ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • ‘Lost’, ‘Desperate Housewives’ competing for intl TV Audience Awards

    ‘Lost’, ‘Desperate Housewives’ competing for intl TV Audience Awards

    CANNES: The Monte-Carlo TV Festival and Eurodata TV Worldwide have joined forces to allow viewers to reward programmes who delivered the highest ratings worldwide.

    The first edition of the International TV Audience Awards will be designated by viewers through the sum of the TV ratings across five continents. It will reward the programme delivering the highest
    ratings worldwide in 2005 in three categories: Drama Series, Comedy Series and Telenovela/ Soap Opera.

    Nominees were revealed on the occasion of the television event MipTV 2006 in Cannes, France during the Eurodata TV Worldwide’s cocktail party.

    Competing in the drama category are Lost, CSI and Without a Trace.

    The comedy series nominees are Desperate Housewives, Mr. Bean and Joey.The Telenovela” / Soap Opera nominees are The Bold and the Beautiful, RUBI and Pasión de Gavilanes.

    The nominees are pre-selected among the ten best imported fiction programmes in 51 countries, i.e. 2.5 billion potential viewers. The winners will be presented at the 46th Monte-Carlo Television Festival Awards on 1 July 2006 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

  • Warner Bros. announces deals in Ireland, Bulgaria

    Warner Bros. announces deals in Ireland, Bulgaria

    CANNES: Warner Bros., International Television Distribution has announced deals with Channel 6 in Ireland and Nova TV in Bulgaria.

    The new Irish network has taken a raft of drama and comedy series. Among the first-run series set to premiere on Channel 6 are The Closer, Related, Four Kings, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

    Also, the channel has secured the free-TV rights to The Sopranos, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Without a Trace.

    The studio has announced a multigenre deal with Nova TV in Bulgaria, that gives the broadcaster the exclusive free TV rights to a range of current and library features, television series and miniseries, and animation. Key titles include The Matrix Reloaded, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, as well as Invasion, Nip/Tuck and Joey.

  • SCI FI UK signs first scripted drama deal

    SCI FI UK signs first scripted drama deal

    MUMBAI: The SCI FI channel in the U.K. has signed its first scripted drama production agreement, inking a deal with CHUM International and SpaceWorks for the 22-episode adventure series Ice Planet.

    The show was created by SpaceWorks and will be filmed on location in London and Canada.

    Set to debut this October, the series stars Michael Ironside as the head of a crew of scientists and soldiers on the maiden voyage of the spaceship Magellan after a vicious alien attack on Earth.

    SCI FI programming director Jon Farrar noted, “Epic in scope and inventive in storytelling, Ice Planet promises an original look and feel to sci-fi scripted drama and we’re really excited to be involved. This production deal furthers SCI FI’s commitment to providing viewers with the best the genre has to offer and allows us to play an integral role in the development of what we hope will be a hit franchise in the UK and around the world.”

    The production deal was arranged by Jon Helmrich of IBC representing CHUM International, which holds the exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the series.

    There are plans to create an Ice Planet video game that will be linked in character, story and action to the show. A mobile game will also roll out in time for the television premiere. Also, SCI FI has appointed former Sky One head of drama Sara Johnson to consult as executive producer on the show.

  • FremantleMedia secures international deals for Martha Stewart’s new show

    FremantleMedia secures international deals for Martha Stewart’s new show

    CANNES: The distribution arm of global production outfit FremantleMedia, Fremantle International Distribution (FID) managing director David Ellender announced at MipTV that it has secured a raft of global sales for Martha.

    Martha (180 x 1 hour), the latest series from American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and reality television producer Mark Burnett, has now been sold into 10 territories worldwide, with more on the cards.

    Ellender said, “We are delighted to have acquired such a high profile and keenly-awaited daytime series from the cream of US television talent. These strong initial sales for Martha further confirm our reputation and standing as the leading independent distributor of US originated reality and lifestyle programming.”

