ITV

Category: Television

  • Al Jazeera Intl to go live from 15 November; no govt ok yet for India feed

    Al Jazeera Intl to go live from 15 November; no govt ok yet for India feed

    MUMBAI: After a number of delays, Doha-based Al-Jazeera Network has set the launch of its English news and current affairs channel AL Jazeera International for 15 November.

    The launch of the channel had earlier being deferred from April to September on account of series of constructions and technical glitches at its four centres in London, Doha, Kuala Lumpur and Washington.

    The Indian feed continues to remain in the realm of uncertainities.

    The English offshoot of the often controversial (at least to Western eyes) Al Jazeera Arabic language channel will kick off its inaugural broadcast from its headquarters at 12 GMT. The announcement of the launch coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera.

    To be beamed off Pas10, Al Jazeera International has already set up shop in India with a bureau headed by Anmol Saxena, who has been in the business of television for some years now.

    The Indian operation has been dogged by delays in government permission, which has also resulted in other aspects of the business of TV not being put in place.

    For example, though Al Jazeera is said to be negotiating with a senior distribution personnel in India for the channel talks haven’t been finalised as government permission is yet to come as of today, according to information available with Indiantelevision.com.

    In all probability, the distribution activity would be outsourced in India to a company that is headed by a person who has done similar work in various media organisation.

    Meanwhile on 15 November, the international channel will provide 12 hours of live news plus interview programmes and in-depth features and analysis from the world’s hot spots over a 24 hour day.

    According to an official release, the channel will be positioned to reverse the information flow from South to North and to provide a voice to under-reported regions around the world.

    With broadcast centres strategically placed in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, and supporting bureaux worldwide, Al Jazeera International aims to be a new force in the global English speaking media with the ability to seek out and cover different perspectives of news through on-the-ground reporting wherever news is made.

    Al Jazeera Network director general Wadah Khanfar said: “We are extremely proud of what Al Jazeera has achieved over the past ten years. Al Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al Jazeera International will build on the pioneering spirit of Al Jazeera and will carry our media model, based in the South, to the entire world.”

    He added: “The launching of the English Channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of “Al Jazeera” without being able to watch it or to understand its language. The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world.”

    “It has been a fantastic endeavour to build this TV channel over the last two years with the support of the Al Jazeera network. Everyone involved in the project deserves credit,” said Al Jazeera International MD Nigel Parsons, adding, “We will extend the Al Jazeera spirit into the English-speaking world.”

    Al Jazeera’s English language website, aljazeera.net/english is being re-launched with the launch of the English language channel to reflect the channel’s look and feel and editorial content.

    It will showcase Al Jazeera International’s agenda setting editorial mission and will provide constantly updated coverage of news events from around the world, along with in-depth analysis and background.

    It will provide RSS feeds, live streams and downloadable clips from the channel, as well as interactive discussions and polling. Programme and presenter information as well as weather reports, live business data and sport will also be available via the website, informs the statement.

  • Sun TV to turn pay from 2 December; priced at Rs 12

    Sun TV to turn pay from 2 December; priced at Rs 12

    MUMBAI: Southern Indian broadcast powerhouse Sun TV Ltd will switch its flagship channel Sun TV to the pay mode starting 2 December.

    The channel has been tagged at a price of Rs 12 per month per subscriber for the cable operators to access the channel.

    The Kalanithi Maran promoted network is also likely to turn its Malayalam language entertainment channel Surya TV pay in the near future.

    At present, it has three pay channels – KTV, Sun News and Sun Music. But in Chennai, which is a conditional access system (CAS) market, the consumers can view the pay channels through a set-top box (STB). But all these pay channels are free-to-air.

    Ahead of the implementation of CAS in the southern zones of the three metros — Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai — Sun TV accepted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) fixing a common price of Rs 5/- per channel per subscriber per month (excluding taxes).

    However, the pay channel price cap is not applicable in Chennai, which is already a CAS-driven market.

