Category: Press Release

NDTV Car & Bike Awards are back with their 9th edition

MUMBAI: The coveted NDTV Car & Bike Awards are back with their 9th edition, scheduled to be held at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi on Monday, January 13, 2014. Presented by Mobil1, the Awards will once again honour the best cars and bikes in the country’s vibrant automobile sector and give recognition to the minds and the efforts behind their success.

The NDTV Car & Bike Awards have emerged as the most credible automobile industry awards that have created a niche for themselves in the sector and among automobile aficionados. The 9th edition will felicitate 35 most deserving winners across various categories. A new category has been introduced, the ‘CNB Visioneer Award’ that will acknowledge outstanding contribution to the Indian Automobile Industry.

Announcing the 9th edition of the awards, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor -Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV said, “It has been quite a journey and I am very proud that we have now completed 10 years of CNB on the NDTV Network. The fact that the CNB awards are now recognised as most credible across the automobile industry is a matter of great pride for us at NDTV. We are very happy with the anticipation around this year’s edition, and I too cannot wait to find out who will be going home with the coveted trophies on awards night.”

He further added, “The 9th edition of our own independent and trusted automobile awards will once again establish a set of credible winners – chosen by an eminent jury comprising the best names in the business. I am equally excited as always by the annual Viewers’ Choice category. The hundreds of thousands of votes as always represent our most valued viewers and what they believe are the best products of the year.”

Car and Two Wheeler of the Year awards will take the top honours while the CNB Viewers’ Choice Awards gives viewers the exciting opportunity to vote for their favourite car and bike nominees and stand a chance to take the year’s hottest wheels home. The CNB Viewers’ Choice category has already received over twenty thousand votes through online and mobile messages and the numbers are growing every hour.

To ensure a fool proof and fair selection process, each Jury member assesses and awards each nominee in complete isolation to other jurors. Each car and bike nominated is driven, evaluated and tested by the Jury along with a detailed research on each nominee’s specifications; its market performance and its immediate competition also being provided to them. Tabulators at Ernst and Young monitor the entire process.

An eminent Jury consisting of an expert panel of auto aficionados will select the winners of this year’s awards. These include Adil Jal Darukhanawala, Editor in Chief, Zeegnation; Aditya Patel, one of India’s brightest young racers; Dilip Chhabria, an eminent and internationally acclaimed automobile designer; Dhruv Behl, Founder and Managing Editor of AutoX; Gul Panag, known as much for being an auto enthusiast and biker, as her silver-screen avatar; Jens Meiners, based in Germany and in New York, Jens is one of the foremost international motor journalists; Kamlesh Patel, Former Rallyist and automobile enthusiast; Karun Chandhok, India’s youngest Formula One driver; Kushan Mitra, Managing Editor, Digital and New Projects of The Pioneer newspaper; Dr V Sumantran, currently the Non-Executive Vice Chairman at Ashok Leyland and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar; Editor – Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV.

The Awards also recognise Marketing, Advertising and Communication efforts of the players which contribute to any product’s success, with the CNB-AAA Awards. The categories in this include Best PR & Communications Team, Best Integrated Campaign, Best TV Commercial Two Wheeler & Four Wheeler categories and Brand Ambassador of the Year.

The CNB AAA Awards Jury includes Raj Kamle, Managing Partner, StrawberryFrog, Vinod G Nair, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Clea PR, Sam Balsara, CMD, Madison Communications, Shruti Verma Singh, Consulting Editor, NDTV and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar; Editor – Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV.

January 8, 2014
Rovi announces guide solution for SD and HD digital terminal adapters in North America

MUMBAI: Rovi Corporation ROVI +0.07% , a global leader in entertainment discovery, today announced the launch of a guide solution for standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) digital terminal adapters (DTAs) devices for North American cable operators. With the addition of this new guide, Rovi now offers discovery solutions that span across the array of cable platforms – from basic DTAs and advanced digital video recorders (DVRs) to second screen devices – that can help cable-TV service providers improve the user experience across their entire subscriber footprint.

