ITV

Category: Television

  • Disney expands ToonTown Online

    Disney expands ToonTown Online

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has introduced Lawbot Headquarters (HQ), the highly-anticipated expansion of Disney’s Toontown Online.

    Toontown Online is the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for kids and families. Lawbot HQ has been designed for advanced players and delivers more challenges and enemies, including new stealth-based gameplay and an epic final battle.

    Within Toontown, using personalised Toon avatars, players join forces to save Toontown from the robot Cogs – Bossbots, Lawbots, Cashbots, and Sellbots – who are attempting to turn the colourful world of Toontown into a dark metropolis of skyscrapers and businesses.

    Toons can now team up to infiltrate the Cog legal system by making their way through a maze-like office building using stealth and secrecy to avoid detection. They will have to overcome various obstacles such as security guards, searchlights, crashing traps and more on their way to the courtroom of the chief justice.

    “Toontown is a unique gaming experience in many respects. Not only is the game widely recognised as fun and safe for children to play, it continues to evolve with exciting new features that bring additional challenges and environments added every few months at no extra cost,” said the Walt Disney Internet Group, Europe managing director Attila Gazdag.

    Disney’s Toontown Online is the first MMO game for kids and families. Anyone can try Toontown free for three days at www.disney.co.uk/toontown.

  • CNN Worldwide appoints Seth Doane as New Delhi correspondent

    CNN Worldwide appoints Seth Doane as New Delhi correspondent

    MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has appointed award-winning journalist Seth Doane to be the news organization’s New Delhi-based video correspondent. This was announced by senior VP- International newsgathering, Tony Maddox.

    Doane joins CNN from Channel One News where he won a 2004 George Foster Peabody Award for his reports from Darfur and the on-going humanitarian crisis, informs an official release.

    “Seth has shown the kind of commitment and endeavour we look for in our correspondents,” said Maddox. “In the past five years, he has reported around the world from challenging locations and he will be a real addition to the reporting ranks of CNN. He will be working in a great bureau in a country which is making news on many levels.”

    Doane is the sixth video correspondent appointed by CNN; he joins DNG-equipped correspondents strategically based in South Africa, Colombia, UK, Iraq and Russia.

    “CNN is known around the world for its international news coverage and its use of leading-edge technology that allows correspondents to offer context to news events immediately. It’s a privilege to join a network with such a strong journalistic reputation,” said Doane.

  • Discovery US creates a travel division

    Discovery US creates a travel division

    MUMBAI: Discovery in the US has created a new integrated travel media business called Discovery Travel Media. This new department will include the Travel Channel, online assets including www.travelchannel.com, the recently announced broadband offering, Travel Channel Beyond as well as Video-on-Demand (VOD) and mobile platforms.
    Discovery Travel Media is the company’s first business unit that combines all of the company’s assets related to a single category into a vertically integrated organisational structure.

    Discovery US president and CEO Judith McHale says, “Discovery Travel Media will better target audiences who are spending more and more time online. This segment is growing rapidly, and is currently underserved. Research shows Discovery and its related assets outpace other media brands for trusted travel information, and Discovery Travel Media is well positioned to provide travelers with the information and services they want and need.

    “Unlike other media companies that have created separate digital divisions, Discovery Travel Media will allow for more integration, flexibility and innovation from combining our existing businesses with new multiplatform opportunities in the travel space.”
    Pat Younge, who is currently Travel Channel executive VP and GM will become full business manager for Discovery Travel Media.

    Younge says, “The Travel Channel is now in more than 84 million US cable homes, so to be able to systematically leverage our unequalled travel video archive across a range of high growth media platforms affords us the opportunity to further build brand awareness and develop new revenue drivers.

    “In the coming months we will be aggressively exploring partnerships with a range of major travel-service aggregators, as well as acquisitions of aligned businesses, as we build out the assets of Discovery Travel Media.”

    The Travel Channel claims to target people who want to experience their world, immerse themselves in new cultures and escape from the day-to-day grind of everyday life.

  • Jakks Pacific and Hit Entertainment launch new TeleStory interactive books

    Jakks Pacific and Hit Entertainment launch new TeleStory interactive books

    MUMBAI: Jakks Pacific, Inc. has inked a worldwide licensing agreement with Hit Entertainment to market and distribute Jakks Pacific’s new TeleStory interactive books based on Hit’s popular Thomas & Friends, Barney, The Wiggles and Bob the Builder properties.

