Category: Television

ESS, SCV in talks as clock ticks for World Cup kick-off

MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The countdown is well and truly on as the world awaits the greatest sporting spectacle on the globe – the Fifa World Cup 2006 – to get underway tomorrow in Munich, Germany.

In India a very different confrontation is on between ESPN STAR Sports, the exclusive telecast rights holder, and Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV), promoted by the Sun Network, which belongs to the Maran family that rules in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and owns cable networks in Chennai, a city where CAS has been implemented since 2003.
The first ball in the fracas was kicked by SCV on Wednesday when it issued a statement that all World Cup matches would be telecast live on any free channel on the premium band enabling viewers without STB (set top boxes) to get all the action.

ESS in its response issued yesterday was quite categorical that “soccer lovers in the city can enjoy live telecast of Fifa World Cup 2006 only through set top boxes or through DTH services.” For Maran family patriarch and DMK leader M Karunanidhi, recently sworn in as chief minister after ousting bitter political rival Jayalalitha at the hustings, the prospect of Chennai’s citizens being deprived of the chance to see the soccer World Cup is unthinkable.

While the buzz in Delhi is that Karunanidhi had called for a meeting with ESPN managing director RC Venkateish and his team might well be stretching things, that ESS and SCV executives were scheduled to meet to thrash out the matter today is true.

It is worth noting here that one of Karunanidhi’s pre-election promises was for the supply of free colour TV sets to the state’s needy so all matters linked to the television are politically charged.

Till the time of writing this report, an update on the meeting between ESS executives and the Marans were not available.

According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the issue will get resolved if an agreement is reached between SCV and ESS on the payout Chennai’s dominant MSO will have to give to access the telecast.

Once that happens, SCV’s assertion to its subscribers that the World Cup matches would go live on the free-to-air (FTA) band will be fulfilled.

The fact is though, that whether SCV and ESS reach an agreement or not, if the MSO were to show the World Cup matches on the FTA band it would be in breach of existing CAS laws.

Chennai after all is the only metro in the country where conditional access is operative and delivery of pay channels by any means other than through a set top box is illegal.

A point of note is that SCV already appears to be in in violation of CAS laws in the matter of the Ten Sports telecast of the ongoing India-West Indies Test series being played out in the Caribbean. SCV has been airing the matches live on the FTA band.

However, since the SCV subscriber is not having to pay anything extra for getting the Ten Sports feed, for all practical purposes the Dubai-based sports channel is an FTA channel in the Chennai territory. That the Sony-Discovery One Alliance distribution bouquet (of which Ten Sports is a part) has chosen to look the other way about it is clearly linked to the fact that SCV is its distributor in Tamil Nadu.

Sun TV Network promoter Kalanidhi Maran’s younger brother, Dayanidhi, is a minister in the federal coalition government in charge of telecommunications and infotech portfolios.

ESS warns cable ops against unlawful Fifa telecast

Rajesh Kaul, associate vice-president, affiliate sales, ESPN Software has in a statement said, “No other channel, whether pay, free to air or terrestrial is authorized to provide, show or distribute the Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 in the territory of India.”

He added, “Also carriage, reception or distribution of the Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 by any MSO / cable operator / sub-operator without written authorization from ESPN Star Sports is a violation of copyrights and hence an illegal activity. If any person(s), entities are found to be resorting to such activities, legal action shall be initiated against such persons(s) / entities.”

These assertions by ESS were necessitated as cable operators in various parts of the country were threatening to show the World Cup either through ESS signals or by accessing them from elsewhere.

For example, Indiantelevision.com learns from ESPN India that a cable operator in Agartala in north-eastern part of the country had threatened to access the World Cup via Bangladesh TV, signals of which spill over to Indian border states also.

Dish TV bullish on WC fuelling STB sales

The cable controversy apart, Subhash Chandra’s Dish TV, country’s first DTH service, is bullish that the World Cup would fuel sale of boxes not only in Chennai, but in other parts of the country also.

Dish TV business head and additional vice-chairman of Essel Industries Jawahar Goel said, “The off-take of our DTH boxes in Chennai is up almost 300 per cent these days.”

While admitting that having ESPN and Star Sports on the DTH platform is an incentive for sale with the soccer fiesta just a day away, Goel, however, said that Dish TV would like to keep “away from the controversy” raging on in Chennai involving ESS and Sumangali.

