ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Sony to launch adaptation of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in September

    Sony to launch adaptation of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in September

    MUMBAI: Reality shows and Sony Entertainment Television (SET) go hand in hand and have more or less become synonymous with each other. Having already launched Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul and Fear Factor and with the buzz being high on upcoming new launches like Big Brother and Extreme Makeover; comes another adaptation of the ABC’s reality show Dancing With the Stars on Sony.

    The Indian adaptation – Jhalak Dikhla Ja – will be co-produced by Siddhartha Basu’s Synergy Communications and Theatre Red and is scheduled to launch in the first week of September. Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be a bi-weekly show and will involve a high level of audience participation and viewer interactivity.

    Dancing with the Stars is the American version of the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing. The concept of the show is to pair a celebrity with a professional dancer in an attempt to win a high score from a panel of three judges and then a majority of votes from the viewers, who can call in or vote online. The person who receives the lowest score is eliminated.

    SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mondloi says, “We will have celebrities from different walks of life like television, Bollywood, cricket and hospitality industry.”

    When queried as to how Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be different from Star One’s successful show – Nach Baliye – which was based on the same lines, Mondloi says, “All shows have certain amount of similarities whether it is a soap or a reality show. The key differentiator of Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be the viewer interaction. We will be looking at having maximum touch points for viewers to select their favourite celebrity and choreographer pair.”

    As per the original format, phone lines open at the beginning of each show for viewers to vote for their favorite couples and stay open for 30 minutes after the show ends. The couple with the lowest score is knocked out of the competition and one couple will be knocked out of the competition each week, starting with the first week. Online voting options are also made available and only one vote per email address is allowed.

    With its pulse firmly on the reality meter, Sony will be launching the local version of Big Brother in November this year. On the other hand, Extreme Makeover will launch sometime early next year along with the second season of Fear Factor India. Another reality show on the cards is Paisa Bhaari Padega. The subsequent seasons of Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul also cannot be dismissed altogether!

    Only time will tell whether the reality overdose will eventually lead to viewer fatigue on Sony; but it’s worth keeping in mind that reality shows are just spurts in the overall programming scenario and hence Sony will also have to pull up their socks on some high voltage drama and fiction front. New fiction shows on Sony like Thodi Khushi Thode Gham, Aisa Desh Hai Mera, Vaidehi and Akela still have to pick up steam on the ratings front, where Star shows are omnipresent and Zee’s Saath Phere, Kasamh Se and Sambhav Asambhav too are definitely making a mark.

  • Hinduja TMT Q1 records profit at Rs 1670.53 million

    Hinduja TMT Q1 records profit at Rs 1670.53 million

    MUMBAI: Hinduja TMT Ltd has posted a profit of Rs 1670.53 million for the quarter ended 30 June, as against Rs 105.40 million for the same period a year ago.

    Total income is Rs 2850.10 million for the quarter, as against Rs 411.48 million a year ago.

    The figures related to the quarter ended 30 June, are not comparable to the corresponding previous quarter, since the company’s Manila Branch commenced operations with effect from 1 October, 2005.

    HTMT provides information technology (IT), business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact center services.

  • Channel [V] launches animated Simpoo on wireless platform

    Channel [V] launches animated Simpoo on wireless platform

    MUMBAI: Star India’s music arm Channel [V] has launched its eccentric animated character Simpoo, the math professor on the mobile platform.

    The launch of the new Simpoo Zone on the WAP site www.wap.star7827.com, the users can download the animated character on their mobile phones as wallpapers, animations, themes and soon to come video downloads.

    Star 7827 has also created a game called Super Simpoo which could be previewed on the website www.star7827.com. The Simpoo game is a Star 7827 exclusively available to BSNL, BPL, Hutch, DWL, and Spice telecom subscribers, informs an official release.

    Channel [V}’s eccentric Simpoo, India’s most popular animated character has evolved over the years from a passive Math teacher to an activist for animals, renouncing all things non-vegetarian in support of PETA. Now he enters yet another phase in his eventful life as he sets forth on a new mission of saving the school kids from giggling Gabbar, on th5e first of its kind Super Simpoo mobile game.

    Visibly excited about this new phase in Simpoo’s life, Amar K Deb, Head Honcho Channel [V} says ‘We spoke to Simpoo Sir about his foray into the wireless world and in true Simpoo style he jumped at it with the small concern that his students should not spend their Math classes playing Super Simpoo instead’.

    Commenting on the launch of the Simpoo Zone, Star India St VP Viren Popli said, “In line with our promise to offer a variety of quality and exclusive content to our consumers we are very excited about the first character from Star’s TV network that is being extended to the mobile screen as a mobile game. We have created a mobile content package on our wapsite; the Simpoo zone and we hope to bring other such popular Star TV characters onto the mobile screen in the future. With the charm of your regular eccentric college math professor, Simpoo has a very good connect with young mobile subscribers. And whatever is popular on the mobile device today, it’s out here on Star 7827.”

