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Category: Press Release

  • Discovery Science channel breaks down forces of nature in against the elements

    Discovery Science channel breaks down forces of nature in against the elements

    NEW DELHI: Discovery Science presents a captivating series that brings the science behind the planet’s most life threatening catastrophes in AGAINST THE ELEMENTS.Disasters, whether manmade or made by Mother Nature, are a part of life on Earth. Hurricanes, massive explosions, tornadoes, floods, mudslides and fires sometimes threaten human lives and ravage communities.
    Join Discovery Science on its quest to understand the unexplained phenomena that causes these calamities and its impact in AGAINST THE ELEMENTSthatairsevery day at 9 PM.

    The series features leading scientists that analyse astonishing, spectacular scenes of force driven by air, earth, fire and water. From terrifying tornadoes and devastating flows of water to massive sinkholes and raging building or fuel tank infernos, scientists reveal for viewers exactly what is happening chemically, physically and environmentally during every moment of these incredible events from around the world.

    In the first episode, viewers will see the dangers of an F4 tornado in South Dakota; a mudslide barreling down a winding hillside road in Oregon; a crude oil tank burning out of control in Texas; and a man caught in the raging current of Niagara Falls. Each disaster is scrutinized by a different expert including meteorology professor Bill Gallus of Iowa State University; firefighting trainer Gordon Lohmeyer; Portland State University geologist Scott Burns; and geological engineer Ed Medley.

    Some of the disasters featured in the series include:

    Air: Storm chaser tests his barometric pressure measure in a tornado. Earth: Father and son face death as they try to escape a mudslide. Fire: Crude oil tank fire threatens to boil over and injure rescuers. Water: Man tries to jump over Niagara Falls.

    Water: As a cruise liner sinks its crew abandons passengers and ship. Fire: Brush fire threatens to consume family trying to escape. Earth: Basilica ceiling crumbles and buries insiders alive. Air: A strong wind sends window washers flying through the sky.

    Earth: Sinkhole swallows million dollar mansion. Air: Hot air balloon crashes into radio tower. Fire: Liquid propane explodes and swallows everything in its path. Water: Coast Guard tries to rescue overboard crew of sinking artic fishing vessel.

  • THANK YOU SACHIN!

    THANK YOU SACHIN!

    NEW DLHI: After guiding Mumbai to a four-wicket win over Haryana in the Ranji Trophy, which was his final domestic game, Sachin Tendulkar said that he is now looking forward to his 200th Test match against West Indies. This match will mark an end to the God of Cricket’s 24-year cricketing career. CNN-IBN and IBN7 will pay tribute to the legend through their special programming – Thank You Sachin.

    Under this, four special half-hours will showcase fellow cricketers or eminent personalities from the fields of arts and music paying tribute to Sachin and talking about the impact he has had on modern India. Among them will be Rahul Dravid, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Lata Mangeshkar.

    A special one-hour documentary on 3rd November on IBN7 and on 10th November on CNN-IBN will chronicle the journey of the legendary cricketer, from his time as a child prodigy in Mumbai to becoming the greatest batsman in the world.

    In another special segment starting 4th November till 18th November, there will be bytes from renowned personalities from various walks of life paying tribute to the master blaster.

    On IBN7, special shows and segments dedicated to the sport’s greatest retirement will include ‘God of Cricket’, which will capture the journey of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar from his childhood to becoming the God of Cricket; and ‘Great on Greatest’, in which some of the biggest names in international cricket such as Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Brian Lara will share their memories and talk about the star & his game.

    Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, said, “In a cricket-crazy country like ours, there are hardly a handful of individuals who can generate the kind of frenzy and adulation that Sachin Tendulkar can. After years of excellence on the cricket field, Sachin finally bids adieu to his 24-year-long career. It is with great pride that we dedicate this special series of programming to the cricket icon who has won the hearts of billions across our nation and the world.”

    Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN7 said, “While the entire nation is sad and emotional at the news of Sachin’s retirement, our special programming will take a walk down memory lane and celebrate the success story of the cricketer who has carried the expectations of a billion people and won their hearts over the years. The programming will also showcase rare photographs and interviews of Sachin with those who tracked his journey of becoming one of the greatest cricketer ever.”

  • DISCOVERY communications reports third quarter 2013 results

    DISCOVERY communications reports third quarter 2013 results

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications, Inc. (“Discovery” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013.
    David Zaslav, Discovery’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Discovery’s strong third quarter results once again demonstrate the breadth and depth of our brands and the myriad of opportunities across our global distribution platform. We are translating the consistent viewership gains we are delivering globally into strong advertising growth both domestically and internationally, while at the same time further leveraging our unique distribution footprint by capitalizing on the pay television evolution in many of our markets worldwide. As we invest in the organic growth opportunities across our diverse portfolio, we are also focused on the integration of our recent acquisitions. Building additional long-term growth prospects remains a priority as we deliver sustained financial results and return additional capital to shareholders to further build shareholder value.”

