ITV

Category: Regional

  • Shobha De: Bestselling author joins Tara Marathi

    Shobha De: Bestselling author joins Tara Marathi

    The regional language channel segment has seen a stampede of entrants. After Tamil, the next most competitive language category has been Marathi wherein close to half a dozen channels are jostling for a share of the relatively small advertising pie.

    The key therefore to survival and well-being is differentiation which offers value to viewers. Tara Marathi, promoted by Broadcast Worldwide has taken another step in that direction by hiring best selling pulp fiction writer Shobha De as creative director.

    “As the creative director of Tara Shobha De’ will be responsible for driving the channel and giving the channel a distinct identity and long term vision,” a press release from the company says. “Shobha has extended herself beyond the confines of being slotted as a conventional Maharashtrian woman and achieved success in several areas without losing touch with her roots. Being a proud and aware Maharashtrian herself, Shobha represents the mindset of the contemporary Maharashtrian, which is what makes her ideal for this profile.”

    De joined the channel on 1 July 2000 and she will be working closely with Rathikant Basu and the Tara Marathi team headed by Nitin Vaidya. “Giving TARA a contemporary Maharasthrian identity will be my main challenge here,” says De about her role at Tara. “Today’s Maharashtrian is not what he or she used to be. They are breaking away from stereotypes and are not confined to the conventional areas of achievement anymore. They are achievers in every field be it technology, cricket, theatre, Bollywood or literature.”

  • Junior Super Singer – the hunt for Tamilnadu’s kid singer has begun

    MUMBAI: Airtel Super Singer, the hunt for the golden voice of TN created a huge wave of fan following across the state. Nikhil Mathew, the Airtel Super Singer is now an household name in Tamilnadu; and is promised an opportunity to render his golden voice to the tunes composed by the music director Harris Jeyaraj.

    The success of Airtel Super Singer has now paved way for the search of the next Super Singer. Yes – that’s right, Super Singer is back and this time it’s for the little ones. The statewide search for that sweet voice of a child, which will reach out to the hearts of millions, is all set to commence.

     

    Presenting a golden opportunity for children between 6-12 years to showcase their singing talent on a great platform assessed by the greats of the music industry. Apart from gaining recognition from acclaimed names of the music industry and being a child icon to the children of the state; the Junior Super Singer is also honored with a prize money of Rs.5 lakhs.

     

    Children between 6-12 years of age can send in their recorded voice either on a CD or a cassette to the following address ‘Junior Super Singer, Vijay TV, PO Box – 8484, Chennai – 34’. A jury will screen these entries and the short listed candidates will then be called for the ground auditions, which are to be held at Chennai, Coimbatore and Tanjore in the month of January, 2007.

     

    Spot registration for the ground auditions is also open. A hi-powered jury comprising some of the most popular names in the music industry will screen the candidates. Only 45 talented candidates (15 from each zone) will move onto the next level of screening in Chennai where they will face the main jury panel. The main jury of the show will be a real surprise element which would take the show to the next level.

     

    After 13 weeks of screening in various rounds; only ONE child with the golden voice will emerge as the Jr. Super Singer and take home prize money of a whopping Rs.5 lakhs. So parents what are you are waiting for; get started. This is the golden opportunity to make your little one a super star.

    For more information log onto http://vijay.indya.com

  • Channel [v] bags ‘2006 Rocket Award’ at the Promax & BDA World Gold Awards in NewYork

    Channel [v] bags ‘2006 Rocket Award’ at the Promax & BDA World Gold Awards in NewYork

    Mumbai, June 28, 2006… Channel [v], India’s No 1 music channel reaffirmed its leadership position with an awards haul at the prestigious PROMAX & BDA World Gold Awards in NewYork. Channel [v] was awarded the illustrious ‘2006 Rocket Award’ for the second time in a row. The Rocket Award recognises a producer, marketer or designer with four or less years of experience in promotion, marketing or design who is already creating outstanding work. The recipient of this year’s award is the pioneering Channel [v] producer, Siddharth Sikand.

    Speaking on the occasion, Amar K Deb, Head Honcho Channel [v], said, “It’s a fabulously mind-blowing experience to be recognised by our peers internationally. All of us at Channel [v] are ecstatic and overjoyed to have won in the face of stiff international competition. These awards are sure to power the team to continue to ‘re-design’ Indian television.”

