Category: Television

Cartoon Network to host ‘Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship’; re-freshed Toonami block starts 6 November

MUMBAI: Following Hojaye Shuru! – The Beyblade Championship Cartoon Network has announced yet another championship – Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship for Indian kids, which is slated to kick off in Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, at the end of November.

The network doubles its dose of action on Toonami, the prime time action franchise, with brand new action series like Gransazers, Series 7 from Pokémon and new episodes of Transformers Cybertron. Some of Cartoon Network‘s popular toon stars including The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter, Tom & Jerry will play hosts to add to the fresh, new look. The block will go on air starting 6 November at 5 pm.

The Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship is an on-ground extension of the new Toonami look and feel, giving kids an opportunity to personally experience shows featured in the action block. Cartoon Network will undertake a school contact programme spanning seven cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana, to promote the stunt.

Kids can participate in the on-air contest which will give away prizes for early bird entries on the premiere day. Toonami watches, loads of Pokémon goodies, Cybergiants and one Xbox 360 gaming console will be up for grabs every week, states an official release.

Turner International India vice president advertising sales and networks India & South Asia Monica Tata said, “We have always believed in constant innovation and creativity through self evaluation as well as our understanding of what our viewers need. Cartoon Network‘s latest study, New Generations, revealed that the concept of gaming is fast gaining popularity with Indian kids and in keeping with our commitment to listen to our consumers, we have launched Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship while also giving a new look to the Toonami block during this time to make it one of the trendiest destinations on television.”

Toonami claims to be the first block for kids on Indian television that focused on action shows. This block airs shows such as Pokémon, Beyblade, Digimon, Duel Masters and now Gransazers between 5 pm to 6.30 pm.

Pokémon is the story of Ash, a 10 year old Pokémon trainer. His Pokémon – ‘Pikachu‘ and his friends – Brock, May and Max – are always on an adventure as they travel to participate in battles, win medals and come closer to being a Pokémon Master Trainer. Pokémon Series 7 is the brand new season of Pokémon Advanced Challenge which sees Ash continuing on his journey in the Hoenn League.

While Gransazers revolves around the descendents of an advanced human civilization, which was wiped out billions of years ago during a conflict with a terrestrial race called the Astral Allies. The twelve descendents, called Sazers, form four separate tribes: Fire, Wind, Earth and Water. Each Sazer possesses extraordinary powers, and is able to control the ‘Super Star God‘, mammoth war machines constructed by their ancient ancestors. At first, the tribes begin to wage wars amongst each other on Earth, until they discover that the Astral Allies are planning another strike, this time the domination of humankind. Upon this revelation, the tribes join forces to mobilize a resistance against the invaders and protect the future of all life on Earth.

Cartoon Network has played hosted to several on-ground events in the past including such as Join The Powerpuff Generation, Toon Cricket, Toon Yatra, Next Big Toon, School Is Cool and Save Dexter‘s Brain.

November 2, 2006
Cartoon Network to air ‘The Legend of Buddha’ & ‘Pandavas: The Five Warriors’ in Tamil in November

MUMBAI: With the spotlight on localization intensifying among television programmers, Cartoon Network has zeroed in on Tamil Nadu and will be showcasing The Legend of Buddha and Pandavas: The Five Warriors, both locally acquired films in 2001 and mid 2006 respectively. Dubbed in the local language the channel will air the animated feature films on 5 and 19 November at 11 am.

Furthering this strategy, other series including Baby Looney Tunes, Robotboy, Franklin, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Dragon Tales, Bob the Builder – Project Build It, Krypto The Super Dog, Richie Rich, the all new Popeye show, the action franchise block, Toonami‘s, Gransazers and Transformers Cybertron and Dexter‘s Laboratory will also be aired in Tamil on Cartoon Network. The channel however, will not be completely transformed into a local avatar, like its Mickey counterpart, yet it appears to be a strategic move in that direction.

