ITV

Category: GECs

  • Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM enters ‘Limca Book of Records’

    Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM enters ‘Limca Book of Records’

    MUMBAI: Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM has entered the Limca Book of Records with its radio film Kuch Kuch Sunta Hai. Earlier this year the radio station had shot the first radio film in Delhi.

    The radio jockeys played the lead roles in the movie that was aired simultaneously from 6 to 7 pm on Bumper2Bumper to support the Archaeological Survey of India’s stand that shooting films with artificial light harms historical monuments, asserts an official release.

    This initiative by the radio station will also feature in the 2007 edition of Limca Book of Records.

    Radio Mirchi vice president marketing Kaushik Ghosh said, “We wish to thank the Limca Book of Records for recognising the good work and initiatives undertaken by Radio Mirchi. As an industry leader, we will continue to lead from the front with entertaining and innovative programmes for our listeners.”

    Kuch Kuch Sunta Hai is a romantic comedy audio movie. This was followed by another radio film titled Bijli ki Khoj enacted on the streets of Delhi with Radio Mirchi RJs and the listeners playing lead roles.

    The film was shot with the objective of addressing Delhi’s electricity crisis and raising a voice with the concerned authorities, on behalf of the masses, adds the release.

    Radio Mirchi is a radio network and is owned by Entertainment Network ( India ) Limited (ENIL). At present Radio Mirchi is operational in 10 cities i.e. Mumbai ,Delhi , Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune.

  • Demerged Zee Tele to start trading from 18 December

    Demerged Zee Tele to start trading from 18 December

    MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Limited (ZTL) today said that the demerged shares of the company would start trading on the stock exchanges from 18 December.

    This follows the hiving off, effective 22 November, of the cable and the regional and news broadcasting businesses into Wire & Wireless India Limited (WWIL) and Zee News Limited (ZNL) respectively. WWIL and ZNL will get listed on the bourses in January, the company announced.

    Demerged ZTL (including the DTH business undertaking) would continue to trade on the stock exchanges. A separate record date would be announced for the demerger of the DTH business of ZTL into ASC Enterprises Limited, to be renamed Dish TV India Limited (Dish), it was announced.

    The process of getting approval for the demerger of the DTH business is under way, the release adds.

    Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra stated, “From 18th December, Zee Telefilms Limited would start trading as the demerged entity (to be renamed Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited) and two new companies would start their journey as independently listed entities. Though the business of both WWIL and ZNL was earlier part of ZTL, they would be able to unlock greater shareholder value as independent companies.”

    Zee has already received approval of its demerger scheme by the Bombay High Court.

    Shareholders of ZTL would receive 45 shares of ZNL and 50 shares of WWIL for every 100 shares held in ZTL. As for Dish 100 shares in ZTL would translate into net 57 shares, implying effective shareholding of 57 per cent.

  • SET announces launch of daily soap ‘Kulvadhu’ set in Rajasthan

    SET announces launch of daily soap ‘Kulvadhu’ set in Rajasthan

    NEW DELHI: Sony Entertainment Television has announced its latest soap Kulvadhu, to be telecast from 25 December.

    The soap will air Monday to Thursday at 8:30 pm. The starcast has Daljit Kaur playing Niyati and Imran Khan playing Shaurya. There are other known faces too like Suhashini Muley, Kittu Gidwani and Milind Gunaji, asserts an official release.

    The channel is looking to give the serial at least a 300-episode run, obviously hoping to extend that if it comes into the ratings reckonings. But as SET chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand says, “It will go on and there will be changes in the story but the basic theme of the honour of a family not being sullied by a traditional woman will remain the central plot.”

    Sikcand added, “The soap is very different and one of the key aspects is the flavour of Jodhpur, the colour of its soil and the land and the people. The main characters would be speaking in the dialect of Jodhpur, even when the two families shift base to Mumbai.”

    Kulvadhu is the story of Niyati, a simple girl from a family in Jodhpur. It is about how her destiny gets her caught in a certain set of circumstances and how she handles them.

    Niyati and Shaurya are childhood friends and are committed to each other. Gradually, however, the Shaurya’s family shifts to Mumbai and Shaurya much against the wishes of his father, goes to the US for further studies. Meanwhile, the grandmothers of Niyati and Shaurya resolve to get them married, though the rest of the family is not aware of it.

    However when Shaurya returns to Mumbai to attend the wedding of a friend and Niyati too arrives there, and that is when she gets to know about Shaurya’s secret however she decides to never reveal the truth to anyone and gets married to Shaurya.

