ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • AOL announces nominees for 2006 ‘TV’s Top 5! Viewer Awards’

    AOL announces nominees for 2006 ‘TV’s Top 5! Viewer Awards’

    MUMBAI:AOL announced the nominees for the 2006 TV’s Top 5! Viewer Awards honouring television’s most talked-about moments from the past year in unique categories such as Best Trainwreck Moment, Best Steamy Smooches Moment and Best Creature Comforts Moment.

    The finalists and winning moments are determined solely by fan voting, which opens today at 6 PM (EST) on the web at AOL.com/television (http://www.aol.com/television).

    Beginning today at www.aol.com/television, fans can view all the nominated moments and vote for their favorite in each category. The five finalists, one from each category, will be announced on 7 August. Voting will then re-open to determine the season’s best moment of all. The winning clip will be revealed on 21 August. This is the fifth year that AOL Television has celebrated the year in TV by letting the fans pick the best moment.

     
    The following are TV’s Top 5! Nominated Moments for 2006:
    BEST TRAINWRECK MOMENT:

    — Mrs. Perrin has a meltdown on “Trading Spouses”

    — Andre sobs uncontrollably on “Project Runway”

    — Isaac Mizrahi gets hairy on E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet”

    — Donald Trump flirts with his own daughter on “The View”

    — Paula goes off on Simon “American Idol”

    BEST OH SNAP! MOMENT:

    — Nate has a seizure on “Six Feet Under”

    — Edgar dies of nerve gas on “24”

    — Tony gets shot by Uncle Junior on “The Sopranos”

    — Michael kills Ana Lucia and Libby on “Lost”

    — Chris Daughtry is eliminated on “American Idol”

    BEST CELEB DID WHAT?! MOMENT:

    — Ellen flips a bird on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”

    — Reese feuds with Biff on “The Late Show With David Letterman”

    — Jennifer Garner accidentally reveals her baby’s sex on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”

    — Letterman tears apart Bill O’Reilly on “The Late Show With David Letterman”

    — Star gets hit by a football on “The View”

    BEST CREATURE COMFORTS MOMENT:

    — Leno gets bugged out on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”

    — The world’s ugliest dog shows up on “Last Call With Carson Daly”

    — A family of super dogs wow the crowd on “Live With Regis & Kelly”

    — A dog catches a Frisbee while on his hind feet on “The Late Show With David Letterman”

    — Ellen gets a great big puppy hug on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”

    BEST STEAMY SMOOCHES MOMENT:

    — Kate surprises Jack with a kiss on “Lost”

    — Carlos makes a tantalizing offer to Lynette on “Desperate Housewives”

    — Jim lets Pam know how he feels on “The Office”

    — Derek and Meredith give into their passion on “Grey’s Anatomy’”

    — Joy smooches Meredith before she leaves “The View”

    The nominees have all been featured on TV’s Top 5!, AOL Television’s daily recap of the best five moments of the previous day based on fan response and input from AOL Television’s editors. Fans can view these moments at aol.com/television and give feedback on their favourite clip of the day. The nominees are among the most viewed and highest rated moments from the past year, according to an official release.

  • MobiTV announces availability of its mobile TV Service on Windows mobile platform

    MobiTV announces availability of its mobile TV Service on Windows mobile platform

    MUMBAI: MobiTV, Inc., a global player in television and digital radio services for cellular, WiFi and broadband enabled devices, has announced the immediate availability of the MobiTV service for Windows Mobile powered phones and devices. Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones feature 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 new 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,” adds 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.”

    “At Handango, our customers expect to find the latest and greatest mobile content for their devices, which is what our exclusive release of MobiTV’s Windows Mobile applications provide,” says president and chief executive officer of Handango, Randy Eisenman. “The MobiTV subscription application, which utilizes the Handango Mobile Billing API, is a great way to stay entertained while on the go. We are excited to partner closely with MobiTV by powering its storefront with the Handango Commerce Engine, as well as providing our customers with yet another outstanding Windows Mobile product.”

