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  • Bollywood Fashion Awards recognise Indo-American talents

    Bollywood Fashion Awards recognise Indo-American talents

    MUMBAI: The Bollywood Fashion Awards were held in New York on 29 July 2006, with Broadway’s Bombay Dreams’ lead Manu Narayan as host.

    Kamal Dandona, who launched the Awards, has instituted an event that has become beacon for generations of designers drawing inspiration from both Indian and American traditions.

    Supermodel Iman, presented Rachel Roy with the award for “Outstanding Contribution to American Fashion” for her couture which is a celebrity-favourite in Hollywood.

    Another top honour was given to theater legend Ben Vereen who was felicitated with the specially instituted “Sammy Davis Jr. Award” for combining style and talent. The audience broke into loud applause when he spoke of his desire to go to Bollywood.

    Rouge, the girl-band toppping of the charts in the U.K. and India, was honoured with the award for “Most Stylish International Group.” Later in the evening, they captivated the crowd a performance including their hit song including “Don’t Be Shy.”

    Other awards were taken home by Aryan Vaid for “Model of the Year – Male”, Nethra for “Model of the Year – Female”, Manish Malhotra for “Designer of the Year – Film”, Sabyasachi for “Haute Couture” and Black for “Most Stylish Film.”

    Other performers included DJ Sanj, Sourabh Jain, Narayan and Amir Jamal.

    Among the designers to showcase their collections were Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra, Sushma Patel and Sabyasachi.

  • Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    Government issues CAS notification; CAS in 3 metros by 31 December

    MUMBAI: The government today issued a notification setting 31 December, 2006 as the deadline for the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to be be fully “CAS delivered”.

    The notification honours a commitment made to the Delhi High Court which on 20 July had ordered that CAS (conditional access systems) should be introduced in all three metros on or before 1 January 2007.

    The court, in its order had also made clear its resolve not to allow further delays in the matter, declaring that all pending and any new issues related to CAS raised by the government would be taken up only after the CAS’ implementation deadline of 31 December 2006. Accordingly, it set the next date of hearing on the matter for 10 January 2007.

    The notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4A, read with section 9 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (7 of 1995), the Central Government, having been satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, and having regard to the aforesaid order dated the 20th July, 2006 of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, hereby notifies 31st December, 2006 as the date from which it shall be mandatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of every pay channel through an addressable system in the areas notified by the Government of India in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide number S.O. 792(E) dated the 10th July, 2003.”

    The areas that fall under the CAS notification are the Kolkata Metropolitan areas, the areas covered by the Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai and the National Capital Region of Delhi.

    MSOs and independent cable operators will have to work out commercial agreements with broadcasters including fixing of channel rates. Said SET Discovery Ltd president Anuj Gandhi, “Now the focus will be on MSOs to show their preparedness for CAS. We hope to be ready with our rates in the next three months. By setting 1 January as the deadline, we will have to compress the time frame a bit.”

  • Hinduja TMT Q1 records profit at Rs 1670.53 million

    Hinduja TMT Q1 records profit at Rs 1670.53 million

    MUMBAI: Hinduja TMT Ltd has posted a profit of Rs 1670.53 million for the quarter ended 30 June, as against Rs 105.40 million for the same period a year ago.

    Total income is Rs 2850.10 million for the quarter, as against Rs 411.48 million a year ago.

    The figures related to the quarter ended 30 June, are not comparable to the corresponding previous quarter, since the company’s Manila Branch commenced operations with effect from 1 October, 2005.

    HTMT provides information technology (IT), business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact center services.

  • Sony to launch adaptation of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in September

    Sony to launch adaptation of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in September

    MUMBAI: Reality shows and Sony Entertainment Television (SET) go hand in hand and have more or less become synonymous with each other. Having already launched Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul and Fear Factor and with the buzz being high on upcoming new launches like Big Brother and Extreme Makeover; comes another adaptation of the ABC’s reality show Dancing With the Stars on Sony.

    The Indian adaptation – Jhalak Dikhla Ja – will be co-produced by Siddhartha Basu’s Synergy Communications and Theatre Red and is scheduled to launch in the first week of September. Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be a bi-weekly show and will involve a high level of audience participation and viewer interactivity.

    Dancing with the Stars is the American version of the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing. The concept of the show is to pair a celebrity with a professional dancer in an attempt to win a high score from a panel of three judges and then a majority of votes from the viewers, who can call in or vote online. The person who receives the lowest score is eliminated.

    SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mondloi says, “We will have celebrities from different walks of life like television, Bollywood, cricket and hospitality industry.”

    When queried as to how Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be different from Star One’s successful show – Nach Baliye – which was based on the same lines, Mondloi says, “All shows have certain amount of similarities whether it is a soap or a reality show. The key differentiator of Jhalak Dikhla Ja will be the viewer interaction. We will be looking at having maximum touch points for viewers to select their favourite celebrity and choreographer pair.”

    As per the original format, phone lines open at the beginning of each show for viewers to vote for their favorite couples and stay open for 30 minutes after the show ends. The couple with the lowest score is knocked out of the competition and one couple will be knocked out of the competition each week, starting with the first week. Online voting options are also made available and only one vote per email address is allowed.

