ITV

Category: Television

  • ‘Nick News’ with Linda Ellerbee turns 15

    ‘Nick News’ with Linda Ellerbee turns 15

    MUMBAI: The Emmy, duPont and Peabody award-winning Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, the longest-running and most-watched kids’ news show in television history, celebrates 15 years on Nickelodeon in May 2006.

    Informed by a philosophy that ignorance is not bliss, that kids deserve and need information about the world and events that shape it, Nick News has covered major world events and other issues that affect kids in a way that no show on television ever has, earning the respect of parents, educators and, most important, kids.

    To celebrate this milestone, Nickelodeon will air Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Celebrating 15 Years of Nick News on 28 May.

    The half-hour, commercial free special is a retrospective of 15 of Nick News’ most compelling stories over the last decade and a half, and a fast-forward to meet some of the players and see what their life is like today, when they’re grownups. It shows how Nick News — and kids-have never shied away from talking, in no-nonsense language, about the crucial issues of our time-war, AIDS, terrorism, natural disasters, gay parenting, homelessness, racism, genocide-and how kids have responded by working to change their world for the better.

    “No other show gives kids the opportunity to speak their minds on important issues quite like Nick News. Nick News and Linda Ellerbee present stories about issues in a manner that empowers kids and enables them to take action. The show provides a great way for kids to initiate a dialogue with their parents. Nickelodeon is proud that for the past 15 years, we have been able to offer our audience a unique outlet like Nick News to help them do that,” said Nickelodeon Television president and MTVN Kids and Family Group head Cyma Zarghami.

    “I am the luckiest journalist in television. We tried to teach kids about life. Instead, they taught me what life is all about. I look forward to my continuing education on Nick News,” said Nick News host and executive producer Ellerbee.

    A sneak peek of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Celebrating 15 Years of Nick News will be broadcast on TurboNick, Nickelodeon’s broadband video service on Nick.com, two weeks before the on-air special.

  • Comcast and CareerBuilder.com launch new job search channel on Comcast.net

    Comcast and CareerBuilder.com launch new job search channel on Comcast.net

    MUMBAI: Comcast and CareerBuilder.com have teamed together to launch a comprehensive online Jobs Channel on Comcast.net. CareerBuilder.com is the exclusive content provider for the Comcast.net Jobs Channel, which now connects the nation’s largest broadband customer base to the nation’s largest online jobs database.

    Comcast’s more than nine million broadband customers can now enjoy easy and immediate access to more than one million CareerBuilder.com job postings, plus online career services and tools. Users can go to Comcast.net and click on “Jobs” to enjoy this quick, convenient access.

    Comcast.net, Comcast’s broadband portal, provides 24/7 access to the latest sports, entertainment, music, news/reviews, and communication tools. CareerBuilder.com offers comprehensive job search experience, spanning national and local positions, niche industries, and newspaper partnerships.

    “Comcast combines top speeds, a reliable network, and best-in-class content and applications to provide our customers the best broadband experience. We are pleased to add even more value to our service by launching the new Comcast.net Jobs Channel with CareerBuilder.com,” said Comcast senior vice president of internet product development Charlie Herrin.

    “We are pleased to join forces with Comcast, the nation’s largest broadband provider. The new Comcast.net Jobs Channel offers a valuable resource for employers looking to reach a vast audience of potential employees. Along with the added exposure for the jobs posted on CareerBuilder.com, millions of Comcast broadband customers now have convenient access to a complete online recruitment resource,” said CareerBuilder.com CEO Matt Ferguson.

    The site enables job seekers to locate jobs in virtually every industry, field and job type, post up to five different versions of their resume, and get expert career advice. International positions and Spanish language search options are also available. CareerBuilder.com also features a Recommended Jobs page, which automatically lists positions that match users’ resumes and search behavior to quickly pinpoint the right opportunities. Users can also sign up for regular email alerts on new, relevant listings.

  • TiVo in deal with Brightcove to offer Web TV

    TiVo in deal with Brightcove to offer Web TV

    MUMBAI: Digital video recording (DVR) pioneer TiVo Inc. is joining hands with online video service provider Brightcove to deliver web-based programming to TiVo’s broadband television boxes. This will enable TiVo users to record internet-based videos from Brightcove’s content partners.

