ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Century Communication buys out ex-UTV Mishra’s 30% stake in Pearl Media

    Century Communication buys out ex-UTV Mishra’s 30% stake in Pearl Media

    MUMBAI: Delhi-based Century Communication Limited (CCL) has bought out ex-UTV Anil Mishra’s 30 per cent stake in Pearl Media for an undisclosed amount.

    Pearl Media will now become a division of the company. “Earlier Pearl Media was functioning as a subsidiary of CCL. We have bought out Mishra’s stake,” CCL chairman PK Tewari tells Indiantelevision.com. CCL will consolidate its air-time sales, TV software, outdoor media and radio ad sales businesses under the umbrella of Pearl Media.

    CCL had joined hands with Mishra in 2004 after he quit UTV as COO of air-time sales and syndication. Pearl Media was formed to start the ad sales business with particular focus on Sun TV’s group of channels. Pearl Media since then has grown to a turnover of Rs 700 million, handling 15 shows on Sun Network and two on Doordarshan.

    “I have sold my stake and parted ways with CCL,” says Mishra who functioned as CEO of Pearl Media.

    A new team is now being put in place with Sanjay Reddy roped in from Walt Disney to head Pearl Media.

    CCL, which posted a turnover of Rs 1.5 billion for the fiscal 2005-06, has recently ventured into the FM sector and has bagged nine radio licenses in various cities across India. The company is targeting Rs 2 billion this fiscal. Apart from ad sales business through Pearl Media, CCL is into post production under the brand name of Pixion.

  • HBO, NBC lead winners circle at Emmy Awards

    HBO, NBC lead winners circle at Emmy Awards

    MUMBAI: US TV industry’s biggest award show, the 58th Primetime annual sEmmy Awards, saw HBO sweeping aways with nine awards followed by NBC, which managed to bag six.

    The crime drama “24” won the Emmy for best television drama. This is the first time that 24 has won an Emmy for the best drama show.Kiefer Sutherland won the best actor award for his portrayal of counter terrorist agent Jack bauer for the same show. Whereas, The Office took the trophy for best comedy show.

    The best actress award was taken by Julia Louis-Dreyfus for her role as Christine Campbell in The New Adventures of Old Christine. Dreyfus was earlier working in the television drama Seinfeld. Tony Shalhoub won for his role in Monk.

    The Sopranos,” heading in its final episodes, won an Emmy for outstanding drama writing.

    Elizabeth I” won nine awards, including best miniseries. Fox’s “24” was second with five awards.

    Ironically, three of the four best supporting actor and actress awards went to performances from shows that have gone off the air. Alan Alda won the best supporting actor award for his role as Arnold Vinick on NBC’s “The West Wing.” The political drama ended its seven-year run on NBC in May winning 26 Primetime Emmys over the years.

    And Blythe Danner was adjudged the best supporting actress for the show Huff. Megan Mullally won the trophy for the supporting actress in the sitcom Will & Grace which came to a close on NBC in May after an eight year run.

    Jeremy Piven was named best supporting actor for his role as a Hollywood agent on HBO’s show Entourage. The award for the best film went to HBO’s The Girl In The Cafe.

    Mariska Hargitay won the Emmy for outstanding actress in a drama series for her role in NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

    The award ceremony was aired on NBC and hosted by Conan O’Brien. The show has received cricitism though from some quarters for the fact that the same old shows are nominated. New shows that keep viewers hooked like Lost sometimes get ignored. The Academy had changed the rules for voting and that critics say that it may have led to nonsensical omissions like Lost and also Hugh Laurie failing to get nominated for House.

    The criticism is that even with the change in the voting rules shows from cable channels like TNT, FX, Sci-Fi and USA that are seen by critics as pushing the boundaries are ignored. Shows such as Rescue Me and The Closer might get a token nomination or two, but the bulk of what the cable networks have to offer is not present.

