ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • BVITV showcases 7 new & 10 returning series at upfront

    BVITV showcases 7 new & 10 returning series at upfront

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) will be launching a total of 17 new and returning network series for the ’06-’07 season.

    This follows a year in, which BVITV has seen the success of Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.

    BVITV’s sixth annual international upfronts event was held on 21 May. The event was hosted by Buena Vista Worldwide Television president Laurie Younger and BVITV EMEA executive vice president and managing director Tom Toumazis.

    At the event, BVITV launched four new one-hour series, two new half hour series, and one new reality series/format. The new one-hour series are Betty the Ugly (with Salma Hayek as executive producer), Brothers & Sisters, Day Break, Six Degrees (all in production for ABC), and the two new half-hours are In Case of Emergency and Let’s Rob… Its new reality series/format is How to Get the Guy.

    The company’s returning one-hour series are Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Lost (all returning for a third season), plus Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer and What About Brian (moving into their second season).

    The returning half-hour series are Scrubs (sixth season), and According to Jim (sixth season). The three-time Emmy-winning reality series/format The Amazing Race will also return for a ninth season, along with America’s Funniest Home Videos, which will return for a 17th season.

    In addition, BVITV will be previewing to clients at LA Screenings the new one-hour series Kyle XY, Lincoln Heights and Three Moons Over Milford, all of which are in production for ABC Family.

  • Prime Focus announce IPO plans; price band Rs 450-500

    Prime Focus announce IPO plans; price band Rs 450-500

    MUMBAI: Leading Indian post-production company for television and films Prime Focus is gearing up for its first Rs 1.15 billion equity issue in the primary market. The company promoted by Namit Malhotra has filed its draft red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

    Prime Focus has fixed a price band of Rs 450 to Rs 500 per equity share of face value Rs 10 for the issue.

    According to the draft prospectus, the net proceeds raised from the issue would be deployed towards the following:

    Domestic Expansion
    Los Angeles Studio
    London Studio
    Hyderabad Studio
    Long term working capital
    Dubai Studio Setup
    Prime Focus was recently in the news after it acquired a 55 per cent stake in European media service company VTR Group for $ 8.47 million.

    It was in January-end that the Anil Ambani controlled Adlabs Films acquired a six per cent stake in the company.

    Prime Focus is a Mumbai based company that provides post production services such as editing, sound and special effects, graphics to the ad and film industry. The company is better known for the post-production of music video Jalwa and of the Coke ad film showing an Aamir Khan double.

  • NDTV 24X7 to air ‘The Two Year Mark’ on 21 May

    NDTV 24X7 to air ‘The Two Year Mark’ on 21 May

    An NDTV special presentation The Two Year Mark airs on Sunday 21 May at 9:30 pm on NDTV 24X7. It takes a close look at the tenure of prime minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

    Prominent Indians from across the country will join Barkha Dutt and Prannoy Roy live in studio to share their thoughts on the PM and his government.

    The special will also announce the results of an NDTV-Mode nationwide poll of 4000 urban and rural voters in 16 states, representing the views of Indians, on the same.

    So is the PM capable of making tough decisions? Or has he been overshadowed by Sonia Gandhi? Will Manmohan Singh’s goverment last its full term? To be a part of this debate, tune into NDTV 24X7 Sunday night at 9:30 pm.

  • Dasmunsi threatens action against news channel over sting op

    Dasmunsi threatens action against news channel over sting op

    NEW DELHI: Politicians of all hues are coming round to the view that hidden cameras and “peeping tom” journalists need to be gagged.

    This was evident when information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, proposing action against a news channel on an operation relating to cash-for-residential space by elected members of Parliament, termed journalists as lowly paid people who carry out stings for nominal fees.

    Commenting caustically on private TV channels’ sting operations, Dasmunsi said ”Ye do paise mei reporter rakhte hai, chaar paise ka kaam karate hai aur aath paise mei story bech dete hain (They recruit a reporter for two paise [for a sting operation], get work of four paise from him / her and then sell the material off for eight paise to a channel for telecast)”.

    The minister was replying to a question raised in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) by a fellow parliamentarian on a sting operation by a TV channel yesterday. Dasmunsi said the whole operation was meant only to increase ratings to enhance the channel’s business, United News of India has reported.

    A TV channel yesterday aired a sting operation wherein it showed official residences of ministers and Members of Parliament being rented out to servants and others.
    The Bharatiya Janata party MP who raised the issue asked whether those who conducted the sting had taken permission from the House (sic!).

    ”Whatever was shown by a TV channel yesterday has lowered the prestige of the sovereign Parliament and belittled the elected representatives in the eyes of the people,” BJP MP Gangwar was quoted by UNI as having said in Parliament.

    The sting operation showed occupants of the servant quarters’ of some MPs and ministers residences admitting that they were paying monthly rent ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.

    Dasmunsi, while referring to sting operations, said these private channels were more interested in sensationalism and fooling the people into believing what they telecast.

    The minister, while not revealing the course of action his ministry was planning, assured the House that ”by this afternoon something will come against such harakiri.”

  • Disney Publishing Worldwide names Hampton as president

    Disney Publishing Worldwide names Hampton as president

    MUMBAI: R Russell Hampton Jr., has been named president of Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW). The announcement was made by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney.