    With its pulse firmly on the reality meter, Sony will be launching the local version of Big Brother in November this year. On the other hand, Extreme Makeover will launch sometime early next year along with the second season of Fear Factor India. Another reality show on the cards is Paisa Bhaari Padega. The subsequent seasons of Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul also cannot be dismissed altogether!

    Only time will tell whether the reality overdose will eventually lead to viewer fatigue on Sony; but it’s worth keeping in mind that reality shows are just spurts in the overall programming scenario and hence Sony will also have to pull up their socks on some high voltage drama and fiction front. New fiction shows on Sony like Thodi Khushi Thode Gham, Aisa Desh Hai Mera, Vaidehi and Akela still have to pick up steam on the ratings front, where Star shows are omnipresent and Zee’s Saath Phere, Kasamh Se and Sambhav Asambhav too are definitely making a mark.

  • Channel [V] launches animated Simpoo on wireless platform

    Channel [V] launches animated Simpoo on wireless platform

    MUMBAI: Star India’s music arm Channel [V] has launched its eccentric animated character Simpoo, the math professor on the mobile platform.

    The launch of the new Simpoo Zone on the WAP site www.wap.star7827.com, the users can download the animated character on their mobile phones as wallpapers, animations, themes and soon to come video downloads.

    Star 7827 has also created a game called Super Simpoo which could be previewed on the website www.star7827.com. The Simpoo game is a Star 7827 exclusively available to BSNL, BPL, Hutch, DWL, and Spice telecom subscribers, informs an official release.

    Channel [V}’s eccentric Simpoo, India’s most popular animated character has evolved over the years from a passive Math teacher to an activist for animals, renouncing all things non-vegetarian in support of PETA. Now he enters yet another phase in his eventful life as he sets forth on a new mission of saving the school kids from giggling Gabbar, on th5e first of its kind Super Simpoo mobile game.

    Visibly excited about this new phase in Simpoo’s life, Amar K Deb, Head Honcho Channel [V} says ‘We spoke to Simpoo Sir about his foray into the wireless world and in true Simpoo style he jumped at it with the small concern that his students should not spend their Math classes playing Super Simpoo instead’.

    Commenting on the launch of the Simpoo Zone, Star India St VP Viren Popli said, “In line with our promise to offer a variety of quality and exclusive content to our consumers we are very excited about the first character from Star’s TV network that is being extended to the mobile screen as a mobile game. We have created a mobile content package on our wapsite; the Simpoo zone and we hope to bring other such popular Star TV characters onto the mobile screen in the future. With the charm of your regular eccentric college math professor, Simpoo has a very good connect with young mobile subscribers. And whatever is popular on the mobile device today, it’s out here on Star 7827.”

  • Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    Radio Mirchi to be on common frequency 98.3 FM from 1 Aug

    MUMBAI: The Mumbai based Entertainment Network Ltd, which runs radio stations under the brand name Radio Mirchi will be available on a common frequency 98.3 FM, with effect from 1 August.

    At present, the brand which operates in Pune, Indore and Ahmedabad are not yet part of the common frequency network.With this, Radio Mirchi, which launched its radio operations on different frequency in Hyderabad 95 FM, Bangalore 93.3 FM and Jaipur 105 FM, will all shift on 98.3 FM, according to a press statement.

    Radio Mirchi, which is heard in metro cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are already running on 98.3 FM.

    Earlier this year, the private radio FM operators had made a presentation to the information & broadcasting ministry seeking permission to switch over to a common frequency, per operator, across markets.

    According to Entertainment Network (India) LTD MD and CEO, “Operating from a common frequency will provide us with the benefit of building the brand in a consistent manner and help make our communication more effective, across cities.

    “Moreover, listeners frequently on the move too can get their daily dose of Radio Mirchi while travelling inter city (between Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata).”

    Radio Mirchi airs hits in contemporary music, city happenings, Bollywood gossip, special interviews, exclusive film promotional tie-ups and lots more.

  • Radio One kicks off in Bangalore on 1 August

    Radio One kicks off in Bangalore on 1 August

    MUMBAI: The third FM radio station to officially launch in the city of gardens –Bangalore is Radio One FM 94.3 on 1 August.

    Radio One is a Mid-Day Multimedia and BBC Worldwide venture. The radio station will offer a mix of hit Kannada and Hindi music. The entire programming package is designed to celebrate the spirit of young Bangalore with Kannada roots.

    Radio City was the first Fm radio station to launch, but under the Phase I of FM privatization. The Phase II saw the launch of Radio Mirchi.

    “We are very excited with our launch in Bangalore as we believe we are the first private FM station targeted at the majority local population. Given the huge potential gap the latent need of the market we are very confident of a leadership position in Bangalore,” Radio One CEO Rajesh Tahil says.

    “Radio One has been testing its signal in Bangalore for over two weeks now and has already caught the imagination of the city. “We have already started receiving over 1000 responses a day over SMS, email and on the phone. Listeners have welcomed this Hit radio station with a lot of enthusiasm.

