Category: TV Channels

MTV and Nickelodeon to launch in New Zealand on Sky Television

MUMBAI: MTV Networks Asia Pacific president Nigel Robbins has announced plans to launch a wholly-owned and operated localised MTV and the re-launch of Nickelodeon as a fully-customised channel for audiences in New Zealand.

MTV New Zealand will launch as a 24-hour network, with localised and signature MTV programming beginning 19 August 2006.

Nickelodeon, the widely distributed network for kids, will re-launch in New Zealand on 1 August as a fully-customised channel.

Both channels will be carried by Sky Television and made available to more than 650,000 homes, representing 43 per cent of all television homes in New Zealand. The channels will benefit from local productions, locally-tailored programming, scheduling, on-air promos and feature New Zealand presenters.

“Young people in New Zealand enjoy a lifestyle, sensibility and appetite for pop culture and entertainment that is totally unique, so it is particularly exciting to bring them dedicated MTV and Nickelodeon channels that reflect these nuances,” said Robbins.

Key management appointments for the services will be announced soon, with MTV Networks Asia Pacific’s director of business development Chris Keely leading set-up efforts for the businesses.

May 18, 2006
Zee Studio presents ‘An Unfinished Life’

Thursday, May 18, 2006 at 9:00 p.m.

Director : Lasse Hallstrom

Written by : Mark Spragg, Virginia Korus Spragg
Produced by : Alan Ladd, Jr. Kelliann Ladd, Leslie Holleran

Cast : Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, And Moregan Freeman, Josh Lucas, Camryn Manhein, Damian Lewis, and introducing Becca Gardner

Set against the rugged ranchlands of Wyoming, An Unfinished Life is the story of a modern-day western family, as stoic as they are divided, learning the true meaning of forgiveness. Robert Redford stars as Einar Gilkyson, a toughed-skinned, retired rancher who long ago turned his back on memories. Still in shock from his only son’s death a decade ago Einar has left his ranch fall into ruin along with his marriage.

Now, Einar spends his days caring only for his hired hand, and last trusted friend, Mitch (Morgan Freeman), who was gravely injured in an encounter with a grizzly bear. Einar intends to live out his days in this heartbroken solitude…. until the very person he blames for his son’s accident comes to town; his daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez).

Jean shows up broke, on the run and with a girl named Griff (Newcomer – Becca Gardner), who she swears is the granddaughter Einar never knew he had. Suddenly, Einar’s quiet life is turned upside down as anger and accusations resurface. But slowly, miraculously, 11 year-old Griff’s curiosity about Western life, and longing for family and a father figure, begin to chip away at the stone that has become Einar’s heart – opening up the way for unexpected connection, adventure, mercy and true reunion.

May 17, 2006
Radio City 91 FM Mumbai celebrates its fourth anniversary with panache!

Radio City 91 FM ne mara ‘chauka’ aamchi Mumbai mein Radio City 91 FM Mumbai celebrates its fourth anniversary with panache!
* Join the festivities and win a host of exciting prizes, as
your only ‘Music Buddy’ becomes 4 years old
* Meet celebrities and music experts of the likes of Sushma
Reddy, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Tabassum, Mika, Sanjeev Kapoor, Sandeep Acharya, Parizad Zorabian, Ashmit Patel, Abhijeet Bhatacharya, Harsha Bhogle, Mahalaxmi Shankar, Roopkumar & Sunali Rathod

Mumbai, May 17, 2006: Conceived, arrived and conquered the hearts of millions of music lovers. Radio City 91 FM, Mumbai’s favourite radio station celebrates its four years of successful existence and leadership position in the radio space in the Mecca of the Indian entertainment and music industry, Mumbai.

4..3..2..1….Starting May 18, 2006, the four-day celebrations at Radio City Mumbai, will be a treat for the listeners with a number of on-air and on-ground activities revolving around the theme of ‘four’. With the objective of creating touch points in the city, Radio City through the series of initiatives looks forward to celebrate the milestone with its listeners and give them some memorable experiences to celebrate for their lifetime.

On the occasion, Ms. Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City says, “It has been a memorable journey for the last four years with a number of milestones achieved by the Mumbai station. As we stand at this juncture, I am proud to say that I have an extremely dedicated & enthusiastic team working round-the-clock to build the brand. Riding on the pillars of the brand philosophy: music leadership and thought leadership, Radio City has today become a trusted & loved member of every household in Mumbai. Taking this relationship forward with our listeners as we enter the fifth year, Radio City promises to bring to its listeners a whole new set of initiatives, thus providing them with a musical retreat as always.”

