The respondents category has been expanded to include younger kids (mothers of 4-6 year olds), older teens (15-19 year olds) and SEC C across age groups.

    New information areas like kids and their parents’ views on the child’s health and diet, TV viewing and regulation, sports and fitness, activity-mapping of a typical school-day and holiday, the brands that kids think are cool and the gadgets that kids desire has been included.

    The survey revealed that almost 40 per cent of kids aged 7-14 across cities and SEC strata are computer users and have used a computer in the past month. While 54 per cent of SEC A kids use computers, 37 per cent of SEC B and 34 per cent of SEC C are computer users.

    On the other hand, there is only a slight difference between boys (40 per cent) and girls (38 per cent). One in six computer users also surf the internet with more boys (20 per cent) than girls (15 per cent) surfing cyber space. Internet surfing increases with age with 20 per cent of 10-14s accessing the Internet, compared to 11 per cent of 7-9s. Also, 58 per cent of Internet users “usually access” the Internet at school, 26 per cent at cyber cafés and 17 per cent from home.

    Mobile phones with cameras rank the highest in the list of gadgets of desire for kids 7-14 with 74 per cent of the children, who have heard of one, saying they would like to own one. This is followed by the X-Box at 45 per cent, Apple iPod at 43 per cent and Sony Playstation at 33 per cent, of the kids who have heard of these gadgets.

    Nokia turned out to be the coolest brand among this age group with 72 per cent agreeing that Nokia was “very cool” followed by Sony (71 per cent), LG (60 per cent), Reliance (56 per cent), Wipro (35 per cent), Microsoft (39 per cent), Google (31 per cent), HCL (32 per cent), Infosys (30 per cent), amongst others, of the kids who have heard of these companies.

    The study also highlights that 87 per cent of kids aged 7-14 feel that too much of their time is spent studying. The feeling is the highest amongst kids from Madurai (98 per cent), followed by Kolkata and Cochin at 95 per cent. It is 90 per cent+ in Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur. However, for 80 per cent of kids across India, achieving the top rank is important even if it means having less free time.

    Interestingly, Kolkata also scores high here (97 per cent), followed by Nasik (95 per cent), then Cochin (93 per cent). Delhi is the lowest of the 14 cities at 67 per cent. And 95 per cent of kids aged 7-14 in Kolkata believe that it is difficult to score good marks without tuitions/extra classes compared to the national average of 57 per cent and Mumbai (60 per cent), Delhi (38 per cent) and Bangalore (65 per cent).

    Cartoon Network (47 per cent), Pogo (14 per cent) and Star Plus (9 per cent) emerge as top three channels amongst kids across India. On the other hand, TV viewing has emerged as universal among kids across the week, with over 9 in 10 parents watching with their kids.

    Questioned about their top three favourite television genres, 79 per cent kids voted for cartoons, 34 per cent for sports and 31 per cent for movies. The genres remained the same when split among boys and girls with boys (45 per cent versus 22 per cent) opting for sports and girls (29 per cent versus 17 per cent) preferring dance/music shows.

    Another interesting trend that was revealed in New Generations 2005 was the frequency of giving out pocket money to kids. Of kids who receive pocket money (39 per cent), 54 per cent receive pocket money on a daily basis, this is up from 33 per cent in 2004 and 24 per cent in 2003. Another fact is that 60 per cent kids get gift money, which is Rs 306 per year on an average. By adding the monies that kids receive each year (based on those receiving either gift or pocket money, only in the 14 markets), it comes to Rs 3.64 billion! And with a spending rate of 80 per cent, kids spend Rs 2.91 billion in a year!

    Referring to health and diet, 83 per cent parents believe that their children eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (Mumbai at 95 per cent and Delhi at 65 per cent), 78 per cent of kids across India echo a similar sentiment, ranging from 94 per cent in Madurai to 57 per cent in Delhi agreeing that they eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, 88 per cent parents across India (7-14) and their children agree they lead an active and healthy lifestyle with an impressive 99 per cent kids and 96 per cent parents in Madurai claiming so. However, 83 per cent parents would like their children to play more sports and 73 per cent kids would prefer to do so.

    Coming to shopping now… 84 per cent of the parents have taken their children with them for shopping, with 63 per cent of them shopping with their kids at least once a month. One in four kids ask for something (every time) while they are out shopping with their parents and most of them get what they want as well. A child’s opinion and choice is taken into consideration while deciding to purchase even high value items. Also, 71 per cent of parents agreed that their child influences which brand is chosen while buying television sets, 70 per cent for computers, 67 per cent while buying mobile phones and 66 per cent on the purchase of a car!

    Shahrukh Khan rules the roost as the favourite actor with 20 per cent of the total kids (7-14) voting for him, while Rani Mukerji emerged the favourite actress among all respondents with 16 per cent voting in her favour. The ranking is almost the same among boys (Shahrukh Khan -18 per cent and Rani Mukerji -14 per cent) and girls (Shah Rukh Khan – 22 per cent and Rani Mukerji – 17 per cent).

    Sachin Tendulkar continues to be Indian children’s favourite amongst sportspersons with 41 per cent of kids aged 7-14 voting for him followed by Rahul Dravid at 13 per cent, Sourav Ganguly and Sania Mirza at 6 per cent each.

    While 74 per cent of kids have heard of Sania Mirza and among these, nine out of 10 correctly identified the sport she plays, only 22 per cent have heard of Narain Karthikeyan and only six out of 10 of these could correctly identify his sport.