“We are businesspeople and would like to restrict our involvement to business deals,” Goel explained.

An added advantage for Dish TV — present subscriber base in India close to 1 million — in pushing up its sale is that pubcaster Doordarshan will only be able to show the opening ceremony and match, plus the two semi finals and the final of the soccer World Cup.

According to a report in The Hindu, taking advantage of the growing World Cup football fever, infotech major HCL will start distributing Dish TV products through Nokia outlets in Chennai.

HCL, itself a Nokia distributor, officially launched its DTH distributorship at a meeting for 120 dealers in Chennai on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, asked what would be Dish’s reaction if cable ops in football-crazy Kolkata in West Bengal re-transmit ESPN and Star Sports signals during the World Cup illegally to subscribers, Goel said action would be taken against errant cable ops.

“Any cable operator trying to steal ESS signals from Dish TV (for football matches) would be hauled up and legal action will be initiated against him,” Goel said, pointing out that such subscribers would be switched off from the Dish control room.

“We have launched a nationwide anti-piracy drive and will not tolerate piracy of signals from Dish TV,” Goel said.

June 8, 2006
FremantleMedia appoints Dominic Burns as VP licensing, UK

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) has appointed Dominic Burns as vice president of licensing for the UK market.

Burns will be responsible for managing the brand licensing, sponsorship and interactive businesses in the UK. In addition to this, he will maximise the value of FremantleMedia’s portfolio of rights and sponsorship opportunities and the exploitation of new commercial opportunities.

He will be based in London and will report to FLW senior vice president, licensing, UK and Germany Claire Tavernier. Burns replaces Dom Wheeler, who leaves FremantleMedia this month after six years with the company.

Tavernier said, “Dominic has made a significant contribution to the growth of our sponsorship business in establishing global relationships with major advertisers such as Coca Cola, Nokia and Unilever. His leadership qualities, experience and relationships will be a great asset to our UK business.”

Commenting on Wheeler’s departure Tavernier added, “Dom was one of the very first members of the FLW team and has contributed immensely to its success. We wish him every success for the future.”

Burns joined FremantleMedia in 2003 as vice president, sponsorship and advertiser relationships, where he managed all worldwide agreements with advertisers and sponsors. Prior to this, he was head of commercial strategy for Eurosport TV where he was responsible for setting the commercial programming focus of the channel and providing support to the international sales team.

Further to this appointment, Melissa Goodwin, currently vice president, licensing, EMEA, will be moving to the UK team as vice president, interactive and telephony, UK. In this position, Goodwin will assume day-to-day responsibility for the company’s interactive and telephony business, including voting on The X Factor, home viewer competitions across all of FremantleMedia’s entertainment formats, the commercialisation of the company’s websites and the development of mobile content and games around FremantleMedia and talkbackThames’ extensive TV properties in the UK.

Also, Pindy O’Brien, currently head of brand licensing, UK, becomes head of brand licensing and retail, UK. The position will see O’Brien expand her role to take on the company’s relationships with the retail sector as well as continuing her work in the area of brand licenses around FremantleMedia and talkbackThames’ UK portfolio.

Both Goodwin and O’Brien will be based in London and will report to Burns.

Claire Baker, currently head of retail, UK, will take up Goodwin’s position as vice president, licensing, EMEA. In this capacity, Baker will be responsible for managing the brand licensing, sponsorship and interactive businesses in the Nordic countries, Southern Europe and the Middle East. She will be based in London and will report to FLW senior vice president licensing, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific Mark Newton.

June 8, 2006
BVITV and Flextech TV ink UK licensing agreement

MUMBAI: Walt Disney’s Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) and Flextech Television have announced a UK licensing agreement for the launch of acquired US network series content on Flextech’s new broadband service.

As per the agreement with BVITV, Flextech’s new service will offer on-demand and on a rental basis, series like Grey’s Anatomy, Extreme Makeover and Alias, which air on Living TV and Bravo.

Accessible via the channel websites www.livingtv.co.uk and www.bravo.co.uk, the service enables UK users to download episodes that will be available for a 24 hour window within seven days of downloading, informs an official release.

