ITV

Category: Mipcom

  • Simon Cowell named MIPCOM 2014 personality of the year

    Simon Cowell named MIPCOM 2014 personality of the year

    MUMBAI: Entertainment industry creative icon Simon Cowell is to be honoured as the MIPCOM 2014 Personality of the Year.

    The TV and film producer, music label boss and internationally-renowned talent show judge will receive his award at a gala dinner for industry executives at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes on Tuesday 14 October. On Monday 13 October, Cowell will give a keynote interview in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals.

    One of the best-known faces on TV screens in the world, Cowell has transformed popular culture in the 21st century through his wide-reaching TV and music enterprise.

    “Simon Cowell is a visionary producer whose television franchises are on air in almost 200 territories around the world, underlining his status as a global creative icon. In recognition of his amazing career as a creator of international formats and his formidable impact on the entertainment industry as a whole, we are honoured to welcome him to Cannes as the MIPCOM 2014 Personality of the Year,” said Paul Zilk, CEO of Reed MIDEM, organiser of MIPCOM.

     

    Cowell’s Syco Entertainment is a world-renowned music, film, and television production company responsible for some of the most successful global music and television franchises. Syco’s television assets include the two international phenomenon formats: “Got Talent” and “The X Factor” both created by Simon Cowell. The Syco Music roster includes stars such as One Direction, Little Mix, Susan Boyle, Ella Henderson, Il Divo, Labrinth, Cher Lloyd, Fifth Harmony, Alex & Sierra, and Collabro. 

    Under Cowell’s stewardship, Syco Entertainment continues to develop global TV formats that have appeal throughout the TV, Film and digital world.

    In April, “Got Talent” was officially named the World’s Most Successful Reality Television Format by The Guinness Book of Records. Alongside Syco’s longstanding co-production partner, FremantleMedia, original versions of Got Talent are now being produced in 62 territories worldwide. Emmy-nominated “America’s Got Talent” has been the No.1 rated summer programme ever since its launch in June 2006. Now in its ninth consecutive season, the show currently airs in 193 countries worldwide.

    “The X Factor” is now produced in 49 territories around the world since its launch in the UK in 2004 where it remains the #1 entertainment show and a cultural phenomenon. The format has launched more superstar artists’ careers than any other TV format. Artists discovered by the show worldwide have sold more than 160 million records, including 170 No.1 hits, and 380 Top 10 records.

    In 2002, Cowell became lead judge of the fledgling “American Idol.” By the final of the second series in 2003, a staggering 38 million Americans were tuning in to watch Cowell on the show. Cowell was the lead judge on the US “X Factor” for three years from 2011 before leaving to make his return to the UK show as a judge for its 11th season, which begins in August 2014.

    In August 2013, Cowell produced his first feature film, “One Direction: This Is Us.” The movie debuted at No.1 at both the US and UK box offices, before going on to enjoy international success.

    For his newest take on the singing competition genre, Cowell has teamed up with Univision to create “La Banda,” a series which will search the US and Latin America for the next Latino boy band in 2015. Syco also recently announced a ground-breaking new music show, “Ultimate DJ,” in partnership with SFX and T Mobile.

  • James Murdoch to deliver MIPCOM media mastermind keynote

    James Murdoch to deliver MIPCOM media mastermind keynote

    MUMBAI: 21st Century Fox co-chief operating officer James Murdoch will give the first media mastermind keynote interview in MIPCOM 2014. He will address delegates in Cannes on Monday, 13 October.

     

    Murdoch works across 21st Century Fox’s global portfolio of businesses and has direct responsibility for the group’s television interests, which includes Fox Networks Group in the United States and, internationally, the Company’s holdings in BSkyB, Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and Star India.

     

    “We are extremely honoured to welcome James Murdoch as MIPCOM’s opening mastermind keynote interview,” said Reed MIDEM’s Television Division – director Laurine Garaude in a statement.

     

    According to Garaude, 21st Century Fox has dared to challenge convention, reshaping the industry and developing businesses that are large employers of creative talent. “Their commitment to international television production coupled with their interests in pan-European pay-TV makes this a unique opportunity to hear about the group’s plans from a recognised leader in the television industry. At a time when the quest for powerful original content has never been so relevant we are delighted to have James Murdoch speak at MIPCOM 2014 and look forward to contributing to the global debate on creativity in today’s digital era.”

     

    Organised by Reed MIDEM, the 30th anniversary of MIPCOM will take place in Cannes from 13-16 October 2014.
     

  • IndiaCast/Viacom18 all set for MIPCOM 2013

    IndiaCast/Viacom18 all set for MIPCOM 2013

    If you thought shows such as Comedy Nights with Kapil, Uttaran or even Jhalak Dikhhla Ja have takers only in India, you couldn’t be more wrong. Indeed, there is a huge demand for these programmes even in faraway markets like Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe to name a few.

