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  • Rupert Murdoch plans to divide wealth equally between children

    Rupert Murdoch plans to divide wealth equally between children

    MUMBAI: Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has said that he plans to divide his wealth equally among his six children. In an interviw on US broadcaster CBS’ Charlie Rose Show he added that if he died tomorrow, his four elder children would decide who among them would control the family trust’s 30% control of the media conglomerate. Murdoch has also said that his two younger children through his third marriage to Wendi Deng will not have a role in the future of News Corp.

    This reports indicate settles confusion over who will take over the reins once Murdoch steps down. It was this confusion that led to a fight that saw Lachlan Murdoch quitting the company last year. The four children from Murdoch’s first two marriages Prudence, Lachlan, Elizabeth and James will control the family’s controlling stake in News Corp once he dies.

    “If I go under a bus tomorrow, it will be the four of them will have to decide which of the ones should lead them,” he said.

  • Phillips India launches on the go MP3 players

    Phillips India launches on the go MP3 players

    MUMBAI: Phillips Electronics India has launched the GoGear Portable Digital Audio MP3 Players range.

    Phillips says that its GoGear jukeboxes provide the easiest way to access and enjoy infotainment by giving the user ‘ultimate control’ over playback and browsing.
    Your Music, Your Data on the go – everyday

    Philips has launched the GoGear Portable Audio MP3 Players range in an effort to deliver on its recently launched Brand Promise of “Sense and Simplicity”. The Philips GoGear MP3 Players range offers great benefits such as providing convenient wire-free USB transfer, adequate memory storage in the range of 512 Mega Byte -1Giga Byte, voice recording facility, a battery life of 8 hrs, audio playability of MP3, WMA and WAV.

    Phillips India dierctor entertainment solutions Gunjan Srivastava said, “Through the launch of the Phillips Go Gear Portable Digital Audio MP3 Players, Phillips aims to make this segment affordable to a broader base of Indian consumers, who are young at heart and enjoy the music experience. Phillips has always worked towards bringing cutting edge technologies and providing ‘value for money’ to the consumers.

    “Phillips GoGear jukeboxes provide the easiest way to access and enjoy infotainment by giving you “ultimate control” over playback and browsing.”

    The Phillips GoGear Portable Digital Audio MP3 Players range is available at select multi-brand Consumer Electronics outlets and Mobile phones counters in addition to the Arenas- network of exclusive Phillips Brand shops, in key cities, spread across the country.

    In conjunction with the Go Gear MP3 Players launch, Phillips in partnership with Radio City has sannounced a contest for Bangalore consumers called The Phillips GoGear Contest, that allowed music enthusiasts to create a play list of their favourite songs and send it to Radio City. The contest attracted a large number of participants and many of them got a chance to win Philips GoGears, invites to the special launch party and one mega prize of being a ‘DJ for a night’.

    At a press conference, Neema Shariff, the participant with the best play list, was declared as the winner of the contest. Followed by the Press Conference, the winner got a chance to be the DJ for a Night and play her song list along with the famous DJ Chico at a party specially organised by Philips to celebrate the launch at Club Noir, Le Meridien – one of the most happening pubs of Bangalore.

  • Two students stand Taller, Stronger and Sharper to represent Mumbai at the Horlicks Wiz Team National Finals

    Two students stand Taller, Stronger and Sharper to represent Mumbai at the Horlicks Wiz Team National Finals

    Mumbai, July 24, 2006: Horlicks, the only Health Drink in India that has been proven to make kids Taller, Stronger and Sharper returned to Mumbai with its highly successful and India’s largest inter school festival, Horlicks Wiz Kids 2006 and Horlicks Wiz Team city finals. The city finals culminated in great excitement with two students emerging as the winners who will form the Horlicks Wiz team 2006 from Mumbai and will represent the city in the national finals in November 2006. Bigger than ever before, in its third successive year, the event received participation from more than 2,00,000 students from over 1500 schools and was held at Bhaidas Hall, near Mithibai College, Mumbai

    Horlicks Wiz Kids 2006 by ACTIVITY provided an enjoyable and enriching platform for students to encourage participation and team spirit through a variety of competitions on diverse subjects such as literature, art, singing, dramatics and others. The Horlicks Wiz Kids inter school festival helps students develop the ability and confidence to express their views and talents and not restrict themselves to only academics.

