ITV

Category: News Broadcasting

  • Microsoft India develops Office Communicator Mobile

    Microsoft India develops Office Communicator Mobile

    BANGALORE: Microsoft’s India Development Center (MIDC) today announced their involvement in an end-to-end project to develop ‘Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile’ – a unified communications client that provides information workers with a premier mobile collaboration experience through native integration of mobile applications with enterprise-grade, real-time communications tools.

    Communicator Mobile will extend features of Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Microsoft Office Communicator to the Windows Mobile 2003 SE and Windows Mobile 5.0 platform, both Pocket PC Edition and Smartphone, the company said in an official release.

    The development process included getting feedback from usage within Microsoft, Beta users outside Microsoft, and TAP (Technology Adoption Program) partners. The suggestions and feedback from user groups were incorporated into the product in the early stages of the development cycle, the release adds.

    Recently unveiled during Steve Ballmer’s keynote at 3GSM in Barcelona Spain and based on the user interface of the Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 desktop client, the client goes beyond simple voice services, incorporating connected communication modes such as more secure instant messaging (IM), presence awareness and integrated VoIP-telephony.

    Commenting on the product being completely developed out of India, MIDC VP & MD Srini Koppulu said, “Our India Development Center plays an important role in contributing to future innovations at Microsoft and we are proud to be at the core of Microsoft’s global development initiatives. The release of Communicator Mobile is an endorsement of Microsoft’s mission to “innovate, energize, and support Microsoft investments for the mobile user experience.”

    Communicator Mobile client increases potential data revenue for mobile operators by driving demand for business-class devices with an enterprise-grade client, adding rich, real-time collaboration capabilities to mobile data networks, the company claimed in the statement.

  • ABC introduces new series to its Fall 2006-07 schedule

    ABC introduces new series to its Fall 2006-07 schedule

    MUMBAI: ABC has announced a host of new series to be included in its Fall TV schedule. Said ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson. “We want viewers making appointments with ABC Television every night of the week.”

    Mondays nights kicked off with new editions of Wife Swap at 8 pm, followed by The Bachelor and What About Brian. However, The Bachelor will be replaced by a new edition of Supernanny in the 9 pm slot, later in the season.

    “We set out to develop a diverse group of shows that will continue in that vein and also to grow our audience. Our success has been driven by great storytelling and memorable characters that audiences have fallen in love with,”said McPherson.

    Dancing With the Stars is aired on Tuesdays at 8 pm, leading into two new comedy shows Let’s Rob Mick Jagger and Help Me Help You. Boston Legal returns to the 10 pm slot, and after Dancing With the Stars goes off, it will be replaced by a new game show Set For the Rest of Your Life.

    On Wednesdays the results of Dancing With the Stars are announced at 8, but will be replaced by George Lopez and According To Jim, at the end of its season. A Warner Brothers Television drama series The Nine, with Tim Daly and John Billingsley, will follow at 10 pm.

    ABC plans to air consecutive episodes of Lost scheduled for the 9 pm slot, followed by the new thriller Daybreak, starring Taye Diggs, with Lost reappearing in the new year for another uninterrupted run.

    Following Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, are two new comedies starting at 8 pm. Big Day, which takes a look at a couple’s wedding day from the view point of those involved, and Notes From The Underbelly, about a couple expecting their first baby. At 10 pm J.J.Abrams drama, Six Degrees will be telecast, which focuses on six different New Yorkers whose lives are somehow interconnected.

    On Fridays, Betty The Ugly, set at a fashion magazine, is an adaptation of a telenovela starring America Ferrera and Eric Mabius, with executive producer Salma Hayek. While, Alaska-set comedy Men In Trees follows at 9 and the newsmagazine 20/20 will air at 10 pm.

    Saturday nights will broadcast the national security thriller Traveler, followed by Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call, an unscripted series that offers relationship advice and the hidden-camera half- hour series Just For Laughs.

    Finally on Sunday nights, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives are joined by a new drama, Brothers And Sisters, a family soap, starring Calista Flockhart and Ron Rifkin.