    The Sun TV scrip opened the trading day at Rs 1210.25 and closed at Rs1219.50 and touched a high of Rs 1249.

  • Star launches 5 Indian, 2 international channels in Japan

    Star launches 5 Indian, 2 international channels in Japan

    MUMBAI: Star is setting its sights on the Land of the Rising Sun. But it is not the Japanese populace but expatriate Indians the News Corp network is principally targeting with the launch there of seven of its channels on new IPTV and community platform “World on Demand” (WoD).

    Star today announced it had entered into a deal with Tokyo based The New Media Group (TNMG), which owns and operates WoD, to provide five Indian channels and two international channels in Japan.

    On WoD, Star has launched Star Plus, Star One, Star News, Star Utsav and Vijay, along with Sky News and Fox News.
    According to an official release, through the launch of WoD (www.worldondemand.net), TNMG will provide popular media offerings to targeted user communities, offering them more choice and the freedom to access what they want to see and the opportunity to interact with other WoD users.

    WoD users can watch the Star channels and communicate in real-time with others on the IPTV and community platform.
    Commenting on the launch, Star vice president advertising sales and distribution Japan Deane Sadler said, “We are excited to expand our channel offering to viewers in Japan through TNMG’s World on Demand IPTV platform. By partnering with TNMG, East Asian communities in Japan can now enjoy Star’s innovative and record-breaking Indian programming that their fellow countrymen see everyday back home. They can also catch top-rated news programming from the US and the UK on Fox News and Sky News respectively.”

    “The right formula is to be multiplatform in delivery, and to be community-oriented in marketing,” said TNMG president Randy McGraw. “By delivering recognized brands to users while offering the best interactive tools and most convenient billing options available, users have both flexibility and a true community platform. At World On Demand, users can watch Star News, for example, and chat or IM their groups in real-time while they watch the latest breaking news from India, or send valuable information back to Star about the award-winning dramas on Star Plus. How powerful is that?”

  • TV18’s Sanjay Chaudhuri sells 100,000 shares to Bahl

    TV18’s Sanjay Chaudhuri sells 100,000 shares to Bahl

    MUMBAI: The Raghav Bhal promoted Television Eighteen Ltd has transferred 175,000 shares as a block deal to Network18 Fincap Pvt Ltd (previously known as SGA Finance and Management Services Private Limited) for Rs 120 million.

    This brings to 2,243,225 the total number of shares transferred to Network18 Fincap from Bahl’s personal holding. Recently, Network 18 Fincap had acquired 200,000 equity shares from Bahl for Rs 12.84 million.

    “Pursuant to the sanction to the scheme of arrangement by the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Delhi, Network 18 Fincap Pvt Ltd has acquired 175,000 shares from Bahl,” a statement TV18 posted on the BSE declared.

    Further, the company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that TV18 co-promoter Sanjay Ray Chaudhuri had sold 100,000 shares to Bahl in a block deal on 21 October.

    Assuming the transaction was done at the price the scrip was trading at on 21 October — Rs 685 — Chaudhuri would have received about Rs 61 million in the share sale.

    The TV18 scrip opened at Rs 700 and touched an intra-day high of Rs 793 before closing at Rs 776.

  • 2006 International Emmy World Television Festival to be held on 18-19 November

    2006 International Emmy World Television Festival to be held on 18-19 November

    MUMBAI: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the line-up for its 2006 International Emmy World Television Festival, to take place on 18 and 19 November, at the Sofitel Hotel in New York.

    The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is an organisation of global broadcasters, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies. Its mission is to recognise excellence in television programming produced outside of the United States.

    A by invitation kick-off cocktail party hosted by CME founder and chairman Ronald S. Lauder, recipient of the 2006 International Emmy directorate award will launch the weekend of festivities at the Neue Galerie, on Friday 17 November. Home Box Office (HBO) will be hosting the closing cocktail on Sunday 19 November.