    “Radio One has advertisers on-board from the day one of its launch. Clients like Hindustan Levers, Purvankara Builders and Coke reposed great faith in the station on the basis of our product offering and have over 10 clients signed up since launch day.” adds Tahil.

    Early June, Radio Midday Go 92.5 FM underwent a change in its brand identity as well as positioning of the FM channel. From a niche player, Go 92.5 FM entered to a mass player as Radio One.

  • LG outlines growth strategy in the US

    LG outlines growth strategy in the US

    MUMBAI: LG Electronics in the US has recently celebrated innovation, technology and design at an event at Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum, where more than 200 of the world’s most famous personalities are celebrated and honoured.

    The company hosted its annual LG – Life’s Good summer line show at New York City where LG US CEO Michael Ahn updated guests on progress in the company’s key products categories – digital displays, digital media, home appliances and mobile phones.

    Ahn said, “LG continues to strengthen its premium brand image, and develop products and technologies that enrich peoples’ lives on a daily basis. Our ‘Life’s Good’ marketing theme embodies our commitment to creating leading-edge technologies and design that enhance the way we live, work and interact with each other.”

    Ahn highlighted progress in key areas, including brand, revenue and market leadership: He noted that since the official US brand launch in 2003, LG has increased its aided awareness from 33 per cent in 2004 to 65 per cent in 2005, demonstrating the company’s success of the “Life’s Good” campaign, as well as its premium brand positioning.

    This year, the company launched a new broadcast and print advertising campaign, highlighting its three product divisions, and announced the exclusive three-year title sponsorship of the LG Skins Game a golf event. Ahn noted that what helps to further enhance its brand in the US are premium products and technologies – such as its flat-panel HDTVs with integrated high-definition digital video recorders, the TV Refrigerator with WeatherPlus, the LG SteamWasher and the

    all-new ‘Chocolate’ mobile phone.
    Ahn explained that LG Electronics continues to see impressive growth across all divisions. For the first half of 2006, brand revenues grew by 11 per cent from the first half of last year. For the full-year 2005, LG revenues in the US, Canada and Mexico increased by more than 17 per cent, with sales totaling $9 billion.

    He said, “We are dedicated to bringing premium products to consumers, and continue to make great strides in establishing and maintaining our leadership position across all divisions” . For example, LG continues to be the fastest growing mobile phone brand in North America according to Strategy Analytics and is the largest provider of CDMA handsets worldwide. Supporting continued momentum for LG mobile phones are unique new mobile phone designs and features coming to the US later this year.

    As the world’s largest producer of flat-panel displays, LG says that it continues to capitalise on its technology leadership for the US market, Ahn said. He explains that the long-term winners will be those like LG Electronics that possess core technologies in-house. Combining style and functionality, LG claims to have the only LCD and plasma HDTVs with built-in high-definition digital video recorders.

    Further, LG says that it continues to maintain its number one position in the US digital storage market led by its Super Multi optical drives (including its new Blu-Ray drive), while continuing the growth of its LCD computer monitor business.

  • Government to set up 3 TV centres, 8 more to be augmented

    Government to set up 3 TV centres, 8 more to be augmented

    MUMBAI: The Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs minister P R Dasmunsi in Lok Sabha has announced that three new TV centres are to be set up and eight more to be augmented in the country.

    Under the plan to set up new TV Centres, the ones at Rajouri (J&K) and Calicut (Kerala) are technically ready whereas the site has been taken over and building plans have been finalised for the Tirupati studio. Target completion date is 2008-2009, informs an official release.

    In the case of eight augmentation projects for existing TV centres, the technical area of building has been completed for Gorakhpur and departmental works have been taken up with the aim to complete it in 2006-2007.

    As regards additional studios in Chandigarh, Panaji, Jammu and Srinagar, building plans have been finalised and preliminary estimates for building works sanctioned. For project of a studio at Derhadun, land has been taken over and building plan finalised. In the case of work of building construction has been awarded.

    These projects are expected to be completed within 2008-2009. For the augmentation of studio at Portblair, the scheme has been approved and financial sanction issued and the target for completion is 2007-2008, adds the release.

  • TV18 & SAIF’s Home Shopping Network appoints Sundeep Malhotra as CEO

    TV18 & SAIF’s Home Shopping Network appoints Sundeep Malhotra as CEO

    MUMBAI: Television Eighteen has appointed a chief executive officer for its yet-to-launch Home Shopping Network. Pepsi Foods Ltd executive VP- sales Sundeep Malhotra has been named as the CEO for the Home shopping channel.

    At Pepsi Foods LTD, Malhotra was spearheading Modern Trade & On Premise channels for Pepsi’s Indian subcontinent beverage businesses. Apart from his five year stint with PepsiCo, he also has over 15 years of experience in the retail industry, working with companies like Bata and Benetton, informs an official statement.

    Early this year, TV18 had announced the launch of the Home Shopping Network in association with the SAIF Partners.

    According to TV18 CEO Haresh Chawla says “Sundeep brings with him an immense knowledge of both consumer behaviour and fast changing channel and sales dynamics which are critical for this business. I am confident that his robust consumer orientation and his diversified retail and organised trade experience, will give Home Shopping Network a cutting edge.”