ITV

Category: Television

  • Radio Mirchi to launch visual radio in Delhi

    Radio Mirchi to launch visual radio in Delhi

    MUMBAI: Radio Mirchi will unveil a visual radio in Delhi by the end of this month, making it the third city in the world to adopt a technology that will open up a new revenue for the private FM radio operator.

    Radio Mirchi is partnering with Hutch and Airtel to offer this service. The broadcast will be available on Nokia mobile phones with Hewlett-Packard (HP) as the technology provider.

    “We have identified four key markets including Mumbai for launching visual radio. Though it is too early to exploit strong revenues from this medium, it will give us a presence in emerging platforms like mobile phones,” says Entertainment Network (India) Ltd managing director and CEO AP Parigi.

    Radio Mirchi will speed ahead of Virgin Radio which is planning to launch visual radio later this year. “We are doing test runs and will launch it this year,” says Virgin Radio UK director of digital media James Cridland.

    Helsinki in Finland and Singapore are the other two places where visual radio has kicked off commercially. The plan to launch in Delhi was announced today by Radio Mirchi deputy-CEO Prashant Pandey at the India Radio Forum 2006.

    Radio stations are turning to new revenue streams as they are facing competition from emerging technologies. Specific threats from MP3, which had an estimated 55 million devices in the market in 2005, and internet webcasting are eating into the earnings of traditional radio. So the way out is to adopt into new digital platforms like direct-to-home (DTH) and digital audio broadcasting (DAB).

    Virgin is moving its content to such platforms. “About 28 per cent of our audience is coming from new platforms. As for visual radio, it is important to have a presence in this segment. Nokia will have 100,000 handsets in UK for visual radio by the end of the year,” says Cridland.

  • Discovery most watched channel in Asia among movers & shakers: Pax survey

    Discovery most watched channel in Asia among movers & shakers: Pax survey

    MUMBAI: Discovery is the number one regional cable and satellite channel in Asia for the ninth consecutive year for past month, past week and yesterday viewership, according to the latest quarterly Pan-Asian Cross Media Study (Pax) conducted by Synovate.

    The survey is conducted across eleven key markets including India, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. It measures the media habits of Asia’s wealthiest urban individuals aged 25-64 covering a universe of 14 million viewers.

    In the survey, Discovery takes the lead position as the most watched regional TV channel amongst Business Decision Makers (BDMs), Professional, Manager, Executive, Business Men (PMEBs) and high net worth individuals. The channel also reaches 30 per cent of the top management viewers on a weekly basis.

    In addition, Discovery attracts the most viewers during primetime amongst all regional channels, has the highest frequent viewers and catches the most audience from 12 pm to 6 am.

    Discovery Asia senior VP marketing and communications Kevin Dickie said, “These results attest to the value cable subscribers place on Discovery Channel, recognising it as a network that continues to deliver high quality real-world entertainment for the ninth consecutive year.

    “We are committed to provide the most compelling factual and lifestyle content that appeals to our target audience, and remain a strong proposition for both our affiliate partners and advertisers.”From a network perspective, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Travel & Living have increased Discovery Networks Asia’s share of the market by 2.7 per cent , with each channel increasing reach by two per cent in tracked markets. Moreover, all three channels rank within the top 10 amongst high net worth individuals, females and frequent viewers.

  • Disney Princess collection shines bright at Asian Licensing Awards 2006

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company’s Princess collection received the Best License (Entertainment) award 2006, at the Hong Kong Trade Development Third Asian Licensing Awards.


    Disney Princess is a comprehensive collection of girls’ entertainment and products including toys, apparels, personal care and electronic goods featuring Disney’s heroines – Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The Princess range creates a fantasy world filled with magic, romance and dreams to capture the hearts and minds of consumers.


