ITV

Category: Television

  • WWE doing a VoD promotion in the US

    WWE doing a VoD promotion in the US

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC Universal On Demand and World Wrestling Entertainment )WWE) are joining forces for a video on demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) promotion.

    The aim is top help help cable operators in the US attract and upgrade digital and broadband subscribers, while increasing revenue for PPV and the On Demand platform.

    Consumers can separately purchase the interactive pay-per-view Cyber Sunday from WWE from 5 November and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift from 26 October offered by NBCU on VOD and PPV. If consumers order both programmes and send in their bill showing proof of purchase by 23 November, 2006, they will receive a WWE and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Limited Edition Car Kit gift pack of automotive paraphernalia while supplies last.

    Additionally, from 26 October till 28 February , 2007, consumers can visit www.highspeedstakes.com and enter the “HighSpeedstakes” for a chance to win a prize of a driving school experience with a WWE Superstar. This co-branded microsite will also feature exclusive footage of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and provide a link to vote for Cyber Sunday.

    Fans also can participate in WWE’s Cyber Sunday PPV event in November by casting votes online at www.wwe.com to determine, among other things, which Superstars and match stipulations may be involved in the PPV event. For many situations, fans can vote right up until the match starts on PPV, providing almost immediate feedback.

    Participating cable and satellite systems will be offered an array of marketing materials in English and Spanish and will have the opportunity to tag all materials with broadband information and promotions. NBCU and WWE will support the initiative with national exposure and a media buy.

    WWE Affiliate sales and marketing senior VP Peter Clifford says, “The premise behind Cyber Sunday, which is largely a broadband involved interactive PPV event, and the natural fit between WWE fans and fans of The Fast and the Furious franchise made for a wonderful opportunity to join forces with NBCU. The result is a win/win/win for WWE, NBCU and our affiliates.

    “Using our pay-per-view and VOD assets, we are giving our customers a great opportunity to sell more high speed services.”

  • FCC schedules Kids TV hearing for 26 September

    MUMBAI: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to reconsider its children‘s TV rules in light of changes suggested by a group of broadcasters and activists. According to an Associated Press report, the commission has scheduled the issue for its 26 September open meeting.



    The organisation had issued new children‘s TV rules for the digital age in 2005. But, after facing resistence from various sides, the body had stayed the effective date of the rules.


    As per the report, the commission is expected to approve some version of the deal, which heads off lawsuits filed by both kids-TV activists and media companies.

  • CNN to air summit with former US president Clinton

    CNN to air summit with former US president Clinton

    MUMBAI: History shows that the world is plagued with the casualties of religious and ethnic conflicts. With recent struggles in Lebanon and Israel and daily clashes in Iraq, the Middle East is a hotbed of religious and ethnic conflict. CNN will air the hour long documentary In God’s Name: A Global Summit With President Clinton on 23 September at 5:30 pm and on 24 September at 3:30 pm.

    . This asks whether religion is the solution or the problem. The special is moderated by CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour and features former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the third and final CNN special program. Joining them is an expert panel including Israeli Vice Premier, Shimon Peres; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Dina Powell; Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan; Former United Nations Special Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi; Former U.S. Senator and Northern Ireland peace negotiator, George Mitchell and editor-at-large of Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper, Rami Khouri.

    CNN International senior VP Rena Golden says, “Once again this edition of the Clinton Global Summit is tackling an issue that affects our audiences worldwide,” said . “By bringing together these distinguished experts, we hope to find some common understanding into what fuels so many of the world’s religious conflicts.”

    During his tenure as US President, Clinton was deeply involved in bringing peace to the Middle East, Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland. The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) has chosen mitigating religious and ethnic conflict as one its four major goals.

    CGI is a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Each September, CGI convenes a meeting for global leaders including heads of state, non-profit organizations and business leaders to discuss challenges facing the world today.

    President Clinton’s vision in bringing together this group is to merge ideas from both the public and private sectors to devise a plan to identify and implement solutions. Over US$2.5 billion was committed toward concrete solutions for global problems at CGI’s conference last year. The forum takes place September 20-22 this year.

