ITV

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  • BBC World, Newsweek, Shell launch ‘The World Challenge 2006’

    BBC World, Newsweek, Shell launch ‘The World Challenge 2006’

    MUMBAI: BBC World has announced that World Challenge – a global competition seeking to highlight and reward examples of community enterprise and innovation – has reached its final stage, with the launch of six programmes featuring the 12 finalists, and an international appeal for votes to choose the winning project.

    Each programme featuring two finalists is being broadcast to BBC World’s weekly global audience of 65 million viewers. The channel’s viewers are invited to vote online for the most commendable and inspirational project, which will also be featured in Newsweek and online at www.theworldchallenge.co.uk, where summaries and edited versions of the programmes are available.

    BBC World and Newsweek, the weekly global current affairs magazine, have joined with Shell for the second year to launch World Challenge 2006. The next episode airs tomorrow 14 October 2006 at 9.30 am, 4.30pm and on 15 October at 1.30 pm and 8.30pm. Elephant Paper is an ingredient in paper helps protect the elephant in Sri Lanka. Maximus, Sri Lanka Maximus is a papermaking firm that makes high-quality products from a variety of wastes, including paper from offices, bark from banana trees and even elephant dung. Established in Kegalle, Sri Lanka, in 1997, Maximus provides an income for 35 staff and a proportion of the sales are donated to the nearby elephant orphanage. The company’s ‘peace paper’ scheme also helps rural people earn money from collecting dung from wild elephants.

    Another project is Card Aid. Greeting cards help a community recover in Rwanda
    Cards from Africa, Rwanda. Cards from Africa is a company that markets greetings cards made by a poor Rwandan community to shops around the world. The company began in 2004. Operating on a fair-trade basis, it now provides a steady income for 40 young Rwandans. It runs a variety of practical programmes to help the community make best use of its land and also employs a part-time counsellor to help the young survivors of the Rwandan genocide.

    Another episode airs on 21 October 2006 at 9.30 am, 4.30 pm and on 22 October at 1.30 pm, 8.30pm. One project showcased is Well Water. This involves eliminating the threat from arsenic in the water supply. It is the effort of NGO Dalit in Bangladesh. NGO Dalit is fighting the scourge of arsenic contamination in water supplies by locating and tapping rare pure water sources, installing filtration systems and researching herbal remedies for arsenic-related diseases. The project also includes an educational element aimed at acquainting people with the dangers of arsenic poisoning – and how to avoid them.

    Bmooming Business – Seeds of hope for poor communities comes from Flora Marketing in Mauritius/Madagascar. The firm was set up to encourage poor communities in the tropics to set up seed banks for traditional plant varieties. Some of these sustainably harvested seeds are sent to Flora Marketing’s Mauritius headquarters for export to buyers in some 30 countries. The rest are used to reforest degraded land, helping to ensure a future income.

  • 71 per cent of tweens will be online by 2010: eMarketer study













    MUMBAI: The latest eMarketer‘s report suggests that among tweens and young teens some 20 million of them use the Internet and by 2010, 71 per cent of kids ages 8-11 will be online.


    Tweens online may well be marketers‘ next big coveted demographic. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 — are not only strong in number but interestingly, in purchasing power, informs an official release.


    It is estimated that over half of boys and girls own and use a computer, VCR, DVD player and mobile phone. In one survey quoted by eMarketer, tweens report that they love watching TV. But another study points out that children 8 to 18 spend fully one-quarter of their media time multi-tasking among media.



    “Tweens and young teens may be the first generation that will come into adulthood fully expecting to obtain their media on a variety of platforms,” says eMarketer‘s senior analyst and author of the report Debra Aho Williamson.


    The younger group plays more games, everyone prefers instant messaging to e-mail, and as tweens pass into their teenage years they devote more time to downloading music. More than one-third of teens ages 12 to 14 frequent MySpace, according to one study. And, the hot growth opportunity for wireless carriers is the tween market. Harris Interactive data from 2006 shows that 23 per cent of children ages 8 to 12 own a mobile phone, up from 12 per cent the previous year.