    Third Quarter Results

    Third quarter revenues of $1,375 million were up $299 million, or 28%, compared to the third quarter a year ago, led by 59% growth at International Networks and 10% growth at U.S. Networks. Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization(1) (“OIBDA”) increased 20% to $597 million, as International Networks were up 34% and U.S. Networks were up 10%. Excluding the impact of licensing agreements, newly acquired businesses(2) and foreign currency fluctuations, total company revenues increased 12% and Adjusted OIBDA
    increased 11%.

    Third quarter net income available to Discovery Communications, Inc. stockholders of $255 million ($0.71 per diluted share) increased $50 million compared to $205 million ($0.55 per diluted share) for the third quarter a year ago, primarily due to the strong operating performance in the current year and improved earnings from equity investments partially offset by increased amortization associated with purchase price allocation for the SBS transaction. Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share(3), which excludes the impact of the amortization of acquisition related intangible assets, was $0.80 per diluted share during the third quarter compared with $0.55 per diluted share in the same period a year ago.

    (1) See the full definition of Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization on page 4.

    (2) Newly acquired businesses include SBS Nordic acquired in April 2013, Switchover Media acquired in December 2012 and a TV station in Dubai
    acquired in December 2012. See page 11 for reconciliation to results excluding newly acquired businesses.

    (3) See the full definition of Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share on page 4.
    Free cash flow was $438 million for the third quarter, an increase of $85 million or 24% from the third quarter of 2012, primarily due to increased operating performance and lower tax payments. Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment.

  • Best Innovations in Telecom, Internet, Media and Edutainment (TIME) recognized in 4th Aegis Graham Bell Awards 2013 in New Delhi

    Best Innovations in Telecom, Internet, Media and Edutainment (TIME) recognized in 4th Aegis Graham Bell Awards 2013 in New Delhi

    NEW DELHI : Aegis Graham Bell Awards 2013 India’s largest and the only award in field of TIME (Telecom, Internet, Media and Edutainment) was held on 25th October at NDMC Convention center in New Delhi. The awards honored the best innovations in the field of TIME. This award was initiated by Aegis School of Business and Telecom & Convergence India, supported by COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India), mUniversity as Powered partner, Ontario Canada as International Partner and PwC is the Knowledge Partner for validating the awards.

    On this august occasion, Mr. Rajan Mathews, Deputy General, Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI) delivered the welcome speech at the award. Mr. Sivarama Krishnan, (Exec. Dir. PwC India) explained about the rigorous and transparent methodology and selection criteria used by PWC. He spoke about the decision matrix being used to validate awards on various parameters and evaluation by prominent jury members based on the presentation given by the participating companies.

    At Aegis Graham Bell Awards mUniversity launched India’s first MOOC(Massive Open Online Course). mUniversity’s online-interactive-education marketplace was made available for enterprises, academicia, government and for learners, www.muniversity.mobi.

    TIME industries, media, academician and government’s eminent personalities graced the occasion with their presence.

    Aegis Graham Bell Awards intends to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of Telecom, Internet, Media & Edutainment, and provides recognition for path-breaking contributions by the awardees. This initiative is also intended to honor the best brains that can be groomed as leaders and scholars. This year we received over 140 nominations from over 80 companies in two jury rounds, and the nominations were evaluated by jury consisting of eminent personalities and PwC – the Knowledge Partner to validate the awards.

    This initiative was also supported by Flytxt, ZohoCorp, ISIDentsu, Tikona Digital Services, Aegis TV, Freshersworld.com, Wimax Forum, mUniveristy, Telecom Era, Telecom Lead, General Daily, Digital Terminal, Telecom Talk, Telecom Watch, Offeradda, Techadda, Vijaychowk.com, My Mobile, Walking Media, Telecom Uncovered, Communication Today, TelecomBlogs, Telecom India Daily, CIOL, PCQuest, & Light Reading India.

