Category: News Broadcasting

BBC re-launches online search engine

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has re-launched its search engine with a new audio-visual search capability, a new user interface and enhanced usability and quality.

For the first time, users will be able to search for selected television and radio programmes in addition to audio and video content from the BBC’s News, Radio and Sports archives.

Users will be able to quickly and easily locate EastEnders highlights, the latest edition of The Archers and The Chris Moyles Show.

A limited amount of the BBC’s audio and video content will be initially available; the full range of BBC content is likely to be made available later this year.

BBC director new media and technology Ashley Highfield said, “This re-launch marks the first stage in our aim of creating services that enable our audiences to find BBC content – whether text, audio or video – through ever easier navigation.

“It’s also a first step towards a radical overhaul of our website. It will open up an initial index of around 300,000 clips and a selection of BBC programmes for the first time.”

The re-launched BBC web site search engine is to be powered by enterprise software company Autonomy, while Microsoft’s Windows Live Search will power the BBC internet search.

The BBC is required to re-tender its search provision every three years, and the reprocurement has been done through the European OJEC process.

May 12, 2006
TV channels can still seek downlink OK: Govt

NEW DELHI: Television channels that have not yet applied for registration under downlink norms in India need not loose heart, though the deadline expired on 11 May 2006.

The government said that a channel can apply for registration in India for re-distribution clearance even after the expiry of the deadline.
However, there is a rider. Those applying for landing rights after 11 May 2006 would not be carried by cable networks legally till the time the government gives it a clearance.

“There’s no bar on TV channels applying for registration still. The only difference being that such channels can only be seen in Indian cable homes once the government clears them, which may take longer time compared to those who applied within the deadline,” an official of the information and broadcasting ministry told Indiantelevision.com today.

Last week, the government had clarified that from 11 May, all TV channels uplinking from outside India and having applied for registration with the government by that date could be carried on cable networks for the next six months or till the time government decides on their applications.

The official explained that a channel applying for registration after the deadline would be given less priority compared to those who made an attempt to adhere to norms within the stipulated time.

The registration process is two-fold. First a TV channel will be registered with the government, which will make it easier for the authorities to monitor errant ones on various counts, including breach of the programming code.

Second, an authorized company, responsible for the actions of a channel beaming into India, will be registered. This entity can either be an authorized distributor of a channel in India or the channel-owning company’s Indian subsidiary.

Now that the deadline for adhering to downlink norms is over, the government will compile the information, including shareholding patterns, provided by various channels and companies and scrutinize their authenticity.

“This task will take some time and that’s why we have indicated a six-month period. The work can be completed earlier also,” the ministry official pointed out.

Conspicuous by their absence are Pakistan TV family of channels, including PTV, Geo TV, the ARY channels and Q TV.

“If they haven’t applied for registration, then their carriage on any (Indian) cable network or a DTH platform (beaming to Indian consumers) would be termed illegal,” the I&B ministry categorically said.

The ministry is also in the process of issuing a notification in this regard, which will amend the Cable TV Act of 1995 and the DTH guidelines to incorporate the features of downlink norms.

“The notification in this regard should be out in a day or two,” the official said. The downlink norms, announced in November 2005, have been termed stringent by many a broadcaster and industry lobbying bodies.

Those TV channels that have got permission to uplink from India will be deemed as registered after furnishing some additional details.

Meanwhile, according to the I&B ministry’s website, a total of 65 TV channels have applied for registration till 11 May.

The channels are Star Utsav, Star Plus, Star World, Star Gold, Star One, Star Movies, Channel V, Deutsche Welle TV, Angel TV, Hallmark Channel, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Star Vijay, Sony TV, Set Max, Animax, SET Pix, SAB(Sony), AXN, National Geographic Channel (NGC), History Channel, MTV, Nick, Vh 1, MTV2, Ten Sports, Channel News Asia, B4U Music, B4U Movies, Discovery Channel, Discovery Travel & Living, Animal Planet, Zee Studio, Zee Café, Zee Trendz, CNN International, HBO, POGO, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TV5 Monde, ESPN Sports, Star Sports, BBC World, Fashion TV, Voyages Television, Miracle Net TV, God TV, Reality TV, ABC Asia Pacific, Zee Arabia, Goal TV-1, Goal TV-2, Zee MGM, Day Star Television, DAN Tamil Ozhi, DAN Cinema, DAN Music, Trace TV, Euro News, Family Entertainment TV, CT Buzz, Raj Musix and Vissa TV.

