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Category: News Headline

  • Aishwarya Rai sizzles on AXN in top 10 of world’s 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies

    Aishwarya Rai sizzles on AXN in top 10 of world’s 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies

    MUMBAI: The action oriented AXN ignites television screens as E! counts down the 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies in the world.

    On 29 March at 12 am, the channel will showcase the series that will highlight a gamut of superstar bodies who inspire sighs the world over.

    Experts will talk on celebrities ranging from pop culture commentators, to the top doyennes of fashion and style, celebrity fitness trainers and co-stars.

    From Aishwarya Rai, Italian sex symbol Raoul Bova, to Fantastic Four’s Chris Evans, Playboy publishing icon Hugh Hefner, to the dashing Sean Maguire, and international sex goddess Raquel Welch, the experts offer their insights on the international celebrities who have made it into the ultimate sexy countdown.

    Viewers will find out which stars rate ultra-sexy worldwide – ultimately revealing the sexiest male and female celebrity bodies in the world. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Beyonce, Aishwarya Rai feature in the top 10.

  • NGC US’ global special reveals the ‘Lost Gospel of Judas’

    NGC US’ global special reveals the ‘Lost Gospel of Judas’

    MUMBAI: National Geographic in the US has announced that next month it will unveil a special globally The Gospel of Judas.

    Discovered by chance in the 1970s, a document that lay hidden for nearly 1,700 years emerges today as the The Gospel of Judas.

    The two-hour global event traces the story of what has happened to the document since it was found, the recent authentication process and analysis, and key insight gleaned from its laborious translation and interpretation. Dramatic recreations portray and clarify the complex story of intrigue and politics of the earliest days of Christianity, and portray the contents of the Gospel itself.

    The Gospel of Judas presents a newly discovered account of the life of Jesus Christ. But how can its authenticity be verified? When was this gospel written and by whom? The research and documentary will reveal details contained within the document as well as key sections translated from its ancient Coptic script.

    It will also examine the modern history of the document since it was found, including the exhaustive restoration and conservation process. The manuscript will be returned to its country of origin, Egypt.

  • Cartoon Network kicks off campaign for Beyblade Championship

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network has kicked off its nationwide campaign for Hojaye Shuru! – The Beyblade Championship.

    The Beyblade Championship will be held in Mumbai and Delhi in quest of India’s best beyblader and will offer Indian kids an opportunity to showcase just how adept they are with their Beyblades to win the coveted Beyblade Trophy and a snazzy personal computer.

    The Beyblade euphoria also continues on-air on Cartoon Network where kids have to spot the ‘bitbeast’ on their TV screens during the Beyblade show on Cartoon Network, every weekday at 5.30 pm.

    Viewers can send their entries across by SMS, phone or online to bag fabulous prizes including a Sony Play Station-2 every week. Also up for grabs at leading outlets of McDonald’s are wild card entries to the grand finale, to be held at Mumbai on 14 May and Delhi on 21 May.

    “Following the phenomenal success of the cutting edge programming series Beyblade, as well as the huge popularity of Beyblade merchandise, also launched by Cartoon Network, the network’s first-ever Beyblade championship further reaffirms our promise to provide our audience with multiple touch points to the network, beyond the television set. The ‘Beyblade Championship’ will give kids a chance to test their skills at beyblading and win fantastic prizes,” said Turner Entertainment Networks Asia executive director marketing Asia Pacific Vivek Krishnani.

    Aspiring Beyblade masters can enter the on-air contest by watching Beyblade every weekday at 5.30 pm to spot the bit beast and enter their name either online at www.cartoonnetworkindia.com, or sms ‘BB’ followed by the name to 8558 or via phone (19051802233) to win Sony PS-2s and thousands of exciting Beyblade goodies.

    Kids who want to participate at the on-ground championship can also sms “BB M” for Mumbai and “BB D” for Delhi to 8558 to win a chance to enter The Beyblade Championship in the two cities.

