Category: Television

Penguin India & CNBC-TV18 present the Business Year book – 2006-07

MUMBAI : India’s leading publishing house Penguin and leading business news and analysis network CNBC-TV18 have come together to present the first ever Business Yearbook with comprehensive information on India – The Penguin – CNBC-TV18 Business Yearbook 2006-07, compiled and edited by Derek O Brien.

Speaking on the initiative, Ajay Chacko, Head – Marketing, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz said, “The Penguin CNBC-TV18 Business Yearbook 2006-07 is a catalogue of valuable information by established names like Penguin and CNBC-TV18. The Yearbook provides valuable insights and facts and encapsulates all the milestones that made an impact on the economy during the year 2005-06. This first-of-its-kind yearbook is an essential guide for executives, consultants, students and examination candidates as it is a reference on Indian business and economy and incorporates the latest figures. Making this book truly special are the feature contributions on the progress of the Indian economy by leading industry stalwarts like Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan and many others”

Thomas Abraham, CEO and President Penguin Books India added, ” The Penguin CNBC Yearbook 2006-07 is a vital extension to our reference list. Filling a gap in the market (it’s the first ever business yearbook in India), the book produced in partnership with India’s premier business channel, will be an invaluable addition to every business executive’s shelf. The key to success today is information and never before has it been so compactly put together for the user. The book will be an annual feature with topical and thematic variations that will always ensure that India’s business community now has a one stop shop for essential reference.”

Some of the highlights of The Penguin CNBC-TV18 Business Yearbook 2006-07 are:

Business and Economy Timelines: A brief history of business from 7500 BC to the present.

The Year in Review: Day-by-day developments in the business world in 2005 and 2006.

Newsmakers: People from the business world who hit the headlines this year (2005-2006).

Indian Economy:A complete dossier on Indian business, economy, industry and investments, with the latest figures Highlights on key issues like the rise and fall and rise again of the Sensex, VAT, PSUs and FII In-depth review and current data on key sectors like agriculture, engineering, petroleum, electronics, IT and FMCG Comprehensive coverage of the state economies and the 2006 Union and Railway Budgets.

World Economies:Key info on the economies of the G8 countries, the EU, and major Asian, African and Gulf economies Plus profiles of the economies of all 193 nations in the world.

Organizations: Info on the IMF, the World Bank, UNDP, WTO, ILO, FAO, OECD etc.

Companies: Listings of major companies (both Indian and international) across industries.

Who’s Who: Thumbnail sketches of the most prominent players in the business world today.

Career and featured Articles by Amartya Sen, Bimal Jalan, C.K. Prahalad, Gurcharan Das, Nirmalya Kumar, Seetha,Steven D. Levitt, Sumantra Ghoshal, Thomas Friedman, Tim Harford and many more.

March 12, 2006
Winter Olympics exceeds expectations on European broadcaster Globosport

MUMBAI: The XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin has become the single largest event ever screened on British Eurosport.

The Games, which were broadcast from 10 to26 February 2006 reached over 8.4 million viewers to out-perform even the Summer Olympics from Athens in 2004 and Sydney in 2000. British Eurosport broadcast over 361 hours of coverage from Italy, with 51 per cent live, over the 17 days of the Games.

The success of the event was matched across Europe where Turin scored the best Olympic Games’ ratings on Eurosport with 140 million different viewers following the Olympic competition.

With 367 hours of broadcast, the Olympic Games drew twice as many viewers as the regular average for the channel.

Figure skating, alpine skiing and biathlon are amongst the best programmes. Exclusive live coverage of the preliminary ski jumping before the main competition broadcast on Eurosport on 12 February peaked at 5.2 million viewers.

The newly re-launched Eurosport.com website, with its enhanced live scoring and editorial content, also recorded good figures with more than 13 million visits over the 16 days of the Turin Games, double the volume of traffic as registered during the Athens Games.

Eurosport has attributed its success to its international editorial line. Expert commentaries, with consultants such as Alberto Tomba, and innovative shows such as Daring Girls contributed to reinforce Eurosport as the reference channel for the Games’ coverage.

