ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Media Gateway acquires VOD distribution rights of A&E TV Networks across Middle East & North Africa

    Media Gateway acquires VOD distribution rights of A&E TV Networks across Middle East & North Africa

    MUMBAI: Media Gateway, the international content clearing house for premium content has signed an agreement with AETN International, a division of A&E Television Networks, to distribute the company’s award-winning video on demand (VOD) programming from The History Channel, The Biography Channel and Crime and Investigation Network throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

    Media Gateway will now be able to bring AETN International’s on-demand content to mobile operators, ISPs, telecommunications companies, cable operators, residential complexes, compounds, military bases and hotels across the region, informs an official release.

    “We are thrilled to be partnering with AETN International, whose channels have received multiple prestigious awards and reach more than 220 million TV households worldwide. This agreement further illustrates our commitment to provide the very best content to operators in the region so they can deliver services that drive greater enjoyment and usage among their subscribers,” said Media Gateway Chief Executive Officer Karri Zaremba.

    “Emerging media platforms – be it VOD, mobile, or broadband – are an important components in our international distribution strategy. Media Gateway is a leader in the delivery of broadcast media over digital platforms, and we are confident that with their expertise, people in the Middle East and North Africa will now have multiple access paths to our channels and programs,” said AETN International Vice President International Business Development and Digital Media Sean Cohan.

    The History Channel, the international television network devoted to historical programming, features compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms.

    The Biography Channel takes viewers into the world of fascinating people, from Hollywood stars to world leaders, artists, athletes and infamous villains. The network features programs that delve behind the scenes of the public lives of celebrities, revealing their private lives and exploring the ambition that drives them.

    While the Crime and Investigation Network focuses on crime, investigation and mystery programming. The channel opens the door to crime labs, police archives and the justice system, providing viewers a behind-the-scenes look at criminal investigations, unexplained mysteries and the lives of infamous murderers and outlaws, adds the release.

  • Crest secures $40 million funding, D E Shaw to hold 15%

    Crest secures $40 million funding, D E Shaw to hold 15%

    MUMBAI: Crest Animation Studios Ltd. will be getting a capital infusion of up to $40 million from D E Shaw group. The specialised investment and technology development firm will hold 14.99 per cent of Crest and up to 26 per cent of the Indian animation company’s US subsidiary RichCrest Holdings Inc.

    The agreement, subject to shareholder approval, also sanctions zero per cent coupon finance for production of animated feature films. D E Shaw comprises a number of entities with approximately $23 billion in aggregate capital.

    “The proposed investment comprises several distinct transactions representing an aggregate infusion of up to $40 million,” Crest says in a release today. “This financing cements Crest as one of the few 3-D CGI studios globally that is active in co-production of feature films with a major motion picture distributor,” it adds.

    RichCrest Animation Inc., located in Burbank, California, has entered into an agreement to co-produce three full-length 3-D animated feature films in a Joint Venture with Lions Gate Inc., a leading movie distribution company in the United States. The first of the three feature films, titled “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble”, has a planned release in 2008. The second movie project, titled “Alpha & Omega”, is currently in the development stage, and is planned for release in 2009.

    Specifically, the investment in Crest is proposed to fund the ongoing expansion and upgrade of Crest’s 3-D animation facilities and to meet the long term working capital requirements of the business. The investment in the subsidiary is to fund the requirements of RichCrest Animation Inc., which is actively involved in the 3D animated movies business.

    Says Crest Animation Studios managing director Seemha Ramanna, “D E Shaw has deeply understood the potential of 3-D animation in India and the significant global opportunities for Crest. The proposed investment is custom-tailored to enable Crest and its subsidiaries to build a powerful presence in the 3-D animation business worldwide, across the formats of television, DVD and feature films.”

  • Zee News goes interactive on Dish TV, sports to follow

    Zee News goes interactive on Dish TV, sports to follow

    NEW DELHI: Dish TV, India’s first DTH platform, announced that Zee News channel has gone interactive and Zee Sports is to follow suit from mid-September.

    Talking to indiantelevision.com on the issue, Dish TV business head Jawahar Goel added that apart from interactivity, Dish TV subscribers can also enjoy all Star channels at no extra cost till 30 September.

