ITV

Category: Event Coverage

  • Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos to keynote at MIPCOM

    Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos to keynote at MIPCOM

    MUMBAI: MIPCOM today announces that Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of the world’s leading Internet TV network, Netflix, will give a keynote address as part of MIPCOM’s Media Mastermind Keynote Series.

     

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

    Coming shortly after Netflix expands its European presence, the keynote interview, which will be conducted by Eric Scherer, Director Future Media, France Televisions, will take place from 11.15am on Tuesday 14 October.

    Ted Sarandos has led content acquisition for Netflix since 2000 and is recognised in the industry as a key innovator in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and TV series.

    Netflix, the world’s leading internet subscription service for TV shows and movies, has over 50 million members in more than 40 countries, who watch more than one billion hours of per month.

    Netflix has a burgeoning slate of must-see original series, including “House of Cards”, “Lilyhammer”, “Hemlock Grove”, “Orange Is the New Black”, “The Killing”, the fourth season of “Arrested Development”, “Bojack Horseman” and, coming in December, “Marco Polo”

    Netflix will soon launch in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, giving broadband users in those countries access to a curated selection of Hollywood, local and global TV series and movies, whenever and wherever they like on TVs, tablets, phones, game consoles and computers.

    Besides North and South America and the Caribbean, Netflix is so far available in the UK and Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands.

  • Bringing home Lord Ganesha

    Bringing home Lord Ganesha

    He is the ‘Dukh Harta’ and the one who removes obstacles. So be it any new project, a new house or a new car, everything starts with his blessings. The western part of the country is now gearing to welcome home the most loved Lord Ganesha.  And starting 29 August, one will see huge pandals housing Ganapati at every nook and corner of Maharashtra.  His aura is such, that devotees while immersing the Lord, ask him to come back soon, as they chant, ‘Agle Varsh Jaldi Aa’.

    From Lalbaug Cha Raja, to the pandals in localities to households are all busy with the last minute preparations. Right from cleaning the house, to making modaks (his favourite sweet), to decorating the house, the stage is set to welcome him home.

    While it is a 11-day festival, immersions take place after one and a half days, three days, five days, seven days, nine days and the eleventh day. Host of activities are lined up in the pandals and even at homes for the duration. The day starts with morning aarti, it progresses with hawan, bhajans and then concludes with evening aarti. People, who bring him home, invite family and friends for darshan and treat the Lord like a guest, with morning and evening aarti.   

    On the occasion, we at indiantelevision.com ask the industry about their preparations for the 11 day festival and how they celebrate it.

    MCOF president, Arvind Prabhoo

    We have been bringing home Lord Ganesha for the last 45 years. While the celebrations were restricted only to my mother’s house, it was some 45 years ago, when my brother was some two to three years old, when he got fascinated towards the whole festival and we decided to also bring home the Lord. We bring the Lord home for five days.

    The preparations start almost one year in advance, as the order for the idol has to be made. We get an eco-friendly Ganapati. For the past 15 days, the entire family has been busy with cleaning the house, getting ingredients for the Prasad etc.

    On day one we have modaks for the Lord and also lunch arranged, on the third day we arrange for bhajan in Gujarati and Marathi, while on the fifth day, my mother makes close to 200 puran poli’s.

    We immerse the Lord in the municipal ground next to our house in Villeparle, where the municipality creates an artificial pond. 

    Star India SVP programming Ashish Golwalkar

    We have been getting Lord Ganesha for more than 20 years. Celebrations and preparations start in full swing almost a week or 10 days in advance. We get Ganapati for seven days. This year, the celebration is going to be on a larger scale as all the families will come under one roof and are celebrating this occasion. We get clay Ganapati and immerse the Lord in the nearby pond.

     

    Zee 24 Taas business head Bhushan Khot

    We have been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi since the past 12 years at our home. We keep for one and a half days and the immersion takes place at an artificially created pond near our home so as to not pollute the water. We have been doing this from my childhood as a joint family and when we moved out to our own place, we continued the tradition.

     

     

    Zee Marathi business head Deepak Rajadhyaksha

    The occasion is very important because it is being celebrated at our home since the last 60 years. My father had started the tradition and we followed suit of bringing home Ganesha for one and a half days and immersion is done at the nearby pond. Along with it, we also prepare Lord Ganesha’s favourite modak and shrikhand and other such sweets.

