ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • CNBC to beef up weekends with new shows

    CNBC to beef up weekends with new shows

    MUMBAI: In an attempt to enhance its offering on weekends, CNBC TV18 has launched new shows on variety of topics ranging from business, entertainment, luxury and current affairs.

    In the current affairs section, India Business Week will provide viewers with an insight on what to expect in the coming week, be it business, politics, sports or entertainment and recap of the best of the previous week.

    In the corporate focus section, Wealth Creators will give viewers an insight into the world of India’s new generation of corporate czars. The show will feature the success stories of men and women who have created “enormous shareholder value” and have grown their businesses to a world class level. Wealth Creators will be hosted by Mitali Mukerjee.

    Another show, Indianomics hosted by Latha Venkatesh, will aim at giving viewers an insight on the Indian economy, gathering from cues on what is happening in the global economy and the macro-economic story of India.

    Menaka Doshi will present Riders in the Storm, a series that will feature India’s leading companies and pull the spotlight on one particular CEO every week.

    Speaking on this development, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC AWAAZ VP marketing Neel Chowdhury said, “CNBC-TV18 has always been a category leader in terms of programming forays and innovative content. We felt that the time was ripe to introduce viewers to a wide variety of programming that will attract a wider and newer audience to our fold, and enrich the viewing experience of our loyal viewers. Hence the introduction of comprehensive programming that caters to all genres of audiences.”

    In the Lifestyle section, Must Do will talk about books, movies, art exhibitions to attend and best food joints.

    Beautiful People, hosted by Anuradha Sengupta, will feature rich and famous personalities. The interview-based show will focus on the professional lives and will touch on three key areas – the latest project, art and craft, career milestones and lessons on how individuals negotiate on a commercial landscape.

  • BBC Trust finds merit in commissioning decisions

    BBC Trust finds merit in commissioning decisions

    MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has completed its first biennial review into the operation of UK pubcaster the BBC’s “Window of Creative Competition” (WOCC).

    The review found that the WOCC is working well and commissioning decisions are being made on merit with no obvious bias towards in-house teams or independent producers. The review was led by BBC Trustee Rotha Johnston.

    Johnston said, “The public judge the BBC on the quality of its programmes. For the BBC to produce a wide range of high quality and distinctive programmes, the commissioning process needs to work effectively. Our review has shown that in its first year, the WOCC has worked well.”

    Elaborating upon the review, Johnston stated, “The review found that commissioning decisions are being made on merit, with independent producers doing well in the WOCC’s first year. Meanwhile the BBC’s in-house teams are responding positively to the challenge of increased competition. Everyone wants the best programmes to be commissioned and there is evidence that the WOCC is playing a part in achieving this.”

    Some of the findings of the review are:

    – The WOCC is working well and commissioning decisions are being made on merit with no obvious bias towards in-house teams or independent producers. 

    – Commissioners are seen as being open to good ideas regardless of where they come from. 

    – Independent producers welcome the WOCC but needed more information about its operation. 

    – There is a reasonable spread of opportunities across genres and by audience, cost, and geographic area. 

    – Independent producers have won three quarters of the opportunities under the WOCC, performing particularly strongly in children’s, knowledge, entertainment and comedy. 

    The Trust has made a number of recommendations to improve the operation of the WOCC. These recommendations are designed to make the WOCC more open, transparent and accessible, as well as ensuring the commissioning process is operating as efficiently as possible.

    These recommendations are:

    There should be clearer information and guidance about the WOCC’s operation, the scope of opportunities available and role of the e-commissioning system.

    The BBC should consider how the principles of the WOCC can be better applied to sport. There should be more sharing of best practice across genres.

    The BBC should consider adopting better labelling of programmes, to make clear which programmes have come from different commissioning routes in order to better assess the operation of the WOCC in the future.

    The BBC should consider how it can offer independent producers a better understanding of audience data. 

    The BBC should review its handling arrangements for complaints about the process.

    The Trust has asked the BBC Executive for an initial report on these recommendations by November 2008.

  • TV Today approves buyback plans

    TV Today approves buyback plans

    MUMBAI: TV Today Network Ltd board has approved the proposal for buy back of shares from the open market.

