ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Zee Telefilms to be named Zee Entertainment Enterprises; ASC Enterprises becomes Dish TV

    Zee Telefilms to be named Zee Entertainment Enterprises; ASC Enterprises becomes Dish TV

    MUMBAI: One part of the process set in motion late last month by the Subhash Chandra promoted Zee Telefilms board to split its broadcasting business into three entities — news operations, broadcast & content creation, and Siti Cable — has been completed with the nomenclature of the new entities finalised.

    Zee Telefilms will henceforth be named as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel). Included under its ambit are flagship Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Trendz, Zee Sports and Zee Smile.

    On the other hand, ASC Enterprises Ltd, under which comes the group’s direct-to-home (DTH) businesses, will now be renamed as Dish TV Ltd. ASC Enterprise’s DTH service is marketed under the brand name Dish TV.

    Last month, the company’s board had approved of splitting of its broadcasting business into three entities — news operations, broadcast and content creation, and Siti Cable.

    There is no change of name for the news operations company which remains Zee News Ltd. Under Zee News comes not just the news channels but the regional channels as well.

    The reason for including the regional channels into Zee News Ltd is because of the heavy news component that forms an intrinsic part of all these channels. It was in order to comply with the news uplinking guidelines that effective October 2005, newsgathering activities of ZTL were transferred to Zee News Limited.

    The news channels include Zee News, Zee Biz and the recently launched Bangla news channel Chobbees Ghanta. The regional channels are Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Punjabi, Zee Gujarati, with the newest addition being Zee Telugu. Expected to launch next month is the sixth regional channel in the stable Zee Kannada.

    As regards the restructuring on the cable side, it has already been announced that the cable business of Siti Cable, a 100 per cent subsidiary of ZTL (now Zeel), and the cable related business of ZTL would be de-merged into Wire and Wireless (India) Limited (WWIL), a new company incorporated for the purpose.

  • CMM-I extends 3-year deal with Shanghai TV Festival

    CMM-I extends 3-year deal with Shanghai TV Festival

    MUMBAI: The independent trade consultancy for China’s media industries CMM Intelligence has announced an extended three year deal with the Shanghai TV Festival (STVF). This deal will see CMM-I further consolidating European presence at one of China’s biggest international TV festival to be held from 17 to 21 June.

    Under the new agreement, CMM-I will offer a one stop service for European media companies attending STVF’s International Film & TV Market (18 to 20 June) through the CMM-I European (EU) Pavilion. In addition to management of the central exhibition space, the new agreement allows CMM-I to extend its delivery of value added services, including meeting facilitation, networking functions and trade publications.

    Welcoming the agreement, STVF’s market director Zhang Ming noted, “CMM-I is not only one of STVF’s longest standing partners, it continues to be one of the most innovative. This new agreement strengthens Europe’s presence on the trading floor and creates new opportunities for companies to build sustainable trade relationships”.

    According to CMM-I MD Anke Redl, STVF continues to be Europe’s preferred trade destination and the new agreement will have a significant impact on how EU companies engage with Chinese media. “Europe still faces massive knowledge gaps and this deal means we can now provide clients with full before, during and post market services. You will see Europe becoming far more prominent in the market”.

    First established in 2004, the CMM-I EU Pavilion is the largest international group exhibition at the Shanghai event and brings together broadcasters, production houses and distributors from across the EU. Previous exhibitors have included Granada Media, Channel 4, RTVE, Deutsche Welle, Belgium TV etc. EU Pavilion participants will also benefit from exposure in CMM-I functions and publications, including the European Programming Guide and CMM-I’s proprietary intelligence products.

  • VH1 Classic to air BBC music shows

    VH1 Classic to air BBC music shows

    MUMBAI: VH1 Classic will expand from a 12-hour to a full 24-hour schedule, with BBC’s offerings from 1 May.

    The BBC deal includes the legendary anthology series The Old Grey Whistle Test, one of the most influential music shows in Britain in the 1970s.

    VH1 Classic will begin premiering select episodes from the series this September, and roll out performances from popular 1970s and 1980s artists such as Tom Petty, The Police and Lynyrd Skynyrd. It will premiere under VH1 Classic’s original series umbrella Classic in Concert.

