ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Worldspace India appoints Harshad Jain as Chief Marketing Officer

    Worldspace India appoints Harshad Jain as Chief Marketing Officer

    MUMBAI: Worldspace, satellite-based digital radio services provider has announced the appointment of Harshad Jain as Chief Marketing Officer for its India operations. Jain will be responsible for extending the Worldspace service to markets across India, enhancing consumer experiences and building upon growing brand awareness levels in the country.

    Jain joins Worldspace from Pepsico India where he had a productive 12-year plus stint, serving in various roles and building Pepsi brands including Lipton Ice Tea, Aquafina, Tropicana, Slice, Gatorade, and others. In his last role as Executive Vice President (Pepsi-Lipton Joint Venture), Jain headed up the strategic alliance between Pepsi and Unilever, laying the foundation for the merger of the successful Lipton Ice business with Pepsi as well as developing the marketing strategy and the long-term vision for the alliance, informs an official release.

    Worldspace India MD Shishir Lall said, “We are delighted to have Harshad join us at Worldspace as we look to grow our business and undertake an extensive brand-building campaign. His appointment is part of a concerted effort to continue building a passionate management team as we share the joy of satellite radio with more and more music lovers across the country.”

    With over 40 premium radio stations Worldspace India will leverage Jain’s considerable brand building experience to further extend the reach of the satellite radio service and establish a connection with a larger base of music lovers across India, adds the release.

  • Fix basic tier rate above Rs 100: Cable ops to Trai

    Fix basic tier rate above Rs 100: Cable ops to Trai

    MUMBAI: The basic tier monthly rate of Rs 77 (excluding taxes) in conditional access system (CAS) areas is unrealistic and should not be below Rs 100, cable TV operators told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Six stakeholders have posted their views to the broadcast and cable regulator. Trai had sought views from the industry on the draft tariff amendment order notification for fixing the basic tier rate.

    The common argument laid down by the cable operators was that the price for the 30 FTA channels did not take into account the distribution cost through franchisee operators.

    According to clause 3B in the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Second) Tariff Order, 2004 (6 of 2004), “The maximum amount, which a cable operator may demand from a subscriber for receiving the programmes transmitted in the ‘basic service tier’ provided by such cable operator shall not exceed Rs 77 per month exclusive of taxes, for a minimum of 30 FTA channels. Free-to-air channels, over and above the basic service tier, would also be made available to the subscribers within the maximum amount mentioned above.”

    The views posted by New Delhi-based Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) said, “Only one multi-system operator (MSO) headend was considered and not the distribution cost through franchisee operators who maintain their own offices, technical maintenance staff, collection staff etc. Quality of service was not considered while calculating number of subscribers and the number of subscribers was based on extended network of the MSO prevailing at that time.”
    “The cost of FTA channels has to be reworked. Even as per our calculations submitted to the Ministry in 2003 the cost was Rs.180. One option is to use the benchmark of Rs 125, which was the charge for 15 to 20 channels in 1994 when there were no pay channels.”

    Pointing out the need for reworking the cost of FTA channels, the Federation said, “Even as per our calculations submitted to the Ministry in 2003 the cost was Rs.180. One option is to use the benchmark of Rs 125, which was the charge for 15 to 20 channels in 1994 when there were no pay channels.”

    A minimum of Rs 150 should be charged for the basic tier considering the fact that TRAI does not want last mile operators to pay for the FTA package to the MSOs. An amount of Rs 30 to Rs 50 is being paid at present to MSOs, the Federation added..

    Hathway Cable and Datacom has suggested a basic tier price of Rs 100 per month (excluding taxes). This will work out to not less than Rs 150 a month.

    “The cost of materials like cable, amplifier, and electronics have gone up significantly. And other components such as power and fuel in delivery of the services have also risen sharply in the last one to two years,” the MSO expressed to Trai.

    According to cable TV industry observer Col V.C Khare, “The rate was arrived at for a network spectrum 47-550 MHz transporting 62 channels, with a customer base of 32000 and a radius of operation of 7.5 kms on coaxial cable.”

    “Technically, head ends using 500 series trunk cable over 47-862 M Hz and transporting 90 channels cannot deliver signal quality per IS 13420 beyond 4.8 kms cable length, with a cascading limit of 16 amplifiers. The subscriber base of 32000 was high as independent head ends were having 18000 subscribers on an average. On the other hand, networks have consolidated with fiber, 120 digitally compressed signals, encryption and SMS hardware installed. If the upward and downward adjustment in cost for the above factors is taken into account the cost of Rs.72 as prorated would give at least a minimum cost of Rs.100 (exclusive of taxes),” he argued.