  • THQ launches ‘Scooby-Doo! Who’s Watching Who?’ video game in US

    THQ launches ‘Scooby-Doo! Who’s Watching Who?’ video game in US

    MUMBAI: THQ Inc., worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, has announced that Scooby-Doo! Who’s Watching Who?, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, has shipped to retailers throughout North America for the first time on the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and is also available on the Nintendo DS. 

    Inspired by the classic Scooby-Doo cartoon, the game is rated “E” for everyone and is now available at the retail price of $19.99.

    “Scooby-Doo! Who’s Watching Who? captures the charm of one of the most popular characters of several generations and features authentic voiceover work from the Scooby-Doo voice actors,” said THQ director of global brand management John Ardell.

    “We are excited to release this new Scooby-Doo adventure on today’s most advanced handheld systems, allowing fans of all ages to interact with their favorite characters and drive the Mystery Machine for the very first time.”

  • ESS’ hockey initiative PHL kicks off on 2 January 2007

    ESS’ hockey initiative PHL kicks off on 2 January 2007

    MUMBAI: The third edition of Premier Hockey League (PHL) the grassroots competition to give Indian hockey a push will kick off on 2 January 2007.

    The initiative is being organised by ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).

    This time around the league moves to a single tier firmat. The top seven teams of last year will fight for the title in a two month long event which will be co-hosted by Chennai and Chandigarh.
    In the first two editions there were two tiers with five teams each. This time these seven teams are Sher-e- Jalandhar, Maratha Warriors, Chandigarh Dynamos, Bangalore Lions, Hyderabad Sultans as well as the top two teams from tier II Orissa Steelers and Chennai Veerans.

    The seven teams play each other twice in a total of 42 matches. There will be a best of three playoff in the final. IHF president KPS Gill says, “The PHL has set new benchmarks as the world took notice of a completely new revolutionary league with the third umpire being introduced for the first time in Indian hockey. Keeping in accordance with our innovations to make the league more interesting we have raised the competitiveness in the league. We envisage more cutthroat competition this year that will be good for Indian hockey.”

    ESS India MD R.C. Venkateish says, “We have redefined hockey broadcvast with PHL. The tournament has been a viewing spectacle with comoprehensive match analysis, pre match and post match shows, bi-lingual commentary in English and in Hindi. Hockey lovers acros the country have loved and followed PHL for the first two years of the tournaments novel concepts and innovations.

    “Innovations like coloured jerseys, foreign players in the domestic league the use of a third umpire and now the top seven teams in the Premier Division will revolutionise hockey viewing and make PHL the most viewer friendly league in the country. Maurits Hendricks the incumbent coach of the Spanish Team has been reappointed as the consultant for the PHL.

    “He will provide his valuable inputs to all the participating teams during PHL. He will also be responsible for shortlisting foreign players for the league. We are confident that more foreign players will be seen this year as compared to last year. The initial feedback from the European players has been very heartening.”

    Like last year each game has four quarters of 17 minutes and 30 seconds each. The winner gets three points. If a match goes into extra time the winner gets two points while the loser gets one. Leisure Sports chairman and MD SS Dasgupta, said, “LSM with its in-depth knowledge of and involvement with Indian hockey is very confident that the proposed tournament will be a grand success. We are currently working on a detailed blue-print to ensure that PHL dons the look of a grand carnival. We are committed to offering an international quality experience to hockey fans – they will get the best of hockey, as well a s spectator facilities inside the stadium.”

