ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Lance Armstrong to feature in CNN special on cancer

    Lance Armstrong to feature in CNN special on cancer

    MUMBAI: CNN will air a special Saving Your Life which will focus on cancer. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong join forces to discuss the killer disease that touches everyone in some way.

    Also joining Saving Your Life are cancer experts, Dr. Harold Freeman, associate director of the US National Cancer Institute and medical director of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, and Dr. Jim Hotz, an expert on rural health care and cancer whose story inspired the movie Doc Hollywood. The panel also features dedicated individuals who devote their time to educate their community in better understanding cancer.

    The special airs on 13 January 2007 at 12:30 pm and 8:30 pm, 14 January at 12:30 pm. It also includes the following segments:

    •A discussion with Armstrong, Freeman and cancer survivor and magazine editor Clifton Leaf in which they conclude that the lives of hundreds of thousands cancer victims could be saved through the application of current knowledge about cancer;

    •A profile of Baker and Terrell Counties in southwest Georgia, which hold some of the highest cancer rates and colon cancer death rates in the nation;

    •A profile of a young African-American woman with breast cancer and of Freeman, who designed a ‘navigator’ system to help Harlem women with breast cancer have a better chance of survival;

    •A profile of a young Colorado boy with a rare bone cancer and a look at the issues of childhood cancers and orphan drugs;

    •A profile of a man who thought he had beaten cancer only to learn months later the cancer had spread. Gupta, Armstrong and Leaf examine the relative lack of funding for metastatic cancer, the most deadly form of the disease;

    •A look at Armstrong’s MRI images revealing the two large tumors that almost killed the man now synonymous with cancer survival.

    Gupta says, “This is an exclusive opportunity to hear from some of the most distinguished members of the medical community about their advice on how to avoid and beat cancer. It is also a testament to those survivors who can offer firsthand advice that can save lives.”

  • BBC World invites entries for a show on Indian weddings

    BBC World invites entries for a show on Indian weddings

    MUMBAI: Looks like the big fat Indian wedding with its diverse facets is becoming a strong subject for channels. Last year Discovery’s lifestyle channel Travel and Living had kicked off its localisation plans with The Great Indian Wedding.Now news channel BBC World is inviting applications from soon-to-be-married Indian couples for its forthcoming programme on Indian weddings. The programme scheduled to air in the summer will focus on the business that Indian weddings generate, in addition to the traditions and mystique.

    BBC World will telecast the wedding of one Indian couple, across the world. Produced by Pulse Media, this programme will give a couple who are scheduled to get married in March, an opportunity to have their wedding featured on the channel. The short-listed entries will be chosen on the basis of their profiles and auditions will take place in Delhi.

    BBC World commissioning editor Narendhra Morar says, “With this innovative series we plan to exhibit an Indian wedding from a business perspective which we believe will be a revelation to audiences across the globe. From the bridal trousseau to the banqueting options and the wedding planners, Indian weddings provide a commercial opportunity across many industries. By showcasing a real wedding, we believe BBC World will be able to effectively capture the fascinating customs while at the same time accessing the financial intricacies of modern-day marriage in India”.

    The entries for BBC World’s wedding series auditions are open until 14 January 2007 for Indian couples getting married in March 2007. Filming will take place that month. Profiles and pictures of candidates can be emailed to bbcworld@pulsemedia.co.in or BBC World Audition, c/o Pulse media Pvt. LtdT 95A, CL House, 3rd Floor, Gulmohar Enclave, New Delhi 110049. BBC World will contact short-listed applicants on an individual basis.

  • Broadcast bill may look at news on pvt FM channels

    Broadcast bill may look at news on pvt FM channels

    MUMBAI: The government appears to be veering towards acceding to a long standing demand of private FM radio networks that they be given news broadcasting rights.

    The Broadcasting Bill, to be placed in the next session of Parliament, is likely to contain the provision of giving news broadcasting rights to private FM channels, the Press Trust of India news agency has quoted All India Radio director-general Brijeshwar Singh as saying in Kolkata today.

    Singh, however, said that there was opposition to it already from some political parties, PTI reported.