    National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) president Vikki Choudhry has suggested a monthly subscription rate of Rs 180. “A price below this level will result in deficiency in quality of service for the consumers, non-conformity with the provisions of CAS and Standards of BIS, no investment in network upgradation or maintenance, loss of employment, incentives most broadcasters to keep (or convert) their channels into pay, loss of revenue to the Indian Government and encourage under declaration by the cable service providers of FTA subscribers.”

  • Compelling content the key for mobile TV adoption

    Compelling content the key for mobile TV adoption

    MUMBAI: Mobile TV will succeed if the content on offer is compelling. Also one or two channels will not suffice. An operator should give around 20 channels. It should also be easy for the consumer to switch from one channel to another.

    This was the message delivered by Qualcomm president India and SAARC Kanwalinder Singh. As an example, he noted that if certain geography requires about 30,000-40,000 base station for wireless coverage, the same region can be served by about 400 MediaFLO towers to deliver mobile TV service.

    If the bandwidth is not enough then the picture is jerky and consumers will be put off. The key to successful mobile television is to do interactivity with the broadcast. MediaFLO is an end to end system that allows this. Mobile television is one to one interaction unlike television which is one to many.

    Qualcomm bought spectrum in the US and is now in a deal with Verizon to launch a mobile TV service next year in the US. He noted that MediaFLO has a Conditional Access System which allows only those phones who have paid for the content to access it. When desired, the operator can still have free to air content.

    The basic challenge is to have the maximum number of channels possible with relatively limited spectrum. Power consumption by the mobile phone should also be low.

    Mobile television also offers unique commerce opportunities. For instance secondary generation opportunities exist when a music video is playing. One can offer a ringtone, the music album of that artist to the user to buy on the spot. He added that Qualcomm is keen on doing a trial project with mobile operators in India.

    Another session looked at the business of retail and home entertainment. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment country manager N. Muthuram noted that there is a 60 per cent DVD penetration in TV homes in India. The DVD has features like subtitles, language options which has energised the market.

    “It is a catalogue driven business. Classic titles like Sholaty perform well contrary to perception in some quarters that one the new titles sell. In the US home videos earn thrice as much as theatrical releases. In fact Sony Pictures has a deal with Steven Seagal and Wesley snipes for direct to video films. It is also a positive sign that window of release for videos is falling.”

    He noted the importance of retail in the home video market in the US. Walmart contributes 50 per cent to the home video business. He noted that increasingly companies across the globe tie up for home video releases. An example is in Mexico. There Act II Popcorn did a deal for the home video release of Spiderman.

    The aim was to once again generate excitement for Spiderman when the sequel was being released theatrically. Act II found relevance with the product and 42,000 units were sold. In Italy a pizza company has an association with DVD releases. Basically a DVD comes with a pizza. They also do a DVD choice of the month initiative. The message is that the consumer can enjoy the pizza while watching a film. This gives the home entertainment firm an avenue that would have exited earlier. The retail firm meanwhile gets an extra hook for its product.

    In Germany a tie up was done for Terminator 3 between Sony, Sony Electronics and Hatari which had developed a game based on the game. The good thing was that it was a combined promotional effort. There was TVC pushing all the three firms. When consumers bought a product there would be leaflet inside telling them about the other two products. In India the key challenge is to educate brand marketers about the possibilities in this arena.

    Saregama VP and head – films Sweta Agnihotri gave more examples of how synergies work between DVDs and brands. Motrorola for instance made a phone on Spongebob. Samsung had done a tie up for the Matrix which was all about having information. Kelloggs regularly does stuff with Disney. Mitsubishi did a promotion for 2 Fast 2 Furious where they had kits distributed in their dealership outlets. All this allows a brand to be associated with famous stars for a relatively less cost. In India Saregama had done a Barbie called Hope has Wings for a brand. The song played on music channels. There was also a tie up with micro processor solution firm AMD for the DVD release of Madagascar.

  • EM2 seminar: Indian content producers need to look closer at digital delivery

    EM2 seminar: Indian content producers need to look closer at digital delivery

    MUMBAI: The third annual Entertainment, Media and Marketing (em2) forum organised by the Film and Television Producers Guild of India (FTPGI) was held in Mumbai today. One of the sessions looked at digital entertainment.

