ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Commemorative postage stamp on LV Prasad released

    Commemorative postage stamp on LV Prasad released

    MUMBAI: The postal department has released a commemorative postage stamp on late LV Prasad, founder of Prasad Group, in Hyderabad to acknowledge his contribution to the world of cinema. The Union Minister of State for Communications and IT, Dr Shakeel Ahmad, released the postage stamp.

    Ramesh Prasad, son of LV Prasad, thanked the Government for acknowledging his father’s contribution to Indian cinema, informs the release.

    A film on the professional life of LV Prasad was also screened on the occasion. The event was attended by noted film personalities including Kamal Haasan, DVS Raju, and Ramoji Rao, who eulogized this legend.

    LV Prasad, a Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner, is a legendary name in the history of Indian Cinema. His passion for cinema is exhibited in his films which includes memorable hits like Gruha Pravesham, Ilavelpu, Sharada, Milan, Khilona, Daadi Maa, Manohara, Missamma and Ek Duje Ke Liye to name a few.

    A man of vision, his contribution to the growth of the film industry was beyond films. He also established postproduction facilities across India under the aegis of Prasad Film Laboratories.

    Prasad’s goal of providing complete wholesome family entertainment and film related education has been carried forward by his son Ramesh Prasad by the opening of The Prasads Multiplex , IMAX Theatre in Hyderabad and LV Prasad Film & TV Academy in Chennai.

    Today, the Prasad Group started by LV Prasad is 50 years old and has facilities and offices in India, Singapore, Dubai and Hollywood.

  • Zee TV’s ‘Banoo Main Teri Dulhan’ breaks into Tam top 100

    Zee TV’s ‘Banoo Main Teri Dulhan’ breaks into Tam top 100

    MUMBAI: Zee TV has kicked off its pre-Diwali campaign on a confident note with its brand new prime time property Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan (8 pm) establishing its presence in the Tam (CS4+ C&S-Hindi Speaking Markets) top 100 list.

    Another key property Saregama Lil Champs has also improved its position in the line up as per the latest data.

    As per the Tam data for week 35 (27 August to 2 September), Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan delivered an above 2 TVR (average) performance on 28, 29, 30 and 31 August. The best performance came on 31 August, when the soap was positioned in the 62 spot with a rating of 3.57 TVR. On 29 August came the next best score – 3.06 TVR, followed by a 2.79 TVR performance on 28 August and a 2.69 TVR performance on 30 August. The soap, launched on 14 August, had recorded an average rating of 1.9 TVR in the opening week.

    “Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan is showing good signs of becoming another hot property for Zee TV. The soap has improved its performance really well over the period, thanks to the extremely strong and innovative content. We are expecting much better results in the coming weeks. In Banoo Main…, we have tried to portray how an uneducated girl fights life’s adverse situations with so much grit and determination,” states Zee TV marketing head Tarun Mehra.

    Saregama Lil Champs is positioned in the 23rd spot in the top 100 with a score of 5.72 TVR on 1 September. This was followed by a 5.12 TVR performance on 31 August. Mehra expects the show to deliver even better ratings as it has entered the final phase now. “Lil Champs has entered the interactivity round and even the audience is involved in selecting the winners. Hence we expect the show to better its performance in the coming weeks,” he says.

    The top drivers of Zee TV, Saath Phere and Kasamh Se, continue to deliver good ratings for the channel as per the data. Saat Phere leads the 9:30 pm slot with 6.55 TVR (recorded on 1 September). Karam Apna Apna, which Star Plus launched to counter Saath Phere, has recorded its week’s best rating of 6.25 TVR on 29 August.

    Meanwhile, the 9 pm Zee soap Kasamh Se is positioned ahead of its Star Plus counterpart Prithviraj Chauhan as per the latest Tam data. The scorecard reads 6.16 TVR (Kasamah Se 30 August) versus 5.59 TVR (Prithviraj Chauhan 28 August).

    The pre-Diwali phase will also see Zee TV celebrating its 14th anniversary on 2 October. To spice up the occasion, the channel has announced a marketing campaign-contest Jeeto Zee Bhar Ke. The contest, which promises jewellery worth Rs 1.4 million for a mere Rs 14, is also aimed at promoting the channel’s prime time properties.