    PROMAX & BDA Awards 2006 – Gold Awards for Channel [v]:-
    Art Direction & Design- Contest Bumper Wazzat Noise
    PSA (Public Service Announcement) – Wear a Helmet
    Best Direction- Ringtone TV promo

    PROMAX & BDA Awards 2006 – Silver Awards for Channel [v]:-
    Art Direction & Design- Interstitial Campaign V Gyaans
    Best Copywriting- Everyuth Skintillating Contest
    Bumper – Fathers Day Bumper
    PSA (Public Service Announcement) Stop Letching- Mona Lisa
    Consumer production- Happydent Smile for [v] Contest
    Best Editing- Hang 5
    Non-Promotional Animation Campaign- Sunday’s Open
    Promotional Item- Recycle bag

    PROMAX & BDA Awards 2006 – Bronze Awards for Channel [v]:-
    Art Direction & Design: Special Events Promo Happydent Smile for [v] Contest

    PROMAX & BDA are the world’s foremost organisations working on behalf of those involved in the promotion, marketing and design of electronic media. They represent more than 4,200 member companies and individuals in over 60 countries who work in television, radio and digital media. They include senior executives, producers, and designers involved in the creation of advertising, graphics, and marketing materials for their companies.

    STAR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation, is Asia’s leading multi-platform content and service provider. STAR’s 40 distributed services in eight languages reach more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR television channels include STAR Chinese Channel, Xing Kong Wei Shi, Phoenix Chinese Channel, STAR Plus, STAR World, Channel [V], ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR Movies, STAR Gold, Phoenix Movies Channel, VIVA Cinema, STAR News, Phoenix InfoNews Channel, in addition to distributed channels National Geographic Channel, Adventure One, Vijay, Fox News and Sky News. STAR has interests in cable systems in India and Taiwan. It also powers the launch of Total TV in Taiwan, Asia’s first interactive digital cable TV services, and Radio City, India’s leading commercial FM radio network.

    For more details contact: Shiraz / Poonam at Vaishnavi Corporate Communications Tel: 5656 8787 / 9821718954

     

  • Kerala’s first digital movie to release in 80 theatres

    Kerala’s first digital movie to release in 80 theatres

    MUMBAI: Malayalam cinema is making its full-fledged foray into the digital cinema space. The Kerala-based production house Emil and Eric Digital Private Limited (EEDPL) is gearing up to release its maiden production Moonnaamathoraal (The Third Man) through the satellite digital delivery system across the state.

    “Moonnaamathoraal is a digital movie shot using the High Definition technology (HD) technology. The movie will be delivered to the theatres through satellite and will be exhibited using the digital projector system. We have rented about 150 theatres in Kerala to set up the required digital infrastructure for a five year period, says Emil & Eric Productions promoter Martin Joseph.

    EEDPL is releasing Moonnaamathoraal in 80 of these 150 theatres on 30 June. The company has tied up with the Mumbai-based United Film Organizers (UFO) to set up the digital infrastructure for the project in the theatres. The system include the digital server, the Hughes Escorts Communications Limited (HECL) powered satellite delivery solutions through Vsat and the Panasonic 3 chip/single chip DLP projection system.

    UFO has invested in the range of Rs 130 million to Rs 150 million in Kerala for the project. The company has installed the digital systems on a refundable deposit of Rs 2,25,000 per theatre.

    As the company’s national revenue model goes, UFO charges the exhibitor Rs 250 per show for the first week, Rs 200 per show for the second week, Rs 150 per show for the third week and Rs 100 per show for the fourth week. The charges made on the distributor are, Rs 175 per show for the first week, Rs 100 per show for the second week, Rs 50 per show for the third week and Rs 45 per show for the fourth week.

    For Moonnamathoraal, EEDPL will be donning the triple roles of the producer, distributor and exhibitor. The Jayaram-starrer, directed by Chennai-based ad man V K Prakash, is made on a budget of about Rs 5 million. “We have spent Rs 5 million on this project, which, on the analogue system, would have required Rs 7.5 million to complete. For the total project, we have spent about Rs 9 million,” says Joseph, adding that EEDPL’s next digital venture Aanachandam will go the floor on 24 June.

    Aanachandam, again a Jayaram starrer, will be directed by veteran Jayaraj.

    Last year, UFO Moviez, the digital cinema network launched by Valuable Media Pvt Ltd, unveiled its digital project to set up 500 digital movie halls by 2006 March at an investment of Rs 800 million and then scale it up progressively to 2000 cinema halls across the country at a total investment of Rs 3 billion. However, the company fell short of its 2006 target due to the shortage of digital projects, according to UFO senior manager Mukesh Sherigar.