  • FCC schedules Kids TV hearing for 26 September

    FCC schedules Kids TV hearing for 26 September

    MUMBAI: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to reconsider its children’s TV rules in light of changes suggested by a group of broadcasters and activists. According to an Associated Press report, the commission has scheduled the issue for its 26 September open meeting.

    The organisation had issued new children’s TV rules for the digital age in 2005. But, after facing resistence from various sides, the body had stayed the effective date of the rules.

    As per the report, the commission is expected to approve some version of the deal, which heads off lawsuits filed by both kids-TV activists and media companies.

  • Pay channel rates: HC seeks government response

    Pay channel rates: HC seeks government response

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the central government for its response to a petition filed by Star India challenging the Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) order capping pricing of pay channels at Rs 5 under conditional access system (CAS).

    The matter will come up for next hearing on 15 November. The court will examine whether Star’s fundamental right to do business in India stands affected by the price regulation.

    Star has the option to approach the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

    “Our writ petition has been admitted by the court and has been slotted for hearing on 15 November. We will only know then if our plea stands accepted or rejected,” says a Star India spokesperson.

    Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Star, argued that the regulation of broadcasting was beyond Trai’s jurisdiction.

    Star had filed an appeal in the court, challenging the basis of Trai’s recent announcement on pricing for CAS. The matter came up for hearing today.

  • Australian speedster Brett Lee all set to bowl Times Now viewers over

    Australian speedster Brett Lee all set to bowl Times Now viewers over

    MUMBAI: English news channel Times Now has roped in Australian fast bowler Brett Lee to present match analysis throughout the day, during the ongoing Malaysian Tri series and also the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 which kicks off next month. He will also be seen in a show League of Champions at 11.30 pm on the channel’s sports show The Game.

    Times Now says that it will tap into Lee’s cricketing acumen to provide urbane viewers with an in depth match analysis. Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami said, “Brett Lee is not only the world’s fastest bowler, but also one of the most dynamic personalities in world cricket. Getting him on the channel for these big tournaments is a coup and Times Now viewers will enjoy his candid analysis on television.”

  • Endemol expands presence with acquisition

    Endemol expands presence with acquisition

    MUMBAI: Global television format creator and distributor Endemol will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Germ, an interactive television format firm Callactive.

    It has also launched a new participation TV show in the US. The transaction in Germany is subject to the approval of the German anti-trust authorities. Endemol has options to further increase its stake in the future.

    Callactive specialises in call TV interactive television formats in Germany and Switzerland. Its customers include Viva Plus (Germany). Callactive is located in Munich and will serve as Endemol’s call TV platform for German speaking countries/areas. Callactive will continue to operate under the same name, headed by its current MD Stephan Mayerbacher.

    Meanwhile in the US, Endemol has launched a live participation TV show called Midnight Money Madness. The two-hour show went to air two weeks ago. This is the first time Endemol has brought its interactive television experience to viewers in the US.

    Endemol digital media director Job van Wagensveld says, “With the acquisition of 51 per cent of Callactive in Germany and the launch of Midnight Money Madness in the United States we are adding two important new territories to our participation TV activities. We are now operating successfully world wide in over 25 countries with more to come. We are very pleased with these developments and expect to grow our leading position in this business further in the coming years.”

  • L’oreal Paris Elite Model Look India 2006 unveils new face

    L’oreal Paris Elite Model Look India 2006 unveils new face

    MUMBAI: The L’Oreal Paris Elite Model Look India 2006, which kickstarted last month, culminated in a grand finale in Mumbai.

    Manasvi Mamgal was chosen as the winner of the contest There was a tie in the first runners up position. Erica Packard and Nicki Sehgal were announced as the first runners-up, while Akanksha Arora was selected as the second runner-up of this mega model hunt.

    The auditions for the model hunt were held across four metros between 2 and 9 September. Twenty girls were chosen and sent to Goa for a complete training and fitness programme from 12 to 17 September.

    The grooming sessions was held at The Leela Palaces and Resorts, which was the official venue sponsor for the event. Fitness expert Leena Mogre monitored the sessions in Goa.

    The winner will represent India at the Elite Model Look International 2006 to be held in Thailand in November 2006 while the three runners-up will be the participating in the Elite Model Look Asia Pacific 2006 to be held in Shanghai in November 2006.

