ITV

Category: Specials

  • Government should address the long-pending insurance bill: Sanjay Tripathy

    Government should address the long-pending insurance bill: Sanjay Tripathy

    Life insurance is one of the most important segments of the financial services industry and has contributed immensely to boost various sectors in the economy through its ability to make long term investments, and provide huge employment opportunities. Currently the sector is reeling under tough economic environment and regulatory changes that have been instituted in last couple of years. The industry needs support from the government of India, to help it in further contributing to nation building in the coming years.

     

    As an immediate step, the new government should address the following to boost growth in the life insurance industry:

     

    1. Re-looking at the current investment limits for tax rebates and certain current tax provisions would augur well for the industry. Life insurance is a socio economic instrument. In absence of any strong social security system by the government, at least the investment in life insurance premiums should be given additional limit of at least Rs 1 lakh, instead of clubbing the same with other investments u/s 80C of the Income tax Act, 1961. This will inculcate the habit of systematic and consistent long-term savings among retail investors. The present limit of Rs 1 lakh has not been increased in the past several years.

     

    2. To encourage customers to meet their retirement needs, investment in pension premium should be given separate deduction. Currently, such investments are clubbed with 80C investments. Annuity has been an unpopular investment choice because of its tax disadvantage. The maturity proceeds from Annuity are currently fully taxable as income, which effectively means that income is taxed twice.

     

    3. The current limit of Rs 15,000 in health insurance must be enhanced to at least Rs 50,000. Currently an individual gets a deduction of Rs 15,000 for health insurance premiums paid (apart from a similar deduction on premiums paid on the lives of their parents).

     

    Growing inflation has increased the cost of medical treatment. This has made it necessary for health insurance to be taken by every individual. In order to help the common man in meeting increased medical costs, offering more tax incentives would help in promoting health insurance.

     

    4. The service tax charged to insurance companies has been increased to 12 per cent from the existing 10 per cent and the rate on life insurance policies where entire premium is not toward risk cover increased to 3 per cent for the first year and maintained at 1.5 per cent for subsequent years. At the same time mutual funds are exempted from such tax.

     

    Overall, the change in tax has rendered life insurance at a position of disadvantage vis-a-vis MFs, PPFs, NPS, etc. Revisiting these changes will definitely provide the necessary impetus to help attract funds into long term savings and protection products offered by the life insurance industry.

     

    5. Armed with an absolute majority, the new government is expected to address the long pending insurance bill, which looks to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in the sector from the current 26 per cent to 49 per cent. FDI relaxation would encourage long-term fund inflow that would both encourage the growth of insurance in India as well as provide the government with access to funds to aid infrastructure growth.

     

    Moreover, insurance industry has seen negative job creation as number of agents and employees have been on the wane. FDI would get in greater investments into the sector and make it an attractive proposition for good talent.

     

    We also expect clarity to emerge on the road map of DTC and GST. This would help the industry better plan in the implementation of the new regulations.

     

     (These are purely personal views of HDFC Life senior executive vice president marketing product, digital & e-commerce Sanjay Tripathy and indiantelevision.com does not subscribe to these views.)

  • Esha Media Research sees surge in demand of Railway Budget 2014 news clips

    Esha Media Research sees surge in demand of Railway Budget 2014 news clips

    KOLKATA: As the Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda started presenting his maiden Rail Budget in Lok Sabha on 8 July, Esha Media Research, a media monitoring and research company, saw an increase in inquiries, seeking news clips of the Railway Budget.

     

    The enquiries were for news clips in parts or as a whole from different stakeholders and interested parties across the ecosystem including big information technology (IT) companies and foreign direct investors (FDIs). The BJP-led government has mooted railway digitisation and foreign investment to improve the country’s railway system.

     

    Esha Media Research says that it currently monitors 140 channels across the nation in all languages. “We are tracking the entire railway budget and also certain areas like IT, FDI, freights in parts,” Esha Media Research managing director R S Iyer informed indiantelevision.com.