    Among the panelists were Tata Sky MD Vikram Kaushik, Microsoft India head gaming Mohit Anand and Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari.

    Wanvari pointed to the internet as becoming increasingly important for Hollywood as an additional revenue source. Indian content producers should look more closely at their internet strategies and take a leaf from their counterparts in the West, Wanvari noted. He gave several examples. For instance Fox has started offering films and television shows for download through on its websites Direct2dirive.com, Myspace.com and other Fox Interactive Websites. The playing is limited to to two computers, and a portable play device. Viacom earlier this month stitched together a deal wherein its video clips along with commercials will be served through Google’s Ad sense network.

    It had also announced it would pay $200 million acquire online gaming and entertainment company Atom Entertainment, which boasts two online video sites, AtomFilms.com and AddictingClips.com, and two casual gaming sites, Shockwave.com and AddictingGames.com.Viacom retails videos on Google. AOL has unveiled a video site. Some videos are offered for free while others one pays for.

    Apple’s online music store iTunes earned a billion dollars last year. It has now inked deals with several US broadcasters for paid download of shows.

    In the UK Eros International has a deal with MovieFlix. Films that are offered for download offer possibilities for schemes like games, contests and alternative endings. Moreover the potential on the net extends to television channels as well Wanvari noted. JumpTV which has been aggregating TV channels from all over the world to offer to its subscribers in America. Today it has 200 channels on its network, and the most recent signees being Punjab Today, SET Asia, and Balle Balle.

    It is early days in this business as yet. The studios are generating anywhere between $1.99 to $3.99 for a TV show to $9.99 to $19.99 for a movie. Or they have a fixed monthly subscription fee of $6.95 a month. The revenues are running into a few millions.

    Wanvari adds, “Numbers are minuscule but technological change and a hungry for broadband content audience is pushing the pace. There were an estimated 194 million broadband households in 2005; this expected to more than double to 413 million worldwide by 2010, according to Instat research. Of this, 130 million will be accessing video content.

    “In India, broadband penetration is minuscule: just 1.5-1.9 million, but this is going to balloon to 8 million plus by end 2010, according to Media Partners Asia, Hongkong numbers. Even if 10 per cent of this resorts to broadband video we are talking about a good 800,000 subscribers.

    “These will be high net worth individuals who even if they buy 12 movies online every year at a cost of Rs 75 a movie or Rs 50 a TV episode, could end up generating Rs 125-150 crore in revenue. And if one looks at overseas sales: the figure can easily surpass Rs 150-200 crores per annum. It is probably this that has prompted Eros to partner with MovieFlix.com.”

    Kaushik pointed out the benefits of pay TV addressable service like DTH. Film producers he noted can use this as an additional revenue stream. Abroad within days of a films theatrical release it is made available on pay TV. This will also help curb piracy. There is a clear accountable mechanism in place in a DTH environment.

    He noted that last year 10 million TV sets were sold in India. 75 per cent of these were colour television sets. He noted that in the current cable set up consumers suffer from poor service, not enough special interest channels and no choice in the service provider. Broadcasters suffer due to leakages on the distribution front. The government suffers as it does not get tax revenue.

    Pay TV services like DTH will eliminate these problems. He added that the cable industry will not be hit in a major way by new technologies coming in. In the Tata Sky set up consumers get a 24 hour service. The set top box can be moved from one place to another. Also DTH can reach rural India which has been left out of the cable revolution. He added that since
    1991 when the government allowed cable and satellite television there has been no significant change in terms of the mode of delivery.

    Anand stressed the relationship between films and gaming. He noted that the global gaming business is worth over 24 billion dollars. It makes more money than Hollywood films. He gave an example of the film Pirates of the Carribean which made $136 million in its opening weekend. Microsoft released the game Halo 2 a couple of years ago, which made $125 million on its opening night.

    Microsoft’s Xbox 360 he says represents the start of the seventh generation of gaming. Sony and Nintendo will do something similar later this year. One main reason why he is optimistic about gaming in India is that India has a large population below the age of 18. They are equally if not more technologically savvy than previous generations.

    Things have come full circle as far as films and gaming are concerned. Earlier companies would develop a game on a film if the film became a blockbuster. Today films like Resident Evil are based on video games.