    Talent activity comprising of Style Act, Short Play, Fusion Group Dance and Group Melody gives students the confidence to perform in front of a live audience and showcase their talents. Under Vocal activity, competitions such as Quiz, Hindi Antakshari, Extempore, Speaker of the Year and Air Crash enables students to be quick and attentive, sharpen memory skills and encourage them to express themselves through speech and music. Students learn how to be creative and convey their thoughts and opinions through Literary activity which includes English Creative Essay Writing, State Language Essay writing and Calligraphy. Art activity involves Painting, Pencil Sketching, Greeting Card Making, Pot Making, Collage and Mehndi Design to bring out the innovative and creative talents in every student. Competitions related to Creative activity such as Little Cook, Flower arrangement, Still Photography allows students freedom to experiment with their creativity. Drawing and Fancy Dress competition at the Kids activity and some competitions at the Informal activity such as Face Painting, The Search and Crossword encourage students to start young and perform in an informal atmosphere.

    Horlicks Wiz Teams 2006 is a unique personality and talent search for students who epitomise the Horlicks Generation: Taller, Stronger and Smarter. The winners of the Horlicks Wiz Team 2006 in Mumbai were chosen following an elaborate evaluation procedure. The students were judged on their performance in three rounds: the written elimination round, the interview round and a final selection round on the main stage comprising of the talent round, the versatility round and the judges’ question round. Students were evaluated on their overall personality, stage presence, confidence, self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills, critical thinking, creativity, decision-making and problem solving ability, stress management and emotional quotient. The two students will now compete against 48 students from 24 other cities at the grand finale.

    “Horlicks Wiz Kids and Horlicks Wiz Team enhance each student’s ability to stand tall, to be sharp and to be strong in all aspects of development, creating a Taller, Stronger, Sharper generation which has the ability to keep pace with the changing world. Horlicks Wiz Kids encourages and provides students with a healthy environment of participation and self improvement,” commented Mr Subhajit Sen, Vice President, Marketing, Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

  • ‘Culturally, linguistically diverse India is a test case for us’ : Sesame Workshop India ED Sashwati Banerjee

    ‘Culturally, linguistically diverse India is a test case for us’ : Sesame Workshop India ED Sashwati Banerjee

     For both Sesame Workshop and its newly-appointed executive director for Indian operations, Sashwati Banerjee, India is a big challenge. The US-based Sesame Workshop might have revolutionized pre-school education through various initiatives, including the path-breaking TV show Sesame Street, but replicating a global model here will be a tough task.

    Rather, if communications expert Banerjee is to be believed, Sesame Workshop is adopting an entirely new game plan for India, apart from innovating on some aspects that incorporate what it has done in other parts of the globe. She agrees that India may become the incubator for a model that could be replicated elsewhere too.

    Founded in 1968, Sesame Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programmes and products are engaging and enriching.

    For Banerjee, who’s dabbled in various assignments from India to Hong Kong to the US, the changeover to children’s education from healthcare communications is a step that was not taken easily. But after initial doubts were cleared by Sesame Workshop CEO Gary Knell, it has been hectic work for the lady who grew up and studied in Delhi, but spent quite a few years in Hong Kong doing “this and that”, as she would modestly say.

    In this conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra, Banerjee spells out her priorities and gives a glimpse into Workshop’s plans for India. She also cribs a bit on procedural delays and lack of readily available comprehensive data/research on government-aided education initiatives and child behaviour.