     

    “Tracking for railways is more as compared to last year,” Iyer said. “Apart from business houses, we are also receiving inquiries from media agencies tracking the economic content,” he added. Without mentioning the names of the clients and agencies, he revealed that there are some forums across the world that are interested to know and analyse the seriousness of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government.

     

    “We have been tracking from morning all the government interviews across channels, and they will continue to take place till the end of prime time today, maybe until 11pm. We have also started uploading the files,” Iyer informed.

     

    Gowda, during his budget presentation, said that his Ministry would seek cabinet approval for allowing foreign direct investment in the state-owned network, but passenger services would be excluded.

     

    The Railway Minister proposed work stations in select trains as a pilot project this year apart from offering technology for automatic closing of doors both in main line and suburban sections.

     

    He also said that the e-ticketing mechanism would be strengthened to allow 120,000 simultaneous bookings. The proposed overhaul of the e-ticketing system would support 7,200 tickets per minute as against the current 2,000 tickets per minute

     

    The budget also talked about the expansion scope of online booking, including streamlining of booking on mobiles, and providing Wi-Fi in A1 and A category stations and in select trains. E-procurement would be made compulsory for procurements worth Rs 25 lakh and more said Gowda.

     

    “Overall the budget was crisp and concise and the government played safe by not hiking the fare on the day of the budget but two weeks before it,” said a financial expert.

     

    Stock markets have not reacted very favourably to the railway budget-the BSE closed 562 points down at 4pm today as compared to the its pre-opening at 9am. The NSE CNX Nifty index also closed 2.11 per cent lower than its opening today.

  • ET Now decodes the most awaited #Budget2014

    ET Now decodes the most awaited #Budget2014

    MUMBAI: As The Modi Government gears up to present its first Union Budget, India’s No.1 Business News Channel ET NOW is set to launch a power packed line up of shows. ET NOW will be kicking off its special two-week long comprehensive programming from June 30, 7:30 pm. Over 10 special shows will be aired in the run up to the Big Budget that will cover not just key sectoral expectations but also the economic imperatives of this Make-or-Break exercise. Given the significance of this budget, ET NOW has aptly used the tagline ‘The Big Reset’ for its entire budget programming.

     

    MK Anand, Managing Director and CEO, Times Television Network said, “This is the new government’s maiden budget and ET NOW will bring together leading experts across different fields in India, think-tanks, global investors and the country’s best editorial minds to decipher and analyse the Union Budget 2014. Through our shows, we aim to reach out to every Indian from industrialists to the common man by providing a detailed coverage on the run up to the Budget and the Budget Day.”

     

    R.Sridharan, Managing Editor, ET NOW said “We have the most powerful line up of seasoned experts in the business. ET NOW will also have the most viewer-friendly screen and the fastest flashes. Our programming line-up caters every key stakeholder in the economy ranging from the CEO to the retail investor.  The viewers’ overwhelming response to our Budget 2013 programming is a vindication of the tremendous value that our content delivers.”

     

    Jatin Bhatt, CMO – TIMES NOW, ET NOW &ZoOm, said, “With all eyes on the much-anticipated Budget from the Modi Government, ET NOW has put together an extensive programming line-up that will give audiences a holistic view on the Indian economy and the impact it will have after the Union Budget 2014 is announced.  For a channel like ours, Union Budget is an opportunity to present the most engaging and eclectic content that builds credibility among our existing viewers and helps generating new audiences.

     

    ET NOW’s Budget programming will be led by India’s most respected economist- SwaminathanAiyar, who is also the channel’s Consulting Editor. Apart from SwaminathanAiyar, other prominent economists like BibekDebroy and MythiliBhusnurmath will be commenting exclusively on ET NOW.

