ITV

Category: English Entertainment

  • Show Business personalities dominate Twitter all over the globe

    Show Business personalities dominate Twitter all over the globe

    NEW DELHI: Singers Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, and Shakira feature among the top ten followed celebrities on Twitter.

     

    Twitter was launched with an idea to update statuses and interact on cyber space with a limitation of 140 characters but has become a sensation of its own kind, according to the Pakistani ‘More Magazine’.

     

    American President Barack Obama is the only non-show business personality in the top ten list and the tenth place is held by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. The top ten are:

     

        Justin Bieber 19 year old singing sensation holds number 1 spot on twitter with 46 million followers.

        Katy Perry the girl who shot to fame with Teenage Dream holds 2nd place with 45.7 million followers

        Lady Gaga Exotic singer and performer who has set a whole new standard with her live performance holds third largest number of followers with 40.3 million fans

        Barack Obama Only non-showbiz personality in the list is the current US President Barack Husain Obama with 38.7 million followers.

        Taylor Swift Beautiful singing diva who had shown vast talent in country and pop singing currently resides on fifth spot with 35.7 million followers

        Britney Spears A star of her own kind, who recently made a comeback with her sensational Criminal has 33.2 million followers on Twitter.

        Justin Timberlake A guy who fascinated us first with his songs and now with his acting skills has 27.5 million followers.

        Jenifer Lopez Known as Jlo, this singer-actress holds 24.7 million followers,

        Shakira – A singer who used to sizzles her performances with Belly dancing is having 22.5 millions following her Twitter feeds.

        Cristiano Ronaldo Footballer from Portugal who also appears in various ads nowadays makes it at number 10 with 22 million followers

     

  • AMC Networks to acquire Chellomedia from Liberty Global

    AMC Networks to acquire Chellomedia from Liberty Global

    MUMBAI: Cable television networks’ AMC Networks has reached a definitive agreement to substantially acquire all of Chellomedia, the international content division of Liberty Global for €750 million (approximately $1.035 billion). The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.

    The acquisition would bring AMC Networks a wide number of television channels on board that are distributed to more than 390 million households in 138 countries. The channels span a range of genres, including movie and entertainment networks, providing significant long-range opportunities for AMC Networks to distribute its popular original programming from AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv across an expansive global footprint.

    “Chellomedia has developed a remarkable portfolio of popular channels that reach millions of people around the world. As AMC Networks has expanded internationally, we have had a great desire to do something we consider fundamentally strategic, which is to take our content and put it on channels we own. This acquisition allows us to secure a large, global platform on which to distribute our increasingly successful original programming through a collection of strong, well-established and well-managed assets worldwide,” said AMC Networks president and CEO Josh Sapan. “Together, we can grow these assets and make them even more popular and valuable around the world.”

    Chellomedia president Niall Curran said, “AMC Networks are content professionals with an excellent creative and business track record. They are highly enthusiastic about the business we have built at Chellomedia and are ambitious to develop it further, making AMC Networks a great owner and partner for Chello’s next phase of growth.”

     

    In addition to the AMC channel, AMC Networks also owns IFC and IFC Films, WE and the Sundance Channel.

    The agreement includes the acquisition of Chellomedia’s operating businesses including: Chello Central Europe, Chello Latin America, Chello Multicanal, Chello Zone, the ad sales unit Atmedia and the broadcast solutions unit Chello DMC.

    Chellomedia’s has many channels in various genres such as movies, entertainment, sports, children, lifestyle and documentary.

  • Time of the yore, once more

    Time of the yore, once more

    MUMBAI: She must have raised many eyebrows for her provocative choices. But nobody could match Madonna’s style at her vixen-esque best. She inspired almost all the young girls in the eighties and most of the guys were awestruck by her sheer screen presence. Now, the viewers have a chance to know all about Madonna and a lot more about the 80s with a new show on NGC.