  • Radio One kicks off in Bangalore on 1 August

    Radio One kicks off in Bangalore on 1 August

    MUMBAI: The third FM radio station to officially launch in the city of gardens –Bangalore is Radio One FM 94.3 on 1 August.

    Radio One is a Mid-Day Multimedia and BBC Worldwide venture. The radio station will offer a mix of hit Kannada and Hindi music. The entire programming package is designed to celebrate the spirit of young Bangalore with Kannada roots.

    Radio City was the first Fm radio station to launch, but under the Phase I of FM privatization. The Phase II saw the launch of Radio Mirchi.

    “We are very excited with our launch in Bangalore as we believe we are the first private FM station targeted at the majority local population. Given the huge potential gap the latent need of the market we are very confident of a leadership position in Bangalore,” Radio One CEO Rajesh Tahil says.

    “Radio One has been testing its signal in Bangalore for over two weeks now and has already caught the imagination of the city. “We have already started receiving over 1000 responses a day over SMS, email and on the phone. Listeners have welcomed this Hit radio station with a lot of enthusiasm.

    “Radio One has advertisers on-board from the day one of its launch. Clients like Hindustan Levers, Purvankara Builders and Coke reposed great faith in the station on the basis of our product offering and have over 10 clients signed up since launch day.” adds Tahil.

    Early June, Radio Midday Go 92.5 FM underwent a change in its brand identity as well as positioning of the FM channel. From a niche player, Go 92.5 FM entered to a mass player as Radio One.

  • Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    MUMBAI: The Mumbai based Entertainment Network Ltd, which runs radio stations under the brand name Radio Mirchi will be available on a common frequency 98.3 FM, with effect from 1 August.

    At present, the brand which operates in Pune, Indore and Ahmedabad are not yet part of the common frequency network.With this, Radio Mirchi, which launched its radio operations on different frequency in Hyderabad 95 FM, Bangalore 93.3 FM and Jaipur 105 FM, will all shift on 98.3 FM, according to a press statement.

    Radio Mirchi, which is heard in metro cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are already running on 98.3 FM.

    Earlier this year, the private radio FM operators had made a presentation to the information & broadcasting ministry seeking permission to switch over to a common frequency, per operator, across markets.

    According to Entertainment Network (India) LTD MD and CEO, “Operating from a common frequency will provide us with the benefit of building the brand in a consistent manner and help make our communication more effective, across cities.

    “Moreover, listeners frequently on the move too can get their daily dose of Radio Mirchi while travelling inter city (between Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata).”

    Radio Mirchi airs hits in contemporary music, city happenings, Bollywood gossip, special interviews, exclusive film promotional tie-ups and lots more.

  • Trai rejects MSO plea for a la carte rates for new pay channels

    Trai rejects MSO plea for a la carte rates for new pay channels

    MUMBAI: The cable and broadcast regulator has rejected a proposal from the MSO Alliance that would have required broadcasters to offer new pay channels only as individual channels (a la carte).

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), in its order issued today, noted that “there have been developments in the area of DTH in terms of likelihood of a competing operator and the decision of the Delhi High Court on implementation of CAS in the Metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.” In the light of these developments Trai has come to the conclusion that the proposal to provide for new pay channels only as individual channel WOULD NOT lead to better consumer choice in the absence of addressability at the consumer end. Trai has decided that the only amendment that is required in the Tariff Order of 1 October 2004, is to provide for a framework to benchmark the prices of new pay channels.

    Accordingly, Trai has added a new section 3B to the 1 october 2004 order stating that in determining the similarity of rates of similar channels while benchmarking the price of a new pay channel, the factors such as the genre and language of the new pay channel /converted FTA to pay channel, range of prices ascribed to the channel of similar genre and language in the price of bouquets that existed on 26.12.2003, range of prices of individual channels of similar 
    genre and language as existing in CAS areas would be taken into account.

  • Crest Animation Q1 FY07 revenues slips at Rs 51 million

    Crest Animation Q1 FY07 revenues slips at Rs 51 million

    MUMBAI: Crest Animation Studios Ltd, has revenues, which stood at Rs 51 million for the qarter ended 30 June as against Rs 72 million in the same period of last fiscal.

    The net Loss after tax and before has been recorded at Rs 33 million as against Rs 6 million for the corresponding period.

    During the quarter, the company shifted its entire operations into a state of art studio at Ghatkopar, Mumbai. Consequently, this transition resulted in a downtime of three to four weeks in several processes, due to which there was a significant impact in the current quarter’s revenue billings, though all expenses relating thereto and the expenses of shifting have been charged to the accounts, according to an official release.