    “Interactivity is something that we had promised our subscribers as part of value-added services and over a period of time we have readied ourselves with the right technology,” Goel said.
    Dish TV interactive services also consists of a gaming channel and electronic programming guide.

    An interactive Zee News will enable a viewer to watch a live programming, while simultaneously giving him or her option to access information on a variety of other topics via eight windows.

    Information can be had in the areas of business, entertainment, crime, sports, top 10 news stories and weather report of 100 Indian cities, apart from the live news bulletin or programme being aired at the moment.

    How does this work? A subscriber of Dish TV wants to see whether Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza has won her latest match in the on going US Opens or not and cannot wait for the sports segments to come in the news bulletin.

    So, while a news bulletin is on on Zee News, a few presses of the buttons can take the viewer straight to the sports section for the Sania news story even as the main news bulletin continues.

    To facilitate interactivity on the Dish TV platform, the company has tied up with the US-based Open TV, a company specializing in such activities and features.

    Apart from news, Dish TV is also planning to go interactive with sports, starting with Zee Sports. Sports interactivity will involve freezing of shots from a particular angle, getting player details immediately without having to wait for the sports channel providing it and statistics about the game in progress and sports in general.

    The interactive Zee Sports will start on Dish TV with the tri-nation cricket series involving India, Australia and another country at a neutral ground from mid-September for which Zee has the telecast rights.

    India began commercial DTH operations in October 2003 and by December 2004 reported over three million subscribers.

    Hong Kong-based market research firm Media Partners Asia (MPA) has said India is poised to become Asia’s leading cable market by 2010, the largest satellite market by 2008 and the most lucrative pay TV market by 2015.

    Presently, apart from Dish TV (over 1.25 million subscribers), other DTH players active in India are Tata Sky and pubcaster Doordarshan, which provides a subscription-free service of free to air channels through DD Direct+ that has over 1.1 million subscribers.

  • Vijay TV announces ‘fun & irreverent’ Vijay Awards

    Vijay TV announces ‘fun & irreverent’ Vijay Awards

    MUMBAI: Tamil entertainment channel Vijay TV has announced the launch of a Tamil film award property – Vijay Awards.

    Vijay Awards is fun, irreverent, not like other politically correct award ceremonies but distinctively cool, states an official release.

    Stars will be selected on voting methods across multiple platforms and the results announced at an exclusive golden-globe style round the table dinner, attended and performed by some of the biggest names in the film industry. Vijay, Vikram, Surya, Asin and many more stars of the industry to be present for this grandeur Vijay Awards, the release adds.

    Vijay TV GM Ravinath Menon says, “Vijay TV has been successful in entertaining the audiences, with the launch of ‘Sangamam’, ‘Hutch Kalakkapovathu Yaaru’, ‘Airtel Super Singer’, ‘EQ’ and now with ‘Vijay Awards’. We further aim to consolidate our leadership in the weekday/weekend prime-time slot and stay on, with our single-minded endeavor to provide compelling entertainment & content for the viewers.”

    The Awards

    favorite HERO
    favorite HEROINE
    favorite VILLAIN
    favorite COMEDIAN
    favorite DIRECTOR
    favorite MUSIC DIRECTOR
    favorite PLAYBACK SINGER- MALE
    favorite PLAYBACK SINGER- FEMALE
    favorite FILM; and
    SUPER STAR OF TOMORROW
    in addition, 8 SPECIAL JURY AWARDS
    Excellence in CINEMATOGRAPHY
    Excellence in CHOREOGRAPHY
    Excellence in STUNTS
    Excellence in EDITING
    Youth Icon
    Style Star
    Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Films

    An on-ground activity Rasigan Express will be flagged off from Chennai to travel to three zones across Tamilnadu. 14 cities will be covered under four locations per city and two prime locations per city will be selected and voting ballots to be distributed to fans at these locations and fans to drop votes in the ballot box. The route plan will cover the places Chennai, Pondicherry, Kumbakonam, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul, Palani, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Vellore and Kanchipuram.

    The final announcement of the Vijay Awards winners will be chosen by the people via voting methods. An entertainment of two hour star studded extravaganza to be held at Chennai Convention Centre for a selected audience of 300 people with elegant round table seating to be organized by the channel. The super heroes of Kollywood, the glam dolls will be part of the show. Special performances of actor Shobana – fusion, Srinivas-Karthik memorable melodies and actor Sada’s medley will the highlights. The talented, versatile and extremely funny gentleman Yugi Sethu is to present the show, the release further informs.

