ITV

Category: Television

  • Distraction’s spoof ‘Sins Of Love’ sold to FremantleMedia France

    Distraction’s spoof ‘Sins Of Love’ sold to FremantleMedia France

    MUMBAI: Distraction has announced the sale of the spoof Sins of Love to Fremantle in France. The latter is currently negotiating with a number of French networks. With pre-production already under way, Distraction hopes the show will start airing as early as next fall.

    FremantleMedia France president Bibiane Godefroy said, “The unusual humour of this format struck me from the moment I saw it first at Mipcom. Set in a vibrant city, Sins of Love sends up the ‘soaps’ with a completely whacky universe of love triangles, family dramas and conspiracies that pay gloriously uproarious tribute to the genre’s every cliché. I think this new genre of scripted format will be attractive to French broadcasters.”

    “We are very excited to be working with Fremantle on this project. Not only are we assured of the quality of their adaptation, but we are also confident that it will become a cult series,” said Distraction president and CEO Michel Rodrigue.

    As the development of interactive content from such formats is already proving an asset on properties such as Love Bugs, Distraction has already begun work on a strategy for Sins of Love with Interactive Rights Management (IRM). The services will range from fixed line telephony brand extensions to MMS comic strips and mobile video downloads for the show, states an official release.

  • Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    MUMBAI: Zee Jagran will launch a pilgrimage-based show Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin on the occasion of Ram Navmi, on 6 April.

    According to an official release, the pilgrimage will have none other than Shri Arun Govil as the guide. The pilgrimage covers two countries, 10 states, 72 districts and 250 places. The program will be anchored by veteran actor Arun Govil.

    Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin gives its viewers a unique chance to explore and know in detail, about all the places visited by Shri Ram during his journeys – first with Rishi Vishwamitra and Rishi Vasishta as a child, and then the famous 14 years spent in exile. They can experience the divinity of all the places blessed by the footsteps of Shri Ram but lost and forgotten over a period of time, states an official release.

    Viewers will discover places like ‘Makhauda’ a small village 20 Kms from Ayodhya where Raja Dashrath performed the Putrayesthi Yagna, and where the Havan Kund in which this yagna was performed is still present, the release adds.

    Says Zee Jagran channel head Anil Anand, “A sense of divine history discovery & exploration, an intrinsic urge to understand one’s roots and an opportunity to be at one with God will make viewers respond to this program.” He further states that “The Channel has spared no cost to make this program special and meaningful for its viewers. The program has been shot – on location – all 250 of them; many of these places are inaccessible by modern means of transport. We have also specially composed over 400 Chaupies which will feature in the program. The title song has been very soulfully given voice by Shri Pankaj Awasthi. The program also gives travel advice to its viewers, should they want to visit any of these places. To involve and reward the viewers, we have an interactive format wherein viewers can win special gifts by sending answers to questions asked by Shri Arun Govil during the program.”

    The program is being promoted heavily on the Zee Network and other TV Channels, apart from viewer contacts being made through van activities across North Indian States.

  • Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus are kids’ favourite channels: New Generations 2005

    Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus are kids’ favourite channels: New Generations 2005

    MUMBAI: Mobile phones with cameras, computers, Shahrukh Khan, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Star Plus, Rani Mukerji, Sachin Tendulkar, online games, pocket money and Sania Mirza.

    The common factor among these is that they are Indian kids’ favourites according to the findings of Cartoon Network’s sixth edition of its patented kids’ lifestyle study – New Generations 2005.

    This year, the scope of the research has been expanded to include 15-19 year old teens, 4-6 year old kids, socio-economic class SEC C, as well as a number of new categories such as Health and Diet, Gadgets and Technology brands and Shopping and Kids’ perspectives.

    Conducted in association with Synovate India, New Generations 2005 is the largest and most in-depth research on Indian kids and seeks to gain insights on various aspects of their lives such as, pocket money, media habits, values and attitudes, product consumption habits etc.

    This year a couple of new elements have been added to the study, which are:

    The respondents category has been expanded to include younger kids (mothers of 4-6 year olds), older teens (15-19 year olds) and SEC C across age groups.