    He noted that in the future one could see film studios alter scripts to make them more game friendly. In fact a lot of studios have people on the look out for ventures that can be adapted into both films and games. In India so far film studios use games as a marketing gimmick. That is not the way forward if Indian film companies want to mine this source of revenue. Some games take three years to develop but if one thinks of the game along with the film the process will be easier. In fact one then has the opportunity to shoot for the game while one is shooting the film.

  • Manorama News unveiled; ‘varied content’ USP

    Manorama News unveiled; ‘varied content’ USP

    MUMBAI: Print major Malayala Manorama Group has launched its maiden television broadcast venture Manorama News, a 24-hour free-to-air news channel. The channel hit the airwaves with a news bulletin at 12 noon on 17 August and the day also marked the beginning of the Onam month for Keralites.

    Manorama News attempts to make a mark in the highly contested Malayalam (Kerala) television market with its USP of ‘varied content’. “Our strategy is to offer varied content than just news. We have lined up a complete set of different news formats targeted at different viewer segments,” MM TV — the broadcast arm of Malayala Manorama — COO Anil George told indiantelevision.com.

    MM News has divided the state into three regions — South (Thiruvananthapuram), Central (Kochi) and North of Kerala (Kozhikode) — to enable itself to dish out local news in a better way. The channel telecasts three different beams of six local news bulletins every day catering to the regions on an exclusive basis. Except these six local news bulletins, the rest of the channel programming is uniform for the entire state.

    Apart from the three key local points of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, MM News has set up its studios in Delhi and Mumbai.

    MM News offers a package of half-an-hour news bulletins, making it a total of 12 news bulletins per day. The channel airs extended news programmes early morning and in the night. The morning news show Pularvela, slotted for 7 am to – 8:30 am – functions as a platform to provide and discuss all the early news stories coming in. Manorama News Hour, from 9 pm to 10 pm, will provide an in-depth analysis of the day’s news with the updates.

    MM News targets the viewer segment which vies for lighter stuff with a 7 pm show Sakalakala. The crime news genre has been taken care of with Kutapathram at 10 pm. the ‘business class’ is targeted with business news bulletins twice in a day, at 5 pm and 11 pm. Vanita, a female-oriented show, has an afternoon slot at 2:30 pm. The channel has also lined up a celebrity interview series to mark the beginning.

    MM News’ interactive prime time chat show Ningal Parayoo explores the channel’s online space and the mobile short code 7333. According to George, MM News will change its short code to 6776 as the group is planning to acquire a uniform mobile interactive identity.

    “For the time being, we will be using the short code 7333 for Manorama News. But soon, the entire Manorama group will come under the short code 6776,” says George.

    Speaking on the initiatives made on the distribution front, George says the channel has a 100 per cent presence in Kerala and Delhi, while plans for the other key centres are on the anvil.

    “We are working on the distribution front and we will be soon hoping on the Direct to Home (DTH) platform as well. At present, we are not available in the Gulf region. However, talks are on and we would be making it to the Gulf very soon,” he says.

    When queried on the channel’s strategy to make a first impression in the market, George said even entertainment channels had been considered as competitors. “It is not that, we are fighting with the existing news channels of the space. We consider even entertainment channels as out competitors. MM News is launching a number of innovative formats and the plan is to bring in viewers from the other viewing genres also. The national scenario, where news channels are really improving their viewer-base with various innovative strategies, has been really inspiring.”

    Speaking on the immediate target, George said the plan was to let the content bring in viewers and then advertisers. “Our focus is on building a brand in the interest of consumers by offering them the right content. In the next six months, the plan is to win the mindshare and we are sure that the revenue share will follow.”

    MM News follows a two-pronged marketing strategy to create a buzz in the market, according to George. “Our immediate goal is to provide a different experience of news broadcasting to the viewer. The strategy is to let the content bring in the viewer. Then, we will have a consistent advertising campaign series across different media wings of Manorama to promote the channel,” he says.

    When queried on MM TV’s next television venture, George said the company is presently looking at a couple of genres. “We have a long term strategy of getting into other ventures. A couple of formats have been thought of, but no time frame has been set yet.”

  • Nimbus’ channel named Neo Sports; Scott Ferguson to head international operations

    Nimbus’ channel named Neo Sports; Scott Ferguson to head international operations

    MUMBAI: Harish Thawani’s Nimbus Communications Limited appears to be on track as regards its stated aim to launch three sports channels between October 2006 and September 2007.

