Category: Press Release

ICC announces associate and affiliate panel of umpires for 2015

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the 11-member ICC Associate and Affiliate Panel of International Umpires for 2015, which follows the annual review and selection process.

Scotland’s Allan Haggo has joined Sameer Bandekar, Kathy Cross, Mark Hawthorne, Wynand Louw, Nigel Morrison, David Odhiambo, Buddhi Pradhan, Sarika Siva Prasad, Ian Ramage and Courtney Young in the panel for 2015.

The panel was named by the Associate and Affiliate Selection Committee, which comprises of Senior ICC Umpire and Referees Manager Vince Van Der Bijl; ICC Umpire and Referees Administration Manager Adrian Griffith; ICC Regional Match Referee David Jukes; and ICC Development Events Manager Edward Fitzgibbon.

The 53-year-old Haggo recently officiated at Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 in Singapore 2014, including the final.

Ireland umpire Richard Smith, who officiated during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Australia in 2012, has stepped down from the panel, having moved from Ireland. Smith joined the panel in 2011, and officiated in six ODIs and six T20Is, including the historic Bangladesh in Netherlands tri-series in 2012.

The umpires on the ICC Associate and Affiliate Panel of International Umpires can be assigned to ODI and T20I matches involving Associate and Affiliate Members, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers and ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers, as well as ICC Intercontinental Cup matches, the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship and Divisions, and other Associate and Affiliate tournaments.

January 7, 2015
‘How Do They Do It’ on Discovery Channel

MUMBAI: ‘How Do They Do It?’ premieres to dissect and analyse the inner workings of some of the most seemingly regular objects and technologies that have changed the way we live today. How do fireworks end up being multi-coloured? How are incense sticks made? How do you crack the world’s toughest nuts? The show reveals the remarkable innovation, processes, designs and inspirations behind some of the most ostensibly ordinary objects.

‘How Do They Do It?’ will air every Monday to Friday at 8 pm starting 12 January, 2015 on Discovery Channel.

The episodes also highlights some of the interesting facts from India like Mumbai Monorail – how do they build a monorail in one of the most crowded cities on earth; Tiffin System – how do they get hot home cooked food to thousands of Mumbai workers; World One – how did they build the world’s tallest apartment building; Dehydrated husks of gourds are transformed into Sitars – India’s most famous musical instrument which has influenced musicians like the Beatles and the Doors; trading at world’s largest diamond exchange in Surat and many more.

From infrastructures to technologies, food, materials, vehicles and what-have-you, each episode spotlights commonplace objects and processes that we rarely think about. Passengers check in for a flight – sometimes less than an hour before departure – yet their bags make it to the same flight and destination. Twenty-first century farmers spend less time under the sun, thanks to high-tech automatic rancher robots running their homesteads. We often take for granted the end-product or result, but what exactly happens along the way?

Discovery Channel takes you behind the scenes to unveil the methods, machines, and minds behind the technologies that go into even the simplest of consumer goods. You may never look at ordinary objects the same way again.

January 7, 2015
Cricketer Mathew Hayden to appear on ‘The Tara Sharma Show’ on Star World

MUMBAI: Star World’s parenting series The Tara Sharma Show will see Australian cricket sensation Mathew Hayden make an appearance as a celebrity guest. The ex-cricketer who shot for the episode recently, will be seen in a candid chat with Tara Sharma opening up more on his life as a parent.

Hosted and created by Bollywood actress Tara Sharma, the show is a platform to freely discuss topical parenting issues with people from different walks of life. Staying true to its goal, the ex-cricketer has been taken onboard to share his life as a parent. Having had a successful career in international cricket, Mathew Hayden is world famous as a strong-built left-hander, for his intimidating personality. Hayden is father to three wonderful kids, a daughter named Grace, and two sons named Joshua and Thomas Joseph.