In partnership with online broadcasting solutions provider Servecast and protected by Digital Rights Management software, this new service will enable viewers to download Living TV and Bravo’s homegrown shows. In addition, episodes of commissioned programme brands such as Most Haunted, Sin Cities and Real Football Factories will also be available for download, priced at £2.50 per episode.

The release adds that the line-up of titles available for download will be coordinated with Living TV and Bravo’s linear schedules, maximising the on-air promotional opportunities created by the new service, with series two of a programme appearing on air as the first series becomes available online. Free episodes will also offer tasters of the latest shows on the Living TV and Bravo channels.

Commenting on the agreement, BVITV EMEA executive VP and MD Tom Toumazis said, “We are working closely with international partners to use new technology in bringing our content to consumers in flexible new ways, and are pleased that viewers in the UK will now be able to enjoy these gripping hit series on demand through our agreement with Flextech.”

Flextech Television head of interactive Edward Humphrey said, “We’ll experiment with a variety of pricing models including PPV, packaging and subscriptions to better understand how our audience wants to purchase TV content online. We’ll also continue to offer free preview downloads of new shows – as recently demonstrated with Bravo’s Man’s Work – to encourage sampling of new content.”

The new service provides another medium for audiences to connect with Flextech’s brands, which are already available as linear TV channels, via cable video-on-demand, on the web and via mobile networks, adds the release.

June 8, 2006
DD-1 to telecast 2006 Fifa WC finals live

MUMBAI: With only one day to go for the big event, Doordarshan has secured the telecast rights for four matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup, including the big final to be played on 9 July.

The rights allow the channel to telecast the opening ceremony live from Germany on Friday 9 June from 7 50 pm to 8 30 pm on DD-1. This will be followed by a live telecast of the opening match between Germany Vs. Costa Rica from Munich, from 9 30 pm to 11 30 pm.

The semi finals to be held on 4 and 5 July respectively, will also be telecast live on DD-1.

As mentioned earlier, the final on 9 July will be telecast at 11 30 pm on DD-1 on terrestrial mode.

Meanwhile, a one hour capsule of highlights of daily matches will also be telecast from 4 pm to 5 pm from 10 to 28 June and in the first week of July.

To key in on all the action, every match telecast on the channel will be preceeded and followed by a pre-match and post-match analysis.

June 8, 2006
OpenTV to offer advanced digital television solutions to Time Warner Cable

MUMBAI: OpenTV Corp. a provider of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services has announced a multi-year license agreement with Time Warner Cable to deploy the cable operator’s digital navigator on the Open TV platform.

The Time Warner Cable digital navigator will enhance existing programme guides, facilitate cross platform integrated services and speed to market new product introductions on the company’s Motorola set-top boxes.

Additionally, OpenTV’s Core 2.0 software and related interactive television services will be available to Time Warner Cable divisions running Motorola equipment for deployment.

This licensing agreement represents the first US cable deployment of OpenTV’s advanced digital solutions and applications, informs an official release.

Initial launch of OpenTV’s solutions is expected in late 2006 on Time Warner Cable’s Motorola set-top boxes, ranging from the DCT-2000 to more full-featured Motorola set-top boxes. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

OpenTV will provide its Core 2.0 set-top software, interactive applications, and infrastructure systems for application delivery, set-top messaging, and advanced two-way communications.

As part of the deal, OpenTV has agreed to make available a variety of interactive applications for Time Warner Cable’s use, and expects to write additional applications for the OpenTV platform, OCAP, and other platforms that Time Warner Cable introduces within its Divisions.

“This deal marks a historic milestone for OpenTV and the culmination of many years of work,” said OpenTV CEO James A.Chiddix. “Gaining a strong foothold in the U.S. cable market has long been a goal of OpenTV, and with an anchor customer like Time Warner Cable we now have a firm foundation from which to continue extending and enhancing our solutions and services as digital television moves ahead in the market. We look forward to fostering this new relationship with Time Warner Cable and furthering its commitment in delivering choice, quality, and value to its subscribers with the most advanced digital television services.”

June 8, 2006
BBC World Service Trust releases music album on AIDS awareness

MUMBAI: BBC World Service Trust, National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) and national network Doordarshan have joined hands to spread awareness about AIDS through a music album Haath Se Haath Milaa (HSHM) or let’s join hands.

The music video and album, released yesterday, is also being supported by multiplex major PVR Cinemas, which will screen it in all its 68 screens across India.