  • Media offices turn tricolour for Independence Day 2014

    Media offices turn tricolour for Independence Day 2014

    MUMBAI: The country is gearing up to celebrate India’s 68th Independence Day. The patriotic fervor is in the air. Everything from channels to radio stations, newspapers, magazines and even the digital space have donned the colours of the tricolor.

     

    With every individual busy with their hectic lives, Independence Day is the only day where people across the country come together to celebrate regardless of their caste, creed or religion. As the I-Day nears, Indiantelevision.com takes a look at how different media organisations are celebrating this day at their offices.

     

    Doordarshan Mumbai

     

    * The pubcaster Doordarshan’s Mumbai Kenra led by its head Mukesh Sharma  has decided to throw a special Independence Day  eve dinner for a select group of invitees from the cities glitterati and bring in Independence Day, reminding Indians of another generation of what happened when India attained independence on 15 August 1947. A flag hoisting ceremony will follow in the morning on 15 August followed by breakfast.

     

    Zee News

     

    * Coming up with an innovative exercise for the I-day, Zee News is launching a campaign ‘My Earth My Duty’, under which symbolic plantation will be done at its office and also at locations like Wagah Border, Lucknow, Udhampur and Delhi. The organisation will also have a ‘Best Tiranga Girl and Boy Contest’, awarding the best dressed employees. Meanwhile, the Zee TV office will be accessorised with Tri Colour balloons and all the employees will be treated with sweets for the occasion.

     

    SureWaves, Bengaluru

     

    * With patriotism in the air, employees at SureWaves, Bengaluru have decided to wear attire that in some ways reflects the Indian flag’s tri-colour on 14 August followed by a get-together in the office where quiz and some impromptu games are planned. The company is also toying with the idea of flag hoisting and is thinking of initiating a drive towards waste management at home. If it can, it plans to bring in an expert who will speak to the company team and their families about waste composting and waste conversion to manure depending on the expert’s availability. They are also trying to distribute small Bundi packets to remind the employees about childhood days in the school.

     

    Group M

     

    * While India’s leading media agency’s GroupM’s  office has already been decorated with balloons in tri-colour, chocolates will be distributed to the employees.

     

    NDTV Good Times

     

    * For a special Independence Day celebration, the whole of NDTV Good Times’ office will be seen in ethnic, wearing a mix of saffron, white and green.

     

    Tata Sky

     

    * The DTH operator has also decided to deck up its office with saffron, white and green balloons, suiting the occasion along with snacks and songs. Knowledge will be tested with a special Independence day quiz.

     

    While a number of media offices have something special planned for the day, a few of them like India TV, Times Now, NDTV, Sony, Atria, Star Network’s Kannada GEC – Suvarna have nothing special planned for Independence Day.

     

    As different offices celebrate Independence Day in their own special way, we at Indiantelevision.com wish you a Happy 68th Independence Day. We will be donning ethnic wear, sing patriotic songs, ending with the national anthem. Jai Hind!

  • CBS executives David Stapf and Armando Nunez to deliver joint keynote at Mipcom 2014

    CBS executives David Stapf and Armando Nunez to deliver joint keynote at Mipcom 2014

    MUMBAI: MIPCOM announces today that David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios, and Armando Nu?ez, President and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group, will deliver a joint keynote address as part of MIPCOM’s Media Mastermind Keynote Series.

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

    The CBS Studios Global Content Keynote from Nu?ez and Stapf is scheduled for Tuesday 14 October. With more than five decades of television production and international TV distribution experience between them, the CBS executives will discuss this year’s overall theme, The Global Quest for Original Content . The duo will tackle topics including the rise of event series programming, new relationships with digital distribution partners, CBS’s year-round programming strategy and the global appetite for CBS and Showtime content.

    CBS Television Studios is one of the leading suppliers of primetime network programming, with top scripted dramas such as “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” and comedy series “The Millers.” The studio’s roster of popular and critically-acclaimed programmes also includes the phenomenally successful CSI franchise, summer event series “Under the Dome,” “Elementary,” starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, and the Peabody Award winning series “The Good Wife,” starring multiple award winner Julianna Margulies.

    David Stapf was named President, CBS Television Studios in September 2004. He is responsible for overseeing all of the Studio’s programme development and production, basic cable and premium channel markets.

    Armando Nu?ez was named President and CEO of the CBS Global Distribution Group in October 2012. Nunez is responsible for overseeing all of CBS Corporation’s international and domestic distribution operations, including CBS Studios International, which licenses CBS programming worldwide to more than 200 markets across multiple media platforms. Nu?ez has been with the company since 1999.