    Of course American cable television is not as heavily reliant on advertsing as the broadcast networks. That allows for more flexibility in the shows that the likes of HBO do though the budgets might be less. The other challenge for the Emmys and other shows that honour the best in American television is that the line between what constitutes a lead actor and a supporting one is getting blurred.

    Under the new Emmy rules holders of various television jobs can vote in on all categories, instead of actors only voting for actors. Ironically Dick Askin who heads the Academy has pointed out that the aim of the change was get away from the valid criticism that the Emmys have a sameness. The criticism is that when the same shows and same actors keep getting nominated it leaves no room for newer shows to be recognised.

    It is worth pointing out that this problem is also glaring at both the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Those awards recognise both television and film. With film the nominee roster keeps changing and fans can look forward to what is nominated as it might reflect trends like earlier this year when independent films outshone their studio counterparts. With television though there is a sense of deja vu as the same faces and shows keep cropping up.

    Coming back to the Emmy’s the opening kit that featured O’Brien has received criticism for being insensitive. Basically he travelled on an airplane which crahes on an islland like the show Lost. After being greeted by Lost star Jorge Garcia, O’Brien fled through a mysterious hatch and ended up crashing through other series including The Office, 24 and House. Yesterday 49 people perished in the US’ deadliest air crash in five years.

  • Emmy Awards to pay tribute to Aaron Spelling

    Emmy Awards to pay tribute to Aaron Spelling

    MUMBAI: The late American television producer Aaron Spelling will be honoured as part of this year’s Emmy Awards.

    Hosted by Conan O’Brien the show takes place on Sunday, 27 August.

    Stars from some of Spelling’s numerous hit series, including Joan Collins Dynasty, Steven Collins 7th Heaven and Heather Locklear Melrose Place will take part in a tribute to his illustrious career as one of television’s most prolific and successful producers of dramatic series and made-for-television films.

    Annette Bening, Craig Ferguson and Sean Hayes are among the list of presenters at the Emmy Awards.

  • BBC announces a wedding themed reality show in the UK

    BBC announces a wedding themed reality show in the UK

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC One has commissioned a new primetime series in which engaged couples volunteer to put all the plans for their wedding day into the hands of their nearest and dearest – only getting to see the results, including the wedding dress, on the big day itself.

    Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? is a five-part series being made by Lion TV. It will give both sides of the family a unique opportunity to genuinely get to know each other.

    The relatives will be given a helping hand by a team of experts led by Nick Knowles, stylist Hannah Sandling and wedding expert James Love. The experts will be there to ensure that the big day runs smoothly, on time and on budget, and be better than the happy couple could have imagined in their wildest dreams.

    Knowles said, “It is supposed to be the happiest day of your life but very often the stresses and strains of organisation and family feuds can make it one of the most trying. We remove the bride and groom from this stress and ramp up all the pressure on the two families by forcing them to make all the decisions with all the consequences you would expect.”

    At the start of the week, Nick will meet the bride and groom to learn about their hobbies, favourite food and colours, personal preferences and outlook. This crucial meeting will be the happy couple’s only input into the elements chosen by our team. From then on, the couple’s own wedding budget will be handed over to their friends and family who will be responsible for making things happen.

    With only five full days to make all the arrangements, Nick Knowles will pull out all the stops and, where necessary, bring in additional expertise to work alongside the family members to make the wedding day special – from top florists, cake makers, DJs, public speakers, bands, artists, to entertainers and jewellers.

    The show will build to the day of the wedding where each of the elements will be revealed to the couple for the first time – along with the odd surprise for both viewers and couple.

    The series producer and director Martin Bisiker said, “A wedding always contains a heady mix of emotion, drama, humour and ceremony but, with the entire process taking just five days to organise, it’s not just the wedding day that becomes the big moment in the film.

    “It’s interesting to see how different families and friends react to a range of tasks throughout the course of the week when there’s just one objective – a perfect wedding.”

