ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • BBC Trust announces public value test into local video proposal

    BBC Trust announces public value test into local video proposal

    MUMBAI: The BBC Trust’s Public Value and Fair Trading Committee has decided to apply a public value test (PVT) to UK pubcaster the BBC’s local video proposal.

    The PVT will begin on 24 June 2008. Documentation – including the BBC Executive’s application document and a timetable for the process – will be published at that time. The date marks the start of a four-week consultation period for both the public value assessment by the Trust and the market impact assessment by Ofcom.

    The Trust expects to publish its final decision by 25 February 2009. The BBC Trust’s public value test has three components. The first is a public value assessment, carried out by the Trust. The second is a market impact assessment, carried out by Ofcom to terms agreed jointly by the Trust and Ofcom. These run concurrently. The third is the Trust’s consideration of both assessments: the public value test, resulting in the Trust’s provisional conclusions which it publishes for consultation before reaching its final decision.

  • Malayalam channel Jai Hind TV starts Gulf operations

    Malayalam channel Jai Hind TV starts Gulf operations

    MUMBAI: As part of it global expansion move, Congress backed Malayalam channel Jai Hind TV has kick-started its Middle East operations to cater to the large expatriate Malayali population across the region.

    The channel will air Gulf-related programmes such as daily news bulletins, a weekly news-based programme called ‘Gulf Around’, business programme ‘Gulf Souq’ and travelogue ‘Arabia’. The programmes will be aired everyday till 9 pm.

    The Middle East office of the channel is located in Dubai Studio City.

    Jai Hind TV was launched in August last year as a 24-hour channel with emphasis on news and current affairs programmes.

    It is a joint venture between Bharath Broadcasting Network (BBN) and Jai Hind Communications (JHC), both headed by Dubai-based Keralites, and the Congress party.

  • Al Jazeera English news show wins award at Monte Carlo TV Fest

    Al Jazeera English news show wins award at Monte Carlo TV Fest

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English (AJE) has won the award for ‘Best 24 Hour News Program’ at the 48th Monte Carlo Television Festival.

    The channel beats entries from BBC News, Sky News, Lisboa TV and the Phoenix Satellite Television Company.

    Among the specific reports highlighted at the festival were Nour Odeh’s reports from Gaza, where she brought the suffering of the Gazan people, when she was caught in the middle of a violent street battle between Hamas and Fatah. Following the broadcast of the fighting on AJE, both sides in the Gaza battles agreed to a ceasefire.

    In addition to ‘Best 24 Hour News Program’, AJE received nominations in every news category at the awards show, including ‘Best TV Item’ for James Bays’ Taliban Embedded, which was awarded a second place prize, and ‘Best News Documentary’ for Tony Birtley’s Inside Myanmar – The Crackdown.

    AJE’s MD Tony Burman said, ” For me, the award demonstrates the commitment of AJE’s staff to giving a voice to the voiceless, of telling vital stories that are not on the agenda of the western news networks.”

    AJE was launched in November 2006 with broadcast centers in Kuala Lumpur, Doha, London and Washington DC.

  • NDTV Profit partners with Reliance Money for ‘Money Mantra’

    NDTV Profit partners with Reliance Money for ‘Money Mantra’

    MUMBAI: English business news channel NDTV Profit, in association with Reliance Money, is launching the second season of Money Mantra. Primarily focussing on investment awareness and opportunities for the common masses, the half-hour weekly show will launch on 20 June, airing every Friday at 7.30 pm.

    Hosted by NDTV executive editor and anchor Pankaj Pachauri, the Hindi show will have a panel of financial experts along with Reliance Money director and CEO Sudip Bandyopadhyay as a permanent panelist.

    Money Mantra will focus on investing in India in the context of macro economy and will help enhance investor knowledge base. The show aims at appreciating and understanding the need for investment amongst common masses.

    The audience-based show will discuss and analyse topical economic issues and their impact on personal finance. The panelists will take both audience and viewers’ questions, either live or through email. The show will also showcase a couple of case studies of people looking to make investments.

    NDTV Profit managing editor Shivnath Thukral said, “Money Mantra has been one of the most successful shows on NDTV Profit and we are very happy to relaunch the show in its new avtaar. This show continues in Profit’s overall scheme of focusing on the small investor, their concerns and needs for judicious investments. Over the next few weeks, Profit will be launching several new shows to meet the needs of investors looking for safe investment options.”