     

    Which is exactly what draws aggregators and distributors such as IndiaCast to MIPCOM, the world’s biggest market for content.

     

    So what does IndiaCast have on offer this year at MIPCOM? “While we already have a strong syndication portfolio with our dramas. movies  and reality shows from Colors, we will also focus on content from our regional channels, news channels as well as the MTV content, “replies IndiaCast group COO Gaurav Gandhi, who will represent the company along with four others at MIPCOM.

     

    More specifically, IndiaCast/Viacom18’s entire catalogue will be on offer. “We have more than 25 channels in our network and so, our booth will feature content from all of these channels. This will include Ballika Vadhu, Uttaran, Madhubala, Jhalak Dikhhla Ja, Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies and also content from ETV and the news channels,” informs Gandhi.

     

    And what is IndiaCast hoping to achieve at MIPCOM? Says Gandhi: “Indian dramas are finally breaking into mainstream in many markets. We hope to find more buyers who are willing to experiment and try Indian dramas for the mainstream local audiences in the respective markets and we want to target buyers who want to remake our shows  (with script and format rights) in their respective countries .  Latin America and Turkey have been the predominant forces in exporting their drama series sales worldwide. There is an opportunity for us to break into that market in a big way. Having already licensed our content to Africa and Europe (to the mainstream market), I am hoping to tap markets like Latin America this year.” 

     

    Gandhi believes that demand for the programming that IndiaCast is hawking will also be strong in areas where Indian and south Asian diaspora are present in large numbers. This apart, there is another chunk of viewers in several countries which enjoy watching Indian programming dubbed and sub-titled in local languages. “Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa are some of these nations,” he says.”We are looking at new distribution outlets and buyers from there for both our channels and programmes at MipCom this year.”

     

    Citing a couple of examples of how the event is a platform to help export content and reach out to a larger base, Gandhi says: “It was here that we sold the script of our show Uttaran, for a remake in Africa. While normally Indian channels buy formats/ scripts, we were the first ones to have sold the script to an international player. We recently sold the MTV Roadies format internationally. The discussions for this had started in MIPCOM only.”  

     

    MIPCOM makes it easier for exhibitors to meet people from different markets and sell content. “If it wasn’t for a market like these where would one find buyers from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Tanzania?” he questions.

     

    And considering there is a sizeable regional population around the world, the aggregator is concentrating on regional content as well. “We have sold Gujarati content to a local channel in the US and also to west African countries this year. So for our regional content, this year, we will focus on building on that and tapping new markets” says Gandhi.

     

    The frenzied buying and selling of content apart, several affiliate meetings will keep IndiaCast executives busy at MIPCOM. “This is where we will talk about distribution of our channels; like Colors, MTV India, Rishtey which is our second GEC in the UK, ETV,  and News18 among a host of other channels,” informs Gandhi.   

     

    IndiaCast will concentrate on all platforms like Cable, DTH, IPTV, terrestrial and all forms, both linear and non-linear (VOD, SVOD, NVOD and PPV). “We are amongst the largest suppliers from India to VOD platforms. Our content is on Netflix, Itunes, YouTube etc. We have a lot of meetings lined up for such platforms as well,” he adds.

     

    It looks likely to be whistlestop and tiring MipCom for Gandhi and his team. And in all likelihood profitable too. 

  • ZDF, AETN renew programming, co-production deal









     

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster A&E Television Networks (AETN), which owns The History Channel, A&E and The Biography Channel, and ZDF Enterprises have announced at the television trade event MipTV the renewal of their existing programming and co-production deal for three years. The agreement, originally reached in 2005, includes co-production and programme acquisition components, as well as a new syndication representation deal.








    The agreement calls for ZDF Enterprises to acquire non-fiction programming from AETN International’s History catalogue for the top-rated ZDF History programming block, which broadcasts weekly on Sunday nights. The block is programmed under the editorial control of ZDF programmers with content provided by both ZDF and History (US).


    In addition, The History Channel in Germany will acquire local history programming from ZDF Enterprises for broadcast on its service, as well as biography and lifestyle programming for The Biography Channel. Amongst the programmes are the two-parter The Last Voyage of the Gustloff about the largest disaster in naval history with a death toll of 9,000 and the series Final Days of an Icon which examines the lives of 13 historical figures and their deaths under mysterious circumstances.


    Through a third component of the agreement, History (US) and ZDF Enterprises have extended their co-production partnership to produce nine contemporary and ancient history programmes over the next three years for broadcast on ZDF in Germany and on History in the United States.


    In the final part of the deal, AETN International has named ZDF Enterprises as its syndication representative for German-speaking Europe for Modern Marvels. This is a show on the history of technology. Produced for History, the Modern Marvels catalogue features over 400 hours of programming.








