ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    MUMBAI: Canadian media firm Alliance Atlantis Communications has announced the licensing of certain international second window rights for the CSI franchise including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

    In India, the show airs on AXN.
    The license fees generated for these international second window rights total approximately $250 million. Alliance Atlantis executive MD of international content distribution Ted Riley says, “We have now secured second window licensing agreements in a number of countries including France, Spain, Australia and, most recently, Germany and the UK. These agreements with international broadcasters demonstrate the strong interest in the re-licensing of CSI around the world.”

    Alliance Atlantis Communications CEO Phyllis Yaffe says, “We are exceptionally pleased with the performance of the CSI franchise in the international marketplace. As we have previously stated, the franchise has outperformed our original expectations in international first window and DVD sales. With this announcement, we can confirm that the trend continues. International second window rights are worth significantly more than we had originally anticipated. We continue to have active discussions with broadcasters in other territories regarding further second window licensing opportunities.”

    International broadcasters that have acquired second window rights to the franchise include RTL in Germany, Five in the UK, TF1 in France, Telecinco in Spain, Nine Network in Australia and CTV in Canada. These sales include both produced and future episodes of CSI. To date, the CSI franchise has produced 287 hours of programming inventory.

    Alliance Atlantis also announced video-on-demand (VOD) partnering agreements for the CSI franchise in certain European territories including Germany and the UK, to take advantage of emerging opportunities in cable and online distribution.

  • Paramount ropes in former NBC Universal hand Huntsberry as COO

    Paramount ropes in former NBC Universal hand Huntsberry as COO

    MUMBAI: The Viacom-owned film studio Paramount Pictures has announced the appointment of Frederick Huntsberry as its chief operating officer. In his new role at Paramount, Huntsberry will be responsible for worldwide strategic planning and operations for the studio.

    Huntsberry comes to Paramount after 12 years with General Electric Co., the parent company of NBC, where he served as NBC Universal Television Distribution EVP as well as Universal Pictures interim president and COO.

    “With Frederick’s unique experiences and skills, I know he will be a tremendous addition to our management team as we continue to lead Paramount to a bright future,” Paramount chairman and chief executive Brad Grey has been quoted in media reports as saying.

    Paramount has also announced the expansion of the profile of its president Rob Moore. Moore, who had been in charge of marketing and distribution, will now take charge of its home entertainment and digital operations as well.

  • Star TV makes fun of Zee Cinema

    Star TV makes fun of Zee Cinema

    Star TV is taking potshots at its former ally Zee Telefilms. It has been airing an interstitial on its Star Movies channel which takes a dig at Zee TV’s pay TV Hindi movie channel channel Zee Cinema.

    The interstitial starts with a shot of an office building with a neon sign similar in all respects to the logo used by Zee Cinema except for a small change: the brand it is advertising ‘Bee Cinema’. An executive in the Bee Cinema office is shown throwing darts at a dartboard blindfolded.

    A voiceover tells the viewer that unlike other channels (Bee Cinema), Star Movies does not show its viewers movies they would not like to see. The interstitial goes on to tell viewers to log on to the startv.com website and vote for their favourite movies in the pick of the week section. Star promises that it will will then show these movies according to the viewer’s preferences and in order of their popularity.

    While the introduction of this scheme is commendable, Star’s swipe at Zee at this juncture seems surprising. For one, we all thought that the trench warfare between Star TV and Zee TV was a thing of the past. But apparently it does not seem to be.

    According to some inside sources Star’s move stems from a desire by the Star Network to get back at Zee for what many insiders believe was Zee’s hand in the controversial Channel [V] obscenity case.

    Others say that the mocking interstitial is just a teaser for the to-be-launched Star TV Hindi movie channel Star Box Office. The ground is being prepared for the launch of the classic-movies-cum new-movies channel. It is to be seen how and whether Zee will react and if we are in for another war between two industry partners-turned-rivals.

  • Mark Burnett plays ‘Devil’s Advocate’ for Sci Fi Channel

    Mark Burnett plays ‘Devil’s Advocate’ for Sci Fi Channel

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Sci Fi Channel has unveiled a slate of original series and miniseries. Reality TV guru Mark Burnett The Apprentice and Dreamworks Television will make Devil’s Advocate.

    This is a one-hour conspiracy thriller about a theology professor who is thrust into the world of secret societies, religious espionage and genetic research.