    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, states a release.

  • Navin Kumar appointed interim CEO of Prasar Bharati

    Navin Kumar appointed interim CEO of Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan director-general Navin Kumar will be the interim CEO of Prasar Bharati till a selection panel zeroes down on a full time candidate for the post being vacated by KS Sarma.

    Sarma served as the CEO of Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and All India Radio, from March 2002 to June 2006. Kumar’s appointment too would be a short one as the government official is slated to revert to his home cadre in August after a stint in New Delhi.

    As Kumar will be functioning as the CEO of Prasar Bharati, senior-most deputy director-general, LD Mandloi, will be the acting DG of Doordarshan.

    Interestingly, before Sarma took over the reins at Prasar Bharati, the then additional secretary in the I&B ministry, Anil Baijal, served as the acting CEO for about 18 months.Chief executive of the publicly funded Prasar Bharati is chosen by a panel headed by the Vice-President of India and comprising the chairman of the Press Council of India and a government nominee.

    Sarma’s over four-year term had its ups and downs, but he is credited with successfully launching DD’s subscription-free DTH service DD Direct+, and steering Prasar Bharati’s annual revenues to over Rs 10 billion for the first time in FY06 ended March 2006.

    It was also during Sarma’s tenure that DD News was relaunched and an in-house marketing team set up to market programmes aired on DD and AIR instead of outsourcing the activity, which, more often than not, ran into legal problems.

    Though Sarma would not like to take much credit for it, but he is said to have successfully lobbied with the ministry to bring about changes in sports broadcasting, which resulted in the downlink law being formulated that makes it mandatory for private broadcasters to share feeds of listed events with the pubcaster.

  • Deutsche Welle joins hand with DD Direct +

    Deutsche Welle joins hand with DD Direct +

    MUMBAI: In a bid to strengthen its foothold in India, the German pubcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has enterted into an agreement with DD Direct+, the pubcaster Prasar Bharti managed direct-to-home service to emit its programmes via a DD satellite transponder in India.

    In a statement issued today, DW will be present with DW-TV programmes in English and German, and in future possibly also with radio programmes in English and Hindi or other languages. At present, only the state-financed Doordarshan and one pay platform broadcast via DTH signal, which guarantees a technically brilliant and reliable emission.

    “We are very happy to step up our presence in India”, says Deutsche Welle director strategy, marketing and distribution Guido Baumhauer. “This is a great opportunity for DW television. We have excellent contacts with Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordashan, and we are working together on a number of projects. With Doordashan and DW both being public broadcasters, I’m sure this new cooperation will be a positive experience for all sides.” 

    The release states that the DD Direct+ reaches far more housholds than pay TV and is expected to be the biggest DTH platform in Asia, which opens up a lot of possibilities for the DW regarding regional broadcasting of its programming. Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma, actively supported the German bid for the place on DD Direct+.”This is due to DW’s outstanding reputation as an international public broadcaster of high quality”, comments DW general manager Erik Bettermann. “Asia is one of our focus regions. We are happy to expand our market in India, and Doordarshan, as a long-standing player in the Indian media business, is an excellent partner for us.”

    The DD DIRECT+ platform carries 33 free-to-air (FTA) channels, including 19 DD channels, 14 private TV channels and 12 All India Radio (AIR) audio channels and is likely to include more channels in the future. The approximate cost of the equipment to view DD channels is around Rs. 1800/- including Set Top Box, LNB and antena.

  • Ann Sarnoff named Dow Jones Ventures president

    Ann Sarnoff named Dow Jones Ventures president

    MUMBAI: Dow Jones & Company has named Ann Sarnoff president of Dow Jones Ventures, a new position charged with expanding the reach of Dow Jones brands to new markets and customers.

    An executive with media, consumer-marketing and professional-sports experience, Sarnoff will lead development of new digital businesses in adjacent consumer markets at Dow Jones, states an official release.