There are celebrity and non-celebrity guests on the show as well as tips from professionals – child psychologists, educationists, pediatricians etc, inspirational stories and personal anecdotes. Celebrity guests feature on the ‘Tara’s Tete-a-tete with’ segment of the show include Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Mary Kom, Juhi Chawla, Vivek and Priyanka Oberoi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Tisca Chopra, among others. ‘Tara’s Parenting Pow-wows’ segment features non-celebrity parents who are somehow connected to the theme of that particular episode.

Watch The Tara Sharma Show, Every Sunday, 11am only on Star World.

January 7, 2015
IntelliGrape to organize the biggest grails conference in India, GrailsConf 2015

MUMBAI: IntelliGrape, the technology arm of TO THE NEW and a global leader in Groovy and Grails development is organizing GrailsConf on January 10, 2015 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The conference is being organized in partnership with Pivotal and GR8Conf.

GrailsConf is one of the biggest independent Grails Conferences being conducted in India, dedicated to the technologies in the Groovy ecosystem. The conference will witness thought leaders and architects from the Grails community sharing case studies, experiences and the latest happenings in the Groovy and Grails ecosystem.

Dr. Venkat Subramaniam, a renowned award-winning author, founder of Agile Developer, Inc., and an instructional professor at the University of Houston will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers include industry leaders like ShriKant Vashishtha, Director Engineering, GlobalLogic, Shekhar Gulati, Technology Director, Xebia Group, Kunal Dabir, Senior Consultant, ThoughtWorks, Naresha K, Technologist, Channel Bridge Software Labs, Roni C. Thomas and Manoj Mohan, Senior Grails Consultants at IntelliGrape.

Talking about the event, Mr. Deepak Mittal, CEO, IntelliGrape said “We are excited to be a part of the second edition of GrailsConf in India. This is a great platform for the technology enthusiasts to learn about the latest updates in the Groovy, Grails, Spock and Griffin ecosystem.”

The conference agenda is divided into different sessions such as Demystifying Gradle Build Scripts, Specification by Example in Grails with easyb, Effective Java with Groovy and Applying Groovy Closures for Fun and Productivity.

The conference is taking place at India Habitat Centre, from 10.00-18.00, and will include a networking lunch.

A full schedule of the conference is available here at www.grailsconf.in

January 7, 2015
Star Plus ‘Tu Mera Hero’ is the biggest fiction launch of 2014

MUMBAI: The numbers have spoken! Star Plus, India’s No.1 Hindi General Entertainment channel continued its strong run to end the year with 596 GTVMs . In the last week of the year, the channel strengthened its content with the launch of a new Rom Com – Tu Mera Hero – which recorded the highest opening of the year 2014. The show which premiered on 22 December 2014 at the 8 pm time slot, opened at a staggering 7.3 TVM. This is by far the highest for any fiction show launch in 2014.

The unique launch promos of the show featuring a lazy but charming new hero, created buzz right from the day they hit the TV screens and culminated in the strong launch week numbers.

The show brings to light the lives of Titu, a lazy yet extremely humorous and charming guy and Panchi, the lovestruck heroine.

Commenting on this, a channel spokesperson said, “The year 2014 has been very good for STAR Plus. This year has been one of innovative new content from Star Plus with shows like Everest, Airlines, Nisha aur Uske Cousins, Ek Hasina Thi and India’s Rawstar. For most of the last few weeks we have also had the top 3 fiction shows on HGE with Diya aur Baati Hum, Ye Hai Mohabbatein and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. We are delighted to have closed the have closed year on a strong note with Tu Mera Hero, which is another example of our strong content brought to life with exciting marketing. We are confident that we’ll continue to build on this in the New Year as well!”

Interestingly Star Plus also held the record for the best fiction launch for 2013 with Mahabharat, which was in fact the best launch Hindi GECs had seen for more than 5 years. The show’s marketing was widely acknowledged as amongst the most successful ever for a TV show and now Star Plus has repeated that with Tu Mera Hero.