  • Parle-G comes on board Reliance broadcast networks big junior star

    Parle-G comes on board Reliance broadcast networks big junior star

    MUMBAI: Parle-G has come on board as presenting sponsors for BIG Junior Star, a unique property that showcases the best young talent, across the core Hindi markets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. To be aired as a show on BIG MAGIC and amplified across BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand and radio network 92.7 BIG FM, this talent encouragement platform is targeted at young children between the ages of 8-15 years and has no caveats for the talent that the children wish to showcase. The show will be created into a 40 episode special which will air each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The campaign kicking off this October will culminate in March 2014. It has been Parle G’s endeavor to encourage curiosity and overall development in children, in fact their recent campaign Roko Mat Toko Mat stands testimony, add to this tier II markets have been earmarked as key markets. On the other hand BIG MAGIC’s property idea of a kids talent hunt not limiting formats of entry, its expansive network and focusing on the tier II markets – the synergies made for an excellent partnership.

    This first ever unique children’s talent reality show, will also feature child celebrities promoting the show through special appearances. Radio spots will share special tips for kids’ holistic growth, featuring experts interacting with listeners. An extension of the property also sees the Curious Kid contest, where during the on ground programs kids will be encouraged to ask curious questions and the most curious ones win prizes.

    Mr. Pravin Kulkarnii, GM-Marketing, Parle Products said, “We are glad to be associated with one of Reliance Group’s popular channel, BIG Magic. With the channel now being aired across all major cities in India and becoming popular amongst its target audience, we are certain that our association with their upcoming show, BIG Junior Star will help us take forward the brand ideology of Parle G.”

    Mr. Mayank Shah, Group Product Manager, Parle Products commented, “With our alliance with BIG Junior Star we are looking forward to elevate the ideology of our campaign Roko Mat, Toko Mat and strengthen our connection with the newer generation of parents and children. This platform will help us focus in bringing out natural curiosity in kids, encourage their desire to try new things, experiment and learn from their mistakes. We want them to realize that they can learn everywhere and from everything and that school is beyond just books and classrooms.”

    Mr. Sunil Kumaran, Business Head – BIG MAGIC, said, “BIG Junior Star is our latest property which aims at encouraging talent amongst kids, in markets beyond the metros. We are happy to have Parle-G as our presenting sponsor for this initiative. With an interactive format and a diverse platform of categories, we are confident that BIG Junior Star will garner mass appeal, engaging excellently with our target audience – kids.”

    BIG Junior Star will see an extensive multi-media marketing push across the platforms of television, radio, digital, outdoor, on ground – through school and residential welfare association contact programs and road shows. BIG Junior Star will go on air from January, 2014 on BIG MAGIC AND BIG MAGIC BIHAR JHARKHAND

  • Winners announced in Googles impact challenge in India

    Winners announced in Googles impact challenge in India

    MUMBAI: Today the winners of the Google Impact Challenge in India were announced, a competition that asked Indian nonprofits how they would make a positive impact on India and the world using technology. The four winners, unveiled at an event in Delhi, each received a Rs 3 crore Global Impact Award, 10 Nexus tablets and support from Google to make their project a reality.
     

    All ten finalists of the Google Impact Challenge pitched their concepts live to a panel of judges that included Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora, Google board member Ram Shriram, Google Director of Giving Jacquelline Fuller, Social Worker and former Chairperson of Thermax Anu Aga and Omidyar Network India Advisors Managing Director Jayant Sinha.

    The winners, as selected by the judges, are as follows:

    Agastya: Launch a network of motorbike science labs to address the lack of science equipment and digital resources for rural children (www.agastya.org)

    Digital Green: Scale a video hub and an online knowledge platform to help farmers gain the agricultural skills they need to lower their costs and increase their productivity
    (www.digitalgreen.org)

    Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship & Democracy: Create online and mobile apps to connect citizens to their government representatives in urban India (www.janaagraha.org)

    A fourth winner was selected by the public to receive the final Rs 3 crore Global Impact Award. 

    After over half a million people voted during the Challenge’s ten day voting period, Social Awareness, Newer Alternatives was selected as the public’s fan favourite. The voting period ran from October 21 to October 30 at g.co/indiachallenge.

    In addition to supporting all ten exceptional projects through the Google Impact Challenge, Google was keen to highlight the work of the Indian non-profit community. In a surprise announcement made at the event, the six runners-up in the Google Impact Challenge each received Rs 1.5 crore to scale their impact.

    Ram Shriram, judge and Google board member said, “Technology is an intrinsic part of our everyday lives. Its potential, if harnessed effectively, could play a pivotal role in bringing positive change in society. The Google Impact Challenge is aimed at celebrating and accelerating the best technological innovations developed by the bright minds of our country with an agenda to make a positive impact in the society. We congratulate all the winners and wish them success for their social initiatives. ”

    Nikesh Arora, judge and Google Senior Vice President said, “All the ideas were wonderful and we had a tough time choosing the winners. We launched the Google Impact Challenge to provide support to India’s brightest social entrepreneurs who want to apply their innovative skills to usher in a social change. We have received an overwhelming response from social entrepreneurs working for diverse causes and are highly impressed by the innovative and sustainable business models showcased during the Challenge.”

