ITV

Category: News Headline

  • World’s first broadband environmental channel green.tv launched

    World’s first broadband environmental channel green.tv launched

    MUMBAI: The world’s first broadband TV channel dedicated to environmental issues green.tv, developed with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has been launched, aiming to become a “one-stop shop” of broadcast information on the environment covering everything from climate change to children’s stories on wildlife.

    UNEP said green.tv would also go live today as a podcast on iTunes as well as having a front-page listing, courtesy of Apple computers. It will carry films from around the world produced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community filmmakers, public sector bodies and companies with a firm interest in protecting the environment.

    “Green.tv is a truly innovative project which will no doubt influence the field of environmental film-making and research. It will eventually offer a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ for environmental TV programming – something that has so far not been available,” said UNEP’s Division of Communications and Public Information director Eric Falt.

    “Green.tv has the potential to become a broadband reference point or benchmark in this field.”

    It will have seven channels covering: air, land, water, climate change, people, species and technologies, in each of which there will be a feature, a news item and a children’s story. With the look and feel of a global TV channel, green.tv will combine this with the best elements of the internet, giving users access to online chatrooms and the ability to watch video on demand, UNEP said in an official release.

    Director-producer Ade Thomas, who first thought up the idea, compared it to the popular Google search engine. “If you want to see a news item about climate change, watch a kids’ story about penguins or a feature about wind farms, go to www.green.tv and you’ll be able to see some engaging and thought-provoking films about the environment, at a time when a greater understanding and awareness of these issues is critical,” he said.

  • Airtel launches customer care solution NetXpert

    Airtel launches customer care solution NetXpert

    MUMBAI: Internet service provider Bharti Tele-Ventures has launched an automated customer support service NetXpert. The company, in association with California-based SupportSoft, has introduced the service to its DSL (digital subscriber line, a fixed broadband connection) subscribers to simplify installation and help overcome snags.

    Airtel broadband subscribers in Bangalore will be the first in the country to receive NetXpert.

    The NetXpert suite comprises three applications – Installer, Agent and Chat. With these, subscribers will be able to diagnose and solve problems without making calls to customer care agents. NetXpert is based on SupportSoft’s products for real-time customer support, which are used by 38 million broadband customers outside India.

    Connectivity, browser and e-mail related issues are immediately resolved by NetXpert Agent, while the Installer helps subscribers install their connection without assistance. Installer also automatically detects system and network issues. It is based on SmartAccess, which allows the ISP to save on manpower as there are no longer time-consuming household visits by service technicians, states an official release.

    The Chat application, based on SupportSoft’s LiveAssist, allows Airtel’s customer service representatives to chat online with up to four customers at a time. This reduces the wait time by taking recourse to a different, widespread communication medium, the release adds.

  • BCCI awards ground rights for Abu Dhabi Series to PDM International

    BCCI awards ground rights for Abu Dhabi Series to PDM International

    MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has awarded PDM International the contract for ground rights for the Indo-Pak Friendship Series to be held in Abu Dhabi. PDM bid $ 3.61 million for the rights, outbidding Abu Dhabi Cricket Club with a slim margin.

    The one-day series will be held on 18 and 19 April. The third participant in the bidding, Nimbus, was disqualified for not fulfilling the Tender conditions.

    BCCI Marketing Sub Committee VP & chairman Lalit Modi said, ”it is good to see corporates interested in associating with this series and more importantly the cause for which it is being played. Out of the three companies that submitted the ground rights tender, the BCCI Marketing Sub Committee awarded the rights to PDM International that had the requisite qualifications and experience as per the conditions listed in the Invitation to Tender. We now look forward to a positive and lasting association with them”.

    These matches are being played for the earthquake relief victims that affected millions of people in the subcontinent. 75 per cent of the proceeds will go to Pakistan, while 25 per cent of the proceeds will go to India. The India and Pakistan players have also agreed to waive their match fees towards this cause.

    Announcing the development, PDM International MD & CEO Sanjay Lal said, “We launched PDM India with a focused objective and today we have made our first step towards achieving this objective. We completely support this cause and deeply relate to it. We are happy to contribute in our own way by attaining the rights to this series. We will be announcing the title sponsor along with the other on-ground partners shortly.”

