ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • ETC Music promotes Ravindra Acharya as VP programming

    ETC Music promotes Ravindra Acharya as VP programming

    MUMBAI: ETC Music has promoted its general manager programming and promos Ravindra Acharya to the position of creative head and VP programming with immediate affect.

    Acharya has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of production and post-production activities. He is now accountable for the look of the channel and the products that appear on it, according to an official release.

    A Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir J.J. Institute Of Applied Art with specialization in photography, Acharya has worked with Sahara India, Sony Entertainment Television Max, Bombay Talkies and Nimbus at various positions in programming.

  • Pyramid Saimira in expansion mode, plans Hindi foray

    Pyramid Saimira in expansion mode, plans Hindi foray

    MUMBAI: The Chennai-based digital theatre chain company Pyramid Saimira Theatre Limited (PSTL) has unveiled its expansion plans.

    To start with, the company is planning to enter the Hindi speaking markets by the third quarter of 2006. Reportedly, the investment for the expansion is pegged at Rs 3.5 billion.

    PSTL, which is operating about 100 theatres, will increase the tally to 400 by the end of FY07 fiscal end through its Networked Mega Digital Theatre Chain project, according to an official release.

    “Pyramid Saimira is currently operating a theatre chain of more than 100 theatres, which we plan to increase to 400 by the financial year end 2007. From the third quarter of 2006, we plan to make a foray into Hindi speaking markets and add one screen a day also in North India. By the turn of this decade, the company plans to manage and operate on its own about 2000 screens and in addition have around 4000 screens as franchisee screens across India,” says PSTL MD Saminathan.

    The company has projected a top line growth of Rs 8 billion (USD 178 million) by 2010, which represents 6 per cent of the industry, adds the release.

    Pyramid has technical support tie-ups with Tata Net for communication technology, Prasad Labs for conversion of films into digital, Delta Electronics as well as Arasor Technology for projectors, and Real Image for software solution providers.

    Saminathan further adds that Pyramid is setting up an integrated Network Operating Center (NOC), which will convert films into Digital, transmit these films using satellite medium to various theatres across the country in a secured encryption mode.

    Using Digital Rights Management, the company will exhibit the films and other contents in digital mode without physical film prints. This will bring about a saving of Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per movie per theatre and approximately save Rs 2 million per theatre per annum.

    PSTL chairman V Natarajan says, “Digital Cinema is not about replacing an ordinary projector with a digital projector. Through a change in technology we bring a major change in relationship and structure of the exhibition industry as a whole. Just like the hotel industry, exhibition industry will see the emergence of separation of ownership and management especially on a professional note.”

    By converting existing theatres into digital, PSTL expects to function as the delivery medium for entertainment and educational content, according to the release.

  • Doordarshan unveils mobile, digital initiatives

    Doordarshan unveils mobile, digital initiatives

    MUMBAI: Doordarshan will launch its Digital Video Broadcasting to Handhelds (DVB-H) service in the second half of 2006. The technology will help the consumer to access video clips on mobile phones.

    “With this technology, we will be able to make available the content of our four national channels on mobiles. Earlier, we had made available DD News in moving vehicles in Delhi through the Digital Video Broadcasting to terrestrials (DVB-T) earlier. Now with the DVB-H technology, we are entering the mobile space,” says Doordarshan director general Navin Kumar.

    In another initiative to explore advanced technology, DD will digitize its archive and make it available to the public as streaming videos. The content will be available to consumers on a per view basis.

    “Our effort is to share this content with people through CDs and streaming videos. In streaming mode, people will be able to watch the programmes in real time basis,” says Kumar, adding that discussions are presently on with various telecom service providers in this direction.

  • Microsoft, PBS create global web resource to enhance AIDS understanding

    Microsoft, PBS create global web resource to enhance AIDS understanding

    MUMBAI: A quarter-century after the first diagnosed cases surfaced, HIV/AIDS continues to spread rapidly throughout the world. To help shed more light on the history of this pandemic and educate people about what can be done to stop it, Microsoft Corp. principal researcher Curtis Wong has teamed up with producers of the PBS television series Frontline to develop an enhanced broadband television web site for a new documentary titled The Age of AIDS.

    Wong, who manages the Next Media Research group within Microsoft Research, worked closely with WGBH Interactive and the producers of Frontline to design the technology for the web site. Beginning on 2 June, the web site at http://www.pbs.org/frontline/aids will allow visitors to view The Age of AIDS video on demand, in its entirety or chapter by chapter, along with related, interactive online content that is tightly integrated with the video footage.