    VH1’s SVP and GM Eric Sherman said,”VH1 Classic’s audience and its appetite for classic music continues to grow, leading us to effectively double our music program offerings each day. We’re particularly pleased to deliver rare BBC gems such as The Old Grey Whistle Test which presents performances never seen before on this side of the Atlantic.”

    The new weekly movie franchise Rock and Roll Picture Show with Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story will be launched on 6 May. Other movies include The Wall, The Song Remains The Same, Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix, Madonna: Truth Or Dare and Imagine: John Lennon.

    The Class Of … stunt becomes a regular monthly offering in June, kicking off with Class of 1984. Other new initiatives include a 27-episode series Classic Albums, with each hour telling the story behind the making of one of rock music’s most seminal albums.

    Also, the network has licensed Classic Artists, a series of documentaries tracking the twists and turns in a single artist or band’s career. The first episode set to premiere in the fall 2006 will feature Cream.

  • Discovery acquires British tour firm to build new travel media group

    Discovery acquires British tour firm to build new travel media group

    MUMBAI: Discovery Communications has acquired the U.K.-based Antenna Audio as part of its efforts to build the newly formed Discovery Travel Media group. Antenna Audio is a specialist in audio tours and multimedia interpretation for museums, historical sites and cultural attractions around the globe.

    Discovery Communications the president and CEO Judith A. McHale said, “The acquisition of Antenna Audio immediately gives Discovery a major presence in the growing audio and multimedia market around the world. The company’s global assets nicely complement Discovery’s television and digital services as we continue to aggressively pursue business opportunities that extend our trusted brands, increase revenue, and allow Discovery to package top quality content to consumers wherever they are and however they want it.”

    Antenna Audio provides audio and multimedia tours in more than 20 countries and offers translations in multiple languages at more than 350 museums and cultural sites worldwide. Discovery plans to draw on Antenna’s resources to expand into the market for downloadable travel guides, as well as destination, city and walking tours. Antenna Audio sold more than 20 million audio and multimedia tours last year.

    “Culture travelers are a coveted segment of the travelling public, and the power and reach of Discovery’s assets will allow us to strengthen and expand Antenna Audio’s position even further in the growing consumer travel market,” said head of Discovery Travel Media and the EVP and GM of Travel Channel Patrick Younge.

    Discovery Travel Media includes the Travel Channel, available in more than 84 million U.S. homes, online assets including www.travelchannel.com and a broadband offering, Travel Channel Beyond (www.travelchannelbeyond.com) as well as travel related content for VOD and mobile platforms.

  • FremantleMedia ups Schneider-Sickert to director of operations & strategy

    FremantleMedia ups Schneider-Sickert to director of operations & strategy

    MUMBAI: One of the largest international creators and producers of programme brands in the world FremantleMedia has announced the appointment of Christian Schneider-Sickert as director of operations and strategy.

    In this newly created position, Schneider-Sickert will be responsible for driving FremantleMedia’s global company strategy, investment policy and central operations. In addition, he will be responsible for FremantleMedia’s central business diversification activities, states an official release.

    The roll-out of the successful Quizmania participation TV format, currently on air in the UK and Poland, will also be part of his extended remit. Schneider-Sickert will become a member of the FremantleMedia Operating Board with immediate effect.

    Schneider-Sickert joined FremantleMedia from arvato, part of Bertelsmann, in June 2004, where he held the position of head of strategy. He previously worked in mergers and acquisitions for Bertelsmann and in the principal investment group at Goldman Sachs.

    FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen said, “Christian has done an outstanding job in helping define FremantleMedia’s strategy in an industry that is undergoing significant change, and I am looking forward to him driving our diversification activities.”

    Schneider-Sickert added: “I am delighted to have been asked to take on this new role and am looking forward to further developing FremantleMedia’s commercial strategy and improving our operational efficiency.”

    Schneider-Sickert holds an M.A. in Oriental Studies from Oxford University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

  • Discovery Channel to premier series ‘More Than A Game’ on World Cup

    Discovery Channel to premier series ‘More Than A Game’ on World Cup

    MUMBAI:Starting 28 April, Discovery Channel is set to premiere six-part series More Than a Game, which will chronicle the emergence of international football’s greatest teams and players interwoven with the story of how the World Cup evolved as a tournament and shaped the nature of football worldwide.