    Sarnoff, 44, comes to Dow Jones with a background in consumer media and young-adult marketing. She held senior strategy, finance and development roles at Viacom and was a key player in the growth of the Nickelodeon, VH1 and Country Music Television brands and businesses. Sarnoff also ran the business operations of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the release adds.

    “We want to create compelling new products and businesses to make the very most of our indispensable brands, content, products and people for the benefit of existing and new customers. With her experience and success building and expanding brands and businesses, Ann is ideally suited to help us innovate and take the Journal and other Dow Jones franchises to new audiences and new arenas,” says Dow Jones chief executive Rich Zannino.

    Sarnoff spent 10 years at Viacom, rising in 2001 to become COO for both VH1 and CMT:Country Music Television where she was responsible for the strategic planning and business development of both channels, and oversight of their brand extensions and digital strategy. Previously, she was responsible for consumer products and business development at Nickelodeon.

    More recently, Sarnoff was the COO of the WNBA, where she oversaw all the league’s business operations, including programming, marketing, licensing and merchandising. She worked earlier in her career at the strategic consulting firm, Marakon Associates.

  • CBS and RealNetworks team to stream video of ‘Big Brother: All Stars’

    CBS and RealNetworks team to stream video of ‘Big Brother: All Stars’

    MUMBAI: CBS reality show Big Brother: All Stars will premiere on 6 July with a strong online backing. With its seventh season, CBS has teamed up with RealNetworks to stream 24/7 video from the Big Brother house along with Big Brother blog and Big Brother talk show House Calls, which will stream daily for free on CBS.com.

    The series will also be streamed on CBS.com’s new broadband channel Innertube beginning the day after the episode airs on the channel. The webcast on RealNetwork will also premiere on 6 July, immediately following the East coast broadcast of the show at 8 pm ET.

    According to an official release, subscribers to the 24/7 video stream can watch any one of four live camera feeds from the Big Brother: All Stars house or catch all of the action at once with the special quad-cam view, which allows fans to simultaneously see four different video feeds.

    In addition, Real and CBS are enhancing the Big Brother 24/7 experience with the introduction of new interactive features that bring together the fan community. Fans can interact with one another in Big Brother-focused blogs, chat rooms, message boards and weekly polls and get much more information on the show and houseguests. The entire three-month season of Big Brother: All Stars will be available through SuperPass. Subcribers who want to see everything that happens in the house, including things they won’t show on TV, can sign up for the webcast via the official Big Brother: All Stars website at www.CBS.com and through Real’s SuperPass website at www.real.com/bigbrother, adds the release.

    They can have an access with $14.99 monthly or $39.99 for a discounted three-month subscription, with a free trial for everyone who signs up.

    “Together, CBS and Real are delivering TV on the Web in an entirely new way,” said RealNetworks senior vice president of media software and services Harold Zeitz. “Real’s ‘Big Brother’ offering begins where reality TV leaves off, blending around-the-clock streaming video with blogs, chat and other fan-friendly features that allow fans to stay immersed in the Big Brother experience.”

    “The Big Brother web offering is even better this year, with the addition of new ways for fans to interact with each other and stay engaged with the show 24/7,” said CBS.com VP and GM Brinley Turner. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Real to enhance the ‘Big Brother’ experience by enabling fans to check in on houseguests at anytime and watch as the action unfolds.”

  • TNS & Viasat renew Baltics contract

    TNS & Viasat renew Baltics contract

    MUMBAI: TNS, a provider of TV and radio audience measurement (TAM) services has announced a renewal of the agreement with Viasat Broadcasting for the provision of TV audience measurement services in the three Baltic States.

    An official release stated that the agreement will run for three years and will cover all three countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – for both audience data and advertising expenditure (AdEx) estimates.

    TNS internet TV and Radio Audience Measurement Sector Global marketing director Tony Taylor said, “We are very pleased to have signed this new contract with Viasat, which is a leading broadcaster across Scandinavia, Russia and Central Europe as well as in the Baltics. The fact that Viasat has re-appointed TNS to continue supplying audience measurement services highlights their confidence in us.”

