ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • NBC to make webisodes for sitcom ‘The Office’

    NBC to make webisodes for sitcom ‘The Office’

    MUMBAI: In a move to further leverage the internet US broadcaster NBC has announced that its sitcom The Office goes digital with 10 stand-alone webisodes premiering on NBC.com this summer.

    The serialised arc will star the accounting staff of the Dunder Mifflin paper company in a whodunit.

    When the Dunder Mifflin accountants — Angela (Angela Kinsey), Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) and Oscar (Oscar Nunez) — discover that $3000 is missing from the Scranton office, no one is above suspicion, as the crack team of numbers crunchers tries to solve the mystery before turning on each other. Rainn Wilson, Melora Hardin, Phyllis Smith, Kate Flannigan, Leslie David Baker and David Denman also star.

    Earlier NBC had announced a deal with MSN to stream to stream the entire first two episodes of the upcoming drama series Heist on the Internet. NBC will also provide MSN Video with a 16-minute special sneak-peek presentation of the debut episode from 14 March until the 22 March broadcast premiere

    NBC says that since moving to Thursday nights in January The Office has averaged a 4.5 rating, 11 per cent share in adults 18-49 and 8.7 million viewers overall. That represents a 22 per cent increase over the show’s 18-49 average for Tuesday telecasts earlier this season (3.7/9 in 18-49, 7.7 million viewers overall) and an 80 percent increase over The Office’s average for the 2004-05 season (2.5/6 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall), when it also aired on Tuesday nights.

    The Office takes a funny look at the interactions of the desk jockeys at Dunder Mifflin paper-supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Golden Globe winner Steve Carell The 40-Year-Old Virgin, whom E! Online said, “might be the funniest man alive” stars as unctuous regional manager Michael Scott who hosts the documentary crew on a tour of the workplace. Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and B.J. Novak star as the employees who tolerate Michael’s inappropriate behaviour only because he signs their pay checks.

  • News channels gear up for Clinton

    News channels gear up for Clinton

    It is that time when cameramen will jostle to get a good angle and TV journalists will hanker for a sound byte from the US President, Bill Clinton, and Indian President and Prime Minister. After all, Clinton’s visit to India is big media event.

    And almost all the satellite channels and Doordarshan are trying to find how they can be different from the others. As managing director of TV Eighteen India Ltd, Raghav Bahl, said about the coverage on CNBC India, “It will be hectic time, but we will be focussing more on the business aspect of Clinton;s visit and what it means for the two countries.”

    What’s more, with the Indian government giving permission to almost all the channels to go live, the channel managements are leaving no cameras unturned to bring to their audience round the world the event which is being billed as one of the the biggest media events of 2000.

    CNN which is not only flying down celebrity anchor Riz Khan to do special interviews with the likes of Yashwant Sinha relating to Clinton’s visit, but the channel’s special event team too is coming (with the US president) to see there are no last minute glitches.

    “CNN has planned a special series of stories on the US President’s visit and the countdown has already begun with some stories already on air,” a senior executive Turner International India, the parent company of CNN, said, adding, most of the programmes will be live.

    Zee News, like Star News, will attempt to be different from the likes of CNNs and BBCs. Beginning with a story on presidential aircraft, put out yesterday, Zee News, as a senior executive of Zee pointed out, “will be hoping to do some value additions on the other aspects of Clinton’s visit too, apart from the political and business angles.”

    Since a major portion of Zee News’ audience are Hindi-speaking, the channel is trying to do a voice over in Hindi for important speeches, etc made by the US president.

    There’ll be every day, beginning Monday, a 30-minute programme on Clinton’s visit from 8.30-9 p.m. till Saturday.

    “This apart, we will be following the Clinton family and the President in Hyderabad, Agra, Rajasthan, Mumbai, etc,” a senior executive of Star News said.

    British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is planning one of its biggest ever series of live broadcasts from South Asia during the Clinton visit to the region.