    The participant has to guess a secret five digit code to win the prize. The channel will endeavor to reward the viewer while at the same time also integrate the contest with programming content. Hence Zee TV will be giving out the clues to crack the secret code. Every week starting 18 September, the prime time soap characters Bani (Kasamh Se, 9.00 pm), followed by Saloni (Saath Phere, 9.30 pm) in week II and Vidya (Dulhann, 8.00 pm) in week III, will the viewer a number that will be a part of the five digits. Every week one winner, from amongst those who have guessed the code, will be able to buy Eros Jewellery worth Rs 14 Lacs for Rs 14 only, the release further adds.

    “This is our way of gratifying those people, who have been with us for long. We have integrated marketing and programming aspects into the campaign,” says Mehra.

  • Warner, Nokia sign mobile content agreement

    Warner, Nokia sign mobile content agreement

    MUMBAI: Mobile firm Nokia and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution have announced an agreement.

    Content based on Warner brands will be made available for consumer downloads through the Nokia Content Discoverer client. This feature is embedded in millions of Nokia devices currently available in markets around the globe.

    The multi-country agreement will create a dedicated Warner Bros. mobile content ‘storefront’ available to consumers through the device-resident Nokia Content Discoverer client, part of Nokia’s complete mobile content ecosystem. Compatible with leading Nokia handsets based on S60 and Series 40, Nokia Content Discoverer is embedded as an on-device portal in more than 20 Nokia handset models, comprising millions of devices currently in the marketplace through leading mobile operators and retail outlets worldwide.

    At service launch, mobile subscribers in select European and Asian countries will be able to explore the dedicated Warner Bros. Entertainment channel and discover images, tones, games and video clips. The consumer offer brings together premium and promotional content from Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, DC Comics and the films Superman Returns, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, V for Vendetta, Dukes of Hazzard and Batman Begins.

    Nokia’s global developer programme Forum Nokia director, business development and channels Brad Brockhaug, says “This agreement represents a key addition to our Nokia Content Discoverer program, providing Nokia customers with a convenient and familiar place to shop for the world’s most popular entertainment content.

    “Nokia Content Discoverer is part of a content ecosystem designed to improve access to mobile content downloads for millions of subscribers. These consumers now will be able to personalize their mobile devices with their favorite Warner Bros. content.”

    Nokia Content Discoverer facilitates easy access to downloadable content by mobile subscribers through a collection of shopping mall “stores” run by branded content providers, leading content aggregators and mobile service providers. Operators are able to build their own branded mobile shopping mall, with better positioning of content and the presence of the operator’s brand on the device, generating higher adoption. Consumers’ experience of content shopping is greatly enhanced through Nokia Content Discoverer’s advanced on-device caching of content catalog metadata which allows free browsing of the content stores in the mobile mall, as well as automatic content updates, integrated preview/prelisten and proficient content installation capabilities.

    Nokia Content Discoverer is currently embedded in select S60 and Series 40 devices available in the global marketplace, including the Nseries multimedia devices (Nokia N70, N71, N72, N73, N80 and N93), Eseries devices for enterprise users (Nokia E50, E60, E61 and E70), Nokia 5500, and Nokia 3250 handsets currently available in mainland China and on Nokia 6131 devices in China and other Asia-Pacific markets. Nokia Content Discoverer is expected to be in the hands of over 20 million consumers worldwide by the end of the year.

  • News Corp, VeriSign to form global mobile entertainment firm

    News Corp, VeriSign to form global mobile entertainment firm

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corp and VeriSign have announced a joint venture to form what they claim is world’s largest provider of mobile entertainment.

    News Corp will pay $188 million for a controlling interest in VeriSign’s wholly-owned Jamba subsidiary and will combine it with Fox Mobile Entertainment assets. VeriSign operates intelligent infrastructure services that enable and protect interactions across voice and data networks anytime, from anywhere on multiple devices.

    The new company will merge a technologically advanced platform with mobile content production and delivery capabilities and will serve 30 territories with a potential reach of more than a billion mobile subscribers. The new company intends to retain the Jamster brand in the US and the Jamba brand worldwide.

    Former Fox Mobile Entertainment president Lucy Hood will become CEO of the joint venture. With key centers in Los Angeles and Berlin, the new entity will be the industry’s only vertically integrated mobile entertainment company with unique capabilities to produce, market, sell and distribute mobile content.