    Turner International Asia Pacific Ltd vice president research and market development Duncan Morris said, “Being the trailblazers in the kids’ entertainment category, Cartoon Network also pioneered the use of large-scale research surveys focused on kids. With subsequent editions of New Generations, Cartoon Network seeks to trace and update the trends related to various aspects of Indian kids’ lives and make this valuable survey information available to all those who are concerned with Indian children. With extended scope and a number of new research categories, New Generations 2005 once again provides the latest and most comprehensive guide to kids in India.”

    Turner International India Pvt. LTD senior manager research Krishna Desai said, “New Generations 2005 from Cartoon Network continues to build on its wealth of information about Indian kids and once again promises to be full of attention grabbing insights into Indian kids’ lifestyles, habits, preferences etc. Like its predecessors, New Generations 2005 is sure to be of great benefit and a reference guide to organisations and individuals with a focus on Indian kids, and aims to help further develop their expertise in this area.”

    The field work for New Generations 2005 was undertaken during November – December 2005 covering 14 cities and 8,927 respondents comprising 4,043 children between 7-19 years and their parents plus 841 mothers of 4-6 year olds. The sample was evenly split by gender, SEC A, B and C and age ranges 4-6, 7-9, 10-14 and 15-19.

  • Sahara in Rs 1.5 billion expansion plan; to bid for Abu Dhabi series

    Sahara in Rs 1.5 billion expansion plan; to bid for Abu Dhabi series

    MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd is planning to raise Rs 1.5 billion to meet its expansion plans. The company is also likely to bid for the cricket telecast rights for the two-match India-Pakistan Friendship Series to be held in Abu Dhabi.

    The board of directors will meet tomorrow (5 April) to decide on these issues. “Sahara One is looking at getting an enabling clause to raise Rs 1.5 billion. Among other things on the agenda is the approval to bid for the cricket rights,” said a source close to the company.

    Sahara’s media and entertainment business has been valued by Ernst & Young at Rs 7 billion, sources said. The company had appointed the consulting firm to conduct the valuation exercise.

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment is in talks to rope in investors. Recently, Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (publishers of Times of India and the Group is 74 per cent stakeholder in Times Now news channel) picked up six per cent stake for Rs 378 million in the company (Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that Bennett, Coleman would buy stake in Sahara One).

    NRI businessman C Sivasankaran is in talks to put in around Rs 1.2 billion for a minority stake into Sahara One. “He is sitting on the fence,” said the source. Having sold Aircel for $1.08 billion to Malaysia’s Maxis Communications, he is flush with funds. His first media investment was in ETC Networks where he held 40 per cent stake. He went on diluting equity and exited from the company which was later acquired by Zee Telefilms.

    Sahara is launching a music channel, adding up to a bouquet of general entertainment and movie channels. Sahara Group also owns a string of news channels.

    Sahara has already experimented with cricket telecast of the India-England series on its Hindi general entertainment channel. Using the event, Sahara One has encrypted and expanded the reach of the channel.

    For the Indo-Pak Friendship Series, the contract for ground rights has been bagged by PDM International, a Percept Holdings company, from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a bid of $ 3.61 million. Incidentally, Percept has a management contract to handle Sahara’s entertainment business.

  • Distraction relaunches Gameshow Zone

    Distraction relaunches Gameshow Zone

    MUMBAI: International format distributor Distraction adds two hot new properties to its classic gameshow catalogue, now re-launched as The Gameshow Zone.

    “These shows have an enduring appeal that hits the classic gameshow revival trend head on,” commented Distraction CEO Michel Rodrigue. “They are stellar examples of the qualities that have made formats so successful. Extremely strong audience retention, clear structures, proven track records, strong production histories… they have all the makings of sure-fire, long-term winners.”

    Teasers: From U.S. producer Merrill Heatter, Emmy award winning creator of the legendary Hollywood Squares, comes a format classic that combines the performers, questions, gags and bluffs of Hollywood Squares with the challenging, play-along style of Wheel of Fortune.

    Teasers is a fast-paced, fun-filled format with high production values and ‘can’t miss’ game play. Six celebrities – sitting in two rows of three boxes – answer the questions. Two contestants decide if the panellist has given the correct answer. A correct guess earns a contestant a piece of a six-part word puzzle, superimposed on his or her ‘box’, and the contestant has a chance to solve the puzzle.

    This entertaining word game is perfect for either a weekly or stripped slot, and with the proven power of funny celebrities plus the involvement of the word game, Teasers is sure to be at least as successful and unpredictable as its predecessor.

    Black Cat: A game of trade and cunning, Black Cat is the Magnolia adaptation of a popular Italian card game. Three contestants race to the last card over four rounds of the game before coming to the gold pyramid and the final jackpot prize. The rules of play are simple, but contestants must overcome obstacles in each round as they compete to keep the winning cards and stay in the game. One alone will move on to the final round, where eight prizes await. Only four are worth cash, however, and whether or not the contestant wins them depends on what’s in the cards.

    In the end, the only sure winner with Black Cat is the broadcaster. This one-hour format is now airing on Italia Uno and showing a strong performance against rival Deal or No Deal in the access prime time slot. Even successful series such as The O.C. and Smallville are falling short of the audience appeal of Black Cat, which has improved Italia Uno’s ratings in Italian television’s most challenging timeslot.

    Distraction’s Gameshow Zone groups these new offerings with successful formats such as In the Dark, which airs in Thailand, Indonesia and Russia, among other countries.