    Other midseason replacements include, American Inventor and the Jon Favreau-directed comedy In Case of Emergency, as part of the fall 2006-2007 schedule.

  • ‘Da Vinci Code’ crew says it’s entertainment not theology

    ‘Da Vinci Code’ crew says it’s entertainment not theology

    CANNES: The maker of The Da Vinci Code – director Ron Howard – and the cast and crew today stated that it is the media, which is looking for a story that has created the hype around the so called religious controversy. “The controversy has actually been very limited,” says Alfred Molina, who plays the part of Bishop Aringarosa.

    Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Ron Howard at Cannes (Picture from www.canada.com)The film, which has created a storm in India with news channels and newspapers giving blanket coverage to the calls for the movie to be banned, is no stranger to controversy. Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi on Tuesday said that he “will not allow the controversial film Da Vinci Code to be screened unless representatives of Catholic churches along with the Censor Board watch the movie and clear it.”

    Even for newly launched English movie channel from the Sony stable SET Pix (Sony Pictures is distributing the film worldwide), the hullabaloo has come as a big dampener. Amongst other marketing activities it had planned, it had also scheduled a special screening of the movie in Mumbai for the cable and media fraternity on Saturday.

    Speaking to the media after the film’s screening Howard said, “Right from the beginning I expected controversy. We were talking about a global bestseller,” said Howard. “We were expecting it to be upsetting to some people. But we cannot forget that this is a piece of fictional entertainment people who have not seen the movie are talking about. What I would tell them is see the movie and then form your opinion. And if you are going to be upset by the movie don’t watch it. The movie will arouse different reactions from various people. We wanted to stir debate, we wanted people to think.”

    Added Tom Hanks: “This is not theology, it is entertainment, and if people can remember that, it will be good. It is a piece of commercial cinema.”

    When asked if the religious community put any pressure on him before he enacted the role of Robert Langdon, Hanks said, “Thankfully, brains score over emotion and fiction.”

    Ian McKellen, who essays the role of Sir Leigh Teabing added in lighter vein that the fact that Jesus was married puts to rest the speculation that he was gay. Tom Hanks avoided the question saying that he was not around then.

    As far as box office goes, Howard said that his partner in Imagine Entertainment expected the movie to do well. His partner Brian Glasser, who begins work on Imagine’s next project American Gangster with Russel Crowe and Samuel Jackson in Harlem two months from now, said he expects it to do very well. “A big winner,” he said.

    That remains to be seen though. With calls for bans and the like coming in from across the globe as well as the tepid reviews the film has been getting, the producers might be hoping for a miracle in expecting that viewers will flock into the theatres.

  • Zee Sports to telecast Italian Open 2006 live

    Zee Sports to telecast Italian Open 2006 live

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports will telecast the WTA Alice Cup Italian Open live and exclusive. This Tier I $1.34 million, tournament will be played from 15 May to 21 May on Red Clay. Zee Sports will start the telecast of the matches from quarter finals onwards.

    The top seeded players, including Maria Sanchez Lorenzo of Spain, Estonia’s Maret Ani Nathalie Dechy of France, Ai Sugiyama of Japan, Kim Clijsters of Belgium, Russian Nadia Petrovas, Elena Dementieva Svetlana Kuznetsova, Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder, Italian Francesca Schiavone and comeback girl Martina Hingis will play for the honours in this tournament, said an official release.

    Zee Sports presenter Tina Sharma along with Indian tennis star Ankita Bhambri will present the preview and review show of each of the match. SportsCafe, Zee Sports daily news program will present the highlights and analysis of the best moments of the matches.

    The quarter final matches will be played on 18 May and 19 May, from 4 pm onwards. Semi finals will be held on 20 May and the matches will begin at 9:30 pm. The final is scheduled for 21 May at 7 pm.