    Beyblade premiered on Cartoon Network on 20 May, 2005 and since then has consistently been rating among the top five programmes on Cartoon Network.

     

  • Turner’s Krishnani promoted; Duggal appointed CN, Pogo marketing head India

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network and Pogo India director marketing Vivek Krishnani has been promoted to Turner Entertainment Networks Asia executive director marketing for the Asia Pacific region.

    With this, Krishnani will be shifting base to Hong Kong and will be overseeing the marketing operations for the Asia Pacific region.

    Stepping into his shoes will be Pogo senior manager marketing Bikram Duggal, who will now head marketing for Cartoon Network and Pogo in India and Pakistan.

    Duggal as Cartoon Network and Pogo associate director marketing India will report to Krishnani and will be based in Mumbai.

    Krishnani joined Turner in April 2004 from Radio City where he was the marketing head.
     

     

  • O&M India CEO John Goodman moving out to head Japan

    MUMBAI: Ogilvy & Mather India/South Asia CEO John Goodman is moving to Japan as president for that territory.

    Goodman replaces current incumbent Mark Blair, who is returning to Hong Kong as president, Global Brand Community Asia Pacific.

    Both these changes take place effective May/June 2006 and are part of organisational restructuring at O&M Asia Pacific. As for who will take over from Goodman in India, a company statement says, “Further announcements about leadership changes in India will be made shortly.”
     
     
     
     
    Blair’s new role in Hong Kong puts him in charge of the teams, wherever they are located, that manage the major international brands handled cross Ogilvy’s Asian network. Blair has been in Tokyo for almost five years, prior to which he was regional planning director based in Hong Kong.
     
     
     
    O&M chairman Miles Young commented, “Both Mark and John are great examples of how, at Ogilvy, we are committed as an organization to broadening the experience of our people and encouraging them in their career development for the next level of responsibility.”

    Said O&M India chairman & national creative director, Piyush Pandey said, “John Goodman has been chosen for perhaps the most challenging and exciting job in the Asia-Pacific Region – to head Ogilvy & Mather Japan. Japan is the biggest market in Asia and is therefore the most important for the group.”
     
     
     
     
    “As the CEO of Ogilvy India, John has done a splendid job. He has been the perfect partner to SN Rane (COO, India & South Asia) and me. He has played a great role over the last two years in managing and improving the performance and the ability of Ogilvy India. His relentless efforts in the areas of training and development have rejuvenated this very important aspect of our business. Personally, I am going to miss a good man and a good friend,” added Pandey.

    Goodman has been in his role in India/South Asia for the last three years, following a six year stint as president of OgilvyOne Asia Pacific.
     

     

  • Zee English and Movies launched

    Zee English and Movies launched

    Two English entertainment channels were launched on 15 March by Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra and Chief Executive R.K. Singh in Mumbai. Zee Movies and Zee English will be offering fierce competition to Star World, Star Movies and HBO. Or at least so hopes the Zee Telefilms management.

    The two channels are aiming at the niche but relatively large English speaking and understanding audiences in India and also lovers of B-grade movies and some up-to-date series from the US market. The launch coincides with the launch of the preview broadcast of global movie champ HBO over India.

    Zee English and Zee Movies are free to air currently but will be encrypted as part of the Zee digital bouquet. The company is bringing in a small batch of Philips IRDs to seed the market until the transition to a digital bouquet.

    Both the channels are airing a mix of eighties, nineties, and even the most recent season’s programming from the US. On offer are series such as ER, Friends, The David Letterman show, Here’s Lucy, Central Park West, Three’s Company, Charlie Chaplin, Twilight Zone etc on Zee English.

    In a bid to raise the hackles of Zee TV’s former partner Star TV, the programming team has decided to air the consignment of Friends episodes it has the rights to just half an hour before it is aired on Star World.

    The software for Zee Movies has been acquired from MGM, Pearson, Carlton, Fremantle, Diskovery, and Passport International. Some of the titles on offer include: Quest, Kazaam, Evil Dead, Leon.