  • BBC Worldwide signs deal with Australia’s Seven Network

    BBC Worldwide signs deal with Australia’s Seven Network

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Australasia has concluded a new deal with the Seven Network in Australia to license Michael Palin’s new travel series Palin’s New Europe. In addition, a raft of drama and factual programming has been acquired by broadcasters in New Zealand, through agreements signed in the run up to MIPCOM. Palin’s New Europe which will air on BBC One in the UK next year, follows the ex-Python as he explores 21 countries such as Bosnia, Albania, Moldova and Macedonia. BBC Worldwide Australasia’s sales manager Amber Knight says, “Michael Palin has that rare combination of integrity, wit and bravery which makes all his programs such hits. We are very excited to be bringing this program to Seven.” Seven Network’s director of programming and production Tim Worner says, “Australians are renowned travellers – as a youngster it is a virtual rite of passage and you always seem to bump into fellow Australians in the most far flung locations. Michael Palin captures that spirit in his very own way and we at Seven look forward to being able to have him take Australian audiences to places they have never been before. “Palin is the pre-eminent television travel communicator of his time – in his company you do not just see; you taste, you smell, you experience. And, above all, he makes it fun – that’s why we’re proud he’s coming to Seven.” A package of returning series has been licensed to New Zealand’s TVNZ including key titles from Kudos productions such as Hustle Series 4, and Life on Mars Series 2. TV One has taken series two of Clerkenwell Films’ Afterlife, as well as Hotel Babylon (Carnival Films), Waterloo Road (Shed Productions) and Bodies (Hat Trick Productions).

  • Animal Planet to kick off ‘Award Winning Animal Planet’ on 16 October

    Animal Planet to kick off ‘Award Winning Animal Planet’ on 16 October

    MUMBAI: Animal Planet celebrates its accolades with its viewers by bringing some of its best and International award winning programmes under one series, Award Winning Animal Planet. The special package will be aired every Monday at 9 pm and repeated every Tuesday at 4 pm, starting 16 October.

    Over the years, Animal Planet has garnered awards globally in various International Film and Video festivals for its programming. These awards are presented, recognising the excellence in television programming, photography, writing, by some of the eminent institutions like Emmy Awards, Aurora Awards, Asian Television Awards, New York festivals and Wild Screen festival.

    Animal Planet’s Award Winning Programmes include –

    1. Jane Goodall’s State Of The Great Ape – 16 October 2006

    Jane Goodall’s State of the Great Ape examines the situation facing the four great apes – gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos. Experts like Jane predict that great apes have just 20 years left in the wild unless we act to help them. State of the great ape visits the front line to reveal the lives of these people and the amazing animals they are fighting for.

    Event – 2005 US International Film & Video Festival
    Award – Second place for the Silver Screen Award in the Nature/Environment 
    category

    Event – 2005 International Wildlife Festival
    Award – Finalist Award and the Merit Award in the Conservation Message category

    Event – 2005 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Award – Silver Statue award in the Nature category

    2. The Biggest Nose In Borneo – 23 October 2006

    The programme follows Alastair, alpha male that has more than 20 wives. He has more than 40 offspring and since reproducing offspring is the primary goal of all proboscis monkeys, he spends the majority of his day mating. Viewers witness the drama for themselves, as well as discover how the monkeys survive in the dwindling jungles, deal with death in the family and endure terrible droughts in the The Biggest Nose in Borneo.

    Event – 2005, The 15th International Wildlife Film Festival in Albert, France
    Award – Best Script

    3. Gorilla Gorilla – 30 October 2006

    Gorilla numbers worldwide have been decimated by man’s greed and cruelty and environmental damage caused by incessant African wars, poaching and the rape of the landscape by big businesses. This programme tells the story of Damian Aspinall’s first major project to create new gorilla groups just by rescuing local orphaned African gorillas, and then by relocating young gorillas reared in England in their natural African habitat.

    Event – 2005 New York Festivals
    Award – Bronze Worldmedal in the Nature/Environment category

    Event – 2005 Aurora Awards Film and Video competition
    Award – Platinum Best of Show award in the Nature/Environment category

    4. Lyndal’s Lifeline – 6 November 2006

    Animal advocate Lyndal Davies travelled around the world to make a real difference for species in peril with the Animal Planet series Lyndal’s Lifeline. In the series, Lyndal presented six grass-roots rehabilitation centers with Animal Planet’s US$10,000 donation and joined the local teams as they made the crucial decision of how to use the funds.