    Initially, all content will be offered for free to TiVo subscribers and advertising will be carried within the content.

    Brightcove’s technology gives producers the solution to create online videos and then syndicate them through Brightcove’s distribution channels, of which TiVo has become the latest.

    Brightcove also has a deal with Time Warner Inc. to start distributing videos this summer on AOL’s Web portal.

  • Qualcomm, BSkyB to conduct MediaFLO Technology trial in UK

    Qualcomm, BSkyB to conduct MediaFLO Technology trial in UK

    MUMBAI: Qualcomm Incorporated and British Sky Broadcasting Limited (BSkyB) today announced that the companies have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to conduct technical trials of Qualcomm’s MediaFLO technology in the United Kingdom.

    Expected to begin during the summer of 2006, the technical trial will feature 10 channels of BSkyB content on a small number of non-commercial devices provided by Qualcomm. The technical trial is intended to allow BSkyB to closely evaluate the performance capabilities of FLO technology, an open, cellular network-agnostic wireless multicasting technology, as it continues to explore the growing number of opportunities to deliver video services to mobile devices in the UK.

    FLO technology, a multicast innovation and key component of the MediaFLO system, is an air-interface technology designed to increase capacity and coverage, and reduce cost for multimedia content delivery to mobile handsets.

    The BSkyB technical trial is expected to be the first such trial of FLO technology in Europe. In addition to this technical trial, Qualcomm and KDDI have formed a joint venture to explore the deployment of MediaFLO services in Japan. Also, MediaFLO USA, a subsidiary of Qualcomm, is working with Verizon Wireless to deploy wireless multimedia services based on FLO technology in the US.

    “BSkyB is committed to offering customers flexible ways to enjoy our services. We have led the way in the delivery of mobile TV over existing platforms and we look forward to working with Qualcomm in this technical trial to evaluate the potential of MediaFLO,” said BSkyB group director of business development Stephen Nuttall.

    “As one of Europe’s largest, most successful and best-known multichannel television platform operators, BSkyB is the ideal company to team up with Qualcomm on our first MediaFLO trial in Europe. We expect this trial to demonstrate a strong validation of the value Qualcomm believes FLO technology offers both in Europe and other markets around the world. The openness of the MediaFLO system, as well as its significant advantages with respect to coverage, power consumption and cost, set MediaFLO apart from other competing technologies,” said Qualcomm Internet Service and MediaFLO Technologies president Peggy Johnson.

    Engineered specifically for the mobile environment, FLO technology is intended to offer several advantages over other mobile multicast technologies, including higher-quality video and audio, faster channel switching time, superior mobile reception, optimised power consumption and greater capacity concurrently as compared to other multicast technologies.

    In addition, FLO technology-based multimedia multicasting will complement wireless operators’ CDMA2000(R)/EV-DO and WCDMA/HSDPA cellular voice and data services, delivering content to the same cellular handsets used on these 3G networks.

  • BBC launches free HD broadcasts

    BBC launches free HD broadcasts

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC will give the UK’s first high definition viewers a curtain-raising treat of the whole of Planet Earth part one, followed by classic Dickens drama Bleak House over Whitsun Bank Holiday from 27 to 29 May 2006.

    The BBC starts the UK’s first free-to-air high definition (HD) consumer broadcasts this week, at the start of a 12 month trial of this new sharper, clearer TV format. Meanwhile research disclosed by the BBC suggests that the majority of people who know about HD expect the BBC to broadcast in HD, and to do so free to air, funded by the licence fee. They also expect high definition broadcasting to be available on all platforms including Freeview.

    The BBC’s HD stream starts broadcasting tomorrow 11 May with a promotional preview. The broadcasts will initially be available to viewers on satellite who have the right HD equipment. Sky has announced it will start installing HD set top boxes from 22 May. The BBC’s HD stream will also be carried in some cable areas in time for the World Cup, following a successful carriage agreement with NTL Telewest.

    From 9 June, the BBC’s World Cup coverage will be simulcast in HD, as will major Wimbledon matches. From July the stream will show BBC highlights in drama, documentaries, events and music for a few hours each day.