    This series will air every Friday at 9 pm and each episode will be repeated on the following Saturday at 10 am.

    More Than A Game will feature the six giants of the game – Brazil, Germany, France, England, Argentina and Italy.

    The football World Cup has evolved into a cultural event that unites the entire world for one exhilarating and unforgettable month. More than just a sporting extravaganza, it has impacted the economy of countries and their presence on the global map, informs an official release.

    Made in collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and featuring exclusive footage from FIFA’s film archive and recollections from some of the world’s greatest players including Beckham, Beckenbauer, Zidane, Platini and Zoff, the show will present the definitive account of the World Cup – its glorious goals, legendary players, fanatical fans and enduring appeal.

    The release also adds that with previously unseen footage from matches dating back over 40 years, viewers will get a fresh perspective on even the most familiar football legends. They will also witness how winning or losing a game can change the fortunes of a nation.

    Discovery Channel’s spokesperson said, “More Than A Game showcases how the World Cup has been a carnival of innovation, advancing both the game and the business of football. It presents the fascinating account of the extraordinary brilliance and the gallant failures of the superpowers of world football. Identifying and capturing the defining moments of the football World Cup is what makes More Than A Game so captivating.”

    The Ambassador of Brazil, His Excellency Jose Vicente Pimentel said “I am delighted to be part of this special programme by Discovery Channel which will provide the football enthusiasts in India an insight into the history of the World Cup. Each of the six nations covered in the programme represent football in its truest form. Each episode will give viewers an insight into the various manifestations of the sport and how single-handedly football can bind an entire nation.”

    MORE THAN A GAME programme schedule:
    • Brazil on 28 April at 9 pm
    The World Cup has defined Brazil as a nation. The five-time winners have given the world legends like Pele, Carlos Alberto, Tostao, Socrates and Ronaldo. In this episode, you can also watch 17-year-old Pele leading the Brazilian charge to their first World Cup win in 1958 and then taking it to the event to its greatest height: the superlative final of 1970.

    • Argentina on 5 May at 9 pm
    Argentina’s Diego Maradona became the biggest football star since Pele. Never has one man so dominated the World Cup. But after the bravura and brilliance of 1986, it has all been downhill for Maradona. His well-publicised descent into drug addiction and psychological deterioration mark a sad end to an incredible career. Also see the memorable celebrations in Buenos Aires in 1978 after Argentina won against a background of intimidation and corruption with a military junta governing the country.

    • England on 12 May at 9 pm
    The British boycotted the World Cup till 1950 and have won it only once – in 1966. They were the first nation to win as hosts. With a passionate (and infamous) fan base and the superstar status of their players, it has always shared a love-hate relationship with the sport they invented. Their story of the World Cup ranges from disaster to gallant failure.

    • Germany on 19 May at 9 pm
    It’s hard to imagine a time when Germany was not a footballing superpower. But in the 1954 final, they were definitely the underdogs against the talented Hungarians. An extraordinary comeback set the foundations for future dominance, and till now they remain one of the most difficult sides to overcome. Watch how the World Cup has helped Germany to emerge as one of the leading nations in world football.

    • Italy on 26 May at 9 pm
    Paolo Rossi’s hat-trick helped Italy beat Brazil 3-2 in one of the greatest World Cup games. Their World Cup victory in 1982 ended a fifty-two year wait for their demanding supporters. The famous Azzuri are characterised by their stubborn, defensive approach that has, according to their critics, overshadowed the beauty of their game. They have, however, won the World cup three times and those who underestimate them, do so at their own peril.

    • France on 2 June at 9 pm
    The 1998 World Champions had included 15 squad players from different ethnic backgrounds embodied by Zidane, Desailly and Lizarazu. As the most racially troubled country in Europe, France was divided by the question of immigration. The multiracial make up of the French national team was openly criticised till their stunning 3-0 victory over favourites Brazil, which led to four days of euphoric celebrations across the nation. The win also summed the international nature of a sport which is More Than A Game.