Frequently used for secondary televisions not connected to an advanced digital set-top and in homes that subscribe only to basic cable services, DTAs are basic cable boxes used to enable cable operators to upgrade their systems to an all-digital environment. In North America, cable companies are transitioning to all-digital in order to support bandwidth intensive services such as HD channels, multi-screen devices, and high speed data that are becoming increasingly popular with subscribers. DTAs provide cable operators with opportunities to more easily expand their service offerings, optimize the use of bandwidth, and enhance the experience for consumers by introducing a guidance experience on more set tops across their subscriber-base in North America.

The capabilities included in the Rovi DTA Guide are the ability to find out what’s on TV, tune channels directly from the program grid, set parental controls, and set language options for the guide and audio. Rovi DTA Guide, anticipated to be broadly available to North American cable operators in early 2014, supports the growing market for DTA set-top boxes in this industry-wide transition to an all-digital environment. Rovi is currently working with many DTA providers, such as Cisco, Evolution Digital and Pace, to test and pre-port Rovi DTA guides.

“For many cable TV subscribers, the guide has been designated as ‘only for the advanced DVR.’ Now that it is available on lower-end devices in addition to the premium set top box, cable TV subscribers including Basic and Expanded Basic households, can enjoy a better experience on every TV in their home,” said Michael Buchheim, senior vice president of product management for Rovi. “The guide experience is no longer limited to the premium digital subscribers, and cable operators will be able to use it to show the added value that they bring to their customers.”

Rovi plans to demonstrate DTA Guides for industry executives in a private suite at Caesars Palace during the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas, January 7-10. Invited attendees can view Rovi services and technologies driving entertainment discovery and monetization, and learn first-hand how Rovi works with leading brands to unlock the full value of their entertainment offerings.

January 8, 2014
GroupM launches new advanced television unit

MUMBAI: GroupM today announced the launch of a new innovative TV business unit that will offer clients superior targeting and engagement capabilities in what has become a technology driven, data fused, addressable media environment.

The announcement was made by GroupM North America CEO Kelly Clark, who said the unit will be called Modi Media and will be led by Michael Bologna, GroupM’s Director of Emerging Communications. Bologna’s appointment as President of Modi Media is effective immediately, and his previous role is being folded into his new position.

“We are preparing for a world of media consumption and advertising message delivery that is radically different from what we see today,” Clark said in making the announcement. “Data and technology are driving enormous change in the structure and the economics of the television business, and it’s critical that we are ready to help clients navigate the new landscape. Modi Media will develop powerful advanced TV solutions for advertisers.” Clark said Modi (pronounced “Mo-Dee”) will offer solutions that provide advanced targeting, less waste, improved ROI, and deeper engagement.

Specifically, the unit will cover four practices:

DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION: Focused on the promotion of sale or rental of digitally distributed films across cable and satellite platforms and through connected devices (iTunes, Xbox, Amazon, Vudu).

ADDRESSABLE TV: Addressable television is the ability to send a TV commercial to a specific household based on a brand’s actual target profile. Targeting criteria can include income, advanced demography, and purchase behavior, among others. Ads are served only to the homes that fit the specified target criteria. The current reach potential of addressable TV is 40 million TV homes across the US, and is expected to grow significantly.

HYPER-LOCAL TV: Hyper-local television is the ability to insert a TV commercial directly to a specific zone or zip code based on geographic skews, sales data, trading radius etc. This helps focus clients’ TV advertising in highly concentrated local neighborhoods without having to buy an entire market, thereby reducing waste.

INTERACTIVE TV (iTV): iTV enables advertisers to engage consumers more deeply with interactive content and promotions, using TV commercials as a “jumping off point.” Solutions include dedicated advertiser channels, commercial overlays for lead generation, smart TV applications and e-commerce. Modi will provide advertisers with strategic planning, buying, production, and data analysis across platforms including cable, satellite, telco and gaming services.