    “We couldn’t meet the target in these circumstances, but now we are well on track. We have installed the digital system in about 300 theatres across the country as of now,” he says.

  • Vijay TV associates with Sify for ‘Kallka Povadhu Yaaru II’

    Vijay TV associates with Sify for ‘Kallka Povadhu Yaaru II’

    MUMBAI: Hutch Kalakka povadhu Yaaru is coming back on Vijay TV with its second avatar. For the latest initiative, Vijay TV has tied up with Sify iway for on-ground auditions. About 450 sify iway outlets across Tamilnadu and Bangalore will be used for the auditions.

    According to an official release, it is the first time ever that an audition for a talent hunt show is done through enhanced technology like webcams and broadband internet service. Auditions will be held from 14 June – 27 June 2006.

    The judges for this show, which is scheduled for a 21 July launch, are popular comedians Chinni Jayanth, Madan Bob and Uma Riaz.

    States Vijay TV GM Ravinath Menon, “KPY-2 auditions in tie up with Sify is a clear message for everyone to move with the times and to enjoy the comforts of technical advances. By making more than 450 Sify centers as the audition venues, we bypassed the hassles and discomforts of thousand of people gathering in limited venues and waiting for hours to get their auditions done. This also helps to accommodate huge volume of talent we except on a show like KPY.”

  • GV Films to acquire majority stake in Singapore-based Tamil channel

    GV Films to acquire majority stake in Singapore-based Tamil channel

    MUMBAI: GV Films will be acquiring 70 per cent stake in Tamil Box Office, a Singapore based satellite movie channel that is currently owned by Pixei Box Office Pte Ltd. 

    “We are planning to acquire about 70 per cent in the channel. We already have the funds and the additional funding, if required, will be done through a second round of placements – via FCCB and preferential allotment of shares. The content for the channel will mainly come from the GV Films movie library,” says GV Films chairman Mahadevan Ganesh. 

    Ganesh said that the channel would be promoted globally after the acquisition. The acquisition of Tamil Box Office will mark the production house’s foray into the broadcast business.

  • Vijay TV plots new gameplan for prime time

    Vijay TV plots new gameplan for prime time

    MUMBAI: Star India’s Tamil channel Vijay TV has a new prime time strategy on the anvil. The channel is presently revamping its 9 to 10 pm band and will be initiating a change in the 10 to 11 pm band as well, post July.

    Vijay TV is also in process of re-planting its morning kids band to the evening slot with an expanded time period. “We are launching a reverse quiz show, Grand Master, in the 9:30 pm weekday slot. Our existing game show Vasool Rani moves to the 9 pm slot, making the 9 to 10 pm band a total gameshow slot. The 5:30 pm to 7 pm band will be converted to a kids band in July. All the soaps placed in the 7 to 9 pm band will come to a logical ending, paving way to a new set. Later this year, we will attempt a revamp in the 10 to 11 pm time band also,” says Vijay TV GM Ravi Menon.

    Grand Master is inspired by the successful Kairali TV gameshow Ashwamedham, conceptualised by the popular Malayalam television host G S Pradeep. (Ashwamedham had been the channel driver for Kairali TV in its early years.) Pradeep himself will be anchoring Grand Master in Vijay. The show, launching on 12 June, will be promoted through movie theatres in a novel publicity drive, according to Menon.

    “We will be running the Grand Master promos in about 80 theatres in Tamil Nadu. This is a different kind of marketing strategy we have initiated to grab the eyeballs of the attentive audience,” he says.

    Meanwhile, the six-month old show Vasool Rani, which pursues the female TG as the name suggests, is being re-packaged. The studio-based show will now move to the outdoors. “In an attempt to provide variety and kill any kind of fatigue factor, we have conceptualised a Mobile Vasool Rani. Vasool Rani vans will travel across the state, making it much easier for the mass to participate in the show,” says Menon.

    After launching a chat show You and Me on Sundays, Vijay TV is now looking at beefing up the weekend programming with a youth-oriented show. Titled EQ (Entertainment Quotient), the show will be a state-wide competition to find out the college with the best ‘entertainment quotient’. Vijay TV has instituted an ever-rolling trophy for the winner of this talent hunt, making it an annual affair.