    Chandra points out that there will be a dedicated effort from the Zee Telefilms programming team to produce English language software which will find a market internationally. “Instead of importing software from foreign countries, we will develop our own content which will find buyers not only in India but also in the global village,” he says.

    Singh believes that the two English channels will break even in the next two to three years like any other Hindi entertainment channel.

    Will he have to eat his words in two years time?

    “Unlikely,” says Chandra. “Ultimately it will be the consumer who will decide. And we are confident we will help him decide in our favour.”

  • Fortune Star launches web/wireless reality show ‘The Heyman Hustle’ at Mipcom 2006

    Fortune Star launches web/wireless reality show ‘The Heyman Hustle’ at Mipcom 2006

    MUMBAI: Fortune Star Entertainment Ltd (Fortune Star) will launch at Mipcom 2006 The Heyman Hustle, a web/wireless reality series hosted by Paul Heyman.

    The reality series, featuring provocative content for the exploding new media platforms, is created by Paul Heyman, the architect of the edgy Extreme Wrestling phenomenon in the 1990s, and produced by Park Avenue production house, HQ Productions, Inc. Fortune Star is the exclusive worldwide distributor of The Heyman Hustle, informs an official release.

    “Both traditional and new media expanded their reach by tapping into the worldwide mobile culture,” said Heyman, “Whether people are out at dinner, on the beach, or in their car, their cell phone, Blackberry, Trio, iPod, or broadband unit has become more than an accessory, it’s a necessity. The wireless/web based platform has now become the most powerful way for me to reach audiences.”

    “From Bombay to the Bronx, if you walk the streets with Paul, people open up and embrace him as one of their own. Paul’s bombastic on-air personality is matched only by his innovations and revolutionary entertainment concepts,” Fortune Star’s GM, Peter E. Poon, added, “Which is why we are so excited to package Paul together with Mitchell Stuart, whose work at HQ Productions has led to broadband’s most successful music series.”

    The Heyman Hustle will be a weekly program customised for both the web and mobile experiences. The series will be available in 10-minute webcast and one-minute mobicast formats with features including ringtones, wallpapers and java games, adds the release.

  • Interactions wins Rs 350 million media duties of Sony India

    MUMBAI: Lintas Media Group’s Interactions has won the Rs 350 million media duties for Sony India in a multi-agency pitch. Interactions will now be responsible to plan, buy and service the media for the electronics major.

    Sony India general manager AVIT Division Mohit Parasher said, “Since we believe media plays a very crucial role in our sales and marketing strategy, we found Lintas Interactions to be best suited to deliver our goals.”

    Interactions president Sudha Natrajan added, “We are very happy that we are partnering a brand of the stature of Sony forward to make their mark wider and deeper in the Indian market.”
    Lintas Media Group director Lynn de Souza said, “I am very happy that at Interactions, we have been able to bag Sony India. I’m sure the team is raring to go and will do all they can to ensure that the brand is provided with the best insight to consumer needs.”
     

  • Cobra Beer teams up with VH1 India for Liquid Bar Awards

    MUMBAI: Cobra Beer partners with VH1 India and Liquid Magazine to present the annual Liquid Bar Awards. The Awards and the launch of Liquid Magazine will take place on 3 May 2006.

    The awards have been instituted to recognize some of the major players who have been instrumental in strengthening India’s bar and drinks industry.

    The awards have seven categories: Best Bar; Best New Bar; Best New Design; Best Night Out; Best Cocktail Menu; Best Wine List and Best Music Venue, which has been sponsored by VH1.

    Cobra Beer regional director Perses Bilimoria says, “We at Cobra Beer in India are delighted to be associated with the launch of Liquid Magazine in India and the first presentation of the Liquid Bar Awards. We see this as exciting synergy for the entire bar and drinks industry, the opportunities of which are yet to be unleashed.”
    Food writer Rashmi Uday Singh, Alok Chandra and Sandeep Verma are the judges.