  • SAARC nations to evolve strategy to exchange information during calamities

    SAARC nations to evolve strategy to exchange information during calamities

    MUMBAI: The Press Information Bureau additional principal information officer B S Chauhan will be heading the Indian delegation at the Third Conference of Editors and Working Journalists of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries at Male. On the agenda is SAARC countries evolving a strategy to exchange information on media usage during calamities

    The prime criteria is that reaching out is a must in disseminating critical information for those in the concerned affected areas.

    India has reiterated that SAARC Nations should make special efforts through media so that the people, especially women and children of these areas can be brought closer to the mainstream.

    With a view to reach out to people affected by terrorist acts and hilly terrain in India, Chauhan emphasised that radio coverage should be strengthened to reach the affected zone, informs an official release.

    Sharing the experience of India on media management during Tsunami crisis, he said, all stations of All India Radio in southern states of India and East Coast including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where continuously broadcasting information on the developing situations in the affected areas are based on live inputs by districts and State authorities from different locations.

    Radio and TV stations also broadcast information about relief measures like helplines and measures to combat epidemics. He said that, the media must be involved as a participatory agency which combines the media, government officials, government multimedia implementing agencies, NGOs, public opinion representatives and the beneficiaries.

    Apprising the member countries of transparency measures being taken by India, Chauhan said India had recently adopted a legislation in Parliament relating to the Right to Information (RTI). The RTI Act is a major stride in further increasing transparency in the country and is expected to go a long way towards making officials more responsive to people’s urges articulated through the media. This is an idea, which the other countries in SAARC region may like to emulate.

    SAARC is an association of eight countries of South Asia including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The two-day conference is being attended by the representatives of the SAARC countries except Nepal.

  • PBS and Discovery Education partner to distribute PBS programs to schools

    PBS and Discovery Education partner to distribute PBS programs to schools

    MUMBAI: PBS and Discovery Education have inked a major multi-year media partnership through which PBS has licensed hundreds of hours from its most acclaimed series and specials for distribution to schools through Discovery Education’s digital learning services.

    PBS titles to be made available via Discovery Education include The Civil War and other Ken Burns documentaries; Freedom: A History of US; the complete CyberChase series; and selected episodes from Nova, American Experience, Frontline and others.

    A number of local PBS stations already partner with Discovery Education in delivering its flagship video-on-demand service and united streaming as part of their portfolio of local education offerings.

    “For both PBS and our local stations, this new partnership represents an important opportunity to bring PBS content to a growing audience of educators. PBS is entering into a number of new, non-exclusive licensing relationships to broaden the reach of our award-winning education resources, and we are pleased that the first of these new partnerships is with Discovery Education,” said PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger.

    Beginning this fall, schools nationwide will have the opportunity to receive the PBS library as a supplement to united streaming. As with all content delivered through united streaming, the PBS programs will be correlated to state curriculum standards, chaptered into content-specific video clips and offered for teachers to stream or download for instructional use.

    “This expansion of Discovery Education’s relationship with PBS underscores the alignments of our values and missions. We’re delighted that this arrangement will give teachers and students the opportunity to access these high-quality titles — on-demand — through our award-winning platform,” said Discovery Education president Steve Sidel.

  • MTV to explore internet and MVAS markets in China

    MTV to explore internet and MVAS markets in China

    MUMBAI: Viacom owned music broadcaster MTV is planning to broaden its sphere in the areas of internet and mobile value-added services (MVAS) in China, according to China Daily.

    MTV Networks vice chairman and MTV Networks International president William Roedy has been quoted in a report as saying that, the company will launch broadband services in China at the earliest. According to Roedy, MTV’s services in China will be provided either by partnership with local firms or through acquisitions.

    The report said, MTV and China Mobile, one of China’s mobile carriers, had agreed last year to offer MTV content to China Mobile users in the form of ring tones, music and picture downloads.

    In China, MTV is aired only in the Pearl River Delta in southern province and at a number of upscale residential compounds and hotels in other areas.

  • Fox and Burger King bring hit shows to MySpace.com

    Fox and Burger King bring hit shows to MySpace.com

    MUMBAI: News Corporation’s Fox Entertainment Group and Burger King Holdings, Inc. have teamed to offer hit Fox programming free of charge to the more than 75 million members of MySpace.com.