    Excerpts:

    What’s the aim of setting up Sesame Workshop India?
    Sesame Workshop India would primarily be the outreach arm to promote early childhood initiative and the educational curriculum of Galli Galli Sim Sim (the Indian version of Sesame Street) through a multi media platform, especially to children who are most in need or underserved. The educational curriculum of Galli Galli… has been designed by Indian educators, researchers and writers keeping in mind India’s cultural and social diversity and needs.

    How will that be done?
    What Sesame Workshop really brings to the table is technical knowledge and expertise in early childhood education and development. These are the two broad areas we are working with. How will it go about doing it? One arm of the education initiative is the television show Galli Galli… which is going to be broadcast on Cartoon Network, Pogo and (terrestrial broadcaster) Doordarshan. The other aspect of the initiative is to see how we can extend and reinforce that learning through a variety of other activities with the help of technology to bridge the digital divide.

    The target audience is children aged between two to six years and their caregivers, which include parents and teachers using educational materials that are fun and make learning engaging “because all children deserve a chance to dream and discover, to understand the world and their place in it, to reach their highest potential…”

    We would be working with other organizations that are already active in this field and our mandate is to help them develop programmes that will take such initiatives forward.
    ‘Seed Funding has been provided by Turner India‘

    How would Sesame Workshop leverage Galli Galli…?
    Television is just one of the ways in which the educational curriculum will be delivered is television. Sesame Workshop India will help to deliver Galli Galli… across other mediums – from print, training, interpersonal communication to high technology initiatives like the internet. While the television series is expected to reach audiences across India, there is still a large population who have limited or no access to television. It is through Sesame Workshop India’s outreach efforts that this population will be reached.

    Moreover, research has shown that children who watch Sesame Street or its various local versions in countries round the globe are better prepared for school in terms of cognitive learning and the show has helped prevent children from dropping out of school.

    When is Galli Galli Sim Sim likely to make its debut on Cartoon Network and Pogo?
    Galli Galli Sim Sim will premiere on Cartoon Network in mid-August after which it will be aired on Pogo. But for those broadcasting details, Turner is best placed to provide more information.

    How is Sesame Workshop funding its initiatives in India?
    Seed Funding has been provided by Turner India (a Time Warner company). Sesame Workshop India, like any other not-for-profit organization, will raise funds to support its activities in India.

    When Indiantelevision.com spoke to Sesame CEO Gary Knell, he had said corporate houses too would be roped in for funding activities. Has any development taken place in this regard?
    Those things would take place after we set up shop formally and get our basic act in place. Presently, we are in the process of getting our clearances from various government agencies.

    However, we’d like to tap big corporate houses for funds as part of a corporate’s social responsibilities. There are quite a few business houses that are involved in educational initiatives and we’ll look at partnering with them in various ways.

    What role would the Indian government play in Sesame’s scheme of things? What are those few things that Sesame must consider as it goes forward?
    In order to understand the critical priorities of the Indian government – where Sesame Workshop can collaborate, and highlight areas of concern – Sesame Workshop had organized a workshop that brought together a cross-section of relevant stakeholders in New Delhi in early December 2005.

    Briefly, the discussions were participative and each government department and agency, professional educational bodies, and the voluntary sector brought their own set of issues to the fore providing for comprehensive inputs towards future planning and strategy. In fact, there was a consensus around the fact that the media can help overcome constraints posed by the existing administrative structures across the country, which are highly segmented.

    We are hoping to work with diverse partners, develop and create innovative materials and build capacity at all levels. Our vision is to reach as many children as possible in India by partnering with government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Universal Education programme with material that will make learning joyful and help the government in reaching its educational objectives.

    Considering Turner International India had provided the money for a corpus, what would be its role?
    Turner is the TV series’ co-producer and distributor of Galli Galli Sim Sim. Together, Sesame Workshop and Turner are committed to making Galli Galli Sim Sim a break-through educational programme and brand. Sesame and Turner are working closely to ensure that India’s children will have access to this new show and its educational messages, and are actively pursuing promoting the show on multiple platforms across India.