Indiantelevision.com learns that Essel Shyam, a joint venture between Shyam Electronics and Zee’s parent Essel Group, has applied for registration on behalf of over a dozen of TV channels, most of which are foreign owned.

May 12, 2006
MTV2 plans to launch in India

MUMBAI: MTV Networks India is expanding its bouquet of channels. The latest to plan an entry into India is MTV2, a channel from the Viacom stable which has a mix of music videos, long form music programmes and a line-up of irreverent, lifestyle and cross platform programming focused on youth and pop culture.

MTV2 has registered for downlink licence. The other channels in the family which are already operating in India are MTV, Nick and Vh1.

“We have applied for downlink licence for MTV2. This is in line with our plans to increase the MTV Networks franchise in India,” says MTV Networks India spokesperson.

As for whether MTV2 would be specifically for direct-to-home (DTH) or be made available on cable TV networks as well, the spokesperson declined to provide further details. “It is too pre-mature to elaborate on our plans at this juncture,” he said.

That the company was looking at expanding its operations in India was stated earlier by former MTV Networks Asia Pacific president Frank Brown.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, he had said, “We are looking at a lot of ideas, including some potential channels for DTH. We are eyeing the launch of new genres of channels. We would like to explore some original channels in India and then probably use it as a test case for launching in other markets.”

May 12, 2006
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products appoints Brian Offutt as SVP entertainment products

MUMBAI: Brian Offutt, the former head of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products’ (NVCP) Los Angeles office, has relocated to New York to oversee the NVCP home entertainment, publishing, and record business. The announcement was made by NVCP president, Leigh Anne Brodsky, to whom he will continue to report.

Offutt replaces Stephen Youngwood, who last month became executive vice president, digital media, at Nickelodeon.

In his new role as senior vice president, entertainment products, Offutt has been charged with managing the home video/DVD, publishing and music businesses for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin, and The N, as well as the home video/DVD, book publishing and videogame businesses for Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land and the book publishing business for Paramount — all networks and the movie studio within the Viacom family that are handled for licensing and merchandising by NVCP.

Specifically, he will oversee a staff that manages relationships with Paramount Home Entertainment that distributes all NVCP home videos; Nick Records, which has been in partnership with Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group since 2004; and the publishing group, with partners including Simon & Schuster and Random House.

“Brian Offutt has been an integral part of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products for the past year, setting up our licensing and merchandising team within Paramount Pictures and bringing to market such successful product as the Godfather videogame. He brings to his new position a keen understanding of both the entertainment and merchandising businesses to further develop our content-driven businesses,” said Brodsky.

Before joining NVCP in January 2005, Offutt was chief operating officer of Broadway Video Entertainment, a leading independent television and film production company founded by Lorne Michaels. In that position, he was directly responsible for the company’s post-production business unit, whose clients included CBS Sports, Showtime and MTV Networks.

Prior to Broadway Video, Offutt was president and COO of Interdimensions, an online technology and interactive solutions company. He also served as senior vice president of Golden Books, an executive recruiter at Spencer Stuart and an investment banking analyst at JP Morgan.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world and such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

May 12, 2006
Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

MUMBAI: After 12 gruelling weeks battling it out against Britain’s brightest business hopefuls, Michelle Dewberry, a 26-year-old telecoms consultant from Hull, has been named as Sir Alan Sugar’s Apprentice and walks away with the prize of a six-figure salaried job with the self-made multi-millionaire. In the UK, the show airs on BBC Two.

In the final episode, Michelle beat off stiff competition from 28-year-old sales manager Ruth Badger by project managing a team of fired apprentices and staging a lavish party on London’s Tower Bridge. The series finale is the first all-female final in the show’s history, which had more than 10,000 applicants this year.