Rino Scanzoni, Chief Investment Officer of GroupM, noted that Modi will be supported by the full resources and scale of GroupM including its TV implementation, optimization, research and data capabilities. The unit’s services will be made available to clients of all GroupM agencies, which include Maxus, MEC, MediaCom and Mindshare. In addition the new unit will offer its mservices to other WPP agencies and directly to clients who may not work with a GroupM media agency.

Bologna started his career at MEC in 1998 as an assistant media planner on the agency’s AT&T account. He was an original member of MEC’s digital unit (The Digital Edge) and more recently has held positions that focused specifically on advanced television. He is known throughout the television and media industries for his expertise in the field of advanced digital communications.

January 8, 2014
Gefen’s New Wireless for HDMI 60 GHz Extender

MUMBAI: Gefen’s new Wireless for HDMI 60 GHz is designed for any in-room transmission of high quality, 1080p full HD video up to 33 feet (10m). It delivers 3DTV, is plug and play and supports all audio formats including the new lossless High Bit Rate (HBR) 7.1 channel Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The ability to pass through uncompressed video, lossless audio and 3DTV is ideal for cutting-edge, high performance commercial or residential installations.

This extender uses the best technology currently available for an impeccable method of wireless extension that takes full advantage of the WirelessHD specification, which is based on the 60 GHz EHF (Extremely High Frequency) radio band. This high quality method of extension eliminates the need to run cables, making it a great solution for retrofits or any environment that wants to streamline cabling.

The editors of Electronic House magazine gave a formal nod to this new extender from Gefen by awarding it a Product of the Year award for 2014. Endowed by a panel of distinguished industry leaders and the editors of Electronic House and CE Pro, Gefen joins an exclusive group of products deemed the most noteworthy. Announced on January 7, 2014 at the International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, the GefenTV Wireless for HDMI 60 GHz was selected as best in the A/V cables and interconnects category.

Due to its in-room transmission and use of the uncluttered 60 GHz frequency band, this extender can perform seamlessly alongside other wireless devices in adjacent rooms with zero interference. It is very easy to install, requiring a connection of the video source to the sender and of the display or projector to the receiver. Content is transported wirelessly at 4Gbps from source to display. This extender also features a small footprint and a compelling MSRP. Included is a risk-free warranty backed by Gefen’s reputation and well-regarded customer support team.

January 8, 2014
EchoStar Acquires European Mobile Satellite Services Provider

COLORADO: (NASDAQ: SATS) announced today that it has acquired 100% ownership of Solaris Mobile Ltd., a next-generation mobile satellite services (MSS) operator based in Dublin, Ireland and one of the European Union licensees of mobile satellite service with a complementary ground component (S band).

Solaris Mobile Ltd. is deploying a satellite and terrestrial network for wholesale access to enhanced mobile communications across Europe in the 30 MHz S band licensed to Solaris Mobile. In connection with the acquisition, EchoStar has entered into an agreement with Solaris Mobile to provide it with MSS capacity on a new next-generation MSS satellite.

“Through this acquisition and our mobile satellite infrastructure expertise, we look forward to accelerating advanced mobile services throughout the European Union,” said Anders Johnson, president, EchoStar Satellite Services. “We are excited to build upon the groundwork laid by Solaris Mobile by most immediately bringing with us access to a next generation MSS satellite which will support a wide range of innovative services across the European Union.”

January 7, 2014
KCCL launches Cardless security solution from Conax including latest chip technology from ALi

MUMBAI: Conax, a leading global provider of solutions for securing digital video content distribution on all networks and devices, today announced that Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd has entered a pilot project to deploy the new Conax Cardless solution launched in September at IBC Expo. KCCL is a consortium of over 3000 independent cable TV networks in Kerala, South India. The pilot project includes an upgrade of KCCL’s existing Conax Contego™ security back-end to include support for the new Conax Cardless secure CA client. The solution consists of Conax Cardless CA and uses Coship STBs with secure chipsets from ALi Corporation, seamlessly complementing the existing card-based STB population. Coship is one of the vendors in a portfolio of licensed STB partners for the Conax Cardless offering.