    The TeleStory system connects directly into a standard TV using Plug & Read technology and serves as a fun, introductory reading guide for preschool-aged children.

    The TeleStory product creates an engaging, interactive reading and learning experience that will help in the fundamental reading development of young children, while showing them how much fun reading can be. TeleStory interactive books take what children love, the TV, and use it to introduce children to the world of reading. The TeleStory system is book-shaped, plugs directly into the A/V jacks of any standard TV, and no DVD players are needed.

    Individual “mini-book” cartridges based on popular children’s books are inserted into the TeleStory system, so that children can build their own TeleStory libraries and collect their favorite books as they grow and master reading. By pressing the large, colored buttons on each TeleStory unit, kids can interact with the story and make the characters come alive on their TV screen, while also giving them the option to read at their own pace or with assistance.

    “The core concept of TeleStory interactive books is simple. The unit plugs directly into any standard TV. Just pop in batteries and turn it on to initiate an interactive reading experience through the use of various action buttons. We know that Thomas the Tank, Barney, Bob the Builder and The Wiggles will help provide hours of entertainment for children. The TeleStory system teaches them the fundamentals of reading, helps build vocabulary, encourages their reading confidence and nurtures a life-long appreciation of reading,” explains Jakks Pacific, Inc senior vice president of licensing and media Jennifer Richmond.

    Jakks plans to launch the TeleStory product line based on the Hit properties starting in summer 2006 with the Thomas the Tank TeleStory title at mass and specialty retailers nationwide. The suggested retail price for the TeleStory unit will be approximately $35, with each two-pack of ‘mini-book’ cartridges retailing for under $15.

  • TWI to make doc on England’s triumph at 1966 Fifa World Cup

    TWI to make doc on England’s triumph at 1966 Fifa World Cup

    MUMBAI: Television production firm TWI has been commissioned by English broadcaster Five to produce a television documentary about England’s journey towards victory in the 1966 World Cup.

    How England Won The World Cup will air on 31 May on Five. The one-hour documentary, which falls within Five’s historical Revealed strand, will bring England’s triumph to life, in a way that most people never saw it at the time – in glorious colour.

    This programme will use archive footage along with interviews with all ten surviving members of the original team to illustrate England’s journey from the preparation and opening draw against Uruguay to the epic battle with West Germany at Wembley. How England Won The World Cup will be narrated by actor Sean Bean.

    Former British football great Sir Bobby Charlton said, “We won because we were a great team, we were a perfect blend, we had the right manager and we had the desire to win it.”

    TWI has also produced a DVD of the programme with various added extras including extended interview footage with the remaining players. The DVD will be released on 5 June by Prism Leisure.

    How England Won The World Cup is executive produced by TWI’s Simon Birri and is directed and produced by Kim Hogg. It was commissioned by Alex Sutherland, Controller History at Five. He said, “It is not often that sporting events can truly be said to have made history – but if ever there was such an occasion, this was it. The film is visually stunning, moving and dramatic – I’m proud to have it as part of this run of Revealeds.”

    Hogg said, “We’ve been lucky enough to tell this story with the help of those who took part. Though most of us know what happened on 30 July 1966, there’s something special about hearing the words of Sir Geoff Hurst or Jack Charlton recounting their experience of stepping out onto the Wembley turf that day, unaware that in two hours later they would make history. Forty years on, the achievement of these guys is no less impressive.

    “We have also been fortunate enough to uncover some previously unseen colour material of the final. This woven together with the reminiscences of the ten surviving World Cup Final players really does bring the tournament and its climax back to life.”

  • Hungama TV’s comedy band delivers good numbers

    Hungama TV’s comedy band delivers good numbers

    MUMBAI: Hungama TV has beaten the summer heat with new refreshing comedy shows launch this month in the band called ‘Ha Ha Hungama Band’. The comedy band has struck the right chord with viewers giving the channel GRPs of 116 vis-à-vis Pogo’s 102 in the C&S 4 – 14 SEC ABC Hindi speaking markets in week 15 (9 – 15 April). Cartoon Network still stands tall with GRPs of 198 in the same market.