Turner International India Vice President advertising sales and networks India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “Indian animation which has aired on Cartoon Network, has always been a huge success and we are extremely happy to introduce two of the most well-known features, specially dubbed in Tamil, for our audience in the state. Tamil languaging is a natural extension of Cartoon Network‘s overall localisation strategy for India.”

Both the movies have been produced by Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics Limited. The 2D animation feature, The Legend of Buddha, is an inspirational story of the journey of Prince Siddhartha of the Kingdom of Kapilavastu, whose experiences prod him to pursue the true meaning and purpose of life. Siddhartha leaves his palatial comforts to embark on an arduous journey of self-realization. The movie captures through its storyline, the milestones that mark the path of Prince Siddhartha to Nirvana and becoming ‘The Enlightened One.‘

While on the other hand, Pandavas – The Five Warriors is an adaptation of one of India‘s greatest epic, the ‘Mahabharata.‘ With exotic backgrounds, intricate sets and action filled battle scenes, the film is broad in scope and also has been awarded the National Award for Best English Feature Film 2000 and the second Best Animation Feature Film at the Vancouver Effects and Animation festival, 2001, Pandavas promises to be the perfect entertainer for kids and their families.

Cartoon Network India also acquired several other locally produced programming including Sinbad – Beyond The Veil of Mists, Ramayana – The Legend Of Prince Ram, The Adventures of Tenali Raman, The Adventures of Chhota Birbal, Vikram Betaal, Akbar Birbal and Son Of Alladin.

November 2, 2006
Zee Sports to telecast Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup ’06

MUMBAI: Zee Sports will telecast live the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, the 10-day, 12-team tournament, which will take place on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach from 2 to 12 November 2006.

The participation of international players such as Frenchman Eric Cantona, legendary Spanish strikers Michel and Julio Salinas and Brazilian stars such as Romario, Junior and Zico has helped to expand television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making Beach Soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity.

The biggest names in beach soccer are now preparing to face each other on the Copacabana beach from 2 to 12 November. They include Portugal’s raft of stars – Alan, Madjer, Hernani and Belchior – brothers Federico, Santigao and Ezequiel Hilaire of Argentina and also the Japanese sharpshooter Takeshi Kawaharazuka.

Since 2005, Beach Soccer has been a part of the Fifa family. In May 2005, the first Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup was staged on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

November 2, 2006
Multihued and Affordable – the C139 from Motorola

New Delhi, 15 February 2006: Motorola launched the C139, a chic candybar handset with a vibrant color display at an affordable price. The Motorola C139 sacrifices neither function nor style to meet your everyday communication needs, keeping you in touch and entertained while on the move. The C139 is the latest in the series of mass market phones from the technology giant making an aggressive stance at capturing the Indian market.

The Motorola C139’s small shape fits comfortably in your hand and the keypad is designed for easy dialing. If you prefer your thumbs to do the talking, enjoy text messaging made effortless with iTAP predictive text entry. The zoom font makes typing faster and easier. Charged with an unbelievable battery power – up to 700 minutes of talk time – there is plenty of time to talk or text! The C139 is also equipped with multiple organizational features, making it a one-stop shop for on-the-go time management. Offering daily and weekly calendars, calculator, currency converter and stop watch, this mobile keeps you on top of your game. The C139 has been competitively priced at an amazing amount of Rs 3000.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Lloyd Mathias, Director Marketing India – Mobile Devices, said, “The C139 is a smart option for those looking for a chic handset packed with efficient features to serve their communication needs. The C139 is a symbol of Motorola’s efforts to serve mass-market consumers that hold tremendous growth potential. It is our constant endeavor at Motorola to drive technological innovations that cater to the needs of the consumer.”

Motorola is on a concerted drive to serve the needs of the masses. The launch of the C139 is a statement that the company is reaching out to Indian homes to provide excellent mobile solutions at a reasonable price. Motorola aims to drive its growth as the definitive solution in telecommunications for the Indian market.