Though the association of PVR Cinemas with BBC World Service Trust is only for three months, the multiplex company CEO (digital) Sunil Patil is optimistic to maintain the relationship for a longer period of time.
According to the director of the video Anu Malhotra, “All the stars have generously contributed to the cause by filming for this video completely pro bono.”

The album, produced by Music Today and consisting of eight soundtracks, will be available in music stores and sold commercially across the country.

In an official statement, all profits from sales will be donated to non-governmental organization Salaam Baalak Trust and Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT).

BBC World Service Trust director general Andrew Whitehead said, “The selections of songs were done from the Music Today catalogue.”

The launch ceremony was graced by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty who said that the video would appeal to all and help combating AIDS and the stigma attached to it.

BBC World Service Trust supports a reality television series on DD, titled Jasoos Vijay where the central theme revolves around spreading awareness about AIDS.

The third series of Jasoos Vijay will finish its run by end September and HSHM will end by February 2007.

June 8, 2006
Star’s news partner ABP charts expansion plan

MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star’s news partner ABP Group is drawing up expansion plans envisaging niche news channels, film production and a sustainable online and mobile business model.

The Kolkata-based media company is also said to be mulling hiving off its English newspaper The Telegraph into a separate company to be able to attract investments from financial institutions, both domestic and foreign.

That a blueprint of business expansion by the group is being readied was confirmed to Indiantelevision.com by the Sarkar family-controlled ABP Group’s president Pramath Sinha.

Asked about the Indian languages being considered for expanding existing TV news business, Sinha said, “We are currently exploring a number of options, but have not firmed up on any particular choices yet. Language options include English, Marathi and Gujarati, among others.”

More importantly, he said that the ABP group was “examining the strength of some thematic niches (read TV channels)” where a final decision will be taken based on the “long term prospects” of each of these and after “discussions” with Star.

Hong Kong-based Star group, News Corp’s pan-Asian venture, is a 26:74 joint venture partner with the ABP Group for owning and managing news channels in India. The JV is called Media Content & Communications Services Ltd (MCCS).

Presently, MCCS runs the Hindi Star News and Bengali sibling Star Ananda, which is co-branded on the names of the two companies.

The expansion plans were shared by Sinha in a lengthy presentation to senior colleagues last month where the basic refrain was that the ABP Group can aim to emerge as the Time Warner of India, straddling various segments of the media and entertainment industry.

When Sinha was asked by Indiantelevision.com whether the company was also looking at foraying into the entertainment side of TV business, he did not deny it outright. “Our core competence is in the realm of information TV and that will be our first priority. However, we are open to exploring other options in consultation with our partner, Star TV,” he said.

Though, according to Sinha, it was “too early to comment” on forays in film production, he admitted, “(We’re) still examining whether it makes sense.”

Will the group look at acquiring an existing film production house or set up an entity for this? Sinha replied, “We are open to both approaches in all our businesses.”

Apart from these, the group is likely to start its FM radio operations in the second half of 2006, having bagged a licence for Kolkata through Ananda Offset, a group company.

Print medium and online plans

The ABP Group, which owns Ananda Bazaar Patrika, the largest circulated Bengali daily, and The Telegraph, the largest circulated English daily, in West Bengal, is looking at expanding existing business operations to leverage new technologies.

Having launched a WAP edition of The Telegraph in August 2004, the group is bullish on doing the same with its other media products to make the online and mobile business sustainable.

“Given the tremendous growth in mobile subscribers, we are very committed to offering value to our readers, viewers, and listeners through this medium. All our brands are or will rapidly become mobile-friendly,” Sinha says.

The business model would range from revenue sharing (with telecom companies) to advertising to simple subscription, Sinha explains, adding that at this point all this is more of an “essential component” of offline offerings, which complements the traditional delivery channels.

Still, what has excited many ABP doyens and senior journalists are talks about The Telegraph being hived off into a separate company, attracting funding from financial institutions for expansion and giving the newspaper a more national look with editions from places outside West Bengal.

The possibility of publishing The Telegraph from Delhi and Mumbai has been debated within the group for over a decade. However, dwelling on hiving off The Telegraph from ABP, in true corporate style Sinha said, “This is speculative and I have no comment.”

