Category: News Broadcasting

MobiTV receives $70 million investment led by Oak Investment Partners

MUMBAI: MobiTV Inc., a global player in television and digital radio services for cellular, WiFi and broadband-enabled devices, has announced the successful first close of the company’s Series C financing. Oak Investment Partners’ Bandel Carano will join MobiTV’s board of directors as part of this investment.

The $70 million investment led by Oak Investment Partners will fuel the Company’s expansion in response to the overwhelming demand for its mobile television and radio service across international markets, states an official release.

MobiTV’s products already reach more than one million paying subscribers across the globe who can now watch top news, sports, entertainment and music videos on their mobile devices. The Company recently expanded its product line to deliver the MobiTV service to personal computers across WiFi and other broadband networks and announced the commercial availability of the MobiTV service in Latin America, adds the release.

“We have taken tremendous strides to develop this rapidly emerging market across three continents over the last few years,” says MobiTV CEO & chairman Phillip Alvelda. “These rather substantial funds will help us capitalize on MobiTV’s head start and position as the premiere brand in mobile television. We plan to use these funds to provide even more television content on more devices, across more networks, and in more countries around the world.”

“MobiTV has a unique position in the mobile television market, serving as the leading content aggregator, delivery system and technology expert for carriers,” says Oak Investment Partners managing partner Bandel Carano. “This investment underscores our belief in the future of media delivery through handheld devices and PCs, and MobiTV is at the center of this change in both media delivery and consumer behavior.”

MobiTV, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Emeryville, California, first launched its mobile TV service in November of 2003. Since that time, MobiTV has expanded to serve major domestic carriers including Sprint, Cingular and Alltel and has also grown internationally. The MobiTV service reaches mobile subscribers through more than 20 carriers around the globe including Bell Canada, Rogers and TELUS in Canada,

July 12, 2006
Disneyland Resort debuts first-ever video podcast

MUMBAI: Following the precedent of its popular monthly audio podcasts, the Disneyland Resort in Southern California has now introduced a new monthly series of video podcasts that will bring all the magic and fun of “The Happiest Place on Earth” to fans around the world via their desktop computer or video iPod.

As one of the first organisations to successfully venture into audio podcasting (launching its first podcast in May 2005), Disneyland Resort has now debuted the first episode of its all-new Disneyland Resort Video Podcast series.

In the video episode, available now on the internet, viewers will witness the official world premiere of the new Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and the re-opening of the classic attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, which has recently been enhanced. All the excitement of getting ready for this amazing event is captured in this mini-documentary.

Viewers will walk the red carpet with the film’s stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, plus meet many of the die-hard Pirates fans. It’s a fast-paced look (six minutes, four seconds) behind-the-magic at one of the memorable nights in Disneyland history.

Like the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast, the new video podcast is a free monthly internet-based show accessible to a global audience via a “Disneyland” search on the iTunes Podcast Directory. Listeners can also subscribe to both podcast versions (audio and video) through the iTunes Podcast Directory to receive new episodes automatically each month.

The monthly video podcast takes viewers behind-the-scenes of what’s new and exciting at the resort plus showcases stories from the resort’s 50-year legacy of creating magical moments for guests from around the world. Similar to its initial entry into audio podcasting, the Disneyland Resort enters the emerging world of video podcasting in its infancy — there are currently only 150 free video podcasts available on the iTunes Podcast Directory but interest in, and use of, the medium is rapidly increasing.

Additionally, the newest episode of the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast is now available online and takes listeners to all the excitement of the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which had its official bow at Disneyland on 24 June. Recorded live on the world’s longest red-carpet (2,000 feet from the beginning of Main Street, USA to the riverfront in New Orleans Square) this podcast (38 minutes, 50 seconds) features an array of segments, including:

Interviews on the red carpet with Pirates film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, actor Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest) and Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Actor Johnny Depp encounters the newly added Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time inside the recently enhanced Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

Walt Disney himself in a very rare clip from a 1965 press conference at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) where he describes his vision for Pirates of the Caribbean, the use of models in the creation of the attraction and his description of Imagineering.

