ITV

Category: Event Coverage

  • Toel Animation sells shows to broadcasters ahead of Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Ahead of Mipcom, France animation production studio Toei Animation has announced that their shows have been acquired by several leading broadcasters in Europe and Asia.

     

    Asataro, The Onion Samurai will be aired on TV Asahi in Japan from 12 October. My 3 Daughters and Master Hamsters has been acquired by GMA7 in the Philippines and by France 3 in France.

     

    Happy Lucky Bikkuriman has been acquired by Cartoon Network in Italy, by France 3 in France and by Hong Kong Cable in Hong Kong.

     

    GeGeGe No Kitaro 5 has been acquired by Tooniverse in Korea.

     

  • Shemaroo to focus on films & animation at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment is gearing up for the television trade event Mipcom which kicks off on Monday in Cannes, France.

    Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada says that Mipcom in the past has been a great platform to build relationships and showcase products. “Business is, however, at a nascent stage and depends on various factors,” he adds.

    The focus will be on acquiring and selling content for animation, films and alternative content. It is also looking at co-production deals in the animation field.

    When asked about the content that will be showcased, Gada says, “In animation we will showcase Ghatothkach – Master of Magic; Bal Ganesh; Dashavatar; Return of Hanuman. Then there is Tina and Magical Alphabets which is an edutainment series. Fruit Salad is a fun series with morals.”

    In films, Shemaroo will showcase Mera Baap Pehle Aap; Jannat; Ugly Aur Pagli; Mission Istanbul; Chamku and Hello. As far as alternative content goes, there is Shilpa’s Yoga. The company will also offer shows on lifestyle, travel, food and health.

  • Mipcom to screen TBSL’s ‘Hot Gossip Bollywood’

    MUMBAI: Mipcom has instituted a new section for the mobile and internet content. Time Broadband’s content ‘Hot Gossip Bollywood’ has been selected for special screening under this section.

     

    Hot Gossip Bollywood is a two-minute show about Bollywood stars.

     

    Apart from Time Broadband, the other selected content is from major networks like MTV, Disney, Turner Broadcasting and Fox.

     

    European Broadcasting Union’s Nicoletta Laccobacci headed the selection committee. The selection, from 1000 entries, was based on innovation, customisation, and inventiveness of the content.

     

  • Colosceum to acquire formats at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Colosceum Media, the creators of the popular Splitsvilla which aired on MTV, is set for Mipcom with the focus of acquiring formats from across the world.

     

    Colosceum Media CEO Ajit Andhere says, “Taking into account the booming television market in India, our aim is to acquire the best of both fiction as well as non fiction formats and bring them to India.”

     

    However, the production house which is almost a year old is not pitching in to sell any formats developed by them.

     

    “At the moment we are not selling anything. Our focus is to develop our catalogue with many more shows and exploit them sufficiently. May be after a year, when we have good shows we can also get into selling,” adds Andhere.

  • 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.