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  • Kareena Kapoor to host show on Zee Muzic

    Kareena Kapoor to host show on Zee Muzic

    MUMBAI: For the first time, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor will host a show on Zee Muzic to present The Manish Malhotra Magic in Dubai on 6 August.

    The programme has been desgined to celebrate friendship day and will air at 9 pm.

    Kareena Kapoor will share her insights on Manish Malhotra – the designer and the friend. She will disclose Malhotra’s fears, along with her penchant for his designs on Zee Muzic, according to an official release.

    The half an hour special will also have appearances by three others in his life; Urmila Matondkar, Sunita Menon and Tusshar Kapoor.

    Malhotra’s store, recently opened in Dubai, has his design collections that are targeted specifically to the Middle East world.

  • Time Warner 2Q revenue grows marginally

    Time Warner 2Q revenue grows marginally

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Time Warner has reported financial results for its second quarter ended 30 June 2006.

    Revenues rose by one per cent over the same period in 2005 to $10.7 billion, led by growth at the cable and networks segments. Adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortisation climbed seven per cent to $2.7 billion, reflecting double-digit increases at the cable and filmed entertainment segments as well as a gain at the networks segment.

    This growth was offset partly by declines at the publishing and AOL segments. Operating income rose to $1.8 billion from a prior year loss, reflecting primarily higher adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortisation and the absence of the $3 billion in legal reserves related to securities litigation recognized in the prior year quarter.

    Time Warner chairman and CEO Dick Parsons said, “We are pleased with this quarter’s results, which put us firmly on track to achieve our full-year financial objectives. Especially significant was our generation of Free Cash Flow over the first half of the year, totaling more than $2.6 billion, or 49 per cent of our Adjusted OIBDA. Our cable, filmed entertainment and networks segments delivered standout operating performances, while AOL posted a better-than-expected quarter. Key to these results were impressive strength in AOL’s advertising revenues and across-the-board subscriber and profit growth at Time Warner Cable.

    “With the closing of the Adelphia-Comcast transaction, Time Warner Cable is now focused on integrating and upgrading the acquired systems and setting the stage for an aggressive deployment of Time Warner Cable’s advanced digital video, high-speed data and digital phone services in the coming months. In addition, we are continuing to return substantial value directly to our shareholders – including repurchasing 14 per cent of our outstanding common stock for approximately $11.7 billion since starting the programme last year.”

    Television networks (Turner Broadcasting, HBO and The WB Network) revenues rose by nine per cent to $2.7 billion, reflecting higher subscription and ad revenues – including the consolidation of Court TV ($65 million). Subscription revenues climbed nine per cent due to higher rates and increased subscribers at Turner and HBO as well as the consolidation of Court TV ($20 million), offset in part by a favorable audit claim settlement in the prior year quarter.

    Ad revenues were up eight per cent led by an 11 per cent growth at Turner, including Court TV ($43 million), offset partly by a nine per cent decrease at The WB Network. Content revenues increased by seven per cent due primarily to higher ancillary sales of HBO’s original programming.

    At AOL, revenues declined by two per cent to $2.0 billion, due to an 11 per cent decrease in subscription revenues, offset in part by a 40 per cent increase ($129 million) in ad revenues. The decline in subscription revenues was due primarily to a decrease in domestic AOL brand subscribers and an unfavorable impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The growth in ad revenues reflected strong growth across each of the major ad categories – display, pay for performance and paid-search.

    Revenues from movies declined by 10 per cent to $2.4 billion, due primarily to difficult comparisons to higher home video revenues in the prior year quarter, which included Ocean’s 12 and The Aviator as well as several seasons of Seinfeld. Additionally, the second quarter of 2005 had benefitted from revenue from theatrical product on television, including various Harry Potter availabilities.

  • Lanka Tri-series: SC rules Ten Sports’ need not share feed with DD

    Lanka Tri-series: SC rules Ten Sports’ need not share feed with DD

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court today ruled in favour of Taj Television, owner of Ten Sports, while restraining pubcaster Prasar Bharati from interfering with the live transmission of the upcoming Sri Lanka tri-series involving India as well.

    India, South Africa and hosts Sri Lanka will figure in the one-day tri-series to be played from 14 to 29 August on the island nation.