    Slamming what he termed as the sensationalisation of news by private TV channels, Singh suggested a regulatory mechanism to check this practice. Singh was also quick to point out that AIR “has not been accused of this”.

  • Star Gold’s Sabse Favourite Kaun garners good viewership

    Star Gold’s Sabse Favourite Kaun garners good viewership

    MUMBAI: Hindi movie channel Star Gold has received a good response for the telecast of Savlon Sabsey Favourite Kaun International 2006.

    India’s first international Bollywood opinion poll was aired on December 30, 2006 on Star Gold at 8 p.m. During the 3-hour telecast of star performances and presentation of awards, the channel garnered a 38 per cent share of eyeballs, taking a leadership position in the Saturday prime time viewing slot the channel has asserted, quoting TAM data. The show, now in its fourth round, claims to have reached out to over 7 Million viewers across Hindi speaking markets.

    Speaking on the response to the show, Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair said, “This is an overwhelming response to the Savlon Sabsey Favourite Kaun International. The impact of this event has grown over the years, which is evident by the response that we have received. It is also a proof of the fact that our audiences are responding to the only award show that is based on their votes and the popularity of their Sabsey Favourite Bollywood stars.”

    The show was hosted by actress Ayesha Takia along with the comic trio of Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak and Suresh Menon. The show also saw performances by actors like Shreyas Talpade, Koena Mitra, Bipasha Basu , Shiney Ahuja and Akshay Kumar.

  • Dominic Coles is BBC COO Journalism Group

    Dominic Coles is BBC COO Journalism Group

    MUMBAI: Dominic Coles has been appointed as BBC’s Journalism Group COO.

    He was previously director of sports rights and finance at the BBC. He assumes overall responsibility for the financial and business operations of BBC News, BBC Sport, BBC Global News and BBC Nations & Regions – the divisions which make up the corporation’s Journalism Group.

    He retains full responsibility for negotiating sports rights, as well as remaining Finance Director for BBC Sport. He will sit on the Journalism Board and the BBC’s Finance Board.

    BBC deputy DG Mark Byford says, “I am delighted that Dominic Coles has taken up this really important new post on the Journalism Board. He has a wealth of experience and expertise across finance, business operations rights, investment analysis and fair trading. Moreover, he is passionate about the importance of the BBC’s role in Journalism and Sport at local, UK-wide and international levels.

    “Dominic will be a key member of the Journalism team as we respond to the big challenges of changing audience need, new technologies and new competitors and driving excellence and value for money across all our activities.”

    Coles says, “I am thrilled to be taking on this new role and the exciting responsibilities which come with it. For anyone with a passion for news, current affairs and sport, this is a dream job. It’s also a responsible one given how news and sport remain fundamental to the BBC’s ability to connect with its audiences in the digital age.

    “I look forward to working with the Deputy Director General, my new colleagues on the Journalism Board, and everyone within this formidable group of divisions.”

  • Zapak.com ropes in Bipasha Basu; launches Zapak.tv

    Zapak.com ropes in Bipasha Basu; launches Zapak.tv

    MUMBAI: Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd., a Reliance ADAG venture company, has roped in Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, such that the gaming website Zapak.com would feature a ‘Bipasha Basu zone’ with games based on the actress.

    The portal has also unveiled a new feature called Zapak.tv, which claims to be the first of its kind audio-visual content on the gaming Industry. From trends, to game reviews, to special previews, cheat codes, behind the scenes in the making of games, gaming events, celeb chats, gaming countdowns to even gaming jockeys. Zapak.tv would also enable customers to share their thoughts and opinions on games.

    Players will be able to host gaming related video content on Zapak.tv by writing to it and sending across their videos, informs an official release.

    For the association, Bipasha would work closely with the Zapak Team to conceptualize some of the games. The site claims to explore the adventurous gamer personality of Bipasha and the first in the line of several games is an action game titled ‘Beach Blaze’. The player will have to pose as Bipasha Basu at a beachside skating challenge, while the actress has to defend herself from the bad guys in the game using equipment that she comes across while skating. Bipasha also faces hurdles and uses features to upgrade the actions. The company also adds that other games featuring Bipasha are in the pipeline.