    ZDF Enterprises president and CEO Alexander Coridass says, “The combination of AETN, ZDF and ZDF Enterprises programming expertise is synonymous to high-calibre programming for audiences around the globe. We are very proud of this longstanding and fruitful partnership of global players in the most significant fields of the television industry.


    “In this very competitive time of digital changes, we are pleased that our close relationship with this successful and reliable partner is still going strong.”


    AETN SVP, international Sean Cohan says, “ZDF Enterprises has been an important production and distribution partner for AETN through the years, and we are very pleased to extend our relationship by appointing them as syndication representative for Modern Marvels in the German-speaking Europe.”








  • MySpace in deal with content distributor ShineReveille








     


    MUMBAI: MySpace, News Corp‘s online social network, is ready to launch a new global partnership with content distributor ShineReveille International.

    The deal empowers MySpaceTV to internationally distribute its original content series in various forms including international television, DVD and merchandise.

    The announcement of this new partnership was made at the MipTV television trade event in Cannes.









    MySpace MD of International Travis Katz said, “MySpace provides the creative community with a launch pad to virally test and distribute content to the world‘s largest focus group. MySpaceTV has quickly become Hollywood‘s digital playground and our relationship with ShineReveille opens up the globe to MySpace‘s international content creators.”


    As the newly merged sales and distribution arm of Shine and Reveille, ShineReveille International is a member of the Shine Group of companies that includes Shine, Reveille, Kudos, Firefly and Princess Productions.


    The company distributes programming from independent producers and US networks to approximately 150 territories worldwide.








    Shine Group president Alex Mahon said, “MySpaceTV is a proven fertile ground for emerging creative approaches and techniques; this deal gives their content the opportunity to transfer directly to traditional platforms.”


    Adding to this, ShineReveille International president Chris Grant said, “There is an appetite to create versions of successful online content that can work for the traditional television platform, as MySpace have already demonstrated. This partnership allows this to be taken to the next level.”


    The distribution deal enables MySpaceTV content to be sold exclusively to television and traditional media by ShineReveille International, while MySpace retains all distribution rights in the U.S. as well as international web and mobile distribution rights.


    MySpace‘s partnership with ShineReveille will create a new distribution model making MySpaceTV programming available to distribution platforms such as television, DVD and merchandise outlets worldwide.








  • MipTV announces winners of Content 360 competition








     


    MUMBAI: MipTV has announced the 10 winners of the 2008 Content 360 competition, which rewards outstanding interactive and multi-platform content. The contest took place in Cannes on 10 April.


    Digital commissioners from Content 360‘s partners such as the BBC, the Korean Broadcasting and Communications Commission (BCC), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and OgilvyInteractive Worldwide selected the 10 winners from 27 short-listed producers and designers across the competition‘s eight categories.









    Poltergeist 360 from Shoal Media (UK) has won the title in Mass Participation Fiction & Entertainment of BBC category. The winning project will be given a ?15,000 development contract with the BBC.


    In the New IPTV Concepts category of BBC, Krishna Stott of Bellyfeel Limited (UK) was announced winner for Interactive Programme Templates. This project will also get a ?15,000 development contract with the BBC.


    Gail Dudleston and Matt Pallatt of Twentysix Leeds (UK) won the Advanced Mobile Interaction with TV Content (BBC category) for their project Coded Vision. David Eccles and Tom Evans of Numiko (UK) won the prize in New Forms of Web-based Audio and Video Aggregation BBC category for Micro Stations.








    In the Multi-Platform Projects Suitable for International Co-production on Cultural or Natural Heritage category of BCC, Tom Cunningham and Dorigen Hammond of Metadigita Limited (UK) won the award for B4 Mobile. The project will receive a €10,000 development award from BCC.


    In Cross-Media Formats for Children including DMB or Interactive TV category, Inpyo Hong and Kyung Jo Min of BD Corea (Korea) gets the award for Mimi and Dada‘s Art Odyssey. It will receive €10,000 development award from BCC.


    In Multi-platform Co-production on Human Rights category of NFB, Bronwyn Berry and Stan Joseph from Ochre Media (South Africa) has won for Relate. The winning producer will receive a co-production development deal from the NFB, which will include up to €5,000 in development funding.


    In Ogilvy Interactive Category, Rachelle Boyle from Australia wins for Using the Power of the Brand for the Power of Good for project Fanta‘s Heroes. Boyle will receive a partnership deal for an Ogilvy Group UK client project valued at minimum €10,000.


    Ogilvy Entertainment US will award two surprise partnership deals for an Ogilvy Group US client project valued at $5000. Australian Marissa Cooke wins it for Expressions of Kindness and Okuhle Media‘s (South Africa) Paula Brown and Karyn Romero for Young Ambassadors.