    The ‘Ha Ha Hungama Band’ that has shows like Doraemon, Gol Gol Gullam, Kochikame, Peep and Telematches contributed 60 GRPs in its launch week.

    The latest Tam ratings, the channel claims, have revealed a consistent week-on-week growth in the channel’s market share, with shows like Amdriver and Kochikame topping the charts in their respective time bands.

    What’s more, the channel also claims that it is the No. 1 kids channel in the key Mumbai market across SEC A, B, C in the C&S 4-14 category.

    UTV COO Zarina Mehta said, “The Ha Ha Hungama band is a super treat to our viewers and will definitely bring relief to kids from the heat by replacing it with fun and laughter.. The consistent increase in GRPs reiterates the fact that our multi-genre programming appeals to a wide spectrum of audiences. This is essentially the product of a thorough understanding of what our viewers desire and our capability in delivering the goods.”

  • Cartoon Network US announces a new broadband venture

    Cartoon Network US announces a new broadband venture

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Cartoon Network and Viz Media have announced a joint venture called Toonami Jetstream.

    The broadband service which launches on 17 July 2006 will provide on-demand, full-length streaming episodes of a number of hit animé and action series, including acclaimed hit series Naruto and Samurai Jack. In addition, users will also be able to watch full-length episodes of series like Hikaru No Go, Mar and The Prince of Tennis that are not currently offered on US broadcast or basic cable television.

    Cartoon Network and Viz Media will jointly manage and administer acquisitions and programming. Each week, new episodes will be added to the site while previous episodes will also be available through the Toonami Jetstream archive. Toonami Jetstream, an online extension of Cartoon Network’s long-running and successful Toonami action-adventure television franchise, is a free service, supported by advertising that includes both banners and streaming video ads.

    Cartoon Network senior VP, GM new media Paul Condolora says, “Cartoon Network has long been the dominant TV provider of the best animé and action. And we were the first to stream, in 2001, full-length animé series online. Now, with this joint venture with Viz Media, we will give our fans the chance to view popular shows on-demand and follow new series that cannot be seen anywhere else.

    “We also believe that this will bring new fans to the action/animé genre, create interest in new shows and build the overall popularity of Toonami on Cartoon Network.”

    Viz Media executive VP John Easum says, “Toonami Jetstream will provide our current fans and new fans alike with unlimited opportunities to view our popular hit shows such as Naruto. It will also give us the opportunity to share with our fans an unprecedented variety of Japan’s newest and most exciting animated series. We are thrilled to be expanding our strong relationship with Cartoon Network. Viz Media is one of the industry’s leading licensors of Japanese animation and Cartoon Network is the preeminent broadcaster of Japanese animation and we believe that our collective forces will make Toonami Jetstream the online destination of choice for action-adventure animation fans.”

    Five series are currently slated for the July launch of Toonami Jetstream. In Naruto, an evil Nine-Tailed-Fox demon that terrorised The Hidden Leaf Village was sealed inside the body of a baby in order to end the decimation of the village. A rule that forbade anyone to tell him that he possessed the spirit of the Nine-Tailed-Fox left Naruto unaware of why the villagers shunned him. Now a teenager, he attempts to earn the villagers’ respect by training to become the village’s top ninja.

    As Naruto develops his skills, he must learn to control his special powers to become the respected master ninja. Through exciting adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity and right versus wrong.

    Samurai Jack which is one of Cartoon Networks most popular shows encounters an array of cultures and civilisations as he travels the world seeking the portal to send him back to his own time. A man of few words, Jack relies on his mental and physical training as a warrior to help him fend off the evil wizard’s forces.

    Hikaru No Go tells the story of Hikaru Shindo, a young student who stumbles across a dusty old Go board while exploring his grandfather’s attic. Trapped inside is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master that enters Hikaru’s consciousness, allowing him to communicate with the spirit. Sai, newly awakened, wishes for nothing more than to play Go again. Urged on by Sai, Hikaru reluctantly begins playing Go. As he begins to appreciate the complexities of the game, Hikaru makes it his quest to become the ultimate Go champion.

    Mar features Ginta, an average 14-year-old boy, until a mysterious portal suddenly transports him into the fairy tale realm he envisions in his dreams, the World of MÄR. In MÄR, Ginta acquires super human strength and Babbo- a talking magical weapon knows as an ARM. Together, Ginta and Babbo embark on a quest to save the World of MÄR from total domination by the evil chess pieces.