    Hired by a global corporation, but motivated by his own personal search for the truth, the professor forms an eclectic team of ‘devil’s advocates’ who are charged with deciding whether bizarre cases can be explained naturally, or whether there are larger, more supernatural forces at work.

    The channel will also unveil a miniseries Outpost. It centers on a group of private explorers in the near future, that takes over an abandoned Nasa research base after the government has abandoned space exploration as too expensive. The intrepid explorers travel to a distant planet in our solar system to establish a potentially lucrative off-world colony. But, the real adventure begins when they discover an ancient artifact buried deep beneath the planet’s surface.

  • EU court reverses EC decision on approval of Sony BMG deal

    EU court reverses EC decision on approval of Sony BMG deal

    MUMBAI: In what has come as a shock to the global music industry, The Court of First Instance of the European Communities annulled a decision made by the European Commission a couple of years ago.

    That decision had given the nod to the merger of Japan’s Sony and Germany’s Bertelsmann. The ruling marks the first time that the courts have overturned a commission decision to clear a deal. It could affect other acquisitions in the music space. Warner and EMI are belieevd to be talking to merge.

    Media reports indicate that Sony BMG which is the world’s second largest music company has to return to the European Commission within a week to seek new approval. The EC will decide in a month’s time whether to approve the merger while considering current market conditions. The 2004 decision was annulled on the argument that regulators did not show whether a monopolistic situation would be created in the event of the merger or that there wasn’t one at the time of the merger.

    In a statement Bertelsmann said, “Today’s judgment does not affect the validity of the Sony BMG joint venture, which has been up and running since August 2004.” If the EC does not aprove the merger things will get tricky.

    A suit had been filed by Impala, the Independent Music Publishers and Labels Association, in December 2004 due to concern over dominance of the market by firms like Sony BMG, a newly created joint venture.

  • Animal Planet to showcase ‘Great Savannah Race’

    Animal Planet to showcase ‘Great Savannah Race’

    MUMBAI: The great wildebeest migration in East Africa is an annual feature. For over a million years, 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras and gazelles undertake a dramatic journey from the vast open plains of the Serengeti to the champagne coloured hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara.

    Animal Planet uses cutting edge technology to show this natural wonder. The event will be presented as a wildlife reality show, following the million-plus participants as they run the frantic 800-kilometer Great Savannah Race. The three part series will air on 17, 18 and 19 July at 8 pm.

    Why do the animals carry out this yearly migration? Is it the wind that guides them? Or a sixth sense which leads them in search of rain-ripened grass? And, who will survive the journey and cross the finish line first? The show filmed in high-definition sets out to answer all these questions. The journey begins in Tanzania with veterinarian Patrick Garcia and scientists Anja Brinch Jensen and Sophie Grange.

    Their first goal is to fit 10 animals (seven wildebeests and three zebras) with collars so they can be tracked throughout the epic journey via satellite. The collars, equipped with miniature Global Positioning System (GPS) monitors, satellite transmitters and a VHF radio system, allows the participants to be located within a radius of 1 meter. With the help of Technical Coordinator Sébastien Lafont, the scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the great migration which will help them preserve the fragile equilibrium of the eco-system.

    The long and dangerous trek is fraught with danger. More than 250,000 animals will die along the way from sheer exhaustion, and the migration is relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators – lions, cheetahs, hyenas, vultures and crocodiles – waiting for an opportunity to strike weak prey. Most dramatic of all is the moment when the migration arrives at the crocodile infested Mara River, which must be crossed in order to reach the rich grazing. As the bravest takes the initial plunge into the swirling currents, thousands follow – many to inevitable death.

    The series follows the daily trials and tribulations of the 10 main characters, all of whom have been earmarked by the scientists as those most likely to complete the journey. Who amongst the main competitors is predicted to win the race? The young male bursting with energy; the old, yet experienced veteran or the female and her newborn calf?

    For the first time, The Great Savannah Race follows the vast migration from the start to the finish line, capturing all the drama, mystery, intrigue, tragedy and heroic deeds of this truly epic saga.

  • Eurodata TV to provide research on Pakistan channels

    Eurodata TV to provide research on Pakistan channels

    MUMBAI: Eurodata TV Worlwide has announced a new partnership with Gallup in Pakistan to provide TV ratings. This includes ratings by programme or by quarter hours for more than 35 new TV channels in Pakistan including cable and satellite ones.

    The audience results are available from January 2000 and socio-demographic profiles may also be provided for the standard targets (sex, age, income). The Pakistanese audiovisual landscape is dominated by the Pakistan Television Corporation, a public television group, with a 77.2 per cent total audience share in 2005. With a viewership of more than 62 million, its main channel PTV is the market leader with an audience share of 57.7 per cent.