    Billed as the ‘Friendship Series’, this will be the first time in nearly eight years that India and Pakistan will play in a bilateral series on a neutral venue. BCCI & PCB have decided to play 15-25 games over the next 5 years at a neutral venue and these are the first 2 ties to be played, states an official release.

    There are a large number of expatriates in the UAE and they will be treated to an Indo-Pak cricket affair after nearly 6 years. These matches will be played at the Zayed stadium, which boasts of state-of-the-art facilities and a capacity of 18,000 spectators.

    PDM has been in the sports and entertainment arena since 1995 and have already made their mark in the subcontinent. They have worked very closely with organizations like Levers, Sahara P&G, Airtel and Hero Honda. In the past year, PDM entered the International arena and have worked in countries like the US, UK and UAE. This development signals the entry of PDM into the big league, the release adds.

  • GRB Entertainment is all set to ‘Rumble’

    GRB Entertainment is all set to ‘Rumble’

    MUMBAI: Continuing its move into the scripted world of dramatic series, GRB Entertainment has signed a deal with screenwriter John Milius for a new one-hour dramatic series entitled Rumble.

    Rumble is loosely based on the life and bestselling book of Chuck Zito, the former president of the New York City Hells Angels who rose to become one of the most famous Hells Angels in their history. Zito will serve as executive producer and story consultant for the series.

    GRB Entertainment plans to take the project out in the next 2-3 months and is offering the series at next week’s television event MIPTV in Cannes, France. It is looking to secure a co-production deal with a European partner.
    Milius says, “I have always been fascinated with motorcycle gangs having grown up around them and if I had not been a surfer, I would have been a biker. The biker image is shrouded with mystery, fear, and admiration and the outlaw biker gang is an authentic international counter culture that has lasted a long, long time. This series will tell all.²

    Set in the volatile streets of New York City, Rumble follows the life of Johnny Ringo, a tough, take-no prisoners, brute of a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Loosely based on a true story, this gritty series chronicles Ringo’s reign as he assumes the presidency of the largest and most ruthless biker gang in the world.

    Milius created and served as the executive producer on HBO’s series Rome.

  • UK study highlights the need for more innovative TV on mobile phones

    UK study highlights the need for more innovative TV on mobile phones

    MUMBAI: The results of a new study, Mobile TV – Attitudes to Broadcast on Mobile, confirms the need for broadcast and entertainment brands to work harder to tailor their content to mobile phones.

    The qualitative study by Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast) and digital media research agency, iBurbia, aimed to research consumer attitudes to specially made or tailored mobile content compared to TV streamed to mobile phones.

    The findings suggested that full length programming on mobile is not as popular as made for mobile TV because screen sizes are too small, opportunities to watch full length programmes on-the-go are rare and subjects preferred to watch full-length programming on the TV.

    iBurbia’s Omar Bakhshi says, “We talked with a broad range of people in this study and there was significant interest in concepts that complemented TV viewing with extra and exclusive content on mobile phones. But, the content had to be sufficiently compelling to be worth the effort and there is a fear of billing abuse, meaning that cost needs to be made clear”.

    The results have also suggested that the most effective way to market mobile TV will be using on-screen prompts within related television shows. The most successful mobile TV will also be of the right quality to work on a mobile screen and targeted to a specific audience. Participants in the study found that, on the smallest of mobile screens, any content over three minutes was too long and anything over one pound was too expensive.

    The recent Oxford trials confirmed that there is an appetite for mobile TV, but this research highlights how ‘TV’ for mobile is wildly different from the ‘TV’ of linear broadcasting. New rules for advertising, navigating and entertaining apply. We worked with iBurbia to find out what viewers really want to watch on their mobile phones. Red Bee Media has built a successful business in understanding consumers’ needs in order to create and tailor content and communicaton for multiple platforms and formats.

    Red Bee Media business director new creative content Catriona Tate says, “The results point towards the mobile TV market being driven in the short term by advertiser funded content and mobile video that compliments or promotes TV programmes”.