KCCL operators represent 70% of cable TV services in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala – a region with a population of 33 million people. The enhanced Conax Contego security hub will empower KCCL network operators to easily operate both Smart Card and Cardless clients and differentiate between security requirements of diverse consumer groups and content. Now KCCL will be able to offer a cost efficient solution for targeting low ARPU segments and enabling rapid digitization – as well as reducing churn.

Through a strategic partnership with ALi Corporation, the Conax solution will provide KCCL with a highly secure Cardless solution utilizing a unique combination of hardware (security) and software security; for a revolutionary level of protection not available in pure software solutions. The secure software is executed within a purpose-built hardware protected environment (Secure Execution Environment) within the ALi chipset, the main CPU in the set-top-box level of protection. KCCL has chosen to deploy Conax security evaluated set-top-boxes from Coship. To enable rapid development of the cardless set-top-boxes from Coship and other STB vendors, Conax and ALi are providing a reference design with an embedded Conax Cardless security core.

-Mr. Nassir Hassan Anwar, Director, KCCL, “We are pleased to further strengthen our relationship with security partner Conax based on the Conax brand value, long experience and reliability in India, 24/7 support, flexibility of operations and open policy for STB selection. Upgrading KCCL’s security back-end to include Conax Cardless, using Ali chipsets and Coship STBs, will allow member operators to easily create new product offerings using cards or cardless clients based on varied consumer groups. The Conax solution will continue to enable KCCL operators with a future-proof, secure roadmap.”

The combined solution will enable KCCL to capture new business in the next phase of digitization in South India, while expanding their platform for additional business models and content offerings. The Conax Contego solution will also provide KCCL with easy upgrade for integrating future offerings such as VOD, multiscreen and over-the-top content viewing.

-Tom Jahr, EVP Products & Partner, Conax, “Conax is very proud that KCCL, a forward-thinking consortium with a unique business model and vision for the future, has chosen to partner in the Conax Cardless pilot deployment. Our aim is to enable KCCL to benefit from the best of both worlds, employing the cardless solution for low-end video content and smart card security for premium content. With the new solution, Conax is providing KCCL with the comprehensive and flexible tools for developing secure business models and capturing future growth.”

-Tony Chang, General Manager of International Business Unit, ALi Corporation, “Only a few months after the launch of Conax Cardless security solution at IBC including the latest generation of ALi’s secure cable STB SoC, we are proud that KCCL has chosen Conax Contego supporting both Smart Card and Cardless clients with ALi’s secure chipsets. Using the reference design provided by ALi and Conax, we are pleased that Coship was able to rapidly deploy a cardless STB, thus together we are enabling KCCL to rapidly respond to different market needs. This also further confirms the technical leadership of ALi’s secure chipset solutions in both standard and high definition, as well as the partnership with Conax on delivering cost effective cardless solutions to the low APRU segment.”

Technical recap:

· Conax Cardless is fully supported as one of the client options for the Conax Contego™ security back-end, making it easy for KCCL to expand their security hub to include cardless content distribution

· Utilizing a dedicated security core in the new chipset technology from ALi, Conax combines hardware security and software security to place a cardless security client within the ALi chipset integrated in the STBs from Coship. As the security of the solution relies on both software and hardware security, Conax Cardless has a significant market advantage over competitors’ software solutions.

January 7, 2014
Mr. Men ‘Tickles’ you fashionably this Laughter Day

MUMBAI: Laughter is the music of the soul and who better to celebrate it than with Mr. Tickle on Laughter Day which falls on January 10, 2014. The deal for the Mister Men products have been put together by Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd., a premier Indian licensing firm with rights to represent some of the most iconic brands in the world like Angry Birds, FIFA, WWE, DreamWorks Animation among others.