  • MTV Networks sets up Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee

    MTV Networks sets up Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee

    MUMBAI: MTV Networks (MTVN), a unit of Viacom has announced the formation of a Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee. Drawn from across MTV Networks’ brands and business units, the advisory committee will set priorities, develop strategies and implement policies that advance MTVN’s core values of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion throughout the company.

    The advisory committee was selected by MTVN chairman and CEO Judy McGrath and MTVN Global Inclusion Strategy EVP and Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group EVP public affairs and chief of staff Marva Smalls. She will serve on the committee as its chair.

    An official release issued by the company stated that the members of the advisory committee reflect the business units of MTV Networks, and will have direct impact on diversity, multicultural and inclusion issues. The committee will be responsible for promoting MTVN’s core values across its global workforce, as well as engaging employees throughout the company for their ideas and perspectives on diversity issues.

    “It is imperative that every line of business has direct access and involvement with our diversity and inclusion strategy,” said Smalls. “This team approach will ensure that MTV Networks’ culture remains every bit as diverse, multicultural and vibrant as the audiences we serve.”

    MTVN’s Global Inclusion Strategy is the company’s commitment to championing the next generation of leadership across its global brands, and ensuring that its culture continues to evolve as a welcoming and inclusive place for talent.

    MTVN aims to create a work environment across the company where all employees can contribute to its success while achieving their own professional goals. Through this strategy, MTVN will not only further weave diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion into the fabric of the company, but also expand partnerships with external organizations and advocacy groups, adds the release.

  • Treat for audience, brainstorm for movie channels

    Treat for audience, brainstorm for movie channels

    MUMBAI: The last month of 2006 will see a competition brainstorm happen amongst existing Hindi movie channels, with the audience having a delightful array of choices.

    The Christmas and New Year initiatives will not just be a matter of the best box office movie but the strategy of playing it through to attract the maximum viewership.

    Keeping in mind the holiday mood, SET Max has a two-week comedy festival named Kahaani Poori Comedy Hai lined up from 11 to 22 December. The festival will run through Monday to Friday in the afternoon slot and showcase movies like Padamshree Laloo Prasad Yadav, Badhai Ho Badhai, Satte Pe Satta and Chal Mere Bhai being telecast. For the primetime they have Tom Dick and Harry lined-up for 22 December.

    As a part of its existing initiatives Maha Movies and Sunday Housefull, Max has acquired the telecast rights for Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal and Subhash Ghai’s 36 China Town respectively.

    To cater to mass appeal and a wider audience Max has come up with a special programme called Hollywood Hungama Nite under which viewers would see dubbed Hindi versions of some major Hollywood titles like Men in Black – 2 slotted for 17 December, Stuart Little for 24 December and Godzilla for 31 December respectively in the primetime slot.

    Commenting on the Hollywood initiative SET Max head of marketing T Gangadhar said, “We always want to offer the best mix of content to our audience. The titles that we have acquired have always been in the top 15 at the box office. Our focus for the line-up this month will be comedy centric.”

    While Max has acquired some big titles like Golmaal and set a comedy trend for the month , Sahara Filmy too has followed and acquired the rights for Khosla Ka Ghosla. Though a low-budget movie, it fared well at the box office and is slotted for a World TV Premiere on the 24 December.

    Sahara Filmy head marketing and content Shailesh Kapoor said, ” Since our distribution has improved in the past two months, we are currently consolidating on growth. We plan to increase and stabilise growth on air as well as off air.”

    As a part of the off-air promotions, Filmy has come up with Lallan Film Festival, with Sunil Grover in the character of Lallan. Filmy has also tied up with Ravi Chopra’s Baabul for a dual on ground promotion of Lallan and film Baabul in various cities.

    Like every year, Filmy has a three-part special set for the last week of December called Filmy Flashback which will look at all the good, bad, gossip and the biggest events that have been witnessed by the film industry over the past one year.

    There is also a 2006 special opinion poll for December end called Filmy Person of the Year. It is a single category award and has the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bacchan, Hrithik Roshan and Himmesh Reshammiya as nominees.

    Now Ajay Devgan and Arshad Warsi will have a straight competition with Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal with Zee Cinema acquiring the satellite rights for film Phir Hera Pheri as a Premiere of the Month on 24 December.

    Zee Cinema head marketing and programming Mohan Gopinath said, “Our focus is mainly on Phir Hera Pheri which we have acquired for the premiere as its a festive season which comedy is best suited for.”