    Retro never really goes out of fashion, and when one looks back on this era through the yellow window, amazing content is assured, says John Abraham

    Since the era has had its own glory with neon pop colours, Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ punching Argentina to footballing glory, the launch of the first personal computer, the rise of Bollywood’s very own “Disco Dancer” and Jennifer Beal’s “Flash” dance, the channel gives an opportunity to explore that.

    “National Geographic Channel provides factual entertainment that strives to give people something new and fascinating. The 80s is, at the very least – fascinating and quite trend setting. Trends that are still impacting our lives – in terms of fashion, gadgets, sports, music, etc. This not just makes for rich and interesting content, it is extremely refreshing for the whole genre as well,” says National Geographic and FOX International Channels, VP, marketing, Debarpita Banerjee.

    However, since the show would feature multiple domains – from fashion, gadgets and sports to media and politics, the channel has done a great deal of legwork. To recreate the entire decade across various arenas wasn’t easy. “Legitimacy and accuracy had to be ensured, since every story is told through a string of first-hand interviews and accounts,” remarks Bannerjee, further adding that the 80s icons and newsmakers like high-tech titan Steve Wozniak, media mogul Ted Turner, renowned director Oliver Stone as well as Jane Fonda, Calvin Klein, Michael J Fox, Joan Collins, David Hasselhoff and Bruce Weber have been brought on board to share their insights about the decade. “While on the Indian front, Piyush Pandey, Mahesh Bhatt, Vinod Dua, Mark Tully and Subhash Ghai are a few of the big-wigs that have been roped in,” she adds.

    “Retro” always interests people and that is what has got the channel interested in the concept. “Plus, this was the decade that witnessed the emergence of legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, rise of Rajiv Gandhi and the era that gave Madonna, in all her avatars, a manic fan-base and when the world was privy to a modern day fairytale – the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana,” says Banerjee.

    The 80s, according to the channel, has the best of ‘infotainment’ to offer to the discerning viewer, in way of fashion, technology, sports and some of the biggest moments in history. “So, while the decade may not be top of mind now, and may have acquired some dust, there is definitely a lot of sheen beneath it. We are quite confident that it will make a great watch,” she adds.

    To promote the series well, it is being supported by an extensive online campaign which has been activated on social media and across websites. The channel is hosting a #Flashback80s week from 21 till 25 October on the Nat Geo Facebook page for the three million plus fans. “The week will also see an ‘80s Music Quiz’ contest hosted on Twitter, Facebook users can hashtag #Flashback80s and tell us any three things that made the 1980s a memorable decade for them, whether fun or emotional or plain nostalgic. Also, we will be sharing videos, pictures, faux pas, gadgets, sporting events from the decade for people to relive a slice of the 80s,” says Bannerjee.

    Besides, actor John Abraham, the face of the channel, has also been going gung-ho about the concept. “The cherry on the cake would definitely be the show’s overriding theme! ‘Retro’ never really goes out of fashion, and when one looks back on this era through the yellow window, amazing content is assured. It was the decade that throbbed to the sounds of the Boombox, witnessed the death of Indira Gandhi and rise of Rajiv Gandhi and also the decade that saw the world holding its breath as the Chernobyl nuclear reactor went up in flames. I have no doubt that the show would appeal to people across all age-groups and is just as relevant today, as it ever was.”

    The show will air on Thursday and Friday at 10 pm every week.

  • Netflix becomes bigger than HBO

    Netflix becomes bigger than HBO

    NMUMBAI: Orange is the New Black may have helped make Netflix the new HBO with investors.

     

    On Monday, Netflix reported a U.S. paid subscriber leap, which according to analysts, puts the streaming service squarely ahead of Time Warner’s HBO.

     

    The advances by Netflix spotlight a winning formula around original programming to attract new membership. Original titles such as Orange is the New Black and the Emmy-winning show, House of Cards, were big attractions for subscribers. Binge viewing of these titles have turned Netflix into a hit maker for the new generation.

     

    Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos remarked that the only reason to adapt the forecast model for the second season of Orange Is the New Black was because they were highly confident in the model and the quality of the show.