    The panel of judges for the finale included Elite supermodel and reigning Miss India-Universe Neha Kapur, actress Amrita Arora, supermodel Mehr Jessia, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, stand-up comedian Ash Chandler and Michaela Goddard who is the Head – Scouting, Elite Worldwide.

    Elite India CEO Sushma Puri said, “The L’Oreal Paris Elite Model Look 2006 is an exciting property which allows us to tap into the immense talent that lies undiscovered across India.

    This democratic event gives an opportunity to all those young girls who dream of a career in the fashion industry. Elite on its part strives to develop these participants so that they rise to their fullest potential and are able to shine.”

    Besides the final winners, Soni Agarwal and Apoorva Vishvanathan were the other two winners for the Miss Photogenic title while Ekta Chaudhury was announced as the winner of the Trussardi Prima Donna Award.

    All the winners will be in a modeling contract with Elite India and have won a free one-year membership to Fitness expert Leena Mogre’s gym.

    The auditions for the model hunt was held across four metros between 2 to 9 September. Twenty girls were chosen and sent to Goa for a complete training and fitness programme from 12 to 17 September.

    The grooming sessions was held at The Leela Palaces and Resorts, which was the official venue sponsor for the event. Fitness expert Leena Mogre monitored the sessions in Goa.

    The model hunt will be aired in the form of a reality series from 23 September onwards exclusively on Zoom, India’s premier glamour and lifestyle television. The series will take a look at the shoot right from auditions, training sessions to the grand finale.

    Commenting on the association with the event, Zoom business head MK Anand said, “As India’s foremost Glamour and Entertainment news destination, Zoom has showcased the finest events in the fashion and lifestyle arena. This model hunt is an effort to gain a space in fashion and style space. We hope to consolidate our position with the L’Oreal Paris Elite Model Look 2006.”

    “We will be airing a 10 episode series that takes a look at the reality shoot at the training sessions at Goa and the finale. This is just the beginning. We will soon be lauching a hunt called Diva Quest, which will be a hunt for a face for Zoom” added Anand.

    L’Oreal Consumer Products Division (India) director Philippe Raffray added “L’Oreal Paris endeavors to make women around the world more beautiful. Which is why this association with Elite, one of the most prestigious modeling networks, and Zoom, India’s glamorous lifestyle channel, creates a unique showcase for contemporary Indian beauty.”

  • Diwali rush for concepts, slots and TRPs

    Indian television‘s Hindi general entertainment space is at its aggressive best.As the market is about to enter its ‘harvest‘ season — with the big stakes game of Diwali placed just a month away — there is a thunderstorm brewing on the programming battlefront.

    Late last month, when Zee TV pointed a finger at Star India, making a serious charge of copyright infringement, the incident had given away the plot of the big fight coming up. Zee Telefilms issued a notice to Star demanding it withdraw all activities around its upcoming soap, tentatively titled Betiyaan, claiming ownership of the concept. Zee said it was in fact gearing up to launch its big ticket soap Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, produced by Creative Eye.

    Star dismissed Zee‘s charges, asserting that the show‘s writer Rekha Modi had registered the titles and the concept with various copyright bodies well before Zee made its own registration.

    According to market sources, the issue finally got resolved through an out-of-court settlement. Zee retained its original title Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann title, whereas Star chose the name Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan.

    Now, compare the storylines, as offered by both the channels:

    Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan is the story of six daughters and one son born into a Zamindar family of Neelkanth Chanda Rana. It is the story of a father who rebukes his daughters because for him they are a burden. They have come into his life only for want of a son. Krishna, the eldest daughter and the protagonist, is based on Lord Krishna‘s character and personifies his depth of wisdom and understanding. A simple, honest and principled girl, she is the balancing factor amongst her sisters. Paraaya Dhan may be considered the story of many a home in India where it is believed that a son will take the family name further and a daughter is Paraya Dhan, states a Star India release.

    According to the Zee official communiqué, Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann is Zee TV‘s steadfast attempt to address the ever-persistent issue of gender discrimination in our country. The show highlights certain myths that exist in our society today. States Zee TV programming head Ashvini Yardi on the Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, “With Ghar Ki Lahsmi… we are trying to highlight the serious issue of gender inequity that is prevalent in our society.”