Mr. Tickle is the first book in the Mr.Men series by Roger Hargreaves, an English author and illustrator of children’s books since 1971. The character, Mr. Tickle, is lively and funny with wiggly arms ready to tickle people in authority for humour. In India, Mr. Men is available across apparel for infants, kids, adults and Publishing. The Back to School and Loungewear is slated to launch in February 2014.

The Mister Men apparel range for kids has a wide variety of clothes in funky colours and patterns. Mr. Tickle with his naughty smile, wiggly hands and funny quotes is the perfect choice for Laughter Day. The Mister Men collection has clothes for both boys and girls. With bright, cheerful colours and tickling quotes, Mr. Tickles is surely going to be a laughing buddy for your little ones and tickle your kids funny bone. Mr. Tickle merchandise for girls and boys is available at leading stores and online portals like Jabong.com, Myntra.com and Flipkart.com with t-shirts ranging from Rs 200 onwards.

“Mr. Tickle is the funniest and naughtiest of characters, tickling kids’ imagination and is the perfect mascot for Laughter Day. The Mister Men collection will definitely put a smile on kids faces and is available in a enviable range of colours and prints. Mr. Tickle is sure to connect with kids instantly on Laughter day,” says Jiggy George, CEO and Founder, Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd.

January 7, 2014
Discovery kids brings new animation series ‘The adventures of chuck and friends’

MUMBAI: This New Year, Discovery Kidspresents a new animated series THE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK AND FRIENDS. Woven with life’s lessons for children,THE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK AND FRIENDSfollowsincidents of Chuck,an animated dump truck who is always curious and loves to dream big.His zeal to go places and find out how things work brings loads of excitement making it a complete entertainment treat for kids on television.

THE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK AND FRIENDSpremieres on January 20 and will air from Monday to Friday at 12 PM on Discovery Kids.

Rahul Johri, Senior VP and General Manager – South Asia and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks a-Pacific, said,”

In its endeavour to push the bar for innovative and enriching programming, Discovery Kids is delighted to present a new series,THE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK AND FRIENDS. The new series will embark on a learning drivethrough its captivating narrative motivating children to explore their creative mind”.

Chuck and his friends Boomer, Digger, Handy and others are pint-sized trucks with big appetites for fun. Running on imagination and enthusiasm, these trucks turn larger-than-life inspiration into adventures in their own backyards. The series is about thrill of discovering something new, unusual action, big adventures and most of all having fun with your close friends.

Turn the key, floor the accelerator, ignite your imagination and join Chuck in his adventures, only on Discovery Kids.THE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK AND FRIENDSwill be shown in all the three languages – English, Hindi and Tamil.

Committed to offering a comprehensive viewing experience and catering to diverse demands of children in India, Discovery Kids programming formats include highest-quality animation and engaging live-action series under multiple genres such as adventure, folklore, nature, history and science.

January 7, 2014
SpaceX successfully launches Thaicom 6 satellite to GTO

FLORIDA: Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully launched the THAICOM 6 satellite for leading Asian satellite operator THAICOM. Falcon 9 delivered THAICOM 6 to its targeted 295 x 90,000 km geosynchronous transfer orbit at 22.5 degrees inclination. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle performed as expected, meeting 100% of mission objectives.

Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at 5:06 PM Eastern Time. Approximately 184 seconds into flight, Falcon 9’s second stage’s single Merlin vacuum engine ignited to begin a five minute, 35 second burn that delivered the THAICOM 6 satellite into its parking orbit. Eighteen minutes after injection into the parking orbit, the second stage engine relit for just over one minute to carry the THAICOM 6 satellite to its final geostationary transfer orbit. The restart of the Falcon 9 second stage is a requirement for all geostationary transfer missions.