    The ruling of the court, valid for the next three months, is not restricted only to cricket but also includes forthcoming major hockey (women’s Champions Trophy and World Cup) and the US Open tennis tournament that Ten Sports holds telecast rights to.

    While delivering its verdict, the apex court applied a similar yardstick to the one it had used ahead of India’s tour to the West Indies in early May. It had then ordered that Ten Sports had exclusive telecast rights to the series and need not share it with the pubcaster.

    Dubai-headquartered Taj Television had in its original petition on the matter sought a stay on the government guidelines making it mandatory for sports channels to share feed of sporting events of national importance with Prasar Bharati.

    It also contended that the court should be guided by the earlier verdict in the India-Pakistan series wherein DD was just a carrier of the Ten Sports signals on its terrestrial network and had also deposited a sum of Rs 150 million in the court towards possible compensation to Ten Sports.

    The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice Markandey Katju. The Bench had earlier issued notices to the information and broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati on Ten Sports’ plea.

    In its plea, Ten Sports contended that it had acquired exclusive live telecast rights for all these events. In particular, it had acquired rights for the tri-series for four years from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board at a cost of about Rs 2.18 billion.

    It is worth noting that Ten Sports’ rights to Sri Lanka cricket, which it has held since 1 January 2004, comes to a close on to 31 December 2006.

  • Dish, Star DTH cases: SC declines interim order

    Dish, Star DTH cases: SC declines interim order

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today refused to pass any interim order on petitions filed by Dish TV and Star India relating to a disputes tribunal directive on channel pricing for the DTH platform.

    The apex court admitted both the petitions, but is yet to decide on the next date of hearing.

    Dish TV, the country’s first pay DTH platform, had petitioned to get Star channels at a cheaper rate than what had been directed by TDSAT (Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal). On the other hand, Star’s contention was that the disputes tribunal had no jurisdiction over pricing issues and had accordingly sought a stay on TDSAT’s order.

    An executive of Dish TV said, “We’d have to wait for the court directive. But in the meantime, a deal with Star can be concluded at the prescribed rate of Rs 27 per subscriber.”

    Earlier, TDSAT had said that Star should make available its channels to Dish TV at half the rate at which they are available to cable ops presently. This worked out to RS 27 per subscriber.

    It was only yesterday that Star delivered to Dish TV the integrated receiver decoder boxes that would enable the DTH operator to access its channels for redistribution purposes.

  • Lanka Tri-series: SC rules Ten Sports’ need not share feed with DD

    Lanka Tri-series: SC rules Ten Sports’ need not share feed with DD

    MUMBAI: The Supreme Court today ruled in favour of Taj Television, owner of Ten Sports, while restraining pubcaster Prasar Bharati from interfering with the live transmission of the upcoming Sri Lanka tri-series involving India as well.

    India, South Africa and hosts Sri Lanka will figure in the one-day tri-series to be played from 14 to 29 August on the island nation.

    The ruling of the court, valid for the next three months, is not restricted only to cricket but also includes forthcoming major hockey (women’s Champions Trophy and World Cup) and the US Open tennis tournament that Ten Sports holds telecast rights to.

    While delivering its verdict, the apex court applied a similar yardstick to the one it had used ahead of India’s tour to the West Indies in early May. It had then ordered that Ten Sports had exclusive telecast rights to the series and need not share it with the pubcaster.

    Dubai-headquartered Taj Television had in its original petition on the matter sought a stay on the government guidelines making it mandatory for sports channels to share feed of sporting events of national importance with Prasar Bharati.

    It also contended that the court should be guided by the earlier verdict in the India-Pakistan series wherein DD was just a carrier of the Ten Sports signals on its terrestrial network and had also deposited a sum of Rs 150 million in the court towards possible compensation to Ten Sports.

    The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice Markandey Katju. The Bench had earlier issued notices to the information and broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati on Ten Sports’ plea.

    In its plea, Ten Sports contended that it had acquired exclusive live telecast rights for all these events. In particular, it had acquired rights for the tri-series for four years from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board at a cost of about Rs 2.18 billion.

    It is worth noting that Ten Sports’ rights to Sri Lanka cricket, which it has held since 1 January 2004, comes to a close on to 31 December 2006.