    From the basket of already existing movies with them, Zee Cinema would be showcasing Vaah Life Ho To Aisi as Christmas Klub Special and Amar Akbar Anthony as part of Shanivaar Ki Raat Amitabh Ke Saath.

    With no blockbuster titles for New Year’s eve, Zee cinema will wrap the year with a vertical all day long festival called Welcome 2007.

    To compare with all, Star Gold hasn’t acquired satellite rights for any new movie but is taking an old route that will be, celebrating Salman Khan’s birthday, on 27 December with its initiative Reliance Mobile Jabardast Movie Mela. It will showcase some of Salman’s movies like Hello Brother, Biwi No 1 and Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya.

    Star Gold vice president marketing and communication Satya Raghavan said, “Jabardast Movie Mela is an initiative to celebrate a celebrities birthday in style so that the audience gets a good dose of their favourite celebs movies. We consciously go behind movies which set the trends and bring it alive on TV, just the way we did it for Rang De Basanti recently and would continue it in future.”

    Apart from movies, Star Gold has an opinion poll called Savlon Sabsey Favourite Kaun International 2006 which will run through last two days of December 2006 as a part of their New Year Special offer.

    “Savlon SFKI is the only opinion poll in the world on Bollywood and depends solely on the consumers. Though we have been doing this for three years, this year we’ve gone International covering Middle East, South East Asia, US, UK, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and New Zealand, keeping in mind the kind of appeal and fans bollywood has internationally,” added Raghavan.

    Hosted by actors Ranvir Shourey, Vinay Pathak and the likes, accompanied by Savlon SFKI ambassador Ayesha Takia. The show will air the Red Carpet and Grand Finale on the 30 December where the winners will be awarded. This will be followed by Favourites Zindabad on 31 December where the people from the industry will give their comments.

    Though all the channels have set their best plans based on their strategies it is yet to be seen who attracts the maximum viewership.

  • Channel [V] announce winners of VJ Freshers ’06

    Channel [V] announce winners of VJ Freshers ’06

    MUMBAI: Channel [V] has announced the toppers of VJ Freshers – Batch of 2006. Neil Bhoopalam from Mumbai and Tanveer Gill from New Delhi graduated as gold medallists and were appointed for Channel [V] VJ’s, who will get to be the ‘next big thing’ on television.

    The seven finalists participated in front of a faculty comprising Ranvir Shourie, Vinay Pathak, ad man Prahlad Kakkar and Channel [V] head honcho Amar K Deb and people from the music industry, the media and other celebrities.

    In an effort to showcase their talent, the seven finalists walked the ramp to showcase Pantaloon’s new collection, performed to a musical and faced a volley of questions thrown at them by the mentors.

    From the total applications received, Channel [V] and the faculty members, selected eight finalists from across the country who spent a week at Goa wherein they were put to the test; leading up to the selection of the final winners.

    Commenting on quest for a VJ Fresher Channel [V] head honcho Amar K Deb said, ” My school has always shaped the best students like Sophia Haque, Meghana Reddy, Laila Rouss, Ranvir Shourie, Pia Rai Choudhury and many more. And this year as well has my teachers have nurtured the best, and we all would like to wish Neil Bhoopalam and Tanveer Gill, all the very best as they are set to make the world sit up and take notice.”

    Announcing the winner of VJ Freshers Shorey said, “We don’t believe it that we have finally decided who the winners are, it has actually been a very tough job. We had fun though.all seven students have been really cool and we have tried to train them in all different spheres so that they have a solution to all problems.”

    Pathak added, “We are feeling very lonely now as the graduation day is over and we will not be able to spend any time with them. But we would like to wish all of them luck and specially Neil Bhoopalam and Tanveer Gill, as they will be the next big sensation on television.”

    Commenting on the win Bhoopalam said, “I have worked very hard for this title…I ate a lot of fish, I spent a lot of time observing people’s reaction when they trip and fall, watched a lot of Channel [V] and I think that’s what gave me an edge above others.”

    Gill said, “I would like to thank my teachers who supported and guided me through my journey specially Ranvir, Vinay and Channel [V] VJ’s. I still can’t believe it, my dreams have finally come true.”

    The finale episode of Pantaloons presents [V] VJ Freshers styled By Maybelline New York will be aired on 24 December in a one-hour special starting 12 noon.