  • India TV complains to MIB on `India News’

    India TV complains to MIB on `India News’

    MUMBAI: India TV has filed a complaint in the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) saying its “fair name and goodwill” were being compromised because of regulatory permission given to Information TV to run a 24-hour Hindi news channel by the name of ‘India News’.

    In a letter to information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma has expressed shock at continued references to India News as India TV.

    Sharma in his letter has cited several instances including the letter written by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights member Sandhya Bajaj, which is being widely circulated in the press, claiming that a pornographic MMS purportedly of Arushi Talwar, was aired on India TV when in fact, it was aired on India News. Sharma maintained that India TV has nothing at all to do with such an objectionable video.

    India TV said in a statement that Bajaj too is being apprised of her erroneous information, but that the damage can’t be undone, because by now many sections of the press have associated the pornographic MMS with India TV instead of India News.

    India TV has also conveyed one case in point where The Times of India of 10 June on page three put the erroneous and unjust reference to India TV instead of `India News’.

    In an identical letter to Women and Child Development minister Renuka Chaudhary, Sharma pointed out that in a talk show on the Arushi case aired by NDTV, members of the audience and experts invited by NDTV managing editor Barkha Dutt, referred to India TV as the purported broadcaster of the pornographic MMS instead of India News, and it was left to Deepak Chaurasia, Senior Editor, Aaj Tak to clarify.

    “Such acts of confusion have emanated out of the regulatory decision to allocate a similar sounding name to the channel owned by Information TV,” said Sharma.

    “India TV is exercising every option to protect its name. Our senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi has suggested seven alternate names to the court and it has directed Information TV and India News to carry detailed disclaimers until the disposal of the case,” an India TV statement said.

    Sharma pointed out that on 29 April even MIB issued an important letter to India TV, but referred to it as India News. The MIB had to issue a corrigendum on 30 April for the same.

    A similar reference to India News when the intent was to refer to India TV was made by the Delhi High Court.

  • BBC launches channels in Africa

    BBC launches channels in Africa

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels will launch a suite of BBC-branded thematic channels in Africa.

    The channels will be available via MultiChoice’s DStv platform, Africa’s leading television provider, from 1 September 2008.

    iThe new thematic channels – BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies – will replace and build on the success of existing channels BBC Food and BBC Prime.

    BBC Worldwide Channels MD Darren Childs said, “Today’s announcement builds on BBC Worldwide channel’s long-term relationship with MultiChoice. In asking us to provide more channels for the platform is testimony to the BBC brand and the quality of our content.”

    MultiChoice SA Group CEO Nolo Letele, said: “MultiChoice welcomes the additions of the four new BBC channels, we believe it will contribute to our ongoing commitment of ensuring our customers receive high quality channels from a variety of different genres.”

    BBC Knowledge showcases the best of the BBC’s factual and non-fiction entertainment programming. The channel provides five key strands enabling simple appointment viewing: The World delves and explores new cultures around the world; Science and Technology explores new frontiers, from space to motoring; People explores aspects of the human body and mind; The Past brings historical events, places and people back to life; Business offers advice on how to stay on top of today’s challenging business world.

    BBC Lifestyle is a destination that looks to offer inspiration for home, family and life. The channel dishes up six tasty strands to entertain engage and inspire viewers. African series, once on BBC Food, will now broadcast in the Food strand.

  • BBC Global News maintains record 233 million audience

    BBC Global News maintains record 233 million audience

    MUMBAI: For the second year in succession, the BBC’s combined international news services attracted a global weekly audience of over 233 million during 2007/8, according to independent surveys.

    The global audience figure for the combined services of BBC World Service radio, BBC World News television and the BBC’s international online news service bbcnews.com is up 23 million from 211 million two years ago.

    BBC World Service’s weekly radio audience estimate is 182 million listeners a week across its 33 language services, down a million on last year’s record 183 million total. However its English language service attracted 40 million weekly listeners, up two million on last year.

    Many people used more than one service. BBC World News – the commercially funded international English language news and information television channel – now has estimated record audiences of 78 million viewers a week, up two million on 2006/7.

    The BBC’s international-facing online news sites – which include bbcnews.com and the Webby Award-winning bbcworldservice.co.uk – attracted 13 million weekly unique users.

    BBC Global News director Richard Sambrook said, “Maintaining the BBC’s impact in this fiercely competitive global media marketplace for news services is a huge achievement.