The anniversary celebrations at Radio City will be kicked of by the second edition of the ‘City mein Kho Jao Race’. Through this initiative, Radio City will help the listeners to rediscover the Mumbai City. Led by Radio City RJs, this ultimate chase will be between two teams riding on bikes. Rule of the game – Follow the clues given by the on air RJ and reach the strategic points spread across the City known as City mein Kho Jao points. The two teams will start from two different locations. Their clues will be different and their City mein kho jao Points will be different. Each City mein kho jao point will lead them to the another, leading them to a common end point- “The Final Destination”. The team which reaches the destination first will win the race and will be awarded with exciting prizes by none other than the heartthrob of Bollywood, Ashmit Patel.

The second day (May 19, 2006) will see Sandeep Acharya of the Indian Idol 2 fame come LIVE on Radio City with RJ Lavanya on Masala Mix to promote his first album “Mere saath saara jahaan”. Also celebrating the ‘Sounds of Aamchi Mumbai’, the RJs of Radio City will air sounds typical to the city of Mumbai like the sound of the Mumbai locals, a coldrink vendor striking the opener against the bottles, inviting listeners to guess the source of the sound.

Adding to the revelries and the spirit of Radio City, the third day (May 20, 2006) will see listeners call-in and sing the Radio City Anthem, ‘Life ki Dhun Gun Gunao, City Mein Kho Jao’ which is composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and sung by Shaan, Nihira Joshi and Shankar Mahadevan.

Fourth day (May 21, 2006) will commemorate the D-Day and Radio City will be hosting special parties all over the City in Pizza Hut outlets. Surprise celebrities will be visiting these outlets to celebrate the anniversary along with the Radio City Crew and listeners. The highlight of the anniversary day celebrations will be the anniversary cake being prepared by the celebrity cook Sanjeev Kapoor, especially for the occasion.

With on-air contests like guess the first song that was played on Radio City, guess the first jock on Radio City, RJs of Radio City will take the listeners down memory lane. Also some of the most famous links from the past, including the first ever link on Radio City will be played on-air.

Full with numerous contests and exciting prizes the listeners can win prizes like Agni Gold Jewellery, Home theatre systems, Barbie Dolls, DVDs, Sanjeev Kapoor’s special dessert Recipe autographed by him, 15 specially baked cakes to be given out on each of the day during the four day long celebrations and much more.

So join the bandwagon of celebrations and ‘City Mein Kho Jao’ only with Radio City 91 FM!!

About Radio City
Radio City is India’s first and leading hit music FM radio brand. Promoted by Music Broadcast Private Limited (MBPL), the private FM network has captured the hearts of millions of listeners across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore & Lucknow. Radio City broadcasts 24/7, using state of the art digital stereo FM for unmatched quality in signal strength, clarity and brilliance. Backed by expertise in programming, sales and marketing, Radio City is characterized by exciting shows that give it unmatched popular appeal.
Innovative programming, vivacious radio jockeys and popular contemporary music uniquely position Radio City to deliver targeted audiences across India’s most important cities.

For further information please contact:
Supriya Sonde / Arushi Agrawal
Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
Mobile: 9867035854 / 9867250201

May 17, 2006
AXN to hold video shoots for applicants of The Amazing Race Asian edition

MUMBAI: For the niche English entertainment channels the challenge this year will be to hook audiences better by offering a 360 degree experience.

The action oriented AXN has done that succesfully over the years with efforts like Extreme Dhamaka and Hot ‘N’ Wild. This year it is doing an Asian version of the reality show The Amazing Race.

Last month indiantelevision.com had reported that AXN was on the lookout for participants to join the show. Ten to 12 teams will be selected from across Asia to participate in the race, which will be produced for a 13-episode television series.

Now the channel has announced that it has extended the application deadline. It is also holding open video shoots to help people make their application videos.

Interested applicants can visit AXN’s website to find out the locations for the video recording services. The shoot will be conducted on 25 March 2006 and interested applicants can register their interest by 22 March online. Basically the channel is looking for teams with the chemistry, attitude, personality and the X-factor needed to conquer this gruelling race.

SPE Networks GM Ricky Ow explains that the initiative is in line with the channels aim to give adventure-seeking audiences in Asia their best chance to experience the adventure of a lifetime. “So we decided to help them out by holding open video shoots and giving them some more time to apply. The open video shoots will add a lot of fun to the process.”

Ow is also satisfied about the response to date. “So far, nearly 10,000 application forms have been downloaded from our website and we cannot wait to select some outstanding teams that will demonstrate the passion of Asians in a show that will surely excite and surprise viewers. The diversity of language and cultural practices in Asia will add a colourful mix of sensational drama and action, as we have seen in some excellent audition videos so far.”