    This year’s Festival highlights include panels and presentations by Dubai based news network Al-Arabiya, Discop, KBS (Korea), Ile de France Film Commission, Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting as well as a technology panel entitled: ‘Producing for Cross-Media Platforms’, informs an official release.

    Phoenix Satellite Television chairman and CEO Liu Changle is the 2006 Festival Chairman.

    International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences President and CEO also President of Hearst Entertainment Bruce L. Paisner said, “The International Emmy World Television Festival is now established as the only place where you one can watch television from all over the world and meet with the program makers.It is also a unique platform for organizations wanting to promote themselves to the global television community.”

    The schedule will feature the traditional International Emmy Nominee presentations during which the producers of the nominated programs discuss their program in the nine Emmy categories including: arts programming, best performance by an actress, best performance by an actor, breaking news, children and young people, comedy, continuing news coverage, documentary, drama series, non-scripted entertainment and TV movie/mini-series.

    International Emmy Award nominees will receive their medals at the traditional Saturday morning Nominee Medal Ceremony organised each year at the festival. The Academy will also present the Sir Peter Ustinov Young Scriptwriter Award to Nemer Rashed, for his script The Great Mcginty.

    2006 festival partners include Hong Kong based Phoenix Satellite Television, Al-Arabiya, HBO, The Hollywood Reporter, Ile de France Film Commission, Microsoft, Savvis, La Demoiselle Champagne, Discop, Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, Sofitel and La Mill Coffee, adds the release.

  • Turner to launch broadband network in the US in January

    Turner to launch broadband network in the US in January

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) is further expanding its portfolio of consumer businesses on emerging platforms.

    It will launch Super Deluxe, an online comedy channel combined with interactive online-community tools, will launch on broadband in January 2007. Super Deluxe will be ad-supported, making the network entirely free to consumers, and will integrate advertising in different ways.

    Turner Entertainment Group president Mark Lazarus says, “Super Deluxe is not only the latest innovation from Turner Broadcasting, which pioneered such concepts as the basic cable network and the 24-hour news channel, but also the most recent addition to the company’s growing broadband network portfolio that includes CNN Pipeline and GameTap, among others. Its combination of original content and extensive online community tools will make it an ideal destination for young adults eager for this type of material in a dynamic interactive environment.”

    Drew Reifenberger will be Super Deluxe senior VP, GM. He said, “Today, the online comedy experience is largely comprised of random clips and homemade movies contained within a generic experience. Super Deluxe is focused on original, ‘television-quality’ programming, presented with a distinct editorial voice and in a highly interactive and social environment. It will deliver an experience more akin to watching your favorite TV show with friends – hanging out and sharing a laugh.”

    Super Deluxe will offer original comedy from both established and rising comedy stars, developed exclusively for the network and celebrating the artists’ creative spirit, providing comedic talents a forum to showcase and share their own inspired concepts and performances. Each artist will have his/her own personalised area featuring exclusive content, a blog and opportunities to promote appearances and projects or further customize their part of the network.

    Original programming will range from short films and sketches to episodic series and more. In addition to being available online, Super Deluxe content will be available via cable VOD, wireless devices and personal media players.

    Programming is just the beginning, however. Super Deluxe’s community tools will allow fans to interact with artists and each other, adding an extra dimension of value for the consumer. Through these tools, fans can express their own sense of humuor and interact with artists and others by creating their own profiles, uploading their own videos, rating and sharing content, making comments, sending messages and more. Fans can even join or create groups with other artists and users to share and discuss their favorite humorous topics, comedians or anything else that strikes their interest.

  • Excel Home Video looks to grow the TV DVD segment

    Excel Home Video looks to grow the TV DVD segment

    MUMBAI: Earlier this year Excel Home Video entered the television segment. It released the first seasons of Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    Encouraged by the response the company is now looking to add more titles to that list.
    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com this afternoon, Excel Home Video MD MN Kapasi says, “Our focus is only on English shows as those in the SEC A and A+ segments watch them. They can thus afford to buy them. We will be releasing the second seasons of Lost and Desperate Housewives. These rights were got from Buena Vista.