    Global Impact Awards support entrepreneurial non-profits using technology to tackle some of the world’s toughest problems. Previous awards supported ideas ranging from technology that allowed under-privileged students to access maths and science education to real-time sensors that monitor clean water. This is Google’s second country-specific Challenge

  • 30 minutes: Mumbai Crumbling

    30 minutes: Mumbai Crumbling

    MUMBAI: This week, CNN-IBN’s flagship documentary show 30 Minutes addresses the issue of building collapses in Mumbai, that have shot up at an alarming rate. ‘Mumbai Crumbling’ explores the factors that have led to the decay of a city that was once called the Urbs Prima of India. The documentary captures the dilemma that inhabitants of dangerous buildings face and why many are willing to risk their lives instead of facing an uncertain future in transit camps and promised redevelopment schemes. Through interviews of survivors and those fighting the corrupt system, ‘Mumbai Crumbling’ anatomises the notoriously corrupt civic bodies in the city and questions why all major housing policy decisions have failed to address and rectify the issue of building collapses in Mumbai.

    Don’t miss this special episode on Sat, Nov 2 @ 8:30 PM and Sun, Nov 3 @ 12:00 PM & 9:30 PM (R), only on CNN-IBN.

  • Sahara One gives Indian Television the first ever FIRANGI BAHU

    Sahara One gives Indian Television the first ever FIRANGI BAHU

    MUMBAI: As more and more foreign nationals come to India, one is often prompted to ask “Can a foreigner feel at home in India?” Sahara One will address this question through its brand new, light hearted family show ‘FIRANGI BAHU’ to go on air from Monday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. The show will put forth a concept that has never been seen in the history of Indian Television: a foreigner who comes to stay in her sasural in India.

    It is a well known fact that foreigners are fascinated by India, its colorful festivals, traditions and diverse cultural heritage. This fascination makes them want to try and become a part of Indian culture. At the same time Indians too, are quite curious about the West. They have accepted Western influences on Indian food, attire, art, music and many other things. However when it comes to the sacred institution of marriage, Indians still consider people from the West to be unwelcome representatives of a world that is too different and alien. And it is amidst this background that ‘FIRANGI BAHU’ is set.

    The show will take viewers through the journey of a British girl, Camili Jonathan, who marries into the conservative Desai family in Rajkot, Gujarat.

    The story starts with Pranay Desai (Rohit Bhardwaj) the youngest son of the Desai family, who is in London for higher studies and meets Camili Jonathan (Sippora).

    Slowly through her eyes, Pranay begins to see India, his own country, in a new light. He begins to admire things that he had overlooked over the years, despite being an Indian himself. In the process, Pranay falls in love with Camili’s simple lifestyle and her perspective of India.
    Aware of his conservative family background, he decides to marry Camili in London and return to India.

    Commenting on this, Sharad Raj, Content and Programming Head, Sahara One, says, “At Sahara One we are constantly innovating with the aim of providing interesting and novel content to viewers. This is the first time that a foreigner is playing a bahu in a Hindi serial. This is clutter breaking; a real FIRST TIME event on Indian television. Moreover, this provides sufficient scope for drama and lighter moments. Viewers will enjoy watching a European lady adapt to a conservative Gujarati family. At the same time, her journey will result in a lot of drama. I hope viewers support us in our endeavour to bring them something new. And I hope they appreciate the effort we have made to do this.”

    Adds Vipul D Shah, Managing Director & CCO (Chief Creative Officer), Optimystix Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd., “Firangi Bahu is a clutter breaking concept, which is an unusual and never-seen-before concept on Indian Television. Firangi Bahu is a slice of life, dramedy (Drama & Comedy) story of Camili Jonathan, a 20 year old British citizen, who falls in love with a Gujarati boy in London.

    Motivated purely by love and devotion, she decides to settle in India in a joint Gujarati family (her sasural). This is in a way, a celebration of India and Indianness through a foreigner’s point of view. All characters and situations in the serial are endearing and believable.”

    Sahara One’s show ‘FIRANGI BAHU’, showcases the struggle of Camili Jonathan, a British girl, who enters India and its culture that is rich, diverse and different from her own. In the process she discovers her own ability to adapt, after getting married into a traditional, conservative Indian family and winning over members of the family with her knowledge and love of Indian culture.