    “The Walt Disney Company is extremely honored to receive this recognition. At Disney Consumer Products, it’s all about the product. Great products and great marketing are one and the same. Disney Princess is the fastest growing Disney Consumer Products brand in worldwide retail sales for the past two years. This award further strengthens the Disney brand and our franchise management approach,” said The Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific) Limited vice president – Asia Pacific, emerging markets, retail sales and marketing Ken Chaplin.


    Since the franchise was created in 1999, the Disney Princess range has gone on to achieve over $3 billion in retail sales globally and the Princesses enjoy popularity across the region.


    “Our vision is to engage and connect to the consumers through creativity and product innovation. We look at each of our characters or sets of characters, or franchises and consider them businesses unto themselves. At their heart is creativity, creating connections and building awareness for Walt Disney as an entertainment brand for all ages,” said Chaplin.

  • Disney Princess collection shines bright at Asian Licensing Awards 2006

    Disney Princess collection shines bright at Asian Licensing Awards 2006

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company’s Princess collection received the Best License (Entertainment) award 2006, at the Hong Kong Trade Development Third Asian Licensing Awards.

    Disney Princess is a comprehensive collection of girls’ entertainment and products including toys, apparels, personal care and electronic goods featuring Disney’s heroines – Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The Princess range creates a fantasy world filled with magic, romance and dreams to capture the hearts and minds of consumers.

    “The Walt Disney Company is extremely honored to receive this recognition. At Disney Consumer Products, it’s all about the product. Great products and great marketing are one and the same. Disney Princess is the fastest growing Disney Consumer Products brand in worldwide retail sales for the past two years. This award further strengthens the Disney brand and our franchise management approach,” said The Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific) Limited vice president – Asia Pacific, emerging markets, retail sales and marketing Ken Chaplin.

    Since the franchise was created in 1999, the Disney Princess range has gone on to achieve over $3 billion in retail sales globally and the Princesses enjoy popularity across the region.

    “Our vision is to engage and connect to the consumers through creativity and product innovation. We look at each of our characters or sets of characters, or franchises and consider them businesses unto themselves. At their heart is creativity, creating connections and building awareness for Walt Disney as an entertainment brand for all ages,” said Chaplin.

  • Star World’s new reality show searches for a swimsuit model

    Star World’s new reality show searches for a swimsuit model

    MUMBAI: 12 girls, six weeks of exotic shoots. The aim is to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue.

    These are the key ingredients of a reality show Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search . This will air on English general entertainment channel Star World every Tuesday at 10 pm from 11 July.

    With a combination of beauty, athleticism and personality, one of the 12 will win a million-dollar modelling contract, and a glamorous appearance in the best-selling issue of any magazine in the world. The show will have lots of sunshine, slick bodies and exotic shoots.

    This is also the first model competition where the viewer gets to vote for the final winner. The six-part series focusses on what it takes to become a successful swimsuit model aside from the eye candy. The 12 finalists will live in Los Angeles where they will be widely tested on their physical fitness, mental endurance and modelling skills. Whoever doesn’t have what it takes, gets kicked off the show – two by two every week.

    When only two are left, they are flown off to a luscious location to shoot a spread for Sports Illustrated. Nobody knows who will win… until viewers vote for their favourite photo spread in the series finale.

    Charged with the task of whittling down the field of hopeful models is a three-judge panel, including former Sports Illustrated model Roshumba Williams, Next Model Management president Joel Wilkenfeld and Sports Illustrated swimsuit editor Jule Campbell.

  • BBC appoints Sanjeev Srivastava as BBC Hindi service India editor

    BBC appoints Sanjeev Srivastava as BBC Hindi service India editor

    MUMBAI:The Hindi Service of the BBC World Service broadcasts — BBC Hindi has appointed Sanjeev Srivastava as India editor, heading the radio and online operations in India.

    Srivastava moves from his current post as the BBC’s India correspondent to take up his new role in August 2006.

    As India editor, Srivastava will be responsible for all BBC Hindi output generated from India across all platforms of delivery, including FM, short wave and online. Based in Delhi, he will be leading a team of experienced broadcast and online journalists on all BBC Hindi editorial initiatives in India.