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering “must have” products, “must do” experiences and powerful networks — along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.8 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com.

November 2, 2006
Tender deadlines for slate of sports properties coming up

MUMBAI: It’s a week of hectic activity ahead for sports broadcasters, with the deadlines for submission of tenders for a number of big and not so big properties coming up over the next few days.

The big daddy of them all of course is the ICC’s cricket rights, for which the present deadline for bids submission is 10 November.

Also up for bidding are the tenders for English Premiere League football (7 November deadline) and the rights to Bangladesh cricket (8 November).

As far as the Big One is concerned, up for grabs are the audio-visual rights for 18 ICC tournaments starting from the second half of 2007 till the World Cup in 2015.

The current agreement with Global Cricket Corporation (a News Corp subsidiary), which began in 2000, ends in March/April 2007 with the World Cup in the West Indies. GCC, which won the global rights with a $ 550 million bid, had sold the satellite rights for the Indian subcontinent territory to Sony Entertainment Television India for $ 208 million.

Market speculation on how high the bidding will go this time round range from at least a billion dollars to even as high as $ 2 billion.

While Sony is the “incumbent broadcaster” for ICC cricket, it is ESPN Star Sports which currently holds the rights to both Bangladesh cricket as well as EPL.

November 2, 2006
Bangla board sets $ 50 million reserve price for cricket rights

MUMBAI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which has issued a tender to sell marketing rights including those for television and the Internet for six years until 2012, has fixed a reserve price of $ 50 million for bids.

This is a massive mark-up from the $11.75 million ESPN Star Sports paid last time round when it acquired the rights for a period of five years. Those rights expired in April last year.

The BCB’s new tender invitation is for the period 1 November 2006 to 31 March 2012.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com earlier, ESPN India MD RC Venkateish had said that his network was certainly interested in renewing the rights.

Among the rather tough clauses in the tender document the BCB has issued are:

* Only firms experienced in using similar rights and having an annual turnover of $15 million will be eligible to participate in the tender.

* All revenues will be shared between BCCB and the successful bidder in a ratio of 80:20 in favour of BCCB.

$ 2 million deposit to be submitted before bids opened.

* Production the responsibility of the bidder though there are allowable expenses against the winning bid (subject to the board agreeing) including production costs.

* As the incumbent broadcaster, ESS will have the right to match any bid from a rival broadcaster if its bid is lower.

Bangladesh is expected to play around 40 tests and over 100 one-day internationals during this period.

The big question among more than one industry watcher is this – will any broadcaster bid even the floor price of $ 50 million let alone cross it?

November 2, 2006
Radio Mirchi Q2 net up 16% at Rs 49 million

MUMBAI: Entertainment Network India (ENIL),which manages the radio FM brand Radio Mirchi has posted a net profit of Rs 49.31 million for the quarter ended 30 September.

According to an official release, the company has reported 16 per cent increase in net profit for the quarter. Net profit rose to Rs 49 million compared to Rs 43 million in the corresponding period last year.
The company’s earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 17.6 per cent to Rs 99 million from Rs 84 million in the same quarter a year ago.

On a like basis (comparing seven old stations only), EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs 103 million, up 22.4 per cent year on year (YoY).

Total income for the quarter recorded at Rs 424 million, while net sales (net sale indicates airtime sales) had been registered at Rs 411 million.

The expenditure incurred amounting to Rs 325 million has been attributed to production expenses (Rs 24 million), license fees (Rs 21 million), marketing expenses (Rs 130 million), administration & other expenses (RsS 72 million) and employee cost (Rs 79 million).

The company had introduced Employees Stock Option Scheme (ESOP) for its future and existing permanent employees and directors and future and existing permanent employees and directors of its subsidiary company and holding company.