    Is the telecast deal with Turner exclusive or can it be done with other broadcasters in other Indian languages too?
    As far as the agreement with Turner is concerned, all I can say is that it’s for at least five years or five seasons of Galli, Galli… I cannot hand out any financial details or presently comment on the fact whether we can work with other broadcasters or not.

    Generally, Sesame Workshop works with the public service broadcaster of the country concerned, but there had been some initial problems with Doordarshan, which, I am told, have been sorted out now by Turner India.

    India is a vast country and getting educational initiatives in all the local languages would not be possible. But we would certainly be exploring at least one South Indian language, if not two, apart from Hindi. The details haven’t yet been worked out and would be done in consultation with Turner.

    Will the Indian ops undertake merchandising activities too?
    We are focusing on the launch of the show and have nothing to announce at the moment.

    How are such merchandising activities done elsewhere in the world?
    Sesame Workshop operates in 120 different countries. The modus operandi varies from country to country and partner to partner.

    How is the revenue generated from such activities used and what will be the game plan for India?
    Like I said, Sesame Workshop is a not-for-profit organization. Any revenue generated through merchandising or licensing go towards providing quality early childhood education and development around the world – to those who are most in need.

    How important is India as a market for Sesame?
    Of the 103 million children aged 2-6 years, over 35 per cent in rural areas and 48 per cent in urban areas can’t access Early Childhood Care and Education. Roughly 100 million live in urban slums alone, which have no access to Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) that is the primary vehicle for Early Childhood Care and Education in India.

    While Early Childhood Care and Education is definitely a felt need and lot of efforts have been put in by the government and private institutions, other issues like malnutrition and child heath take precedence for ICDS. Demand has never been an issue in education. Supply is what we need to focus on.

    Does Sesame Workshop feel that the Indian regulatory environment requires too many procedural clearances impeding quick start of operations?
    Actually, the Indian regulatory environment has been extremely supportive for us. We have had representation from the government and other public education bodies right from conceptualization to production of Galli Galli Sim Sim, which is being produced for Turner by Miditech. We work closely with Indian educators to arrive at the educational curriculum that looks at ‘whole child’ approach and is very much in line with the education policy of this country.

    However, India is a test case for Sesame Workshop as it is uniquely ahead of most developing countries in terms of market and economy and the size of population. More importantly, India is not a donor funded country as sizeable infrastructure is being built by Indians. Then in India, we are not working primarily with the terrestrial broadcaster, unlike in other countries. We do hope that the time block on DD will continue airing Galli Galli… for a long time to come.

    I don’t see Galli Galli… broadcasting in 22 Indian languages. What we can do is to take the essence of educational initiatives and roll it out in outreach that can happen in multiple languages.

    In those terms, India is a learning experience for Sesame to see what kind of partnerships work best and how sustainable models can be built up for impact in a country that is culturally and linguistically diverse.
  • Star World to telecast ‘Miss Universe’ live on 24 July

    Star World to telecast ‘Miss Universe’ live on 24 July

    MUMBAI: Star World will telecast the 55th edition of the Miss Universe pageant live on 24 July. The show is scheduled for a 6:30 am telecast with primetime repeat telecast at 8 pm.

    At the conclusion of the biggest beauty event this summer, Canadian native Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005 – will crown her successor in front of millions of viewers globally.

    This year, Asia has some strong contenders, with Miss Australia Erin McNaught, Miss India Neha Kapur, Miss Philippines Lia Andrea Ramos and Miss Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez.

  • Eyeing B.A.G-ful of opportunities in media

    In the 1990s when a rookie TV producer called Anurradha Prasad started B.A.G. Films — (some old hands in the company say the strange acronym stands for Bhagwan, Allah, God) — skeptics sneered that it was another flight of fancy of a young girl from a well connected political family of Bihar, a state that can easily be dubbed the Wild East of the Indian political theatre.

    But over a decade later, critics have been more or less silenced. B.A.G. Films is today a listed company and showing decent financial results to investors, if not exactly setting the Arabian Sea on fire. It has a media training institute up and running, is doing several shows on TV channels, including Doordarshan’s terrestrial network, and has two feature films ready for release. Add to all that are its recent forays into FM radio.

