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  • BSkyB’s revenues up eight per cen

    BSkyB’s revenues up eight per cen

    MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider BSkyB has annnounced results for the year ended 30 June 2006.

    Revenue increased by eight per cent to £4.1 billion. Operating profit increased by seven per cent to £877 million, an operating margin of 21 per cent.

    DTH subscribers increased to 8.176 million, registering a growth of 77,000 in the final quarter and 389,000 in the year. Sky+ households increased by 75 per cent to 1.553 million. Multiroom households increased by 62 per cent to 1.047 million. This represents a 13 per cent penetration of total DTH subscribers.

    Preparations were made for the launch of Sky Broadband following the acquisition of Easynet Group. During the year, the company launched Sky HD, new customer management systems were implemented for all DTH customers and key rights to the FA Premier League secured for the 07/08 to 09/10 seasons.

    In addition were major contracts agreed with movie studio and third party channel partners. BSkyB also announced the creation of over 2,000 new jobs for customer advisors and home installation engineers.

    BsSkyB CEO James Murdoch said, “Our industry is changing faster than ever before and for Sky, 2006 has been an important and exciting year. The business and the team have performed well delivering good levels of customer growth, in line with our plans, and strong growth in both revenues and profitability.

    “We have a clear vision for the future growth and direction of our business and we feel encouraged by the strong demand our customers show for new entertainment and communications services. With a continued focus on providing more choice, flexibility and control, we feel confident as we look ahead to the substantial opportunity this market holds for us.”

  • I&B announces initiatives to boost film industry

    I&B announces initiatives to boost film industry

    MUMBAI: The Central Government has taken the following initiatives for facilitating the growth of film sector, as announced by the minister of Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, P R Dasmunsi in Lok Sabha today. 
    The initiatives include:

    – Institutional financing is now available to the film industry.

    – 100 per cent foreign direct investment is permitted in the film sector.

    – Government has encouraged participation in global markets with a view to enhancing the visibility of the film industry abroad.

    – Film weeks and festivals are held on reciprocal basis with various countries.

    – Audiovisual co-production agreement has been signed with the Republic of Italy and Government of UK and similar proposals from other countries are being explored to expand avenues of finances and markets for the Indian film industry.

    – The recommendations of the Committee for the Development of entertainment sector have been conveyed to all the State Governments.

    – The National Film Development Corporation, a public sector unit under this Ministry provides financial assistance and other services to the film industry.
    The endeavor is to facilitate the entertainment sector to achieve its potential and promote growth in exports, so that this sector is able to increase its contribution towards generating income and employment in the country, informs an official press statement.

    The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has also submitted a memorandum on film industry for the 11th Five Year Plan. The memorandum deals with various issues relating to the film sector. It contains suggestions to mitigate video piracy, levy of uniform entertainment tax across all States, fiscal and tax benefits, review of the Cinematograph Act, incentives for setting up polytechnics, institutes and film schools and an Export Promotion Council for films.

  • Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    Channel NewsAsia announces new weekend shows

    MUMBAI: Asian news channel Channel NewsAsia has announced new shows for the weekend. A persentation was made a few days ago for advertisers and sponsors. Over 300 people from the advertising industry and business community attended the event.

    The channel says that the attendees included the network’s key customers who were treated to a grand opening performance of drums and dance featuring a combination of instruments from the East and West.

    Add to that, there were trailers of things to come at the channel in the months ahead. All these were to complement the theme of the event “Influencing the Influential”.

    MediaCorp News MD Woon Tai Ho said, “We have aggressive plans to pursue the potentially immense market in India and China. As we ride the waves, we hope you will come onboard to see how we can add value to your products with a regional reach.”

    Among the new items will be a special coverage of the IMF-World Bank Meetings in Singapore in September and a programme for Internet bloggers to air their views.

    MediaCorp News’ programming managerHaryaty Abdul Rahman said, “The weekend line-up is going to be revamped soon and what viewers will get to see is fresh lifestyle programming and specifically targeted at the PMEBs. We’ll have lots of new genres such as travel, fashion and design and even talk shows for the weekend.”

  • Voom HD Networks & UK’s Electric Sky to create niche programming

    Voom HD Networks & UK’s Electric Sky to create niche programming

    MUMBAI: Voom HD Networks has announced that two co-productions with UK production company Electric Sky to create original niche programming for its high definition channels – Gallery HD with Art of the Heist and Ultra HD with season three of Fashion Avenue.

    Dedicated to imagery and stories from the front line of the art world, Gallery HD will premiere a six part documentary series Art of the Heist uncovering the world’s biggest art thefts in recent history. The show will follow the trail of police, FBI agents and their dubious informants, and provides insights into just how this world operates, from sting to recovery, informs an official release.