    And it is again strategies and counter strategies. On 19 September, Zee TV conducted a press conference to announce its plans to launch Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann — set in a Gujarati household — on 25 September. On 18 September, Star made the smart move of talking to the media about its October launch Paraaya Dhan well in advance. Apart from the plot, what was revealed was the time slot of 9 pm, Monday to Thursday. The result: Star could let the market know about the development a day in advance.

    What makes both these Betiyaan shows keenly fought properties? With Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, Zee TV is attacking one of the two most crucial time slots of Star Plus – 10 pm, where the long running soap Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki is playing. Letting the Zee TV do what it had done in the 9 pm – 10 pm slot (with success stories Saath Phere & Kassamh Se) would be suicidal for Star Plus and the channel understands that fact very well.

    “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki is an old show with a dedicated viewership and we are confident of the soap overcoming any new challenge in its way. But we will make efforts to protect the show. I am not hinting that we will be doing stunts to keep the viewer glued. We will be taking liberties that the story line would allow and accordingly, we will be creating twists and turns in the plot to fight competition,” Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal says.

    “The main strength of Ghar Ki Lakshmi… is its content and we have full faith in it. The soap is very important for us. Creative Eye is producing the show; it has been placed in the 10 pm time slot; and more importantly, we believe that the concept is very unique but very relevant. No counter strategy would be able to stop this soap,” retorts Zee TV‘s Yardi. She adds that Zee wouldn‘t be resorting to any exercise such as simultaneous premiere on its network channels to expand the viewership.

    And one show that will be making its best efforts for not getting caught in this exchange of fire would be Sony‘s brand new celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Reason: Jhalak.. again has been placed in the crucial slot of 10 pm, Wednesday and Thursday.

    It seems the leading channels are almost done with their key Diwali arrangements. With the introduction of Ghar Ki Lakshmi… in the 10 pm slot, Zee TV has revamped its 10 – 11 pm slot. L‘il Champs will now air Friday-Saturday at 10 pm. Shabaash India has been shiifted to the Monday -Tuesday 10.30 pm slot, while Johny Aala Re will now air on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10.30 pm.

    Star One is meanwhile revamping its prime time band as well, with the entry of Nach Baliye 2 on 25 September (placed in the 8:30 pm slot) and the launch coincides with the Ghar Ki Lakshmi… launch in terms of dates. In October, two other soaps Saathi Re and Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan will mark the launch of new primetime programming band, with Saathi Re airing at 8:30 pm followed by Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan at 9 pm.

    After Jhalak.., Sony‘s Diwali plans would revolve around two upcoming properties: a prime time soap Kaajaal and a reality-based show titled Big Boss. Though the channel is yet to reveal its plans about these two shows, indications are that they will be placed in the 9 to 10 pm slot.

  • Al Jazeera International announces African line-up

    Al Jazeera International announces African line-up

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera International, the long-delayed Qatar based international English news channel, today announced its full line up of bureaux and correspondents across Africa. It will have bureaux in Cairo – Egypt, Abidjan – Ivory Coast, Nairobi – Kenya, Johannesburg – South Africa and Harare – Zimbabwe.

    Al Jazeera International, which is now targeting a year-end launch, will be sharing the resources of the Al Jazeera Arabic Channel’s African bureaux located in Ndjamena – Chad, Tripoli – Libya, Nouakchott – Mauritania, Rabat – Morocco, Dakar – Senegal, Mogadishu – Somalia, Johannesburg – South Africa and Khartoum – Sudan.

    “Our reporting from Africa will be unparalleled. We will have more bureaux and resources dedicated to Africa than any other global broadcaster,” said Al Jazeera International managing director Nigel Parsons.

    Speaking from Doha, director of news Steve Clark said, “Africa is one of the most pivotal places in the world to report from. It is a continent of hope and change.”
    “We are planning other bureaux across the continent of Africa and will be announcing them in due course,” Clark continued.

    “The teams we have in place show a level of dedication and understanding that I am sure will give us a distinctive edge,” said Africa bureau chief Andrew Simmons.