    Hampton will be replacing Deborah Dugan who announced her resignation earlier this week. In this capacity, he will be responsible for overseeing DPW’s various book imprints and magazines around the world. Based in New York City, he will report to Mooney.

    Mooney said, “Russell is taking over Disney Publishing at a time when its reputation for creating exciting new entertainment is flourishing. His leadership in turning Baby Einstein from a small video company to a significant multi-media infant developmental brand is well suited to overseeing DPW’s positive momentum.”

    Hampton was named executive vice president of DCP’s global Home and Infant business in 2005 in addition to being general manager of The Baby Einstein Company, which he held since 2001 when The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) bought it.

    “I’m honored to be given the responsibility of overseeing a division of The Walt Disney Company, which has such a rich history of extending and creating great stories for families around the globe,” said Hampton.

    Disney Publishing Worldwide celebrates its 75th year in 2006 and is the largest publisher of children’s books and magazines in the world, selling 160 million books in 2005 and publishing 222 million magazine copies. DPW also publishes Family Fun magazine and the new Wondertime magazine for adults.

    “The Disney treasure chest of characters and stories is much fuller today thanks to Deb’s oversight. The comic book series W.I.T.C.H. that has sold over 20 million copies and became a TV series and the creation of the Disney Fairies franchise are just two examples of Deb’s legacy at Disney Publishing,” said Mooney.

    Previously, Hampton served as vice president of strategic planning and corporate development for TWDC. He joined TWDC in 1996 as manager of strategic planning.

    Before joining Disney, Hampton was vice president of J.P. Morgan & Co. in New York.

  • Sunstone does sale for three flicks

    Sunstone does sale for three flicks

    CANNES: The Cannes Film Mart kicked off on 17 May at the French Rivera and one Indian distributor who was all smiles on Day Three was Sunstone Entertainment’s Sanjay Jumani.

    Reason: In all, he had sold three of his in two markets. Jumani’s Chicken Tika Masala and Husn have been sold to Kuwait with five prints, while Kaizad Gustad’s Boom was sold to China with an order for five prints.

    Jumani was unwilling to reveal the price he got for the sale. However, he informed that the deal would run for a period of three years.

  • Animator Gitanjali Rao’s Cannes adventure

    Animator Gitanjali Rao’s Cannes adventure

    CANNES: Indian animation film maker Gitanjali Rao clad in a beautiful sari was accompanied in Cannes by her mother and designer K Muralidharan.

    Rao says she was pretty happy when her film Printed Rainbow got through in the Critics Week competition. “First of all it was an animation film,” she says. “I was surprised yet pleasantly delighted.”

    Rao is keeping her fingers crossed for the moment when the winners will be announced.

  • CII throws producers networking party at Cannes

    CII throws producers networking party at Cannes

    CANNES: At the Cannes Film Mart, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) threw a producers networking party yesterday in the International Village. Attended by many Indians from all over the world, the party also had some producers and distributors from Canada in attendance.

    The Indian brigade who attended comprised Sudhir Mishra, Ruchika Narain, Krishna Shah, Amit Bhatnagar, Sahara One’s Sandeep Bhargava, Celluloid Dreams’ Kanad Kashyap and Divya Seengal, iDream CEO Ashish Bhatnagar and Rohit Sharma, Aditya Bhattacharya and Saregama CEO Subroto Chattopadhya.

    The party, a good initiative from CII, provided a chance for Indians the world over to network together. What would help is if many more international producers, financiers, distributors, buyers would also make it to such parties.

  • Karan Johar revs it up in Cannes

    Karan Johar revs it up in Cannes

    CANNES: What has Dharma Productions boss Karan Johar been up to? According to sources in Cannes, he has been having meetings with several distributors and directors the world over. He came into the Palais des Festivals for a very short while yesterday. What’s more actor Preity Zinta has been accompanying him to many a premieres and screenings.

    What is really striking is the popularity that Karan Johar has in this part of the world. Sample this, a young girl came up to this scribe on the croisette outside the India pavilion in the International Village, asking where Karan Johar and Preity Zinta were? She said she had watched all his movies. “Mujhe bahoot acchi lagti hain dono,” she said. She had been waiting outside the pavilion for three hours and she said would continue waiting until she met up with the duo.

    This morning Johar made a lighting visit to the India pavilion in the International Village along with producer-director Sunil Darshan and UK-based TipTop Films Sunil Shah. He also spent some time talking with Ian Smith the maker of the film The City of Joy.

  • Goa officials study Cannes festival

    Goa officials study Cannes festival

    CANNES: You have got to hand it to the guys from Goa. The entire team of the international film festival has winged it down to Cannes to pick up the best practices from Cannes. They have been talking to all and sundry trying to find out how they can develop Goa along the lines of the French Riviera resort, which plays host to several events throughout the year.

    Entertainment Society of Goa head Anju Timblo said, “We will stop short of nothing less than making the Goa International Film Festival amongst the most prized destination for filmmakers the world over.”

    Among those who have come in include the Goa festival director Sahay, chief secretary J.P. Singh, commissioner and secretary tourism Ramesh Negi.