  • Bangladesh Cricket Board looking to hammer out a TV deal

    Bangladesh Cricket Board looking to hammer out a TV deal

    MUMBAI: With only two months remaining before the first home series under the new Future Tour Programme (FTP) gets underway, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has yet to start the process in terms of signing a television deal.

    In November, Bangladesh will host the new international calendar at home with a five-match one-day series against Zimbabwe. It is a situation that leaves BCB with very little time to settle the TV rights.

    ESPN Star Sports (ESS) had the rights for five years which expired earlier this year. A committee was appointed by the BCB to conclude what was expected to be little more than the formalities of a new contract.

    But a report in Daily Star had stated that the committee did not do much. As a result the BCB has been forced to form a new body to move forward.

    BCB general secretary Mahbubul Anam has been quoted in reports explaining that the previous committee was not formalised. Therefore a new one was formed. The aim now is to conduct an open tender process.

  • Asianet completes one year in Singapore

    Asianet completes one year in Singapore

    MUMBAI: Asianet has completed its first year of operations in Singapore. To celebrate the occasion, the channel conducted a special Onam show in association with Singapore Malayali Association on 26 August.

    The function was inaugurated by Singapore Republic president S R Nathan, in the presence of Asianet MD K Madhavan and ambassador K Gopinatha Pillai.

    Popular entertainment personalities such as Sheela, Gopika and Jayasurya also participated in the function. An orchestra, participated by music director M Jayachandran, singers Sujatha, Rimi Tommy, Shwetha and Afzal added glitter to the function.

    Lakshmi Gopalaswami’s classical dance and comedy skits participated by popular Malayalam mimicry artists also made the occasion a memorable one.

  • Indiagames launches Games on Demand with MTNL Tri-band

    Indiagames launches Games on Demand with MTNL Tri-band

    MUMBAI: Online and mobile games company Indiagames has launched its new service – Games on Demand with MTNL broadband service Tri-band.

    The service promises to offer existing and new MTNL Tri-Band subscribers unlimited consumption of PC games at monthly subscription fees of Rs 300 for the premium package and 150 for the casual games package.

    As per an official release, the tie-up will give MTNL users the benefit of :

    1) Accessing a broadband gaming service from Indiagames on MTNL Tri-band at an affordable subscription fee

    2) Unlimited game play of premium international games

    3) Saying goodbye to pirated games, with full versions of the latest PC games

    4) Free mobile game download with every subscription

    Commenting on the launch of the service, MTNL Mumbai executive director M S Rana said, “Games on Demand one of the most important value added services offered by MTNL for its consumers. We have always been on the lookout for enhancing user experience and feel that the new service would bring affordable world class gaming entertainment within the reach of consumers.”

    Indiagames Ltd CEO Vishal Gondal says, “The Games on Demand service will have a catalytic effect on the currently nascent but rapidly growing gaming audience in India by bringing compelling content at a great value for money price point. Further, with over 80 per cent of games in India being sold illegally, we believe that our unparalleled price and service offering will significantly expand the segment of legitimate game sales in India”.

    Gondal further added that “We have been delighted by MTNL’s speed of response and turn around times and are looking forward to rolling out the service on India’s largest basic telephony provider in metros.”

    The service will include popular international titles such as Age of Empires II, Brian Lara’s Cricket, Flight Simulator, Rise of Nations and IGI 2 Covert Strike amongst others, adds the release.

    As an additional value add, Indiagames and MTNL will offer the service with all its features on a free trial basis for the first 4 days and a free mobile game download on registration. To experience this service and register, customers can log on to http://god.indiagames.com/mtnl or call 1504 for further details.

  • SET senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi quits

    SET senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi quits

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment India (SET) India senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi has resigned.

    After a nine-and-a-half-year stint at the flagship channel SET, Mandloi officially says goodbye to the organisation tomorrow.

    For the near term, recently appointed chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand (former Balaji creative head ) will be overseeing Mandloi’s responsibilities. However, according to sources, the organisation has not taken any final call on whether to have a replacement for her position.