     

    The key shows are as follows:

     

    Budget 2014:The Politics of Budget

     

    Budget 2014 will be the budget presented by the new government in power. ET NOW’s Policy Editor SupriyaShrinate to quiz the biggest political commentators on the politics that will be at play for Budget 2014

    Date:  30th June, 7.30 pm

     

    Budget 2014:Cracking the Tax Code

     

    Panel Discussion will focus on  the key taxation issues in the run up to Budget 2014. Some of the biggest tax experts and lawyers will be analysing the likely tax reforms and their impact on corporate India and the taxpayer.

    Date: 1st July, 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: The Global View

     

    The show to decode the game changing reforms that could change market sentiment and attract foreign money, the expectations of the investors. Catch top Global Fund Managers and Market experts share their budget expectations exclusively on ET NOW.

    Date: 2nd July, 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: The Market Makers Budget Special

     

    Stocks Editor Nikunj Dalmia to interview big market voices on market expectations from Budget and stocks and sectors to watch out for.

    Date: 3rd July, 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: Macroscope

     

    A discussion programme anchored by MythiliBhusnurmath that gives a view of the macroeconomic imperatives faced by the  government, and how the Budget is likely to address them.

    Date: 4th July, 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: What Markets Want

     

    Nikunj Dalmia to interview (3-person panel) with three of the biggest market voices analysing the market expectations from Budget 2014

    Date: 7th July, 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: Rail Budget

     

    The NarendraModi-led NDA government will announce its maiden Railway Budget in Parliament. Just as the General Budget, the Rail Bugdet is also keenly watched by experts and the country as a whole. Watch the extensive coverage of the Budget only on ET Now with eminent experts from various fields

    Date: 8th July, 11:00 am

     

    Budget 2014: Budget & India Inc

     

    A panel discussion anchored by ET NOW’s National Editor Sandeep Gurumurthi. It will bring together the top names from corporate India to talk about how the Budget can spur growth, and give an impetus to the reform process. India Inc’s biggest CEOs  will share their wishlist.

    Time: 7:30 pm

     

    Budget 2014: Eco Survey 2014

     

    A detailed coverage of annual document of the Ministry of Finance, In the Economic Survey programming ET NOW will speak to experts about the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months and will also analyse the reforms roadmap of the govt.

    Date: 9th July; 11:00 am

     

    Budget 2014: An Agenda for the FM

     

    The biggest Macro-minds and economists come together to present an Agenda for the FM. Catch ET NOW’s Budget Think Tank:  SwaminathanAiyar, BibekDebroyand  Punita Kumar Sinha present an Agenda for the FM.This show will be anchored by ET NOW’s Policy Editor SupriyaShrinate.

    Time: 6:30 pm

     

    Budget Day programming

     

    The Budget Day will have budget special programming all through the day with ET NOW’s best line of experts comprising CEO’s, Economists, Market Experts and Foreign investors.

     

    Stay Tuned to ET NOW all this Budget season for the most credible and accurate analysis of Budget 2014.

  • Axe The Tax on CNN-IBN

    Axe The Tax on CNN-IBN

    MUMBAI: As the Narendra Modi-led NDA government prepares to set out its economic agenda for the nation, ‘Axe The Tax’, CNN-IBN’s award-winning initiative returns to highlight 5 tax clauses which should be amended in order to provide benefit to the common man. Commenced in 2007, this unique initiative has not only garnered immense popularity among viewers but has also been lauded and awarded by critics through the years.

     

    As an integral part of ‘Budget of Hope’, the channel’s umbrella Budget programming, this one-of-its-kind initiative gives the common people a platform to voice their concerns against unfair tax clauses and takes their ideas and suggestions directly to the honourable Finance Minister for consideration. For seven years now, we have presented these suggestions to the Finance Minister – many of these have even resulted in policy level changes.

     

    Speaking on this unique programming, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN Network, said “Budget 2014 is truly a ‘Budget of Hope’ for the citizens of India. With the recent hike in Railway fare and duty on sugar imports, all eyes are now set on Budget day to find out what else the Finance Ministry has in store for them. ‘Axe The Tax’ is an endeavour from CNN-IBN to empower ordinary citizens to raise five tax related issues that need to be addressed by the newly elected government, and it will certainly emerge as a masterpiece within our unparalleled Budget programming.”

