ITV

Category: Television

  • Third season of ‘Lost’ starts shooting in Hawaii

    Third season of ‘Lost’ starts shooting in Hawaii

    MUMBAI: ABC has begun production in Hawaii for the third season of the action adventure show Lost. In the US, the third season kicks off in October.

    Lost airs in India on Star Movies.

    For the uninitiated, Lost deals with the survivors of a plane crash. After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets, including a mysterious smoke monster, polar bears, a strange French woman and another group of island residents known as The Others.

    The survivors have also found signs of those who came to the island before them, including a 19th century sailing ship called The Black Rock, the remains of an ancient statue and bunkers belonging to the Dharma Initiative, a group of scientific researchers.

    Jack, Kate and Sawyer open the season in captivity as prisoners of The Others. Just who these Others are and what they want are primary questions Season Three will explore. Michael Emerson joins the regular cast in his ongoing role as Henry Gale, leader of The Others.

    The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 60-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them.

  • Google to distribute ad supported MTV content

    Google to distribute ad supported MTV content

    MUMBAI: Media company Google has inked a deal with US media conglomerate Viacom.

    The online search behemoth will distribute clips of MTV’s shows that contain advertising to other web sites.

    Media reports state that sites that are part of Google’s AdSense Network will get MTV’s content. Google, Viacom and the AdSense partners will split revenues derived from the tie-in of advertising and content.

    The content will include SpongeBob SquarePants and Laguna Beach. The move will give Viacom a much broader reach than traffic to its own Web Sites. Google now uses the AdSense network to place paid-search ads for advertisers.

  • TNS to set up Peoplemeter service in the Philippines

    TNS to set up Peoplemeter service in the Philippines

    MUMBAI: Market information service provider TNS, which provides Internet TV & Radio Audience Measurement (iTram) services, has announced agreements to set up a new PeopleMeter service in the Philippines.

    The agreements are with broadcasters ABS-CBN and GMA. The service will go live next year with a representative panel of 1200 households reporting their viewing daily.

    TNS global commercial director, iTram Tony Taylor said, “We are very pleased to have been commissioned by the two leading broadcasters in the Philippines to set up a new PeopleMeter service. These agreements represent further growth for TNS iTram in Asia, building on the launch of new services in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as our expanding service in China.”

    ABS-CBN chairman and CEO Eugenio Lopez III said, “We welcome the entry of TNS into the Television Audience Measurement service in the Philippines. We recognise their world class expertise in this area and look forward to the start of their service.”

  • Zee News seeks government clearance on foreign shareholding

    Zee News seeks government clearance on foreign shareholding

    MUMBAI: Zee News Ltd (ZNL) has moved the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to seek clearance on foreign shareholding, which would not exceed 26 per cent as per government norms for news ventures.

    The company is seeking government clearance under a proposal wherein foreign promoters of Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) will be transferring their foreign holdings to an investment company in India.

    As part of a restructuring, ZTL had proposed to spin off its news and regional channels into ZNL to comply with uplinking regulations on foreign holdings in news channels, which are capped at 26 per cent.

    The FIPB application of Zee News specifies, “Issue of 42,467,291 equity share of the company to the foreign promoters of ZTL, that is M/s Delgrade Ltd and Lazarus Investment Ltd, which would be transferred to the Indian promoters of ZTL on allotment, that is to M/s Jayneer Capital Pvt Ltd.”

    The foreign holding of promoters in Zee Telefilms is primarily through Delgrada Ltd, which has 19.98 per cent stake. Delgrada is an overseas corporate body (OCB) owned by the Zee Telefilms promoter Subhash Chandra. The balance 2.79 per cent is held by Lazarus Investments Ltd.

    The shares to be issued to foreign financial investors (FIIs) in ZNL will have to fall within the 26 per cent cap also. The foreign shareholders will, thus, be given preference shares of equivalent value to bring it under limit. Along with this, the promoters’ foreign holding will be transferred to an investment vehicle (Jayneer Capital Pvt Ltd) in India.

    Jayneer Capital Pvt Ltd is one of the Indian promoters of ZNL and holds 40 per cent equity stake in ZNL, while 25 per cent is held by another Indian entity, Churu Trading.

    As per regulations, Indian shareholding of 51 per cent is mandatory in a TV news venture uplinking its channel from India. After the completion of the de-merger and transfer of shares, Indian promoters will be able to hold the mandated percentage in ZNL, an executive of Zee News admitted.

    As per a plan submitted to the government, every 100 shares of Zee Telefilms would fetch 45 shares of Zee News. Additionally, for every 100 shares of Zee Telefilms held by FIIs, 1,781 preferential shares of Zee News would be allotted.

    At the time of listing, the entire shareholding of FIIs and Zee Telefilms in Zee News would get transferred to Indian shareholders of Zee News. The company is looking at becoming a public company by November-end by which time routine clearances for the Zee Tele de-merger would have come from the Bombay High Court.

    Zee News, which manages news and regional channels of the Zee group, is targeting a turnover of Rs 2.5 billion this fiscal.