    Event – 2005 International Documentary Association Awards
    Award – Finalist in the Continuing Series category

    Programme – Lyndal’s Lifeline: Elephant Alert
    Event – 2005 US International Film & Video Festival
    Award – Third place for the Certificate in Creative Excellence in the Nature 
    /Environment category

    Programme – Lyndal’s Lifeline: Koala Crisis
    Event – 2005 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Awards – Bronze Statue award in the Nature category

    5. The Temple Of The Tigers – 13 November 2006

    In a small, isolated monastery in northern Thailand, a handful of simple, peace-loving Buddhist monks perform their daily duties – praying, collecting alms and feeding their 10 wild Bengal tigers. The Temple of Tigers is the remarkable story of a group of 10 monks who have taken on the task of protecting the endangered animals by offering them a home within the walls of their temple.

    Event – 2006 U.S. International Film and Video Festival
    Award – Silver Screen Award in the Nature, Wildlife category

    Event – 2006 New York Festivals
    Award – Finalist Certificate in the Nature & Wildlife category as well

    Event – 2005 Aurora Awards Film and Video competition
    Award – Platinum Best of Show award in the Nature/Environment category

    Event – 2005 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Award – Gold Statue award in the Nature category

    6. Tiger Zero – 23 November 2006

    Tiger Zero – a special programme that reveals the root behind India’s second tiger crisis. In the early hours of 1 February 2005, the Delhi police raided a warehouse basement and discovered a huge stock of wildlife remains. The haul included two tiger skins, three kilograms of tiger claws, 14 tiger canines, 10 tiger jaw bones, 60 kilograms of tiger and leopard paws and what appeared to have been pieces of tiger clavicle bone. As the situation becomes critical, Indian tiger expert Valmik Thapar examines the case and also shares his experience about the tigers of the prestigious Ranthambore National Park.

    Event – 2006 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Award – Bronze statue awards also in the Nature category

    Event – 2006 International Wildlife Film Festival
    Award – Best Conservation Message

    7. Meerkat Manor – 27 November 2006

    Meerkat Manor is real-life drama with a difference – the main protagonists are 12 inches high, live underground in burrows and survive on a diet of worms, insects and lizards. Following the everyday life from family squabbles to love affairs of a unique gang of meerkats, Animal Planet presents an intimate portrait of these curious and entertaining creatures as they live their lives in Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

    Event – 2006 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Award – Two gold statue awards in the Nature and Cinematography / Videography / 
    Photography categories and also garnered a silver statue award in the Writing category

    Event – 2006 New York Festivals
    Award – Gold World medal in the Nature & Wildlife category

    Event – 2005 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
    Award – Finalist in the Best Animal Behavioural Program category

    8. Equator: Power of an Ocean – 4 December 2006

    The Equator, a.k.a latitude zero, is the line that splits the world. But it is far more than just a line on a map that divides the hemispheres; it is a line of life and a powerful force of nature. Power of an Ocean explores the sea life of the Galapagos Islands featuring the boobies as they gamble the lives of their chicks and Galapagos penguins flying through enormous schools of fish.

    Event – 2006 New York Festivals
    Award – Gold World medal in the Nature & Wildlife category

    9. Bugging with Ruud: Amazon, Kill or Cure – 11 December 2006

    Host and entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste takes Animal Planet viewers around the world to find some of the weirdest, ugliest, prettiest, and dangerous bugs. Using entertaining stunts and humorous analogies, Ruud demonstrates the amazing capabilities that many insects have, and how they translate in human terms. Ruud believes that if you understand bugs, you can learn to live with them… and maybe even love them.

    Event – 2006 New York Festivals
    Award – Silver medal in the Nature & Wildlife category

    10. Sacred Animals of the Pharoahs – 18 December 2006

    The animal kingdom of ancient Egypt was both worshipped and exploited by humans. Sacred Animals of the Pharaohs takes a fascinating look at their story, told through the eyes of the creatures that were considered sacred in Egyptian mythology, from their lives in the natural world to their slaughter at the hands of priests.

