ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Revenue for Canada’s private TV stations up four per cent

    Revenue for Canada’s private TV stations up four per cent

    MUMBAI: The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released its annual report with statistical and financial data on conventional Canadian private television stations for 2001-2005.Overall, these stations remain profitable, and posted increased revenues and profits over this period.

    From 2004 to 2005, total revenue and profit before interest and taxes for private television stations rose by close to four per cent coming in at $2.2 billion and $242.2 million respectively in 2005. The ad revenues for these stations grew by nearly five per cent, totalling $1.5 billion, while local time sales decreased by 1.1 per cent to $362.9 million.

    Overall, broadcasters’ operating expenses increased by 4.3 per cent from 2004 to 2005, reaching $1.9 billion in 2005. Of that amount, $1.3 billion was invested in acquiring and producing programming, including $587 million for Canadian programmes. This figure includes the $138.5 million that broadcasters paid to independent producers in order to acquire programming.

    Private broadcasters’ spending on Canadian programmes included $86.6 million for drama, $310.2 million for news programs, $59.4 million for other information programs, $83.1 million for general interest programming, and $29.2 million for musical and variety shows.

    The report was produced using the financial summaries of private Canadian television undertakings. It also provides data from the CBC’s financial summaries. It is the first in a series of reports on broadcasting that the CRTC publishes every year in order to inform interested parties of the current financial situation of this industry in Canada.

  • Anthony Dale is FCC acting MD

    Anthony Dale is FCC acting MD

    MUMBAI: US media regulatory body Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin J. Martin has named Anthony Dale as FCC acting MD and Mark Stephens as acting CFO.

    Dale has been with the FCC for almost 10 years working on a broad range of management and policy roles. Most recently, Dale served as acting deputy M D in the commission’s office of MD. Dale also served as interim director of the Commission’s Office of Legislative Affairs.

    He served in management positions in the Wireline Competition Bureau where he also served as special advisor for homeland security, the International Bureau, the Enforcement Bureau, and the Common Carrier Bureau. In these roles, Mr. Dale supervised a variety of issues, including Universal Service Fund policy and management issues, budget presentation and execution, financial reporting and compliance, audits and investigations, mergers and competition policy, homeland security matters, and various proceedings addressing telecommunications issues.

    Stephens has over two decades experience in financial management, auditing, and accounting in both the public and the private sectors. Most recently, Stephens served as acting deputy CFO in the commission’s office of MD. In that capacity, he managed the commission’s financial reporting and compliance, oversaw preparation and implementation of the Commission’s budget, and provided advice on financial management and accounting matters.

    Stephens also served as special advisor for Universal Service Fund Oversight in the Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau, where he worked to strengthen the FCC’s safeguards against potential waste, fraud, and abuse. Stephens also worked as a senior audit manager and systems accountant in the Wireline Competition Bureau (including the former Common Carrier Bureau) and the Enforcement Bureau.

  • CCTV set to launch business reality series ‘Win in China’

    CCTV set to launch business reality series ‘Win in China’

    MUMBAI: Looks like it is the season for business-oriented reality format shows. Soon after Zee TV launching Business Baazigar — a distant cousin of the popular business reality show The Apprentice — in India, China’s national television network CCTV has announced its plans to launch a reality series on the similar lines

    Set for a May 2006 launch, the series Win in China will offer would-be Chinese entrepreneurs from around the world a chance to become bosses of new businesses. According to its producers, participants in the eight-month show will face rigorous tests of their tenacity, business acumen and street savvy.

    About 110 competitors will gather in Beijing for the preliminary contest after being chosen from among 3,000. Twelve participants will enter the semi-final, adjudicated by judges including academic experts and successful entrepreneurs. One competitor will be eliminated in each episode until five remain.

    The winner will run a new business with a registered capital of no less than 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million); the runner-up, 7 million yuan (US$863,000); and other three, 5 million yuan (US$617,000).

  • Japan launches digital TV broadcasts for mobile phones

    Japan launches digital TV broadcasts for mobile phones

    MUMBAI: After South Korea, Japan has become the second Asian power to launch free-to-air digital TV for mobile phones through terrestrial digital broadcast system.

    Digital TV broadcasts for mobile phones equipped with special receivers began in Japan’s major urban areas on Saturday, following several months of test broadcasts.

    But the new service in Japan, which is free, will potentially reach the broadest market yet through the country’s terrestrial digital broadcast system, which relays images through the air via TV towers, not satellites.

    It also uses broadcasting air waves, rather than an Internet connection, to relay streaming video.

    Although South Korea has offered the service since the end of last year, Japan is a frontrunner in the new technology, popularly known as ‘One Seg,’ after ‘One Segment.’

    One Seg takes its name from the one frequency segment out of 13 allocated to terrestrial digital broadcasting that is reserved for mobile phones.

    Users with a TV tuner-equipped cell phones, car navigation systems and portable game players will be able to watch the broadcasts free of charge.