    Stapf and Nunez report directly to Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corporation.

  • 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.

  • “The Book of Negroes” to open in Cannes

    “The Book of Negroes” to open in Cannes

    MUMBAI: MIPCOM and Entertainment One Television (eOne) announce the exclusive preview of the forthcoming event mini-series, “The Book of Negroes.” The MIPCOM 2014 World Premiere TV Screening is scheduled for Monday 13 October in the Grand Auditorium of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals at 6.30pm.

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

    Lead actress Aunjanue Ellis (Ray, The Help), Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr (Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men) and Oscar and Emmy winner Lou Gossett Jr (A Raisin in the Sun, Boardwalk Empire) are scheduled to appear at the screening, along with multi-award winning Director and Co-writer Clement Virgo (The Wire) and Executive Producer Damon D’Oliveira (What We Have). The star-studded miniseries also features Lyriq Bent (Rookie Blue), Jane Alexander (The Cider House Rules), Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line) and Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle).

    The mini-series is produced by Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment, eOne and Idlewild Films.

    The premiere screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director, producer and cast present. The talent will later walk the red carpet to attend the MIPCOM Opening Night Party.

    A universal story of loss, courage and triumph, “The Book of Negroes” recounts the extraordinary journey of Aminata Diallo, an indomitable African woman who survives in a world in which everything seems to be against her. Kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa then sold into slavery in South Carolina, Aminata navigates her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, before finally securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century.

    The series is based on the critically-acclaimed novel by Lawrence Hill, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide (published as Someone Knows My Name in the US).

    “The Book of Negroes” is made for Viacom’s BET Networks in the US and Canada’s CBC. World rights to the series in all media are being handled by eOne.

    “We are honored and elated that “The Book of Negroes” has been officially selected for MIPCOM’S Opening Night Gala and that it will make its highly-anticipated premiere at the television world’s most prestigious and internationally-renowned event,” said Carrie Stein, Executive Vice President of Global Production, Entertainment One Television.  “With the tremendous support of our partners at CBC, BET, Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment and Idlewild Films as well as the incredible work of our talented crew and cast led by Cuba Gooding Jr., Lou Gossett Jr., Aunjanue Ellis and Lyriq Bent, we’re extremely proud of this captivating, powerful and inspiring miniseries and look forward to presenting it in October.”

    “We’re honoured to be hosting the exclusive premiere of this magnificent bestseller adaptation with its outstanding cast,” said Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division. “eOne’s launch of this high-profile mini-series at MIPCOM underlines the growing importance of the World Premiere TV Screening as a key industry event.”

    Watch the trailer here

  • MIPTV 2015 announces 2nd MIP DIGITAL FRONTS in APRIL 2015 in Cannes

    MIPTV 2015 announces 2nd MIP DIGITAL FRONTS in APRIL 2015 in Cannes

    MUMBAI: MIPTV 2015 today announces the second edition of MIP DIGITAL FRONTS, the annual international screenings and market for original online video with the confirmation of YouTube, for the second year running, as first Founding Partner. The MIP Digital Fronts will take place during MIPTV from 13-15 April 2015 in Cannes, France.

     

    “The inaugural MIP DIGITAL FRONTS in  2014 offered a unique global platform for YouTube creators, traditional TV producers and film studios to promote their web video talent” said Ben McOwen Wilson, Director YouTube EMEA. “Following the success of this year’s event, YouTube is delighted to be on board once again next year as a Founding Partner.”

     

    “MIPTV  has  been,  for  over  50  years,  the  global  destination  to  produce,  finance, distribute and acquire content from around the world,” said Reed MIDEM’s Laurine Garaude. “With MIP DIGITAL FRONTS, it  has become the  only international digital content showcase and marketplace to produce, finance, distribute and buy original online video.”

     

    Last April, the event saw online content presentations from YouTube, Maker Studios, Dailymotion, Vice and Chipotle and packed showcases from SmokeBomb Entertainment, Vuguru and What’s Trending. Check them out on MIPBlog.  Talent included Chester See, The Young Turks, Mr Stampy Cat, Finn & Jack Harries and many more. For 2015, Reed MIDEM will add a third day of screenings (from two days in 2014), and expects to double the number of content studios joining the-line up.