    Nimbus today announced the name of its main channel as Neo Sports and that the sports broadcasting business’ India operations have been spun off into a new wholly owned subsidiary called Nimbus Sports Broadcast Limited. The statement issued by Nimbus, however, made no mention of who would be heading channel operations in India. That announcement is expected next week.

    Nimbus’ international sports broadcast operations will meanwhile, be managed by Nimbus Media Private Limited based out of Singapore. Appointed as head of Nimbus Media is Scott Ferguson who takes charge as COO heading Asiawide sports broadcast operations.

    Scott, who has been heading sports broadcasting at Orbit in the Middle East, has over 20 years of experience and has had earlier stints at BBC TV, ITV, Sky and NTL.

    Nimbus is pumping over Rs 3 billion (approximately $ 67 million) into Phase 1 of the sports broadcasting business and will invest a further Rs 1.5 billion ($ 33 million) in Phase 2. As has already been reported, over the last one year Nimbus has secured over $ 75 million (Rs 3.4 billion) of fresh financing from 3i & Deutsche Bank.

    Meanwhile, Nimbus has commissioned Singapore based broadcast design company Brandspeed to do the channel branding and design.

  • Star News to launch automobile show ‘Top Speed’

    Star News to launch automobile show ‘Top Speed’

    MUMBAI: Starting 20 August, Star News will launch an automobile handbook show targteing auto lovers and the layman alike, Top Speed. The show will offer a weekly dose of wheels, speed and panache and also news that can be used.

    The half-an-hour show Top Speed will proivde latest news on the newest cars & bikes and showcase new paradigms in automobile technology. The show will air every Sunday at 5:30 pm.

    According to an official statement, the Indian automobile sector is clearly on the boom right now with vehicle sales growing at a rate of 8-10 per cent year on year. With many international players setting shop in India and marketing their products here, the scenario is now so much more exciting, yet so much more vexing for the potential buyer.

    The show will include test drives, vehicle reviews, expert advice on vehicle maintenance, the latest must-haves in accessories, exclusive reporting on auto shows, and much more. It will be anchored by the Auto Magazine consulting editor Rajiv Mitra with Manpreet Waraich. The duo will look at a vehicle from the perspective of an expert and a layman respectively, in an attempt to provide a comprehensive opinion on the vehicle. The two will also contest each other to prove their point, resulting in innovative situations and some real ‘top speed’ action, informs the release.

  • AOL buys video game site GameDaily

    AOL buys video game site GameDaily

    MUMBAI: AOL has acquired GameDaily, one of the Internet’s leading independent video game publications, from Gigex, Inc, but did not disclose the financial terms.

    As part of the agreement, AOL will acquire both the GameDaily consumer website (http://www.gamedaily.com) and the industry-leading newsletter, (http://Biz.GameDaily.com).

    GameDaily will become the flagship video games brand within the AOL Games network, and will be united with content and community features currently found on the AOL Video Games website (http://www.aol.com/videogames), informs an official release.

    In addition, the AOL Video Games editorial team will be integrated into the GameDaily editorial staff to create the new GameDaily editorial team. The GameDaily Biz newsletter team will also operate under the newly combined AOL Video Games-GameDaily editorial team. Additionally, certain GameDaily content partnership agreements will be transitioned to AOL.

    “Video game sites have become a valuable resource for advertisers wishing to reach the young male audience, and GameDaily is a brand that resonates with these highly sought after consumers,” said AOL Games VP and GM Ralph Rivera. “We look forward to continuing to serve this audience, maximizing GameDaily content with AOL’s community features, and further expanding the AOL Games community.”

    “Video games are now a vital piece of the entertainment landscape along with music, video and online communities,” said Gigex Inc CEO Mark Friedler. “We’re thrilled to combine our experience delivering top-notch consumer content and leading business news with AOL’s tremendous reach to provide a new level of innovative entertainment content to online consumers everywhere.”

    According to the release, in addition to GameDaily.com, the AOL Games network also includes AOL Games (http://www.aol.com/games), destination for casual and downloadable games from leading publishers; AOL Video Games (http://www.aol.com/videogames), gamers’ leading online resource for video game news, previews, cheats and original programming such as the interactive Inside the Game feature; and the recently acquired Games.com, an extension of AOL Games’ best-of-breed casual games available at one of the most popular URLs among web users seeking games content.

    GameDaily is AOL’s fourth announced acquisition of 2006, following the acquisition of Userplane last week, Lightningcast, Inc. in May, and Truveo, Inc. in January. Other recent corporate acquisitions in 2005 by AOL include Music Now, LLC, Weblogs, Inc., Xdrive, Inc. and Wildseed, Ltd.