Quoting the data based on Indian Listenership Track (ILT – Wave 9), an independent research conducted by MRUC, for the period July- September ’06, the company states, “Radio Mirchi enjoyed the highest listenership of 4.46 million in Delhi out of a total listenership of 6.02 million listeners, comfortably ahead of the competition.”

In Mumbai too, Radio Mirchi dominated listenership with 2.21 million out of a total of 4.98 million listeners. Commenting on the performance of the company ENIL CEO & MD AP Parigi said, “We continue to focus on building listenership through sustained innovations in marketing and programming as the latest listenership numbers in Delhi and Mumbai indicate. We are confident of magnetising this and maintaining our growth trajectory.”

The company launched Visual Radio in Mumbai in September ’06 after it launched in New Delhi in July ’06.

November 2, 2006
Cartoon Network to air ‘The Legend of Buddha’ & ‘Pandavas: The Five Warriors’ in Tamil in November

MUMBAI: With the spotlight on localization intensifying among television programmers, Cartoon Network has zeroed in on Tamil Nadu and will be showcasing The Legend of Buddha and Pandavas: The Five Warriors, both locally acquired films in 2001 and mid 2006 respectively. Dubbed in the local language the channel will air the animated feature films on 5 and 19 November at 11 am.

Furthering this strategy, other series including Baby Looney Tunes, Robotboy, Franklin, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Dragon Tales, Bob the Builder – Project Build It, Krypto The Super Dog, Richie Rich, the all new Popeye show, the action franchise block, Toonami’s, Gransazers and Transformers Cybertron and Dexter’s Laboratory will also be aired in Tamil on Cartoon Network. The channel however, will not be completely transformed into a local avatar, like its Mickey counterpart, yet it appears to be a strategic move in that direction.

Turner International India Vice President advertising sales and networks India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “Indian animation which has aired on Cartoon Network, has always been a huge success and we are extremely happy to introduce two of the most well-known features, specially dubbed in Tamil, for our audience in the state. Tamil languaging is a natural extension of Cartoon Network’s overall localisation strategy for India.”

Both the movies have been produced by Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics Limited. The 2D animation feature, The Legend of Buddha, is an inspirational story of the journey of Prince Siddhartha of the Kingdom of Kapilavastu, whose experiences prod him to pursue the true meaning and purpose of life. Siddhartha leaves his palatial comforts to embark on an arduous journey of self-realization. The movie captures through its storyline, the milestones that mark the path of Prince Siddhartha to Nirvana and becoming ‘The Enlightened One.’

While on the other hand, Pandavas – The Five Warriors is an adaptation of one of India’s greatest epic, the ‘Mahabharata.’ With exotic backgrounds, intricate sets and action filled battle scenes, the film is broad in scope and also has been awarded the National Award for Best English Feature Film 2000 and the second Best Animation Feature Film at the Vancouver Effects and Animation festival, 2001, Pandavas promises to be the perfect entertainer for kids and their families.

Cartoon Network India also acquired several other locally produced programming including Sinbad – Beyond The Veil of Mists, Ramayana – The Legend Of Prince Ram, The Adventures of Tenali Raman, The Adventures of Chhota Birbal, Vikram Betaal, Akbar Birbal and Son Of Alladin.

November 2, 2006
Star World to roll out array of new shows

MUMBAI: Star World is ready to roll out a series of new shows, new specials and new seasons. From the dramatic series Desire: Table for Three to The Scholar, 2006 34th American Music Awards to the new seasons of My Wife and Kids, Greys Anatomy to Most Haunted, Malcolm in the Middle and Commander-in-Chief.

Desire: Table for Three is a daily one-hour drama that spins a tale of ardour, betrayal, deceit and murder, exclusively on Star World. Premiering 6 November it chronicles the tragic destruction of a family and the erosion of the bonds of brotherhood when two brothers, on the run from the mafia, get caught in a complicated web of deception when they both fall for the same woman.