     

    The MIP DIGITAL FRONTS was created by Reed MIDEM following the success at MIPTV 2013 of YouTube’s original online content showcase. MIP DIGITAL FRONTS are the world’s  first  international  screenings  to  showcase  and  trade  original  online  video programming and web series, in front of MIPTV’s audience of over 11,000 international buyers, producers and distributors, digital strategists, agencies, brands, advertisers and media from the global TV and video entertainment ecosystem.

     

    As a Founding Partner, YouTube will present a showcase of channels and content partners

  • 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.
     

  • Hungary and Belgium get ready to Boom!

    Hungary and Belgium get ready to Boom!

    MUMBAI: Keshet International has sold its explosive gameshow formatBOOM! to TV2 in Hungary, and VTM, the top Flemish speaking channel in Belgium owned by parent company MEDIALAAN.TV2 plans to launch a local adaptation of the thrilling gameshow later this year.

     

    This news marks the fourth and fifth sales of the format since its launch at MIPTV, following Spain (Atresmedia), the US (FOX) and France (TF1).

     

    BOOM! fuses the drama, intensity and thrill of a blockbuster action movie with the high octane fun of a video game. Full of comedy, color and excitement – BOOM!’s fresh approach rolls the intellectual AND physical challenges of existing gameshows into one must-see event for viewers of all ages. A squad of four players must defuse eight (replica) bombs by answering trivia questions correctly within a strict time limit. In nail-biting scenes, the nominated player must defuse one bomb per question by cutting through colored wires which represent multiple choice answers against the clock. If the player answers correctly the prize money remains intact and they move to the next bomb, if they cut the wrong wire, or run out of time the bomb will explode strewing material across the studio andvisiblyshaking the set – and the team will lose one player and 25% of the potential prize money. BOOM! delivers fierce tension and light-hearted humor in quick succession,extending the experience not only to those in the studio, but also viewers at home who can play along.

     

    “BOOM! is igniting all over the world, and we are thrilled to partner with our longtime friends at TV2 and VTM to bring our show to Hungary and Belgium,” said Keshet International CEO Alon Shtruzman.

     

    “We are pleased to have once again picked up the most talked-about format of the market from Keshet International. With the success of Master Class and Rising Star now in pre-production, BOOM! will be the third Keshet format that TV2 will adapt and we are very happy to bring this innovative project to audiences in Hungary,” said György Bence, Program and News Director, TV2.

     

    BOOM! achieved outstanding ratings when it made its debut on Keshet Broadcasting, Channel 2 Israel following its launch on Thursday April 3 at 9 PM, becomingthe highest-rated game show launch ever in Israel. Vastly outshining all other shows in its timeslot, BOOM!scored a staggering 41.2% share and 26.7% (HH) rating.

     

    The ratings and share equate to an increase of four times the amount drawn by the nearest competitor for the time slot, doing exceptionally well in the younger demographic of 18 – 24 years with a share 27.5% higher than the average.

     

    BOOM! is now the most viewed game show ever in Israel both in terms of ratings and number of viewers, outperforming other favorites such as Million Pound Drop and Raid the Cage. It has also garnered the highest audience share ever for a game show airing on a week night. The show’s rating was 14% above the average share for the time slot on Channel 2.

    BOOM! was created by Keshet, Ido Rozenblum and July August Productions.

     

    Season two of TV2’s Master Class, also an adaptation of a Keshet International format, will launch on the network later this month following a tremendously successful first season debut.

     

    Visit the Keshet International stand R8.C9, Riviera 8, Palais Des Festivals,at MIPTV 7 – 10 April 2014

  • Keshet International has Asia Singing

    Keshet International has Asia Singing

    MUMBAI: Keshet International has sold its trailblazing interactive talent format RISING STAR and its high-rating children’s singing format MASTER CLASS into Asia. The deals mark a first for each format in terms of geographical reach.

     

    RISING STAR will air on Indonesia’s largest private broadcaster RCTI (Indonesian Idol, Masterchef) which reaches a gigantic potential audience of 180 million viewers. An initial 24 x 2 hr episodes have been commissioned and will be produced by RCTI to air in late Summer/early Fall 2014. ABC’s US version of the show will air on June 22 and is available to buyers at MIPTV as a finished 10 episode tape.