    In The Prince of Tennis the backdrop of middle school tennis serves as the setting for this sports drama and coming-of-age story. The Prince of Tennis, created by Takeshi Konomi, depicts the on-and off-the-court adventures of Ryoma Echizen, who joins the Seishun Academy tennis team, known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. With his undeniable talent (and sometimes shamelessly cocky attitude), Ryoma is ready to lead his team to victory.

    Viz Media works in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.

  • Up-Mobile acquires rights to Fifa Mascot TV series

    Up-Mobile acquires rights to Fifa Mascot TV series

    MUMBAI: Up-Mobile, an interactive mobile applications and service provider specialising in Hispanic audiences, today announced that it has acquired the mobile rights to offer Spanish-language content in the US and Latin America.

    The product in question is the 2006 Fifa World Cup Official Mascot TV Series.

    The company says that in today’s media-driven society, mascots are images that fans can identify with. Goleo VI, the Official Mascot, is a warm-hearted lion and a versatile ‘living’ character together with his sidekick Pille, the strong-minded football; he can dance, talk, sing and make people laugh.

    The show consists of two separate productions, the first being a live-action puppet format with 21 episodes of 40 seconds each, and the second, a 3D animation made up of 24 spots of 10 seconds each.

    Ready for mobile distribution, Up-Mobile plans to take full advantage of their rights to distribute the series. Up-Mobile’s packages include video clips from the series, 3D animations capturing the most interesting moments of Goleo VI’s road to the 2006 Fifa World Cup, all adapted to view on the go.

    Up-Mobile founder and COO George Rincon says, “A love of soccer runs deep in the veins of Latino sports fans. We are thrilled to take part in the momentum surrounding the 2006 Fifa World Cup and are proud to be the exclusive Spanish-language provider of mobile content featuring the 2006 FIFA World Cup Official Mascot TV Series in the US and Latin America.”

  • ARY Digital to Exclusively Broadcast Australia v Bangladesh ODI Series in UK & Europe

    ARY Digital to Exclusively Broadcast Australia v Bangladesh ODI Series in UK & Europe

    ARY DIGITAL will broadcast exclusively in UK and Europe territory the 3 cricket ODI’s between Australia and Bangladesh beginning tomorrow April 23, 2006 at Chittagong.

    The remaining 2 ODI’s will be played on:

    April 26, 2006 2nd ODI Dhaka

    April 28, 2006 3rd ODI Dhaka

    “We felt the importance of bringing this upcoming team’s endeavors against the reigning champs to the cricket loving population in UK and Europe”, said Mr. Salman Iqbal, President and & CEO of ARY DIGITAL Network. “As a commitment to our viewers, we continuously strive to bring them the best of international cricket,”

    ARY DIGITAL Network is by far one of the largest international broadcasters of first class cricket and the single largest broadcaster of cricket in the UK and Europe.

    Over the years ARY DIGITAL has brought to viewers in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America, Europe and UK several high profile cricket series including the coveted Indo – Pak rivalry – All Pakistan’s home matches, the Asia Cup 2004, Videocon Cup, Afro Aisa Cup, World Cup, ICC tournaments and also the recently concluded England’s tour of India.

    Currently ARY DIGITAL owns the cricket broadcasting rights of the PCB, BCCI for the Europe and UK territory, All ICC tournaments including the World Cup and the Champions Trophy for Europe territory.

  • Fox host Tony Snow to be named Bush spokesman

    Fox host Tony Snow to be named Bush spokesman

    MUMBAI: Conservative radio presenter Tony Snow is to be named as US President George W Bush’s new press secretary. Snow is expected to be named on 26 April. He replaces Scott McClellan, who resigned last week.

    The 50-year old Snow presently hosts two shows on the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News network, Tony Snow Show on Fox News Radio and Weekend Live with Tony Snow on the Fox News Channel. He has also served in the administration of President George H.W. Bush as White House speechwriting director and later as a deputy assistant to the president for media affairs.

    According to the US media reports, Snow however has declined to say whether he had been offered the job. The news was leaked by Republicans close to the White House, who said the press secretary’s job had been offered to Snow and that he had accepted.