    Event – 2006 Omni Intermedia Awards
    Award – Bronze statue awards also in the Nature category

    11. Tarantula: Australia’s King of Spiders – 25 December 2006

    This program explores the secret lives of these ancient crawlers and tracks the findings of Dr. Robert Raven, arachnologist and Senior Curator of Spiders at Australia’s Queensland Museum. His unrivalled knowledge guides viewers through an extensive web of intrigue surrounding these creepy creatures. Love them or loathe them, Tarantula: Australia’s King Of Spiders sheds new light on the hairy tales of these extraordinary spiders.

    Event – 2006 New York Festivals
    Award -Bronze medal in the Nature & Wildlife category

  • New Medium Enterprises comes out with HD VMD player

    New Medium Enterprises comes out with HD VMD player

    MUMBAI: New Medium Enterprises (NME) which developes high-definition platforms, processes and technologies, has announced the release of its first-generation HD VMD player.

    The player, which will retail for $175 in the US will allow consumers for the first time to experience high definition at a low cost on a backwards-compatible player, capable of playing existing DVD formats.

    TThe player utiliSes NME’s HD VMD format, which the company says is a natural successor to the existing DVD platform. The launch of NME’s new HD VMD player is the culmination of significant research and development efforts in Europe and China, which has resulted in the manufacture of an HD player that combines the latest electronics technologies to deliver a superior viewing experience.

    Significantly, NME has already secured content deals in Europe, China and India and expects to be able to announce further contracts in the near future.

    NME CEO Mahesh Jayanarayan said, “The release of our first HD VMD player is both a milestone for NME and a significant moment for the industry. NME has worked in close collaboration with our partners, who can justifiably lay claim to be leaders in HD electronics, to bring to the market a high-quality HD player at an affordable price in all regions.

    “NME has the platform which will allow content developers to deliver high definition content to worldwide markets now, not at some future point. This is clearly generating significant interest in the market.”

    Along with the HD VMD platform, NME also brings a one-stop solution to the HD market, incorporating optical disc solutions, file formats, encryption technology, authoring tools and compression technologies.

    NME plans to announce additional products in the near future incorporating other codecs.

  • Times Now’s Sudha Sadhanand joins Big 92.7 FM Delhi as programming head

    Times Now’s Sudha Sadhanand joins Big 92.7 FM Delhi as programming head

    MUMBAI: The Big 92.7 FM has roped in Times Now’s Sudha Sadhanand as its programming head for its Delhi station. 

    Sadhanand who joined the station on 12 October will be reporting in to the Big 92.7 FM national programming head Manav Dhanda.

    The bi-lingual news & current affairs anchor and producer started her career as a non-fiction book editor with the publishing house Penguin and later went to join TVI (1994) – a bi-lingual television news channel from the Business India group.

    Sadhanand later did programmes for DD Metro with production house APCA (1997), managed by ex-editors of the Times of India Dileep Padgaonkar and Badshah Sen.

    She was associated with Star Plus’ Aaj Ki Baat and India TV, where she was a prime time hostess for breakfast show, election shows and weekend specials.

  • Scat gets a more focussed response

    Scat gets a more focussed response

    MUMBAI: Scat India 2006, which positions itself as being India’s largest exhibition for the Indian satellite and cable TV industry concludes today 14 October 2006 at the World Trade Center.

    Scat Media and Consultancy executive director Dinyar Contractor says that the biggest improvement this year has been more focus. “Exhibitors appreciate the fact that there was a clear focus on cable television.

    Earlier we had other focus areas as well but this time around there was a clear focus on the digital arena. The feedback we received from the exhibitors was that the trade visitors were well informed and clued in.

    “They have done their homework which indicates that the digital arena is coming off age in India. One firm from Europe says that the questions that he has been asked about his products have been more knowledgeable and intelligent compared with some other tradeshows.

    While earlier people would ask about what a product does now they ask whether a product has a certain feature. Visitors were hapy that weer big international names at the event.”

    Scat is now in its 15th year. Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra inaugurated the exhibition. By the time the event concludes it would have had around 12,000 attendees. There are 80 stalls and Contractor adds that at least 30 per cent of the exhibitors have confirmed that they will return next year. Some of them have booked bigger stalls.