    TV Today has said that the amount would not exceed Rs 293.07 million, being 10 per cent of aggregate of paid-up equity capital and free reserves of the company as on 31 March, 2008.

    TV Today’s offer price will not exceed Rs 115 per share. The promoters will, however, go ahead with the buy-back proposal if they are exempted from the Sebi (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover) Regulations, 1997, under which they will have to make an open offer.

    Shares of TV Today ended Thursday at Rs 105.20 on the BSE, down 1.64 per cent from the previous day’s close.

  • CNBC TV18 to launch special sports series Olympic Effort

    CNBC TV18 to launch special sports series Olympic Effort

    MUMBAI:The business news channel CNBC TV18 is set to offer a special series on Olympic game, Olympic Effort. Anchored by features editor Anuradha SenGupta, the four-part series will hit the screens on 2 August.

    The series will air every Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm.

    Olympic Effort will provide an insight into the Olympic brand and how companies exploit the opportunity of partnering with the event to enhance brand recognition.

    The series will also take a look at how everyone from athletes, to countries sponsoring the event, reaps long term benefits. It investigates the infrastructure required, planning the event, legal formalities, sponsorship deals and impact on tourism.

    CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz marketing VP Neel Chowdhury said, “Global recognition and the enormity of the Olympic Games surpass all sporting events across the world with regards to brand accreditation. CNBC-TV18 through its special series ‘Olympic Effort’ will highlight the various business aspects of the game and provide discerning audiences with an alluring point of view.”

  • NDTV Q1 net at Rs 20.8 million

    NDTV Q1 net at Rs 20.8 million

    MUMBAI: NDTV has posted a net profit of Rs 20.8 million in the quarter ended 30 June, 2008 as against a loss of Rs 21.5 million in the corresponding year last fiscal.

    During the quarter, the company’s revenue grew 56 per cent to Rs 955 million, from Rs 612.1 million a year ago.

    On a consolidated basis, the company’s net profit stood at Rs 5.24 billion whcih includes an exceptional amount of Rs 6.42 billion arising on dilution by subscription of shares by NBCU in an overseas subsidiary.

    “NDTV Imagine has also launched NDTV Lumiere in this quarter with theatrical releases of highly acclaimed world cinema, in metros across India,” says an official release.

  • Rajiv Lulla is NDTV MetroNation CEO

    Rajiv Lulla is NDTV MetroNation CEO

    NEW DELHI: NDTV has appointed Rajiv Lulla as the CEO of its city channel network NDTV MetroNation. Lulla replaces Sanjay Nigam who was heading NDTV MetroNation.

    Lulla comes in from Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Texas where he was working as senior VP. He has worked in various places that includes Stanford University, CBS Radio and MTV Networks.

    Nigam will be handling other verticals of the group, a NDTV spokesperson said.

    Commenting on his appointment, Lulla said: “The foundation for MetroNation is laid and going forward we will now actively leverage rich local content across cities, develop stronger relationships, serving our local audiences and advertisers.”

    NDTV’s first city-specific channel for Delhi and National Capital region (NCR) has been on air since September 2007.

  • BBC World News to air second season of The Real Cities from 30 August

    BBC World News to air second season of The Real Cities from 30 August

    MUMBAI:BBC World News will air the second season of the travel programme The Real Cities from 30 August, every Saturday at 8 pm. The channel has renewed its advertising partnership with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts for the same.

    The ad-funded, weekly five-part series will let viewers watch the programme at primetime slots in each overseas market.

    BBC Worldwide EMEA VP –ad sales Carolyn Gibson said, “Ad funded programming offers our clients a customised 360 degree brand solution across TV, online and off-air, which is fully supported by our BBC World News in-house sales team, spanning ad productions through to marketing and PR”.

    InterContinental Hotels and Resorts global brand management SVP Jenifer Zeigler added, “The partnership raises awareness and consideration for our brand as we continue to grow our portfolio of hotels and resorts around the world. The Real Cities appeals to our guests and the programme’s authentic and enriching perspectives bring to life InterContinental’s ‘in the know’ positioning.”

    The new episodes of The Real Cities will showcase Cairo, Milan, Stockholm, Hanoi and San Francisco. With the help of knowledgeable, well known local personalities, the series will reveal to viewers the key spots to visit, often missed in guidebooks.