    The best audiences are performed by generalist channels: PTV, ATV and Star Plus, followed by KTN, in Sindhi language and GEO composed of 2 channels: an entertainment and a news channel.

    Last year, the number of cable TV channels increased notably thanks to the diffusion of regional channels, which primarily broadcast in regional languages.

    Among the programmes with commercial breaks, the most popular one is the series Sassi based on a love story relating to the Sindh province. In 2005, this series allowed PTV to reach a record audience of more than 25 million people.

    This new agreement shows that Eurodata TV Worldwide wants to expand its activities to all the countries as they equipped themselves with an audience measurement system. Since 1991 and the launch of Eurodata TV Worlwide, partnerships with audience measurement companies across the whole world are multiplying and constantly enlarging the access to audiences results worldwide for its customers, TV channels, producers, distributors, studios, medias agencies and rights managers.

    Created by Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide distributes programming and audience information, based on its partnership with the national institutes operating people meter systems throughout the world.

  • Lionsgate expands into television syndication business

    Lionsgate expands into television syndication business

    MUMBAI: US independent film studio Lionsgate has acquired television distributor Debmar-Mercury.

    Helmed by Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, the company will continue to operate under the Debmar-Mercury banner as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

    Debmar-Mercury recently completed a successful test of Tyler Perry’s TV shows (Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion and the upcoming Daddy’s Little Girl), the comedy series House Of Payne with select major market stations representing a cross section of key station groups. Lionsgate’s acquisition of Debmar-Mercury extends the company’s relationship with Tyler Perry across not only feature film and video product but original television programming, as well.

    The acquisition follows on the heels of Lionsgate’s successful move into international feature film and library self-distribution, through the October 2005 acquisition of UK-based distributor Redbus, which was renamed Lionsgate UK. It also creates a major new distribution portal for Lionsgate by giving it the capacity to syndicate its own television programming and feature film packages as well as creating a new television distribution revenue stream from third-party franchise properties.

    Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer says, “We again have the opportunity to combine our resources with a culturally similar, entrepreneurial company that is a leader in its market segment and whose principals we know well.

    “Debmar-Mercury has become one of the leading independent distributors in the industry. With our fiscal 2007 slate of nine prime time television series, the acquisition of Debmar-Mercury’s television distribution capabilities across new and traditional media outlets is a natural growth opportunity for our content business.”

    Feltheimer noted that the acquisition continues to further Lionsgate’s game plan of broadening its distribution footprint and aggregating rights to important content and properties.

  • Sesame Workshop joins hands with Wal-Mart Stores

    Sesame Workshop joins hands with Wal-Mart Stores

    MUMBAI: Sesame Workshop and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have announced plans to distribute bilingual, multi-media outreach kits entitled Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment, this August.

    The announcement was made by Sesame Workshop president and CEO Gary E. Knell and Wal-Mart vice president of corporate affairs Ray Bracy, at the annual Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) national conference.

    Distribution of the Talk, Listen, Connect kits will begin on 1 August. Based on feedback from the program’s advisory board, as well as the priorities established from focus groups, the kits will be distributed at no cost to military families through the following outlets and provided by the US Department of Defense.

    Due to an overwhelming response to the announcement of the project and feedback from Talk, Listen, Connect’s advisory board, Wal-Mart has donated an additional $575,000, for a total of nearly $1.5 million in funding. This additional funding will increase the number of kits produced by Sesame Workshop and their partners to nearly 400,000 kits. The resources will consist of a bilingual (English / Spanish) kit with a DVD for children and adults, starring the Muppets from Sesame Street, and a magazine and poster for children, parents and caregivers.

    The Talk, Listen, Connect kits will also be available online at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/tlc, where streaming video is being provided by The Department of Defense Quality of Life Information Technology Center, so families everywhere can view the video and download the information.

    To meet the needs of children, Sesame Workshop developed Talk, Listen, Connect, with an initial donation of nearly $1 million from Wal-Mart and additional support from The New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH) and the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

    The project will help children between the ages of three and five, whose parents are members of the United States Armed Services, National Guard and Reserves, cope with the feelings, challenges, and concerns experienced during various phases of deployment: pre-deployment, deployment and homecoming.