    If one considers how embedded mobiles are in Japanese life, the service has the potential to be the biggest of its kind in the world, by reaching more subscribers than in any other country.

    Handsets have been on the market in Japan for several weeks that are equipped with the service, which can also broadcast programmes onto laptop computers, high-end video-game machines and other terminals.

    Mobile operators have lined up agreements with television networks to develop the service. NTT DoCoMo has tied up with Nippon Television and Fuji Television. DoCoMo’s main rival, KDDI, has forged a partnership with TV Asahi.

    Kazunori Higuchi, a spokesman for NTT, describing how the service works, was quoted in Japan Times as saying: “A viewer is watching a drama and decides she likes the dress the lead actress is wearing. At the bottom of the screen is a link to an online shopping mall. She clicks on the link and buys the dress. Or maybe she just likes the show’s catchy theme song and downloads a ring tone of the opening bars.”

    One major drawback that may hold back the penetration of the service in Japan though, is that handsets with tuners are still scarce and expensive.

    Japan has 90 million mobile phone users who already play video games, download music files, exchange e-mail, read news, trade stocks, store digital photos and surf the Web.

  • Viewers to help Donald Trump to decide on his next ‘Apprentice’

    Viewers to help Donald Trump to decide on his next ‘Apprentice’

    MUMBAI: For the first time in the history of US broadcaster NBC’s business based reality show The Apprentice, fans will have the opportunity to advise Trump on who he should select to be the next Apprentice.

    NBC has announced that in the penultimate week, viewers will be able to vote for one of the final two candidates via phone and on-line at www.NBC.com. The results of America’s favourite candidate will be presented to Trump during the live finale before he makes his final decision.

    www.NBC.com is hosting an ongoing weekly poll where viewers can vote for their favourite candidate and track their weekly progress.

    Trump says, “I am very anxious to see who the fans choose for their favourite finalist — their decision could have a big effect on my ultimate decision”.

    Reality TV guru Mark Burnett who created the show says, “Over the past four seasons of The Apprentice, Donald Trump has used the final episode to hire candidates with advice only from George and Carolyn . This year we thought it would be interesting to discover what America has to say about the candidates, incorporating our fans and viewers as virtual judges. While Trump will still be the final arbiter of who he hires, America’s feedback is certain to have an impact on his decision.”

    The episode on 3 April follows Gold Rush and Synergy as they take on the music world to write an original jingle for the popular restaurant chain Arby’s. Judged by Arby’s executives, the team with the most effective but creative jingle wins. The winning team enjoys a scrumptious reward and the losers face the music in the boardroom.

  • Pop star Briteny Spears to guest star on ‘Will And Grace’

    Pop star Briteny Spears to guest star on ‘Will And Grace’

    MUMBAI: Pop star Britney Spears will guest star on US broadcaster NBC’s sitcom Will And Grace.

    She guest-stars as a Christian conservative sidekick to Jack played by Sean Hayes. In the episode, when “Out TV” is bought by a Christian Television Network, Spears is brought on to be Jack’s new religious co-host, until Will played by Eric McCormack and Jack loosen her up. Spears brings her own additions to the talk show when she decides to do a cooking segment called “Cruci-fixin’s.”

    Dubbed by MTV as “one of the last teenage pop superstars of the 20th century,” Spears enjoyed her breakthrough success at the end of 1998. She appeared in local dance revues and church choirs as a young girl, and at the age of eight, auditioned for “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Although she was too young to join the series, a producer on the show gave her an introduction to a New York agent. She subsequently spent three summers at the Professional Performing Arts School Center.

  • Ten Sports’ Arun Poddar appointed Zee Turner CEO

    Ten Sports’ Arun Poddar appointed Zee Turner CEO

    MUMBAI: It’s all happening at Subhash Chandra’s Zee Group as the network aims to move up a gear on all fronts. Even as Zee Telefilms moves to split its broadcasting business into three entities — news operations, broadcast and content creation, and Siti Cable — there is also action on corporate hierarchy front.

    The Zee Turner distribution bouquet has appointed a new CEO in Arun Poddar, currently vice-president (distribution), Ten Sports. Poddar, who has already put in his papers at the Dubai-based sports channel, is expected to take up his new assignment by the second week of April.

    Poddar’s move to Zee was confirmed to Indiantelevision.com by a senior executive in the company who said, “Arun Poddar is a fine professional and we expect that he will take Zee Turner to greater heights.”

    As regards the present Zee Turner CEO Siddharth Jain, it is not clear at this juncture but the expectation is that he will likely be reassigned to a different position within the group.
    Poddar cut his teeth in the distribution business with ESPN Star Sports. From there he moved on to news channel India TV as vice-president (distribution). He joined Ten Sports as head of distribution in April 2005.