  • TinselVision pilots film review programme ‘Tinsel Takes’








    CANNES: TinselVision, a Tinsel Cinema LLC online service that delivers Indian and Bollywood entertainment content to people of Indian origin, has announced the pilot and global premier of Tinsel Takes, a Bollywood film review programme.

    The announcement was made at MipTV in Cannes.


    This May onwards, Tinsel Takes will be aired weekly at tinselvision.com and the viewing will be for free. June beginning, audiences will also be able to view the programme within the ChannelMine community pages.









    The pilot episode will air alongside other programmes like Inside Tinsel and a lineup of short-form and serial content from Zoom TV, B4U Networks and other providers.


    The May premiere of Tinsel Takes will showcase the latest Bollywood films and contemplates an initial season of 16 episodes.

  • International interactive Emmy awards announced at MipTV







    CANNES: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS) has announced the winners for the International Interactive Emmy awards.


    “This year‘s winners are an illustration of how technology is enhancing viewer participation and bringing an added value to television content,” said IATAS president and CEO Bruce L Paisner.


    Scandinavia led the evening with Finland‘s children‘s programme Staraoke winning the ‘Interactive Programme‘ category and Sweden‘s participation drama The Truth About Marika winning the ‘Interactive TV Service‘ category. The ‘Interactive Channel‘ award went to the UK‘s WeDigTV.


    International Emmy ‘Directorate Award‘ went to Liu Changle of Phoenix Satellite.


    Launched in Hong Kong in 1996, Phoenix Satellite Television has rapidly expanded from a single general entertainment channel to an integrated multimedia group with five television channels broadcasting in Mandarin Chinese and covering over 150 countries around the world.









    Dick Wolf, the architect of the Law & Order brand, bagged International Emmy Founders Award. Wolf‘s classic television series has transcended cultural boundaries for the last 25 years. Law & Order is the longest-running drama series currently on American television and a major international success with brand licences in more than 300 territories and localised versions in France, Russia and the UK.

    IATAS is the largest organisation of broadcasters in the world, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies.


    The awards will be given at the 36th International Emmy Awards gala on 24 November in New York.

  • Disney to launch channel for preschoolers in Latin America









     

    MUMBAI: Disney and ESPN Media Networks Latin America have announced the launch of their new Playhouse Disney Channel in Latin America.


    The 24-hour channel will have programming especially designed for preschoolers aged 2 to 5 years.


    Playhouse Disney will join Disney channel and Jetix cable channels that claim to have presence in 19 countries across Latin America.



    Furthermore, the chanel will be offered in the basic subscription package offered by Cablevisión, Multicanal and Teledigital from 1 June.







    The Walt Disney Company Latin America president and Disney Media Networks (Latin America) GM Diego Lerner said, “With this (Playhouse Disney), we provide a special place on our screen for children aged 2 to 5. We want them to have their own space to learn, play and be entertained by their favourite characters, available 24 hours a day.”



    On broadcast in Argentina, Lerner added, “We are pleased to make our entry in Argentina with this new channel through some of the most important MSOs in this region namely Cablevisión, Multicanal and Teledigital. Now, this will help us reach their three million subscribers in Argentina.”









    The channel will have three feeds in Latin America: the North feed (Caribbean countries, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and Venezuela), the South feed (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru), and the Brazil feed.


    While the North feed and the South feed will be in Spanish, the Brazil feed will be in Portuguese.


    Playhouse Disney is a learning-based channel with music, stories, learning segments about nature, the English language and the development of motor skills, among others.


    It includes all-time preschoolers‘ favourites and new animated and live-action series.







  • Zee Studio renews deal with Disney-ABC Television







    MUMBAI: In line with its commitment to expand the reach of its content internationally, Disney‘s international TV distribution arm, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), has renewed a multi-year movie deal with Zee Studio. This agreement covers the licensing of live action library features, Disney animated movie titles and made-for-TV movies.


    Under this agreement, viewers in India will be able to enjoy blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Armageddon, Pretty Woman and Air Force One. The deal also includes animated movies like Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little, Tarzan I & II Jungle Book II.


    Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific) senior VP, MD Rob Gilby says, “We‘re delighted to be expanding our relationship with Zee to offer Indian viewers a broad range of renowned Disney movies that appeal to all members of the family. India is a key market for our business and this deal is in line with our continued commitment to expand Disney‘s content reach here.”









    Zee Studio executive VP, business head Neil Chakravarti says, “We are very pleased to renew our existing multi-year movie deal with Disney-ABC International Television. Zee Studio continues on its commitment to bring viewers the choicest Hollywood titles, including an exciting selection of premier animated titles from Disney.”



    Disney content has also been previously licensed to Zee Cafe, including US cable series Army Wives and reality series The Next Best Thing: Who Is The Greater Celebrity Impersonator? and I Wanna Be A Soap Star.