ITV

Category: Television

  • Star World brings Jackie Chan on ‘Rendezvous…’

    Star World brings Jackie Chan on ‘Rendezvous…’

    MUMBAI: Star World brings a treat to all the Jackie Chan fans as the prime time show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal will feature the martial-arts superstar. The programme is slotted to air on 3 September at 9:30 pm.

    An official release quotes Garewal, “Jackie was wonderful. He didn’t hide anything, didn’t evade any question. He wasn’t ‘image-conscious’– in fact he spoke about aspects even more than I could have asked for. He revealed things that aren’t even there in his biography! Graciously, he was the one who knelt and thanked me!”

    In this special episode, Jackie speaks about his painfully rigorous childhood, the fact that he was born in poverty and his immigrant parents almost sold him at birth to a British doctor, as they couldn’t afford the hospital bill. For the first time, the blatantly honest superstar shares details of his marriage, the fact that he has been a bad husband, selfish when it comes to love, and that he has not been able to give time to his wife or his 23-year-old son Jaycee and how he is trying to make-up for lost time, states an official release.

  • The Ashes 2006, live and exclusive on ‘ESPN STAR Sports’

    The Ashes 2006, live and exclusive on ‘ESPN STAR Sports’

    MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports, India’s premier sports network, will showcase the 2006-2007 cricket series between Australia and England, The Ashes, LIVE and Exclusive, starting from November 23, 2006. The five-test series between the world’s two oldest and most celebrated rivals, England and Australia will be played in Australia this year.

    The five-Test series has matches scheduled at Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. England goes into the series as holder of the Ashes and requiring to win or draw the series to retain them. Till date, out of the 62 Ashes series Australia has won 30 and England has been victorious 27 times. The remaining five series were drawn, with Australia retaining the Ashes four times and England retaining it once.

    The failure of England to regain the Ashes for 16 years from 1989, coupled with the global dominance of the Australian team, had dulled the lustre of the series in recent years. But the close results in the 2005 Ashes series, and the overall high quality and competitiveness of the cricket, have boosted the popularity of the sport in Britain and considerably enhanced the profile of the Ashes around the world.

    The forthcoming series is expected to be extremely tough for England to win, with key players missing from the team list. Michael Vaughan, England’s successful captain in the 2005 Ashes series will be unavailable due to injury and there are also concerns about other key players Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles. Jones was eventually not selected due to injury. The likelihood of Monty Panesar playing against Australia in the 2006-07 Ashes has added to the strength of England’s team. The battle between the new English icon and the Aussies serves up a treat for cricket fans across the globe. The Australians on the other hand, have gone strength to strength post their Ashes defeat last year. With a rejuvenated Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, their two top bowlers and Captain Ricky Ponting’s dominant form, that made him ICC’s cricketer of the year, England would have to play their cards well to retain the world’s most glorified cricketing series.

    The Ashes 2006 promises cricket at its best. Catch the Oldest Cricketing Rivalry at its competitive best live & exclusive only on ESPN STAR Sports starting 23rd November 2006.

    Date Event Time Channel
    November 23-27 The Ashes, First Test, Brisbane 05:28 ESPN
    December 1-5 The Ashes, Second Test, Adelaide 05:58 ESPN
    December 14-18 The Ashes, Third Test, Perth 07:58 ESPN
    December 26-30 The Ashes, Fourth Test, Melbourne 04:58 ESPN
    January 2-6 The Ashes, Fifth Test, Sydney 04:58 ESPN

    *Schedule subject to change

  • Win 1 lakh every hour on Budget Day on CNBC-TV18

    Win 1 lakh every hour on Budget Day on CNBC-TV18

    – Win your annual household budget every hour by tuning in to CNBC-TV18 on Budget Day
    – Answer simple questions on the Budget by SMS to 2622
    – Prize money to be won from 10 am – 10 pm on Budget Day on CNBC-TV18

     

    MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18, India’s premier business news channel has lined up innovative and informative shows as pre-cursors to the Budget 2006.The ‘Budget Bonanza Contest’, unique to CNBC-TV18 has been launched this year, to the overwhelming response it received from its viewers.

