Category: Television

  • Disney Channel rings in Teacher’s Day celebrations













    MUMBAI: Disney Channel is paying tribute to teachers by dedicating a whole week in September to observe Teacher’s Day in a distinctive style. The channel is offering children across the country, a unique opportunity to acknowledge their teacher’s efforts and to make them feel very special.



    Children can write in to Disney Channel and have personalised greeting cards sent to their teachers. Disney Channel will also run a contest based on popular characters playing “teacher” from various Disney Channel shows with five kids getting a chance to take their teacher and entire class out for a Disney Channel treat. Teacher’s Week will be celebrated from 5 – 9 September on Disney Channel.


    Disney Channel is also running a contest to find “the coolest teacher of them all” based on the channel’s most popular characters playing “teacher” namely Miss Finster from Recess, Mr Keith and Mr Dig from Lizzie McGuire and Mr Petracelli and Mr Lawler from That’s So Raven. Kids writing in to Disney stating who they think is the coolest character teacher stand to win fabulous prizes. Five kids will bag a chance to take their teachers and the whole class out for a Disney Channel treat.


    Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing and communications Tushar Shah said, “Teacher’s play an integral role in the overall growth and development of kids in their efforts to teach and impart knowledge. They are one of the main influencers in a child’s formative years that enable kids to nurture and chase their dreams wholeheartedly and make them a reality. Through the initiatives on Disney Channel we hope to create magic in the lives of kids and their teachers on this special occasion.”


    The celebrations are underway with promos running right up to 5 September on Disney Channel, on disneychannelindia.com and through school contact programmes in Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Faridabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut and Rohtak. Kids can write into the channel or log on to the website or simply SMS us to participate.


    During “Teacher’s Week”, Disney Channel will also air teacher-student related episodes of various Disney Channel shows including That’s So Raven, Lizzie McGuire and Recess.

  • Imran Khan on ‘India Questions’ on NDTV

    Imran Khan on ‘India Questions’ on NDTV

    MUMBAI:Watch Imran Khan on ‘India Questions’, only on NDTV 24X7 on Friday, 17 November, at 9:30 pm.

    New Delhi,14 November, 2006 — Watch the charismatic Imran Khan, one of the greatest cricketing all-rounder of all time, in an exclusive interview with Dr Prannoy Roy on NDTV’s highly acclaimed ‘India Questions’ on Friday, 17 November, at 9.30 pm and repeat on Sunday, 19 November at 11 am.

    Imran Khan talks about his cricketing career, his best players, his take on the Indian cricket team, the current scenario of international cricket and a lot more…

    Imran Khan feels Rahul Dravid would make a good captain of a combined team of players from India and Pakistan. He opts for Rahul Dravid over Inzamam-Ul-Haq as the captain of the hypothetical team, saying that Dravid is a more aggressive player with good leadership qualities. Imran Khan says, “Well I would say Dravid would be the captain, not being diplomatic… he is more of an aggressive captain, he is a bold captain, he leads from the front, Inzamam though I would say is a greater player, but as a captain he is too laid back.”

    Talking about the recent doping controversy that had hollowed the careers of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, at least for the time being, Imran Khan says that the timing of the doping tests was bad. When asked whether he thinks it was a conspiracy against these two players, Imran Khan disagrees. “No I don’t think (so), I just think the timing of the test was strange. The day before a vital match suddenly you find that two of your key players are not available. The test results should have come before the team’s selection. Poor Younis Khan… before the first match he was left with minus two fast bowlers and actually without a strike bowler. So I don’t think it was a conspiracy, it was bad timing, whether these guys are guilty or not, we will find out after the enquiry when they had a chance to present (their) case.”

    On Indian cricketing standards, Imran Khan is upbeat, “Fielding standards have improved, and running in between wickets has improved. The batsman are playing more strokes than they were playing before because of one-day cricket but the level of fast bowling has gone down. I will only judge a cricketer by his performance in a test match because test cricket is the test of a cricketer. One–day cricket is the sort of cricket you can get away with.”