These applications were whittled down to the final 14 who all bravely quit their jobs to face the biggest challenge of their lives, a 12-week job interview with the self-confessed “most belligerent person you’ll ever come across” – Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar.

Each week ambition, business flair and wit were tested to the full as the wannabe tycoons competed in tasks set by Sir Alan. These weekly challenges included working on the sales floor at Top Shop, selling new innovations to the trade, letting flats and designing a charity calendar for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This series saw some of the most explosive boardroom scenes, when each week an apprentice was singled out for the sack with Sir Alan’s terminal catchphrase – “You’re Fired”.

Michelle’s cool, calm and collected approach to each task earned her the nickname ‘The Silent Assassin’. She proved to be one of the best project managers and found herself on the winning team seven times during the series. She narrowly escaped getting the chop in week seven after making a critical mistake during the selling task in Top Shop.

“For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It wasn’t until right at the very end when he said I’d won that I believed it. It shows you don’t need to be cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life.”

Michelle will head up Sir Alan’s Xenon Green company – a new business that will environmentally dispose of companies’ unwanted computer equipment. Michelle will mastermind the whole business from launch through to its marketing.

Sir Alan said, “All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever. I found her very focussed, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills. She’s young and willing to learn. I think I’ve got the right girl.”

May 12, 2006
HBO to kick off final seasons of ‘Sex and the City’ on 14 May

MUMBAI: HBO will air the final two seasons of its show Sex And The City from 14 May. Two episodes will air every Sunday after the 8 pm movie.

HBO says that Sex And The City has spawned into a pop-culture phenomenon, amassing fans the world over with its candid yet honest take on the issues women face. The last two seasons won three Emmy Awards and 24 Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe awards and 10 Golden Globe nominations.

The show’s four heroines represent a contrasting mix of archetypes. For the uninitiated, there’s columnist Carrie Bradshaw, who is in search of “butterflies-in-the-stomach” true love; Miranda Hobbes, a single mother who is trying to juggle the pressures of work, motherhood and dating; Charlotte York who comes to realize that her world need not be so perfect and Samantha Jones, a public relations executive who lives life on her own terms without regrets.

By focussing on issues women face, from the good to the bad, the ugly and the fun, the fifth and the sixth season of the show sees Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda – return: older and wiser, but no less hopeful.

Carrie played by Sarah Jessica Parker finds success in her professional life when she publishes a new book. Later in the season, Carrie meets a new love interest in the form of Jack Berger– but will she be lucky in love?

We see the ‘softer’ side of Samantha played by Kim Cattrall as she discovers that she too, is capable of not only loving someone but also being in a monogamous relationship. That is until, her boyfriend’s roving eyes prove too much of a handful for even a tough cookie like Samantha.

The usually acerbic-tongued and fiercely independent Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) turns vulnerable following the birth of Baby Brady as she learns to cope with motherhood while Charlotte (Kristin Davis) realizes that the “perfect man” can come in a less-than-perfect package, in the form of her divorce attorney.

HBO Asia country manager Shruti Bajpai says, “HBO’s Sex And The City has proven itself to be a phenomenon in television entertainment, which is exemplified by the laurels it has won as well as the overwhelming response that the past seasons have received from its patron viewers in India. With Season 5 and 6, HBO’s Sex And the City is all set, once again, to touch the hearts of women and men alike with its engaging storyline and relatable content.“

In this final season of HBO’s Sex And The City, the ladies come full circle, with each of them experiencing the panacea of friendships, the pain of heartbreaks and the pleasures of relationships.

May 12, 2006
Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

MUMBAI: After 12 gruelling weeks battling it out against Britain‘s brightest business hopefuls, Michelle Dewberry, a 26-year-old telecoms consultant from Hull, has been named as Sir Alan Sugar‘s Apprentice and walks away with the prize of a six-figure salaried job with the self-made multi-millionaire. In the UK, the show airs on BBC Two.