“Today’s successful launch of the THAICOM 6 satellite marks the eighth successful flight in a row for Falcon 9,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX. “SpaceX greatly appreciates THAICOM’s support throughout this campaign and we look forward to a busy launch schedule in 2014.”

The THAICOM 6 mission marks Falcon 9’s second flight to a geosynchronous transfer orbit and begins a regular cadence of launches planned for SpaceX in 2014. SpaceX has nearly 50 launches on manifest, of which over 60% are for commercial customers.

This launch also marks the third of three qualification flights needed to certify the Falcon 9 to fly missions under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Once Falcon 9 is certified, SpaceX will be eligible to compete to launch national security satellites for the U.S. Air Force.

January 7, 2014
Sony Pictures Ent appoints Man Jit Singh president of Sony Pictures Home Ent
- CALIFORNIA: Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that Man Jit Singh has been named President of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), reporting to Michael Lynton, CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc., and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
- Man Jit, who was previously Chief Executive Officer, Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd. (MSM), the operating company that manages Sony Pictures Television’s TV networks in India, will continue as Non-Executive Chairman at MSM while transitioning from his role in the Television division to his new role in Home Entertainment.
- N.P. Singh, formerly Chief Operating Officer at MSM, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, managing Sony Pictures Television’s Indian TV networks. N.P. will report to Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television.
- “Man Jit is a savvy global executive with a long track record of success at Sony Pictures, having built our Indian TV channels into high-performance, high-margin businesses. I am confident in his vision for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and his ability to provide strong leadership for the division as the marketplace continues to evolve,” said Lynton.
- Under Man Jit, Sony Pictures Television’s Indian TV networks leveraged changing technologies and consumer behaviors to grow into some of the most profitable and highest-rated channels in the market.
- At SPHE, Man Jit will continue the studio’s focus on reducing overhead costs, while growing high-margin businesses.
- “As the ways in which consumers experience our content continue to change and multiply, our organization and its strategy for delivering content must evolve to meet the demands of the market. I look forward to building on the foundation of innovation and operational discipline at SPHE to position this business for future growth,” said Man Jit.
- On N.P. Singh’s appointment to CEO of MSM, Man Jit added, “NP and I have worked closely together as equal partners these last five years and the success of the company is largely due to his efforts. The time has come for him to lead the company to the next level and I fully expect the innovations he brings as CEO will ensure we have years of success ahead. As the Non-executive Chairman of MSM, I look forward to supporting NP and will continue to remain involved with the Indian television industry.”
- In his new role at MSM, N.P. will continue to focus on developing original, local-language programming and expanding the audience for MSM’s eight highly-profitable channels across India and the more than 70 countries around the world where they are viewed.
- Man Jit Singh has a strong background in technology, entertainment, and consumer products, with over 20 years of experience in global operations. He has worked in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since 2009, he has overseen Sony Pictures Television’s Networks business in India, which includes SET, SAB, PIX, AXN, MIX, SIX, LIV and MAX. Man Jit was previously Chairman of the Board of Directors of MSM. He spent much of his early career in general management consulting, and he held senior positions at firms including Sibson & Co., LLP in Los Angeles, The Cast Group AG in Zurich, Switzerland and Los Angeles, and Cresap in Los Angeles. Man Jit began his career at Nestle India.
- N. P. Singh originally joined MSM in 1999 and has been Chief Operating Officer of MSM since December 2004, overseeing day-to-day operations at the company’s highly profitable TV channels and working closely with Man Jit on long-term strategies for continued growth. Previously, Singh served as Chief Financial Officer. Before joining MSM, N.P. held Chief Financial Officer roles at Spice Telecom and Modicorp, and was Controller at Modi Xerox Limited, in addition to other positions.
- Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
- Media Contact:
  Charles Sipkins
  310-244-5651
  Charles_Sipkins@spe.sony.com
January 7, 2014