    FID’s sales team has brokered a number of deals which has seen the informative and educational new daytime chat show licensed to IBC Channel 2, Iceland; Good Life Channel, Israel; KTN Baraza, Kenya as well as TV4 and TV4 plus, Sweden, SIC Mulher, Portugal and Canal Plus, Poland.

    The Martha momentum is building, with the popular series also going to New Zealand free-to-air channel Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and pay TV’s The Living Channel. ABS-CBN in the Philippines; Kablevision, Indonesia and ONIMedia, Korea have also picked up Martha.

    A new recipe for daytime success, Martha shows Martha Stewart as we know and love her – and as we’ve never seen her before. The daily one-hour programme offers a new and different format for daytime TV. Combining Martha’s signature sense of humour with her love of people and projects, the show presents inspiring ideas from cooking and entertaining, to decorating, and home renovating, states an official release.

    Launched in September 2005 in the US on NBC, Martha is shot in front of a live studio audience and features a variety of celebrity guests joining Martha, fast becoming the doyenne of daytime, in her culinary and domestic activities.

    FID also holds the worldwide distribution rights to Martha excluding North America (US and Canada), Japan, Australia, and the Arabic-speaking Middle East. As part of the deal, the company has also acquired the Martha Stewart Living Television back catalogue for international distribution.

  • Discovery commissions new travel series ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’

    Discovery commissions new travel series ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’

    CANNES: Discovery Networks International, has commissioned a new lifestyle series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It is based on the popular series of travel guides, for launch on Discovery Travel & Living in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

    The 5×30-minute series will reach 147 million homes outside the U.S. when it launches this fall. The series is executive produced by Helen Veale for Outline Productions and Robert Curran for Discovery Networks International.

    Discovery Networks International executive VP of creative development and brand management Rebecca Batties said, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith goes beyond the standard travel series format to focus on luxury, style and design trends in some of the most inviting locales in the world. The series embodies the true essence of the Discovery Travel & Living brand as it encourages viewers to explore their world, imagine possibilities and live life to the fullest.”

    In each episode of the series, the co-creators of the books-Andrew Grahame and Juliet Kinsman-will investigate rural spa retreats, funky boutique hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and other sites in locations around the world to determine which deserve a place in the latest Mr. and Mrs. Smith guide.

  • NHK-Japan, Discovery-Canada tie up for HD programming

    NHK-Japan, Discovery-Canada tie up for HD programming

    MUMBAI: NHK-Japan and Discovery channel Canada team up to leverage their shared high-definition (HD) programming, production, and distribution.

    The agreement will see each broadcaster’s existing science magazine show – Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet and NHK’s Science Zero – mutually benefit from exchanging footage and segments.

    Discovery Channel Canada president and general manager Paul Lewis said: “As leaders in factual programming, Discovery Channel continues to make great strides in high-definition content and technology in Canada, and this alliance with NHK fits our strategy perfectly.

    “We have enjoyed a relationship with NHK in recent years and we’re excited to see this agreement solidify our relationship and take it to the next level as partners, enabling us to work together on projects that will continue to benefit Discovery, NHK and the audiences we serve.”

    Besides collaborating on content, NHK & Discovery will regularly discuss and explore opportunities to work together on other areas of mutual interest, including new technologies and distribution in all media platforms.

    NHK’s Multimedia Development Department director general Yoshinori Sekimoto said, “NHK and Discovery Channel Canada share a passion for science programming and HD broadcasting. Taking our already-successful relationship to a higher level opens the door to exciting possibilities in terms of co-production, broadcasting and media strategy.”

  • International Academy Day to be held in Beijing in August

    International Academy Day to be held in Beijing in August

    CANNES: The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will host its second International Academy Day on 16 and 17 August in Beijing in conjunction with the State Administration of Radio, Film & Television (SARFT), Phoenix Satellite Television and CCTV.

    The event will feature panels and keynotes from leading television organizations from China, Japan, Korea and Thailand as well as breakfasts, lunches and cocktails hosted by international sponsors.

    Academy president and CEO Bruce Paisner said, “We are looking forward to using the International Academy’s convening power to shine the spotlight on Asia’s vibrant television industry. This two-day conference program will be a one of a kind networking opportunity, and because of SARFT’s central role, I imagine any international media company looking to do business in China will want to be represented.”