In the final episode, Michelle beat off stiff competition from 28-year-old sales manager Ruth Badger by project managing a team of fired apprentices and staging a lavish party on London‘s Tower Bridge. The series finale is the first all-female final in the show‘s history, which had more than 10,000 applicants this year.

These applications were whittled down to the final 14 who all bravely quit their jobs to face the biggest challenge of their lives, a 12-week job interview with the self-confessed “most belligerent person you‘ll ever come across” – Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar.

Each week ambition, business flair and wit were tested to the full as the wannabe tycoons competed in tasks set by Sir Alan. These weekly challenges included working on the sales floor at Top Shop, selling new innovations to the trade, letting flats and designing a charity calendar for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This series saw some of the most explosive boardroom scenes, when each week an apprentice was singled out for the sack with Sir Alan‘s terminal catchphrase – “You‘re Fired”.

Michelle‘s cool, calm and collected approach to each task earned her the nickname ‘The Silent Assassin‘. She proved to be one of the best project managers and found herself on the winning team seven times during the series. She narrowly escaped getting the chop in week seven after making a critical mistake during the selling task in Top Shop.

“For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It wasn‘t until right at the very end when he said I‘d won that I believed it. It shows you don‘t need to be cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life.”

Michelle will head up Sir Alan‘s Xenon Green company – a new business that will environmentally dispose of companies‘ unwanted computer equipment. Michelle will mastermind the whole business from launch through to its marketing.

Sir Alan said, “All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever. I found her very focussed, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills. She‘s young and willing to learn. I think I‘ve got the right girl.”

May 12, 2006
Endemol announces good results in US, UK & Italy for Q1

MUMBAI: Television format creator Endemol has announced a sound performance in the first quarter of 2006.

Compared to the first quarter of 2005, Endemol says that it enjoyed a strong increase in business across all genres and most of its markets, especially the US, the UK and Italy. The overall financial outlook for 2006 remains good. Given the lumpy nature of Endemol’s business (project-based), performance in the first quarter cannot be automatically extrapolated to the rest of the year.

Endemol will publish its half year results on 26 July 2006, with more detailed financial information. Endemol says that its top format in terms of turnover, Big Brother, remains strong. The format was on air in more countries than in the same period of last year, returning to screens in Italy and Belgium after an absence in 2005. The success Endemol has enjoyed worldwide with Deal or no Deal during the first quarter, in particular in the UK and the USA, has resulted in an increasing appetite for game shows (a core element of Endemol’s portfolio), which Endemol is capitalising on.

In the US, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition continues to do well. After being successfully introduced in the US market in December 2005, Deal or No Deal again had promising ratings for the second series, which aired on NBC in March. Specific examples of the resurgence of game shows can be seen in the US where newly created formats Show Me The Money and For The Rest of Your Life were sold to Fox and ABC respectively and the rejuvenated version of Endemol’s existing format One versus 100 was sold to NBC – all in the same week.

In the scripted field, Endemol enjoyed a sound performance with several continuing and new soap operas and drama series in its main scripted territories including the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, but also with drama productions in countries such as South Africa and Russia. In April, Endemol increased its stake in the Dutch production company NL Film & TV to 51 per cent, which focuses exclusively on television drama, comedy and feature films.

In line with the company’s continuing search for expansion in New Territories, the first Asian subsidiary, Endemol India, opened for business at the beginning of the year and enjoyed a successful start in the first three months. In addition, Endemol Polska officially kicked off in Poland as a fully independent production company headed by a newly appointed MD.

In the digital media field, next to Participation TV, the success of formats like Deal or no Deal and Big Brother is generating substantial revenues on calls and SMSs. Furthermore, Endemol is exploring new sustainable revenue streams through cooperation with companies such as KPN in the Netherlands and BT in the UK, further exploiting Endemol’s library and developing new specific content for their IPTV concepts. This particular broadband and mobile opportunity for exploitation of content is still in its early days and revenues are currently embryonic.

Endemol CEO Joaquim Agut says, “In the first quarter we have continued to perform strongly across the group. We saw earlier initiated strategic actions taking effect. In addition, several new steps towards the further development and implementation of our strategic priorities were made. We are confident that we will realise the targets given in our financial guidance as provided earlier this year.”