  • STAR Sports to telecast Planet Cricket; India ’s first ever cricketing travelogue

    New Delhi November 13, 2006 – ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s premier sports broadcaster, will present Planet Cricket, a six episode cricketing travelogue covering the five venues on India ‘s calendar to South Africa . The series will cover the five cricket grounds of Centurion, Johannesburg , Port Elizabeth , Cape Town and Durban with the sixth episode being the highlights of the previous five. The show, a preview series to India ’s tour of South Africa will be hosted by the quintessential Gautam Bhimani and will go on air from November 13, 2006.

    With one episode dedicated to one venue, each episode will not just be a guide to the actual cricket ground of the region, but will also cover some memorable cricket moments from that very ground. The show will also add the travel element by taking the viewers on a tour of the region covering the sights, sounds and smells of a nation that is one of the world’s most sought after tourist hotspots.

    The places covered will include spots of historical significance like Soweto , the township that housed Nelson Mandella and Bishop Desmond Tutu or even the house that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lived in for 21 years and the courts in which he practiced during his early days in South Africa . Apart from the historical aspect, the travelogue will get away to the fabled Sun City, climb magnificent Table Mountain, drive down the world famous Garden Route, soak in the beaches of Durban, taste the heady wines at the legendary vineyards of the Western Cape, explore Kruger National Park and other world famous Safari spots, attempt the world’s highest Bungee Jump and take a breathtaking trip to the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of the African Continent.

    On the cricketing side of it, there will be mouth watering cricket action, much of it involving Team India including Sachin Tendulkar’s 169 at Cape Town and Sourav Ganguly’s audacious hundred in Johannesburg in 2001. Not to be left out is the greatest ever one day international between Australia and South Africa at the Wanderers in 2006 that showered a mammoth 872 runs.

    Catch Gautam Bhimani take you on a spectacular ride of South Africa , only on STAR Sports

    Date Fixture Time Channel
    13-17 Nov 06 Planet Cricket , South Africa 20:30 STAR Sports
    18 Nov 06 Planet Cricket , South Africa 19:30 STAR Sports

    India Time. Schedule subject to change

  • Trai answers questions about CAS

    MUMBAI: In pursuance of the Directions of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court on implementation of CAS, the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata by 31 December 2006 and Chennai (where it is already in implementation), Trai has taken a number of initiatives. As part of the process of implementation and to facilitate enhanced consumer awareness, Trai has placed on its website a compilation containing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on CAS and related Orders and Regulations of TRAI.

    These are meant to educate the subscribers and the general public in the four metros about CAS. The attempt is to provide answers in a language which a layman can understand, the compilation covers questions, answers to which are necessary to clear doubts and provide greater clarity. The detailed FAQs are available on Trai’s website www.Trai.gov.in.

    The FAQs begin with background information about Cable TV operations. Thereafter there are specific questions related to the following items:-

    – Conditional Access System/Addressable System, CAS Area, Non CAS areas etc.
    – Set Top Box, Smart Card, STB Tariff package etc.
    – Free to air channel, pay channel, basic service tier tariff.
    – Benchmarks and timelines for quality of service.

    It is hoped that these answers to Frequently Asked Questions would help consumer organizations and consumers to ensure that the benefits intended to be provided to them by the various orders of the Authority are fully availed off.

  • Raj TV declares status in CAS areas

    Raj TV declares status in CAS areas

    MUMBAI: TRAI had issued press releases on 15/10/06, 25/10/06 and 14.11.2006 placing the details of Maximum Retail Prices fixed by the broadcasters in respect of CAS areas on the basis of the reporting done by them in terms of clause 7 (ii) of the Tariff Order of 31/8/2006.

    The list placed on the website currently contains details of 13 broadcasters. Subsequently, the Authority was informed that some of the pay channels listed in the website are not pay channels in some of the notified areas. The issue was accordingly taken up with the broadcasters and the broadcasters have now indicated the correct position in respect of these identified channels.

    The changes reported so far is in respect of the following channels:-

    Name of the Channel and Broadcaster Status as reported earlier Status as reported now
    M/s Raj Television Network Raj TV, Raj Digital, Vissa TV Pay Channel in all notified areas Pay channel in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, but FTA in Chennai

    A corrected and updated list has been placed on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in.