    “We will now be releasing seasons 1-5 of 24 as well as Prison Break and The Simpsons. These rights we got from Fox. Other titles include Boston Legal and Grey’s Anatomy. The Hindi segment is not cost effective. If you want sell a DVD of a Hindi soap like a Saas Bahu then you would have to price it cheap.

    “By the end of the fiscal year March 2007 we will have eight English TV DVD titles. For the next fiscal we will add another seven to eight titles. We are looking at specialised content like aerobics and possibly adventure sports.” The television venture helps Excel build on the relationship it already has with Fox and Disney as far as films are concerned.

    Excel Home Video has 1,000 English film titles on DVD. One of its latest releases has been Ice Age 2. To push it kicked off an offer in association with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Each DVD has a hologram. If the hologram matches the hologram shown on the channel then the consumer gets Ice Age 2 merchandise which has been imported. This way Kapasi says consumers become more aware of legal products as pirated stuff do not have holograms.

    On the retail level when a consumer buys a DVD he can get an Excel VCD exchanged for a DVD and just pay the price difference. The Ice Age 2 DVD has a coupon. The consumer just has to mail the coupon. To push Ice Age 2 Excel also did wall executions in retail outlets like Planet M, Rhythm House. The dubbed version of Ice Age 2 in Hindi will be released later this month. New titles coming up are Cars, X-Men 3 and Pirates Of The Carribean 2. To push X Men 3 Excel will have ads on Pix and AXN. This too will be a hologram linked effort.

    Excel also did the innovation of re – releasing the first Pirates film on DVD to coincide with the release of the sequel. It also re released the first two X Men films to coincide with the theatrical release of X Men 3. “This strategy of synergy marketing has worked well for us” adds Kapasi.

    He says that 50 per cent of Excel’s above the line marketing activities are done through television. Print he adds has not really delivered. Excel not surprisingly also advertises in select multiplexes through slides as that is one place his TG frequents.

    Excel has also come out with the strategy of having Movies and More outlets. This is a place where one can buy DVDs and VCDs. Right now there are 11 mostly situated in multiplexes. The plan is to increase the number to 40 by the end of the fiscal. There will also be a presence in malls.

    Excel has around 30 Hindi films in its library including Dor and Lagaan. Kapasi rues the fact that there is no method in the price one pays to get the rights for a Hindi film. A producer according to him often quotes a price without looking at factors like the market size. He is hopeful that with new producers like Farhan Akhtar coming in the situation will improve.

    In terms of targets he says that the company expects a 40 per cent growth in turnover for this fiscal. Bottomline growth is expected to be in the range of 18-22 per cent. The efforts of Excel have not gone unnoticed. Fox is happy about the way Ice Age 2 has fared on DVD. Fox VP intl licensees Richard Crook says, “The success has sharpened our focus on India’s growing home entertainment market. Excel Home Videos our licensee in India, has delivered a fantastic job by successfully targetting the festive holidays”.

  • CBS lets viewers test their CSI: Q on the mobile

    CBS lets viewers test their CSI: Q on the mobile

    MUMBAI: From today 1 November viewers of US broadcaster CBS’ drama CSI: NY can use their mobile phone to play CSI: Q.

    This is an interactive, live text-messaging game in which audiences test their crime-solving skills by predicting the outcome of the episode, with an eye on winning $10,000. This marks the first time that CBS has applied an interactive text messaging component, previously used on reality programmes and game shows, to one of its prime time dramas. In India the CSI franchise airs on AXN.

    CSI creator and CSI: NY executive producer Anthony Zuiker, who also created the CSI board game, Senses, came up with the idea for CSI: Qand is formulating the questions.