    MySpace.com is Fox Interactive Media’s popular online social networking site. This promotion marks the first time that network TV content is being made available on a series basis through MySpace, as well as MySpace’s entry into the ecommerce arena.

    The promotion launches 22 May, in conjunction with the season finale of the record-breaking fifth season of 24. MySpace users will be able to download-to-own two episodes of the Fox drama at no cost from a special ‘Have It Your Way’ page provided by Burger King. Both the very first episode from 24’s first season and the first episode of the current season will be available. Also offered at launch will be an episode of Speed’s Pinks and Fuel TV’s FirstHand.

    In addition, MySpace will create a social network around 24, where users can interact with each other, create user generated content and download the entire first and fifth seasons of the top-rated drama for $1.99 per episode.

    “This is truly the perfect marriage of compelling content, an extremely creative advertising partner and the Internet’s leading site for young adults. It really exemplifies our overarching strategy of doing deals that make sense organically, and we have high hopes that MySpace users will find it an attractive offering,” said Fox Entertainment Group president digital media Peter Levinsohn.

    “It’s the ultimate ‘Have It Your Way’ experience. We’re giving consumers what they want with the choice of free shows – wherever and whenever they want to watch them – and the ability to talk about those shows in the social networking environment of MySpace,” said Burger King Holdings senior director media Gillian Smith.

    “MySpace is the largest video site on the web with more video uploaded every day than any other site on the Internet. Our members are avid fans of these shows and are consuming video at a rapid pace, making MySpace the perfect distribution channel for programmers looking to innovate new models,” said Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn.

  • Pix acquires 47 episodes of ‘Inside the Actors Studio’

    Pix acquires 47 episodes of ‘Inside the Actors Studio’

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television’s (SET) English channel Pix has acquired its first international programme – Inside the Actors Studio.

    Pix has acquired 47 exciting and revealing episodes of this series. Some of the guests interviewed include: Will Smith, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Charlize Ttheron, Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Al Pacino.

    James Lipton, the executive producer and host of Inside the Actors Studio since its inception in 1994, has interviewed more than 200 artists – ranging from actors and directors to musicians and comedians. Lipton, in his numerous years of studious research has inspired his guests to open up and confess their deepest thoughts about their craft and careers.

    From its origin, Inside the Actors Studio has followed an interesting and unique format in which the show is taped in front of an audience made up of students from the renowned Actors Studio’s Master of Fine Arts program. The interviewees, all famous Hollywood celebrities, share intimate and personal experiences that influenced their choice of career and what it is that continues to fascinate them about showbiz. The interview then concludes with a standardised questionnaire of 10 questions that requires very candid answers, leading to hilarious and sometimes touching moments on the show.

    Inside the Actors Studio also transcends all demographic boundaries. The program introduces viewers to icons of the entertainment industry in a very natural and personal way. The show is produced by Bravo in conjunction with Betelgeuse Productions.

    This popular award winning Hollywood talk show has been on air in the US for more than 11 years and is now broadcast in over 125 countries.

    The show has also bagged numerous awards including two 14 July, 2005 nominations, for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Nonfiction Series, 11 Emmy award nominations, the Cable Ace Award as Best Talk Show and The New York Festival Award for the World’s Best Talk/Entertainment.

  • Zee TV tightens hold on 2nd spot in prime time

    Zee TV tightens hold on 2nd spot in prime time

    MUMBAI: The last time indiantelevision.com analysed the Hindi General Entertainment Channel rankings (CS4+HSM) in February 2006, Zee TV had gone ahead of its nearest competitor Sony in the all day time band. Also, there was a neck and neck fight going on in the coveted prime time band.

    The big question was, would Zee TV be able to post a convincing win over Sony in the prime time, while sustaining its all day performance?
    Now, after a couple of months it is time to update the score card. Analysing the Tam data (2 April 2006 to 30 April 2006, CS4+ HSM), we have Zee TV proving that its good show in the past months was not a mere flash in the pan. The channel has not only retained the second rank in the all day part with a clear margin, but also reached the number two position (behind Star Plus) in the prime time band.