    “We are confident about the programme delivering decent returns since it has a sponsorship friendly format. It has already created a curiosity among advertisers,” says Menon.

    Speaking on the 10 to 11 pm revamp, Menon said the timeframe for this initiative would depend on how the 9 to 10 pm revamp delivers. “Presently we have the crime show Kuttram and Kathu Karuppu running in this band. This is a time band, which gets the attention of the entire family. Hence, we are looking at slightly more expanded viewership and the plan is to bring in shows which will appeal to the whole family,” says Menon.

    The show, which presently garners the best ad rates for Vijay TV is The Great Indian Laughter series. The Great Indian Laughter Challenge was followed by the Champions and now the channel is gearing up to launch the second version of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

    “We haven’t revised our ad rates as such, but the channel has arrived at a benchmark ad rate with the success of TGILC. The channel has now three to four shows delivering very well compared to the earlier case of having one or two good shows. Advertisers on board are surely going to benefit because they have more popular shows to invest in now,” points out Menon.
     

  • Amrita TV lines up Fifa World Cup specials

    Amrita TV lines up Fifa World Cup specials

    MUMBAI: With the countdown to the 2006 Fifa World Cup fast approaching, Amrita Television, is now running a Fifa segment in its news bulletins.

    For a duration of about six minutes, the World Cup tele-clip will include, a history of World Cup, team profiles and a general item on the warm-up matches.

    A reciepient of 15 Kerala State TV Awards, Amrita TV in preparation for the big sporting event, has already profiled participating teams including Brazil, Argentina, England, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Holland and Portugal. 

    The channels coverage of the World Cup will also feature famous personalities and celebrities selecting their favourite team, accompanying reasons for that selection.

    With the commence of the World Cup on 9 June, Amrita TV plans to invite guests on the breakfast show to analyse the game, telecast the Goal of the Day, with pop-ups on the sidelights of the day’s game. Another segment includes, Players to Watch.

    In addition, Amrita TV has also published a leaflet containing the match schedule for the World Cup, along with additional attractions on the Channel. It has been distributed free of cost, across various centres, informs an official release.

  • Raj TV to air Visswarupam from 5 June

    Raj TV to air Visswarupam from 5 June

    MUMBAI: Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd., is launching the mega Tamil serial Visswarupam on Raj TV and also in Telugu on Vissa TV- a unit of Raj TV network.

    The series will commence telecast on 5 June on RAJ TV at 8 30 pm and air every Monday through Thrusday.

    The story and direction of this tele serial is by Bombay Chankya – a director from the K. Balachander school and stars leading Tamil artists like Bombay Gnanam, Deepa Narayanan, Poovizhangu Mohan, Kaushik, Siva Kavitha, Preethi, Sairam and others.

    Visswarupam is a period drama in a village hamlet dating back to thirties, that progresses to the current period. The serial is about what happens when a man begins to think he is ‘Lord Incarnate’ and seeks to meddle with the process of creation. It shows a Vedic Scholar with a scientific mind who begins to dream of cloning as early as 1930s and lives a hundred years spanning four generations to see his dream come true.

    Mediaone Global Entertainment Limited is among South India’s media companies headquartered in Chennai with its subsidiary in London. It has made a beginning in production of popular TV serials for leading TV Channels like ‘Swabhimana’ and ‘Geethanjali’ in ZEE Kannada which air primetime from Monday to Thursday at 915pm and 10 00 pm respectively.

  • Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show by Anita Dongre

    Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show by Anita Dongre

    Concept: MusicScapes

    This year, the fashion showcase at the Mercedes Golf Tournament is all about rhythm and music put together in a distinctive style. An excellent way to express rhythm is through stylized fashion showcase.

    Music is a poignant way to express depth and simplicity. Fashion is the finest way to express style and elegance. The theme Music Scapes celebrates both music and fashion on the same platform in a simple yet elegant entertainment format.

    The Collection:

    The collection has been specially designed keeping in mind the theme for the Mercedes Trophy. Each of the five sequences represents a different style of music and rhythm.

    The collection is inspired by the Mercedes-Benz attributes of Attitude, Technology, Tradition, Different Definition and Sophistication.
    Each of these attributes are linked to a distinctive genre of music and presented as a musical élange of fashion excellence.

    Designer: Anita Dongre

    Anita Dongre is renowned designer, who has been a part of the fashion industry over 15 years. Both her couture label and pr?t line ‘AND’ are available across India. Anita’s clothes have always been synonymous with elegance and sophistication.