    Special television and radio programmes will be aired from Delhi and Islamabad anchored by the BBC’s South Asia correspondent and regional bureau chief Mike Wooldridge.

    “This is a historic visit for the region and a crucial news story for BBC. South Asia is and always has been one of the cornerstones of BBC’s international broadcasting and this tour will showcase our unrivaled expertise and resources in broadcast news,” Wooldridge said.

    BBC had covered the last presidential visit to the region by Jimmy Carter when many of the news organisations around today did not even exist, according to Wooldridge.

    The BBC’s deputy bureau chief Satish Jacob, who covered the Carter visit to India for the BBC in 1978, will also be part of the commentary team. India correspondent Daniel Lak who is traveling the country with the Clinton entourage and BBC’s Washington correspondent Richard Lister as part of the White House Press Corp to give the inside information from the Clinton camp.

    The live coverage on BBC World television and BBC World Service radio will start from March 20 evening.

  • Endemol inks two-year deal with Channel 4 for ‘Deal or No Deal’

    Endemol inks two-year deal with Channel 4 for ‘Deal or No Deal’

    MUMBAI: Endemol has inked a two year deal with Channel 4 in the UK for the game show format Deal or No Deal.

    The deal runs from January 2006 to December 2007.

    Channel 4 has been broadcasting Deal or No Deal in the afternoon slot since October 2005 and has been winning audiences of up to 4.8 million and has a 38 per cent share.

    It has consistently been the most watched programme in its slot across all UK channels and won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Daytime Programme last week.

    The show has also just achieved an audience of up to five million viewers and a 23.6 per cent share in an additional peak time Saturday night slot on Channel 4. This was also the highest number of viewers across all channels at that time.

    Endemol International has now sold the Deal or No Deal format to 45 countries worldwide including the USA where it is a prime time hit for NBC. In India, the show airs on Sony and is hosted by Mandira Bedi.

  • CBS’ reality show ‘Rock Star’ returns by looking for a singer for Supernova

    CBS’ reality show ‘Rock Star’ returns by looking for a singer for Supernova

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS and reality TV guru Mark Burnett have announced that musicians from some of the biggest American rock bands have joined forces to form a new band, Supernova.

    They will use CBS’ reality show Rock Star as the competition to determine the new lead singer.

    Supernova will feature drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses). The second edition of Rock Star kicks off later this year. Rock group INXS found their new lead singer in Canadian heartthrob J.D. Fortune.

    Since the show, INXS has taken to the studio and the road, releasing their hit single Pretty Vegas and selling out every concert in their North American tour. Their new CD Switch debuted in the Billboard Top 20, and is currently going gold and platinum in countries around the world.

    Burnett says, “Millions dream of becoming a rock star…our show actually makes that happen. The winner of CBS’ Rock Star will not only play in huge stadiums before sold out crowds, they will do it alongside legendary musicians from three of America’s biggest, all-time rock bands who have sold a combined total of a quarter of a billion albums: Motley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica. Fronting Supernova is the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll dream and it’s about to come true.”

    After the winning singer is selected Supernova will record an original album that will be released in the fall before the band embarks on a world tour starting in early 2007. Lee says, “I have toured with both

    Gilby and Jason. They’re incredible musicians and I’ve always wanted to play with them. Starting a new band with old friends on worldwide television is going to be a blast, and we’re going to pull out all the stops to find the most charismatic and musically talented lead singer to front Supernova. I love breaking the rules.”

    Bassist Jason Newsted said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to play with guys I’ve respected for a long time. It gives us a chance to be innovators. This is a new thing. It’s never been done before. We’re going to break new ground musically and on television. The anticipation is building in me every day. This is a supergroup in the truest sense.”

    Lead guitarist and co-writer Gilby Clarke proclaimed, “Rock n’ Roll is so alive and I’m so excited to be a part of CBS’ Rock Star. This is television history. Where else can you raid three historic bands to form
    one great band? I can’t wait for the summer to begin.”