  • Axe the tax, say DTH ops & MSOs

    Axe the tax, say DTH ops & MSOs

    MUMBAI: In the run up to Budget 2014, the DTH Operators Association and the MSO Alliance have joined hands with broadcasters to embark on an aggressive campaign (in the shape of a television promo or commercials)  to fight the heavy entertainment taxes levied on them by the various state governments.

     

    The TV commercial which stars Roopal Tyagi (Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke) and Surbhi Jyoti (Qubool Hai) has been running across all channels.  It makes an appeal to TV viewers to log on to http://entertainmenttaxappeal.com to pledge against rising entertainment taxes. It says that on an average a viewer spends approximately Rs 3000 on cable TV and DTH recharges annually. Almost half of this goes directly into the government’s kitty by way of taxes. Therefore, there is a need to put an end to it.

     

    “We will present the appeals from the people to the government and hope that they take note of it,” says newly-appointed DTH Operators Association of India president RC Venkateish. He added that the advertisement was timed to coincide with the upcoming budget session. 

     

    Entertainment tax is a state subject and hence, varies from state to state. In some, it is a fixed amount while in others the state exchequer carves it out as a percentage of the bill. 

     

     “The state of Maharashtra charges Rs 45 as entrainment tax. This is ridiculously high,” says an industry professional and adds, “High entertainment tax is one of the reasons why local operators don’t declare the number of viewers they have.”

     

    The campaign is expected to run for a month in order to build a ground swell of public opinion against the entertainment tax levies.  It seems to have got the Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar’s attention already. Speaking to PTI recently he assured industry that “the government is looking into the demands of the DTH operators and that the issue is with the Ministry of Finance.”

     

    “Industry has high hopes in the new Modi-led government. For several years, it has been appealing to the previous government to reduce the burden but to no avail.  High and multiple taxes have been crippling. Hopefully, the government will find a solution to this problems,” says a media observer. 

     

    It’s now over to Mr Arun Jaitley. 

     

    Click here to watch the commercial

  • Bloomberg TV India launches ‘Leader’s Speak’- Budget Wishlist

    Bloomberg TV India launches ‘Leader’s Speak’- Budget Wishlist

    MUMBAI: Bloomberg TV India, nation’s leading English business news channel has always taken a step ahead in setting the pace by providing niche content that matter the most to its viewers. As a part of the comprehensive Budget programming for 2014, the channel has launched Leader’s Speak – a vignette series which captures the expectations of key decision makers from the union budget 2014.

     

    Bloomberg TV India COO Lavneesh Gupta said,” The theme of the budget programming ‘Will They Walk The Talk?’ feels the pulse and the anticipation of all the key decision makers who are looking forward with huge expectations from the union budget 2014. Through Leader’s Speak we will reach out to the key influencers across the industry and capture their budget wish list and create a platform to voice their expectations to the new government. Our comprehensive budget programming reiterates its commitment to provide a holistic perspective of critical budget announcements that affects every aspect of our economy.”

     

    As a part of the budget special programming, Leader’s Speak captures the expectations of key decision makers across the industry from Budget 2014, as they reveal their unique perspectives on the challenges and demands of the core sectors. Through the series, industry stalwarts like BSE MD and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan, Bharti AXA Life Insurance CEO Sandeep Ghosh, UTI Mutual Funds MD Leo Puri, Reliance Mutual Fund CEO Sundeep Sikka, Indian Overseas Bank CMD M Narendra, Reliance Life Insurance CEO Anup Rau and many more have shared their expectations from Union Budget 2014.

     

    Leader’s Speak will be aired through the day on Bloomberg TV India across the pre-budget phase. Speaking on the budget expectations on show,Chauhan said, “From stock market side, we think it is very important to worry about the securities transaction tax and rationalize it, if not remove it, and basically get the IPO market in good shape. I think the IPO market can play a big role in getting good number of jobs and also raising India’s growth by a few percentage points.”

