ITV

Category: Specials

  • Young India defining viewership trends: Dasgupta

    CANNES: India was everywhere at the Palais in Cannes as Mipcom 2007 kicked off this morning and even the weather gods seemed to have got into the act.The climate was pleasant as the market welcomed thousands of delegates attending the world‘s biggest television market.

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India CEO Kunal Dasgupta opened proceedings for the high-powered Indian presence at Cannes by offering a detailed overview of the third largest TV viewing market after China.

    Marking out television as the engine of Indian media industry growth, Dasgupta said revenues are projected to triple by 2011.

    Offering a macro view, he outlined key industry drivers as:

        Development of content for niche viewers
        Pricing remains a key driver, whether it is for cable subscription, film tickets or newspaper prices
        Increased consumerism and increased advertisement spend by marketers fueling further growth
        Use of technology for special effects, animation and other creative work leading to better quality of media products
        Enabling regulations related to broadcasting, print and radio by the Government

    Not surprisingly, the opportunities thrown up by India‘s young population increasingly exposed to, and hence aspiring for, a better lifestyle, and therefore willing to spend more on entertainment was one of the cornerstones of his speech.

    While touching on the complexities that the Indian market represented, Dasgupta‘s focus was clearly on the advantages India offered on the global media map and the opportunities on offer for international players looking to do business in India.

    Television:

        Production/co-production of content including animation
        Broadcasting of TV channels
        Distribution of TV channels through cable and new delivery platforms like DTH and IPTV
        Technology transfer for digital content creation
        Marketing of TV rights/air times
        Strategic investment in existing companies in broadcasting, distribution and content
        Adapt show formats
        Dubbed movies
        Branded European blocks

        Radio:
            Investment in FM and satellite radio
            Content creation for radio channels
            Marketing of air times

        Films:
            Production/co-production of films
            Processing, distribution and exhibition of Bollywood films
            Shooting of overseas films in India
            Development, distribution and exhibition of Hollywood/overseas films
            Training for technical and functional areas of film making
            Supply of hardware to film studios

        Music:
            Creation of content for film and non-film music
            Marketing of film and non-film music
            Strategic investment in local music companies

        Print:
            Strategic investment in news and non-news publications
            Tie-ups for providing content to Indian publications

     

  • Firangi will clearly be largest India buyer: Rajeev Chakrabarti

    Firangi will clearly be largest India buyer: Rajeev Chakrabarti

    MUMBAI: Sahara One‘s world television channel Firangi will be making major acquisitions at Mipcom 2007, the international audio-visual market event which kicks off today in France.

     

    The channel is eyeing content across genres like comedy romantic comedy, drama, thriller, short series and movies.

     

    Firangi business head Rajeev Chakrabarti says, “Firangi promises to offer its viewers the best stories. It will truly be a window to the world as we will acquire stories from all across the world.”

     

    Although a launch date has not been fixed, he says that Firangi will “definitely launch in 2007.”

     

    Being a world television channel, Firangi will need a large library of content that will be later dubbed in Hindi.

     

    “For Firangi, we will need substantial amount of world class content. However, my focus will always be more on the quality than quantity. I will not pick up anything less than the best just to fill up the channel,” says Chakrabarti.

     

    Speaking about Mipcom he says, “We are in touch with the content providers worldwide throughout the year. Mipcom gives us an opportunity to meet all the players in the market but we pick up formats as and when we need them.”

     

    Being the first channel in this genre, how difficult it will be to gather content? “I don’t foresee any problem on that front. We will always have access to the best stories at any given point in time. The world market has become extremely competitive and the overall standard of television content has improved drastically,” he says.

     

    When asked how the international market views India today, Chakrabarti says, “India as a market can‘t be ignored by any buyer or seller in the world. We produce many more hours of high quality drama than most of the players around the world. There is a growing market of finished product around the world and a good story will always be picked up as emotions have no language. Firangi will clearly be the single largest buyer in India.”

  • Ficci takes 70-member team to Mipcom

    Ficci takes 70-member team to Mipcom

    NEW DELHI: Today is India Day at Mipcom, the largest international audio-visual market place in the world, and a 70-member team from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) is in Cannes to represent the country which has been declared as the ‘Country of Honour.‘

     

    Led by Sony Entertainment Television CEO Kunal Dasgupta who is co-chairman of the Ficci entertainment committee, the team is partnering with Reed Midem to host the India theme opening night get-together to help its delegates garner maximum business advantage and exposure.