  • Asiasat sees HK $475 million sales till 30 June ’06

    Asiasat sees HK $475 million sales till 30 June ’06

    MUMBAI: Asian satellite communications provider Asiasat has announced interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2006.

    It managed sales of HK $475 million which represents a rise of seven per cent.

    Profit attributable to equity holders HK$239 million a rise of 29 per cent. Overall utilisation rate up four per cent despite overcapacity in many Asian markets. During this period it expanded blue-chip customer base with long-term contracts. It started the process of construction of Asiasat 5 in May.

    Turnover for the first half of 2006 was HK $475 million including a one-time receipt of HK $46 million for early termination of a contract, an increase of HK $30 million. As of 30 June 2006, the Group held contracts worth HK $2,785 million , of which approximately HK $381 million will be recognised in the second half of the current year.

    Despite the slow market, Asiasat says that it has been able to make a number of improvements and maintain its backlog level.

    Asiasat chairman Romain Bausch said, “Despite some encouraging signs, there is little evidence emerging to indicate that these will make significant changes to Asiasat’s results for the second half of 2006.

    “Thus, it is unlikely that the results for the full year will be materially different from those of the prior year. However, the group is in excellent shape and is making solid progress wherever possible in the development of our customer products and services, particularly with the contracting of our new satellite. As the market leader in the region, we recognise our role in setting the standards for quality and service and we remain optimistic about future growth. Asiasat’s reputation for excellence and its market leadership position the company well for the future.

    “The economic improvements that we have noted in recent reports continue to be evident in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the persistent overcapacity present in many markets across the region is still holding down transponder rates and causing the satellite market to remain stubbornly flat. As a result, despite an increase in demand in our business and a concerted effort to capitalise on opportunities, little positive impact has come through in the results for the first six months of 2006.

    “In these circumstances and with a view to the longer term, it is pleasing that I am able to report that, following the 18 per cent increase in our overall utilisation rate during last year’s difficult market, we achieved a further four per cent increase in the first half of 2006. This is an encouraging improvement amidst otherwise unimpressive results.

    “Asiasat, however, continues to attract and maintain an enviable blue-chip customer base with long-term contracts. The company is also debt free and has no need to make any provisions for doubtful debts in the period under review. Looking at the longer term, our confidence in a bright future for satellites in the Asia Pacific is unchanged, as is our belief in Asiasat’s potential to benefit from this in due course. For these reasons, we continue to focus on our customers and on enhancing our products and services so as to further consolidate our market leadership and be ready for the next growth phase.

    “Underlining our continued confidence in the future of the Group, in May this year we announced the signing of the construction agreement to design and build AsiaSat 5, and we also announced its Launch contract. This new satellite, a replacement for Asiasat 2, is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2008,” said Bausch.

  • Balaji Telefilms takes co-production route for films; plans to enter distribution

    Balaji Telefilms takes co-production route for films; plans to enter distribution

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms Ltd. is venturing into co-production deals as part of a strategy to de-risk its movie business.

    The leading TV content company has tied up with White Feather Films, a company started by Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Gupta, for producing Shoot Out at Lokhandwala at Rs 120 million which is expected to release by March-end or the first quarter of the next financial year.

    Two other movies are planned which will be co-produced and released only in FY08. Balaji is in talks with several producers including Neeraj Vohra. “By co-producing, we will be limiting our risk. Besides, the partner will bring in its filmmaking expertise,” says a source in the company.

    Balaji is also planning to foray into film distribution. The company may take the territory of Mumbai for distributing Shoot Out at Lokhandwala.

    “The movie with Gupta is estimated to cost Rs 120 million and will have a multi-star cast. We are part-financing this film. We have plans for two other co-produced movies but the budgets are yet to be finalised,” the source says.

    Balaji Telefilms produced two films in the last fiscal and raked in a revenue of Rs 104 million, incurring a minor loss. While Kya Kool Hai Hum was a success, the second film Koi Aap Sa didn’t fare well in the box office.