    In her time at Sony, Mandloi has held various positions — from on-air programming director, on-air programming head, creative director, to senior VP and programming head. She was also instrumental in setting up Sony’s flanking channel SAB TV, which was bought out last year.

    Prior to Sony, Mandloi worked with Plus Channel. She has also worked on projects with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt.

  • Discovery boosts India centric content with more variety

    Discovery boosts India centric content with more variety

    MUMBAI: Infotainment channel Discovery’s aim this year is to forge a closer viewer connect through more local content. To achieve this it has increased the Discover India block from one hour to two hours.

    This sees two different documentary specials airing back to back every Saturday from 8-10 pm with a repeat on Sunday from 9-11 am. A channel spokesperson points out that the aim is to bring in more diversity into the content. The channel, from September to December will showcase programmes on a variety of themes ranging from Aids to Kashmir to successful people in Mumbai.

    Coinciding with the World Aids Day in December, it will air the special Highway in My Veins, which will tell the personal story of truck drivers who are affected by the menace of Aids. They spend a lot of time away from their families and so some of them seek refuge in drugs. 14 million truck drivers carry millions of tons of cargo from one part of India to another. They are the lifeline for many Indians but they have to deal with oppressive and dangerous conditions each day of their lives.

    Non-literacy, lack of healthcare and difficult conditions contribute to their high-risk behaviour. Combined with the statistics of road accidents this has given them the stigma of being carriers of death rather than carriers of life.

    An animal themed special that will air is called Cherub Of The Mist. In the Kangchenjunga range the Cherub uncurls its innocent face with white markings, cat like whiskers and long racoon like tail in the misty mountains of the Singalila National Park.

    The show has footage from a Panda’s life. The aim is to unravel the mystery behind the secretive life of the little cherub and bring alive to the worldwide viewers the irresistible charms of the fire cat. The show marks the debut directorial venture by wildlife film-maker Naresh Bedi’s son. The special won the Vatavaran Awards for wildlife films in 2005.

    A special that looks at Kashmir through the eyes of a young man is called Floating Lamp Of The Shadow Valley. The protagonist Arif is the youngest boatman on the Dal Lake. Each day he toils to earn the living in strife-torn Kashmir.At 10 he is the sole bread-winner for his family of five. Abandoned by their father, a runaway militant, now an unemployed drug addict, Arif and his family live under perennial shadow of tyranny. Through Arif this documentary examines the state of Kashmir and the awakening of hope.

    Mumbaiites would be interested in Merchant Princes Of Bombay. The merchant princes that Discovery deals with are Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, who dominated the so-called China (read opium) trade; David Sassoon, who owned the most powerful trading house in the Orient; Premchand Roychand, whose home came to be labelled “a miniature stock exchange”; and another legendary Jamsetjee, Jamsetji Tata, who ushered the Industrial Revolution in India.

  • Alfred Haber to distribute ‘Most Shocking’ reality show globally

    Alfred Haber to distribute ‘Most Shocking’ reality show globally

    MUMBAI: Alfred Haber Distribution (AHD) has entered into an agreement with producer Bruce Nash to distribute Nash Entertainment’s newest reality series Most Shocking. internationally.

    This is a 13-episode one hour show which will premiere on US broadcaster Court TV later this year.

    AHD founder Alfred Haber says, “Bruce Nash is one of the pioneers of reality television and one of the most successful, and bankable, reality producers in US network history.

    “Nothing is more shocking than reality and this new series allows audiences around the world to experience the dangers and thrills of actual police work — from the comfort and safety of their own living room.”

    Each episode of the series takes a look at the world of law enforcement. It includes themes as Most Shocking Police Shootouts, Most Shocking Dangerous Drivers, Most Shocking Prisoners On The Rampage, Most Shocking Hostage Standoffs, Most Shocking Citizens Under Attack, Most Shocking Drug Busts and Undercover Stings, and more.

    Nash says, “I am pleased to be teaming up again with Alfred Haber Distribution for what I believe will be one of the most compelling reality television series we have ever offered the international community.

    “This is a show where the action is nonstop, the drama is riveting and the heroism is the most incredible you will ever witness. Viewers in all lands will stand up and cheer as good triumphs over evil.”