     

    Ficci is also putting up an India Pavillion to showcase competencies of a varied range of media companies who will interface with global industry heads.

     

    Mipcom 2007, being held in Cannes in France from 8-12 October, will have audio-visual players from all over the world meet under one roof in order to forge new business deals. It provides a unique opportunity to TV and film producers and distributors, broadcasters, digital media content provider and advertising brands to trade in content across all platforms and share new practices that are redefining business models around the world.

     

    Over the four days of Mipcom, business to the tune of $6-$8 billion is generated for entertainment companies. The India Day is dedicated to India-centric programmes and workshops.

     

    Recent estimates show that the total value of Indian content sold outside India is at $200 million and this number is expected to grow at 20 per cent every year, as India becomes the flavour of the coming decades.

     

    The overseas market now brings one-fifth of the revenues for any major film released in India. Indian films are screened in 110 countries as varied as Peru, US, UK, Malaysia and Australia.

     

    Ficci secretary general Amit Mitra said, “The Indian entertainment industry has outperformed the Indian economy and is one of the fastest growing in India. Revenues from Indian television industry are expected to grow from $4.2 billion to $11 billion to 2011.”

     

    Quality content, he added, would continue to be crucial driver for the development of media in India and indeed everywhere.

     

    Two Indian media moguls — Zee Network and Essel Group founder and chairman Subhash Chandra and UTV founder and CEO Ronnie Screwvala – will discuss India’s dynamic and rapidly expanding entertainment landscape.

     

    The FICCI delegation has key players in the media and entertainment space who will address the Mipcom conference as well as attend major sessions and seminars: Sony‘s Dasgupta, B.A.G Films chairperson Anurradha Prasad, DQ entertainment CMD Tapaas Chakravarti, Hungama mobile MD Neeraj Roy, Indiagames founder CEO Vishal Gondal, Ocher Studios director Soundarya Rajnikanth, Anirights Infomedia founder Ashish Kulkarni, Graphiti multimedia COO Munjal Shroff, NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak and Shemaroo Entertainment’s Hiren Gada.

     

    The delegation also has members from Time Broadband Services and IndusInd Media, among many others.

  • Neeraj Roy is jury chairperson for Mipcom Mobile TV Awards

    MUMBAI: Hungama Mobile MD and CEO Neeraj Roy is part of the grand jury for Mipcom 2007 Mobile and Internet TV Awards as chairperson.

    Mipcom 2007, the world‘s audiovisual and digital content market, is showcasing the awards at its 24th edition at Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

    Roy will speak on ‘Indian content on the move‘ on 8 October and will discuss this year‘s mobile and internet TV judging and the findings of the grand jury with the host. He will reveal some important facts about the mobile market, the nominated projects and internet video.

    Roy said, “I am very happy to partner with Mipcom to give an international exposure to the Indian entertainment industry which has matured enough to compete globally. Quality content will continue to be a crucial driver for the development of media in India and indeed everywhere, and we look forward to delivering the very best of India at Mipcom in October.”

    “We see mobile medium has the potential to create a level-playing-field for film makers and other content creators, where a new visual language was in the process of being born, as demonstrated by the entries in the ‘Best short film shot on Mobile‘ category. Especially in countries where internet is not as dominant, mobile is the first screen of importance,” he added.

    Roy who is also director of mobile entertainment forum – Asia chapter, was awarded the ‘Sun Microsystems-Economic Times Young Leader‘ award in 2001 and voted as one of the 25 young leaders in the new millennium by Business India.

    He is associated with bodies such as CII, Ficci-FRAMES, TiE apart from being a regular speaker at both international and domestic conventions on subjects like digital marketing, mobile entertainment and entertainment marketing.

    For the awards, the preselection jury has shortlisted 32 projects across 9 categories. They incorporate new format genres and terms being invented, such as vodcasts, graphic-novels, or interactive games based on factual TV programmes. It has received entries from 38 countries.

  • Endemol secures format deals ahead of Mipcom

    Endemol secures format deals ahead of Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Endemol International has announced it has completed a slate of deals around the world for some of its top formats in the run up to Mipcom 2007.

    The game show 1 vs. 100 has been sold to Channel 13 in Thailand for a run of 13 episodes.

     

    Reshet in Israel is helping itself to a further 12 episodes on top of the 18 already produced following the show‘s success, which has seen it ranked in the top 5 highest rated programmes of the week. The format has now been sold to 26 territories worldwide.