     

    Netflix’s U.S. paid subscribers jumped to 29.9 million in the third quarter, up from 28.6 million in June, passing HBO’s 28.7 million, according to market researcher SNL Kagan.

     

    Wall Street investors applauded Netflix’s programming results. Shares of Netflix rocketed 10 percent, at $391.39, in after-hours trading on the news. Overall membership at Netflix soared in the quarter from last year. It also reported more than 33 percent jump in members from last year, at 40 million compared with less than 30 million in the prior period.

     

    Since Orange has been a great success for them, Netflix wants to do more content like Orange.

     

    Netflix quarterly results beat estimates, top to bottom, according to a survey of forecasts from Thomson Reuters. Company net income popped 315 percent, at $31.8 million, compared with a year ago. Revenue nudged past estimates by $6 million on just over $1.1 billion in the quarter. Earnings per share of 52 cents beat analyst forecasts for 49 cents in the period.

     

    Netflix’s international audience jumped by 1.4 million new members from a year ago, driven by Nordic and Netherlands expansion efforts, the company said.

  • Get ready for an online adventure as Life of Pi premieres on Star Movies

    Get ready for an online adventure as Life of Pi premieres on Star Movies

    MUMBAI: It was one of the highest grossing Hollywood films in India in 2012. Now, as Life of Pi is slated for a TV premiere soon on Star Movies, the channel has come up with an innovative experiment to involve the viewers. Having acquired the telecast rights of the Oscar-winning film directed by Ang Lee, Star Movies will premiere the film on Sunday, 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the right buzz around the movie that will be broadcast as part of their most distinguished slot – “Hollywood Premiere”.

     

    To engage the audience well, the channel is using the interactive power of the digital medium to reach out to its audience by launching an experiential online journey based on the movie. “Most of the film has been shot in India and has Indian stars. Since we really believe that the premiere will fetch good results in the Indian market, we are planning a strategy that can pull more audience,” says Star Network (English channels) general manager Kevin Vaz, informing about an online game, “Life of I” that they are launching before the premiere of the film.

     

    The game invites viewers to experience the journey of a lifetime through the lens of Pi. The participants can log in to the game via Facebook where they have the chance to map out their own journey based on the events that transpire in the movie. The game has eight milestones. A player who crosses all the milestones becomes eligible for a trip to landmark locations where Life of Pi was shot – including Puducherry, Munnar and Taiwan, in addition to other prizes. A person who plays the entire game will also get a personalised video of their journey that will comprise a part of their Facebook journey. The video acts as a memoir of their journey as they live in real life their own version of the movie.

     

    Kevin says that the channel has taken the entire initiative to plan the trip for the winners. “We haven’t roped in travelling partners. We will be doing it on our own,” he adds.

     

    “Not just this, to create enough buzz, we have also created special videos shot with the stars of the movie that will give the audience an insight into the film’s making, with anecdotes that happened during the shooting of the film,” says Kevin, who thinks that an extra effort has to be made in order to get more audience and survive in the world of cut-throat competition. “Whenever we have made an extra effort to promote a show or a film, it has reaped good results. Case in point, the Academy Awards, which we promoted across mediums with new initiatives, gave us many viewers,” says Kevin, who thinks that very soon such efforts will be made with all big movie premieres.

  • Zee Cafe not running scared of competition

    Zee Cafe not running scared of competition

    MUMBAI: Zee Cafe is unfazed by the entry of newer players in the English entertainment space. The reason being that one of the pioneers in what was once a niche category follows the simple mantra of gauging viewer appetite coupled with the right marketing to stay ahead in the game.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) senior vice president and business head – niche channels Anurag Bedi puts it as, “The year has been fantastic for Zee Café as we are the undisputed leaders of FY 2013. Zee Café has been the number one channel in the genre for an average of 28 weeks, beating competition with a share of 21 per cent. Our key strengths have always been a strong line-up of world class content and dynamic marketing campaigns.”