    News corp president and COO Peter Chernin says, “This is an important step in News Corp.’s strategy of becoming the world’s leading digital media company. We are the most powerful media company on the web with Fox Interactive Media, our aggressive digital content deals have given consumers access to News Corp programming on every conceivable platform and we have already demonstrated innovation in this emerging space with the Mobisode and Mobizzo.

    “Wireless technology gives us an enormous opportunity to reach billions of mobile phone users with our content. With this new venture we’re looking forward to inventing new and compelling ways to engage this exciting new audience.”

    VeriSign CEO Stratton Sclavos says, “We are excited to combine our unique mobile entertainment expertise and direct to consumer assets with one of the most forward-thinking media companies in the world. We look forward to working with News Corp. to create compelling, interactive services that make an impact on the next generation of wireless users”.

    Jamba was founded in 2000 and is considered a global leader in off-deck delivery of mobile entertainment. The company currently delivers content in 30 territories and has one of the industry’s most advanced technology platforms. Jamba can immediately distribute content in all of its territories, which is critically important in an industry where most of the users are young people always looking for the ‘next cool thing.’ With its cutting-edge analytic tools, Jamba has the real-time ability to track and optimise marketing, quickly reacting to consumer needs and interests in order to be able to monetize products and services.

    News Corp’s Fox Mobile Entertainment group got its start with American Idol text voting, which generated nearly 65 million text messages this past season, up from 12,000 messages in the first season in 2001. In a long list of firsts, the company also invented the Mobisodes Series category, which led with the 24: Conspiracy series, the first made-for-mobile program to be Emmy-nominated, and launched the first ad-sponsored video series Prison Break: Proof of Innocence.

    The company also launched the first media-backed cross-carrier mobile entertainment service for consumers, Mobizzo.

    The new Jamba will offer an aggregation of content from music and media companies, as well as original content created exclusively for mobile. Jamba partners include: Universal Music Group and Warner Music, among others. In addition, Jamba and Fox Mobile Studios have units that create original content ranging from the highly successful Crazy Frog, to multiple animated characters, to genres such as Manga, Activism, and X-Sports. The unit is expected to draw from not only top Fox divisions but also News Corp companies around the world.

    The new company will immediately become the largest customer for VeriSign’s Digital Content Services (DCS) group, which specialises in providing intelligent infrastructure and connectivity solutions to enable the delivery of rich content over mobile and broadband networks. Mobile operators, portals, media companies and consumer brands around the world leverage the DSC platform to power their interactive entertainment experiences. Fox’s Mobizzo unit and Jamba are existing customers of DCS.

    Under the agreement, Jamba will soon release its first products and offerings as a new entity, following the close of the transaction, including:

    MySpace Mobile Store: In an alliance with social networking site MySpace with more than 74 million users worldwide, Jamba will be MySpace’s global m-commerce partner. Jamba will build a unique m-commerce engine to enable MySpace users to download ringtones, graphics and animations from top music and media companies.

    The Simpsons Mobile: Coming soon, Jamba will exclusively offer mobile content from the series The Simpsons through the industry’s first subscription package tied to exclusive content called the Yellow Plan. Available to consumers for the first time, the “Yellow Plan” will include an array of uniquely designed Simpsons mobile content, such as wallpapers, screensavers, ringtones and video.

  • L’il Champs and Zee TV salute the spirit of Indian cricket

    L’il Champs and Zee TV salute the spirit of Indian cricket

    MUMBAI: On the occasion of the start of the cricket season on Zee Sports, the five finalists from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs will render the Shabaash India title track to enthuse the Indian cricket team towards winning the series.

    Speaking on the initiative, Zee TV marketing head Tarun Mehra said, “We are very proud of our Champs as we are of the Indian cricket team. Shabaash India seeps in patriotism and its title track exactly denotes the honor that we want to designate to this spirit. The track is very peppy and the Champs have added to its sprightliness.”

    Zee Sports VP Marketing Gaurav Seth said, “We are delighted to have the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs turning their attention to India’s most popular pastime, cricket. We salute their patriotic spirit and will be happy to showcase their talent through the cricket on our channel which will be widely watched.”