    Ultra HD, devoted to the worlds of fashion, beauty and style, will premiere season three of Fashion Avenue. The six half hour episodes will feature supermodel Jodie Kidd shopping at boutiques on the most stylish streets of the world. Currently in production, the show is slated to premiere in first quarter of 2007. Each week, Kidd is joined by a local fashion expert and each sets a shopping mission for themselves within a set budget. They visit shops, boutiques, hot restaurants hotels and nightclubs. Avenues visited in past include Barcelona, Rome, Cape Town, Sydney and Prague.

    Voom HD Networks first worked with Electric Sky in August of 2004, co-producing season one of Fashion Avenue, adds the release.

    “Voom HD Networks is creating original niche programming that is truly maximising the medium of HD. With both of these series we are afforded the opportunity to work again with Electric Sky, a company that has a strong reputation within the international broadcast industry,” said Voom HD Networks GM Greg Moyer. “Art of the Heist and Fashion Avenue contribute to our vast library of compelling HD content while fulfilling a void in a marketplace that is in need of quality high definition original programming.”

    Both series continue Voom HD Networks’ commitment to investing in original niche programming, working with top production companies both domestically and internationally. Gallery HD and Ultra HD are part of the Voom HD Networks, currently available on Dish Network.

  • India to play Australia, Windies in September

    India to play Australia, Windies in September

    MUMBAI: This is one series that should have Zee Sports seriously pushing it as a prime property. Just ahead of the Champions Trophy in October, India will be playing a tri-series against Australia and the West Indies in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

    “The triseries of seven One-Day Internationals between India, Australia and West Indies [is] scheduled to be played in September this year in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as part of the newly formatted Neutral Venue Schedule,” Zee News quoted the BCCI as saying in a statement issued here.

    The series falls under the neutral venue matches that Zee had secured rights to in April with whopping $219.15 million bid (average of $ 8.77 million per match) for 25 matches spread over the next five years. .

    The triseries was approved by the Marketing Sub-committee which met in Mumbai on 28 July, Zee News quoted the BCCI statement as saying.

    The format of the tournament is a league where each of the three teams will play each other twice and the top two will go through to the Finals.

    Singapore will host the first three ODIs while Kuala Lumpur will host the following four matches (including the Finals).

    The Indian board will handle the marketing and sale of television rights, while Cricket Australia will manage and consolidate all ground handling for the series, the BCCI statement adds.

  • Crest Animation Q1 FY07 revenues slips at Rs 51 million

    Crest Animation Q1 FY07 revenues slips at Rs 51 million

    MUMBAI: Crest Animation Studios Ltd, has revenues, which stood at Rs 51 million for the qarter ended 30 June as against Rs 72 million in the same period of last fiscal.

    The net Loss after tax and before has been recorded at Rs 33 million as against Rs 6 million for the corresponding period.

    During the quarter, the company shifted its entire operations into a state of art studio at Ghatkopar, Mumbai. Consequently, this transition resulted in a downtime of three to four weeks in several processes, due to which there was a significant impact in the current quarter’s revenue billings, though all expenses relating thereto and the expenses of shifting have been charged to the accounts, according to an official release.

    The results of the quarter, to the above extent have to be treated as exceptional and may not be comparable consistently with the same quarter for the previous year or with the succeeding quarters.

    The above transition will not impact the planned annual revenues of the company for the year. The company continues to have a healthy outstanding order book position. During the quarter, the Company has signed and begun work on two new DVD/TV projects, aggregating to approximately Rs 210 million with leading international studios for delivery over the next twelve to eighteen months, in addition to the existing projects under execution.

  • Trai rejects MSO plea for a la carte rates for new pay channels

    Trai rejects MSO plea for a la carte rates for new pay channels

    MUMBAI: The cable and broadcast regulator has rejected a proposal from the MSO Alliance that would have required broadcasters to offer new pay channels only as individual channels (a la carte).

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), in its order issued today, noted that “there have been developments in the area of DTH in terms of likelihood of a competing operator and the decision of the Delhi High Court on implementation of CAS in the Metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.” In the light of these developments Trai has come to the conclusion that the proposal to provide for new pay channels only as individual channel WOULD NOT lead to better consumer choice in the absence of addressability at the consumer end. Trai has decided that the only amendment that is required in the Tariff Order of 1 October 2004, is to provide for a framework to benchmark the prices of new pay channels.

    Accordingly, Trai has added a new section 3B to the 1 october 2004 order stating that in determining the similarity of rates of similar channels while benchmarking the price of a new pay channel, the factors such as the genre and language of the new pay channel /converted FTA to pay channel, range of prices ascribed to the channel of similar genre and language in the price of bouquets that existed on 26.12.2003, range of prices of individual channels of similar 
    genre and language as existing in CAS areas would be taken into account.