    Earlier, this year, the Zee Telefilms board approved splitting of its broadcasting business into three entities — news operations, broadcast and content creation and cable distribution. DTH service of Dish TV is undertaken by another Chandra company, ASC Enterprises.

  • Consumer Electronics Show in the US to host technical Emmies next year

    Consumer Electronics Show in the US to host technical Emmies next year

    MUMBAI: The International Consumer Electronics Show (Ces) which takes place in Las Vegas each year will host the Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards for the first time next year.
    The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards will be CES’ opening evening event on 8 January 2007. The tradeshow will be held in Las Vegas from 8-11 January 2007 and will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

    The technology and engineering Emmy awards honour achievements in two areas. One area is science and technology for television. This includes broadcast, cable and satellite distribution. The second area is advance media technology.

    This encompasses interactive television, gaming technology, and for the first time, the Internet, cellphones, private networks, and personal media players. In addition, for the first time, Emmy awards will be presented for the best use of advanced media technology by commercials as well as programmers.

    Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) president and CEO Gary Shapiro says, “As Ces becomes a global cultural event featuring the best of technology and content, we are thrilled to partner with the Emmy Awards to announce at Ces the best in science and technology for television.

    “For the content, technology and engineering industries, CES is the place to be this January. We look forward to helping promote the world famous Emmy Awards at Ces.”

    National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Natas) president and CEO Peter Price says, “The International CES has long been the launch pad of entertainment technology. So it is fitting that our Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, which recognise achievement in both television engineering and advanced media technology be showcased there. With the National Television’s Academy’s new efforts this year to recognise television anytime anywhere with Emmy Awards for content and technology, this move is particularly fitting.”

    The National Television Academy is currently accepting entries for the advanced media technology Emmy awards in nine categories. In order to be eligible, the production must occur from 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2006. The entry deadline is 22 September 2006. The advanced media technology entries will be judged by panels of industry professionals in New York later this year.

    Among the keynote speakers for the 2007 International CES will be Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, Motorola chairman of the board and CEO Ed Zander, and Disney president and CEO Robert Iger. CES will also feature product debuts from 2,700 exhibitors, covering more than 30 product areas, including the latest in wireless, digital imaging, mobile electronics, home networking and more.

  • Viacom looking to acquire social networking site Bebo

    Viacom looking to acquire social networking site Bebo

    MUMBAI: In a bid to connect better with youth US media firms are looking to buy social networking sites. Last year, News Corp plonked down $580 million for MySpace.

    Now media reports indicate that Viacom is looking to acquire Bebo, a social networking site. In the UK, reports indicate that it has overtaken MySpace. In the US, though it has fewer users. It has 25 million users globally compared to around 90 million for MySpace.

    On Bebo, members can stay in touch with their college friends, connect with friends, share photos, discover new interests and just hang out. Reports indicate that it also provides video sharing (via VideoEgg widgets) and built-in Skype presence. While the designs may be more controlled than MySpace pages, most of Bebo’s success seems to arise from network effects – users join Bebo because everyone else is using the site.

    The founders of Bebo are said to be looking at upwards of a billion dollars. British Telecom’s offer of around $400 million was reportedly turned down. For the week ending 5 August, Bebo was the most visited social network in the UK, and its market share of visits has grown 17 per cent in the past two weeks. 1 in every 135 UK visits goes to Bebo, which is now the 11th most visited site on the Internet. Viacom was also said to have been looking at one stage to acquire Facebook the second largest social networking site in the US.

  • iTunes in Europe sells over 200 million songs

    iTunes in Europe sells over 200 million songs

    MUMBAI: Apple has announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 200 million songs from its European iTunes music stores in just over two years.

    The iTunes music catalog now includes more than three million songs from major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels.

    Launched in the UK, France and Germany in June 2004, the iTunes Music Store now operates in 17 European countries. All iTunes Music Stores offer features, breakthrough pricing and integration with iPod.

    Apple VP iTunes Eddy Cue says, “The number of songs downloaded and purchased from the iTunes Music Stores in Europe have tripled in the past year from 50 million to 200 million. We are thrilled that music fans in Europe have shown such enthusiasm for the artists and exclusive music content found only on iTunes and would like to thank them for making iTunes such a success.”

    With Apple saying that it has pioneered features such as integrated video and podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and videos online. The iTunes Music Store features a selection of over 2,500 music videos, Pixar short films, and more than three million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent labels.

  • Sahara One, Endemol present Super Star reality show

    Sahara One, Endemol present Super Star reality show

    NEW DELHI: You think you look like Shah Rukh Khan. You think you move like Khan. You think you act like him. But for one night, can you make millions believe you really are Shah Rukh Khan?

    Coming this September, Sahara One Television brings alive a brand new reality concept, Super Stars, in association with Endemol India.

    The new show proposes to provide Bollywood fans with an opportunity to showcase their talent and perform as their favourite star.

    This international format has seen a production of over 70-odd series in 20 countries across the globe under different names like Sound Mix and Stars in the Eyes.