    Participants will include members of the International academy, government officials and television and film executives from across the region. The highlights include a presentation on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a case study on a hit Korean TV show, and an opening speech by a SARFT executive, stated a media report.

  • BBC Worldwide licenses deals with Netherlands

    BBC Worldwide licenses deals with Netherlands

    CANNES: BBC Worldwide has reached deals totalling 170 hours of programming with networks in Netherlands like NOS, RTL, SBS and Talpa.

    BBC Worldwide has licensed to NOS many series including Extras and Little Britain, as well as the dramas Life on Mars, Doctor Who and Afterlife, plus Stephen Poliakoff’s Gideon’s Daughter and Friends and Crocodiles. SBS took Hotel Babylon, while Superstorm was presold to RTL.

    Talpa has in its largest ever deal with BBC Worldwide acquired 26 hours of programming, with titles such as Surviving Disaster, The Rise and Fall of Rome and a selection of programs from the One Life series.

  • New 2006 edition of Limca Book of Records unveiled

    Showcases over 10,000 awe-inspiring feats in 18 easy- to-understand-sections describing the highest levels of human endurance and seemingly impossible achievements

    • Atul Singh, President and CEO of Coca-Cola India, felicitated Padma Vibhushan Shri Satish Gujral and Dr. Vijaypat Singhania, renowned industrialist and aviator, J.N Kaul, President, SOS Villages, all being part of the eminent “People Of The Year” section in the 2006 edition of the record book
    • As part of the launch of Limca Book Of Records 2006, inspiring efforts of some of the record holders were also recognized – Cdr Uday K. Sondhi, Shaurya Chakra winner and a helicopter pilot with special abilities and Nishant Kasibhatla, record holder for memorizing 200 binary numbers in just 3 minutes 21 seconds and recall them in 5 minutes
    • With the launch of the 2006 edition, the record book entered into its 17th year of tribute to Indian achievers from across the globe. Limca Book of Records was first launched in 1990
    • Out of a total of 18 sections, some of the most interesting chapters include Human Story, Education, Medical Sciences, Business, Sports, Nature, Adventure etc

    New Delhi, 8th June 2006 – Limca Book of Records marking the beginning of an all-new year of Indian records was launched at a special ceremony. With 18 refreshing & informative sections, the record book celebrates over 10,000 remarkable achievements of Indians from around the world. The book was unveiled amidst a felicitation ceremony by Atul Singh, President and CEO of Coca-Cola India and Vijaya Ghose, Editor – Limca Book of Records for the “People of the Year” including Shri Satish Gujral, India’s world-renowned painter, sculptor, muralist, graphic designer and architect, ace aviator and industrialist Dr. Vijaypat Singhania Chairman Emeritus of Raymond Ltd and J.N Kaul- President of SOS Villages, a renowned NGO providing shelter to orphaned and homeless children. Also present were record holders, Shaurya Chakra winner Cdr. Uday K. Sondhi (the only Indian to be cleared to fly a helicopter with an artificial leg), and Nishant Kasibhatla (has the unmatched ability to memorize 200 binary numbers in just 3 minutes 21 seconds and recall them in 5 minutes without any mistake).

    The 17th avatar of the Limca Book Of Records incorporates achievements across 18 ‘buzzing’ fields like Medical Science, Radio, television, Entertainment, Transport etc. showcasing records made and broken across India giving out a wealth of information to readers of all age groups. There are interviews with 10 leading personalities – Shuba Mudgal, Ekta Kapoor etc. The book also features SOS villages, Bajaj Group of Companies, LIC and BHEL as part of its “Doing India Proud” section. Other “People Of The Year” in the 2006 edition include Dr V. Shantha, Magsaysay award winner and Chairperson of Cancer Institute and Joshna Chinnappa, first Indian to win U-19 British Junior Squash title and the youngest national women’s champion.