    New information areas like kids and their parents’ views on the child’s health and diet, TV viewing and regulation, sports and fitness, activity-mapping of a typical school-day and holiday, the brands that kids think are cool and the gadgets that kids desire has been included.

    The survey revealed that almost 40 per cent of kids aged 7-14 across cities and SEC strata are computer users and have used a computer in the past month. While 54 per cent of SEC A kids use computers, 37 per cent of SEC B and 34 per cent of SEC C are computer users.

    On the other hand, there is only a slight difference between boys (40 per cent) and girls (38 per cent). One in six computer users also surf the internet with more boys (20 per cent) than girls (15 per cent) surfing cyber space. Internet surfing increases with age with 20 per cent of 10-14s accessing the Internet, compared to 11 per cent of 7-9s. Also, 58 per cent of Internet users “usually access” the Internet at school, 26 per cent at cyber cafés and 17 per cent from home.

    Mobile phones with cameras rank the highest in the list of gadgets of desire for kids 7-14 with 74 per cent of the children, who have heard of one, saying they would like to own one. This is followed by the X-Box at 45 per cent, Apple iPod at 43 per cent and Sony Playstation at 33 per cent, of the kids who have heard of these gadgets.

    Nokia turned out to be the coolest brand among this age group with 72 per cent agreeing that Nokia was “very cool” followed by Sony (71 per cent), LG (60 per cent), Reliance (56 per cent), Wipro (35 per cent), Microsoft (39 per cent), Google (31 per cent), HCL (32 per cent), Infosys (30 per cent), amongst others, of the kids who have heard of these companies.

    The study also highlights that 87 per cent of kids aged 7-14 feel that too much of their time is spent studying. The feeling is the highest amongst kids from Madurai (98 per cent), followed by Kolkata and Cochin at 95 per cent. It is 90 per cent+ in Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur. However, for 80 per cent of kids across India, achieving the top rank is important even if it means having less free time.

    Interestingly, Kolkata also scores high here (97 per cent), followed by Nasik (95 per cent), then Cochin (93 per cent). Delhi is the lowest of the 14 cities at 67 per cent. And 95 per cent of kids aged 7-14 in Kolkata believe that it is difficult to score good marks without tuitions/extra classes compared to the national average of 57 per cent and Mumbai (60 per cent), Delhi (38 per cent) and Bangalore (65 per cent).

    Cartoon Network (47 per cent), Pogo (14 per cent) and Star Plus (9 per cent) emerge as top three channels amongst kids across India. On the other hand, TV viewing has emerged as universal among kids across the week, with over 9 in 10 parents watching with their kids.

    Questioned about their top three favourite television genres, 79 per cent kids voted for cartoons, 34 per cent for sports and 31 per cent for movies. The genres remained the same when split among boys and girls with boys (45 per cent versus 22 per cent) opting for sports and girls (29 per cent versus 17 per cent) preferring dance/music shows.

    Another interesting trend that was revealed in New Generations 2005 was the frequency of giving out pocket money to kids. Of kids who receive pocket money (39 per cent), 54 per cent receive pocket money on a daily basis, this is up from 33 per cent in 2004 and 24 per cent in 2003. Another fact is that 60 per cent kids get gift money, which is Rs 306 per year on an average. By adding the monies that kids receive each year (based on those receiving either gift or pocket money, only in the 14 markets), it comes to Rs 3.64 billion! And with a spending rate of 80 per cent, kids spend Rs 2.91 billion in a year!

    Referring to health and diet, 83 per cent parents believe that their children eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (Mumbai at 95 per cent and Delhi at 65 per cent), 78 per cent of kids across India echo a similar sentiment, ranging from 94 per cent in Madurai to 57 per cent in Delhi agreeing that they eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, 88 per cent parents across India (7-14) and their children agree they lead an active and healthy lifestyle with an impressive 99 per cent kids and 96 per cent parents in Madurai claiming so. However, 83 per cent parents would like their children to play more sports and 73 per cent kids would prefer to do so.