January 6, 2015
NDTV launches channels on African cable TV

MUMBAI: New Delhi Television (NDTV), India’s leading news broadcaster has launched two of its premium channels, NDTV India and NDTV Profit Prime on African Cable TV (ACTV), Nigeria.

NDTV India is a premier Hindi language news channel from NDTV and in a market where the Hindi news channel is characterized by tabloid journalism; NDTV India stands out for its credibility and accuracy. NDTV Profit/Prime is India’s first hybrid channel. During market hours, NDTV Profit offer business news and analysis like any other business channel. Post market hours channel switches its looks and become NDTV Prime. NDTV Prime air infotainment and lifestyle programmes post market hours and on weekends.

Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Jaiswal, Associate Vice President, Network Distribution and Affiliate Sales, NDTV, said, “We are very pleased to announce the launch of our channels on ACTV. Like in other parts of the world, our channels, which are now available in over 73 countries, will aid the Indian expatriates and everyone else who has an interest in India keep abreast with the constantly evolving India.”

“African Cable Television leads the Nigerian market in providing 100% of its subscribers with HD decoders featuring PVR and media browsing functionality coupled with a broad spectrum of high quality TV programming including movies, news, sports, lifestyle, music, kids entertainment, documentaries and more,” said Godfrey Orkeh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of African Cable Television. “We have high standards for the viewer experience that we deliver to our customers and look forward to providing them with a broader choice of relevant TV programs through our ACTV-6000 HD/PVR decoder”, he added.

Viewers will find NDTV India on ACTV Channel 307 and NDTV Profit/Prime on Channel 308. Viewers can subscribe to NDTV India and NDTV Profit/Prime by visiting www.actv.tv

January 6, 2015
Shemaroo to distribute Playboy content to mobile platforms in South Asian territories

MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment Limited enters into an exclusive association with net mobile AG to distribute content from Playboy Enterprises, in South Asian territories like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Pakistan & Bangladesh. Playboy is the most popular international men’s lifestyle magazine that enjoys one of the highest recall value and is known for its exotic pictures of hot models, mind boggling videos and glamorous content. From the vast repertoire of content owned by Playboy Enterprises Inc, Shemaroo Entertainment has hand picked lifestyle and glamorous content that adheres to Indian regulatory framework.

Shemaroo Entertainment will not only distribute an array of interesting videos and imageries from Playboy content library to the mobile platforms but will also develop various mobile games, portals, services and apps using the images and videos of International models along with Playboy branding. The company also plans to sub-license these rights to distribute content or develop products around Playboy Enterprises Inc., as well as look to explore opportunities and partnerships globally.

Shemaroo Entertainment is looking forward to collaborate with brands across the globe that want to leverage the international brand name – Playboy Enterprises Inc and enhance the association through mobile services, games or products. The company is in conversation with few brands for the collaboration.

Jai Maroo, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, shares his thoughts on the occasion, “Our association with net mobile AG for Playboy content will add to our offerings of glamorous content to the audience. This also opens new avenues for us to expand our reach to the untapped market for popular and glamour content in Asian countries. The association also reflects that India is growing as a major market for mobile consumption.”

Carsten Müller, Senior Vice President net mobile AG, “With a renowned and experienced company like Shemaroo, we have found the right partner to distribute our contents in one of the biggest markets for our license. The cooperation is a further step in enhancing our global footprint in bringing high-quality branded contents to global customers.”

January 6, 2015
IBN7 presents ‘Dilli Ka Dard, Kaun Hamdard?’

MUMBAI: As a prelude to the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections, IBN7, the channel that has always brought to its viewers the most comprehensive and extensive election coverage, presents an exclusive show – ‘Dilli Ka Dard, Kaun Hamdard? This programming will cover the entire landscape of the prevailing political scenario of key Delhi constituencies.