    Butch Walker will join the project as co-writer and producer of the new album. Dave Navarro and Brooke Burke will return as hosts, with Burke returning to the stage for introductions and Navarro returning to the judges’ couch for input and evaluations. He says, “Last year, doing Rock Star: INXS was the greatest summer job of my life. This year, I’m on the couch with my friends Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke and Jason Newstead as they choose Supernova’s lead singer.”

    The second edition of the show will also feature some format twists with a different music celebrity or rock legend each week. Navarro adds, “Friends of mine, like Slash, Macy Gray, Moby and Rob Zombie, will join us and throw in their two cents about who should stay and who should go.”

    In India the first season of Rock Star had aired on Star World.

  • NBC Universal signs deal with UK video on demand firm FilmFlex

    NBC Universal signs deal with UK video on demand firm FilmFlex

    MUMBAI: UK video-on-demand (VOD) service provider FilmFlex has signed a multi-year licensing deal with US media conglomerate NBC Universal to offer the studio’s current and library feature films.

    FilmFlex is a joint venture between Sony, Disney and the pay-TV specialist ON Demand Group.

    The deal covers films like King Kong, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Jarhead, Nanny McPhee and Pride & Prejudice. FilmFlex MD Andrew Keyte says, “The depth and breadth of films on offer is one of the key features that attract users to VOD. We are delighted that NBC Universal is providing some of its great movie classics and new releases for the FilmFlex service which further underpins our objective in creating the pre-eminent movie experience for cable customers in the UK.”

    FilmFlex says the deal makes it the largest movie Vod service provider in Europe, with some 500 films available at any one time.

  • ‘Our primetime viewership has increased 78%, revenues by 400%’ : Purnendu Bose – Sahara One Television COO

    ‘Our primetime viewership has increased 78%, revenues by 400%’ : Purnendu Bose – Sahara One Television COO

    After joining Sahara One Television in April last year as COO, Purnendu Bose has been able to steer the channel through a period of growth and turnaround. Bose has been responsible for Sahara One Television’s new fresh look and content.

     

    Bose was also a part of the team that launched Radio City, Star News and Hungama TV.

     

    Under his leadership, Sahara One has seen an almost 400% jump in revenues and a 78 per cent rise in primetime viewership. In this interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Hetal Adesara, Bose speaks about cricket, the new shows lined up on the channel and more…

     

    Excerpts:

    Let’s start with the current hot topic of cricket. What do you expect cricket to do for the channel?

    With cricket we found a lot of synergy. First of all, rival channels do not carry our ads and the second thing is that housewives don’t read newspapers. And cricket is religion in our country. With cricket we hope to increase the sampling of the channel and it has all the ingredients — drama, excitement, highs and low — that we aim to offer viewers with our soaps.

     

    Apart from this, post cricket, our viewership in prime time has gone up by 78 per cent.

    How much has the switch of Sahara One signal to Filmy impacted the connectivity of the channel considering the fact Filmy has just launched?

    There is no loss of connectivity post the switching of signals. We have encrypted our channel and in fact we have almost 99 per cent connectivity in Tam towns. Earlier it was 94 per cent. We just had 48 hours to do the needful and the team did a fantastic job of ensuring availability of the channel across the country.

    Since you have encrypted your channel, are there any plans of going pay?

    Going pay is very much on our agenda but not immediately. Maybe in the next six – seven months, we will go pay.

    Your afternoon band has completely gone off with cricket coming in. Doesn’t that bother you since after cricket gets over, it will have to be brought back and viewers may not come back?

    Our afternoon band comprised repeats of our primetime shows – Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan and Kituu Sabb Jantii Hai. We did not have an afternoon band where we showed other new soaps. Now with cricket on, our loyal viewers are watching those shows on primetime. When cricket does get over in April, we are sure that they will come back to our channel in the afternoon.

    How is cricket being used to build other properties of the channel? One of the things one would expect would be to make a big noise around a new or existing property during this time?