    Coming to shopping now… 84 per cent of the parents have taken their children with them for shopping, with 63 per cent of them shopping with their kids at least once a month. One in four kids ask for something (every time) while they are out shopping with their parents and most of them get what they want as well. A child’s opinion and choice is taken into consideration while deciding to purchase even high value items. Also, 71 per cent of parents agreed that their child influences which brand is chosen while buying television sets, 70 per cent for computers, 67 per cent while buying mobile phones and 66 per cent on the purchase of a car!

    Shahrukh Khan rules the roost as the favourite actor with 20 per cent of the total kids (7-14) voting for him, while Rani Mukerji emerged the favourite actress among all respondents with 16 per cent voting in her favour. The ranking is almost the same among boys (Shahrukh Khan -18 per cent and Rani Mukerji -14 per cent) and girls (Shah Rukh Khan – 22 per cent and Rani Mukerji – 17 per cent).

    Sachin Tendulkar continues to be Indian children’s favourite amongst sportspersons with 41 per cent of kids aged 7-14 voting for him followed by Rahul Dravid at 13 per cent, Sourav Ganguly and Sania Mirza at 6 per cent each.

    While 74 per cent of kids have heard of Sania Mirza and among these, nine out of 10 correctly identified the sport she plays, only 22 per cent have heard of Narain Karthikeyan and only six out of 10 of these could correctly identify his sport.

    Turner International Asia Pacific Ltd vice president research and market development Duncan Morris said, “Being the trailblazers in the kids’ entertainment category, Cartoon Network also pioneered the use of large-scale research surveys focused on kids. With subsequent editions of New Generations, Cartoon Network seeks to trace and update the trends related to various aspects of Indian kids’ lives and make this valuable survey information available to all those who are concerned with Indian children. With extended scope and a number of new research categories, New Generations 2005 once again provides the latest and most comprehensive guide to kids in India.”

    Turner International India Pvt. LTD senior manager research Krishna Desai said, “New Generations 2005 from Cartoon Network continues to build on its wealth of information about Indian kids and once again promises to be full of attention grabbing insights into Indian kids’ lifestyles, habits, preferences etc. Like its predecessors, New Generations 2005 is sure to be of great benefit and a reference guide to organisations and individuals with a focus on Indian kids, and aims to help further develop their expertise in this area.”

    The field work for New Generations 2005 was undertaken during November – December 2005 covering 14 cities and 8,927 respondents comprising 4,043 children between 7-19 years and their parents plus 841 mothers of 4-6 year olds. The sample was evenly split by gender, SEC A, B and C and age ranges 4-6, 7-9, 10-14 and 15-19.

  • Sahara in Rs 1.5 billion expansion plan; to bid for Abu Dhabi series

    Sahara in Rs 1.5 billion expansion plan; to bid for Abu Dhabi series

    MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd is planning to raise Rs 1.5 billion to meet its expansion plans. The company is also likely to bid for the cricket telecast rights for the two-match India-Pakistan Friendship Series to be held in Abu Dhabi.

    The board of directors will meet tomorrow (5 April) to decide on these issues. “Sahara One is looking at getting an enabling clause to raise Rs 1.5 billion. Among other things on the agenda is the approval to bid for the cricket rights,” said a source close to the company.

    Sahara’s media and entertainment business has been valued by Ernst & Young at Rs 7 billion, sources said. The company had appointed the consulting firm to conduct the valuation exercise.

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment is in talks to rope in investors. Recently, Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (publishers of Times of India and the Group is 74 per cent stakeholder in Times Now news channel) picked up six per cent stake for Rs 378 million in the company (Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that Bennett, Coleman would buy stake in Sahara One).

    NRI businessman C Sivasankaran is in talks to put in around Rs 1.2 billion for a minority stake into Sahara One. “He is sitting on the fence,” said the source. Having sold Aircel for $1.08 billion to Malaysia’s Maxis Communications, he is flush with funds. His first media investment was in ETC Networks where he held 40 per cent stake. He went on diluting equity and exited from the company which was later acquired by Zee Telefilms.

    Sahara is launching a music channel, adding up to a bouquet of general entertainment and movie channels. Sahara Group also owns a string of news channels.

    Sahara has already experimented with cricket telecast of the India-England series on its Hindi general entertainment channel. Using the event, Sahara One has encrypted and expanded the reach of the channel.