     

    Viewers tuning into the CNBC-TV18’s Budget programming can win their annual household budget every hour on Budget Day.

     

    On Budget Day, February 28, 2006, winners can win Rs 1 lakh every hour for upto 12 hours i.e. 10 am – 10 pm by answering questions posed by the channel. These questions are straightforward to answer and pertain to the Budget to be announced. Viewers can participate in the Budget Bonanza by sending in their answers via an SMS to 2622.

     

    CNBC-TV18, the leader in budget programming, is also presenting interesting, innovative and informative shows on its channel. ‘The Great Indian Dream’ is the theme for CNBC-TV18’s Budget line up for 2006. CNBC-TV18 will address the question: Will Budget 2006 make or break the Indian dream?

     

    As part of its budget programming, CNBC-TV18 has lined up a one-hour special on the Economic Survey giving an intelligent and comprehensive overview of the booming Indian economy, the India Business Hour Budget Special, LIVE and uninterrupted coverage of the FM’s speech and the CNBC-TV18 and MTV budget fundas , an initiative that will touch base with the youth of the country and how it has affected their lives.

     

    The winners will be declared every hour on CNBC-TV18. Viewers of CNBC-TV18 now stand a chance to win even if the FM’s Union Budget 2006 is not a rewarding experience!

     

    About CNBC-TV18:

    CNBC-TVI8 is India’s No.1 business medium. CNBC Asia Pacific holds a strategic equity stake in the Indian registered broadcaster; Television 18. CNBC-TV18 is the undisputed leader in the business. The channel’s benchmark coverage extends from corporate news, financial markets coverage, expert perspective on investing and management to industry verticals and beyond. CNBC-TV18 has been constantly innovating with new genres of programming that helps make business more relevant to different constituencies across India. CNBC-TV18 is currently available in over 20 million households in India.

     

    For further information please contact:
    Glen D’Souza/ Janice Goveas / Niketa Tekawade
    Hanmer & Partners
    56335969/ 55524600

  • Minorities Report on Janmat’s Aap Ka Haq

    “AAP KA HAQ”, the Shekhar Suman show on JANMAT has developed into becoming the ideal platform for providing a voice to the deprived and dispossessed people in our country. “Aap Ka Haq” is a movement against the injustice and inequality that is faced by millions in India.

     

    At 10.30p.m. on Saturday, 25th February, “Aap Ka Haq” will talk to members of the minority community and discuss their rights, their history and the value of justice and the politics behind the riots such as happened in Gujarat.

     

    On the panel talking to one such victim, 13 year old Shahrukh Khan who is an eyewitness to the Gujarat riots, are guests like Prakash Javedkar who is spokesperson of the BJP, leader of Congress Imran Kidwai, Ahmed Rashid Sherwani of the Minorities Commission Swami Agnivesh, as well as Father Dominic and journalist Ajit Bunni.

     

    Shahrukh describes heartrending realities which indicate that rioters are clearly politically motivated. Committees set up by the government are often an eyewash. Shekhar Suman moots the worries that revolve around minorities while Imran kidwai and Rashid Sherwani agree that the real problems of the Muslims – namely illiteracy, unemployment and poverty – have never been addressed satisfactorily.

    The crusade that “Aap Ka Haq” has begun will continue. What is needed is public support and political will.

    Positioned as India’s first Views Channel, JANMAT has brought a fresh breeze in the country’s TV viewing landscape. JANMAT is a 24-hour current affairs channel targeted towards the discerning Indian audience. JANMAT has an ear to the ground, and allows the common man to express his grievances for swift redressal.

    Don’t miss ‘Aap ka Haq’ on JANMAT.