    The company is adopting a cautious approach and will not be releasing any movie this year. “We expect Shoot Out at Lokhandwala to happen only next year,” says the source.
    Balaji Telefilms saw a robust growth in FY06 with topline increasing 43 per cent to Rs 2.8 billion. Net profit rose 44 per cent to Rs 594 million on the back of a rate revision from Star and an increase in programming hours.

  • STMicroelectronics and China’s Dahua Technology develop Cable/IP dual-mode STB

    STMicroelectronics and China’s Dahua Technology develop Cable/IP dual-mode STB

    MUMBAI: The Geneva-headquartered STMicroelectronics, the supplier of silicon chips for set-top boxes (STBs), and Dahua Technology Ltd, China’s cable and IPTV dual-mode STB provider, have announced that they have successfully designed and manufactured a highly integrated digital-cable and IP set-top box, making ST the first silicon supplier to provide single-chip dual-mode digital set-top-box solutions for the China market.

    The box, which begins deployment in Hangzhou Province in August 2006, will enable consumers to enjoy a new three-in-one digital media experience including digital-cable TV, video-on-demand, and web browsing for a wider choice of information services and broadcast programs, informs an official release.

    At the heart of Dahua’s design is a dedicated chip belonging to ST’s STi7100 family of Advanced Video Codecs (AVC). This system-on-chip (SoC) solution integrates support for advanced high-definition H.264/MPEG4 AVC and MPEG4 P2 standard definition (SD) in addition to MPEG2 encoded video signals. These innovative single-chip HD/SD devices are the industry’s first to enable the next generation consumer video systems and broadcast services.

    The STi7100’s integration combines all STB functions and multi-standard decoding circuitry onto a single piece of silicon minimizing both design and production costs for STB makers. Produced using ST’s state-of-the-art 90nm process technology, the STi7100 family devices provides a more cost-optimized HD/SD Cable/IP dual-mode interactive box in a single-chip design, paving the way for support of H.264 HD/SD streams with advanced codecs, the release adds.

    Compared with traditional TV delivery, IP set-top boxes provide an exciting interactive experience including VoD (Video on Demand) services that puts the audience in charge of selecting their favorite content according to their preferences, regardless of the program schedule. With Dahua’s STBs, consumers enjoy a wide variety of services including interactive games, SMS, e-commerce, VoIP, and video phone calls.

    “Leveraging its experience in this sector, ST will continue to offer a wide range of products that provide high flexibility, faster time-to-market, low cost, and high-quality solutions to our partners,” says Robert Krysiak, STMicroelectronics’ Corporate VP and GM for Greater China. “The cooperation with Dahua is the first volume deployment in China of our latest H.264 single chip, which is capable of both MPEG4 and MPEG 2 decoding, and it will further enhance Dahua’s competitive advantage in the rapidly growing new Cable and IPTV market where Dahua is a leader right now.”

    Dahua’s chairman and GM Zhu Giang Ming says, “ST’s cost- optimized single-chip solution, which includes a reference design with software kit coupled to their dedicated engineering support, have given us a unique solution and faster time-to-market.”

    Dahua is China’s major volume Cable and IP dual-mode STB provider for operators that provide VoD service for MPEG4 video and audio content. Operators will provide content through deployment of its dual-mode (Cable and IPTV) STBs enabled by the chip from ST.

    So far 360 million households boast TV sets in China, where target audiences exceed 1.1 billion, including 114.7 million cable subscribers. The number of customers is also exploding in both broadband and wireless markets, giving China a huge potential market for IPTV. With further extension of its broadband IP network and continuous improvement in communication technology, China is expected to become the largest IPTV market worldwide over the next few years, the release further adds.

  • A special review of ‘Umrao Jaan’ on IBN 7

    Watch Premier 7 for an exciting weekend!!!

    New Delhi, November 2, 2006: To spice up the weekend for the viewers, IBN 7 presents a special review on ‘Umrao Jaan’ on Premier 7 on Saturday, November 4 at 7:30pm. Premier 7 is a must watch to know more about the making of the movie. Audience can also catch charismatic Aishwarya Rai with Abhishek Bachchan as they talk about the making of ‘Umrao Jaan’ and lots more.