    BBC director of television Jana Bennett said, “These are small but exciting first steps in the BBC’s ambition to offer the option of high definition to all in the future. It’s clear that licence fee payers expect high definition broadcasts from the BBC, the same way they have moved to colour television, widescreen, digital radio and online services with us in the past.”

    The BBC says that HD provides sharper, clearer pictures and the potential for surround sound. It needs different technology from ‘standard definition television’ at every link in the chain, from the way programmes are shot and broadcast to the equipment in viewers’ homes.

    The BBC is conducting an end-to-end trial of HD broadcasting over the next 12 months as a test of the technology and trial of the audience appetite for the format. The findings will inform any ongoing offer. BBC HD broadcasting will start officially at noon on 11 May 2006 when the offer appears for the first time to viewers on the Sky electronic programme guide.

    GfK NOP conducted an online survey for the BBC of a representative sample of about 1,500 respondents. They were asked what they knew and thought about high definition television. Seventy three per cent of the sample had heard about high definition television. The figure was much higher for men (83 per cent) than women (62 per cent) and digital homes (77 per cent) rather than analogue homes (62 per cent).

    Of those that were aware of high definition:

    87 per cent said that they expected the BBC to broadcast in high definition in future;
    93 per cent expected those broadcasts to be free to air;
    95 per cent expected HD broadcasts to be available on all platforms – satellite, cable and Freeview;
    88 per cent disagreed that HD viewers should pay a higher Licence Fee.

  • Fox makes ‘24’, ‘The Shield’ available on iTunes

    Fox makes ‘24’, ‘The Shield’ available on iTunes

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox and Apple have announced that shows from Fox, FX, Speed, Fuel TV and the 20th Century Fox Television library is now available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store (www.itunes.com).

    The launch, which features 16 series, including 24, Prison Break and The Shield is the largest to date on iTunes and spans several genres – drama, comedy and reality genres, plus several classic favorites. iTunes now offers over 90 TV shows for $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod.

    Fox Digital Media president Peter Levinsohn said, “As this partnership demonstrates, were committed to delivering our content to consumers in as many ways as possible. Today, with some of the worlds premier television content, Fox is bringing unprecedented depth in a single launch to the iTunes store.”

    Fans can now purchase current dramas like 24 and Prison Break, comedies like Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Stacked; reality series, including Fox’s Unan1mous, FXs Black. White, and 30 Days; and favorites from the 20th Century Fox Television library, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Lost in Space.

  • VSNL buys out 7 Star’s cable internet business

    VSNL buys out 7 Star’s cable internet business

    MUMBAI: Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is on a shopping spree. The telecommunications giant has bought out the internet business of 7 Star, a major cable network in Mumbai.

    The deal gathers significance as it allows VSNL last mile access and offers an expansion route through cable operators. Telecom operators like Reliance Infocomm and Bharti have been eyeing the retail broadband market but been unable to see rapid growth.

    Though the acquisition price could not be confirmed, market speculation is that VSNL has paid around Rs 70-80 million. The cable TV operations are outside the deal. 7 Star runs cable TV operations in the western suburbs of Mumbai and offers cable internet through LAN (local area network) connections.

    “We have acquired the internet business of the 7 Star group—Sevenstar.com. We cannot disclose further details due to confidentiality reasons. We continuously evaluate options for growing our presence in the internet and broadband space,” confirms a VSNL spokesperson. 7 Star promoters were not willing to comment on the deal.

    The cable internet subscribers of 7 Star will be migrated to the Tata Indicom Broadband brand over a period of time. “7 Star will continue to assist us in managing the customers,” says the VSNL spokesperson.

    Analysts say VSNL was willing to pay a higher price because 7 Star was almost a monopoly internet player in the area where it was servicing cable TV operations. The stretch included the western belt of Andheri and Santa Cruz in Mumbai.

    VSNL has tied up with around 2000 cable operators across the country to overcome the problem of last mile connectivity. VSNL executive director N Srinath had earlier said allying with operators and sharing their network was one of the best options the company had.