    “What’s unique about this approach is that it seamlessly combines a compelling television program with rich web resources to significantly enhance people’s understanding of a complex topic like AIDS. It highlights the tremendous potential of Internet television with rich interactivity to deliver in-depth content to a global audience,” said Wong.

    As people watch The Age of AIDS documentary online, contextual links appear beside the video to inform viewers about topics directly related to that portion of the program. Clicking on any link automatically pauses the video, allowing viewers to explore related resources at their leisure and then return to the documentary without missing a moment.

    Other links will take the viewer to a detailed explanation of the science of HIV/AIDS or an interactive timeline cross-referenced to the video and other resources in the site. The site also hosts an oral history archive of extended interviews with the top scientists, physicians, public-health officials and activists who have been fighting this battle for 25 years.

    Wong’s group at Microsoft Research explores how advances in connectivity, data storage, computing devices, network bandwidth and other technologies influence traditional as well as emerging forms of media. “The HIV/AIDS epidemic has so many facets — from the science to the politics to the social ramifications to the human stories — that cry out to be examined in greater depth and dimension than a four-hour television program can deliver,” Wong said.

    “It’s an honor to work with WGBH Interactive and the Frontline producers to provide innovative ideas and technology as a tool for enhancing public understanding and hopefully shaping public policy on HIV/AIDS. And this has been a great opportunity to support public television and build on Microsoft’s insights into the future of media,” Wong added.

    Filmed in 19 countries, The Age of AIDS features interviews with dozens of scientists, political figures, activists and HIV patients. The documentary is a co-production of WGBH/Frontline and Paladin InVision Ltd. with Silverbridge Productions Ltd. and Channel 4.

    PBS stations will air the two-part Frontline documentary.

    “Curtis has brought crucial expertise to this production in terms of combining interactive web technology tools and deep stores of online information with the rich storytelling power of television. The Age of AIDS companion web site will enable us to convey far more in-depth information about this pandemic to a much larger global audience than would otherwise be possible with this documentary alone,” said Frontline creator and executive producer David Fanning.

  • BSG to manage mobile call volume during Fifa World Cup

    BSG to manage mobile call volume during Fifa World Cup

    MUMBAI: BSG Clearing Solutions GmbH, the communications service industry’s clearing and settlement provider, today announced that its systems are well prepared to deal with the heavy increase in capacity for roaming clearing that will result from the growth in mobile call volume during the weeks of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

    “This will be the biggest sporting event in the world and mobile communications will have an unprecedented role in spectator enjoyment this year. As the exclusive roaming partner for virtually all wireless operators in Germany, BSG will be on hand to ensure there are no ‘own goals’ behind the scenes,” said BSG CEO Roland J. Bopp.

    An estimated five million fans from all continents around the globe, supporting the 32 nationalities taking part, are expected to visit Germany during the four-week World Cup competition. Mobile phones will be used to relay messages, download content, send pictures and texts to friends and family, as well as to record goals and highlights. Companies are already promoting World Cup-related content, such as player photos, historic video clips, ring tones and games, and operators are expecting intense traffic volumes in largely unpredictable spikes.

    All German wireless operators, including T-Mobile and O2, are BSG clients and will be relying on the company to process and clear all roaming transactions.

    “Our system ordinarily handles large volumes of traffic and is designed to scale accordingly so that it can easily handle the additional anticipated traffic. Nonetheless, we’ve taken the cautionary validation steps to ensure our system will continue to operate smoothly throughout this period of expected transaction spike so our customers are provided with the same high-quality level of service to which they’re accustomed,” said BSG chief technology officer Abie Reifer.

    “We’re proud to be part of this important, global event and are confident in BSG’s ability to fully support us. Knowing they’ll be handling the increase in mobile call volume allows us to focus on giving our customers the best experience possible,” said O2 Germany vice president carrier and international services Dirk Schmelzer.

  • Xinhua China acquires HDTV editing technology

    Xinhua China acquires HDTV editing technology

    MUMBAI: Xinhua China Ltd. has acquired leading Chinese high definition television text-editing software company Bear Technology. The acquisition expands Xinhua’s presence in the rapidly expanding digital media industry in China.

    Founded in 2002, Bear Technology offers multiple proprietary solutions for rendering and editing text in high definition (HD). Bear text-editing software is an essential component in the production of HDTV content, which require on-screen text to be rendered in HD for enhanced visual fidelity, according to Xinhua China.