    Zee Café stakes claim of bringing popular international shows to Indian shores at the earliest. In keeping with this tradition, it plans to air Big Bang Theory season 7 and The Vampire Diaries season 5 starting November, very close to their US premiere, as well as House of Cards from early next year. The channel is aware that viewers today want to see fresh new shows as also the latest seasons of their favourite shows without much of a time lag.

    Agrees Maxus India national director – insights Priti Murthy: “Viewers don’t want to wait and usually prefer to watch the latest content online. Therefore, the whole genre has to work towards getting this audience to its kitty.”

    Earlier too, AXN’s business head Sunil Punjabi had told indiatelevision.com that people want to watch shows which are airing currently closer to their airing in the US and in the last one year, the channel has been doing this consistently – adding shows closer to their telecast in the US.

    Spelling out who constitutes the target group (TG) of the new channel, Star India business head Kevin Vaz had said it is the most premium audience in India, comprising the one per cent of top Sec, A+ and between the age group of 20 to 35, indiantelevison.com had reported when Star World HD was launched.

    To counter competition, Bedi believes in identifying what appeals to audiences and cushioning it with effective marketing. “Our competitors have lined up some of the best shows that America produces but no point if they are not marketed to Indian audiences correctly,” he says. Fragmentation is inevitable but “We have a strong relationship with our partners so we do not see competition as a threat and will continue to bring the best of English entertainment to Indian audiences,” he adds.

    Zee Cafe’s strategy is not only to bring in soaps but also movies and live and exclusive telecasts of events from across the globe. “Zee Café caters to a premium and relatively niche audience, hence, there is no fixed format and we will continue to experiment with shows that fit with our TG,” points out Bedi, adding there are plans for an HD channel.

    Speaking of marketing, the channel tied up with Eco roots to adopt trees for each pledge taken by viewers for the Green Turn initiative. Digitally too, it has undertaken several successful initiatives. “Our campaigns like Team Grey, Gossip Girl, Happy hour at 3,Tweet hour with the cast of The Mentalist built an immediate connect with our fans and have received tremendous response from them,” emphasises Bedi. The channel is looking forward to more innovative campaigns for upcoming properties like Big Bang Diwali and House of Cards. “We try to do something different each time to delight the audiences and we will keep on doing that,” says Bedi.

    Murthy however feels Zee Café needs to be more aggressive in its approach to marketing. “The way other channels push their content, I don’t think Zee Café does in the same manner. One must understand, in the genre, there are only a few shows for the whole channel, unlike the Hindi counterparts, which is the sad part. Therefore, aggression is needed to cash in more on the growing audience that wants to watch international shows,” she says.

  • Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    MUMBAI: Brand Sony is getting a makeover. Days after Sony Entertainment Television Network announced its fresh new look, Sony Pix is following suit, starting with a repositioning from ‘Hollywood is here’ to ‘Stay Amazed’.

    The new brand identity will be unveiled along with the world television premiere of Skyfall on 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm on the channel.

    As opposed to the earlier tagline ‘Hollywood is here’, ‘Stay Amazed’ defines what it is about Hollywood that people like, breaking the clutter and making the channel stand out from the crowd. Significantly, it’s a brand promise that viewers of the rebooted Sony Pix will never have a dull moment, whether they’re watching it on television, social media or on-ground.

    The channel rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look

    Says Sony Pix executive VP and business head Saurabh Yagnik: “The whole idea is to break the clutter and give the audience what they truly want to see and experience. The revamped look propagates the brand philosophy of being fresh, innovative and progressive. Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel.”

    The repositioning has been a gruelling exercise with Team Sony Pix burning some serious midnight oil to brainstorm and understand what Indian audiences really want from in particular English movie channels and in general Hollywood. The channel has rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look.

    Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel says Saurabh Yagnik

    And the result is for all to see – an all new packaging in eye-catching ‘neon green’, which is part of Sony Pix’s revamped strategy to stay-in-sync with an increasing number of young viewers. What’s more, synergies have been worked out between the upcoming instalment of the Krrish franchise and Sony’s rebranding campaign.