A new interview with Jason Surrell, Disney Imagineer and author of the book Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies.

An encounter with one of the fans of the Official Disneyland Resort Podcast.

A meeting with two diehard Pirates fans who traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia, and Mobile, Alabama, to visit Disneyland and participate in the premiere.

Meet a Disneyland Cast Member who was so enthralled with the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl that she has become a bona fide Pirate historian.

A five-year old Pirate fan gives the newly enhanced attraction a “Thumbs-Up!”

Premiere recap and attraction overview from author and Disney historian Tim O’Day.

Achieving a rating of four-and-a half stars out of a possible perfect five on the iTunes Podcast Directory, the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast continues to be a hit with listeners. Each episode features an engaging mix of original programming recorded live throughout the resort including locations in Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and the resort’s three hotels — Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel — creating a “you are there” audio experience.

July 12, 2006
Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja to deliver keynote address as Mobile TV takes centre stage at Mipcom 2006

MUMBAI: Mobile TV is being touted as one of the biggest trends in the world of technology and as the future service to subscribers by telecom operators. Kicking off on 11 October, the Mipcom’s Mobile TV will see an exclusive keynote address given by Europe’s integrated operator Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja, and will conclude with Mipcom’s second annual Mobile TV screenings and awards.

Ahuja will discuss the content initiatives at Orange, a division of France Telecom. and will share his vision of the tremendous potential for mobile entertainment and explore the opportunities offered by mobile broadband in the always-on, anytime, any-place era. He will also outline the most recent initiatives taken by Orange through service and network convergence to provide a pocket-sized entertainment centre, informs an official release.

“Orange is evolving into a one-stop-shop for our customers’ communication and entertainment needs. Television and TV content is central to our strategy,” says Ahuja. “I am delighted to have the opportunity of discussing the possibilities of converging technologies with Mipcom delegates. Everything we thought we knew about this industry is changing. With new ways to create, consume and pay for content, only players with open eyes and open minds can win.”

Ahuja joined Orange in April 2003 as COO, and was appointed CEO in March 2004. Prior to Orange, he was CEO of California-based technology company, Comstellar Technologies and was president of Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore). Previously, he spent fifteen years at IBM in various executive roles.

In addition to Ahuja’s keynote and the Mobile Awards programme, this year’s conference programme entitled Reshaping Media, will feature 30 sessions with over 100 speakers in addition to four other prestigious keynotes, from Disney Media Networks co-chair and president Disney-ABC Television Group Anne Sweeney, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. chairman and CEO Harry Sloan, NBC Universal president digital media and market development Beth Comstock and ESPN Inc. president and ABC Sports co-chairman George Bodenheimer.

An integral part of Mipcom 2006’s mobile focus are the Mobile TV screenings and awards. Cutting-edge made-for-mobile content from around the globe will be showcased during the screenings and the prizes will be awarded in the evening of the same day.

Last year’s programme attracted 220 entries, from 110 companies and 28 countries. For the second consecutive year, the contest will recognise and reward innovation and creativity in made-for-mobile formats.

Reed Midem director of television Paul Johnson comments, “Our markets continue to attract the best players in the mobile entertainment industry from all over the world. Our commitment is to help the creative industry move forward on this new medium for entertainment content. Last year’s awards already generated great business opportunities for the companies who entered the competition. We expect a growing and thriving mobile content market, and therefore even more entries this year. And naturally, the Ahuja keynote reflects the importance the mobile industry places on content within their future strategy.”

The award categories continue to emphasize made for mobile film, TV and animation content and also recognize the growing importance of user generated content. The award categories are: Best original made-for-mobile film or video content; Best repurposed content from existing Film or TV property; Best made-for-mobile TV channel; Best format for interactive mobile TV and best mobile format for user-generated content. In addition to these five categories,there will also be The Jury’s Grand Prize for Innovation, given to the most innovative company.