  • The Bond Mania culminates with the best of action this week on Star Movies

    The Bond Mania culminates with the best of action this week on Star Movies

    MMumbai, November 10, 2006… He is suave, sophisticated, superhero …He is Pierce Brosnan as the greatest spy of Hollywood – Bond, James Bond. He comes to your television sets this week as Star Movies brings to you the Absolute Bond Festival! If you have not caught on the Bond mania then this is your last chance as the Absolute Bond Festival concludes this week. It’s time to treat your eyes to your favorite Bond – Pierce Brosnan and catch the best of action on box office blockbusters like Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is not enough and Die Another Day from this Monday to Thursday at 9 p.m. only on Star Movies!

    Mon, Nov 27 @ 21:00
    GOLDENEYE
    Starring Pierce Brosnan, Famke Janssen and Sean Bean
    Directed by Martin Campbell, GOLDENEYE makes the transition to a more modern image for the James Bond series. Bond’s out-of-date womanizing is presented with a feminist challenge from the newly cast Judi Dench as an impenetrable M, and Samantha Bond as a wiser and more forthright Moneypenny. The action sequences, replete with helicopter hijinks and copious explosions, are complex and stylish, making the film a polished sensation.

    Tue, Nov 28 @ 21:00
    TOMORROW NEVER DIES
    Starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce and Michelle Yeoh
    When the People’s Republic of China sinks a British battleship for straying in her waters, media mogul Elliot Carver (Pryce) knew of the attack before it happened. MI6 assigns James Bond (Brosnan) to find out how and why. Trailing Carver from Germany to Vietnam, Bond learns Carver’s made a deal with Communist hardliners that in exchange for provoking a war between the PRC and England, he’ll be granted exclusive broadcast rights over the Chinese mainland. Teaming with External Security Force agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), Bond takes on Carver’s private navy in a race-against-the-clock to prevent World War III.

    Wed, Nov 29 @ 21:00
    THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
    Starring Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards
    When Elektra King (Marceau) escapes her terrorist/kidnapper Renard (Robert Carlyle), James Bond (Brosnan) recovers the ransom and returns it to her oil magnate father. When the rigged cash explodes and kills King, a guilt-ridden Bond wrangles an assignment to protect Elektra and her late father’s Caspian Sea pipeline.

    Thu, Nov 30 @ 21:00
    DIE ANOTHER DAY
    Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens and Rosamund Pike
    James Bond’s newest mission begins with a spectacular high-speed hovercraft chase through a minefield in his investigation of a North Korean terrorist, but the mission is betrayed and despite a spectacular escape attempt, Bond is captured and subjected to vicious North Korean torture, before being released in an exchange of prisoners. The highest grossing Bond movie ever with over US$424 million worldwide.

    So, be part of the Bond Mania and enjoy the non-stop action and fun with ABSOLUTE BOND, from Monday to Thursday at 9 p.m. only on Star Movies!

    About Star
    STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts 60 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel).

    STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com

    For further information please contact:
    In Mumbai
    Zeenat Khan
    Asst Vice President, Publicity
    Star (India) Ltd.
    Tel No. 91-22-56305555

    Shiraz Bhavnani / Aditi Chada
    Asst Vice President, Publicity Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
    Star (India) Ltd. Tel: 91-22-5656 8787
    Tel No. 91-22-56305555 Fax: 91-22-5656 8788
    Email:sbhavnani@vccpl.com / achada@vccpl.com

  • ‘I WANNA BE A SOAPSTAR’ Premieres November 18 on Zee Café

    ‘I WANNA BE A SOAPSTAR’ Premieres November 18 on Zee Café

    MUMBAI : Zee Café brings the latest series that captures 12 aspiring actors who will live full-time on the set ofan actual soap opera.

    Wannabes have to spend their nights with their competitors.

    So the question is: when the judges are away, will the contestants player will the soap opera backstabbing and canoodling continue in real life? Oneeby one, a panel of experts in the field of acting, casting and television production will eliminate cast members until one remains to become the next soap star with a role on the long running series, All My Children.

    Telecast Date: Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 9:00 p.m.
    Synopsis: Episode 1

    Cameron Mathison of of All My Children introduces us to 12 contestants who feel they’ve got what it takes to be on a soap opera. The contestants are shown three existing sets from General Hospital, which they will use to do various scenes.

    Telecast Date: Saturday, November 25, 2006 at 9:00 p.m.
    Synopsis: Episode 2

    The six remaining contestants learn how to do a love scene. The contestants also learn about blocking so they can remember where they need to stand while the camera is shooting their scene. They also get a little coaching from two General Hospital stars on how a love scene is done.