AXN further says that it has received many enquiries from potential contestants, one of the common ones being the need for both team members to have international driving licenses. The channel says that The Amazing Race Asia is a challenging adventure and contestants will need to drive through all kinds of conditions and over great distances. While the producers will accept entries where only one member can drive, applicants are still strongly encouraged to form teams with two drivers in order to be competitive.

May 17, 2006
Pogo comes alive with new original programming

MUMBAI: Turner Entertainment Networks Asia‘s (Tena) kids‘ channel Pogo, created specifically for the Indian market, has more original programming up its sleeves this year. Game shows, sitcoms, documentaries and fiction shows is what‘s on the kiddies‘ channel‘s agenda for 2006-07.

What‘s more, Pogo is now garnering a lot of interest from international markets as well. In April this year, Turner‘s Latin American kids channel Boomerang was re-launched with the Pogo branding. While the name of the channel remains the same, a lot of elements in terms of promos and on-air look were borrowed from Pogo.

Coming back to new original programming; taking a cue from the popularity of shows M.A.D (Music Art Dance), Bam! Bam! Bam! Gir Pade Hum, Prime Pogo and Pogo Amazing Kids Awards (2004 and 2005), the channel is now set to launch a new half hour comedy show called It‘s Alive! from 21 May. The 13-episodes show, which has been produced in-house, will air Sundays at 11 am and will star Prime Pogo stars Niall and Chinu.

What‘s more, Galli Galli Sim Sim, the Indian version of Sesame Street, is also slated to launch around mid-August and is likely to air from Monday to Fridays. The third edition of Pogo Amazing Kids Awards is also on the cards this year. Apart from this, a new season of M.A.D. coupled with a summer special of the same is also in the pipeline.

“Pogo itself is an original production and we are constantly looking at innovative, smart and fun ideas that will back up the Pogo brand. The success of our original productions on Pogo has inspired us to do more such shows,” says Tena vice president creative and original content Orion Ross.

Plans for the annual Pogo Amazing Kids Awards are also big this time round. The channel plans to film ‘amazing‘ kids across the country and develop a 13-week series around the same, which will lead up to the grand finale. “This time on the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards the emphasis is going to be on the kids themselves. Sixty kids across 10 categories will be profiled. We will be finding out their stories and air them every week and towards the last two weeks before the awards, the series will be aired every night,” informs Ross.

Viewers will also be asked to vote for their favourite ‘amazing‘ kid via SMS. The winner in each category will be chosen on the basis of the votes as well as the jury for the awards. Ross says, “The aim is to build ways for viewers to be more involved in the process.”

TURNER OPEN TO PRODUCE / COMMISSION INDIAN ANIMATION IDEAS

Until now, Turner‘s strategy has been to acquire original animation series from Indian studios and air them on their channels. Some of them are – Akbar & Birbal, The Legend of Buddha, Son of Aladdin, Tenali Rama and Ramayana – The Legend of Prince Ram.

Now the network is planning on something big and a first of sorts. “We are open to hearing animation script ideas from individuals as well as studios in India and then develop the series for Cartoon Network and Pogo. They could be series, feature films or pre-school shows,” says Ross.

Ross is in charge of overseeing the overall strategy for Tena‘s two existing teams – the Hong Kong based Creative Services as well as the India based Original Productions. One of Ross‘ mandate at Tena is to set up and manage a new Asia Pacific animation development structure in India, which will focus on new Indian animation projects.

The network will decide whether to produce the new series in-house or commission it to Indian studios. Tena will be funding the production for the series.

“The approach is creative driven. We are looking for the big idea in Indian animation. We are open to talking to people who have a distinct creative vision. The aim is to find the next William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Chuck Jones or Craig McCracken,” says Ross.

However, whether the series will be solely for the Indian market or will be aired in the international markets as well is a decision the network will take at a much later stage. Ross‘ 12-member team will look to set the ball rolling in this direction.

This surely could be music to the ears of aspiring animators in India… provided they have the Big Idea!

May 17, 2006
Sahara to take FCCB route for raising $50 million

MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd has decided to take the foreign currency convertible bond (FCCB) route to raise around $50 million (Rs 2.2 billion).

“We are in the final stages of documentation for issue of FCCBs. We plan to raise around $50 million,” says a source in Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd.

Earlier the shareholders of Sahara had approved the issue of securities in the international market in the form of FCCBs, global depository receipts (GDRs) or other securities through public issue, private placements or preferential allotment. Sahara had also taken an enabling clause to raise up to $50 million.