The 2006 34th American Music Awards LIVE, featuring celebrity presenters, live performances will be telecasted live on 22 November on Star World. 20 awards will be given out representing the best of Pop/Rock, Country, Soul/Rhythm & Blues, Rap/Hip Hop, Latin, Alternative, Adult Contemporary and Contemporary Inspirational music.

There would be a return of some old favourites. Commander in Chief is a thrilling series about Mackenzie Allen who has a lot on her plate…three kids, an ambitious husband, and she is about to become the first female president of the United States. It will be aired every Tuesday night, starting 7 November on Star World.

Starting 9 November The Scholar is an original, unscripted series that will give the winner a college education from a top-rated school of their choice. Filmed on location at the University of Southern California, its the first show ever to celebrate higher education as the ultimate american prize, asserts an official release.

Also slated are the new seasons of the kooky family comedies My Wife and Kids, Malcolm in the Middle, the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and paranormal series Most Haunted, adds the release.

November 2, 2006
Cartoon Network to host ‘Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship’; re-freshed Toonami block starts 6 November

MUMBAI: Following Hojaye Shuru! – The Beyblade Championship Cartoon Network has announced yet another championship – Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship for Indian kids, which is slated to kick off in Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, at the end of November.

The network doubles its dose of action on Toonami, the prime time action franchise, with brand new action series like Gransazers, Series 7 from Pokémon and new episodes of Transformers Cybertron. Some of Cartoon Network’s popular toon stars including The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter, Tom & Jerry will play hosts to add to the fresh, new look. The block will go on air starting 6 November at 5 pm.

The Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship is an on-ground extension of the new Toonami look and feel, giving kids an opportunity to personally experience shows featured in the action block. Cartoon Network will undertake a school contact programme spanning seven cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana, to promote the stunt.

Kids can participate in the on-air contest which will give away prizes for early bird entries on the premiere day. Toonami watches, loads of Pokémon goodies, Cybergiants and one Xbox 360 gaming console will be up for grabs every week, states an official release.

Turner International India vice president advertising sales and networks India & South Asia Monica Tata said, “We have always believed in constant innovation and creativity through self evaluation as well as our understanding of what our viewers need. Cartoon Network’s latest study, New Generations, revealed that the concept of gaming is fast gaining popularity with Indian kids and in keeping with our commitment to listen to our consumers, we have launched Toonami: Game On, Video Gaming Championship while also giving a new look to the Toonami block during this time to make it one of the trendiest destinations on television.”

Toonami claims to be the first block for kids on Indian television that focused on action shows. This block airs shows such as Pokémon, Beyblade, Digimon, Duel Masters and now Gransazers between 5 pm to 6.30 pm.

Pokémon is the story of Ash, a 10 year old Pokémon trainer. His Pokémon – ‘Pikachu’ and his friends – Brock, May and Max – are always on an adventure as they travel to participate in battles, win medals and come closer to being a Pokémon Master Trainer. Pokémon Series 7 is the brand new season of Pokémon Advanced Challenge which sees Ash continuing on his journey in the Hoenn League.

While Gransazers revolves around the descendents of an advanced human civilization, which was wiped out billions of years ago during a conflict with a terrestrial race called the Astral Allies. The twelve descendents, called Sazers, form four separate tribes: Fire, Wind, Earth and Water. Each Sazer possesses extraordinary powers, and is able to control the ‘Super Star God’, mammoth war machines constructed by their ancient ancestors. At first, the tribes begin to wage wars amongst each other on Earth, until they discover that the Astral Allies are planning another strike, this time the domination of humankind. Upon this revelation, the tribes join forces to mobilize a resistance against the invaders and protect the future of all life on Earth.

Cartoon Network has played hosted to several on-ground events in the past including such as Join The Powerpuff Generation, Toon Cricket, Toon Yatra, Next Big Toon, School Is Cool and Save Dexter’s Brain.

November 2, 2006