Eurosport was also involved on-site in Turin. As Official Olympic Broadcaster and partner of TOROC (Organising Committee of the XX Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games), Eurosport became the first broadcaster to be present in the Olympic Sponsor Village with the Eurosport Pavilion. Over 400, 000 people visited the Olympic Sponsor Village in Turin and had the opportunity to be entertained in Eurosport’s Multimedia space.

March 11, 2006
Shemaroo releases Lara’s epic 400 innings on DVD, VCD

MUMBAI: Home video firm Shemaroo has released Brian Lara’s epic innings 400 Not Out.

West Indian batsman Brian Lara made the highest score in a test innings. The DVD and VCD of the fourth Test innings of West Indies versus England in Antigua 2004 contains the record setting moments and captures history in the making.

The DVD also includes snapshots of former test players speaking about the epic innings. The digitally mastered all region DVD comes with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound and has interactive menus for easy access to scenes.

Also.just three weeks after the theatrical release, Shemaroo has released the VCDs and DVDs of the Sushmita Sen and Mithun Chakraborty starrer Chingaari. Director Kalpana Lajmi’s women-oriented films like Daman have made a sound statement in the society and Chingaari too reverberates on a similar theme bringing forth the plight of a prostitute in a distant Indian village.

Sen plays Basanti, a prostitute, who when mauled, revolts against the evil village priest Bhuvan Panda, played by Chakraborty.

March 11, 2006
Murdoch on India visit this weekend?

Is global media baron Rupert Murdoch coming to town? If reports are to be believed a visit is being planned for the News Corp chief to visit Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, (if possible) over this weekend. Murdoch last visited India, if reports are to be believed in a hush-hush meeting with the then Congress (I) strongman, Sharad Pawar in 1996 at an army base in Pune.

His earlier visit to India was in 1993-94 which was much hyped up when he was seen with various politicians, dignitaries and businessmen. He was feted wherever he went. Since 1996 he has been unable to fly into India because of a flimsy obscenity case that was pending against him for the airing of a bit of skin on Star Movies. The case apparently took an ugly turn when summons were sent to his residences/offices in Australia and the US, and an arrest warrant issued against him. The situation was so bad that he was not permitted to enter the country and declared a criminal because he did not attend court when he was summoned. He would have been arrested had he landed in the country. Since then, however, the case has been set aside and Murdoch can visit India.

During his current visit – if it takes place over the weekend – he is expected to meet the Prime Minister, information technology minister, Pramod Mahajan. His focus is expected to be on the information technology sector, in which he has suddenly begun to see lots of promise. He is also expected to give a direction to Star TV India CEO Peter Mukerjea as to how much he is willing to commit to India and in which areas. And obviously, he is going to be tomtomming Star TV’s forays into the information technology and convergence sector.

Currently, hectic preparations are on within Star TV and his once Indian partner in Star TV’s Indian DTH project Pramod Mittal who is trying to smoothen his visit out here. Obviously, a meeting with his old mate Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra is planned. For sure, he is going to thank him, Chandra has helped Murdoch make more money on his investment in Zee Telefilms than he has made through his entire Star TV operations in the past six years, thanks to an appreciation in Zee’s share price over the past six months.

Meanwhile, the media can expect to have a rollicking time. Murdoch is eminently quotable as we have known him to be.

March 11, 2006
T-Mobile acquires rights for 2006 football World Cup for seven European firms

MUMBAI: Football’s governing body Fifa’s marketing agency Infront Sports and Media has signed an extensive agreement with mobile phone operator T-Mobile International for mobile broadcast rights covering all 64 matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup

The deal covers seven European territories including host country Germany, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

T-Mobile acquired the rights for the non-exclusive transmission of near-live and/or delayed video clips of key match footage such as goals via mobile networks to mobile phones. Additionally the rights package includes access to archive video material of the 2002 Fifa World Cup.