The deadline for entries for the Mobile Awards is 4 September. A pre-screening jury will nominate a selection of projects to be invited to Cannes for the Grand Jury judging on 9 October.

July 12, 2006
BSkyB bags Mobile TV broadcast rights to Premiere League soccer

MUMBAI: Overcoming fierce competition from a consortium fronted by sports agency TWI and backed by the UK’s five mobile phone networks – Orange, Vodafone, 3, T-Mobile and O2, UK pay TV broadcaster BSkyB won the rights to telecast Premier League football matches on mobile phones.

The rights will permit BSkyB to broadcast highlights on mobiles from the start of the 2007/8 season. With this property, BSkyB now has a share of all three types of domestic rights auctioned by the Premier League: Television, online and mobile.

Earlier this year BSkyB won four of the six live TV rights packages and BSkyB and BT won the right to carry 242 “near-live” league matches each season online.

July 12, 2006
XIC associates with RadioActive to launch Radio Broadcast Training courses

MUMBAI: RadioActive Pvt Ltd, the newly established independent radio consultancy company has tied up with Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC) to launch two radio training courses – Certificate in Radio Programming Management and Certificate in Radio Announcing and Presentation – at the XIC campus, Mumbai.

The introduction of these courses is the first of many endeavors by the RadioActive – XIC alliance. The association aims to create a single radio identity that will be recognized by the industry through out India, states an official release.

Lectures will be conducted thrice a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 pm – 9 pm at XIC. Priced at Rs. 50,000 per course, a Certificate in Radio Programming- Management is available to graduate and postgraduate students. Creative potential, high motivation and organization skills are also required. The Certificate in Radio Presentation and Announcing is open to all with effective communication skills. There will be a mandatory screening interview for all candidates.

The certificate course in Radio Programming and Management will delve more specifically into modules such as the role of programming in radio, designing the station, music and its relationship to programming, management in programming, methodologies and use of research tools and programming tools.

The Certificate course in Radio Presentation and Announcing will emphasize on giving its students a comprehensive understanding of the role of radio jocks, developing on air communication and presentation, writing for radio and mastering on air broadcast systems among others and finally culminate with the development of a demo tape.

Each course has been designed to equip students with theoretical and practical knowledge along with the necessary skill sets and best practices needed to excel in this industry. The courses conduced over a period of four months (150 hours) are scheduled to commence on September 1st, 2006. Comprising a total of 50 lectures each, the first 24 lectures will be common to both batches and then followed by specialisation, the release adds.

“The underlying rationale behind such an alliance is to design commercial broadcast training courses and place course contents that will equip people with the necessary skills needed to meet the talent demand that the industry is likely to face”, says RadioActive Pvt. Ltd. founding partner Erica D’Souza.

July 12, 2006
KyLinTV signs Woman TV to provide Chinese fare via IPTV

MUMBAI: KyLinTV, which provides Chinese programming in North America, has signed on Woman TV via IPTV to give viewers a taste of the largest selection of Chinese entertainment in North America: 26 live broadcast channels and a vast video library that offers subscribers more than 20,000 hours of choice. Woman TV is the first channel in China catered specifically to women.

Woman TV was launched in March of 1999, and is the only broadcast channel in China completely devoted to women. With content that covers topics from education, occupation, fashion and family to stories about famous female figures, Woman TV has programs for all types of women. It serves as a platform to let the public know what women need, states an official release.

Prominent programs include a talk show program that tackles everyday issues that men and women face in their relationships, Formula-E is hosted by Li Jing and Dai Jun. Other shows are Pretty Women, a show devoted to the latest fashion styles and trends with up-to-date information from fashion experts, Stories of Women, an in-depth documentary program featuring stories on the lives of women who have persisted and fought to overcome hardships, coming out stronger on the other end.