    TNS is a market information group and provides custom research and analysis, political and social polling and supplies consumer panel, media intelligence and TV and radio audience measurement services. TV audience data (TV-ratings) and AdEX monitoring data are used by broadcasters for planning TV programmes and advertising. The panel size of homes that participate in the peoplemeter measurement in the Baltics is 850 households, adds the release

  • Times Now in ‘reporting’ deal with ‘Corporate’

    MUMBAI: Bollywood is increasingly turning to news channels for in-film placement. The latest in line is Times Now. The English news channel has joined hands with Madhur Bhandarkar’s much awaited film Corporate. As part of the storyline, Times Now correspondents will be spotted in the movie, reporting news stories.

    Says Times Now VP and business head Partho Dasgupta, “Through the association with the movie Corporate, Times Now will be able to reach out to it’s ‘urbane viewers’, who enjoy Madhur Bhandarkar’s brand of real-life entertaining modern cinema. In-film placements such as this, provides a platform for both the brands to leverage mutual strengths and credibility. We are delighted to be a part of this innovative marketing alliance and are confident that our viewers will also appreciate the same.”

    Adds Sahara One Motion Pictures head -marketing Priti Shahani, “Times Now’s partnership is perfectly synergistic with the film, since the film depicts a lot of the real life journalism as seen in recent times. Times Now, being a part of the Times network, stands for the highest benchmarks in the level of professional and contemporary journalism, and thus lends a lot of authenticity to the realism that is usually expected in a Madhur Bhandarkar film.”

    Corporate is an expose, that highlights the constant murky ‘behind-the-scenes’ maneuvers that take place in the corporate world, and the film reflects all that goes on behind the glitzy and glossy exterior of corporate world.

  • Star, MediaCorp Studios to co-produce romance drama series ‘Angel Lover’

    Star, MediaCorp Studios to co-produce romance drama series ‘Angel Lover’

    MUMBAI: Star and MediaCorp Studios, the production arm of MediaCorp TV Holdings, have announced the joint production of Angel Lover, a multi-million dollar high-definition modern romance drama series.

    The 40-episode series will debut on Star Chinese Channel in Taiwan later this year and on MediaCorp TV’s Chinese Channel in Singapore. Star will handle the international distribution of the series outside of Singapore, while the distribution in Singapore will be handled by MediaCorp Studios, as per an official release.

    Directed by award-winning Taiwanese TV veteran Danny Deng, Angel Lover features a talented cast from across Asia, including Hong Kong-born seasoned actor Alex To Tak-wai, supermodel Coco Chiang Yi, popular Taiwanese artists Ming Dao and Bai Hsing-Huei, Ix Shen and Phyllis Quek from Singapore and Thai actor Tae, the release adds.

    The series tells the story of Angelina (Coco Chiang), a career driven yet lovelorn beauty, who finds herself destined to help others find comfort in their hearts. To do that, she enlists help from five eligible bachelors, headed by Thai (Alex To), who guide various heart-broken ladies through their heartaches each and every episode. The series will be filmed on location in Taiwan.

  • NBC to celebrate 80th birthday of legendary singer Tony Bennett

    NBC to celebrate 80th birthday of legendary singer Tony Bennett

    MUMBAI: In a one-hour special, US broadcaster NBC will celebrate the 80th birthday of the legendary singer Tony Bennett.

    The special Tony Bennett: An American Classic airs later this year.

    The special, sponsored by Target, showcases the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer along with a myriad of superstars who perform duets from his upcoming album Tony Bennett Duets/An American Classic. 

    The special will take viewers on a musical journey through the renowned singer’s life. Set amongst the backdrop of different eras from Bennett’s career, he performs his most memorable songs with popular artists. Bennett performs Rags to Riches with Elton John, The Best Is Yet to Come with Diana Krall; For Once in My Life with Stevie Wonder; Because of You with K.D. Lang and trumpeter Chris Botti; and Sing You Sinners with John Legend. Additional participants will be announced at a later date.