    When asked whether he would have coached Kapil Dev if such a situation arose, Imran Khan has no reservations. “He is a shy boy, he didn’t ask, otherwise I would have.”

    Asked who he thought should be the future captain of the Pakistani cricket team, Imran Khan is clear: “Well I think Younis Khan is the natural captain because he has the character, he is selfless. He oozes this selflessness in the field… and then of course he has the other characteristics that a captain must have and that’s guts and courage….”

  • Christian Brent takes a senior position in BBC Worldwide’s global channels business

    Christian Brent takes a senior position in BBC Worldwide’s global channels business

    MUMBAI: In the first appointment of its kind for BBC Worldwide’s Global Channels business, the division’s MD Darren Childs has announced Christian Brent as VP, audiences.

    As part of his new role, Brent will provide Global Channels with genuine insight into international audiences. He will identify and interpret local demands and make recommendations on strategic and creative decisions through market and pre-market-entry, research and assessment.

    Childs said, “Our goal is to deliver top performing channels that appeal to the local audience. With Christian’s appointment, I have put audiences at the centre of everything we do. Global Channels serve over 140 countries worldwide therefore a deeper understanding of audiences and how best to serve them will be one of the biggest contributors to our success.”

    Brent said, “I am very proud to be joining BBC Worldwide’s global channels business at this hugely exciting period in its development. It’s especially exciting to work with the amazing quality and range of programming we have here, and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience from other consumer-facing industries to bear in launching some truly great global channel brands.”

  • Disney and GroupM present ‘Disney’s KidSense’

    Disney and GroupM present ‘Disney’s KidSense’

    A strategic initiative to bring insights into the world of kids

    Mumbai, June 13, 2006: Disney, the world’s number one media brand and GroupM, the world’s leading full service media investment management company have joined hands to launch ‘Disney’s KidSense’ in India.

    KidSense is a strategic effort by Disney and GroupM to explore the world of kids and share insights with the media and marketing fraternity. This initiative includes annual research and periodic forums for deliberations and creating opportunities to understand the largest kids market in the world – India. This announcement was jointly made today, by Rajat Jain, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company (India) and Ashutosh Srivastava, CEO, GroupM, South Asia.

    Disney’s KidSense will be the knowledge powerhouse for all stakeholders in the kids segment in the country. Using strategic insights gathered from research, opinions from childhood experts, media professionals, international learning and experience of the two giants, KidSense aims to fill the information need gap in the industry. As part of this initiative, KidSense today released its first two-part Research Study, which will provide a window into kids’ minds, interests, their behaviour, and influence on family purchase decisions.

    Rajat Jain, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company (India) said “Kids have increasingly emerged as savvy, sensitive and an extremely important consumer segment today. As global leaders in this genre, it is our responsibility to understand kids and provide a knowledge-house for all the stakeholders. We believe that Disney’s KidSense would act as a credible reference-point for the industry, our business partners and help grow the business in this industry as a whole.”

    “This initiative with GroupM is an important step towards addressing the missing links into the external and internal realities of this genre. The four to fourteen age group is definitely one planet with multiple worlds. You can no longer treat them all as a homogenous group. The kids market in India is in a growth phase and marketers are interested in learning about this segment more than ever before. With Disney’s KidSense, we are beginning to equip ourselves to provide answers to most queries on kids”, he added.

    Ashutosh Srivastava, CEO, GroupM, South Asia said, “The association of GroupM with Disney is all about unlocking value in this growing market segment of young consumers. An important learning for all is that kids like to be spoken to in their own environment – their schools, their play areas, their homes and their shows. Disney’s KidSense shows new realities of influence from this genre on purchase decisions in categories ranging from confectionery to cars and insurance companies. The latest mantra for marketers should be – talk the kids language to enter their homes. With this association, we have created a solid information base to address planners’ needs for the genre.”