    BBC Hindi India editor Sanjeev Srivastava

    According to an official release, Srivastava has been reporting from India for the BBC, in a variety of roles, for over 12 years. He started his broadcasting career in 1994 when he joined the BBC Hindi service in London. He launched the BBC’s first Mumbai bureau, reporting across BBC television and radio in English, Hindi and Urdu. Then, following a stint as India business and western India correspondent, he joined the BBC’s South Asia Bureau in Delhi in March 2003 as India correspondent. Prior to the BBC, he worked in print journalism including The Times of India and The Indian Express.

    Srivastava has been exclusively reporting on the life of modern day India over the last two decades. He has covered social, economic and political issues, such as the successive general elections, earthquakes in Gujarat and Kashmir and the bird-flu outbreak in Gujarat. He has also tracked India’s fast changing place in the global order, geo-political and economic, as well as the country’s foreign policy, particularly Delhi’s relations with its South Asian neighbours, China, US and Europe. In addition, he has reported extensively on India-Pakistan relations, the ongoing peace initiative and Kashmir.

    BBC Hindi service head Achala Sharma says: “India is an important market for the BBC – we are the leading international broadcaster. Our Hindi radio audience has grown by nearly five million in recent years and we know from our relationship with listeners that our new programming is popular. But we cannot afford to be complacent. India is changing fast and news is a competitive business. I am confident that in Sanjeev Srivastava we have someone with the skills, experience and vision to provide excellent editorial leadership. He is top grade BBC news journalist with an impressive track record and passion for reporting India.”

    Commenting on his new role, Srivastava adds: “The BBC stands for quality journalism people can trust. Over 15 million listeners trust BBC Hindi to serve their needs with a range of news programmes. I look forward to building on that trust and expanding our Hindi audience with new editorial initiatives, which will engage them, inform them and entertain. These are exciting times in Indian media, and I relish the opportunity to play a role at this important time.”

  • Asianet to launch new soap in the 8:30 pm slot

    Asianet to launch new soap in the 8:30 pm slot

    MUMBAI: Malayalam channel Asianet has brought in a new soap, Minnaaram, to strengthen its daily prime time band. Minnaaram will launch on 10 July in the 8:30 pm slot.

    Featuring popular Malayalam tube stars incluyding Suresh Krishna, Sharat and Praveena, Minnaaram is directed by Kannan T.

    Minnaaram revolves around the story of two sisters and the unexpected events that rock their lives. As per an official release, the soap has got all the essential ingredients to woo the family audience to the channel during the prime time.

  • South African broadcaster SABC signs TV rights deal with Fifa

    South African broadcaster SABC signs TV rights deal with Fifa

    MUMBAI: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has been awarded the broadcasting rights for all Fifa competitions between 2007 and 2014, which include the two Fifa World Cup final competitions and the two Fifa Confederations Cups that are due to take place during this period.

    The next edition of the Fifa World Cup takes place in 2010 in Africa.

    The agreement consists of all main audiovisual rights for both free and pay TV as well as radio. In addition, SABC is committed to ensuring wide access for the entire South African media industry including potential sub-licensees.

    Fifa president Joseph S. Blatter says, “We are convinced that we have found in SABC a partner that can deliver the beautiful game to South African viewers in an excellent manner. Importantly, its coverage will go far beyond Fifa World Cup broadcasts since it comprises guaranteed coverage of all other Fifa tournaments for men and women and at senior and youth levels so as to promote all of the different facets of the game and strengthen women’s and youth development particularly in South Africa. SABC is joining our alliance to use football to build a better future. I am extremely happy with this momentous deal.”

    SABC says that it is committed to playing its part in ensuring that the radio and television broadcasts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup reach the largest possible audience. This contributes to its goal of national building and total empowerment of all African citizens.