May 12, 2006
Peace Arch Entertainment & Genius Products reach US distribution deal for Archetype Genre Films

MUMBAI: North America’s Arch Entertainment Group Inc. and Genius Products, Inc. have entered into an exclusive agreement for Genius to distribute a new slate of cutting edge horror and thriller films from Peace Arch’s Archetype Films division. The announcement was made by Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater and Peace Arch president John Flock.

Under the agreement, Genius has acquired exclusive US DVD distribution rights to five new films from Peace Arch’s Archetype Films label, which focuses on the horror, thriller and action and science fiction genres:

* “Warriors of Terra” stars Edward Furlong (“Terminator 2”) as a member of an animal rights group that penetrates a biotech facility and mistakenly releases a monster within.

* “5ive Girls” stars Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”) as a Catholic school priest who helps five teenage girls with supernatural powers battle the ancient demon Legion.

* “The Last Sect” starring David Carradine (“Kill Bill”) as a vampire hunter tracking a group of female vampires who use an Internet dating service to line up their victims.

* “Ultimate Killing Machine” starring Michael Madsen (“Sin City”) as the head of a top-secret U.S. military operation that turns misfits and wash-outs into genetically engineered ultimate soldiers.

* “Troubled Waters” starring Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) as a determined detective with psychic powers investigating the suspicious kidnapping of a rich man’s daughter.

“We are very excited to be getting into business with Genius just as they are emerging as one of the best independent home entertainment distributors in the country,” says Flock. “We believe that these five films will be excellent additions to their growing lineup of top quality productions, and we expect to continue supplying Genius with additional productions from our growing pipeline, whether first run productions from our film and television divisions, family and children’s product from our kaBOOM! Entertainment subsidiary or desirable catalogue content from the Castle Hill/Dream Library, which we recently agreed to acquire.”

“We are thrilled to be in business with Peace Arch Entertainment and John Flock, who in a very short time established his company as a premiere producer of quality films with high commercial value. This is a terrific deal for both companies and hopefully, the start of a long and successful relationship as Genius Products continues to build its library with top quality titles in the horror and thriller genres,” adds Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater.

May 12, 2006
Vh1 ties up with Big Fish Games & Midway to provide online games

MUMBAI: Vh1 has announced the launch of Vh1 Games the online gaming destination for gamers, puzzle experts, and pop culture fans. For this initiative, Vh1 has teamed up with the game developer and distributor Big Fish Games and the interactive entertainment software publisher and developer Midway.

Big Fish Games has been tapped for their expertise in the downloadable game market, game publishing, and merchandising. Through its licensing agreement with Vh1, Midway is providing authentic arcade classic games to the hub.

“We have created a gaming site that extends the Vh1 brand by playing off of Vh1’s distinct programming,” said Vh1 VP digital media Tina Imm. “Our original games and ‘Vh1 Classic Arcade’ give our viewers and the enormous numbers of casual online gamers a great mix of old and new games, editorial content, and industry news.”

In addition to a broad collection of word games, action games and puzzles, the Vh1 Games hub offers original games from Vh1, top downloadable games, and popular classic arcade games from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s that are part of Vh1’s on-air and broadband programming.

Vh1 Games also provides gaming news and commentary through its dedicated blog, ‘Vh1 Game Break’. Vh1 Games introduces the ‘Vh1 Classic Arcade’– a collection of authentic online versions of old-school arcade classics like Spy Hunter, Joust, Defender, and Rampage.

In the classic arcade section of the site, the games will be packaged together with editorial content relevant to the time when these games were originally released.

Vh1 Games also offers original games based on Vh1’s hit TV shows and pop culture, as well as classic-inspired games including Vh1’s new mini-game compilation, The Arcade Strikes Back. Vh1’s original games include titles such as Escape the Paparazzi, Sudoku Fortunes and I Love Toys.

Players can download one hour trials of the games or purchase the full versions for $19.99.

May 11, 2006