    The two parts of this elaborate research (quantitative and qualitative) were conducted and collated early this year by leading research firms – Indica Research Practices and Consulting and Third Eye across twelve markets in India. Over 4000 kids across the country were studied over a three month period to delve into their tastes, behaviour and influences on purchase decisions on 15 product categories ranging for confectioneries, commodities, FMCG, white goods, and services.

    KidSense also includes the perspective of caregivers to draw insights on the developmental, social and behavioral reality of Indian kids. For the first time in India, this study provides a detailed analysis of kids between the ages of 4-14 with segmentation that brings out a clear distinction between the 3 main groups – 4 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 to 14. It offers a full section on kid-power, which covers 15 non traditional product categories and answers a broad spectrum of advertiser’s queries.

    About The Walt Disney Company:

    The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a diversified, international family entertainment and media enterprise which includes Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, The Walt Disney Studios, ABC, Inc., ESPN, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Disney Consumer Products, television and radio stations and Internet web sites.

    About GroupM:

    GroupM, the world’s leading full service media investment management operation, includes MindShare, Mediaedge:cia, MediaCom and MAXUS. It has pioneered diversified services such as branded entertainment, data analytics, digital media, and brand activation. The focus of GroupM is the intelligent application of volume and scale in trading, innovation and quality of services, in order to bring benefit to clients and the companies it operates. GroupM believes that all communications planning begins with Consumer Insights.

    For Media Enquiries please contact:

    K. Seshasaye / Pooja Verma
    Walt Disney Television International (India)
    Tel: 5651 6630 / 6628
    Mob: 9820715609 / 9820139811
    pooja.verma@disney.com
    seshasaye.kanthamraju@disney.com

    Ameeta Sequeira / Khyati Parekh
    Corporate Voice|Weber Shandwick
    Tel: 2281 2960/ 2281 2957
    ameeta@corvoshandwick.co.in
    khyati@corvoshandwick.co.in

  • Sahara One to spread global footprint; Filmy’s US launch on 28 August

    Sahara One to spread global footprint; Filmy’s US launch on 28 August

    MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd. has charted out plans to spread overseas the footprint of its two entertainment channels.

    The first target is the US where Sahara One, the general entertainment channel, is already available on EchoStar. Hindi movie channel Filmy will be launched on the DirecTV platform later this month. While EchStar offers a range of Indian channels including Sony, Max, Zee TV and Zee Cinema, the News Corp-controlled DirecTV has the Star, ETV and Aastha channels on its platform.

    “Our focus this year will be on the international distribution of these two channels. We will be launching Filmy in the US on 28 August and progressively extending our channels to new territories,” says Sahara One Media and Entertainment CEO Shantonu Aditya.

    Australia and New Zealand will be the next destination and plans are on to launch both the channels on 1 September. Following up on the launch of Sahara One in the Middle East, Filmy will be taken to the region in a month’s time. The two channels will also soon start beaming in Nepal and Maldives, adds Aditya.

    By having a global presence, Sahara hopes to hook on audiences from the South Asian community and rake in subscription revenues. “Our target is to make Sahara One and Filmy also available in the UK and South Africa by the end of this year,” says Aditya.

    Indian channels are increasingly eyeing the global market, particularly to boost their subscription revenues. Zee Telefilms Ltd, for instance, garners one-fourth of its total revenues from international operations.

  • Disney Channel rings in Teacher’s Day celebrations

    Disney Channel rings in Teacher’s Day celebrations

    MUMBAI: Disney Channel is paying tribute to teachers by dedicating a whole week in September to observe Teacher’s Day in a distinctive style. The channel is offering children across the country, a unique opportunity to acknowledge their teacher’s efforts and to make them feel very special.