    “We are also pleased that the quality of our programmes and services have been recognised this year with four gold Sony Awards for BBC World Service radio programmes; a Webby for our online services and a prestigious Peabody Award for BBC World News.

    “This demonstrates that people around the world still turn to the BBC when they need quality news and information that is independent and trusted.”

  • BBC Worldwide to distribute Canadian drama ‘The Session’ globally

    BBC Worldwide to distribute Canadian drama ‘The Session’ globally

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has succeeded in picking the international distribution rights to highly anticipated Canadian drama, The Session.

    The deal sees BBC Worldwide as the exclusive international sales partner for the drama which is being produced by one of Canada’s leading production houses, Temple Street Productions.

    Scheduled for the 2008-2009 season on CBC, The Session stars Erin Karpluk and Michael Riley and tells the story of Erica Strange, who is given the incredible opportunity to see her life from a different perspective when a mysterious therapist gives her the chance to go back in time and relive moments from her past.

    BBC Worldwide’s director of independents Helen Jackson who was responsible for brokering the deal with Temple Street said, “The Session is a fantastic concept, with a truly universal appeal. Who doesn’t sometimes look back on their life and think about what they might have done differently?

    “Given the subject matter and Temple Street’s pedigree for producing high quality shows, we know that it is a series that will play well with international audiences, and we’re really happy to have this opportunity to show Ivan and David what BBC Worldwide can do.”

    David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, both co-presidents of Temple Street Productions and Executive Producers on the series said, “We’re really proud of The Session. It has a fantastic cast and a great story to tell which transcends geographic borders and cultures.

    Having BBC Worldwide on board as our international distribution partner is a real coup for us and will help ensure that The Session is seen by audiences around the world.”

  • Al Jazeera’s Wadah Khanfar to deliver MGEITF worldview address

    Al Jazeera’s Wadah Khanfar to deliver MGEITF worldview address

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Network DG Wadah Khanfar will give the Worldview Address at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place from 22 – 24 August 2008.

    In his Worldview Address, which offers a global view of the television business, Khanfar will discuss the international news media and its increased obsession with superficial and ‘immediate’ reporting, looking at whether the profession is in need of a serious overhaul.

    Khanfar believes there is a “growing disinterest in the news and its analysis” and will offer a prescription for how international journalism needs to be overhauled, in particular the need to consider the social, cultural and historical dynamics of societies when reporting conflict.

    The Al Jazeera Network includes the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic Channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Sports, Al Jazeera Mubasher, Al Jazeera Documentary as well as Al Jazeera.net. During his tenure, Khanfar has seen Al Jazeera Arabic’s audience grow to over 50 million peak viewers and also oversaw the launch of Al Jazeera English, which now reaches over 110 million households globally.

    The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival offers delegates a programme of topical debates, masterclasses, keynote lectures and networking opportunities from leading UK and international media figures. The Festival programme is developed by an Advisory Committee made up of individuals from across the industry such as Left Bank MD Andy Harries, Brighter Pictures MD David Flynn, Outline Productions Joint Managing Director Helen Veale and Magic Lantern Creative Director Russell Stopford. The committee is chaired by C4 Head of Factual Entertainment Andrew Mackenzie.

    The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is a delegate entry event which annually attracts over 2000 delegates from all sectors and levels of the industry including a range of terrestrial broadcasters, cable, satellite and digital companies and independent producers.

  • CNBC-TV18 to probe into consumers mind with Lessons in Excellence

    CNBC-TV18 to probe into consumers mind with Lessons in Excellence

    MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 will air the four-part series Lessons in Excellence that shares insights from management experts and marketers on the mantras of success in the Indian consumer market.

    The series will focus on the transformation of the Indian buyer. It is based on the seminal work by market strategist Rama Bijapurkar, titled ‘We are like that only – Understanding the Logic of Consumer India.’

    Lessons in Excellence will feature Bijapurkar and CNBC-TV18’s anchor Anuradha Sengupta with experts like Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani, ICICI Prudential MD Shikha Sharma, Bharti Airtel director (marketing and communication) Gopal Vithal and Employment Generation and National Innovation Foundation director Meera Shenoy.

    The four-part series will air on Saturday at 1.30 pm and 11 pm, Sunday 10.30 pm and Thursday 7.30 pm.

    CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz VP marketing Neel Chowdhury said, “India is in the midst of a consumption boom, where marketers and brands are jostling to corner greater share. This series will throw invaluable insights into this trend, both from a consumer as well as marketer perspective.”