    The track can be heard on Zee Sports starting 14 September for the duration of the entire season, according to an official release.

  • Nat Geo partners with CBeebies, King Rollo Films for new show

    Nat Geo partners with CBeebies, King Rollo Films for new show

    MUMBAI: US media firm National Geographic Kids Entertainment (NGKE) and King Rollo Films have partnered with the BBC’s kids channel CBeebies to co-produce the live-action/animated preschool series Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.

    CBeebies will also contribute archival footage to complement the resources provided by National Geographic. The agreement was announced by National Geographic Kids Entertainment president Donna Friedman Meir.

    The co-production deal gives CBeebies rights to broadcast the program in the UK and Eire and to license consumer products and home video in these territories. NGKE’s sister company, National Geographic Television International (NGTI), retains programme sales and equivalent licensing/home video rights for all remaining worldwide territories. CBeebies will begin airing Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies next year.

    NGKE, NGTI and CBeebies plan to develop Mama Mirabelle into a multimedia franchise encompassing television, DVD/video, VOD, mobile phone and interactive online content.

    Meir says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with CBeebies, given their extraordinary legacy as a producer of outstanding children’s programming. Their support for ‘Mama Mirabelle’ is a fantastic seal of approval for our first preschool series. There is a natural fit between the BBC and National Geographic brands, and we look forward to developing our relationship so that we can continue to bring such lovable characters and high-quality programming to U.K. and global audiences.”

    Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies features an inquisitive cast of baby animal characters, including regulars Bo the cheetah cub; Karla the zebra foal; Max the elephant calf; monkeys Pip, Flip and Chip; and their maternal elephant host, Mama Mirabelle. Each day the animals gather in the savannah to watch home videos of themselves and other amazing creatures of the natural world. Through lighthearted and heartwarming interaction, Mama helps the baby animals find answers to many of life’s questions from a preschooler’s perspective.

  • Apple to showcase Disney, Pixar, Touchstone & Miramax movies on iTunes Music Store













    MUMBAI: Apple Computers‘ has announced that the iTunes Music Store will carry movies from The Walt Disney Co. studios. This was in conjunction with the launch of their online movie service on 12 September 2006.


    As announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, more than 75 films will be available from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax. New releases will be priced at $12.99 (euro10.22), when pre-ordered and during the first week of sale, or $14.99 (euro11.79) afterward. Library titles will be sold for $9.99 (euro7.86) each, informs an official release.


    Similar services like Amazon‘s movie service which was launched last week, signed distribution deals with seven studios however, excluded Disney.



    In addition, Jobs also showcased a device that will make it easier for consumers to watch the videos on television. The gadget, dubbed iTV will allow consumers to watch movies purchased online as well as other digital content stored on a computer on a connected television set. It will be available for $299 (euro235) by early next year.


    Jobs also announced a new iPod nano with a 24-hour battery life and new games for the portable media player. The new iPods will come in five colors, and will priced between $149 (euro117) and $249 (euro196), adds the release.

  • Nat Geo partners with CBeebies, King Rollo Films for new show













    MUMBAI: US media firm National Geographic Kids Entertainment (NGKE) and King Rollo Films have partnered with the BBC’s kids channel CBeebies to co-produce the live-action/animated preschool series Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.


    CBeebies will also contribute archival footage to complement the resources provided by National Geographic. The agreement was announced by National Geographic Kids Entertainment president Donna Friedman Meir.



    The co-production deal gives CBeebies rights to broadcast the program in the UK and Eire and to license consumer products and home video in these territories. NGKE’s sister company, National Geographic Television International (NGTI), retains programme sales and equivalent licensing/home video rights for all remaining worldwide territories. CBeebies will begin airing Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies next year.


    NGKE, NGTI and CBeebies plan to develop Mama Mirabelle into a multimedia franchise encompassing television, DVD/video, VOD, mobile phone and interactive online content.


    Meir says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with CBeebies, given their extraordinary legacy as a producer of outstanding children’s programming. Their support for â€?Mama Mirabelle’ is a fantastic seal of approval for our first preschool series. There is a natural fit between the BBC and National Geographic brands, and we look forward to developing our relationship so that we can continue to bring such lovable characters and high-quality programming to U.K. and global audiences.â€?

    Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies features an inquisitive cast of baby animal characters, including regulars Bo the cheetah cub; Karla the zebra foal; Max the elephant calf; monkeys Pip, Flip and Chip; and their maternal elephant host, Mama Mirabelle. Each day the animals gather in the savannah to watch home videos of themselves and other amazing creatures of the natural world. Through lighthearted and heartwarming interaction, Mama helps the baby animals find answers to many of life’s questions from a preschooler’s perspective.

  • Apple to showcase Disney, Pixar, Touchstone & Miramax movies on iTunes Music Store

    Apple to showcase Disney, Pixar, Touchstone & Miramax movies on iTunes Music Store

    MUMBAI: Apple Computers’ has announced that the iTunes Music Store will carry movies from The Walt Disney Co. studios. This was in conjunction with the launch of their online movie service on 12 September 2006.

    As announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, more than 75 films will be available from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax. New releases will be priced at $12.99 (euro10.22), when pre-ordered and during the first week of sale, or $14.99 (euro11.79) afterward. Library titles will be sold for $9.99 (euro7.86) each, informs an official release.

    Similar services like Amazon’s movie service which was launched last week, signed distribution deals with seven studios however, excluded Disney.

    In addition, Jobs also showcased a device that will make it easier for consumers to watch the videos on television. The gadget, dubbed iTV will allow consumers to watch movies purchased online as well as other digital content stored on a computer on a connected television set. It will be available for $299 (euro235) by early next year.

    Jobs also announced a new iPod nano with a 24-hour battery life and new games for the portable media player. The new iPods will come in five colors, and will priced between $149 (euro117) and $249 (euro196), adds the release.

  • Infront, HBS win Judges’ Award at IBC2006 in Amsterdam

    Infront, HBS win Judges’ Award at IBC2006 in Amsterdam

    MUMBAI: Infront Sports & Media, the company which handled the worldwide marketing and sales of the broadcast rights to 2006 Fifa World Cup and its subsidiary Host Broadcast Services (HBS) have won the Judges’ Award at the IBC show in Amsterdam.

    HBS was responsible for the host broadcast operations of the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

    The award was for New Media production at the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany. The tailored production services provided by HBS transformed the coverage of the event for New Media in terms of quality and content. The prospect of tailored production drove sales – this was the most widely covered sports event on the internet and on mobile phones to date. More than 100 countries were covered by 50 licensees in Mobile Telephony and World Wide Web.

    A team of 40 producers and journalists created a special New Media Content Package – tailor-made for licensees, designed for exploitation without the need for extensive editing and incorporating various innovations designed specifically for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The near-live clips were enhanced with specific or customised match and competition summaries, graphics, background sound, music and commentary.

    The fact that this was the first FIFA World Cup covered entirely in HDTV opened the door to improved picture quality for New Media. HD video-based Pan and Scan technology was utilised, allowing the editor to zoom in and capture the core action, producing a clear picture more exciting than ever for tiny handsets.

    HBS also offered a voice-over commentary service in the language of one’s choice. A total of eight different languages were booked and produced simultaneously in the IBC during the tournament: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swiss German.

    The benefits for licensees were considerable – better quality production, reduction of cost per licensee through central multilateral production and HD-based content, delivering “never seen before” picture quality in small formats.

    HBS director of production Peter Angell received the Award on behalf of HBS and Infront. He said, “This award confirms that our two companies, Infront and HBS, were right in deciding to embed new media requirements in the overall production strategy, providing licensees with a level of service never experienced before. The fact that all matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup were filmed in HDTV has transformed the quality of New Media coverage.

    ” Combined with the use of Pan and Scan technology to capture the core action in a way that is relevant for tiny handsets, it has delivered pictures of unprecedented quality. Licensees and consumers were thrilled”, he said in his acceptance speech.

    HBS CEO Francis Tellier said, “This special award acknowledges the quality of services and innovations our team has provided in the area of host broadcasting. The new media production of the 2006 Fifa World Cup has been the defining step forward and underlines our ambition, to lead the industry through innovation.”

    Infront Sports & Media president and CEO Philippe Blatter says, “We are proud that the outstanding production capabilities of the Infront Group have been recognised and we see this year’s IBC Judges’ Award as a challenge to push even further in future”.