     

    B.A.G. Films Ltd MD Anurradha Prasad

    “After the initial public offer in 2003, we were in a phase of consolidation as we realised we needed to move into a different league where more established players were operating. That’s the reason why we didn’t get into new businesses,” B.A.G. Films LTD MD Anurradha Prasad told Indiantelevision.com, sitting in her plush office in the company’s swanky corporate headquarters in Noida’s Film City on the outskirts of Delhi.

     

    There are also talks about B.A.G. turning into a broadcaster with the launch of at least one TV news channel (crime to be specific), if not two. But Prasad hushes away queries on this subject saying such reports are “purely speculative at the moment.” Rather, she counter-punches by asking, “Do people realize that starting a TV channel is not child’s play? And news channels are costly affairs.”

     

    Such assertions notwithstanding, rumours are still doing the rounds that B.A.G. is quietly preparing to launch a TV channel relating to crime news and shows as it has gained some expertise in this field by producing crime shows for Star News.

     

    ‘Red Alert‘ on Star News strengthened the channel‘s crime slot

    Incidentally, two such shows, Sansani and Red Alert, might not still be figuring in the Top 50 list, but do get ratings, which Prasad points out, are “heartening and encouraging.”

     

    After the consolidation, comes the expansion. According to B.A.G. Films vice-president (systems and planning) Amit Jain, middle of 2005 the company decided to make forays into FM radio segment, animation and creating content for mobile phones and other hand-held devises.

     

    Value-added services like content syndication and tailoring content for various delivery platforms for different technologies is going to become a big business, Jain explains.

     

    “At the moment, almost 90 per cent of the revenue is coming from TV programmes. But over the medium to long term, we expect each of the new segments to contribute significantly to the overall kitty,” Jain avers, pinning his hopes on the business activities taken up by B.A.G. in recent months.

     

    However, equity fund managers are still skeptical of the media company, promoted by Prasad and her Member of Parliament husband Rajiv Shukla.

     

    Said an equity analyst who tracks several media company stocks, “In terms of business, B.A.G. is doing well, but the programming strategy is flawed, which leaves the company with little scope to scale up operations. In media, the whole game hinges on the scalability factor.”

     

    ‘Siddhanth‘ on Star One gave Indiantelevision a star in Pavan Malhotra

    Another capital market analyst adds that B.A.G. Films might be doing almost 20 hours of programming per week for various TV channels, but it needs shows to break into the Top 20 and Top 50 list of programmes.

     

    “As a fund manager, I’d say B.A.G. needs to build up a sizeable market capitalization and show better earnings per share, which would come only when the company’s growth is good,” the analyst adds.

     

    For the year ending 31 March 2006, B.A.G.’s net income from sales / operations were up 16.4 per cent to Rs 423.7 million from Rs 364.1 million the previous year. Net profit after tax stood at Rs 30.5 million compared to Rs 33.8 million in the year ago period. The company said that lower net profit after tax was mainly due to significantly higher depreciation charge due to capitalization of new building at Noida. The earnings per share (EPS) was Rs 0.51 for FY’06.

     

    Woh Hue Na Hamare on DD

    Apart from launching two movies, the company’s average programming hours per month during the quarter ended 31 March 2006 were 46 for Q4 as compared to 73 in the corresponding quarter last year. Over 95 per cent of the company’s programmes continue to be commissioned. A new launch during Q4 ended March 2006 was Woh Hue Na Hamare, a half hour twice-a-week soap on DD1.

     

    Though B.A.G.’s Jain might not entirely concur with market and equity analysts, he does admit that the company is looking for both top line and bottomline growth. “Our balance sheet is very important and more important is the fact that it should reflect growth as we have to live up to our investors’ expectations.”