    Speaking on the occasion Atul Singh, President and CEO Coca-Cola India said, “We at Coca-Cola India are proud to launch the all-new and invigorated Limca Book of Records 2006. This book goes beyond just paying tribute to Indians who have the drive to excel; it in fact inspires us to believe that nothing is impossible. The record book is clearly a succinct summarization of India at her best.”

    According to Vijaya Ghose, Editor of the Limca Book of Records, “Limca Book of Records has since its inception in 1990, been a book with the aim to seek out, encourage and applaud efforts of Indians conquering the impossible. Over the years we have diversified our sections, changed the records, added new types of entries and changed the look of book time and again. Today, the book has truly become the most trusted and the most valued infotainment source, read as much for its authenticity as for its presentation of rare and little-known facts.

    About Limca Book of Records

    Limca Book of Records is an extension of the Limca brand. Launched in India in 1990, it is the second book of records in the world after Guinness Book of Records. The book aims to identify people who have the spirit to excel and follow their goal with single-minded passion. It lays emphasis on unique achievements of our countrymen and is a salute to all those people who want to do something different and be remembered for their distinctive deeds. Being the first of its kind, this book was an instant hit with people from all generations.

    The book divides records into easy sections like Agriculture, Education, Business, Sports, Nature, Adventure, etc. In its efforts to recognize the best in all fields, starting 1992, the book selected outstanding achievers in their chosen field. Called ‘People of the Year’, it included stalwarts like Ameen Sayani, Koneru Humpy, Chandrababu Naidu, Prannoy Roy, Bachendri Pal. The People of the Year for 2005 included Dr Naresh Trehan, Mike Pandey, Lt. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Sheila Dixit and Navin Gulia. While this year’s list includes – Satish Gujral, J. N Kaul, Dr. V. Shantha, Dr. Vijaypat Singhania and Joshna Chinnapa

    About Coca-Cola

    The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most-valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world’s top five soft drink brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate exceeding 1 billion servings each day

    For further information please contact –
    Perfect Relations
    Sonika Hussain shussain@perfectrelations.com
    Vidhya vidhyaa@perfectrelations.com
     
  • CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    CAS: IBF to push for level playing field

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has decided to exhort the government to mandate all other addressable systems in the country like DTH and IPTV, for example, as was being done with CAS or conditional access system.

    This suggestion was one of the many that were discussed today by the board of IBF, an apex body of broadcasting companies operating in India, during a debate to help formulate a stand on the issue of CAS, which can be taken to the government by 7 April.
    Another issue that the IBF would note down in a communication to the information and broadcasting ministry, which is holding meetings with industry stakeholders to finalise a rollout plan for CAS, is the pricing of such addressable services.

    Though the exact words are still to be formalized, IBF sources told Indiantelevision.com it was suggested that the government should be petitioned to follow a recommendation of the sector regulator on the pricing mechanism of addressable systems like CAS, DTH and IPTV with an aim to provide a level playing field to broadcasters vis-à-vis the cable fraternity.
    In a set of recommendations on addressable systems made in 2004, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had suggested that since addressable services depend on offering a choice to consumers, unlike non-addressable system like present-day cable TV services, pricing should be allowed to be formulated by market forces and not mandated.

    Another issue that is likely to find its way in the letter for the government involves the free-to-air bouquet of channels and its pricing.

    The IBF board feels that since the scenario has undergone a change from the time CAS was mooted in 2003 when the free-to-air (FTA )bouquet was to comprise 30 channels and priced at Rs. 72 (exclusive of taxes), more channels should now be added to the FTA package for consumers in a CAS-enabled regime.

    The argument in favour of increasing the number of channels to at least 50 is backed by the fact that the subscription-free DTH service of Doordarshan will also carry more than 50 FTA channels from May. This was announced by DD today at a press conference.

    The IBF board is also likely to express its reservation against providing a la carte pricing of channels as it might be against consumer interest.

    Though such a line of thought had been forwarded by the broadcasting industry in the US to the American regulator, the Federal Communications Commission recently put out a statement saying that the earlier report on a la carte pricing was lopsided and individual pricing of TV channels actually works to the benefit of consumers. This too is being contested by broadcasters in the US.