In Germany, T-Mobile is entitled to offer live streaming transmissions of 20 selected 2006 FIFA World Cup matches to its customers. The transmission is possible over telecommunications networks (GPRS/UMTS) on a pay basis.

Infront executive director Oliver Seibert said, “We are delighted about this extensive agreement with T-Mobile as the mobile arm of Deutsche Telekom, one of the official partners of the 2006 Fifa World Cup. In Europe, mobile broadcast rights agreements have now been signed covering most of the important football markets. This guarantees a strong mobile coverage during the 2006 Fifa World Cup reaching millions of fans.”

March 11, 2006
FremantleMedia signs seven deals for ‘Man Stroke Woman’

MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID) has agreed major deals with seven countries for the sale of series one of the sketch show Man Stroke Woman.

A talkbackTHAMES production from Ash Atalla producer of The Office, Man Stroke Woman was first shown on BBC3 last year and will be screened on BBC2 on 13 March.

The show is proving a success around the globe with deals secured with TVNZ New Zealand, RTE Ireland, TV2 Denmark, MTV OY Finland, Talpa TV Netherlands, IBC Iceland and IBA Israel.

Man Stroke Woman stars an ensemble cast of actors including Nick Frost, Nick Burns, Daisy Haggard and Amanda Abbington. talkbackTHAMES has also picked up a commission for a second series for BBC3 and BBC2.

FID head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy said, “The reaction to the show around the world has been phenomenal and proves yet again the strength of home grown comedy talent.”

FID will also be launching the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, also produced by talkbackTHAMES’s Ash Atalla, at MipTV 2006.

March 11, 2006
ESS launches Hindi feed for English Premier League

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced special Hindi commentary for the English Premier League with an eye to promoting soccer across India.

The channel had earlier introduced Hindi commentary during Euro 2004 and the Fifa Confederation Cup 2005.

ESS VP sales and marketing Sricharan Iyengar said, “Localisation of content has helped us increase our penetration in traditional markets of India. The Hindi telecast also enabled us to open up several non-traditional markets for soccer like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

“The viewership numbers of Confederation Cup 2005 as well as Euro 2004 testifies this. The localisation adds a lot of value to our telecast especially for viewers who find it difficult to understand the heavily accented English or for viewers who are not familiar with English at all.

“Soccer is gaining popularity as one of the most viewed sport in Indian homes and we find that EPL is particularly well liked by viewers in metros. ESPN Star Sports has been making special efforts to further grow EPL’s popularity nationally. Live screenings, building viewer affinity for EPL clubs and growing knowledge among Indian viewers are some of the steps we have taken to enhance the passion associated with the game and in turn grow the league. The introduction of Hindi commentary will further help in growing the popularity of English Premier League across the country,” added Iyengar.

Sunil Taneja and Puneet Pal Singh will do the Hindi commentary for English Premier League on a rotational basis. Both will be based in the broadcaster’s headquarters in Singapore.

March 11, 2006
Tdsat directive on Dish TV: Deadline over, MTV mum

MUMBAI: With just a day left for the 30-day deadline set by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat), but music channel MTV and sibling kids’ channel Nick are still missing from Dish TV.

It was on 10 February that Tdsat had issued a directive giving the two Viacom channels 30 days notice to make themeselves available to Zee Group’s DTH service Dish TV. As per Tdsat’s dictat, within the time frame from 10 February to 12 March, the two channels from the MTV stable had to be visible to Dish TV subscribers.

Dish TV had issued a reminder to MTV, stating that the time period is on the verge of expiry and hoping for a positive response on the same. According to a senior Dish TV executive, “We issued a final reminder on 9 March. If they fail to respond to the same, we will move the Tdsat next week.”

When contacted by Indiantelevision.com, a senior MTV Networks India executive said, “At this point of time, we don’t want to comment on this matter.”

It is worth noting that when contacted earlier by Indiantelevision.com, MTV Networks India Sr VP network development and licensing and merchandising Sanjeev Hiremath had stated that the Set-Discovery One alliance (of which the two channels are a part) is already in talks with ASC Enterprises (Dish TV’s holding company) in regards to the matter.