    The qualitative study was produced by iBurbia in its interactive media research centre in West London. It included six focus groups – two groups made up of people aged 16-25, three 26-40 and one 41-60. One of these groups consisted of ‘gadget’ users (26-40 age group), the rest only having freeview TV at home and mostly using their mobile phones just for calls.

    The subjects were shown content specially made for mobile on mobile handsets that was created by Red Bee Media. The content included a sport clip, comedy clip, one minute mobidrama, advertiser funded programme, interview with football manager and reality TV clip. As a comparison, subjects were also shown a full length High Definition programme on a PSP (portable Play Station) and a Freeview channel streamed live to a mobile phone.A

  • Hong Kong to launch digital TV next year

    Hong Kong to launch digital TV next year

    MUMBAI: The Hong Kong Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau has set up working groups with Asia Television Limited (ATV) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) to ensure timely and smooth launch of digital services next year.

    Led by the Hong Kong office of the Telecommunications Authority, the groups will work with the TV stations to solve technical issues related to the transmission and reception of digital terrestrial TV, and facilitate inter-departmental coordination to ensure successful migration from analogue to digital TV at different stages.

    Media reports indicate that a new website has also been launched as part of a major publicity drive to raise awareness and improve understanding of digital TV. Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games are the driving force speeding up the introduction of digital terrestrial television in Hong Kong. The administration will require the territory’s two terrestrial television broadcasters to start digital transmissions by next year.

    In July 2004, Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority announced the implementation framework for digital TV in Hong Kong.

    The bureau approved the investment plans of ATV and TVB for their digital TV programme service and network rollout.

    According to the blueprint, ATV and TVB will start broadcasting their existing services in both analogue and digital format (simulcasting) and launch a new digital service on the respective additional frequency channel assigned to them by 2007.

    The government has yet to decide its transmission standard. If the mainland has not promulgated a national standard before the end of 2006, ATV and TVB will adopt the European digital video broadcasting – terrestrial standard which has been widely adopted internationally.

    The government has set up two working groups, led by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, to work with the two broadcasters to ensure an integrated launch of digital TV.

    According to the government timetable, ATV and TVB shall provide their existing services in both analog and digital format by 2007.

    Subject to further market and technical studies, the government will direct ATV and TVB to cease analogue broadcasts by 2012, Lai said.

  • American Idol judge Paula Abdul signs new multi year deal

    American Idol judge Paula Abdul signs new multi year deal

    MUMBAI: Pop star Paula Abdul has agreed to continue her role as a fan-favourite judge on US broadcaster Fox’s show American Idol for at least three more years

    Fox Entertainment president Peter Ligouri says, “Paula is an integral member of the Amerian Idol family, and we are excited to have her continue as the show’s beloved judge. As someone who rose to the top of the charts as a solo artist, she has unique insights into the contestants’ hopes, dreams and fears.”

    In India, the show airs on Star World. Fox executive VP special programming Mike Darnell says, “Paula’s warm and nurturing nature is vital to the balance of the show. We are thrilled to have her alongside – or actually in between – Randy and Simon”.

    Abdul said, “It is truly an honour to be a part of the American Idol phenomenon. As an artist myself, it is a pleasure to have a connection with each of the contestants and be able to fully support their dreams and aspirations. They truly inspire and amaze me each week. Of course, I also look forward to putting Simon in his place for years to come.”

  • UK study highlights the need for more innovative TV on mobile phones

    UK study highlights the need for more innovative TV on mobile phones

    MUMBAI: The results of a new study, Mobile TV – Attitudes to Broadcast on Mobile, confirms the need for broadcast and entertainment brands to work harder to tailor their content to mobile phones.

    The qualitative study by Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast) and digital media research agency, iBurbia, aimed to research consumer attitudes to specially made or tailored mobile content compared to TV streamed to mobile phones.

    The findings suggested that full length programming on mobile is not as popular as made for mobile TV because screen sizes are too small, opportunities to watch full length programmes on-the-go are rare and subjects preferred to watch full-length programming on the TV.

    iBurbia’s Omar Bakhshi says, “We talked with a broad range of people in this study and there was significant interest in concepts that complemented TV viewing with extra and exclusive content on mobile phones. But, the content had to be sufficiently compelling to be worth the effort and there is a fear of billing abuse, meaning that cost needs to be made clear”.