    “The whole revamped look took nearly six months to execute, and we narrowed down on Medialuna after taking a close look at their body of work. We are really glad with the final outcome,” exults Yagnik.

    The new look will unravel along with the premiere of ‘Skyfall’ on 27 October

    Coming to the Skyfall premiere, a 360-degree promotional campaign is on the anvil, which promises to engage viewers like never before. The channel is gearing up for the ‘Biggest secret mission ever’ on Facebook – designed to give viewers a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a trip to the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London. (Bond in Motion is the largest official collection of original James Bond vehicles over the past 50 years).

    Says Sony Pix vice president – marketing Neville Bastawalla: “This is something that is really going to get our viewers engaged and get more involved with the channel. The mission will be played over three phases: one to crack a maze of obstacles using clues, second being a first of its kind game where your mobile phone becomes a remote to chase clues, and the third being simply type in the codes that are flashed on the screen during the premiere to win a chance to visit the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London.”

    It’s all about getting our viewers engaged and getting them more involved with the channel believes Neville Bastawalla

    While the in-house team has designed, conceptualised and executed the on-air promos, the outdoor Skyfall campaign, to be carried out in Mumbai and Delhi, will be handled by Leo Burnett India. Tonic Media will look after the digital front. Approximately 80-85 per cent of the marketing budget has been kept aside exclusively for the repositioning, and the channel is confident of a great response from the trade and audiences alike.

    Snapdeal.com is the presenting sponsor for the Skyfall campaign while Dell and Engage Deos are the powered by sponsors. Other sponsors include Toyota, Lombard suiting, Whirlpool, We Chat and many more.

    In charge of the digital component of the entire rebranding exercise is Tonic Media. With nearly 33,300 followers on Twitter and a little over 3,275 likes on Facebook at the time of penning this article, Sony Pix is looking to intensify its engagement with viewers on social media.

    Notty Pixy will get the inside dope of all the gossip from behind the scenes in Hollywood

    On the cards is an interactive initiative with NottyPixy, who is touted as this Hollywood insider, who works hard and parties harder, is quirky, has loads of attitude and resonates with the youth. The #NottyPixy hashtag has been launched to promote the Notty Pixy character, with Notty Pixy taking over the @SonyPix handle every Thursday. Further, Notty Pixy will get onto the channel from end-November, every Friday, at 7:00 pm, to run a movie of her choice and interact with viewers through social media as well as on-air with ‘Wow trivia with a Notty Pixy twist’.

    While the repositioning is aimed at taking the channel to greater heights, even presently, Sony Pix appears to be in a good space.

    A 360 degree campaign will be carried out for the repositioning

    Movies-wise, the channel has nearly 250 – 300 active film titles, which include the Rocky series, Spider Man franchise, Mission Impossible series, Terminator franchise, animation films like Madagascar, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda plus a recent acquisition – the complete Bond franchise along with the latest flick, Skyfall.
    Pix also boasts some big-ticket releases of 2013 including: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Captain Phillips, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs 2, White House Down, Django Unchained, Grown Ups 2 and After Earth among others. Moreover, the channel is associated with five of Hollywood’s leading studios such as Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, MGM and Universal.

    So does Pix plan to restructure its FPC (Fixed Point Chart) with the implementation of the 10+2 ad cap rule? “Firstly, I really don’t believe that the ruling will make a very big difference to English movie channels, but if it does get implemented, then we are ready for it as we at Pix believe we can deliver engaging content to keep our viewers hooked on,” replies Yagnik.

    Currently airing (14+2) 16 minutes of advertisements per hour of programming and second only to Star Movies in the English movie channel space, Pix has seen a 35 per cent growth in terms of its reach pre-DAS and post-DAS, and a 36 per cent growth in terms of TSV (Time Spent per Viewer), so while the channel is well placed, it is also making all the right noises to pip competitors at the post.

  • Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    MUMBAI: Brand Sony is getting a makeover. Days after Sony Entertainment Television Network announced its fresh new look, Sony Pix is following suit, starting with a repositioning from ‘Hollywood is here’ to ‘Stay Amazed’.