    The results of the quarter, to the above extent have to be treated as exceptional and may not be comparable consistently with the same quarter for the previous year or with the succeeding quarters.

    The above transition will not impact the planned annual revenues of the company for the year. The company continues to have a healthy outstanding order book position. During the quarter, the Company has signed and begun work on two new DVD/TV projects, aggregating to approximately Rs 210 million with leading international studios for delivery over the next twelve to eighteen months, in addition to the existing projects under execution.

  • India to play Australia, Windies in September

    India to play Australia, Windies in September

    MUMBAI: This is one series that should have Zee Sports seriously pushing it as a prime property. Just ahead of the Champions Trophy in October, India will be playing a tri-series against Australia and the West Indies in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

    “The triseries of seven One-Day Internationals between India, Australia and West Indies [is] scheduled to be played in September this year in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as part of the newly formatted Neutral Venue Schedule,” Zee News quoted the BCCI as saying in a statement issued here.

    The series falls under the neutral venue matches that Zee had secured rights to in April with whopping $219.15 million bid (average of $ 8.77 million per match) for 25 matches spread over the next five years. .

    The triseries was approved by the Marketing Sub-committee which met in Mumbai on 28 July, Zee News quoted the BCCI statement as saying.

    The format of the tournament is a league where each of the three teams will play each other twice and the top two will go through to the Finals.

    Singapore will host the first three ODIs while Kuala Lumpur will host the following four matches (including the Finals).

    The Indian board will handle the marketing and sale of television rights, while Cricket Australia will manage and consolidate all ground handling for the series, the BCCI statement adds.

  • Voom HD Networks & UK’s Electric Sky to create niche programming

    Voom HD Networks & UK’s Electric Sky to create niche programming

    MUMBAI: Voom HD Networks has announced that two co-productions with UK production company Electric Sky to create original niche programming for its high definition channels – Gallery HD with Art of the Heist and Ultra HD with season three of Fashion Avenue.

    Dedicated to imagery and stories from the front line of the art world, Gallery HD will premiere a six part documentary series Art of the Heist uncovering the world’s biggest art thefts in recent history. The show will follow the trail of police, FBI agents and their dubious informants, and provides insights into just how this world operates, from sting to recovery, informs an official release.

    Ultra HD, devoted to the worlds of fashion, beauty and style, will premiere season three of Fashion Avenue. The six half hour episodes will feature supermodel Jodie Kidd shopping at boutiques on the most stylish streets of the world. Currently in production, the show is slated to premiere in first quarter of 2007. Each week, Kidd is joined by a local fashion expert and each sets a shopping mission for themselves within a set budget. They visit shops, boutiques, hot restaurants hotels and nightclubs. Avenues visited in past include Barcelona, Rome, Cape Town, Sydney and Prague.

    Voom HD Networks first worked with Electric Sky in August of 2004, co-producing season one of Fashion Avenue, adds the release.

    “Voom HD Networks is creating original niche programming that is truly maximising the medium of HD. With both of these series we are afforded the opportunity to work again with Electric Sky, a company that has a strong reputation within the international broadcast industry,” said Voom HD Networks GM Greg Moyer. “Art of the Heist and Fashion Avenue contribute to our vast library of compelling HD content while fulfilling a void in a marketplace that is in need of quality high definition original programming.”

    Both series continue Voom HD Networks’ commitment to investing in original niche programming, working with top production companies both domestically and internationally. Gallery HD and Ultra HD are part of the Voom HD Networks, currently available on Dish Network.

  • Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    MUMBAI: Asian news channel Channel NewsAsia has announced new shows for the weekend. A persentation was made a few days ago for advertisers and sponsors. Over 300 people from the advertising industry and business community attended the event.

    The channel says that the attendees included the network’s key customers who were treated to a grand opening performance of drums and dance featuring a combination of instruments from the East and West.

    Add to that, there were trailers of things to come at the channel in the months ahead. All these were to complement the theme of the event “Influencing the Influential”.

    MediaCorp News MD Woon Tai Ho said, “We have aggressive plans to pursue the potentially immense market in India and China. As we ride the waves, we hope you will come onboard to see how we can add value to your products with a regional reach.”

    Among the new items will be a special coverage of the IMF-World Bank Meetings in Singapore in September and a programme for Internet bloggers to air their views.

    MediaCorp News’ programming managerHaryaty Abdul Rahman said, “The weekend line-up is going to be revamped soon and what viewers will get to see is fresh lifestyle programming and specifically targeted at the PMEBs. We’ll have lots of new genres such as travel, fashion and design and even talk shows for the weekend.”