    For the Indo-Pak Friendship Series, the contract for ground rights has been bagged by PDM International, a Percept Holdings company, from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a bid of $ 3.61 million. Incidentally, Percept has a management contract to handle Sahara’s entertainment business.

  • Distraction relaunches Gameshow Zone

    Distraction relaunches Gameshow Zone

    MUMBAI: International format distributor Distraction adds two hot new properties to its classic gameshow catalogue, now re-launched as The Gameshow Zone.

    “These shows have an enduring appeal that hits the classic gameshow revival trend head on,” commented Distraction CEO Michel Rodrigue. “They are stellar examples of the qualities that have made formats so successful. Extremely strong audience retention, clear structures, proven track records, strong production histories… they have all the makings of sure-fire, long-term winners.”

    Teasers: From U.S. producer Merrill Heatter, Emmy award winning creator of the legendary Hollywood Squares, comes a format classic that combines the performers, questions, gags and bluffs of Hollywood Squares with the challenging, play-along style of Wheel of Fortune.

    Teasers is a fast-paced, fun-filled format with high production values and ‘can’t miss’ game play. Six celebrities – sitting in two rows of three boxes – answer the questions. Two contestants decide if the panellist has given the correct answer. A correct guess earns a contestant a piece of a six-part word puzzle, superimposed on his or her ‘box’, and the contestant has a chance to solve the puzzle.

    This entertaining word game is perfect for either a weekly or stripped slot, and with the proven power of funny celebrities plus the involvement of the word game, Teasers is sure to be at least as successful and unpredictable as its predecessor.

    Black Cat: A game of trade and cunning, Black Cat is the Magnolia adaptation of a popular Italian card game. Three contestants race to the last card over four rounds of the game before coming to the gold pyramid and the final jackpot prize. The rules of play are simple, but contestants must overcome obstacles in each round as they compete to keep the winning cards and stay in the game. One alone will move on to the final round, where eight prizes await. Only four are worth cash, however, and whether or not the contestant wins them depends on what’s in the cards.

    In the end, the only sure winner with Black Cat is the broadcaster. This one-hour format is now airing on Italia Uno and showing a strong performance against rival Deal or No Deal in the access prime time slot. Even successful series such as The O.C. and Smallville are falling short of the audience appeal of Black Cat, which has improved Italia Uno’s ratings in Italian television’s most challenging timeslot.

    Distraction’s Gameshow Zone groups these new offerings with successful formats such as In the Dark, which airs in Thailand, Indonesia and Russia, among other countries.

  • Radio City launches ‘Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam’

    Radio City launches ‘Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam’

    MUMBAI: Starting Friday, 7 April, singer- anchor-actor, Sonu Niigaam makes his radio debut as the host of a new show on Radio City 91 FM, Mumbai – Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam.

    As Sonu Niigaam puts it, “I have always believed that versatility is my greatest strength. I like to explore different mediums & different kinds of performances and entertainment. This is my first on radio and I am grateful to Radio City to give me my own show on the radio station. The entire flavour of the show is fun and interactivity in a musical way, bringing the best of our music industry for music lovers in Mumbai. This will not only bring me closer to my fans but will also give me an opportunity to be a part of their daily lives.”

    Airing every Friday at 8 pm, Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam promises to be a double scoop of entertainment for the listeners. The first hour of this new show will feature Sonu at his best as a Radio Jockey. During this hour, listeners can learn from Sonu about a wide array of subjects, states an official release.

    Listeners can also interact with Sonu one-on-one and request for their favourites in the “Sonu ji suno na” section and be part of his memories as he gets nostalgic in “Sonu ki suhani yaad”. “Aaj ab abhi” showcases his mood at the moment, while “Kaash” speaks of his unfulfilled desires. For instance, Sonu Niigaam talks about how he missed out on the opportunity to work with the great R D Burman on the super hit song “Ek ladki ko dekha toh…” from 1942 – A Love Story. All this and more that will make you wonder why he didn’t opt to be a professional RJ much earlier in his career, the release adds.