  • CNN.com sports new look; to offer free access to CNN Pipeline

    CNN.com sports new look; to offer free access to CNN Pipeline

    MUMBAI: CNN.com has announced the launch of a new, expanded home page designed to offer users easier and faster access to more news and information than ever before. The changes visible on the site includes horizontal navigation, most popular tabs, free video, CNN Pipeline, only on CNN (box provides a place for our producers to feature the most interesting and important news that you’ll find exclusively on CNN), CNN wire and podcasts and radio.

    CNN.com senior vice president and executive producer Mitch Gelman says, “This new home page presentation provides quicker, easier access to our extensive offering of news, video, podcasts and other multimedia packages.

    “The design also creates new ways to align our efforts with CNN’s broadcast networks, clearly presents both our free video and our premium CNN Pipeline live video service, and offers more placement opportunities for our advertisers.”

    In an official statement, the changes include placing the main site navigation bar at the top of the home page, providing easier access to general content as soon as users visit CNN.com. The new design makes a clearer distinction between CNN.com’s offering of free video and that of CNN Pipeline, a premium on-demand broadband video news service which features up to four simultaneous live feeds.

    The changes also provide ‘most popular’ tabs enabling users to click directly to the most viewed articles and videos on the site. Finally, a wider screen format allows for more content “above the fold” and creates prominent eye-catching ad placement opportunities.

    “Advertisers continue to search for alternative ways to enhance the value of their brands and messages across emerging technologies and engage with consumers,” said CNN Digital sr VP sales Joe Dugan. “The new home page design presents advertisers a clean, clutter-free environment to showcase their message while reaching the valued audience of CNN.com.”

    Westin Hotels and Resorts, a part of the Starwood Group, is among the first advertisers to take advantage of a fixed rectangular ad unit prominent on the newly designed home page.

    As the first Internet site dedicated to 24-hour news coverage, CNN.com ranks as a leading online news and information site, attracting an average of 23 million unique users each month. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the resources of CNN Worldwide to provide relevant, up-to-the minute news and information. CNN.com features the latest multimedia technologies, from video streaming to audio packages to searchable archives of news features and background information.

  • BBC News journalists broadcast live news via broadband

    BBC News journalists broadcast live news via broadband

    MUMBAI: BBC News took the first step in a pilot plan to equip journalists working in BBC bureaux worldwide with the ability to broadcast live two-way interviews directly.

    BBC correspondent in Kiev, Helen Fawkes used a laptop to transmit live, two-way interviews over broadband Internet this week for BBC News 24 and BBC World.

    Head of Newsgathering Fran Unsworth said, “We have been working hard on developing new technology to enable us to find cost-effective ways of bringing pictures and lives in from places around the world and the cost of sending live reports over broadband is a fraction of those incurred with live satellite broadcasts.

    The kit used – principally a laptop, camera and software – are self-operated by the reporter.

    Commenting on the technology, Fawkes said: “It’s very easy to use as I don’t have to worry about having a satellite dish and it means that I can do a live from anywhere there is a broadband (connection). This could completely change the way correspondents work in the field as you don’t have to rely on having a satellite dish to do lives.”

  • Zee to acquire 60% stake in Venus Films and Venus Records & Tapes

    Zee to acquire 60% stake in Venus Films and Venus Records & Tapes

    MUMBAI: Soon after announcing its restructuring plan, Zee Telefilms Limited (ZTL) has swung into action on the acquisition front.

    The company is acquiring 60 per cent stake in Venus Films Pvt. Ltd. and Venus Records & Tapes Pvt.Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. This will give Zee access to Venus’ films and music titles.

    Venus will continue to be handled by the existing management, helping Zee Network in harnessing the opportunities in the Indian film industry. The acquisition is subject to due diligence and final approval from ZTL board.

    Apart from audio and film rights, Venus has state of the art post-production facilities, which will help in enhancing the content value of Zee Network.The acquisition will add to Zee’s existing library of films.

    Commenting on the development, Essel Group senior vice president Ashish Kaul said, “We look at this acquisition as an extension of our existing business, as we are a major consumer of film and music products. This will be in synergy with business of Zee Cinema and Zee Muzic. The audio and film rights will strengthen the programming of these channels.”

    Venus promoters, Ganesh Jain and Ratan Jain, have produced several successful Hindi films, some of which are Josh, Garam Masala, Kyunki and Hulchul. Venus Films has negative rights of 30 blockbuster films like Baazigar, Yes Boss and Akele Hum Akele Tum among others. Venus Records & Tapes has a repertoire of 2500 titles.

    “This association of Venus, one of the largest and most successful production houses with Zee Network, will be mutually beneficial, as Zee will have access to all films of Venus and Venus will have the support of India’s largest television network. Being one of the leading music companies, we will be able to provide a strong support for Zee Cine Awards overseas and to the programming content of Zee Muzic,” says Ganesh Jain.

    Elaborating further, he added, “This acquisition is also being done in line with our plans to aggregate and digitalize content for digital platforms, starting with the content of Zee Network. This acquisition will help us be at the forefront of providing both new and existing content across various consumer gadgets.”