    Children can write in to Disney Channel and have personalised greeting cards sent to their teachers. Disney Channel will also run a contest based on popular characters playing “teacher” from various Disney Channel shows with five kids getting a chance to take their teacher and entire class out for a Disney Channel treat. Teacher’s Week will be celebrated from 5 – 9 September on Disney Channel.

    Disney Channel is also running a contest to find “the coolest teacher of them all” based on the channel’s most popular characters playing “teacher” namely Miss Finster from Recess, Mr Keith and Mr Dig from Lizzie McGuire and Mr Petracelli and Mr Lawler from That’s So Raven. Kids writing in to Disney stating who they think is the coolest character teacher stand to win fabulous prizes. Five kids will bag a chance to take their teachers and the whole class out for a Disney Channel treat.

    Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing and communications Tushar Shah said, “Teacher’s play an integral role in the overall growth and development of kids in their efforts to teach and impart knowledge. They are one of the main influencers in a child’s formative years that enable kids to nurture and chase their dreams wholeheartedly and make them a reality. Through the initiatives on Disney Channel we hope to create magic in the lives of kids and their teachers on this special occasion.”

    The celebrations are underway with promos running right up to 5 September on Disney Channel, on disneychannelindia.com and through school contact programmes in Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Faridabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut and Rohtak. Kids can write into the channel or log on to the website or simply SMS us to participate.

    During “Teacher’s Week”, Disney Channel will also air teacher-student related episodes of various Disney Channel shows including That’s So Raven, Lizzie McGuire and Recess.

  • NGC US makes content available for download

    NGC US makes content available for download

    MUMBAI: National Geographic has signed a deal with Open Media Network (OMN) and FilmClix. This will bring a variety of programming to online audiences.

    Viewers can now rent National Geographic shows by downloading content online through the free OMN Viewer.

    National Geographic shows are downloadable via OMN without any compromises of video quality. OMN uses higher encoding fidelity to make sharp DVD-quality video possible and is unmatched by other services online. Its peer to peer grid network also enables speedy downloads regardless of file size, making the download experience easy and fast.

    Viewers can start watching National Geographic content now by going to www.omn.org. Each episode is $2.69 for four day rental with unlimited playbacks during that time. The downloads are made possible by a partnership between FilmClix, who is licensed by National Geographic to distribute titles and OMN. OMN delivers each National Geographic program using Microsoft Windows Media Player Digital Rights Management.

    Open Media Network is a non-profit organization that utilises advanced video and audio delivery technology available to bring ‘media that matters’ to the online public. It boasts of a library of educational programming — free and fee-based — including download to own content from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and thought-provoking podcasts from leading National Public Radio (NPR) affiliates. With the addition of National Geographic’s downloadable pay-per-view content, OMN’s online collection gives viewers an even larger selection of high quality educational content in one location.

    Open Media Network founder Mike Homer said, “National Geographic brings the world to us with its full-fidelity photography and examination of fascinating topics. Distributing amazing National Geographic documentaries over the Internet and making them available for viewing anywhere at anytime is an exciting opportunity and we’re very pleased to work with FilmClix to make this possible.”

    FilmClix founder Julia O’Sullivan says, “FilmClix wants to go where the audience is located and the quality of content is high. Open Media Network is fulfilling our vision of meeting a variety of viewers. FilmClix is creating something new, aggregating a network programmed by the diversity of demand over a user generated medium. We are pleased to reach a new audience for our National Geographic content.

    Select episodes of made available through OMN and FilmClix include Inside the Pentagon, Air Force One and Inside the Secret Service.

    Science and Technology

    — Destination Space

    Arts and Culture

    — Afghanistan Revealed

    — China’s Lost Girls

    — Tibet’s Hidden Kingdom

    — Inside the Vatican

    — Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings

    Sports and Recreation

    — Inside the NFL

    — Basketball Diplomacy

    Education and Learning

    — Rainforest

    — Through the Lens

    — Secret Weapons

  • Hindustan Motors unveils the new Mitsubishi Montero

    Hindustan Motors unveils the new Mitsubishi Montero

    Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announced the launch of their Premium Sports Utility Vehicle the Mitsubishi Montero at an elegant function held at capital’s Maurya Sheraton Hotel. The Managing Director of Hindustan Motors, Mr. Ravi Santhanam, unveiled the Montero.