KyLinTV subscribers will have direct access to the most popular broadcasts from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In addition, KyLinTV will broadcast US Chinese channels with programs produced exclusively for North American consumers.

Viewers can tune in to live broadcast channels on KyLinTV and watch the programs as they air. If they miss the program they wanted to watch, subscribers have the option of using the broadcast channel companion which preserves the lineup of news and entertainment programs for 24 hours, and is a feature that is unique to KyLinTV. In addition, KyLinTV subscribers can take advantage of the broadcast channel on demand, an exclusive library of the most popular programs from that channel.

July 12, 2006
Innovative content & localisation a must to catch the ‘tough crowd’

MUMBAI: Kids have been gaining the mind space of more and more broadcasters across the globe. And why not? These tech babies who are the fastest to adopt any new technology are also contributing to core family decisions and have a large chunk of spending power at their disposal.

In such a scenario, kids broadcasters have to be that much more vigilant to cater to their needs unremittingly. At the second day of the Promax&BDA conference, kids programming took center stage.

While Nickelodeon UK vice president and creative director Peter Drake spoke on how to cater to the “Tough Crowd” i.e. the kids; whereas Walt Disney Television International (India) director programming Nachiket Pantvaidya touched upon the issue of how to localize international brands.

“Kids have changed the way they consume media. More and more kids now feel the need to be in control with all the gadgets that they are exposed to. Moreover, with parents being busy in their work, the need for a digital nanny has also become prevalent now. In such a scenario, we, as broadcasters have to make viewers see us as more than just a TV channel,” Drake said.

He spoke about an interactive show – Me:TV! on Nickelodeon UK, wherein kids who have a webcam can host the show from their homes. “The aim was to utilise new technology to deepen the kids’ experience of our brand. User generated content can be tapped to a great extent in the near future,” Drake said.

Another point which came out was that there was a need for broadcasters to develop evolving communication so that it can work on all delivery platforms rather than just television, which in turn would throw up new revenue opportunities too.

“In the end, it’s still about having great content but it’s just about how you present it that matter the most,” Drake concluded.

Disney’s Pantvaidya, on the other hand, dwelled on the various reasons why an international brand should localize itself to suit local sensibilities. “Localisation is cost effective and at the same time it is essential for building cultural relevance. As far as what needs to be localized in a channel to create relevance, it would be language, local faces, formats, narrative content and graphics,” he said.

July 12, 2006
Content usage: Yash Raj effects new rate card

MUMBAI: Hindi film production and distribution powerhouse Yash Raj Films (YRF) has introduced new rates for the usage of its content. The new rate card became effective from 1 July.

The company, which over the years has cornered 60 per cent of the exhibitors, most of the top stars and music directors, and now most of the big producers as well, is sighting this as a way to increase its royalty revenue stream.

The new rate card cuts across all kinds of events and is split on the basis of televised and non-televised programmes. The new rate card covers the following event categories: live ground event (commercial), corporate in-house events/ non-commercial ground events (private), song based television programmes and television programmes / news channels.

With respect to television programmes/news channels, an audio clip of a song for three telecasts up to a minute duration would cost the channel Rs 5000. The charge doubles to Rs 10,000 when it comes to the usage of any song for more than a minute up to three minutes.

In case of a visual clip of a song, the channel will have to fork out Rs 10,000 for a one minute clip, which is permitted three airings. And the charge would double for one minute plus to three minutes. For a one scene clipping a price tag of Rs 15000 has been attached. This stands applicable for three airings and for a duration of three minutes.

For reality based music shows, the channel will have to shell out Rs 100,000 for using the YRF original sound recording for performance. This can be aired up to three telecasts. In the case of any rendition of a song/version by a participant, the channel will have to fork out Rs 75,000.

The client will have to pay Rs 20,000 for an audio/visual of a song in the background for three telecasts and for a length of not more than three minutes. If only the audio is been put to use as a background tool, the charge is Rs 10,000.