     

    In Eastern Europe, Endemol‘s music reality format Operacion Triunfo has become the first reality format ever to be adapted locally in Ukraine, having been sold to New Channel. This follows the success of the format in Russia where Channel 1 has just commissioned a seventh series. Meanwhile, The Hidden Talent show has been sold to TNT.

     

    Endemol’s game show formats are also proving popular in Russia where Watch Your Step has been bought up by RTR and a kids version of Beat the Nation has been sold to RTR.

     

    In Poland Celebrity Daycare Centre has just gone to air having been picked up by Polsat, and is performing well above channel average in its weekly on Saturday night slot with audiences shares of up to 19.2 per cent. As a result Polsat has already ordered a further 6 episodes.

     

    Elsewhere in Europe, Endemol Italy‘s version of Gay,Straight or Taken, known locally as Scelgo Te, has been bought up by Sky Vivo and is set to premiere on 15 October. This follows the success of the format in Germany where the local version (Date oder Fake) has become popular on Germany’s music channel Viva.

     

    In Greece, 20 episodes of Set For Life have been bought up by Mega as a weekly series and 13 episodes of Last Passenger has been sold to Antenna as a weekly show, launching this October.

     

    Moving East to Turkey, talent show format My Name Is… has been picked up by Channel D and is due to launch later this year. Deal Or No Deal has also been snapped up in Turkey and is launching this month on Show TV.

     

    Over in Malta Deal Or No Deal has become the first ever format to be acquired and adapted in the territory having been sold to TVM. 39 daily episodes will now debut this October.

     

    In the US Hot Tub Ranking has been sold to Fox Reality. Meanwhile in Canada a fourth series Loft Story has just gone to air having been bought up by Quebec’s TQS.

  • Carrere to distribute Devine titles at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Devine Entertainment is looking to capitalise on the global distribution of film and television content. It has announced an expansion of its multi-year distribution agreement with Carrere Group to market the company‘s primetime series in France and other French-speaking territories and their family television series in all territories outside of the US worldwide.

    The announcement signals a key step in Devine‘s initiatives to unlock substantial additional revenue potential of the company‘s already revenue-positive library of film and television programmes.

    Carrere will market Devine‘s new show Across the River to Motor City and other titles in the Company‘s proprietary film library at bext week‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France.

    Under the distribution agreement, Carrere will also continue to sell Devine‘s award-winning 18-film library of historical family films, including the Company‘s acclaimed franchises The Artists‘ Specials, The Inventors‘ Specials and The Composers‘ Specials.

    Devine Entertainment president and CEO David Devine says, “We are thrilled to be working with a company with the superior resources and reputation of Carrere Group. Claude and Axel Carrere are world leaders in primetime and children‘s programming, and subsidiary rights management.”

    “Working with Carrere will enable us to unlock substantial additional value in our existing library of films in markets outside of North America, and allow us to expand the international opportunities for new production. We believe this will be the beginning of a long and lucrative strategic relationship.”

    Carrere has commenced initial sales of Devine‘s titles with new broadcast licenses in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Middle East. In addition, Carrere was instrumental in closing license fees from Paris-based broadcaster France 5.

    Carrere Group president Axel Carrere says, “We are very pleased to represent Devine Entertainment‘s films and their proven track record around the world. This relationship offers us an opportunity to expand sales of Devine‘s new primetime programming as well as their unique brand of inspiring films for families and children that fits well with Carrere‘s own proprietary brands of films and television programmes.”

  • Madhu Entertainment to focus on anti piracy at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Madhu Entertainment and Media Pvt Ltd. is set for Mipcom to promote anti piracy. The company will also pitch in to sell formats from its library.

    Madhu Entertainment and media Pvt Ltd COO Hirachand Dand, who will also attend Mipcom as secretary to both Film Federation of India (FFI) and Indian Film Exporters Association (IFEA) says, “At Mipcom, considering India as a major platform for entertainment worldwide, I would like to focus on anti piracy and represent myself on behalf of FFI to fight against piracy.”

    “At Mipcom our company is always open for buying and especially selling properties from our huge library,” Dand adds further.

    The company‘s library includes titles like The Sword of Tipu Sultan, Jai Hanuman, Mr Dhansukh, Rangoli, Zamana Badal Gaya and Om Namah Shivay among others.

    Expressing views about India as the country of honour at Mipcom, Dand says, “This shows that Indian entertainment industry is now recognized globally for content, technology and post production facilities which are now at par with Hollywood.”

    The company is now focusing on the release of TV serial Malgudi Days on DVD.