  • Sony Pictures reaches $3 billion worldwide box office for the first time

    Sony Pictures reaches $3 billion worldwide box office for the first time

    MUMBAI: While its electronics division is in trouble one area where Sony has been doing really well in is in films. For the first time in its history, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has crossed more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

    As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, in India Sony crossed the Rs 1 billion mark for the third time in four years.

    This marks the fourth time in history that any studio has reached the $3 billion mark in a single year. Internationally, the studio has already realised its best year of all time, with just under $1.5 billion and counting. Domestically, the studio has already passed more than $1.5 billion and is on pace to surpass $1.573 billion, the most any studio has ever generated at the box office in a single year in North America, a record held by Sony since 2002.

    2006 marks the third time in the past five years that SPE has been the number one studio in the US in terms of share. As Sony finishes the year, the studio controls over 18 per cent of all tickets sold in the US and Canada. Led by The DaVinci Code, the worldwide blockbuster that has grossed over $750 million at the box office, SPE has seen four films exceed more than $100 million in domestic box office — including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, The DaVinci Code, Casino Royale — and five more have surpassed the $100 million worldwide threshold (Pink Panther, Monster House, Open Season, Underworld: Evolution and Little Man).

    Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group chairman worldwide marketing and distribution Jeff Blake says, “This is the kind of year that is pretty hard to top. Hitting $3 billion in worldwide box office is an incredible accomplishment in every way. The fact that we are reaching this peak by potentially passing the domestic industry box office record while at the same time enjoying our best year ever internationally is just a staggering achievement that makes us all very proud.

    “This isn’t the result of just one film — our entire slate really worked this year, and credit for our success goes first and foremost to the extraordinary filmmakers and actors that brought us The DaVinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, Casino Royale, The Pink Panther, Underworld: Evolution, Monster House, Open Season and so many others.”‘

    Blake also credited “The remarkable talent and hard work exhibited by our production, marketing, and distribution teams. Today, we’re celebrating and thanking everyone who played a part in the success of our 2006 slate worldwide.”

    The studio reached its achievement in a year that featured a record 12 films opening at number one and strong performances from all the labels under the Sony Pictures Entertainment banner: Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, Revolution Studios, TriStar Pictures, and co-productions in association with MGM.

  • ‘We will get into local movie production early next year.’ : Ian Diamond – Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. Sr VP & GM

    ‘We will get into local movie production early next year.’ : Ian Diamond – Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. Sr VP & GM

    Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. senior vice president and general manager Ian Diamond is gearing up for the challenge. He realises Walt Disney is in aggressive mode and has gained market share in kids television space by snapping up Hungama TV. But, as he says, “it is demanding on the content providers to keep up the speed.”

     

    Turner’s aim in 2007 would be churn out more original content in series. The leader in the kids’ genre would also be getting into local movie production, he says.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s RENELLE SNELLEKSZ, Diamond reveals the opportunities that the rapidly emerging new delivery mechanisms and retail infrastructure throw open in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    Looking back on 2006, could you provide an overview of how the year has panned out for both Cartoon Network and Pogo?

    Galli Galli Sim Sim which was launched on Independence Day in the Indian market , balances the line between entertainment and education and is more than a television show, it’s actually a ‘culture of education’.

     

    We also launched SnapToons, promoting the idea of developing animation in India.

     

    The Pogo Amazing Kids Awards (PAKA) though in its third year, we keep trying to re-invent it and this year we decided to change the format by rolling it thorugh 19 half hour episodes, a series that celebrates child heroes.

     

    By breaking beyond the folds of television, Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) has launched 18 different categories across 4,000 retailers and 1,000 different product variants in the market across 20 cities. Being a licensing business, we have not only licensed our successful brands like Tom & Jerry but have also licensed third party brands like Beyblade. All in all, CNE has seen a 50 per cent increase in its overall business.

    What has been the biggest achievement for both the Turner channels this year?

    Our achievements have been that original productions like MAD (Music, Art and Dance) continue to top the charts. If you look across the year, Cartoon Network and Pogo are still the No. 1 and 2 channels. In a fragmented market it’s great that people continue to see us as a strong brand.

     

    I wouldn’t diminish any of the achievements by saying that one is superior to the other. Galli Galli Sim Sim and PAKA mean something to me but that doesn’t imply that the other activities were any worse. What I’m happy about is that 2006 has been a good year all round. It is important that we do a lot of things well, rather than a couple of things that stand out so that there is continuity in the activities undertaken.