    The results have also suggested that the most effective way to market mobile TV will be using on-screen prompts within related television shows. The most successful mobile TV will also be of the right quality to work on a mobile screen and targeted to a specific audience. Participants in the study found that, on the smallest of mobile screens, any content over three minutes was too long and anything over one pound was too expensive.

    The recent Oxford trials confirmed that there is an appetite for mobile TV, but this research highlights how ‘TV’ for mobile is wildly different from the ‘TV’ of linear broadcasting. New rules for advertising, navigating and entertaining apply. We worked with iBurbia to find out what viewers really want to watch on their mobile phones. Red Bee Media has built a successful business in understanding consumers’ needs in order to create and tailor content and communicaton for multiple platforms and formats.

    Red Bee Media business director new creative content Catriona Tate says, “The results point towards the mobile TV market being driven in the short term by advertiser funded content and mobile video that compliments or promotes TV programmes”.

    The qualitative study was produced by iBurbia in its interactive media research centre in West London. It included six focus groups – two groups made up of people aged 16-25, three 26-40 and one 41-60. One of these groups consisted of ‘gadget’ users (26-40 age group), the rest only having freeview TV at home and mostly using their mobile phones just for calls.

    The subjects were shown content specially made for mobile on mobile handsets that was created by Red Bee Media. The content included a sport clip, comedy clip, one minute mobidrama, advertiser funded programme, interview with football manager and reality TV clip. As a comparison, subjects were also shown a full length High Definition programme on a PSP (portable Play Station) and a Freeview channel streamed live to a mobile phone.

  • ‘Rainbow’ voted best children’s TV show in UK

    ‘Rainbow’ voted best children’s TV show in UK

    MUMBAI: A survey conducted by BBC Worldwide in the UK to celebrate the launch of the new CBeebies Weekly pre-school magazine, takes a nostalgic look at the favourite kids programmes of yesteryear.

    George, Zippy and Bungle came out soaring up above the roofs and houses as Rainbow was voted number one show most fondly remembered from early childhood (3-6 years old). The show aired in the UK from 1972 to 1992. It was a children’s puppet programme featuring music and stories.

    The study confirms that they are still as cherished as today’s the Teletubbies, Tweenies and Charlie & Lola, all featured in the new weekly magazine.

    1000 people took part in the Omnibus survey, which asked 25-45 years old to take a trip down memory lane and select their favourite kids programme of all time.

    The Magic Roundabout with Zebedee, Ermintrude and Dougal came in a close second, and as if by magic, bowler-hatted Mr Benn and his costumed world of adventures grabbed joint third position with Little Ted, Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty still holding a firm place in Play Schoolers’ hearts. Slumbering Bagpuss came in at number five.

  • Revenue for Canada’s private TV stations up four per cent

    Revenue for Canada’s private TV stations up four per cent

    MUMBAI: The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released its annual report with statistical and financial data on conventional Canadian private television stations for 2001-2005.Overall, these stations remain profitable, and posted increased revenues and profits over this period.

    From 2004 to 2005, total revenue and profit before interest and taxes for private television stations rose by close to four per cent coming in at $2.2 billion and $242.2 million respectively in 2005. The ad revenues for these stations grew by nearly five per cent, totalling $1.5 billion, while local time sales decreased by 1.1 per cent to $362.9 million.

    Overall, broadcasters’ operating expenses increased by 4.3 per cent from 2004 to 2005, reaching $1.9 billion in 2005. Of that amount, $1.3 billion was invested in acquiring and producing programming, including $587 million for Canadian programmes. This figure includes the $138.5 million that broadcasters paid to independent producers in order to acquire programming.

    Private broadcasters’ spending on Canadian programmes included $86.6 million for drama, $310.2 million for news programs, $59.4 million for other information programs, $83.1 million for general interest programming, and $29.2 million for musical and variety shows.

    The report was produced using the financial summaries of private Canadian television undertakings. It also provides data from the CBC’s financial summaries. It is the first in a series of reports on broadcasting that the CRTC publishes every year in order to inform interested parties of the current financial situation of this industry in Canada.