    The Mitsubishi Montero being introduced in India by Hindustan Motors is the contemporary and fully featured version of the international model Mitsubishi Montero and it is one of the most respected and desired vehicles in its class.

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ravi Santhanam, Managing Director, Hindustan Motors said, “The Montero is a bona-fide off-road legend. The rally versions have won the gruelling Dakar Rally for the last six years running. Success like that doesn’t come easy. It comes from pure capability. Montero derives this capability from the latest technology to master any terrain. It offers these capabilities paired with all of the luxury flourishes that SUV buyers expect and then some more.”

    He further added, “We are delighted to bring the new Mitsubishi Montero in the Indian market because we deeply believe it will appeal to our discerning customers with its versatile capabilities and latest technology.”

    The Montero comes as a CBU (Completely Built Unit) from MMC (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation), Japan and would be distributed through the existing network of dealers in India.

    The Montero comes from a long lineage of Rally winners. Year after year, it has performed with credit and emerged at the top in the Paris-Dakar Rally, which is the toughest test of man-made mass-produced machines in the world. Montero – which means ‘Mountain Tamer’ – lives up to its name even in the toughest terrains of the world.

    Mitsubishi Montero – Highlights

    -3.2 litre Turbocharged Inter cooled Direct Injection Diesel Engine
    -Torque 402 Nm
    -M-ASTC Systems
    -Super Select 4WD (SS4-II)
    -Dual Front and Side Air Bags
    -Multi-mode ABS with EBD
    -4 Way Power Seats
    -Headlamp Washers
    -Dual Tone Electronic Display of
    – Compass
    – Date
    – Time
    – Barometer
    – Altimeter
    – A/c Settings
    Temperature

    Key SUV Performance features:

    -Montero is powered by a 3.2 litre 16 valve DOHC Intercooled Turbocharged Diesel engine that produces a maximum power of 167.2 PS at the rate 3800 rpm and a remarkable maximum torque of 405 Nm at the rate 2000 rpm. Equipped with an electronic direct injection Diesel system the engine is designed to deliver high-torque performance in low and mid ranges offering superior off-road drivability.
    -Mated with this engine is a 5-Speed manual gearbox and Super Select 4WD (SSW-II) system, which offers the choice of efficient highway power or sure footed off road traction.
    -The Montero is equipped with M-ASTC (Mitsubishi Active Stability traction Control) which uses a comprehensive network of intelligent sensors that monitors various vehicle parameters and manages engine output, power distribution and braking force to deliver improved vehicle control, traction and tracing on any surface. Using an array of real time sensors the Montero automatically engages M-ASTC that actively corrects understeer and oversteer in corners, adjusts braking force to each tyre independently via the ABS system and manages the engine output accordingly via the electronic throttle control.
    -Its Monocoque body, rally tested over the most gruelling mountains and deserts is designed to stay rigid in the most testing driving conditions.

    Safety

    -M-ASTC (Mitsubishi Active Stability traction Control) actively corrects understeer and oversteer in corners, adjusts braking force to each tire independently via the ABS system and manages the engine output accordingly via the throttle-by-wire control.
    -HBB (Hydraulic Brake Booster) helps in maintaining high-pressure reservoir in braking system to ensure superior braking.
    -The Montero comes with dual front SRS airbags, front side airbags, and 3-point ELR seat belts.
    -Montero comes with collapsible propeller shaft, which collapses during case of any accident, ensuring that it does not enter the passenger cabin even in worst of accidents.
    -Its rigid safety designed monocoque body shell offers superior occupant safety.