    The firms that took part included 2nd Wave Technology, Aditya Broadband, AlJazeera International, Beijing Swt Optical Comm. Catvision, Conax Systems, D-Link, Kieth Electronics, Micronas, Motorola, Finolex Fitel, Fujikura, Scientific Atlanta and Shenzhen Coship

    A key product that the trade fraternity focussed on was digital headends. These will be needed for the deployment of conditional access (Cas) on 1 January 2007 in certain areas of Mumbai and Delhi. Normally headends are expensive. However at Scat Chinese vendors will display headends that are at a cost effective and competitive rate.

    It was not just operators in areas where Cas will be rolled out in January 2007 that are interested. Contractor adds that even operators in small towns are interested. Though it is a bit expensive they know that once Cas comes in the problems between them and the broadcasters over under declaration will not exist. Hence they are willing to invest. The mood of the trade fraternity at Scat he says is confident that Cas will be rolled out smoothly.

    Some operators are mentally gearing uop for Cas though it has yet to be mandated for their areas he adds. Therefore the interest in digital equipment is not surprising.

    Other technology products that were on display include DVB-S and DTH Products, DTT, DVB-S and DVB-c test and measurement equipment, Fibre Optic products from global firms were also be on display.

  • ICC Champions; AIR to broadcast ‘Live’ from 15 Oct., DD to show 9 matches

    ICC Champions; AIR to broadcast ‘Live’ from 15 Oct., DD to show 9 matches

    MUMBAI: All India Radio has acquired the radio broadcast rights from the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), who holds the international rights for the ICC events. AIR will broadcast Live commentary on all the main league matches of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy beginning Sunday, 15 October. The commentary will be broadcast in English and Hindi alternately.
    65 medium wave stations of All India Radio spread across the country and all FM Gold Channels of AIR will relay the commentary from 2.20 pm on all match days. AIR FM Rainbow will carry hourly updates about the matches and a special interactive studio based programme will be broadcast during the innings break.

    The ICC Champions Trophy on AIR is being marketed by the Prasar Bharati Marketing Division in Delhi. Several leading advertisers including Nokia, Hindustan Lever, Dabur, BSNL, Indian Oil have been roped in for sponsorship, informs an official release.

    In addition, Doordarshan will also telecast nine key matches of the ICC Champions Trophy, which include all – India matches, the semi finals and the final on its national network DD National.

    Doordarshan will also air a match analysis show ‘Fourth Umpire’ – before, during the lunch break and after the match. One hour highlights of the match will be shown the following day from 8 am to 9 am. The telecast of key matches on DD National will enable more than 45 million TV homes in India to tune into the ICC Champions Trophy.

    Doordarshan has a revenue share arrangement with GCC for broadcasting the matches on its terrestrial channel. Nimbus Sports is marketing the event.

    AIR will broadcast the following matches:

    15 Oct – India vs England Jaipur
    16 Oct – New Zealand vs South Afrcia Mumbai
    17 Oct – Pakistan vs WI / SL Jaipur
    18 Oct – Australia vs WI / SL Mumbai
    20 Oct – New Zealand vs WI / SL Mumbai
    21 Oct – Australia vs England Jaipur
    24 Oct – South Africa vs WI / SL Ahmedabad
    25 Oct – New Zealand vs Pakistan Mohali
    26 Oct – India vs WI / SL Ahmedabad
    27 Oct – Pakistan vs South Africa Mohali
    28 Oct – England vs WI / SL Ahmedabad
    29 Oct – Australia vs India Mohali
    1 Nov – First Semifinal Mohali
    2 Nov – Second Semifinal Jaipur
    5 Nov – Final Mumbai

    The broadcast schedule on DD National is as follows:

    15 Oct – India vs England Jaipur
    17 Oct – Pakistan vs WI / SL Jaipur
    21 Oct – Australia vs England Jaipur
    25 Oct – New Zealand vs Pakistan Mohali
    26 Oct – India vs WI / SL Ahmedabad
    29 Oct – Australia vs India Mohali
    1 Nov – First Semifinal Mohali
    2 Nov – Second Semifinal Jaipur
    5 Nov – Final Mumbai