    How much of the pie does Cartoon Network and Pogo separately corner in kid’s television market?

    Pogo is about 22 per cent a share while Cartoon Network is 28 per cent. Also in terms of distribution Cartoon Network is viewed 26 million and Pogo 17 million.

     

    We not only continue to rule the roost in the television space but its important that whether it be in publishing, licensing, marketing events we try to provide ‘choice’ to our consumers. It’s a sum of parts kind of business where you do many things that all come together to give the flavour of the brand. It is demanding on the content providers like ourselves to keep up the speed on what people want as their tastes and needs change.

    Do you think there is space for more players to enter the kid’s television arena?

    I do. What’s interesting about India is that the retail environment is still nascent, when more organized retail structures come in, the kids business is going to radically open up in terms of new clients, new advertising partners and new products that Cartoon Network and Pogo can provide a platform for. It’s going to get really exciting, it’s only just started.

     

    It’s also something I am looking forward to, as we are working to be well equipped as it happens.

     

    When we launched 11 years ago people thought we were mad to take the kids business seriously and I’m heartened to see that there are others players coming into the market, seeing the values, merits and potential that we saw so many years ago.

    What strategy will you adopt to counter the consolidation of three players under one brand, Disney?
    We pride ourselves in the fact that we have studied the market for 11 years, you can’t just come into the market and expect to know it overnight. You must learn about the people you are talking to.
    ‘We have studied the market for 11 years, you can’t just come into the market and expect to know it overnight‘

    Currently, at what stage does the theme park rollout stand?

    By mid next year Planet Pogo will be ready, while Cartoon Network Townsville will open a little later as it is on a much larger scale spanning 6.8 acres in comparison to Planet Pogo which is 3.5 acres. These will have state-of the-art rides and safety measures. It will be India’s first branded theme park environment.

    Have there been any trends that have emerged from recent research?

    The biggest trend is gaming and is something that has also been highlighted in the recent Next generation findings that show that about 40 per cent of kids are computer users and 1 in 6 of these also surf the internet. Their favourite internet activity is playing games (32 per cent) and that led us to roll out an Xbox video gaming championship Toonami Game On.

    The spurt in growth of kid’s channels has lured both conventional and non-conventional advertisers to come on board. Which new advertisers have joined in and by how much has the ad sales increased over the year?

    Several new categories have joined in like PCM software (Apply, Sify, Lenovo), Amusement Parks (Black Thunder, Prakash Amusement park, Ocean Park Multitech) and consumer durables (LG, Whirlpool) have been added to our client base.

     

    It’s interesting to know that kids have a strong influence in the purchase decision which non-conventional advertisers like Maruti and Bajaj are recognizing. Like for instance, ICICI introduced that young star account for which we licensed Tom & Jerry. Research also supports that 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. Other non traditional clients include BPCL, ING-Vyasa, All-Out, Citibank, Bombay Dyeing and Red Label, among others.

     

    On a business level, we have seen a 21 per cent ad sales growth year on year.
    ‘We have seen a 21 per cent ad sales growth year on year‘

    What advice would you give parents who think television viewing is harmful as it decreases outdoor activities and habituates kids to become ‘couch potatoes’?

    Watch Galli Galli Sim Sim! Kids like to watch TV. The important thing for a broadcaster is to provide choice, something that falls back on an educational element having strong positive values. Also our preschool block like Tiny TV with shows like Oswald, Make Way for Noddy are created to enhance development. Even MAD helps to reinforce what is often lost out in school, creativity.

     

    But at the end of the day the parent has the responsibility to monitor and regulate the content that the child is consuming.

    What can we expect from the Turner twins next year?

    At the moment we are in the process of moving into the movies space. I will be back in India early next year to announce our line up of a lot more original content in terms of movies and series in India. In addition, we will also provide a platform for materials that other people make through acquisitions. There must be a balance between international and locally produced content hence we have to juggle around to give the right mix so that the menu is good, making people come back.

     

    In addition, the radical evolution of retail infrastructure and new delivery mechanisms like new media, especially the mobile will drive change in this space. Although, I still get excited about old mediums used in a new way, you need to reinvent yourself and reinvent the medium you play with to speak to people in new way.