    The Indian version of this show kick starts with a five-city audition on Sahara One starting 10 August, 2006.

    In each episode, contestants compete by copying their favourite artist as faithfully as possible.

    “India is a nation obsessed with Bollywood. There are temples, clubs, associations dedicated to film actors. Dancing and singing is not only about performing; it’s a passion that drives the souls of many. It’s our endeavour to provide a national platform for such talent,” Sahara One COO Purnendu Bose says.

    The jury for Super Stars includes Bollywood heavy weights like the gorgeous Urmila Matondkar and ace choreographer Shiamak Davar. There would be floating judges too for particular episodes.

    The whole of August, Super Stars will do a nation-wide hunt in an attempt to unearth the flair people possess to be like their stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Kajol, Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Hritik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan.

    The contestants will be judged on three parameters – look and style, acting and dance — and will vie for the ultimate honour: the title of Super Star.

    According to Endemol India MD Rajesh Kamat, “We are very excited to partner with Sahara One Television on this special format. It is a show people will connect with and it will feature people that they will connect with.”

    Kamath added that they have received “tremendous response” from people. Aspirants aged 18 years and above can walk in and audition at the city level. This would be applicable to five cities that include Ludhiana (August 10-12), New Delhi (August 13-14), Kolkata (August 17-18), Bhopal (August 20-21) and Mumbai (August 22-23).

    Hundred and twenty winners from the regional auditions will be invited to Mumbai and groomed by experts.

    Sahara One Television is part of the umbrella brand Sahara One, whose other businesses include Sahara One Motion Pictures, which is India’s largest player in the motion pictures business.

    Endemol is a global leader in television and other audiovisual entertainment. The company creates premium entertainment ideas and sells them to the world’s leading broadcasters. Subsequently, the company exploits the value of its brands across other media and communications platforms including mobile phones and the Internet.

  • Dish TV set to create niche channels to beat the competition

    Dish TV set to create niche channels to beat the competition

    NEW DELHI: With a second player in the DTH arena round the corner in the form of Tata Sky, Dish TV is finalizing creation of new channels for its subscribers.

    According to Dish TV CEO Sunil Khanna, work has started on new niche channels to be introduced on the DTH platform over the next 12-24 months.

    Pointing out that the target is to have a between 190-200 channels on Dish TV, Khanna said, “Some of the new channels would be created within the Zee group, while few may be brought in as part of third party distribution.”

    The reason behind creating niche channels instead of importing products from outside India is that not all niche channels available are suited for Indian viewers.

    For example, Khanna said, if Dish wants to introduce a premium gardening channel, there was no use getting one from outside as the weather conditions and local environment is different in India.

    “To give an instance, if we have a gardening channel, then it’s best to create it in India and in-house. This way we would also be able to study the feasibility of such niche channels, which may have limited, but loyal viewership that would be ready to pay even a premium,” Khanna said.

    Dish TV, country’s first pay TV platform, is managed by the Subhash Chandra-controlled ASC Enterprises that is the DTH licence holder. Another Chandra company, Zee Network, has a programme supply agreement with ASC.

    Dish TV, which is pumping up the noise around the usefulness of subscribing to a DTH service, is also increasing its investment in the project.

    “We have spent around Rs 3.5 billion in the DTH project till now, out of which a major part has been spent on customer acquisition,” Khanna said.

    He added that investment would be upped “as needed from time to time to expand operations and offerings.”

  • Dish media campaign draws flak from cable ops

    Dish media campaign draws flak from cable ops

    NEW DELHI: Dish TV’s media campaign revolving round freedom-from-cable-problems theme has incensed a section of cable community, which feels it’s “unethical.”

    In a letter e-mailed to Dish TV, All India Aavishkar Dish Antenna Sangh (AIADAS), one of the many bodies representing the cable fraternity, has exhorted the DTH company to withdraw the “misguiding advertisement.”

    “The whole cable TV community is shocked on seeing the business-damaging and misguiding advertisement campaign launched by Dish TV through various news papers, hoarding, and bus shelters. This type of advertisement campaign has hurt the cable TV fraternity in India as a whole,” the AIADAS letter states.

    The letter further highlights that the latest Dish campaign would severely hurt the business of cable operators; almost to the extent of crushing them out.

    “In case the (cable) consumer shifts (to DTH), who is going to pay compensation to the cable TV operator?” Dr. AK Rastogi, head of AIADAS, has asked in the letter.

    Though Rastogi claimed that Dish has agreed to withdraw the damaging ad campaign in deference to the cable industry’s anguish, Dish TV CEO Sunil Khanna denied any such move.

    “We are not withdrawing any campaign, nor altering it,” Khanna told Indiantelevision.com today afternoon.

    He added that instead of being cry babies, cable operators should seize this opportunity to digitize their networks and offer consumers better services than before.

    “With competition around in DTH sphere, there is bound to be consumer awareness campaigns highlighting the advantages of a DTH service. The cable operators should brace themselves for reality,” Khanna said.