    Announcing the association, Reliance Entertainment Ltd. president Rajesh Sawhney said, “Bollywood is probably the biggest craze in India. Every Indian wishes he or she was an actor. We at Zapak.com are helping the visitors on our website play out their fantasy, by letting them be or play with their favorite star. First, it was Salman Khan for Zapak.com. We already have a game on him online, ‘Puppy Razi’. Now, it is Bipasha Basu in a game called ‘Beach Blaze’ where Bipasha will be seen in her action avatar.”

    Speaking about this association, Bipasha Basu said, “I am excited about my association with Zapak. I love action and adventure, an element of my personality which was always hidden; with this association I can interpret those elements. I’m represented in an action form in ‘Beach Blaze’, the first game in which I get to participate in a skating challenge. This game has further strengthened my belief in how exciting action can be; therefore I will work closely with the team at Zapak to conceptualize some more games and will don the ‘action / adventure girl’ hat for them.”

  • Honda Civic is CNBC-TV18’s Autocar of the Year 2007

    Honda Civic is CNBC-TV18’s Autocar of the Year 2007

    MUMBAI: CNBC TV 18 announced its car of the year along with a host of other awards in the automobiles segment. Honda Civic drove away with the CNBC-TV18 Autocar Car of the Year Award 2007, while Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi zoomed of as CNBC-TV18 Autocar Bike of the Year Award 2007.

    The Awards are presented by CNBC-TV18 and Autocar, an Indian auto magazine.

    CNBC-TV18 Autocar Auto Awards 2007 awards performance in the industry in 2006 based on a comprehensive set of attributes including design, technology, value and product experience.

    Winners at the ceremony are as follows:

    Car of the Year

    Honda Civic

    Bike of the Year

    Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi

    Best value for money car

    Hyundai Verna

    Best design and styling

    New Toyota Camry

    Best driver’s car

    New Honda CRV

    Manufacturer of the Year

    Honda Siel

    Component Manufacturer of the Year

    Mico

    Variant of the Year

    Mercedes E-280

    Import Car of the Year

    Audi Q7

    Technologically Advanced Car of the Year

    Mercedes S 350

    CEO’s Most Preferred Car brand

    Mercedes

    Best City to drive in

    Delhi

    Car of the Year -Viewers Choice

    Honda Civic

    Storyboard Auto Commericial of the Year

    Tata Indica Xeta

    The award winning automotives that were shortlisted by a jury comprising of car designer Dilip Chhabria, rally champion Naren Kumar, Autocar India, editor, Hormazd Sorabjee, automobile historian Manvendra Singh, India’s leading automobile historian, Auto Show, consulting editor Renuka Kirpilani, flight navigator in Indian rallying, Rajeev Khanna and Autocar India, associate editor Shapur Kotwal.

    The Indian auto industry in 2006 saw the launch of international brands like the Mercedes E Class, General Motors’ Aveo, Hyundai Verna and Elantra. Renault, GM, Volkswagen and Honda declared their investment plans for India this year. Interestingly, its not only volume car makers who want a share of the Indian pie, but also luxury majors such as Audi and Rolls Royce.

    Commenting on the CNBC-TV18 Autocar Auto Awards 2007, a spokesperson of CNBC-TV18 said, “Since inception, the processes and expertise behind these awards ensure that they truly reflect the choices & sentiments of all stakeholders and justify their stature as benchmarks in Auto excellence. Not surprisingly, the CNBC TV-18 Autocar Auto Awards are the most trusted word on automobiles for consumers, manufacturers and auto experts alike. This year will be another valuable addition to that legacy”.

    Additionally, like last year, TNS honored the front-runners of the 2006 Total Customer Satisfaction studies in the four-wheeler and two-wheeler segments. The most trusted brands in the Indian automotive industry were awarded the ‘TNS Voice of the Customer Award’.