    We already have our key leading ladies from our primetime shows in an ad campaign around cricket. That is being aired on our channels (Sahara One and Filmy) and we also have online ads on the same theme. Apart from that, we keep promoting these shows during the match ad breaks.

     

    As far as launching new shows is concerned, we do have a few in the pipeline, which will go on air in April – May. These are fiction shows and are tentatively titled Sati and Kya Socha. Sati is most likely to replace Buniyaad when it ends its run in May.

    How would you define 2005 for Sahara One in terms of the programming and marketing initiatives taken? How much has the channel grown in the last one year in terms of viewership and revenues?

    Last year has been good for us in terms of programming. We had success with our shows like Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan, Kituu Sabb Jantii Hai and Kohinoor. Buniyaad is also doing well on the channel. As I already mentioned, our primetime viewership has increased by 78 per cent. On the other hand, our revenues have increased by 400 per cent. We have more than 260 advertisers on board. Clients are also seeing value in our programming and hence are advertising more with us.

     

    Recently we have divided our programming into two blocks and moved away from classifying shows as fiction and non-fiction. The first time band we will focus on will be the 7 pm – 9 pm one and the second will be from 9 pm – 11 pm.

     

    These two time bands will be overseen by two programming heads. Naina Toor Singh will be looking after the 7 – 9 pm band and for the time being, I will be looking after the 9 – 11 pm band — until we find a replacement for Kumud (Chowdhary).

    What was the reason behind bringing about this change?

    It’s quite simple. Viewers don’t classify shows as fiction or nonfiction They focus more on the timings of the shows that they want to watch or are interested in. Our aim will be to look at programming from the viewers’ eyes.

     

    Hence we will be looking at strengthening programming in these time slots. That’s where our new shows will also come in a couple of months.

    Apart from ‘Sati’ and ‘Kya Socha’, another property will be the game show ‘Mission Ek Crore’ with Sanjay Dutt as host. When is it likely to launch and how is the production progressing?

    We will launch Mission Ek Crore some time around the end of April or beginning May. The initial plan was to launch it before the end of this fiscal year. But we have stalled it. One of the main reasons behind this is that we first want to build our programming lineup in the 9 to 11 pm time band.

     

    Currently we have Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Kittu Sabb Jaanti Hai and re-runs of Virasaat and Kadam in this time band. We will be introducing new shows and once that is done, we will launch Mission Ek Crore.

    After the launch of Filmy, how much importance will the movie band on Sahara One hold? Will the premiers be on Filmy now? Would you take off movies from Sahara One and place shows in the weekend or will movies remain a part of the weekend lineup?

    Movies are an integral part of our weekend lineup and they will continue to remain so. We have introduced the concept of multiple premiers wherein the movie will be premiered on Sahara One at 12.30 pm and on Filmy at 3.30 pm and then again on Sahara One at 7.30 pm. So we will be airing the movie premier three times in a day. It’s on the model of a film airing in a theater at different time slots. The idea is that maximum number of people can watch it at whatever time is suitable for them.

    In the GEC space where would you rate Sahara One and why?

    Let the viewers say the same. Recently we did a survey with 2000 general entertainment TV viewers across five cities. And they personified Sahara One Television as the Abhishek Bachchan of Indian television – a star with the potential of becoming a super star. That’s how viewers rate us. And this is a strong endorsement and a matter of satisfaction for us.

    What has contributed to the growth at Sahara One in the last one year?

    It’s not one big thing that matters, but doing thousands of small things behind ever big decision, separates the winners from the others. It is a team effort that has resulted in the change we see on the channel.

     

    I’ll attribute this to the programming, on-air promos, off air marketing, sales and distribution of the channel. The program strategy of women are real on Sahara One, we have consciously stayed away from stereotypical programs and portrayed the real women that we see all around us.

     

    The on-air promos strategy has been cutting edge to the brief with simple and crisp messages communicating the channel differentiator. Marketing has burnt the mid night oil to evolve below the line strategies / activities to increase sampling and using mass media to reinstate the differentiator and driving traffic to the channel.