     

    Ghosh said, “There is an expectation of the industry that the new government will seek to increase the FDI from 26 per cent to 49 per cent. This will not only lead to significant investments coming into the sector, but it will also send a very strong message to the international investor community about the seriousness of the government with respect to liberalizing across sectors, and not necessarily only insurance sector.”

     

    Puri said, “If disinvestment program is announced by the government that will provide a boost to the new insurance activity. So, disinvestment and recapitalisation of public sector banks will be helpful for the growth of the market.”

     

    To know the expectation of Industry leaders from Budget 2014 watch Leader’s Speak, as they share their wish list, exclusively on Bloomberg TV India.

  • Bloomberg TV India asks ‘Will The Government Walk the Talk’

    Bloomberg TV India asks ‘Will The Government Walk the Talk’

    MUMBAI: The year 2014 saw a landmark in the Indian political system with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power with a landslide majority.

     

    Since then, all eyes have been on the new government’s moves and with the budget just a couple of weeks away, news channels especially the ones which cover business have once again gone into a tizzy. It is time for them to decipher the next phase.

     

    A channel that prides itself in being a part of the biggest financial network in the world is setting a benchmark for the upcoming budget. ‘Will They Walk the Talk’, essentially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley, is the question that Bloomberg TV India will seek answers to through its three week long special budget programming. 

     

    Bloomberg TV India editor Vivek Law points out that the new BJP government is riding on high expectations from both Indian as well as global investors. “The budget is the first detailed statement that will be very closely watched. We have heard the government’s campaign and manifesto that clearly said that once in power, they will resurrect the economy. Stock market is all about the foreign institutional investors (FII) and this market is only standing on the legs of the money that FIIs are bringing in. It is very important how they perceive the performance of the government and what this budget will give them,” he says.

     

    Keeping this in mind, the channel has decided to begin its budget programming from 30 June, dedicating 60 to 70 per cent of time addressing the global audience.  In the run up to the budget which is fixed for 10 July, the various programmes will focus on India Inc, global view, youth and personal finance wherein discussion will be on what should be the government’s agenda and post the budget it will analyse what Jaitley has put forth for year 2014-15. “For the last few years, Indian investors have not been participating in the equity market much.  They are now keen to know if it is time to get back in the overall growth. Once the budget is announced we will discuss whether they have really managed to bring back the retail investor into the market,” adds Law.

     

    Shows will focus primarily on the global investor with Vivek Law, Harsha Subramaniam, Anupriya Nair and Priyank Lakhia leading the pack. Panel discussions both in and out of studio have been arranged in Mumbai/Delhi, youth discussions in campuses and market and corporate shows in public locations. On 10 July, Bloomberg TV India says it will have global investors and experts from Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney, London, Tokyo, Singapore and the US on board stating whether the budget sticks to its word or not.

     

    The channel will also be leveraging its Bloomberg Terminal that has close to 350,000 subscribers world over and allows them to watch the channel live. “Given the fact that we are a JV, we have access to the entire network & content and that’s a huge advantage. If you are outside India and you want cutting edge live information, you can only get it from our terminal,” says Law.

     

    Even though focus is on global investors, sponsors will not be very different with the primary sponsors from BFSI, automobiles and the consumer durables sector who are being approached. A 360 degree marketing campaign created by Triton Communications has been designed including outdoor, TV, print, online, social media, radio, ground activations and PR to promote the budget programming with spends close to Rs 80 lakhs to Rs 90 lakhs, the channel says.

     

    Since 2012 the broadcaster has aimed at positioning the channel as an extension of its parent channel Bloomberg. Law is certain that it is not a day trader channel. “You will not get tips or any buy/sell calls on our channel. We reach out to the aspirational and influential audience, who are not necessarily rich. It could be the judiciary, political establishment, bureaucracy, top corporate professionals or global investors. This is in sync with the way our channel is world over,” he says. To add to this, changes have also been incorporated in the channel’s design and more are to be expected, soon.

  • 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.