    The new brand identity will be unveiled along with the world television premiere of Skyfall on 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm on the channel.

    As opposed to the earlier tagline ‘Hollywood is here’, ‘Stay Amazed’ defines what it is about Hollywood that people like, breaking the clutter and making the channel stand out from the crowd. Significantly, it’s a brand promise that viewers of the rebooted Sony Pix will never have a dull moment, whether they’re watching it on television, social media or on-ground.

    Says Sony Pix executive VP and business head Saurabh Yagnik: “The whole idea is to break the clutter and give the audience what they truly want to see and experience. The revamped look propagates the brand philosophy of being fresh, innovative and progressive. Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel.”

    The repositioning has been a gruelling exercise with Team Sony Pix burning some serious midnight oil to brainstorm and understand what Indian audiences really want from in particular English movie channels and in general Hollywood. The channel has rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look.

    The channel rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look

    And the result is for all to see – an all new packaging in eye-catching ‘neon green’, which is part of Sony Pix’s revamped strategy to stay-in-sync with an increasing number of young viewers. What’s more, synergies have been worked out between the upcoming instalment of the Krrish franchise and Sony’s rebranding campaign.

    “The whole revamped look took nearly six months to execute, and we narrowed down on Medialuna after taking a close look at their body of work. We are really glad with the final outcome,” exults Yagnik.

    Coming to the Skyfall premiere, a 360-degree promotional campaign is on the anvil, which promises to engage viewers like never before. The channel is gearing up for the ‘Biggest secret mission ever’ on Facebook – designed to give viewers a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a trip to the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London. (Bond in Motion is the largest official collection of original James Bond vehicles over the past 50 years).

    Says Sony Pix vice president – marketing Neville Bastawalla: “This is something that is really going to get our viewers engaged and get more involved with the channel. The mission will be played over three phases: one to crack a maze of obstacles using clues, second being a first of its kind game where your mobile phone becomes a remote to chase clues, and the third being simply type in the codes that are flashed on the screen during the premiere to win a chance to visit the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London.”

    While the in-house team has designed, conceptualised and executed the on-air promos, the outdoor Skyfall campaign, to be carried out in Mumbai and Delhi, will be handled by Leo Burnett India. Tonic Media will look after the digital front. Approximately 80-85 per cent of the marketing budget has been kept aside exclusively for the repositioning, and the channel is confident of a great response from the trade and audiences alike.

    Snapdeal.com is the presenting sponsor for the Skyfall campaign while Dell and Engage Deos are the powered by sponsors. Other sponsors include Toyota, Lombard suiting, Whirlpool, We Chat and many more.

     

    The new look will unravel along with the premiere of ‘Skyfall’ on 27 October

    In charge of the digital component of the entire rebranding exercise is Tonic Media. With nearly 33,300 followers on Twitter and a little over 3,275 likes on Facebook at the time of penning this article, Sony Pix is looking to intensify its engagement with viewers on social media.

    On the cards is an interactive initiative with NottyPixy, who is touted as this Hollywood insider, who works hard and parties harder, is quirky, has loads of attitude and resonates with the youth. The #NottyPixy hashtag has been launched to promote the Notty Pixy character, with Notty Pixy taking over the @SonyPix handle every Thursday. Further, Notty Pixy will get onto the channel from end-November, every Friday, at 7:00 pm, to run a movie of her choice and interact with viewers through social media as well as on-air with ‘Wow trivia with a Notty Pixy twist’.

    While the repositioning is aimed at taking the channel to greater heights, even presently, Sony Pix appears to be in a good space.

    Movies-wise, the channel has nearly 250 – 300 active film titles, which include the Rocky series, Spider Man franchise, Mission Impossible series, Terminator franchise, animation films like Madagascar, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda plus a recent acquisition – the complete Bond franchise along with the latest flick, Skyfall.
    Pix also boasts some big-ticket releases of 2013 including: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Captain Phillips, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs 2, White House Down, Django Unchained, Grown Ups 2 and After Earth among others. Moreover, the channel is associated with five of Hollywood’s leading studios such as Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, MGM and Universal.