     

    Sales backed it up with exceptional revenue growth, through innovation thus creating value for money for advertisers leading to over 260 brands advertising with the channel resulting in a 425 per cent growth, in last six months over the first six months of this fiscal. Distribution ensured that we are available in over 96 per cent of 60 million cable viewing homes. All being a team effort.

    Despite the fact that individual shows are doing well on the channel, why does it not reflect in the ratings?

    We have seen an improvement in ratings over the last few months. But the reason why ratings of shows that are doing well are not reflected remains a mystery to us.

    Sahara One was due to launch in the UK before the end of this fiscal. Has that happened as yet?

    No, we have not yet launched in the UK. We want to ensure that we launch in this market with the best partner in order to ensure the maximum reach of the channel from the very beginning. We are in active talks with leading potential distributors which we would close shortly. We will be looking at launching Sahara One there in early 2007, not before that.

    How is the channel faring in the US?

    We have got a good response from our viewers in the US. We get letters from all over the States. In the first six months, we have close to 70,000 subscribers there.
  • Alpha Gujarati launched

    Alpha Gujarati launched

    The Zee Network launched the fourth of its regional language channels – Alpha Gujarati on 21 March. The launch took place at a bash attended by the who’s who of Gujarati language theatre, film and folk art industry. The launch was done at the hands of the Hindi and Gujarati theatre and film star Paresh Raval.

    “It was the complaint of a woman when I was travelling in the UK a few years ago that Zee TV does not air programmes in Gujarati which got me interested in regional language programming,” says Zee Network chairman Subhash Chandra.

    The channel is targeted at the rich Gujarati community which has been served by state-owned Doordarshan and the RITV owned Gurjari TV, now and then. A programming formula similar to that used on Zee TV is being used with Alpha Gujarati: women’s oriented series, family dramas, sitcoms, music shows and participatory game shows.

    The Zee Network looks likely to have a potential leader of its Alpha series of channels in Alpha Gujarati. Reason: it has the inhouse distribution advantage thanks to its ownership of its MSO Siticable. Second Gujarat is a very strong cable and satellite market. And extremely rich. Consumers today are willing to spend on flashy goodies with little restraint.Also Gujarat has a gaggle of entreprenuers who will use the channel to reach consumers if they are made to believe and understand that they are getting a good deal.And with a targeted audience for the channel they will undoubtedly be interested in even taking up commercial air time.

    Meanwhile, Zee is looking ahead at launching channels in the four southern regional languages. Among these: a Telegu channel, a Tamil service, a Kannada service and a Malaylam channel.

  • Zee Studio to showcase ‘The Celestial Shaolin Nites’

    Zee Studio to showcase ‘The Celestial Shaolin Nites’

    MUMBAI: Zee Studio is all set to feature all-time favourite films with the The Celestial Shaolin Nites beginning 24 March.

    The festival kicks off with the classic trilogy The 36th Chamber of Shaolin on 24 March, Return to the 36th Chamber of Shaolin on 31 March and Disciples of the 36th Chamber on 7 April. The movies will air at 9 pm onwards every Friday.

    Speaking on this initiative Zee Studio business head Neil Chakravarti says, “We are quite excited to bring these all time favourites to the Indian audience. Kung fu is a highly popular genre and we are certain these films will prove to be quite entertaining for Zee Studio viewers across the country.”

    The trilogy is based on the true history of the origin, the basic learnings and the code of ethics that has permeated Shaolin for hundreds of years. Lau Kar-Leung , a ‘real master’ of kung fu film-making not only explores the depth and meaning of kung fu, but presents it on screen in a clear and entertaining way that any viewer can appreciate.

    The essence of the films however is not complete without mention of Gordon Liu who has the distinction of being one of the most popular martial arts stars.