    Some applications for Bear’s software include personal and commercial HD cameras, televised language translation, closed-captioning, and news and entertainment programming. Currently, Bear Technology customers include leading HDTV and camera manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic, Xinhua China said.

    The company stated that although China’s digital television market is relatively small by North American standards, the annual compounded growth rate of digital television subscribers is estimated to grow at 165 per cent per year from 2005 to 2008. With 5.3 million home subscribers in 2005, up from one million in 2004, digital TV in China is enjoying exponential growth.

    “HDTV software is a complementary technology to our initiatives to expand our business base through the sale of digital media online in China. We are fortunate to have had this opportunity at a time when HDTV is rapidly overtaking older television technology. We believe HDTV has the potential to further enhance the online experience for enjoyment of all types of online media in China,” said Xinhua China CEO Xianping Wang.

    “The acquisition of Bear Technology will position Xinhua China as a leading provider of HD content text editing. We see significant revenue opportunities over the long-term as the convergence of the personal computer and High Definition Digital Television gathers momentum,” he added.

    In addition, upon completion of the purchase of all the issued capital in Bear Technology, the company agrees to grant in aggregate six million stock options to employees, officers and directors of Bear Technology. The options will be priced at the time of issue.

  • BBC World to go pay from mid-June; price undecided

    BBC World to go pay from mid-June; price undecided

    MUMBAI: BBC World is going pay. It will encrypt its feed to South Asia, beaming off PanAmSat10 satellite, from 15 June.

    BBC World director of distribution and business development Jeff Hazell confirmed to Indiantelevision.com the plans to go pay, but refused to divulge the rate that will be charged from the cable ops.

    “We do not have a direct relationship with the consumer. How the cable operators choose to package and bundle the price for the service is entirely up to them,” Hazell said.

    However, information collated from cable ops in Delhi and Mumbai reveals that BBC World has indicated a price of Rs 5.50 to its distribution dealers. The price might ultimately settle somewhere between Rs 4.50 Rs 5.50, a cable operator in Delhi opined.

    The boxes will be made available to key MSOs, cable operators and hoteliers in South Asia to facilitate the move to an encrypted mode, though a section of cable ops in Delhi said it is yet to hear from BBC World on its plans to go pay.

    “As a commercial channel, the transition from free-to-air to a subscription model is a natural progression for BBC World in South Asia. This change is in response to the dynamic and rapidly expanding cable TV and DTH satellite market across the region,” BBC World regional director of distribution and business development, Europe, Middle-East & South Asia Gerry Ritchie said.

    Amongst the 25-odd news channels, both at the national and regional level, only a handful are pay channels in the real sense. The news channel that are pay include Zee News, NDTV 24X7, NDTV Profit, CNBCTV18 and Times Now.

    BBC World South Asia head of distribution and business development Amit Upadhayay feels that his team of 10 professionals are ready for the new challenge. But what about carriage fee?

    According to Upadhayay, “The decision to go pay was taken after close interaction with cable operators, distributors and MSOs. We have not been paying carriage fee till date and people in the market understand that. We want to partner with cable operators and work closely with them to have a mutually benefit relationship.”

    Pointing out that the Indian distribution market is emerging as a substantial subscription market for both Indian and international broadcasters, Upadhayay said response from distributors have been
    “encouraging.”

    “They feel the channel is a strong brand as it serves an important and influential audience across the region,” he added.

    BBC World is presently available to 15 million Indian households and 60,000 hotel rooms across the country. The channel’s advertising sales did well in 2005.

    The change in the status of BBC World will be communicated through the channel’s website on-screen scroll, which should start running in a few days time.

  • BroadcastAsia2006 to focus on the digital journey

    BroadcastAsia2006 to focus on the digital journey

    MUMBAI: BroadcastAsia2006, organised by Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), is on its way to another run at the Singapore Expo from 19 to 23 June 2006.

    Titled “Digital: The Journey Forward,” the new theme embodies BroadcastAsia’s positioning to embrace the digital revolution and constantly ‘go forward’ by staying relevant to the industry, while its subtitle, “The 11th International Digital Multimedia and Entertainment Technology Exhibition and & Conference,” has also been updated to reflect the show’s progress.

    “With the entire integrated workflow process addressed at BroadcastAsia, every technological solution in the entire value chain can be seen on the show floor,” said Singapore Exhibition Services project director Jackson Yeoh.

    To date, top names in the industry that have signed up include Tandberg Television, Harris Corporation, Snell & Wilcox, Co-ship, Nokia, Panasonic, Thomson, Scopus Network Technologies, DVB – Digital Video Broadcasting, Barco, Quantel, Qualcomm and Conax. SES expects more industry players to come on board, what with the positive outlook in the global entertainment and multimedia industry.