    Zee’s ad sales wing also rose to the occasion. Based on the good performance, Zee Telefilms increased the ad rates for certain Zee TV shows last week. The programmes in question are on the expected lines: Saath Phere (an increase from Rs 75,000 to Rs 80,000 for 10 seconds), Kasamh Se (from Rs 40,000 to Rs 70,000) and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa – Ek Main aur Ek Tu (Rs 40,000 to Rs 70,000.).
    “The logic behind the rate hike is fine performance. We wanted our inventories to meet the demand-supply situation. And hence, we have increased the ad rates of some shows, which passed the bench mark. For the upcoming shows Johnny Ala Re and Shabash India, we have zeroed in on decent rates, which we think are right,” says Zee Network EVP Sales Joy Chakraborthy.

    The data says it all: In the prime time band, the average channel share Zee TV has posted within the above five week period is 14.6 per cent, against Sony’s 14.2 per cent. In the all day time band, Zee holds a significant 18.6 per cent of channel share, while Sony’s share now stands at a meagre 12.4 per cent.

    Apart from the channel driver Saath Phere, the serials which powered the good show include Kasamh Se and debutant Jabb Love Hua. Saath Phere and Kasamh Se are running in the range of 4 TVRs (see the programme rating chart below), according to Tam. Zee TV programming head Ashwini Yardi considers Jabb Love Hua as the latest find. “The soap opened with 0.6 TVRs in the opening week and the following week it recorded a far better 1.7 TVR. The storyline is going to gather much steam in the coming weeks and we are confident of the soap giving a solid performance,” she says.

    Zee’s best prime time band performance in this five week duration came from the week beginning 23 April. The week was a significant one for Hindi GEC since three prime time shows launching (Jabb Love Hua on Zee and Aisa Des Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham in Sony) simultaneously on 24 April. Now, as per Tam, the day favoured Zee TV, as the channel improved its share by 20 per cent in the week – from 15.4 per cent to 17.6 per cent. Meanwhile, Sony’s channel share dropped from 17.4 per cent to 12.4 per cent.

    Yardi attributes the jump to a good opening by the soap Jabb Love Hua. “Zee TV’s ratings for that particular slot went up by about 400 per cent on 24 April. That played a key role in the surge,” she says.

    According to Yardi, Zee TV is not about to rest on its laurels. The channel is planning various strategies to further improve the performance of its prime time soaps. “For example, Saath Phere is going to be in the spotlight in the coming week. The story will take a major turn as we reveal a well-kept secret in the serial. We also have a new show coming in to fill the Kam Ya Zyaada slot,” Yardi offers. The channel dropped the Manoj Bajpai-anchored gameshow two weeks ago. Re-runs of the celebrity show Jeena Isika Naam Hai has replaced Kam Ya Zyaada temporarily.
    Channel
    Key properties
    April-May average ratings combined
    Star Plus Kyunki…, Kahaani…, Kasauti… 12.64 TVR
    Star One Laughter Challenge, Mano Ya Na.., Kya Hoga.. 2.61 TVR
    Zee TV Saath Phere, Kasamh Se 4.44 TVR
    Sony Idol final & Idol Muqabla, Fear Factor, CID 3.36 TVR
    Sahara One Cricket, Woh Rehne Wali.., Hanuman (film) 2.76 TVR
    Sab TV Caravan (film), Idol Takka Tak, Wah Wah, Lo Kal.. 0.52 TVR
    (Source: TAM Peoplemeter System TG: CS 4 years+ Hindi Speaking Markets Period: 2/4/06 to 6/5/06)

    Hasn’t Zee TV’s big ticket reality show Business Baazigar’s non-performance dampened the mood a bit? “Business Baazigar is totally different from all the other reality shows that happened on Indian television so far. The format is new and people are taking their time to get into the loop. The show is delivering a TVR of 0.6 on an average and we expect this go up in the coming weeks,” Yardi reasons.