  • Ad revenues to sustain despite of hike in excise rates

    Ad revenues to sustain despite of hike in excise rates

    The ad industry seems to have no qualms about the recent budget. Industry professionals believe that the recent excise hike that the budget imposed on several categories of goods, among which figure FMCGs, automotive and consumer durables, is unlikely to prove a dampener to advertising fortunes in the coming year.

    In the past a rapid rampup of prices courtesy government levies has led to slow offtake of goods which in turn has led to a reduction in ad spend by advertisers. Ad agencies have in the process seen their billings dry up.

    Industry professionals however don’t think the scenario will be replicated this time around. Says Saatchi & Saatchi media head T.V. Shivkumar: “The hike in excise rates won’t in anyway have an effect on the ad spend of companies. There is no blanket increase in the price of commodities. The ad spend has got more to do with the bottomline of the company, whether it is able to keep its commitment with its shareholders.”

    Euro RSCG’s Gautam echoed the same sentiments: “The ad budget of a company depends more on the state of the economy as a whole. Price rise is a common feature. I don’t think there should be any change in the ad spends.”

    The excise rates, which have gone up to 16%, seem to have raised no alarms as far as the advertising and promotional expenditure of the companies is concerned. If at all, ad pros maintain that this may go up so as to cheer the slackening markets.

    What needs to be seen is whether consumers will react similarly to the situation. Will they cut back or postpone consumption like they did in the early nineties which led to reduced ad expenditures? If they do react negatively, the ad industry will be caught unawares like in the nineties when they overstaffed and overcommitted resources in the hope of good economic growth.

  • CNN Intl’s new initiative looks at technological innovations of the future

    CNN Intl’s new initiative looks at technological innovations of the future

    MUMBAI: With a view to offering a broad picture on how technological changes of the future will affect people’s personal and professional lives, news broadcaster CNN International is launching CNN Future Summit. This is a forum that brings together prominent personalities in an interactive process to explore how innovation and technology will shape our lives in years to come.

    This is a two-year multi-media programme aims at stimulating global discussion on new developments in medicine and health, communications, the environment and new habitat, and the implications of these changes for the future of mankind.

    CNN International senior VP Rena Golden says, “CNN Future Summit demonstrates our commitment to preparing viewers for the events of the future by providing insights into the issues that affect our world today. In addition, this initiative is set to engage our viewers in global dialogue and will prove as significant in inspiring people’s vision for the future.”

    The centerpiece of the initiative will be four televised roundtable discussions to be held in Singapore, hosted by CNN anchor Michael Holmes. Each roundtable focusses on one area of technology that is shaping the future. A nominating committee of respected experts will select a panel of global leaders in a specific field to discuss the promises, challenges and controversies sparked by their innovations.

    The initiative also provides a dedicated website, featuring interviews with the visionaries, profiles of the nominating committee, and details of the issues discussed. Viewers are encouraged to participate in the discussions through the website, offering their thoughts and insights, suggesting potential panelists and issues to be debated.

    The first topic of this global dialogue is Of Man And Machine. With genetic engineering, stem cell research, robotics and cybernetics offering the promise of dramatically reshaping the human machine, this program will explore the impact of these developments on societies around the world.

    Through the dedicated website: http://cnn.com/futuresummit, viewers around the world will be able to explore the views of the remarkable list of leading scientists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, futurists, authors, and journalists. Among them: Dr. Alan Colman, one of the team that cloned Dolly the sheep; astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Ray Kurzweil, futurist/inventor/author. (A complete list of the nominating committee and their profiles can be found on this website)

    Highlighting the focus of the CNN Future Summit, Professor Balasubramanian, currently the director of research at the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, in Hyderabad, India and also a member of the CNN Future Summit Committee, said, “The role of scientists as interpreters to society about advances in stem cell therapy, genetics and such is vital. Dialog between us and ethicists, religious leaders and sociologists must occur in periodic intervals. That is the only way.”

    A final list of panelists will be named in mid-May. They will gather in Singapore for the roundtable to be aired on CNN International on 15 June.