    ‘FIRANGI BAHU’ will introduce the beautiful SIPPORA ZOUTEWELLE, a Dutch debutant actress, who will play the title role of FIRANGI BAHU. The Desai family will see an ensemble of seasoned actors like Indira Krishna, Pranoti Pradhan, Deepmala Parmar, Dilip Darbar, Hetal Puniwala, Paresh Bhatt and Rohit Bhardwaj.

  • Infectious appointed as creative agency for Pied Piper

    Infectious appointed as creative agency for Pied Piper

    MUMBAI: Infectious has been signed on by MNR Marketing as their communications partner to launch Pied Piper, a first of its kind Intelligent Pest Repellant. It works on ultra sound and is non-messy, chemical-free, eco-friendly and most importantly, a permanent solution to pest problems. Infectious is entrusted with branding, identity, packaging and communication for the brand.

    Rahul Bafna, Director, MNR Marketing said “We met several advertising agencies before deciding to partner with Infectious. However, we honed in on them because they not only have strong credentials but also the passion of going out on their own to deliver something they truly believe in. This young enthusiastic team gets under the skin of the product, understands consumer needs and then creates work. This is a quality which perfectly fits the needs of any entrepreneur.”

    Commenting on the win Ramanuj Shastry, Co-founder & Director, Infectious says, “It’s a game changing product which can have a far reaching positive impact on urban home sanitation and health. The challenge is to design communication that is as effective and simple as the product itself”

    Nisha Singhania, Co-founder & Director, Infectious says, “It’s always an honor when a client entrusts you with their brand. We hope to make Pied Piper a leader in pest repellant solutions.”

  • MTV ACT Urges the Youth To Act This October With

    MTV ACT Urges the Youth To Act This October With

    MUMBAI: MTV, India’s leading youth channel is not just about music and entertainment; it is also about collaborating with young India to contribute to the social causes. MTV through their own pro social platform, MTV ACT engages with over 20 NGOs and independent organizations to support cause-based initiatives. The month of October saw MTV ACT going all out to create awareness and raise funds for the betterment of the underprivileged.

    Beginning of October, MTV ACT joined hands with the crowd sourcing platform Hope Monkey to crowd fund a school for the world’s youngest headmaster in India. During the Joy of Giving week in October, MTV ACT and Hope Monkey came together to encourage the youth to have a big heart and drive the cause of education through funding the school. Hope Monkey is a crowd-source platform that gives the power to all Micro-Philanthropists to bring about change the world. The current initiative focuses on breathing life into the dreams of Babar Ali, who is also the world’s youngest headmaster at 16 years, to build a school. Now, at 21, Babar is looking to expand his backyard school to accommodate all the eager little learners in Murshidabad.

    “You may think that just donating what you would spend on your morning coffee won’t make a difference, but this initiative will prove you wrong. The association with Hope Monkey is true sense is reflection of the MTV ACT philosophy of Every Action Counts. By collecting every penny donated by the young generation, Hope Monkey and MTV ACT aims to raise a corpus to support the dreams of better tomorrow.” said Sumeli Chatterjee, Head- Marketing & Insights, MTV India.

    Helping the under-privileged in realizing their dreams, MTV ACT in association with the NGO Navnirmiti supported an initiative called Maha Mandi. A one of its kind event which is held every year, Maha Mandi is organized by NITIE in Mumbai. MAHA MANDI invites students from top B-schools around the country to sharpen their sales and marketing skills by selling simple NGO made products to commoners on the streets of Mumbai. The revenue hence collected is donated to charitable institutions as a token of respect and support for the noble cause they pursue. This witnessed participation from over 1000 MBA students who engaged in direct sales of the educational toys on the streets of Mumbai.

    Speaking about this initiative, Sumeli Chatterjee, Head – Marketing & Insights, MTV India, said, “MTV ACT constantly strives to support various initiatives that are created by the young generation and are a step towards do-good to the overall society. Maha Mandi is in the entrepreneurial spirit of the students which teaches them different aspects of business while raising funds for a social cause.”

    Furthering the MTV ACT ‘s partnership with the initiative YOU For Uttarakhand, the third music relief concert was organized in Bangalore on October 12, 2013. The concert was organized to raise funds in aid of the tragic Uttarakhand Floods which affected scores of villages and its inhabitants in the state. The line-up for the concert included leading acts by Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ), Until We Last, Girish and the Chronicles, Solder and Moonarra. The proceeds were donated to Save the Children who is working closely to build lives of Children and families who were affected by the floods.

    For those who wish to do their bit for the society can log on to mtv.in.com/act and donate for a cause that touches their heart or they can simply select any one or more causes that they would like to lend support to by simply spreading the word through their social media profile. Youth can support across causes by donating time through voluntary work or money to the NGOs working for various causes.