    What do you see as the biggest challenge for Turner in 2007?
    To build on the events of 2006 and continue to raise the bar to provide quality entertainment for kids via multiple mediums. Our mission for next year is to extend beyond television to build kids super brands and push the envelope.
  • UTV buys Indiagames, Ignition Entertainment for Rs 1.28 billion

    UTV buys Indiagames, Ignition Entertainment for Rs 1.28 billion

    MUMBAI: UTV Software Communications Ltd. is making a foray into gaming by acquiring controlling stakes in UK-based Ignition Entertainment and Indiagames for a total for Rs 1.28 billion.

    While UTV will pay Indiagames, a mobile and broadband gaming company, Rs 680 million, the acquisition of 70 per cent in Ignition Entertainment will cost Rs 600 million. Ignition Entertainment is a console gaming company with an annual revenue of around $15 million.

    “We presently create, develop and aggregate content for TV, movies and animation. With an objective to create content across all entertainment platforms, the company has ventured into gaming. This will give us exposure to the rapidly growing mobile, PC and console gaming industry,” UTV said in a release.

    Indiagames CEO and founder Vishal Gondal will continue to head the company and evolve synergies with other UTV businesses in the creation of cutting-edge games. The company reported annual revenues of around $5 million for the last fiscal and has an employee strength of 270 people. “Post transaction the shareholders of the company will include Cisco Systems, Adobe Inc. and Management. IG is presently involved with mobile game development, publishing and distribution across 67 countries through 80 telecom partners like Vodafone, Verizon, Hutch and Airtel. Its latest venture into PC games distributed online through broadband ISPs like BSNL, MTNL, Airtel and Tata VSNL amongst others is expected to be a major value driver,” the release said.

    The acquisition of Ignition Entertainment will bring to the table relationships with hardware manufacturers, game developers and distributors such as Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, SNK, Konami, Atari, Virgin and Wal Mart. “Ignition is presently developing a top end game ‘WarDevil’ budgeted at around 10 million pounds and is expected to release it in the year 2008 exclusively on the Sony Playstation3(tm) (PS3) platform. PS3 was launched in November 2006 in Japan and the US and it is expected to sell more than 30 million units by the end of 2008,” UTV said.

    UTV plans to invest Rs 1.35 billion in the development of animation movies over the next three years. “Simi Nallaseth, one of the key animators of the international smash-hit animation movie Ice Age is developing one of the productions. Arnab Chaudhury, former Head of Channel [V] and Creative Director of Turner International (Asia), will be working on another project. We are now in the scripting stage of our CG animation production with Will Smith’s Overbrook,” UTV said.

    UTV’s scrip, however, fell 4.83 per cent on the BSE, closing the day at Rs 263.95.

  • Kingfisher Airlines and DishTV introduce Live TV In-flight

    Kingfisher Airlines and DishTV introduce Live TV In-flight

    MUMBAI: Dishtv and Kingfisher Airlines have joined hands to bring Live TV entertainment for the very first time in the Indian skies. As a part of the tie-up, DTH player DishTV, will demonstrate its services on Kingfisher Airlines.

    The first aircraft empowered by DishTV complete with the Live TV service, will be ready to take-off by the end of December.

    Now on flying with Kingfisher Airlines, guests will be able to keep themselves updated and entertained with critical news or business event, sporting action, Hollywood and Bollywood movies, latest music, and popular sitcoms, with DishTV’s technology of making digital content services available on board, asserts an official release.

    Speaking on the occasion Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra said, “We are extremely pleased to join hands with Kingfisher Airlines, marking dishtv’s presence and dominance in the Indian skies. This marks a red letter day, yet again in the history of Indian entertainment when we have been able to take TV entertainment to completely unprecedented levels. This reiterates our commitment to not just be the pioneers in the DTH category but as true leaders, continue to innovate and lead from the front, giving the consumer the best he could ever imagine in entertainment, constantly. We look forward to such historical innovations with like minded corporates in the future as well.”

    Kingfisher Airlines Limited chairman and CEO Vijay Mallya added, “Today we take our commitment to take the best of Good Times, one step further for our guests. Our association with DishTV has helped us create yet another path-breaking innovation which will revolutionise the way Indians perceive In-flight Entertainment and we are very proud that dishtv will now enable Live TV onboard every Kingfisher Airlines flight. With the launch of Live TV onboard, we are not re-defining In-flight Entertainment, but creating history”.

    With this alliance, DishTV will now empower Kingfisher Airlines’ Fun TV with 16 Live channels from its platform. Fun TV also has five channels of the broadcasted video content and one moving map channel. In addition guests can enjoy 10 channels of chartbusting music from hip-hop to retro to old Hindi melodies on Kingfisher Radio, adds the release.