For any live ground event (commercial), as per the card, the performance of YRF original sound recording/medley for three telecast for a song will cost Rs 1,50,000 while Rs 1,00,000 for a non-televised purpose per song for a duration up to full song.

In case of rendition of song/version by a participant, which will be aired up to three telecast for a song will have to pay Rs 100000. In the same case, for a non-televised use for a song, the user will have to pay Rs 75000.

For any audio/visual usage of a song in the background, the user will have to pay Rs 20,000 per clip which can be aired thrice, while the same amount is applicable even for a non-televised purpose, which is not more than three minutes on per clip basis.

On the other hand, for any audio track, the user will have to pay Rs 10,000 for per clip, which is applicable in case of both televised as well as non-televised usage.

It is interesting to note that the company has spared the nomination clipping, which are largely screened for any award function.

July 12, 2006
MobiTV announces its service on Windows Mobile platform

MUMBAI: California-headquartered MobiTV has announced the availability of the MobiTV service for Windows Mobile powered phones and devices. The Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones features full-screen viewing, a home-like electronic programming guide and much more.

“We already support over 100 different mobile devices and are excited to offer this version for Windows Mobile powered devices,” says MobiTV product management director Ben Feinman. “Windows Mobile is particularly well-suited for multimedia and the experience is amazing. We think everyone needs to see it to believe it.”

“Windows Mobile enables people to have a single device that goes beyond email and can be customized to suit their active lifestyle,” says Microsoft Corporation lead product manager James Pratt. “The combination of Windows Mobile and MobiTV delivers a rich multimedia experience empowering people to take their favorite entertainment with them wherever they go.”

MobiTV and Microsoft recently demonstrated the MobiTV service on Windows Mobile-powered devices, as well as on the Microsoft Windows Media platform for the launch of MobiTV’s new PC service

July 12, 2006
US wireless music services to gain over 50 million users by 2010: IDC study

MUMBAI: With wireless over-the-air (OTA) music services offering mobile phone users a convenient way to buy music and providing an exciting new distribution channel to the music industry, an IDC survey has predicted that despite low adoption, the ‘US wireless music services will have over 50 million users and generate more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2010, just 5 years after appearing in late 2005’.

“Wireless music services are still in their infancy in the US, but are expected to quickly gain traction during the forecast period. By the end of this year, the number of US OTA customers will be approximately half that of online music service users, but may surpass them by the end of the forecast period,” says Consumer Markets: Audio programme manager Susan Kevorkian.

According to an IDC survey, a total of 22 per cent of respondents indicated that they would buy at least one track from their service provider within the first three months of availability, assuming they had an appropriate handset. Eight percent of respondents age 25 to 44 indicated they would buy four or more tracks. It’s this age group that IDC analysts believe could be the core base of wireless over-the-air service users, in particular those who may be new to digital music services.

In order for wireless music services to reach critical mass, a variety of music-enabled devices need to first find their way into the hands of wireless subscribers. This has not happened so far due in part to limited offerings from the handset vendors. However, the shift towards a greater variety of music-enabled mobile phones at various price points is already in motion. IDC expects music-enabled mobile phone shipments to reach nearly 60 per cent of all handsets shipped in the US by 2010.

“OTA mobile music storefronts are emerging as one of the most important new channels for fans to discover, purchase, and enjoy full-track music and related content. Key drivers for future growth include music-enabled handset penetration, deployment of broadband wireless networks, increased marketing efforts, bundling and cross-promotion of various music-related services, and driving flat-rate pricing schemes. IDC expects that OTA tracks at about $2.00 each will emerge as a sustainable price point as long as mobile storefronts are well-designed and offer a wide selection of music, and the music listening experience on the device is comparable to MP3 players,” says Wireless and Mobile Communications: Entertainment research manager Lewis Ward.

IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company.

July 12, 2006