  • 6.4% NDTV shares pledged

    6.4% NDTV shares pledged

    MUMBAI: New Delhi Television Ltd’s (NDTV) promoters have pledged 6.39 per cent of their shares with Indiabulls Financial Services.

    Indiabulls earlier held 8.10 per cent stake in NDTV.

    In a separate development, GS Mace Holdings, Mauritius, has acquired 6.44 per cent stake, taking its total holding in NDTV to 14.6 per cent.

    GS Mace Holdings, in concert with Goldman Sachs Investments, made the purchase of 4.03 million shares in the open market.

    Earlier, NDTV promoters had sold 6.08 per cent stake in the company for Rs 1.7 billion. RRPR Holding (person acting in concert) brought down its holdings to 9.57 per cent after selling 3.8 million shares, or 6.08 per cent, in the open market.

    NDTV promoters had acquired 20.28 per cent for Rs 5.57 billion to up their holding in the company to 71.38 per cent.

    Dr Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy and RRPR Holding acquired 12.69 million shares (20.28%) in an open offer at Rs 438.98 per share.

  • BBC Worldwide opens production outfit in France

    BBC Worldwide opens production outfit in France

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has announced the opening of a production office in Paris, France.

    The local production base will build up BBC Worldwide formats in this key territory and is part of the company’s wider strategy to establish a network of production offices throughout the world.

    BBC Worldwide Productions France will be headed by Jean-Louis Blot, who will be working with all of the local terrestrial networks to grow the company’s French production business.

    As director of the new production office, Jean-Louis will report to BBC Worldwide Content and Production director of international formats Colin Jarvis and will be supported by Cécile Lamarque, who joins as development executive and will oversee production.

    Jarvis said, “France is a key market for us. Establishing a thriving production base in this major European territory fits into our strategy to position BBC Worldwide as a leading global content network.

    “Through the success of our Sales & Distribution office, BBC Worldwide enjoys a strong relationship with all of the major broadcasters in France and we look forward to extending this to local production.

    “I’m pleased to welcome Jean-Louis onboard, he has the background and experience to develop our production office into a prominent player in the French market.

    BBC Worldwide Productions France director Jean-Louis Blot says, “I’m very excited to be part of BBC Worldwide’s production plans in France as they have one of the richest catalogues in the world. My first priority will be to establish a production team.”

    BBC Worldwide Productions France will work alongside BBC Worldwide’s sales and distribution team in France, managed by Tim Muff, which continues to oversee all of the company’s programme distribution, publishing and licensing activity in France.

    BBC Worldwide has a history of licensing British formats in France, including The Weakest Link, Top of the Pops, Great French and The Office.

    The Paris production office is BBC Worldwide’s latest in a growing network of production bases, the others being in Los Angeles, New York, Mumbai, Toronto and Sydney.

    Blot joins BBC Worldwide Productions France from Air Productions, where he was Head of Development as well as a producer.

    At Air Productions, he produced two of France’s most popular game shows: Don’t Forget the Lyrics and Tout le Monde veut prendre sa Place. Lamarque joins BBC Worldwide France Productions from Fremantlemedia where she worked on the launch and development of series such as Jamie’s Kitchen, Supernanny, How Clean is Your House? and The Farmer Wants A Wife.

  • Thomson Reuters plans to launch biz news channel

    Thomson Reuters plans to launch biz news channel

    MUMBAI: Thomson Reuters is planning to launch a business television news channel by January next year, entering the competition that already has market leader CNBC and new entrant Fox Business Network.

    Daily Telegraph reports that the plan is for the channel to appear on both the internet and some form of cable or digital platform. The launch could be as early as January 2009 but may be pushed back as the company is conscious of Reuters’ earlier unsuccessful foray into television.

    Thomson Reuters, which is a merger of Reuters and the Thomson Corporation last year, wants an extra avenue through which to channel content and raise revenues. Thomson agreed in May 2007 to acquire Reuters, with a cash-and-stock offer that valued the 157-year-old news agency at £8.7bn.

    The New York newsroom, which will act as the main studio for the channel, was opened yesterday.

    In an internal memorandum, editor-in-chief David Schlesinger said the new newsroom was all about “multi-media opportunities.”