    So does Pix plan to restructure its FPC (Fixed Point Chart) with the implementation of the 10+2 ad cap rule? “Firstly, I really don’t believe that the ruling will make a very big difference to English movie channels, but if it does get implemented, then we are ready for it as we at Pix believe we can deliver engaging content to keep our viewers hooked on,” replies Yagnik.

    A 360 degree campaign will be carried out for the repositioning

    Currently airing (14+2) 16 minutes of advertisements per hour of programming and second only to Star Movies in the English movie channel space, Pix has seen a 35 per cent growth in terms of its reach pre-DAS and post-DAS, and a 36 per cent growth in terms of TSV (Time Spent per Viewer), so while the channel is well placed, it is also making all the right noises to pip competitors at the post.

  • Gourmet superstars coming to Fox Traveller

    Gourmet superstars coming to Fox Traveller

    MUMBAI: Travel and Lifestyle channel is launching a latest international show- The Taste.

    Fox Traveller is teaming, for the first-time ever, with internationally acclaimed culinary geniuses – Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Brian Malarkey and Ludo Lefebvre who will get down to what truly matters, the way the food tastes!

    The show will feature the chefs who will in return select 16 contestants – both amateur and professional cooks – by tasting just one spoonful of their food while they are blindfold. The judges then mentor their team of four contestants, but the blind tasting continues, meaning a judge may unwittingly vote off their own team member.

    Elaborating on FOX Traveller’s decision to bring ‘The Taste’ to India, Fox International Channels vice president marketing Debarpita Banerjee said, “We continue to introduce different twists and perspectives to travel, food and lifestyle. With this show, we are confident of breathing a fresh lease of life into the way cooking reality shows are seen, in our country.”

    The Taste will air every Friday at 9:00 pm starting 18 October 2013 only on Fox Traveller.

  • Empowered Committee recommends re-drafting of Cinematograph Act 1952

    Empowered Committee recommends re-drafting of Cinematograph Act 1952

    NEW DELHI: The empowered Committee under the chairmanship of retired Punjab and High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal has submitted a fresh draft of the Cinematograph Act 1952 to incorporate its recommendations related to certification of films and piracy issues.

     

    In its report submitted to Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today, the Committee has also dealt with issues such as advisory panels, guidelines for certification and issues such as portrayal of women, obscenity and communal disharmony, classification of Films and jurisdiction of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).

     

    The Committee also gave its views on advisory panels in different parts of the country to the Central Board of Film Certification; apart from ways to deal with video piracy.

     

    A thorough review of the Cinematograph Act has also been undertaken in the light of developments over the last six decades.

     

    The Censorship Guidelines were last amended on 6 December 1991. The Board presently consists of non-official members and a chairman (all of whom are appointed by Central Government) and functions with headquarters at Mumbai. It has nine Regional offices/Advisory Panels, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Regional Offices are assisted in the examination of  films by Advisory Panels. The members of the panels are nominated by Central Government by drawing people from different walks of life for a period of two years.

     

    The committee was constituted by the Ministry on 4 February 2013 and held several meetings during its eight-month tenure with various stakeholders. These meetings were held in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Eminent persons connected with the film sector were invited by the Committee to present their views. The Committee also held discussions with members and officials of CBFC, officials of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Chairperson of BCCC, representatives of the Film Federation of India, the Films and Television Producers Guild of India and the Multiplex Association of India.

    Other members of the Committee are former I and B Secretary Uday Kumar Varma; FCAT Chairman Lalit Bhasin; former CBFC Chairperson Sharmila Tagore; eminent film lyricist Javed Akhtar; CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson; South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce Secretary and former Film Federation of India President L Suresh; Supreme Court advocate Ms Rameeza Hakim, and I and B Joint Secretary (Films) Raghvendra Singh who was the member convener.