    In the second hour, Sonu will step up gear by inviting a contemporary musical maestro or a veteran musician of yesteryears as a special guest on the hot seat, every week. The highlight of this segment, will be a stimulating tête-à-tête between the flamboyant singer and his high-profile guest, the likes of Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chouhan, Kunal Ganjawala, and Sandeep Chowta to name a few. The listeners will be witness to a stimulating conversation full of unadulterated fun, whacky and hilarious repartee between the guest & host as they spill the beans about their professional and personal triumphs.

    Says Radio City CEO Apurva Purohit, “At Radio City we have always believed that great music, innovation and creativity in our shows is what sets us apart. We always create content with a discerning focus on Music. Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam is yet another unique initiative in the station’s basket that reiterates our brand promise and urges our listeners to indulge in good music.”

    Apart from on-air presence, the show will go beyond radio sets and indulge its listeners with exciting on-ground initiatives like meet and greet events with Sonu Niigaam, contests, distributing celebrity merchandise, initiating a Sonu Niigaam fan club, SMS downloads and much more, the release informs.

    The first episode of Life ki Dhun with Sonu Niigaam features Sonu Niigaam in conversation with Anu Malik. The deadly combination of Sonu & Anu has given us a number of hits like Border, Refugee and Main Hoon Na. Anu Malik reminisces his first recording with the legendary Mohammad Rafi. He takes a dig at Sonu Niigaam for imitating Radio City’s RJ Anirudh, and also takes up Sonu Niigaam’s challenge of singing a song completely without yoddling. The engaging conversation between the two stars will leave listeners gasping for more.

  • BVITV and France Telecom sign VOD agreement at MipTV

    BVITV and France Telecom sign VOD agreement at MipTV

    CANNES: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) and France Telecom have concluded a multi-year VOD (voice on demand) agreement to allow subscribers to enjoy a selection of movies from BVITV’s portfolio, through France Telecom’s Wanadoo broadband, and MaLigne IPTV set top box services.

    Under the new agreement, France Telecom’s subscribers will be able to enjoy a selection of current and library features from producer groups such as Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films. Viewers will be able to access the content online via Wanadoo broadband, downloading movies for a period of up to 30 days, or via the MaLigne set top box service. On both services, titles will be available for 24 hours once the film has been accessed.

    The selection will include first run current titles such as Flightplan, Casanova, Finding Neverland, Kinky Boots and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    In addition, subscribers will be able to enjoy a selection of library titles, including Pretty Woman, Armageddon Pearl Harbor, Signs and Unbreakable.

    For BVITV, this agreement was concluded by vice president sales, French-speaking Europe and Middle East Florent Gaignault and pay TV and new technologies vice president sales Damian Newton.

    BVITV EMEA senior vice president sales and portfolio development Philippe Maigret said, “We are working with operators such as France Telecom to provide secure ways for viewers across the world to access our movies online, on demand, and to help drive uptake of legitimate download services. This VOD agreement across France Telecom’s IPTV and broadband platforms marks the beginning of a key relationship, which we see eventually covering additional territories in Europe, across our programming portfolio for distribution on emerging platforms.”

    France Telecom executive vice president content division Patricia Langrand added, “We are very pleased to announce the first and promising step towards a strong and creative partnership. Our intention is to extend this first agreement to other territories and to develop our partnership with other content, such as BVITV’s fantastic portfolio of series. For that purpose, we will offer our commitment to our customers: my favourite programmes, everywhere, whenever I want, and the way I want.”

  • BVITV signs deals with Dubai TV for ‘Disney Club’ branded block

    BVITV signs deals with Dubai TV for ‘Disney Club’ branded block

    CANNES: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has announced the launch of a new Disney branded block in the Middle East, with the conclusion of an agreement with free-to-air satellite broadcaster Dubai TV.

    This was announced by BVITV EMEA senior vice president sales and portfolio development Philippe Maigret and Dubai Media Inc CEO Hussain Lootah.

    This will significantly increase the presence of Disney-produced animation on TV in the Middle East, which will now have a potential reach of approximately 60 million households.

