ITV

Category: Mipcom

  • Alfred Haber to showcase ‘Ghost Hunters Intl‘ at MipTV









     

    MUMBAI: Building on its success with the international distribution rights to the original Ghost Hunters for the last four seasons, Alfred Haber Distribution (AHD) has announced that the company has just been awarded the exclusive international distribution rights to the all-new Sci-Fi Channel series Ghost Hunters International.








    Currently the number one rated reality show on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US, Ghost Hunters International follows the adventures of a new team of paranormal investigators as they apply their principles of scientific debunking to some of the most legendary haunted spots around the world.


    AHD will be offering Ghost Hunters International for the first time at the upcoming trade event MipTV which takes place in Cannes, France next month.








    Like their US counterpart Taps (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), Ghost Hunters International is a squad of real-life ghost-hunting experts. The international team comprises veteran Taps investigators Robb Demarest, Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois, Donna LaCroix, Barry Fitzgerald and newcomer Shannon Sylvia.


    A few of the featured investigations included in the series are: the infamous Chillingham Castle in England; the spirited vaults and tunnels of Mary King‘s Close in Scotland; the macabre depths of the Abbey at Lucedio, near Turin, Italy; the legendary Nanteos Mansion in Wales, which lore dictates to be the one-time resting place of the Holy Grail; and the famous Frankenstein Castle in Germany.








    AHD‘s Robert Kennedy says, “The world is intrigued by ghosts and other aspects of the paranormal. Ghost Hunters continues to sell well for us around the world and we are pleased to be offering the international version of this smash hit sensation.”


    The show‘s producer Craig Piligian says, “The success that Ghost Hunters International has achieved on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US has been fantastic. We believe that our relationship with Alfred Haber Distribution, one of the most successful and long-standing distribution companies in the business today, will lead to the same kind of success worldwide.”








  • Mipcom announces nominations for annual Mobile TV Screenings and Awards

    Mipcom announces nominations for annual Mobile TV Screenings and Awards

    MUMBAI: The global television trade event Mipcom has announced the nominations for the second annual Mobile TV Screenings & Awards. 23 nominations and 10 special mentions will be presented during MIPCOM and the winners will be announced in a special screenings and awards Ceremony to be held in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes on 11 October, 2006.

    Sponsored by Orange, Ericsson and the Korean Broadcasting Commission, the Mobile Screenings & Awards 2006 brought in a record number of 290 entries from 34 countries. This marks a 30 per cent increase in submissions from 2005.

    For the second year running the competition recognises innovation and creativity in new mobile entertainment concepts and formats especially related to audiovisual TV and Film content.

    Reed Midem’s Television Division director Paul Johnson says, “Mobile TV represents a growing opportunity for the audiovisual content industry. Mipcom is proud to take an active role in promoting the development of made-for-mobile content and facilitating commercial transactions on a global level for both TV and film.”

    The Pre-selection Jury head and president of London based Any Screen Productions Ferhan Cook says, “The competition has attracted an even wider variety of genres, and new approaches from both existing well known entertainment companies as well as new ones.

    “It is clear that the world’s creative community is hard at work, innovating new formats for the mobile medium.”

    The 23 nominated entries are to be screened and judged by the Mobile TV Awards Jury at Mipcom from each of the following five categories: Best Original Made-for-Mobile Film or Video Content; Best Repurposed Content from Existing Film or TV Property; Best Made-for-Mobile TV Channel; Best Format for Interactive Mobile TV and Best Mobile format for User-Generated Content.

    In addition to these five categories, there will also be The Orange Grand Prize for Innovation and a special recognition mention for the Best Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) projects.

    The Mobile TV Screenings & Awards are a part of the Mobile TV focus on 11 October 2006. Included in the programme are a number of conferences focusing on the distribution, marketing and creation of audiovisual mobile content; including keynote addresses by Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja and ESPN president, and ABC Sports co-Chairman George Bodenheimer.

    The nominees in various categories are:

  • Sweeney, Bodenheimer to deliver keynotes at Mipcom

    Sweeney, Bodenheimer to deliver keynotes at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: The upcoming television trade event Mipcom 2006 which takes place in Cannes from 9-13 October has announced four keynote speakers.

    This year’s conference programme is called Reshaping Media. The speakers include ESPN US president George Bodenheimer, Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney, NBC Universal president, digital media and market development Beth Comstock and MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan.

    This year’s programme will focus on the changing landscape for traditional TV programming and the advertising business, film financing and distribution, as well as exploring the new opportunities offered by internet TV and mobile TV.

    Named the Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter, one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune and one of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes, Sweeney is responsible for Disney’s entertainment and news television properties globally. Under her guidance ABC went from strength to strength with shows like Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    At Mipcom Sweeney will share her vision of the future and the impact of digital on all forms of media. She will offer an insight on the changing landscape of television and evolving consumer demands.

    As part of a new conference focus at Mipcom 2006 highlighting new financing and distribution opportunities for film Sloan, will present the new invigorated MGM business strategy to hundreds of Mipcom delegates. A core business for MGM, Sloan will be addressing the new opportunities for cinema in television distribution, channel operations, home entertainment and new media. Sloan headed three media companies before joining MGM in October 2005. They were SBS Broadcasting, Lions Gate Entertainment and New World Entertainment.

    Comstock drives NBC Universal’s digital strategy and leads the company’s content and distribution efforts across new and emerging digital platforms. In her keynote speech, she will discuss NBC Universal’s 360 degree content approach to capitalise on opportunities in the digital age and strategy for success in this era of the pull consumer.

    Bodenheimer will be looking into the reasons and strategy behind the growth of the ESPN brand as part of the day’s spotlight on cross-platform and mobile content. Bodenheimer was named president of ESPN in 1998 and his focus on creativity and cutting-edge innovation has led the company to expand its brand to over 50 business entities.