    For strengthening its broadband presence in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment, VSNL on Monday announced it had entered into an agreement to buy out Direct Internet Ltd (DIL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Primus Telecommunications India Ltd (PTIL) for Rs 750 million. While DIL will focus entirely on the SME segment, the retail customers are likely to be rehomed in VSNL. The earlier acquisitions of VSNL included DishnetDSL for Rs 2.7 billion and Tata Power broadband for Rs 2.39 billion which gave it broadband subscribers in the retail as well as the SME segments.

    Is VSNL looking at tie ups with cable operators for IPTV service as well? “VSNL currently is providing broadband and content services, in conjunction with cable operators. The company will continue to look at offering various value added services that is of mutual benefit to VSNL and the cable operators,” says the spokesperson. Reliance Infocomm, Bharti and other telecom operators have plans to rollout IPTV but have been unable to resolve the last mile connectivity.

  • ESS gets World Rally Championship rights

    ESS gets World Rally Championship rights

    MUMBAI: With a view to being the home of Motorsport, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) Asia has signed a deal for World Rally Championship (WRC).

    The deal sees ESS make a four-season commitment to WRC, up to and including 2008/09. Fans of the sport will be able to enjoy more action, news, thrills and spills than ever before. ESPN Star Sports will deliver extensive WRC coverage on Star Sports. The channel also airs Formula One.

    Broadcasting daily news and highlights from each of the 16 rounds of the WRC, ESS will also deliver the best action from the two support series’, the Junior and Production car World Rally Championships, as well as mid- and end of season reviews.

    From 2007, viewers will also be able to watch the Rally Magazine show, featuring highlights of the best footage from the world of rally including national and regional championships, such as the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. In addition to the daily programmes, WRC fans will also be able to watch a 52-minute highlights show for each rally.

    ESS Asia MD Jamie Davis said, “Our successful acquisition of the FIA World Rally Championship sees us continue our winning streak of securing top flight motorsports programming to satisfy the growing passion for the sport across Asia. Together with Formula One, A1 as well as MotoGP, there is no sports broadcaster in the region that delivers as much motorsport coverage as we do.”

    ISC managing director Simon Long says, “Asia is the fastest growing region in the world for WRC as well as a crucial market for car manufacturers and advertisers. We are very excited to be entering into this pivotal agreement with ESPN Star Sports which will allow more fans than ever to watch the adrenaline-fuelled action of WRC.”

    The agreement was jointly put together by ISC and International Sports Media, which represented WRC TV rights in the region until the end of 2005. Regional WRC TV interests are now being managed by Total Sports Asia.

  • Star News scores big with Wah! Cricket

    Star News scores big with Wah! Cricket

    STAR News scores big with Wah! Cricket
    ” 7 of top 8 cricket programmes amongst the Top 100 news programmes

    Mumbai, May 10, 2006: STAR News, the Channel known for its programming competence and diversity has reiterated its pre-eminence in cricketing news too, proving that when it comes to reporting on cricket, India tunes in to STAR News. The Top 100 programmes for TAM Week 17 (April 23-April 29) include 8 cricket/sports related programmes, out of which 7 are on STAR News. Wah! Cricket and Operation Vijay, the premium cricket properties on STAR News hit the competition out of the ground.

    Wah! Cricket has consistently scored as the top cricket-related programme. It reiterated its top billing in all three time slots for its well-applauded coverage of the recently concluded highly emotive India-Pakistan cricket series. However, for TAM Week 17, which did not have any significant cricketing developments on-field, STAR News scored for its well-rounded reporting off-field too. By presenting an overall analysis and impact on the happenings in the cricket world, including Sachin’s Birthday, Brand Dhoni, Team Selection etc., STAR News scored big to feature 7 of its cricketing programmes in the Top 100 programmes. Amongst the cricketing programmes, Aaj Tak’s cricketing programme came in only at # 6 with a TVR of 0.36. Besides, it also garnered 26% of the marketshare in the 7.30 to 8 pm slot, leaving Aaj Tak behind at 22% and NDTV India far behind at 12%. India TV and Zee News followed next at 10% and 9% marketshare.