    Dubai TV’s new Disney Club block will run five days a week, for half hour each day excluding Thursdays and Fridays where it will run for one hour. The block will also include Kim Possible and Lilo & Stitch: The Series in its line-up. Dubai TV’s viewers will also be able to enjoy JoJo’s Circus and The Legend of Tarzan.

    BVITV’s vice president sales, French-speaking Europe and Middle East Florent Gaignault concluded the agreement with Ali Jaber of Dubai TV.

  • TV18 to pick up 50 per cent stake in JobStreet.com India

    TV18 to pick up 50 per cent stake in JobStreet.com India

    MUMBAI: Raghav Bhal promoted Television Eighteen Group is picking up a 50 per cent stake in JobStreet.com India Pvt Ltd, the Indian arm of the Malaysia based listed online recruitment company JobStreet Corporation Berhad.

    As per the memorandum of understanding between the two companies, TV18 will initially infuse $ 2 million in cash and provide on-going media support to the business of the JobStreet.com.

    With this investment into JobStreet.com India, TV18 is making an aggressive entry into the e-recruiting market. The move is in line with the group’s increasing focus on the growing Internet opportunities in India.

    To JobStreet, this partnership meets its objective of combining its e-recruitment solution with a strategic local leader with media assets, which has proven to be a winning formula.

    TV18 CEO Haresh Chawla said, “We expect to strengthen our presence in the consumer Internet space with this acquisition – this is part of our strategy to expand our offering to Indian consumers by exploiting the growing power and reach of the Internet. Over the last five years, TV18 has consistently invested in and built successful Internet franchises in India.

    The group already owns well established online platforms – moneycontrol.com, commoditiescontrol.com, poweryourtrade.com and ibnlive.com.

    The group has also recently seeded yatra.in with Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) – Promod Haque’s venture capital firm, which aims to revolutionise the travel services space in India. With JobStreet.com India, we will bring value to millions of job seekers in India. We are delighted to partner with JobStreet in this exciting venture.”

  • ‘Kappa Mikey’ acquired by Nicktoons Network in the US

    ‘Kappa Mikey’ acquired by Nicktoons Network in the US

    CANNES: Nicktoons Network and MTV Networks International announced plans to secure 26 additional episodes of Animation Collective’s property Kappa Mikey, which became the Networks’ first-ever global acquisition when it was originally commissioned in 2005.

    The announcement was made at MipTV television market in Cannes by Nicktoons Network vice president and general manager Keith Dawkins and Animation Collective CEO and Kappa Mikey’s creator Larry Schwarz.

    The animated comedy series has posted strong ratings on Nicktoons Network in the US since its launch on 25 February and has been gaining momentum across key demos.

    The new deal comprises 26 half hour episodes and will bring the total number of episodes available for the series to 52. MTV Networks International, as per the original deal, secures international distribution rights for third-party broadcast sales for the new episodes.

    Kappa Mikey is the first anime series created and produced entirely in the US and beginning in May 2006, the first season of the series is set to launch across all of Nickelodeon’s international channels, including Nick Asia, Nick UK, Nick Spain, Nick France and Nick Europe.

    “We are so excited to be picking up a second season of Kappa Mikey, which further demonstrates our commitment to bring new, original and distinct content to our audience. Kids have lots of choices and the brands that connect themselves to the freshest ideas win. We believe that Kappa Mikey, the characters, the story and the funny, prove to be the kind of idea that kids fall in love with,” said Nicktoons Network general manager Keith Dawkins.

    “In Nicktoons Network we were fortunate to find the perfect home in which to introduce Kappa Mikey. The Network’s enthusiastic support and love for the property has led to its success. The speed with which they renewed the show, less than a week after its first airing, demonstrates the commitment they have made to building Kappa Mikey as a brand and how supportive they are of independent creator-producers. We feel very lucky to be able to continue to bring to life the world of Kappa Mikey, its characters and its stories,” said Schwarz.

    “Anime is an extremely popular genre around the world and we are delighted that the success of the first season of Kappa Mikey is being extended across 26 new episodes. Broadcasters have tremendous confidence in MTV Networks International’s ability to provide cutting edge, unrivalled hit properties and Kappa Mikey is certainly delivering,” MTV Networks International senior vice president international program sales Debbie Back.