  • Startling exposé on STAR News Shocking trade in human organs uncovered

    MUMBAI: While the Nithari scandal in Noida has shocked the nation, the STAR News Benaqaab team blows the lid off a thriving trade in human organs that has been going on for more than a decade.

    The Benaqaab investigative team in this latest episode unearths a shocking trade in human organs harvested from corpses. There is a ‘price’ for each organ! Human brain and eyes for Rs 500 each, kidneys and liver for Rs 800 a piece and a whole human cadaver for just Rs 15,000 only. Even fetuses were available for Rs 8,000 each…

    To crack this macabre trade, the Benaqaab investigation team travelled to Agra to contact Sanjeev Singh, a businessman, who ostensibly sells fake models of human organs to medical research organisations. However, the team soon learnt that Sanjeev Singh was also amenable to selling real human organs for a price.

    The Benaqaab team, posing as administrators of a medical research and training institute managed to pry out information from Sanjeev Singh that showed trade in human organs was rampant. Singh, in fact, said his family had been in this business for the past 12 years. He even boasted that the recent Nithari scandal would not affect his business in any way.

    To catch the trappings of this shocking story tune in to the hard-hitting investigative series “Benaqaab” tonight at 9.30 pm on STAR News, with a repeat on Sunday morning at 9.30 am.

  • Cellular broadband wireless data revenues to reach $2.5 billion by 2011: Research and Markets

    Cellular broadband wireless data revenues to reach $2.5 billion by 2011: Research and Markets

    MUMBAI: Research and Markets has announced the addition of Wireless Broadband Services: The 4G Cellular Industry (part three of three) to their offering.

    According to the study, the cellular industry invested over $13.7 billion (USD) in spectrum auctions. Today’s cost for a cellular service with an average data communications service of 130 Kbps is about $80 a month.

    To be competitive with the advances in WiMAX and Wi-Fi, the fee for 4G services will need to be lower than the cellular companies expect.

    A better strategy for 4G operators would be to offer lower speeds with more capacity to handle more users as a bargain thereby fully loading the networks with subscribers.

    Usage based offerings with specific services, offering niche services at moderate speeds, may turn out to be the most effective and profitable method to roll-out 4G.

    Key findings of the study are

    – The 4G services will need more MVNE’s to support the OSS/BSS infrastructure.

    – Revenues will reach $2.5 billion, $9.1 billion for cellular data and small business DSL respectively by 2011 Small business spending on internet access will grow to $8.2 billion by 2009, up from $4.4 billion in 2005, largely due to adoption of DSL and higher bandwidth services.

    – Spending on wireless data services will outpace all other categories in the SOHO segment, growing to nearly $2.2 billion in 2009, up from $0.47 billion in 2005.

  • STBs moving fast in Mumbai, Delhi

    STBs moving fast in Mumbai, Delhi

    MUMBAI: Multi-system operators (MSOs) have in store 200,000 set-top boxes (STBs) and orders have been placed for importing more to meet the growing demand from consumers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman Nripendra Misra tells Indiantelevision.com.

    The offtake of STBs has been slow in Kolkata while there seems to be a healthy demand in Mumbai and Delhi, he adds. MSOs have seeded 135,000 boxes in Mumbai, 105,000 in Delhi and only 24,000 in Kolkata.

     
    “Kolkata is slow to take off and our feedback is that most of the consumers are opting for free-to-air (FTA) package at this stage. But overall Cas (conditional access system) is getting accepted by the consumers,” says Misra.

    Mumbai with 130,000 has the maximum number of STBs in stock while Delhi has 55,000 and Kolkata 20,000. But the major MSOs like Incablenet, Hathway Cable & Datacom and Wire & Wireless India Ltd (WWIL), who are operating in multiple cities, have no problems in shifting the boxes according to the consumer requirement.

    Misra admits, though, that there are “reports of shortages in some pockets.” Consumers falling under the Cas areas did not order for the boxes earlier and there is a rush only after Cas got implemented which has led to this current situation, he clarifies.

     
    The cable & broadcast regulator has called for a meeting with the MSOs on Friday to take stock of the Cas situation. The Trai will be sending teams to Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata from Monday to make spot assessments, Misra says.