The funds will be deployed for movie production, launch of a music channel, content acquisition for Hindi movie channel Filmy and general entertainment channel Sahara One.

Sahara has already tied up Rs 1.58 billion by diluting stake to investors. While C Sivasankaran’s Aircel Televentures Ltd. (ATL) has put in Rs 1.2 billion for acquiring 14.98 per cent stake, Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (publishers of The Times of India) has invested Rs 378 million for a six per cent equity. Sahara is in the process of issuing a preferential allotment of 322.5 million equity shares to ATL with a face value of Rs 10 each at a price of Rs 372 per share.

Sahara is also in talks to rope in a strategic investor. After divesting stake to ATL, the promoters holding in Sahara stands at 73 per cent. While Bennett, Coleman and Company’s holding is a little less than six per cent, the balance is with the public.

May 17, 2006
VH1 premieres ‘SuperGroup’ on 21 May

MUMBAI: US TV network VH1 has assembled some of the greatest rock icons to star in a new reality show, SuperGroup which is scheduled to premiere on 21 May at 10 00 pm.

The show has been titled “the ultimate rock and roll experiment” and the band has been challenged to become the “heaviest supergroup in history.”

It brings together five heavy metal veterans Ted Nugent, Scott Ian, Sebastian Bach, Evan Seinfeld and Jason Bonham. Over a span of two weeks the rockers will live together in Las Vegas, Nevada and film seven episodes for the show.

The musicians will be groomed by rock manager Doc McGhee. Their efforts will finally culminate in a concert at The Empire Ballroom in Vegas.

Vh1 executive Michael Hirschorn is quoted saying, “What I liked about SuperGroup was that is combined elements that have worked so well for us, with an organic music idea.”

In the late 1960’s the term ‘supergroup’ was coined to describe music groups comprising of members who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. The new band members have not committed to staying together beyond the filming of the show, but plans to record a single are being discussed.

SuperGroup is produced by 3Ball Productions and Moving Pictures, DPI in conjunction with VH1.

May 17, 2006
Star Movies presents X-MEN Special

Mumbai, May 17, 2006: X’treme action fans are in for a treat this Sunday. Star Movies gives you the perfect way to end your weekend with the X-Men Special! Star Movies builds the excitement with the back-to-back airing of X-Men and X-2: X Men United to get your adrenaline rushing. If that’s not enough, it presents a sneak peek into the much-awaited X-Men 3: The Last Stand, the final chapter in the X-Men motion picture trilogy. So don’t forget to tune in to the X-Men Special, from 3:50 pm onwards this Sunday evening, 21 May only on Star Movies!

For starters, tune in to X-Men at 3:50 p.m. to watch unusual children born with an added twist to their genetic code- the “X-factor” which allows them to perform extraordinary feats. At 5:50 p.m. watch X 2, in which the X-Men band together to find a mutant assassin who has made an attempt on the president’s life. To end the perfect evening, Star Movies presents a dream come true for any “X-Men” fan with Opening Night. Watch some never seen before footage and special glimpses of the making of X-Men 3: The Last Stand at 8:30 p.m.

Opening Night will not only showcase clippings of the unreleased movie, but will also take you behind the scenes where you can watch Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry and the rest of the cast talk about their experiences while shooting this most ambitious work of the trilogy. They discuss how it required complex strategic maneuvering to bring the entire cast back for this project, due to their busy schedules and how their participation was never in doubt as it was key to the story and character relationships, and important to the fans who love these films. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby discuss how it never occurred to them forty years ago that the characters created by them for Marvel Comics would result in such magnificent movies. In this film the characters undergo significant changes and the action is taken to a whole new level.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand, a “cure” for mutancy threatens to alter the course of history. For the first time, mutants have a choice: retain their uniqueness, though it isolates and alienates them, or give up their powers and become human. The opposing viewpoints of mutant leaders Charles Xavier, who preaches tolerance and Magneto, who believes in the survival of the fittest, are put to the ultimate test – triggering the war to end all wars.

Presented by rising star Terence Yin (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life, New Police Story), Opening Night gives you an up-close and intimate view of the most anticipated films before their general release. Previous episodes of this hit show has featured Hollywood blockbusters like Pink Panther, Ice Age 2, Chicken Little, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, Robots, Ocean’s Twelve, I- Robot, Ladder 49, Lemony Snickets: A series of unfortunate events, Kingdom of Heaven, The Goal and King Kong.