  • Eternal Dreams to foray into TV & film production; UTV’s Jain to head

    Eternal Dreams to foray into TV & film production; UTV’s Jain to head

    MUMBAI: Entertainment and event management company Eternal Dreams Pvt Ltd is making renewed efforts to get into television production after its initial experiment to turn around an ailing Marathi channel proved futile.

    Floated by ex-Sony hand Sapna Chaturvedi, the company plans to foray into Hindi film production as well. UTV non-conventional revenues general manager Bonnie Jain has rejoined the company as CEO to take up the task of finding buyers for TV content.

    In 2002, Eternal Dreams had found captive content for its production activities since it took up the management of Rathikant Basu-promoted Tara Marathi. But the channel had to shut operations due to losses.

    The company will now be looking at producing shows for the likes of Star, Zee and Sony in the Hindi general entertainment space and will also be looking at tapping opportunities with Doordarshan.

    Eternal Dreams managing director Sapna Chaturvedi said, “We are in talks with people in the industry for our venture but is too premature to talk to about it at present.”

    Jain was with Eternal Dreams till 2004, post which he joined UTV as channel director – television content. Later, Jain was made general manager of non-conventional revenues at UTV.

    He began his career with the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), and has also worked with Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL, the K Balachander promoted Cuecom Entertainment Pvt Ltd and Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine India.

  • Insat-4C satellite launch fails; Sun’s DTH plans hit

    Insat-4C satellite launch fails; Sun’s DTH plans hit

    MUMBAI: India’s attempt to enter the elite “space club” has received a setback. The launch of the country’s first commercial communications satellite from home soil has ended in failure. The GSLV-F02, carrying the state-of-the-art communication satellite Insat-4C, crashed into the Bay of Bengal a short while after lift-off at 5:38 pm from its launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.

    The launch of the completely indigenous Insat-4C communications satellite on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) was delayed twice before its final failed attempt due to unspecified technical reasons. The launch was originally scheduled for 4:30 pm this evening. 

    The three-stage 414-tonne launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), started under-performing right from the start and veered off its path after travelling a few kilometers into the sky.

    Isro chairman Madhavan Nair admitted the failure of the satellite. “The mishap happened in the first stage of the separation. We have activated and analysed the data and we will get to the bottom of it,” Nair said, adding, “today’s happening is a setback, especially after we had 11 continuous successful launches.”

    Insat-4C, which cost Rs 4 billion, was the second satellite in the Insat-4 series. The first, Insat-4A, was launched in December last year, from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana by an Ariane5 vehicle.

    It was for the first time that India’s space agency was putting into orbit a two-tonne class satellite. Equipped with 12 high-powered Ku band transponders (like the earlier Insat-4A), the 2,180 kg spacecraft is designed for a mission life of 10 years. Insat-4C was designed with the capability to broadcast 150 TV channels through the DTH platform.

    If succesful, this mission would have taken India to being one of the five major satellite launch countries in the world. With this failure, Isro’s strategy of taking satellite contracts from other countries has also received a setback.

    As regards the Insat-4 mission, Isro will now have to look ahead to the launch of the third satellite in the series – Insat-4B. The GSLV’s failure will in no way influence that launch however, because Isro will be using the services of Arianespace to launch Insat-4B from Kouru next year.

    The failure of this mission is not just about the challenge it throws up to India’s space ambitions though. Immediately hit will also be Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Group, which had booked space on Insat 4C for its DTH venture Sun Direct.

    At present, DD Direct Plus managed by the pubcaster Prasar Bharati and the Subhash Chandra owned Dish TV are the two operators offering DTH services in the country.

    All the Ku-band transponders on the Insat 4A satellite, meanwhile, have been leased to the Tata-Star consortium, which will soon be launching the Tata Sky DTH service.

    Other than Tata Sky and Sun Direct, there is also Anil Ambani’s DTH venture Reliance Bluemagic, which will be rolling out in due course.