When asked if his DTH network and the One Alliance were anywhere near agreement, a senior Dish executive said, “We did have a few rounds of talks. However, nothing has been finalized as of now.”

Dish TV, last year, had moved the disputes tribunal seeking legal redressal against, what it says, is MTV’s unwillingness to come onto its DTH platform.

MTV India operates three channels in the country — MTV and Nick, distributed by the One Alliance and Vh1, distributed by Zee-Turner.

March 11, 2006
Disney donates $2.5 mn toward building of Martin Luther King, Jr. national memorial

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company Foundation led a Hollywood effort to raise awareness and financial backing for the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial by donating $2.5 million and underwriting the “Dream Dinner” fundraiser.

With $47 million now raised by the foundation, a Congressional match kicks in that brings the total to $57 million of the $100 million needed for the project.

The Walt Disney Company president and CEO Bob Iger said, “Everyone can do his or her part to help make sure this great man’s legacy will do more than endure, but will grow, and that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s story will be known and inspire generations to come. That is why it is my privilege and honor to present a $2.5 million check from The Walt Disney Company Foundation that will go towards realizing the dream of this magnificent memorial.”

Those who attended to support the Dream Dinner included: Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Jack Valenti, Tommy Hilfiger, Gary Cowger of General Motors, Clarence Avant, Usher, Holly Robinson Peete, Rodney Peete, Victoria Rowell, and Antwone Fisher.

Other companies and individuals who donated to the memorial alongside Disney were: News Corporation, the David Geffen Foundation, Steven Spielberg, Warner Bros., NBC Universal, Intel/Revelations Alliance, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the William Morris Agency, Norman Lear, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLC, Nu Image/Avi Lerner, Robert Day, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Jewish Federation, Jarvis Stewart, and Mosaic Sales Solutions, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and Interior Music Publishing.

“I am proud that the entertainment industry and the citizens of Los Angeles turned out in full force to support a long overdue national memorial to Dr. King,” said Jack Valenti, former president of the Motion Picture Association and a member of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Executive Leadership Cabinet.

The Los Angeles Dream Dinner is the third in a series of dinners to raise awareness and funds for Dr. King’s Memorial. J.W. Marriott, Jr. and Colin Powell co-hosted a Washington, D.C. Dream Dinner in October 2005. George Lucas, Deborah and Carlos Santana, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Bill Walton participated in a November, 2005 San Francisco Dream Dinner.

Los Angeles Dream Dinner donors will join the following major contributors to the project: General Motors, Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, The Ford Motor Company Fund, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, NBA/WNBA, George Lucas, WalMart, Victor MacFarlane, AFLAC, Fannie Mae and its Foundation, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Horowitz Family Foundation, Federated Department Stores Foundation, Bell South, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Delta Airlines Foundation, and Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson. Among national figures supporting the memorial are the Honorable Andrew Young, General Colin Powell, the Honorable Jack Kemp, and David Stern.

March 11, 2006
Cartoon Network goes live with ‘Reanimated’

MUMBAI: Cartoon Network has announced the beginning of production on Reanimated, their first original movie that combines cartoon characters with live action.

Reanimated tells the story of 12-year-old Jimmy Roberts who, while visiting an amusement park, gets into a tragic accident and needs an emergency brain transplant. The doctors give him the frozen brain of a famous cartoonist, which enables Jimmy to see cartoons wherever he goes.

Casting is underway and the Los Angeles-based production will begin shooting this spring. Reanimatedwill premiere on Cartoon Network in August 2006.

“When we read the script for Reanimated, we thought it was innovative, irreverent and, most of all, funny. We knew we had to make it. We think when it’s done the ‘Cartoon Network’ way, kids will enjoy seeing animation and the real world collide,” said Cartoon Network executive vice president and general manager Jim Samples.

Reanimated is created by Adam Pava and Tim McKeon. Both were writers on Cartoon Network’s hit series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and The Life & Times of Juniper Lee.

March 11, 2006