  • Lanka Tri-series: SC to rule on Ten Sports’ plea

    Lanka Tri-series: SC to rule on Ten Sports’ plea

    MUMBAI: All eyes in the sports broadcast business are on the Supreme Court today, as it is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the plea filed by Taj Television, owner of Ten Sports, seeking a directive to pubcaster Prasar Bharati against interfering with the live transmission of the upcoming Sri Lanka tri-series involving India as well.

    Ten Sports, which holds exclusive telecast rights to Sri Lanka cricket, will obviously be hoping for a ruling similar to the one it secured ahead of India’s tour to the West Indies in early May. The apex court had then ordered that Ten Sports had exclusive telecast rights to the series and need not share it with the pubcaster.

    Ten Sports’ petition is not restricted only to cricket but also includes forthcoming major hockey (women’s Champions Trophy and World Cup) and tennis events (US Open) that it holds telecast rights to.

    The matter will be heard by a Bench of Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice Markandey Katju, the Press Trust of India has reported. The Bench had earlier issued notices to the information and broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati on Ten Sports’ plea.

    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.

  • Sun TV Q1 net profit up 52% to Rs 422.3 million

    Sun TV Q1 net profit up 52% to Rs 422.3 million

    MUMBAI: Sun TV has posted a net profit of Rs 422.30 million for the quarter ended 30 June, 2006 as compared to Rs 277.90 million for the corresponding period last year.

    Meanwhile, the company’s the total income for the period has recorded an increase of 32.5 per cent.

    As per a statement issued by the company, the total income has increased from Rs 746.80 million for the quarter ended 30 June, 2005 to Rs 990.40 million for the quarter ended 30 June, 2006.

    Inspired by the impressive results, the Sun TV scrip recorded a jump of Rs 53.65 (4.85 per cent) at the BSE to close at Rs 1159.70. At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the scrip gained Rs 50.80 to close at 1,158.75.

  • Woosh in internet television deal with Sky TV

    Woosh in internet television deal with Sky TV

    MUMBAI: New Zealand based wireless telecommunications operator Woosh has enterted into a deal with New Zealand’s main pay-television operator Sky Television to deliver channels straight to subscribers online.

    As part of the deal, Woosh has secured rights over 2.3GHz spectrum owned by Sky. The two companies have combined the spectrum rights they own to provide TV, voice and broadband over the airwaves.

    Commenting on the deal, Woosh chairman Rod Inglis says, “This is the next step in our evolving business strategy as Woosh moves to being a fully convergent kiwi telecommunications services company. Wimax will inevitably be part of any full service telecommunications business. Securing Sky as our pay TV content partner is a major boost for Woosh especially as we start to move towards Internet Television or IPTV.”

    Woosh already has spectrum rights and arrangements with other rights holders to give it the capacity to deliver the fast evolving full suite of Wimax services, according to an official release.

    Inglis says “You need at least 50MHz of spectrum to be confident you can match up to the future demands that will emerge with Wimax deployment in New Zealand.”

    Wimax is a broadband wireless standard, often called Wifi on Steroids, initially promoted by Intel and now adopted by many of the worlds’ leading wireless technology vendors.

    Sky Television chief executive John Fellet says, “Sky believes there is an exciting future in delivering content services over Wimax. Woosh has emerged as one the nation’s leaders in broadband wireless and we look forward to working together. We support Woosh’s view that normal spectrum renewal rights be granted to enable rapid deployment of Wimax services.’

    Inglis advises that Woosh investors are committed to a substantial build out using the spectrum.

    Partnerships with third party platform providers such as Woosh form an integral part of Sky’s strategy to deliver to consumers “what they want, when they want it, on any device.

    In the United States, satellite TV operator DirecTV has announced US$2B to support a broadband wireless rollout offering phone, broadband and pay TV services. This follows similar major announcements by SprintNextel and Clearwire in the USA totalling billions of dollars. Intel, Motorola and Craig McCraw, a billionaire wireless pioneer, are funding the Clearwire deployment.

    In Australia, the satellite TV operator Austar has announced a widespread WiMax rollout to complement its pay TV services and a similar offering from Unwired in Australia’s urban areas.

    Under New Zealand’s progressive spectrum management regime Woosh has been able to conclude deals with Telecom and Sky; spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band (a Wimax standard) has been consolidated and reconfigured so that it can provide broadband services using the Wimax technology that is now becoming available.

    Woosh intends continuing with its current UMTS standard TDD network which operates in the 2.0 GHz band. WiMax will be an overlay in the network, as said in the press statement.