  • Vijay TV gameshow ‘Grandmaster’ unveils interactive segment

    Vijay TV gameshow ‘Grandmaster’ unveils interactive segment

    MUMBAI: The Vijay TV primetime game show Q3 Jeyyam Grand Master gets more interactive, as from 4 September, it allows even the viewers to be a part of the show.

    Audience can sit at home and become a Grandmaster. While the participant thinks of any prominent person from anywhere in the globe who is alive or dead, the Grand Master tries to find out the name of the person within 21 questions. One contestant at a time on the hot seat with the Grand Master can play in the game.

    Viewers can guess the personality before the Grand Master does and SMS the answer by typing GM (answer) to 7827 and win a personal computer every week, informs a Star Vijay communiqué.

    The quickest with maximum number of correct answer wins the prize every week and any number of attempts is allowed within the specified time. Every episode will have one round of the game. The start time flashes on Vijay TV when the ungal veetu grandmaster logo appears, viewers can send their correct answers to 7827. Winner’s name will be announced two weeks after game begins on air, the release adds.

    This game show runs Monday to Thursday at 9:30 pm.

  • SPE Networks Asia walks away with 5 awards at PROMAX/BDA 2006

    HONG KONG, 30 June, 2006: The SPE Networks Asia creative team continued to make inroads into the world of TV on-air promotions and marketing with another fine showing at PROMAX/BDA. Held in New York, USA from 20 – 22 June this year, the team bagged a total of 5 medals after wowing the judges with eye catching works. PROMAX/BDA Awards recognises the top marketing and promotional campaigns in the media industry from around the world.

    “We are extremely proud with our win at this year’s PROMAX/BDA. The Gold award was especially sweet for us as this was our first entry in the category that we were competing in. Our win in the various categories is clear testimony that we are truly a 360° integrated marketing force. Even though we were up against some seasoned broadcasters from around the world, our team went in brimming with confidence to create the buzz in the media industry with their creative works.” Says Ricky Ow, General Manager of SPE Networks Asia Pte. Ltd.

    SPE Networks – Asia clinched 5 Awards for the following categories:
    Gold Award
    Best Outdoor Static Display     – Lost
    The outdoor static display for Lost was created as a tongue-in-cheek billboard message telling frustrated drivers to “Get Lost” while they were stuck behind massive jams in Makati, Philippines.

    Silver Award
    Best Art Direction and Design: Topical Promo – The Shield Tarot Cards
    The creative use of Tarot cards was used to recap and foretell the developments of The Shield. The highlight of this promo is how the cards are animated to show the relationship between the characters.

    Bronze Award
    Best 3-D Promotional or Sales Kit     – CSI: NY
    Working on a small budget, the 3-D sales kit for CSI: NY called for something totally out of the box. Using an apple as reference to New York, the direct mailer invites the viewer to take a bite of the apple, thus creating interaction with them.
    Best Online Advertising Banner – CSI: V
    The online advertising banner for CSI: V effectively captures the spirit and horror of the finale by providing the user a similar experience to what the characters in the show go through when they view their colleague through a computer screen.

    Best Other Design Application Displays – CSI: NY
    The CSI: NY display called for the clever use of distinctive yellow coloured crime scene tape and props in the heart of town to announce the premiere of CSI: NY.

    Ricky Ow added that “Winning at PROMAX/BDA is the equivalent of winning an Emmy for TV or Oscar for movies. SPE Networks- Asia commends the hard work of the young team who are driven with passion to create an impact among the viewers and not settle for anything less than ordinary as the winning formula for success. The creative team comprising of Tracy Wong, Ying Hui, Eugene Wong and Angeline Teo have executed impressive and original creative works in a cost effective manner that is setting the benchmark for on-air and off-air promotion in the cable and television industry.”

    PROMAX/BDA is the professional association for promotions and marketing executives in electronic media throughout the world. Members of the association include all the major terrestrial, cable and satellite television stations and associated media, advertising and production companies.