  • Peter Roth extends tenure as president at Warner Bros.TV

    Peter Roth extends tenure as president at Warner Bros.TV

    MUMBAI: One of the most successful and respected executives working in television today, Peter Roth, has signed a long-term deal extending his tenure as Warner Bros. Television president, while expanding his duties to include oversight of the newly created Warner Horizon Television.

    The newly created television arm is designed to create lower-budget scripted and reality primetime series for network and cable. These announcements were made today by Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) group president Bruce Rosenblum.

    “Peter’s track record at Warner Bros. Television really speaks for itself, not just in the quantity of successful shows he’s launched, but more importantly, in the quality of the series created under his leadership,” said Rosenblum. “To say that we’re absolutely thrilled that Peter will be with us for many, many more years would be a gross understatement. He is truly the best in class. His creative instincts and execution, as well as his relationships with people both in front of and behind the cameras, from the writers’ rooms to the network boardrooms, are unmatched.

    “As the television business continues to change and business models evolve, Warner Horizon Television will enable us to take more creative risks,” continued Rosenblum. “We’re incredibly excited about the prospect of this new television arm at the Studio and know that it couldn’t be in better hands than Peter’s.”

    Roth joined Warner Bros. Television as its president in March 1999 and has maintained the company’s position as the industry’s preeminent producer of award winning primetime television series. In addition to being the most prolific television studio in Hollywood the last three years, WBTV has been the leading supplier of primetime series 16 of the last 19 television seasons. For the 2005-2006 season, WBTV placed 33 series on the primetime schedule, including a record 17 returning series, 11 new series and five midseason series.

    During his tenure, Roth has been responsible for such series as the multiple Emmy Award winning The West Wing, Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace, The O.C., Cold Case, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, George Lopez, Supernatural, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Nip/Tuck and The Closer, as well as the successful continuation of such series as Friends and ER.

    Prior toWBTV, Roth served as Fox Broadcasting Company president. There, he was responsible for the development and programming of the Emmy Award-winning Ally McBeal, That ’70s Show, Family Guy and King of the Hill. He also held posts as president of 20th Century Fox Television, Twentieth Network Television (currently 20th Century Fox Television), and of Production at Twentieth Network Television, where he oversaw such hits as the multiple Emmy Award winning Picket Fences, The X-Files, The Practice, Chicago Hope and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

    Before working at Twentieth, Roth was president of Stephen J. Cannell Productions, where he was involved with the creation and sale of such critically acclaimed series as 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy and The Commish.

    Roth began his television career at the ABC Television Network in children’s programming where he served as both a manager and later a director before moving into current programming where held both director and vice president posts, states an official release.

  • GRB’s doc series ‘Intervention’ gets Prism nomination

    GRB’s doc series ‘Intervention’ gets Prism nomination

    MUMBAI: GRB Entertainment US has announced that the series Intervention, produced by GRB Entertainment for A&E Network, has been nominated for a Prism Award.

    Recipients will be announced at an awards presentation tomorrow 27 April at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The presentation will air at a later date on FX Network.

    The awards reflect the entertainment industry’s growing commitment to fighting substance abuse and addiction through accurate depictions of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction in film, television, video, music and comic book entertainment.

    Intervention is a 12 episode one hour documentary show that tackles the subject of addiction head-on. Each episode profiles addicts who are about to face the toughest choice of their lives: enter treatment immediately or be cut off from society.

    The individuals profiled on Intervention are a cross-section of America. They are lawyers, mothers, students, artists and athletes. Some of these addicts once had great wealth, others beauty, talent and big dreams. But all share one thing: an addiction that is destroying their lives and straining their families and friends to the breaking point. Though each intervention is unique, all have one simple goal – get the addict into treatment now.

    For comedy series, the nominees are All of Us’ episode The Spy Who Smoked Me, Everybody Loves Raymond’s episode Pat’s Secret, One on One’s episode Glug Glug, Reba’s episode Where There’s Smoke and Saturday Night Live’s – Good Morning Meth.

    The drama series nominees are House’s episode Hunting, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’s episode Blood, The O.C. episode The Dearly Beloved, Strong Medicine episode We Wish You a Merry Cryst Meth and the Without a Trace episode Off the Tracks.