    This year’s show will include a strong presence by exhibitors featuring the latest in internet protocol television (IPTV), broadcasting to handhelds, video on demand, personal video recording, digital audio broadcasting (DAB), computer graphics and animation, conditional access control, and high-definition (HD) technology.

    Held as part of BroadcastAsia2006, ComGraphics&Animation 2006 will feature the latest hardware, software and services designed especially for the computer graphics and animation industry, film and motion picture industry, as well as for major broadcasters in Asia and beyond.

    In addition, the ComGraph Digital Art & Animation competition, organised by SigGraph Singapore Chapter will be held once again in conjunction with the CGA Exhibition to give recognition to creators of exceptional works of digital art and animation.

    An awards ceremony and winners announcement will be held on the first day of the show, and winning works for the Computer Animation categories, as well as outstanding works from award-winning animators will be screened during all four days of the exhibition. To date, a total of 280 entries have been received from both local and overseas competitors. There will also be a Digital Art Showcase where all the digital art entries will be displayed.

    With the convergence of technologies (ICT, Telco and Media), the media landscape worldwide is experiencing significant changes. New ways of consuming media through the use of technologies – IPTV, Interactive TV, VOD, podcasting and such, are now available to the industry and consumers. These new trends will be discussed in the New Media Conference, jointly presented by Singapore Media Academy (a MediaCorp company) and SES.

    Also held concurrently is the RadioAsia2006 conference, an annual conference that presents in-depth perspectives from industry leaders as well as public service and community broadcasters in order to gauge the future evolution of the medium in a context marked by the explosion of digital technologies and convergence. This year, RadioAsia2006 will commemorate 100 years of Radio, with a special session that looks at the triumphs and tribulations of radio over the last 100 years.

    Highlights includes a half-day of workshops conducted by two of the most reputed radio training institutions in the world including the Deutsche Welle – Akademie / Radio Training Centre from Germany and the Radio Netherlands Training Centre. It will be followed by a three-day conference where leading radio experts will be delivering papers and presentations.

    Nine group pavilions from countries such as China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Singapore, the UK and the USA are also expected at the show.

    The Italians are returning to BroadcastAsia in a big way. Having participated in the show in 2001 and 2004, the size of the Italian pavilion at BroadcastAsia2006 has increased by over 80 per cent, while Korea and France have also increased their booth space by more than 100 per cent this year.

    Complementing the BroadcastAsia2006 exhibition will be a series of enriching and in-depth conference presentations and demonstrations, panel discussions and master classes.

    The BroadcastAsia2006 International Conference will take place from the 19 to 22 June and will present a range of topics that extend across the key issues facing the broadcasting industry today.

    “The comprehensiveness and relevance of this year’s conference lineup has also taken the event to new heights. With high caliber speakers with extensive knowledge and experience, delegates will gain an invaluable amount of knowledge and insight when they attend the conference, and it should therefore not be missed,” added Yeoh.

    The lineup of conference tracks include:

    High Definition (covering HDTV technology)
    IPTV
    Broadcasting to Handhelds
    Digital Audio Broadcasting
    Interactive TV session
    Asian D-Cinema Summit (with a keynote address by 20th Century Fox)
    Capacity Building of Broadcast Sector
    Production (covering production issues and technology updates)
    Content Delivery
    Protecting Broadcast Content
    Satellite Interference Issues in the Broadcast Industry
    Testing and Measurement
    Two industry dialogues: Developments of contents in / for Asian markets and content and outsourcing.
    Highlights at this year’s International Conference include a keynote sessions by industry leaders, including keynote speaker The Interactive Channel Co. Ltd, Hong Kong chairman Robert Chua.

    Chua will be delivering his presentation at the Interactive TV session, and is co-presented by SES, with the Association of the French interactive television developers, publishers and service providers (AFDESI) and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).

    Other industry speakers include: Orca Interactive, Israel vice president marketing and business development Yosi Glick; GDC, Singapore CEO Dr. Chong Man-Name; MediaCorp Technologies Pte Ltd, Singapore CEO Mock Pak Lum; Pioneer Corporation, Japan senior managing director Osamu Yamada; Australian Communications and Media Authority, Australia manager allocations administration Greg Cupitt and Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, USA vice president of engineering and market development Rob Chandok.