    Held annually, PROMAX/BDA brings together the best of marketing, promotions, and creative excellence in the media industry. They showcase and recognise creativity and share innovative, groundbreaking and inspirational ideas. Above all, they promote best practice in the expanding world of marketing and promotion in the electronic media.
     
  • Zee Turner, Tata Sky spat reaches court

    Zee Turner, Tata Sky spat reaches court

    NEW DELHI: It has come a full circle for the Zee group. DTH service provider Tata Sky has dragged distribution company Zee Turner to court for acting pricey on giving its channels to the new entrant in the Indian DTH arena.

    The case filed some days back in a Delhi court by Tata Sky states that Zee Turner is setting “unreasonable” terms for negotiations for its bouquet of channels, which amounts to a breach of various directives issued by the sector regulator.

    The case is slated for a hearing today. However, court sources indicated that its unlikely arguments will take place in the first hearing.

    Tata Sky, which began its commercial operations few weeks back, is presently offering consumers 55-odd TV channels at a price that is more than the Subhash Chandra-promoted Dish TV, which is country’s first pay TV platform.

    Zee Turner is a 74:26 distribution joint venture between the Chandra-controlled Zee Telefilms and Time Warner company Turner International India.

    The genesis of the present face-off is lack of consensus on pricing of Zee Turner channels and Tata Sky’s insistence on select TV channels from the bouquet of 32 channels.

    While India’s second pay digital platform Tata Sky wants select Zee Turner channels for a reported sum of below Rs. 40 per subscriber, the latter is insisting all its 32 channels should be taken.

    As reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier, sources close to the negotiations said Zee Turner has conveyed that it’s ready to give all its channels to Tata Sky’s DTH platform for Rs. 74 per subscriber per month, which is 50 per cent of the price that cable operators pay for the Zee Turner bouquet.

    Bouquet 1 of Zee Turner comprises Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Zee Studio, Zee Bengali, Zee Gujarati, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Cartoon Network, Reality TV, CNBC, CNN, Zee Café, Zee Trendz, ETC, ETC Punjabi, Zee Jagran, Zee Smile, Zee Telgu and Zee Music.

    The second bouquet includes HBO, Pogo, Awaaz, VH1 and Zee Business. Zee Turner is soft bundling Zee Sports at a price benefit.

    The third bouquet, called Breakfree, consists of Zee Action, Zee Premier and Zee Classic, which air movies of different genre and are primarily available on Dish TV DTH platform.

    Zee Turner had earlier reasoned that its demand is based on a recent ruling of a disputes tribunal in Dish TV vs. Star case wherein Star was asked to make available its channel to Dish at Rs. 27 per subscriber, which is 50 per cent less than the price cable ops pay.

    Dish TV had to wait for over 18 months since launch to finally manage to get Star channels on its DTH platform.

    After having got powerful products like Star Plus, Dish TV has announced that it will not charge its consumers for some months anything extra for the Star channels, most of which are in the basic tier of 78-odd channels and can be had for Rs. 185 per month by a subscriber of Dish TV.

  • AOL improves upon music service

    AOL improves upon music service

    MUMBAI: Internet giant AOL has revamped its Web-based music download service, adding music videos, streaming radio and user community features.

    The service is called AOL Music Now. AOL says that this is the first digital music subscription service offering unlimited on-demand streams and downloads of more than 2.5 million audio tracks and thousands of music videos. With the launch of the AOL Music Now service (www.aolmusicnow.com), music fans have a new place to discover, listen, download and own songs, albums and videos from one of the largest music libraries on the web.

    Unlike other pay per download services, the AOL service lets users play as many songs and music videos as they want, in their entirety and on-demand. Users can access music and videos they have transferred to their PCs and compatible portable devices as long as they maintain a portable tier subscription.

    The new service also features AOL Radio with XM offering with more than 200 AOL Radio stations plus select premier XM Satellite Radio channels.