     

    Keshet International has closed deals for RISING STAR in more than 25 territories since its launch at MIPCOM 2013, making it the fastest-selling talent format on record (source: The WIT). Sales include the US (ABC), UK (ITV), Argentina (Telefe), Brazil (Rede Globo), Spain (Atresmedia), Portugal (TVI), Italy (Toro), France (M6 Group) Russia (Rossiya1), Germany (RTL), the Nordics (Nordisk), Hungary (TV2), Ukraine (1+1), Greece (MEGA) and Turkey (Acun Medya). Interest in the format continues to grow worldwide following unprecedented ratings for the show’s original series in Israel, the season finale of which peaked with a 58% share of the total domestic audience.

     

    MASTER CLASS will find a home in China on Jiangsu Satellite TV, launching in the last quarter of 2014 with a first season of 12 x 90’ episodes. The show is being adapted into a local version done through a co-development deal with Beijing-based production company 3C Media.  

     

    The original Israeli version of MASTER CLASS is a show in which children sing all-time classics with only positive reviews and no eliminations. It is currently the highest performing talent show on Keshet’s Channel 2. It has also performed extremely well in Hungary where its ratings exceeded TV2’s average for the timeslot by 250%.

     

    Kanti Mirdiati, Managing Director of RCTI, said, “It is an honor for RCTI to cooperate with Keshet International and be the first TV Station in Asia that will telecast Rising Star. This is a singing talent search program with a very interesting concept and totally interactive format, where the audiences at home can vote at a real time and decide who will stay or who will leave. We can’t wait to see how great this program will be. It will bring a new reality and voting sensation through the new platform called Mobile App.”

     

    Mr. Liu, CEO of 3C Media, said “We are very happy to be working with Keshet in co-developing this format into a version that’s more suitable to the Chinese audience and market. The core elements of the show remains intact while we bringing in a special local twist to it. We hope to establish a long-term relationship with Keshet in co-developing many future hit shows for China.”

     

    Keshet International CEO, Alon Shtruzman, said, “We’re delighted to see two more jewels in the Keshet crown airing in Asia. Having a strong presence in such rapid growth regions feels like a great frontier to have conquered.”

     

    Elsewhere in Asia, Keshet International has sold its hidden camera game show Deal With It to Mediacorp Channel 5.

     

    RISING STAR is a trailblazing interactive talent format which hails a new era in home entertainment. It enables the first real-time voting by viewers via an innovative free app ‘TV app to you’ which is fully integrated into the show. Making their debut on stage alone, behind a giant wall of TV screens, a performer can only make his or her entry to the studio by securing more than 70% of the viewers’, judges’ and live audiences’ vote. If the bar is met, the screen (which lights up with the face of each voting viewer in real-time) will slowly rise to expose the hopeful to their new fans and the judging panel. From the very first minute of the very first episode, viewers will play an integral role in every decision made on the show and continue to do so throughout the entire season.

     

    RISING STAR, produced by Tedy Productions for Keshet Broadcasting, marked a record-breaking debut on Keshet’s Channel 2 from September to December 2013, maintaining its audience throughout the full first season as the highest-rated show in 10 of its 15 weeks on air. Over 10 million votes were cast through the app during season one, which has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. RISING STAR has far outperformed all second screen data ever recorded in Israel, with an activity rate 10 times higher than its nearest competitor. It maintained high ratings and conversion rates (i.e. viewers to second screen participation), in excess of 30%, throughout the series.

     

    MASTER CLASS is a talent show full of heart, and no heartbreak! It is a music talent show for children singing old classics with only positive reviews and without elimination. It has become a critically acclaimed program that taps into the global trend of family viewing because of its warm and humane approach. MASTER CLASS avoids the intrigue and harsh judgment of a ruthless competition, focusing on the nurturing relationships formed between the teachers and their young students, as they become familiar with the country’s rich musical history and cultural heritage.

     

    The sixteen stars of the show are children aged 8-14, with the most promising voices in the country. Four teachers – leading artists in the music industry – train them to make the most of their potential and become the best singers they can. The program is set at the music school and its auditorium, where the weekly performances take place. Towards the end of the season the best student in each performance is awarded a place in the graduation show. In this way, the six will sing for the last time in front of the committee, where one will be selected as the best in the class. Still, all the students continue their studies and perform at every show, including the final one.

     

    Entitled School of Music in Israel, MASTER CLASS became a breakthrough hit oh Keshet Broadcasting Channel 2 – it was the 2nd highest rated show in in 2011, with a season average of 48.1% share and 32.5% rating.