     

    B.A.G. Films Ltd was incorporated in 1993. The company has six separate business units (SBUs) which are TV software, ISOMES- International School of Media and Entertainment Studies, film production, animation, FM Radio and new media & convergence

     

     

    Here is a brief lowdown on each of the segments that B.A.G. operates in.

     

    TV PROGRAMMING

     

     

     

    The biggest revenue earner for the company presently, content generation naturally gets prime attention from the B.A.G management.

     

    ‘Poll Koll‘ strengthened the political satire genre on TV

    Out of the 90 per cent revenue being raked in by B.A.G.-produced shows, a bulk of it comes from the Star Group, followed by Doordarshan (DD) and regional language channel Tara, which is promoted by former director-general of DD and ex-CEO of Star India, Rathikant Basu.

     

    On Star News alone, B.A.G. has a number of shows like Sansani, Red Alert, Poll Khol and a programme on super-natural elements, Kaun Hai. On top of this, the company also does part news gathering for Star News as part of business process outsourcing (BPO).

     

    “Between 10-20 per cent of the revenue coming from Star News is through the news gathering BPO,” Prasad admits. Work from Star News contributed Rs 136 million or 32 per cent of the company’s overall revenue in FY06.

     

    The company has already produced more than 5,000 hours of on-air software and has a rich footage library of more than 50,000 hours. Star Group (Star News, Star Plus, Star One), Sony Entertainment Television, Sahara Network, DD News are some of the channels that B.A.G. is associated with.

     

    The darker side of life: Haqeeqat on Sahara One

    B.A.G. has been associated with popular programmes like Poll Khol, a political satire on Star News, Kumkum- Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan soap on Star Plus, news magazines Rozana and Khabrein Bollywood Ki on DD News and multi-award winning Haqeekat on Sahara One.

     

    “We are presently in talks with Sony Entertainment TV India for some shows, “Prasad said, adding that the company is also looking at exploiting other Indian language channels by producing or dubbing programmes in Tamil, Telugu and Bengali.

     

    According to her, the revenues are not high in regional language television, but they are avenues of expansion and future growth.

     

    MEDIA TRAINING

     

    After settling down in the media education space, ISOMES now targets an expansion

     

    ISOMES or the International School of Media and Entertainment Studies has collaborated with the Missouri School of Journalism, USA, the oldest journalism school of the world.

     

    ISOMES offers post-graduate diploma in broadcast journalism, TV production and direction and media management. The school also has six months diploma courses in acting and television direction & production, besides short-term courses like radio jockey, air time sales and TV editing.

     

    According to Prasad, the media training institute is now ready for expansion.

     

    FILM PRODUCTION

    B.A.G. is producing two films in 2006. One of the films Zindaggi Rocks stars Sushmita Sen and Shiney Ahuja. The film is scripted and directed by Tanuja Chandra and Anu Malik has composed the music.

     

    Sushmita Sen rocks in ‘Zindaggi Rocks‘

    The second film in Punjabi language called Mannat starring youngsters like Jimmy Sheirgill and TV star-turned –film actress Kulraj Randhawa. The film is directed by Gurbir S Grewal.

     

    Made on modest budgets, the B.A.G.-produced films can be called small budget films if compared to the latest box-office hit Krrish (Rs 600 million) or some earlier films in recent times in Bollywood.

     

    “We need to be watchful on the financial side as we are a stand alone company making forays into film making unlike established players who have corporatised a lot in recent times,” Jain says.

     

    While Zindaggi Rocks cost Rs 60 million, Mannat’s budget was Rs. 17.5 million. But an aggressive marketing strategy like selling various rights judiciously makes B.A.G. hopeful that part of the cost involved in film making could be recovered before the release of the movies.

     

    According to Prasad, “Almost 90 per cent of investment is recovered through selling rights and small budgets films can do this successfully.”

     

     

    The company has plans to release five films by 2007.

     

     

     

    ANIMATION

     

    B.A.G. Films has entered into a joint venture with Sieundesign Co Ltd, a leading Korean firm that has presence in production, distribution and licensing of animation films and TV series.