    AOL Music Now president Amit Shafrir says, “With the addition of music videos and AOL Radio with XM stations, AOL Music Now has raised the bar in the digital music service space. And, with best-in-class personalisation and automated discovery features, it’s easy for music lovers to navigate the thousands of mixes, playlists and radio stations the service offers.”

    The music service claims to have a library of more than 2.5 million songs from all four major music labels and hundreds of independents. In addition, AOL has agreements with several labels, including Sony BMG to provide thousands of music videos for use in the AOL Music Now service.

  • Zoom’s ‘Weekend Popkorn Laughter…’ kicks off on 2 Septmeber

    Zoom’s ‘Weekend Popkorn Laughter…’ kicks off on 2 Septmeber

    MUMBAI: Zoom, glamour and lifestyle channel will up the humour quotient starting 2 September 2006, with the new Weekend Popkorn Laughter Destination Special series.

    Four comedians will set the mood and will be on a mission to make you laugh with their zany humour every Saturday from the 2 to 23 September at 8 pm.

    This comic bonanza on Zoom promises to be fun unlimited with four of the best known faces of Indian comedy making a serious attempt to anchor this show in their well-known wacky and side-splitting ishtyle!

    The hosts include the hilarious Suresh Menon; Lallan aka Sunil Grover, popular for his trademark spoofs of leading Bollywood stars; the suave and smart Semi Girebal aka Cyrus Sahukar and the witty Ranvir Sheorey.

    Suresh Menon will be loaded with his jokes, spoofs on some of the best known names in tinsel town, swirling to the tunes of the famous Nagin dance and even doing a little stint of dumb-charades, his favourite game!

  • Viacom takes full ownership of MTV Japan

    Viacom takes full ownership of MTV Japan

    MUMBAI: US network MTV has agreed to acquire the remaining interest in joint venture MTV Japan from private equity firm H&Q Asia Pacific (H&QAP). This will give MTV a 100 per cent ownership in MTV Japan.

    The acquisition will be MTV’s largest in the Asia-Pacific region and will enable the broadcaster to accelerate growth in Japan and facilitate cross-pollination of innovations across the region and worldwide.

    In addition to the MTV Japan joint venture, MTV currently owns and operates Nickelodeon and the digital media brand Flux in the market. Upon completion of the deal, MTVN will combine MTV Japan with Nickelodeon and Flux into one cohesive business where the assets of each brand can be optimised across the entire operation. Prior to this agreement, MTV held a minority stake in MTV Japan.

    MTV’s parent Viacom president and CEO Tom freston says, “Japan is a huge and important market with a very advanced digital infrastructure. By taking sole ownership of MTV Japan we can now seamlessly operate all of our companies there on a multi-platform basis, putting us on a path to significantly grow our Japanese business.”

    MTV US chairman and CEO Judy McGrath says, “This deal represents an important step forward in our strategy to drive international growth. Japan is one of the most dynamic media markets in the world, and we are now positioned to lead the Asia-Pacific region in terms of delivering innovative entertainment content to young adult consumers across all platforms.”

    H&QAP chairman Dr. Ta-lin Hsu says, “The success of MTV Japan underscores the acceptance of the brand and its importance across emerging economies in Asia. At H&Q Asia Pacific, we are proud to have played an integral role in helping MTV Japan establish a leading market position.

    “This transaction demonstrates our ability to migrate consumer brands to the Asia-Pacific region.”

    H&QAP says that it was instrumental in bringing the MTV brand to Japan in 2001. H&QAP acquired Japan’s music channel Vibe from Pioneer in 2000 and subsequently created a new joint venture partnership with MTV that became MTV Japan in 2001.

    Capturing the potential growth in Japan’s cable
    and satellite TV industry and seizing the emerging Internet & mobile opportunities by leveraging MTV’s strong brand in cable and satellite TV, MTV Japan was created to provide multi-platforms for audiences and sponsors.