    Luxury and Convenience

    -The Montero is fitted with plush leather covered seats. Once seated, ample wood detailing that offers true sense of comfort surrounds you. The seats are fully adjustable, with electrical controls at the fingertips.
    -As one sits down and switches the power on – multi functional display comes on – giving a wide range of vital information to the driver – like altitude, atmospheric pressure, direction, internal and external temperatures etc.
    -Versatility is the second nature of Montero. Depending on the requirement the 3rd row or both the 2nd and 3rd row of seats can be removed and stowed away to provide huge space for carrying anything required by the user. The innovative design makes it possible for single person – or a lady – to do all this, in a couple of minutes – without using any special tools or spanners.
    -Fully automatic air conditioning makes driving the Montero a pleasure even under the hottest sun.

    Mitsubhishi brand in India signifies rally proven toughness, excellent drivability, great ride comfort, premium features and latest technological advancements for all its products. However the new Montero is expected to take this to new heights and captivate discerning Indian customers to a great extent.

    With this launch the Mitsubishi product range- Lancer, Cedia, Pajero and Montero in price range between Rs.6.97 lakhs to 29.7 lakhs offers Indian customers a wide range of products with unique characteristics and competitive price.

    Hindustan Motors Ltd. was established in 1942 and is a part of the G.P. C.K.Birla group of companies. Its registered office is in Kolkata, with the car manufacturing plant being at Chennai. Mr. C.K.Birla is the Chairman of Hindustan Motors. Lancer, Cedia and Pajero are the other models that are rolled out of the plant in Chennai.

  • Website marketing firm Intralink launches Search Engine TV

    Website marketing firm Intralink launches Search Engine TV

    MUMBAI: The US-based website marketing and internet market research firm Intralink has launched Search Engine Television, a weekly video stream of the latest on search engine news and website marketing tips, suggestions and processes.

    The first episode is an overview of the current state of the search engine market with a focus on Google, Yahoo and MSN. The first episode also offers interim results of Intralink’s next search engine relevance report due to be released on 2 October, as per an official release.

    The next episode will be released on 18 August at 6 pm (Eastern time) and discusses the latest trends in new media marketing, website marketing and the integration of traditional marketing methods and website marketing, the release adds.

  • Minister embroiled in job scam CNN-IBN Exposes The Fake Job Scam in Ambala

    Minister embroiled in job scam CNN-IBN Exposes The Fake Job Scam in Ambala

    New Delhi, August 18, 2006: Minister of State for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja is embroiled in an ironical controversy. A special investigation by CNN-IBN has found fake job scamsters in Haryana may have used her. CNN-IBN team has documentary evidence and has met victims who paid up to Rs. 2 lakh each for jobs they claim that Selja Kumari urged them into taking up.

    Involved in the scam are a local scamster P.S. Sandhu and D.K. Bansal, the Congress MLA from Ambala Cantonment, which incidentally is Selja Kumari’s Lok Sabha constituency. They set up a fake Public Sector Undertaking called Agrofed and duped hundreds of youth across seven states. The duo are under the scanner for setting up a fake Public Sector Undertaking called Agrofed and duping hundreds of youth across seven states.

    “I feel very sad that such a thing has happened. Lot of innocent people have been taken for a ride … that I should have may even be indirectly have recommended them. It was wrong on my part.,” said Kumari Selja, Minister of Urban Employment

    Sandhu’s political connections with the Congress Party leadership in Haryana ensured that nobody doubted his fake employment letters. In 2003, he was jailed for posing as a Director of the Sports Authority of Haryana and issuing fake appointment letters to job seekers. Today, Sandhu is back in prison, accused of floating a bogus public sector unit – Agro-Fed.

    CNN – IBN IMPACT

    Trilochan Singh, an Independent MP has raised the issue of the scam in The Rajya Sabha based on the CNN-IBN Investigation. In Ambala, shops have shut down and traders are protesting against MLA D.K Bansal and The Congress Party.