    The musical Rent and Walk The Line which deals with the life of country music legend Johnny cash are competing in the movie category. For performance in a film, the nominees are Rosario Dawson for Rent, Anne Hathaway for Havoc, Joaquin Phoenix for Walk the Line, Christina Ricci for Prozac Nation and Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line.

    The television movie or miniseries nominees are Ambulance Girl, Behind the Camera: The Unauthorised Story of Mork and Mindy,Lackawanna Blues, Mom at Sixteen and Riding the Bus With My Sister.

    These awards are presented by the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) in partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

  • HBO announces major programming initiative for the summer

    HBO announces major programming initiative for the summer

    MUMBAI: I Love Summer! That is the tagline for English movie channel HBO’s summer programming initiative in May and June. The channel will also be running a contest.

    The offerings include non-stop thrilling blockbusters, Hollywood hotties, Kung Fu fighting, HBO Whazz up and Sex and the City’ Finale Season Premiere.

    The channel gives viewers the chance to be a part of I Love Summer. Viewers just have to reply to the question “Why you love summer on HBO”?. Prizes up for grabs include an all expense paid family trip to Club Mahindra resorts, Nano iPods, HBO premiums and lots more.

    The summer kicks off with the sci-fi horror film Resident Evil: Apocalypse on 26 May at 9 pm. All of Raccoon City is contaminated with virus and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is stuck right in the middle. Now, she and a group of survivors must fight to escape the nightmare that has plagued Raccoon City.

    The finale of Sex And The City premieres on HBO starting May with more glitz and glamour, humour and trend setting fashion. The HBO Original Movie of the month is Lackawanna Blues, which is fuelled by rhythm, blues and a stellar cast. Based on a true story of the relationship between Ruben Santiago Jr. and his guardian Rachel “Nanny” Crosby, set in 1950’s Lackawanna, a city in Upstate New York, Lackawanna Blues will air on 2 May, at 9 pm.

    As far as HBO Saturday Nights are concerned on 6 May Catwoman will air. Halle Berry’s feline instincts take over as she dons the black leather cat suit and cracks the whip for her role as the glamorous anti-heroine. In Good Company airs on 13 May, a middle-aged ad executive is faced with a new boss who is nearly half his age and who also happens to be dating his 18-year old daughter.

    On 20 May Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed takes centrestage. Old villains come back to haunt the team in their hometown, Coolsville making them lose their cool and their reputations. On 27 May the channel airs A Cinderella Story.

    HBO has created a new band HBO Whazz Up. Films in this band will air before the 9 pm movie. Films like Connie And Carla, American Ninja, What Dreams May Come, The School Of Rock will air in this band.

  • WorldSpace Noah Samara to deliver key note at International Radio Conference Dubai

    WorldSpace Noah Samara to deliver key note at International Radio Conference Dubai

    MUMBAI: International Radio Conference (IRC) is scheduled to be held from 22 May to 24 May in Dubai. The key note will be delivered by WorldSpace Corporation chairman and CEO Noah A. Samara.

    The conference is aimed at a global audience of radio professionals and contemporaries from associated industries, including advertising and media.
    It will also examine the future of radio in the Middle East. The sessions are; Shifting Stands, Breakfast Confidential, Smarter Music Scheduling, Bumpers ‘n Stabs, Doughnuts ‘n Stings, They’re not all Mad, Only the Good Ones!, Print vs Radio, 10 Great Ways to Make People Listen Longer, News You Can Use, New Frontier, Kill or Cure? Can Radio Survive the Ipod Era? and Paying the Piper! to name a few.
    Arabian Radio Network Join Abdullatif Al Sayegh will speak on Shifting Sands and other major players in the region as they give an upfront assessment of the future of radio in the Middle East.

    Emap UK expert Mark Story and Capital 98.5 UK expert Keith Pringle will provide top tips and closely guarded secrets to building the best breakfast show.

    European award winning Imager EMap UK Andy Roberts, Soniic Design Jean Michel Meschin, BBC World Service on air editor Steve Martin, Radio Advertising Bureaux UK Douglas McArthur, BBC World Service business development head Simon Kendall and Virgin Radio James Cridland will provide a low-down at the sessions.

    The sessions organised will also cover the pertinent issues facing radio professionals today including programming, technology and production.