  • ICC to invite media rights bids for 2007-2015 in October

    ICC to invite media rights bids for 2007-2015 in October

    MUMBAI: In October, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will begin the process of selling the audio-visual rights for 18 ICC tournaments starting from the second half of 2007 till the World Cup in 2015.

    A statement put forth by the ICC informs that the period includes 18 ICC tournaments. There will be two World Cups, in Asia in 2011 and in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. There will also be at least three Champions Trophy tournaments. It will then focus on selling the sponsorship rights.

    Media reports indicate that the first two Twenty20 world championships to be held in South Africa (2007) and England (2009), also feature among the events.

    The current agreement with Global Cricket Corporation (a News Corp subsidiary), which began in 2000, ends in March/April 2007 with the World Cup in the West Indies. GCC had sold the India territory rights for ICC cricket to Sony Entertainment Television India.

  • MTV International launches multi-platform film competition for Aids awareness

    MTV International launches multi-platform film competition for Aids awareness

    MUMBAI: As part of MTV International’s ongoing HIV and Aids prevention campaign – Staying Alive, the company announced its first film competition, 48fest.

    It will be aired next month across all of MTV’s worldwide platforms – on air, online and on mobile phones.

    Held at the XVI International Aids conference in Toronto from 14-16 August, the competition gave 48 youths 48-hours to write, shoot, edit and deliver a short film of three minutes on HIV and Aids grassroots efforts. The winner will be crowned at the 48fest Awards Ceremony held at the Masonic Temple in Toronto on 17 August.

    MTV International VP, public affairs Georgia Arnold says, “48fest gives young filmmakers the unique opportunity of telling their own stories about HIV and Aids in their own voice. At MTV, we believe one of the strongest ways to deliver HIV and Aids prevention messages is to empower our viewers to talk about HIV and Aids, enable them to use their creativity, and give them a platform to share their voice with their peers. In this case, the platform includes our numerous TV channels, broadband services, websites and mobile TV channels located throughout the world.”

    MTV in Canada senior VP, GM Brad Schwartz says, “MTV in Canada is dedicated to discussing issues that are important to all Canadians. HIV and Aids prevention is one of those issues. We are extremely proud to be hosting this event. It is an exciting first step in our quest to create innovative and new ways to discuss and promote awareness and prevention of HIV and Aids in Canada.”

    The 48fest competition will be comprised of eight teams of six filmmakers from all over the world, who are also youth delegates to Aids 2006. Each team will be assigned to create a film that focuses on one of eight HIV and Aids-themed subjects, including condom use, delaying or abstaining from sex, machismo, testing, violence against women, discrimination, stigma, and vulnerable populations.

    The teams will each be accompanied by a professional Canadian filmmaker, who will serve as a mentor and will help the contestants to sharpen their skills across all areas of filmmaking.

    All of the shorts will be screened by the contestants, their mentors and Aids 2006 delegates before the awards ceremony to be held at Toronto. The films will be critiqued by a panel of judges including MTV US president Christina Norman, Canadian-born rock artist Fefe Dobson and CTV president of programming Susanne Boyce.

    The 48fest films will be made available for broadcast across MTV’s worldwide network of 50 TV channels, 14 mobile TV channels, 18 broadband services and 44 websites. In addition, the shorts will be compiled into a 30-minute documentary, Staying Alive – 48fest (working title), that will showcase the films as well as behind-the-scenes footage as the young filmmakers progress through their many stages of film production.

    The documentary will also air across MTV International’s TV and broadband channels. Offered rights-free and cost-free to third party broadcasters, the shorts and documentary will be available for worldwide broadcast in September.

    In addition, during the Awards Ceremony on 17 August, US based MTV News and Docs – in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation – will premiere Think HIV. This is a documentary in which young people from across the US tell their story of how HIV and Aids has affected their generation. Part memorial, part testimony, these short video vignettes –filmed entirely by infected and/or affected young people – paints a portrait of the epidemic’s impact on their lives. The half-hour show will make its television debut on MTV in the US and Canada the following day.

    It is the first such documentary created by MTV and Kaiser that features 100 per cent user-generated content produced by young people on digital video recorders. Think HIV is part of think MTV, a community where young people get informed, connect to each other, express themselves and take action on the issues important to them, their community and their world.