In the mid-1990s, the ABP Group had hived off its business newspaper Business Standard into a separate entity and finally sold it off to Kotak Mahindra, primarily a financial and banking company. Presently, London’s Financial Times holds approximately 14 per cent equity stake in Business Standard Ltd.

But what about investments to fund expansion plans aimed at monetizing existing and proposed services and products? “Cannot comment,” Sinha cryptically says.

As an afterthought, he adds, “In today’s day and age, this question (on quantum of investment) is irrelevant. There are enough resources and more than enough opportunities. The critical issue is having the right people to make (the) stuff happen. I believe we have an excellent team in place to achieve our goals.”

The ABP Group owns and publishes the likes of Ananda Bazaar Patrika, The Telegraph, business weekly Businessworld, Bengali literally and women’s magazine Desh and Sananda, respectively, apart from a kids’ magazine.
A snapshot of the portal www.anandautsav.com

It also has business interests in MCCS, anandautsav.com and Heyya, which is a mobile internet portal. Does that make ABP ready don the mantle of the Time Warner of India?

“Who would not want to be that? It is great that you think us worthy of the question. But why not? We have a great starting point,” Sinha exults.

He adds, “First, we are one of the oldest groups in the country – several (media) companies of our vintage have gone extinct over the years. Second, we are one of the largest in terms of size, not just in print, but across media and entertainment we would be clearly among the top 10 in the country. Third, and most importantly, we are the most diverse — from dailies to TV, from radio to WAP.

“And, our diversity is not for diversity’s sake alone. Each of our properties are the leading ones in their genre. That is a great starting point that only we can claim.”

Time will only tell whether promoter Aveek Sarkar’s patronage and Sinha’s business acumen combine to make dreams into full blown realities.

June 8, 2006
NBC goes on a treasure hunt this Summer

MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC will air a new show Treasure Hunters.

This is a fast-paced adventure/mystery reality series where multi-player teams try to stay one step ahead of each other as they are mentally and physically challenged in their quest for a promised hidden treasure.

The adventure series kicks off with a special 2-hour premiere episode on 18 June.

The teams must avoid elimination as they travel to historically significant locations around the globe where they decipher cryptic codes and puzzles.

Each has a clue that leads them closer to solving the ultimate puzzle and obtaining the coveted grand prize. The show has been produced by the team responsible for the film The Da Vinci Code.

June 7, 2006
Lifetime orders telenovella ‘Bianca’ from FremantleMedia

MUMBAI: US women’s broadcaster Lifetime has ordered 20 episodes of Bianca. This is a weekly primetime novela based on the German television series of the same name. It was created and produced by FremantleMedia’s Grundy UFA

The series will be produced on location in Australia and comes from FremantleMedia North America, the producers American Idol. Bianca explores forbidden love between a woman searching for a new life after being unfairly imprisoned and a wealthy man trapped into an impending loveless marriage.

Lifetime Entertainment Services president, entertainment Susanne Daniels says, “Bianca is an exciting series for us — it’s a sexy, flirty, fun modern soap filled with deception, murder, secrets and betrayal — and is an ideal format for our audience” .

FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, “This is a ground-breaking deal for FremantleMedia North America as it will be the first time that we will be producing a scripted series in the US. Internationally, however, we have a long tradition of producing popular serial drama and have recently been very successful at introducing the telenovela concept to Europe. We look forward to working with Lifetime to bring the story of Bianca to US audiences this fall.”

June 7, 2006
News agency AFP secures deal with Refresh Mobile for WC updates

MUMBAI: Global news agency AFP has struck a deal with mobile magazine developer Refresh Mobile to allow football fans to keep up to date with the World Cup via their phones.

AFP’s deal with the mobile agency involves it supplying football-related content, including a World Cup diary, match previews, results and standings via mobile magazines.

Refresh Mobile is present in the UK. It plans to launch in Germany this week and by the end of the year in the US.

The magazines will be published twice daily and can be downloaded by texting a keyword to 63333.

AFP’s partnership with Refresh Mobile is set to last beyond the World Cup with both parties involved in discussions about a continual service.

Despite having ad space available, Refresh has so far failed to sign up any brands for the AFP publication.

Refresh Mobile marketing director Elaine Devereux said that the company plans to take its mobile magazines to new markets in the near future.

June 7, 2006