    He says, “CSI: Q invites viewers to watch CSI: NY in an interactive fashion with a level of game play to track the ‘criminal,’ ‘science,’ and ‘intent’ (motive) of the story. Our goal is to use the mobile phone in an unprecedented fashion to drive viewership back to the television while at the same time enhancing the viewing experience for the CSI fan.”

    During the CSI: NY episodes being broadcast on CBS on 1, 8, 15 November, an on-air promo will run with one question that asks viewers to predict what will happen at the end of that night’s episode. Viewers will send their responses via text message to 38383 and will be entered into the drawing to win the weekly prize of $10,000. Additionally, viewers can enter for free by going to the CSI: NY site through CBS.com (where the Official Rules are also posted).

    Each weekly winner will be announced on-air during the following week’s episode of CSI: NY. The questions will differ for the Eastern, Pacific and Hawaiian time zones.

    CSI: NY is about forensic investigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes in the Big Apple. The show stars Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper, Eddie Cahill and Anna Belknap.

  • Shemaroo releases ‘RK Films-The Immortal Collection’

    Shemaroo releases ‘RK Films-The Immortal Collection’

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo has released the album RK Films – The Immortal Collection on VCD. The album, which is a six VCD pack, is a collector’s item featuring 72 songs from films produced under the RK Banner. Three VCDs of the pack comprise 36 songs from Black and White era while the other three comprise 36 songs in colour.

    The RK Banner is synonymous with melodies and good music which has entertained music lovers over several decades. Raj Kapoor always believed that good music was an essential ingredient for the success of a film. Over the years R. K Banner has delivered some of the best songs which are considered to be Gems for music lovers.

    Shemaroo says that the pack celebrates 51 years of R.K.Films, right from Aag (1948) to Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) as it unfolds one melody after the other from India’s most prestigious movie-making banner. The films range from the ones in which Raj Kapoor has acted/ directed to the ones which he has only directed. It also consists of films like Boot Polish, Ab Dilli Dur Nahin and Jagte Raho which were directed by rank outsiders for the R.K.Banner as well as films like Kal Aaj Aur Kal which was directed by Randhir Kapoor.

    Shemaroo adds that The Immortal collection series has been presented in the form of an album.

  • Online retail firm Thumbplay partners with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

    Online retail firm Thumbplay partners with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Thumbplay an online retailer of mobile entertainment content in the US has announced an agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) to distribute products from Sony’s film and television portfolio.

    Thumbplay is the first direct-to-consumer mobile company to offer SPHE’s premium content. Thumbplay members will now have direct access to content from SPHE’s entire mobile content catalogue, which includes content from feature films like Open Season and Spider-Man 3 to television shows such as Jeopardy, Days of Our Lives and The Boondocks.

    Thumbplay founder and CEO Are Traasdahl says, “Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has been a leader in the arena of digital entertainment. Our partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment allows us to deliver an extensive selection of exciting mobile entertainment to our members, who can now enjoy Sony’s premium catalog of motion pictures and television shows.”

    Thumbplay members will have direct access to games, ringtones and wallpapers from SPHE’s extensive mobile catalog. Highlights include content from upcoming and past releases.

    Thumbplay’s catalogue also includes Sony’s diverse television content such as 80s hits like Different Strokes and What’s Happening; daytime dramas like Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless and game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

    SPHE president mobile entertainment Eric Berger says, “We are thrilled to bring a personalized mobile experience to wireless consumers of all ages with our diverse content. Thumbplay’s success in the direct-to-consumer mobile market represents an excellent platform to further expand SPHE’s vision of making entertainment accessible to consumers whenever, wherever and however they want.”

    Thumbplay currently offers more than 50,000 pieces of mobile entertainment content, including ringtones, wallpapers, games and text-based services. Members can purchase content as part of the Thumbplay subscription plan or on à la carte basis.

    Movie lovers can enjoy Open Season right on their mobile phone through a large selection of content featuring original voicetones from the cast, ringtones and wallpapers from the first animated film from Sony Pictures Animation.