    “Wal-Mart has a long history of supporting our troops and their families. We are proud to be part of a program that will provide important resources to the children of our servicemen and servicewomen, who bravely serve our country and defend our freedom. At Wal-Mart, we are committed to honoring and supporting these individuals each and every day and we are proud to be part of a project that takes a holistic approach to helping the entire family,” said Bracy.

    “Sesame Workshop is grateful to Wal-Mart and our partners and proud that Talk, Listen, Connect kits will be distributed nationwide, as well as, be available online for all military families to access these groundbreaking materials. It is our privilege to provide Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve families with unique tools to help their young children find emotional strength and resilience,” said Knell.

    “Whether children are worried about moving to a new home or school or a parent’s deployment, being a child in a military family represents a unique emotional challenge for today’s youth. OMH is proud to have been invited to play a role in this important initiative with Sesame Workshop and Wal-Mart,” said commissioner Sharon E. Carpinello.

  • Essel Propack ‘s Global Sales Record a Growth of 11% in The First Quarter Ended March 31, 2006

    Essel Propack ‘s Global Sales Record a Growth of 11% in The First Quarter Ended March 31, 2006

    Global sales – Rs. 2,121 Million
    EBIDT – Rs. 513 Million
    Net profit – Rs. 187 Million

    Mumbai, March 26, 2006 : Essel Propack, the global leader in laminated tubes, recorded a growth of 11% in its consolidated revenues during the First Quarter of 2006 over the corresponding period of last year. The Net Sales during the quarter under consideration touched Rs. 2,121 Million with a PAT of Rs. 187 Million.

    Speaking of the First Quarter results, Ashok Goel, the Vice Chairman & Managing Director stated in Mumbai, “Results for the first quarter are in line with our expectations. The seasonal and cyclical swing in volumes & revenue has been anticipated. This is built into our internal projections for the current year.”

    The turnaround operations at the acquired units of Arista Tubes, UK, and Essel Propack (UK), formerly Telcon Packaging, are on schedule. The expansion project at Arista, UK, is expected to be completed by the end of April 2006. These units are expected to move towards breakeven levels by June 2006. These units will further contribute to the profitability and margin improvement of the Company from Q3 2006. The start-up units of Russia and Mexico are going through a stabilization and volumes ramp-up mode. Operating costs for the Q1 2005 and Q1 2006 are not comparable because the Q1 2006 results include the operating costs of new Nalagarh plant (Himachal Pradesh, India), Essel Propack (UK), Russia, Mexico and the new US expansion which were not a part of the Q1 2005 results. The coming months are expected to show higher volumes and increased revenues from these new investments. Finance cost and depreciation are higher due to increased loans taken for Nalagarh project, for capacity expansion in USA, Arista (UK) expansion and Essel Propack (UK) acquisition. Also other income such as exchange gains in Q1 2005 has not occurred in Q1 2006. These too have impacted the profits in Q1 2006.

    On the short term outlook, Ashok Goel said, “Going forward in the second half of 2006, the loss making operations in Europe are expected to turn around. This should help in the improvement of the margins.” To sustain a double-digit growth, the Company has rolled out a multi-pronged approach. Mini-tubes will spearhead the Company’s penetration into pharmaceutical sector. At the same time, Company is broadening its customer base for laminated tubes by targeting toiletries, haircare and food sectors. Plastic tube is another focus area for the Company aimed at cosmetics industry. Other than the Indian and European markets, the Company has unveiled plans for foray into US market with plastic tubes by setting up a new facility. On the long term perspectives of the Company, Ashok Goel said, “Our earnings guidance remains unaltered for the year 2006. The revenues are expected to grow at 15-18% levels over 2005 and PAT is expected to grow along similar lines.”

    On March 29, 2006, Essel Propack had announced its foray into Medical Devices business. Then the Company was in the process of acquiring two companies namely Tacpro Inc., USA, and Avalon Medical Services, Singapore. The entire process of acquisition was completed on April 11, 2006. Revenues amounting to Rs. 360 Million is expected from the Medical Devices business during the period April 12, 2006, to December 31, 2006.

    Essel Propack, the largest speciality packaging company in the world, is promoted by Essel Group. Essel Propack, head quartered in India, manufacturers laminated and plastic tubes. The Company provides packaging solutions to toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and Industrial sectors all over the world. Recently, the Company forayed into Medical Devices business. The Company has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in 14 countries with 24 plants across the globe. Essel Propack’s stock is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.

    Press contacts : Mumbai : Ramdas Warrier – 98209 04179;
    Delhi : Chetan Saxena @ 98113 23282