    Channel
    Date
    Days
    Time From
    Time To
    Programme
    TVR
    Star News 23/04/2006 Sun 19:30 19:59 WAH CRICKET KHEL KA PEEC 0.5
    Star News 26/04/2006 Wed 8:30 9:00 WAH CRICKET KHEL KA PEEC 0.4
    Star News 25/04/2006 Tue 19:31 20:00 WAH CRICKET KHEL KA PEEC 0.39
    Star News 23/04/2006 Sun 22:31 22:59 KHEL KHEL MEIN 0.39
    Star News 28/04/2006 Fri 8:32 9:00 WAH CRICKET KHEL KA PEEC 0.38
    Star News 24/04/2006 Mon 19:30 20:00 WAH CRICKET KHEL KA PEEC 0.38
    Star News 26/04/2006 Wed 22:31 22:59 OPERATION VIJAY AAKRAMAN 0.34

    Wah! Cricket has been one of the channel’s best performing properties ever since its inception. The programme has enjoyed its position as the highest rated cricket news bulletin on news television for a long time. Little wonder then that the programme has had an enviable guest list with cricketing stalwarts like Bishen Singh Bedi, Zaheer Abbas, Sandeep Patil, and others offering incisive insight.

    The success of Wah! Cricket reinstates and endorses the channel’s proficiency in alternate programming. The discerning and increasingly demanding viewer is always looking for a little more bang from a news channel. STAR News seems to be producing just the right cricketing shots!

    And coming on the very threshold of the India-West Indies cricket series, the recent ratings are an endorsement of the patented excitement to watch for on STAR News. Catch the fever only on STAR News!

    ABOUT STAR NEWS
    STAR News, the first Indian news channel, is a joint venture between ABP TV – a 100 % subsidiary of ABP Pvt. Ltd. – and STAR India Pvt. Ltd., two of the biggest brands in Indian media. The Channel is best defined by a fair and balanced approach that combines prompt reporting with insightful analysis of news and current affairs. Living up to its motto of “Aapko Rakhe Aagey’, STAR News is a people’s channel that focuses on relevant news in a cutting-edge format. Since its conception, the Channel has grown to command a viewership of over 20 million Indian homes. Today, STAR News is available in the Indian subcontinent, South-East Asia, Central Asia, UK, USA and Australia, making it the first and only Global Indian News Channel.

    For further information, please contact:
    Navin Tauro / Swati Sundareswaran
    Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
    Tel: 022 5656 8787 / Fax: 022 5656 8788

  • ‘Nick News’ with Linda Ellerbee turns 15













    MUMBAI: The Emmy, duPont and Peabody award-winning Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, the longest-running and most-watched kids‘ news show in television history, celebrates 15 years on Nickelodeon in May 2006.


    Informed by a philosophy that ignorance is not bliss, that kids deserve and need information about the world and events that shape it, Nick News has covered major world events and other issues that affect kids in a way that no show on television ever has, earning the respect of parents, educators and, most important, kids.



    To celebrate this milestone, Nickelodeon will air Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Celebrating 15 Years of Nick News on 28 May.


    The half-hour, commercial free special is a retrospective of 15 of Nick News‘ most compelling stories over the last decade and a half, and a fast-forward to meet some of the players and see what their life is like today, when they‘re grownups. It shows how Nick News — and kids-have never shied away from talking, in no-nonsense language, about the crucial issues of our time-war, AIDS, terrorism, natural disasters, gay parenting, homelessness, racism, genocide-and how kids have responded by working to change their world for the better.


    “No other show gives kids the opportunity to speak their minds on important issues quite like Nick News. Nick News and Linda Ellerbee present stories about issues in a manner that empowers kids and enables them to take action. The show provides a great way for kids to initiate a dialogue with their parents. Nickelodeon is proud that for the past 15 years, we have been able to offer our audience a unique outlet like Nick News to help them do that,” said Nickelodeon Television president and MTVN Kids and Family Group head Cyma Zarghami.


    “I am the luckiest journalist in television. We tried to teach kids about life. Instead, they taught me what life is all about. I look forward to my continuing education on Nick News,” said Nick News host and executive producer Ellerbee.


    A sneak peek of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Celebrating 15 Years of Nick News will be broadcast on TurboNick, Nickelodeon‘s broadband video service on Nick.com, two weeks before the on-air special.