So don’t forget to tune in to Star Movies on Sunday, May 21st for X-Men Special from 3:50 p.m. onwards, with the back to back airing of X-Men and X-2, followed by an exclusive sneak peek into the making of X -Men 3: The Last Stand.

About Star
STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com

For further information please contact:
In Mumbai
Zeenat Khan Shiraz Bhavnani / Aditi Chada
Asst. Vice President – Publicity Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
STAR (India) Ltd. Tel: 91-22-5656 8787
Tel No. 91-22-56305555 Fax: 91-22-5656 8788
Email :sbhavnani@vccpl.com / achada@vccpl.com

May 17, 2006
Microsoft India develops Office Communicator Mobile

BANGALORE: Microsoft’s India Development Center (MIDC) today announced their involvement in an end-to-end project to develop ‘Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile’ – a unified communications client that provides information workers with a premier mobile collaboration experience through native integration of mobile applications with enterprise-grade, real-time communications tools.

Communicator Mobile will extend features of Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Microsoft Office Communicator to the Windows Mobile 2003 SE and Windows Mobile 5.0 platform, both Pocket PC Edition and Smartphone, the company said in an official release.

The development process included getting feedback from usage within Microsoft, Beta users outside Microsoft, and TAP (Technology Adoption Program) partners. The suggestions and feedback from user groups were incorporated into the product in the early stages of the development cycle, the release adds.

Recently unveiled during Steve Ballmer’s keynote at 3GSM in Barcelona Spain and based on the user interface of the Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 desktop client, the client goes beyond simple voice services, incorporating connected communication modes such as more secure instant messaging (IM), presence awareness and integrated VoIP-telephony.

Commenting on the product being completely developed out of India, MIDC VP & MD Srini Koppulu said, “Our India Development Center plays an important role in contributing to future innovations at Microsoft and we are proud to be at the core of Microsoft’s global development initiatives. The release of Communicator Mobile is an endorsement of Microsoft’s mission to “innovate, energize, and support Microsoft investments for the mobile user experience.”

Communicator Mobile client increases potential data revenue for mobile operators by driving demand for business-class devices with an enterprise-grade client, adding rich, real-time collaboration capabilities to mobile data networks, the company claimed in the statement.

May 17, 2006
ABC introduces new series to its Fall 2006-07 schedule

MUMBAI: ABC has announced a host of new series to be included in its Fall TV schedule. Said ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson. “We want viewers making appointments with ABC Television every night of the week.”

Mondays nights kicked off with new editions of Wife Swap at 8 pm, followed by The Bachelor and What About Brian. However, The Bachelor will be replaced by a new edition of Supernanny in the 9 pm slot, later in the season.

“We set out to develop a diverse group of shows that will continue in that vein and also to grow our audience. Our success has been driven by great storytelling and memorable characters that audiences have fallen in love with,”said McPherson.

Dancing With the Stars is aired on Tuesdays at 8 pm, leading into two new comedy shows Let’s Rob Mick Jagger and Help Me Help You. Boston Legal returns to the 10 pm slot, and after Dancing With the Stars goes off, it will be replaced by a new game show Set For the Rest of Your Life.

On Wednesdays the results of Dancing With the Stars are announced at 8, but will be replaced by George Lopez and According To Jim, at the end of its season. A Warner Brothers Television drama series The Nine, with Tim Daly and John Billingsley, will follow at 10 pm.

ABC plans to air consecutive episodes of Lost scheduled for the 9 pm slot, followed by the new thriller Daybreak, starring Taye Diggs, with Lost reappearing in the new year for another uninterrupted run.

Following Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, are two new comedies starting at 8 pm. Big Day, which takes a look at a couple’s wedding day from the view point of those involved, and Notes From The Underbelly, about a couple expecting their first baby. At 10 pm J.J.Abrams drama, Six Degrees will be telecast, which focuses on six different New Yorkers whose lives are somehow interconnected.

On Fridays, Betty The Ugly, set at a fashion magazine, is an adaptation of a telenovela starring America Ferrera and Eric Mabius, with executive producer Salma Hayek. While, Alaska-set comedy Men In Trees follows at 9 and the newsmagazine 20/20 will air at 10 pm.

Saturday nights will broadcast the national security thriller Traveler, followed by Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call, an unscripted series that offers relationship advice and the hidden-camera half- hour series Just For Laughs.

Finally on Sunday nights, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives are joined by a new drama, Brothers And Sisters, a family soap, starring Calista Flockhart and Ron Rifkin.

Other midseason replacements include, American Inventor and the Jon Favreau-directed comedy In Case of Emergency, as part of the fall 2006-2007 schedule.

May 17, 2006