  • Bennett Media Worldwide to premiere ‘Men7’ at Mipcom

    MUMBAI:Bennett Media Worldwide will premiere their new men‘s lifestyle series, Men7 at this year‘s Mipcom.

    The lifestyle series designed for men aged between 25-54 years focuses on topics such as life, technology, entertainment, travel, sports, self-interest and women.

    The announcement was made today by The Bennett Group CEO Casey Bennett.

    The host for the US series will be announced later this year. Foreign network buyers will be offered the option of using their own hosts if they wish to give the program a more domestic feel. 52, half hour and 26, one hour episodes of the high definition production will be available for broadcast sale.

    “We are very pleased to meet the demands of discriminating male viewers with a high quality series designed just for them,” said Bennett.

    Traversing seven continents in search of the exotic to the extreme, Men7 delivers lifestyle tips for men. From stories of risk and reward to style advice to good business insight, this new series will provide audiences with various ways to spend leisure time.

  • Entry of content firms into cable business is good for the industry: Kamlesh Patel

    MUMBAI: Devine Entertainment is looking to capitalise on the global distribution of film and television content. It has announced an expansion of its multi-year distribution agreement with Carrere Group to market the company‘s primetime series in France and other French-speaking territories and their family television series in all territories outside of the US worldwide.

    The announcement signals a key step in Devine‘s initiatives to unlock substantial additional revenue potential of the company‘s already revenue-positive library of film and television programmes.

    Carrere will market Devine‘s new show Across the River to Motor City and other titles in the Company‘s proprietary film library at bext week‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France.

    Under the distribution agreement, Carrere will also continue to sell Devine‘s award-winning 18-film library of historical family films, including the Company‘s acclaimed franchises The Artists‘ Specials, The Inventors‘ Specials and The Composers‘ Specials.

    Devine Entertainment president and CEO David Devine says, “We are thrilled to be working with a company with the superior resources and reputation of Carrere Group. Claude and Axel Carrere are world leaders in primetime and children‘s programming, and subsidiary rights management.”

    “Working with Carrere will enable us to unlock substantial additional value in our existing library of films in markets outside of North America, and allow us to expand the international opportunities for new production. We believe this will be the beginning of a long and lucrative strategic relationship.”

    Carrere has commenced initial sales of Devine‘s titles with new broadcast licenses in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Middle East. In addition, Carrere was instrumental in closing license fees from Paris-based broadcaster France 5.

    Carrere Group president Axel Carrere says, “We are very pleased to represent Devine Entertainment‘s films and their proven track record around the world. This relationship offers us an opportunity to expand sales of Devine‘s new primetime programming as well as their unique brand of inspiring films for families and children that fits well with Carrere‘s own proprietary brands of films and television programmes.”

  • Zodiak to showcase 10 new formats

    MUMBAI: Zodiak Television World (Zodiak) will be arriving at next week‘s television trade event Mipcom with 10 new formats available for international buyers, it was announced today by President, Heather Stevenson.

    The entertainment show Sounds of Saturday follows the search for musical artists – local performers of traditional folk and popular music.

    24 musical acts are championed by six veteran music artists – through casting, coaching and performing – for the record deal of the dreams. Sounds of Saturday is produced by Dinamo Story and will air on NRK in September 2007.

    To Understand and Forgive Zokiak states establishes a new genre in television, the Psychotherapy Docudrama. Whether it’s adultery, blackmail, sentimental issues or rivalry, psychotherapists are always ready to help out as each episode follows a self-contained case offering strong drama portrayed in a unique real life style.

    With over 200 episodes aired on Russia’s First Channel, the programme continues to achieve exceptional viewing figures far above the broadcaster’s average.

    It will also showcase reality format Wanted: Roommate. It looks to take the traditional house-hunting show to as new level, as each episode follows people renting rooms and people seeking rooms. People both young and old, just starting out their careers as well as seasoned professionals are seeking roommates these days – but do they all find the companionship, variety or surrogate family they are looking for? The 30-minute format premiered early this year on Vox Germany, which has just commissioned 100 additional episodes.

    Fight Knight is a sports competition show that let’s men be men as it were. Old scores, office grudges and heated rivalries are settled in a head to head, winner takes all duel, using weapons, armour and strategy inspired by medieval knights, to bring out modern man’s inner warrior.

    Each one hour episode sees two sets of contestants training with the “battle master”, picking protective armour and equipment and squaring off in the “ring of fire” to establish who is the winning Fight Knight.