    The show will also feature a special celebrity guest invited to watch the weekly film release and give his/her point of view regarding the cast, story, direction music and other elements of the film. The guest will rate the film on a scale of 0-7 and Anshu Sisodia (show host) will rate it too as per IBN 7 standards.

    To add up some more fun, Premiere 7 will feature previews on forthcoming Bollywood & Hollywood films, updates on star lives, box-office results, and top rated songs and lots more.

  • Asian American, Hispanic TV homes grow by 3.6 % in US

    Asian American, Hispanic TV homes grow by 3.6 % in US

    MUMBAI: Asians and Hispanic/Latinos remain the fastest-growing television segments of the American population. Television households for each increased by 3.6 per cent over last year, according to Nielsen Media Research.

    Nielsen’s National Universe Estimates (the estimate of television viewers within the population) also show that the number of Black or African American television households grew faster than the national US average, 1.3 versus 1.1 percent, respectively

    Although Nielsen has previously released information on total Asian households, this is the first time that it has released information on national Asian demographics.

  • Ten Sports announces US Open 2006 telecast schedule

    Ten Sports announces US Open 2006 telecast schedule

    MUMBAI: The U.S. Open Tennis Championship gets under way on Monday 28 August through to Sunday 10 September and Ten Sports will be bringing the action live and exclusive.

    Leading the way will be two-time defending US Open champion Roger Federer along with former US Open champions Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin.

    Andre Agassi, the 1994 and 1999 US Open champion, announced he will retire after this year’s US Open, where he will make his 21st consecutive appearance, passing Jimmy Connors’ Open-Era record. An eternal favorite on the tennis court, Agassi’s retirement marks the end of a golden era in tennis that witnessed his many battles with the legendary Pete Sampras, states an official release.

    The Schedule:

    8/28/2006 Monday 8:30 pm US Open Day 1
    8/29/2006 Tuesday 4:30 pm US Open Day 1, Session 2
    8/29/2006 Tuesday 20:30 US Open Day 2, Session 3
    8/30/2006 Wednesday 4:30 US Open Day 2, Session 4
    8/30/2006 Wednesday 8:30 US Open Day 3, Session 5
    8/31/2006 Thursday 4:30 US Open Day 3, Session 6
    8/31/2006 Thursday 8:30 US Open Day 4, Session 7
    9/1/2006 Friday 4:30 US Open Day 4, Session 8
    9/1/2006 Friday 8:30 US Open Day 5, Session 9
    9/2/2006 Saturday 4:30 US Open Day 5, Session 10
    9/2/2006 Saturday 8:30 US Open Day 6, Session 11
    9/3/2006 Sunday 4:30 US Open Day 6, Session 12
    9/3/2006 Sunday 8:30 US Open Day 7, Session 13
    9/4/2006 Monday 4:30 US Open Day 7, Session 14
    9/4/2006 Monday 8:30 US Open Day 8, Session 15
    9/5/2006 Tuesday 4:30 US Open Day 8, Session 16
    9/5/2006 Tuesday 8:30 US Open Day 9, Session 17
    9/6/2006 Wednesday 4:30 US Open Day 9, Session 18
    9/6/2006 Wednesday 8:30 US Open Day 10, Session 19
    9/7/2006 Thursday 4:30 US Open Day 10, Session 20
    9/7/2006 Thursday 9:30 US Open Day 11, Session 21
    9/8/2006 Friday 4:30 US Open Day 11, Session 22
    9/8/2006 Friday 8:30 US Open Day 12, Session 23
    9/9/2006 Saturday 9:30 US Open Day 13, Session 24
    9/10/2006 Sunday 5:30 US Open Day 14, Session 25
    9/10/2006 Sunday 10:30 US Open Day 15, Session 26