This one hour show has started yesterday – Monday, 5 January 2015 onwards. It is broadly divided into 2 segments – one that profiles key constituencies and the second one features ‘Chaupals’. The programming explores, analyzes and presents the demography, political history, underlying concerns regarding education, water, electricity, healthcare, infrastructure etc. of the key constituencies of Delhi. In the second segment, through ‘Chaupals’ across Delhi, IBN7 gauges the mood of the masses and encourages open dialogue between voters and politicians.

This in-depth coverage driven by IBN7’s formidable team of anchors and reporters, will showcase the real picture of Delhi and will aid voters in making the right choice as the country’s capital goes to poll.

Don’t miss the exclusive show daily, 6 – 7 PM, only on IBN7

January 6, 2015
‘Chhota Bheem’ & Thane traffic police to raise awareness on road safety measures among kids

MUMBAI: In a bid to promote safety on roads, Thane Traffic Police has partnered with leading kids’ channel Pogo and Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd. to launch a campaign fronted by India’s most popular character – Chhota Bheem that will educate children and families on basic road safety measures in an entertaining manner.

The campaign called “Mission Road Safety 2015” will be conducted from 11–25 January 2015 in the areas of Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Dombiwali, Ambarnath, Badlapur and Thane City via various media initiatives and trailers across all theatres. Through the campaign, Chhota Bheem will encourage kids and their parents to follow simple methods to ensure road safety such as wearing seatbelts and helmets, using only pedestrian crossings and abiding by the speed limits. This initiative will also be showcased on POGO which will take this to a national level.

Commenting on the initiative, Vijay Kamle, Commissioner of Police of Thane said, “Ensuring that the roads in our city are safe for families is our duty. By driving the message of road safety through Chhota Bheem, we hope to effectively capture the attention of children through whom we aim to reach their parents.”

Dr.RashmiKarandikar, DCP Traffic Thane said, “Children are the future of our country and it is important to make them aware of road safety from an early age so that they grow up as responsible citizens. We look forward to successfully imbibe the Mission Road Safety 2015 campaign in the residents of Thane District with the help of Chhota Bheem.”

Siddharth Jain, Managing Director, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. said, “As a responsible media conglomerate in the country that has iconic characters which children adore, we are proud to partner with the Traffic Police on this initiative that will aim to promote road safety amongst kids and secure their future.”

Samir Jain, Executive Director & COO, Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd. said, “Chhota Bheem is a superhero to children across the country who aspire to be like him and follow his ideals. Spreading the message of road safety through Bheem will encourage and excite kids to abide by the same.”

January 5, 2015
IBN7s’ ‘maha’ programming on Magh Mela 2015

MUMBAI: IBN7 brings to its viewers the most comprehensive programming on one of the biggest annual religious events for Hindus, the Magh (Kumbh) Mela.

In accordance with the traditional Hindu calendar, this holy fair is organised every year during the Hindu month of Magh. The Magh Mela is actually a smaller version of the Kumbh Mela, hence is also known as the mini Kumbh Mela. Magh Mela is held every year on the banks of Triveni Sangam (the confluence of the three great rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Every year, the Magh Mela commences on the day of Makkar Sankranti in January, with multitudes of pilgrims taking a holy dip at the Sangam. A huge number of devotees arrive here annually and stay in makeshift houses or tents at the Sangam, spending the entire month of Magh in prayers. This period is known as “Kalpavas”. IBN7 will bring out the historical facts about the famous Magh Mela along with its lesser known facets.

From Monday, 5th January 2015, IBN7 will air a half-hour show @9.30 am to portray the cultural spectrum and identify the spirit that defines this tradition. The series will feature the temporary city set up for this religious gathering, saints talking about the myths related to the Mela and Kalpavas, stories behind the food organized for Kalpavasi, the various rituals to be followed, the enchanting songs and bhajans that are sung and many more such interesting facts. An extensive line up of walk throughs, short stories and live telecast of the maha snans will be covered by IBN7’s team of reporters.

Don’t miss the exclusive daily show starting from 5th January 2015, every Monday to Saturday, 9.30 AM-10 AM, only on IBN7

January 5, 2015