    BroadcastAsia International Conference director Martin Salter said, “I am very excited with the line-up of topics that address the hot issues facing the fast changing dynamics of the electronic media industry, from the large screen experience of D-Cinema, through the opportunities of IPTV, and to the new challenges of content creation and delivery to mobile devices. Yet current issues like the digital transition are not ignored. Presentations will be delivered by eminent speakers from a broad international base. These key sessions are augmented by specialised sessions from renowned organizations from around the world.”

    Held concurrently with BroadcastAsia are a series of seminars and conferences specifically designed to provide insight into new business opportunities and digital technology that are the drivers of the transformation of how we live, entertain and interact.

    The Animation and Visual Effects Seminar is a showcase of the latest projects from the worlds leading production companies and education providers. Specifically, this seminar is intended for all digital artists, producers and management involved in the entertainment industry to learn from the world’s best.

    Delegates can rub shoulders with the makers of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and King Kong as animation experts from Academy Award winning studios Weta (known for their work on Lord of the Rings) and Rhythm and Hues (Babe, The Cat in the Hat, Garfield) descend upon the Singapore Expo to share technical advice and knowledge with participants.

    Highlights include Rhythm and Hues technical supervisor Bill Westenhofer at will be addressing the seminar on how technologies and techniques have evolved in computer graphics and special effects. Westenhofer is the visual supervisor leading the Rhythm and Hues team on The Chronicles of Narnia. His other credits include Stuart Little, Men in Black 2 and Elf.

    Also speaking is Shawn Dunn from New Zealand based animation studio, Weta. Dunn’s was the animation technical supervisor on King Kong. He has also worked on Hollywood blockbuster, I, Robot, starring Will Smith. Dunn will be providing a global update on the animation industry at the seminar.

    Delegates at the Asian D-Cinema Summit can expect to be updated on regional and technological developments from industry leaders such as MediaCorp Technologies CEO Mok Pak Lum and GDC Singapore CEO Dr. Chong – Man Nang.

    This year’s International Conference also promises to be even more interactive. Aside from the usual presentations, more discussions and panel sessions have been planned. Two industry dialogues have been lined up, with a focus on content development and delivery.

    Said Yeoh, “It is our desire to provide delegates with the maximum amount of opportunity for ideas exchange, learning, and networking. The conference aims to do just that – increase the level of information sharing, encourage more interaction, and provide them with insights that can be applied in their own areas of work, long after the conference ends.”

    BroadcastAsia 2006 is held in conjunction with CommunicAsia2006 and EnterpriseIT2006.

  • Steve Waugh to host a reality TV show; signs up with Imagine Omnimedia

    Steve Waugh to host a reality TV show; signs up with Imagine Omnimedia

    MUMBAI: Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has signed up with Singapore-based Imagine OmniMedia to host a reality television show. Waugh will in the process be supporting Indian cricket by launching a talent hunt to find the next Indian cricket superstar.

    The broadcaster which will telecast the show is not finalised yet. Imagine OmniMedia is in talks with all the broadcasters to showcase the talent hunt.

    The show is likely to be co-produced from India between Imagine OmniMedia of Singapore and a local production house.

    A nationwide search will culminate in the selection of a group of top contenders and finally, through a tough elimination process will identify a single cricket star who will get a chance to play with the leading personalities of the sport. In addition to offering a large cash prize amount of which is undisclosed, the show will launch the winner’s career in the cricket world, according to an UNI report.

    A battery of ex-international and national cricket celebrities will work in conjunction with Steve Waugh. The panel of judges is likely to consist of Gavin Robertson, also a former member of the Australian cricket team, and renowned Indian ex-cricketers, the report adds.

  • Is China Mobile buying out Millicom International?

    Is China Mobile buying out Millicom International?

    MUMBAI: Millicom, the Luxembourg-headquartered mobile phone network operator controlled by Sweden’s Kinnevik Investment AB, has said that it is in advanced discussions for finding a purchaser.

    “We are in advanced discussions and due diligence with a potential purchaser of the entire share capital of the company,” the company said in a statement, adding that no agreement has been reached.

    However, media reports name the Hong Kong-based China Mobile Communications Corp. as the company which is about to clinch the deal. According to Wall Street Journal , the company may pay $5.3 billion, or $48 a share, in cash to buy Millicom. Reportedly, China Mobile became the lead bidder for Millicom after Dubai-based Investcom agreed to a takeover by South Africa’s MTN.

    Millicom’s competitors include Vodafone Group Plc and Norway’s Telenor ASA. At the end of March 2006, Millicom registered 9.9 million subscribers in 16 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas, recording an increase of 52 per cent from a year earlier.