     

    This initiative of B.A.G. is to tap the growing animation segment and also strengthen presence in the mobile telephony content business. The JV is proposed to be named Sieun & B.A.G. Animation Pvt. Ltd.

     

    At present, talks are on with some American companies for creating content.

     

     

    FM RADIO

     

    Entering the FM Radio business for B.A.G. Films was a natural stride towards forward integration, Prasad says.

     

    With the government proposing to limit such cross holdings in different segments of broadcasting business via a legislation that is being hotly debated these days, such integration process may have to be reviewed by the company at a later stage.

     

    The company has bagged the FM Radio licences for Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and certain parts of Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. For this purpose B.A.G. Infotainment Pvt. Ltd has been formed.

     

    While the top management at B.A.G. is very bullish on the radio FM business, market analysts say as radio is a long gestation business activity, a lot of this enthusiasm might evaporate once operations start and a clearer picture emerges on revenues.

     

    “The company has a long way to go in radio business, though an announced move to form a consortium with other smaller radio operators for airtime sales is a good move,” a fund manager with a Mumbai-based company says.

     

    NEW MEDIA

    The world of media, entertainment, telecom, infotech and broadcasting is undergoing a change towards convergence. The benefits of technological advancement, convergence, digital broadcasting, high definition programming, streaming and compression and the challenges of an increasingly competitive market place, demand synergy and optimum utilization of resources to develop multi-purpose software for all media windows, B.A.G claims.

     

    With an eye on tomorrow, new media initiative includes video streaming, animation and gaming, interactive content for broadband and mobi-sodes specially developed for mobile phones and handheld devices.

     

    The company already provides voice content including news, cricket and sports, jokes, astro forecasts, celebrity interviews, Bollywood reviews and music album reviews in four languages, Hindi, English, Tamil and Malayalam.

     

    “Value added services are becoming popular in India and content would be the greatest pusher for such initiatives,” explains Prasad on why the company is flirting with activities for which there are specialized outfits already operating.

     

    “Presently, the revenue is not big as telecom companies take away the maximum share (80 pr cent), but over a period of time we see the content provider’s share too increasing significantly,” Jain adds.

     

     

    CONVERGENCE

     

    A group of professionals are working closely to explore opportunities, which are coming through 3G.

     

     

    (Rs 47 = 1US$)

  • Cartoon Network US to develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game with Grigon Entertainment

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Cartoon Network has announced that it is developing its first massively multi-player online game (MMOG) in a partnership with a leading MMOG developer, Seoul-based Grigon Entertainment.


    Cartoon Network New Media will debut the game in the US. This is the first-ever partnership between a US entertainment company and a Korean developer to create an MMOG for the global marketplace.


    The Cartoon Network MMOG will launch in 2008 and target the growing and sophisticated kids‘ interactive gaming market. The game will be free to download, with subscription and micro-transactions available to players to enhance the gaming experience. New areas for exploration and play are planned and will be added regularly over a span of several years.


    The game brings Cartoon Network‘s characters and sensibility to the online gaming realm with an “East-meets-West” creative approach. Grigon Entertainment is best known for successfully developing and launching several online games in Asia, including Seal Online, a light-hearted role-playing game (RPG) that took the online gaming world by surprise. Localized versions are available in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Thailand.


    Cartoon Network executive VP, GM Jim Samples says, “Cartoon Network is an immersive experience for our fans, and this MMOG will allow our fans to interact with their favorite characters like never before. Not only will kids be able to play with their favorite characters like Mac and Bloo, Ben 10 and the Kids Next Door, but they will also be able to develop their own online gaming personalities and interact, virtually, with other players in a safe way.


    “This MMOG is a key part of Cartoon Network‘s growth strategy, and is an important complement to our mobile, broadband and existing online business. With the MMOG, mobile content, our Web sites and, of course, our linear network, Cartoon Network is always on for kids.”


    Cartoon Network new media senior VP, GM Paul Condolora says, “Online games have been the most important driver of Cartoon Network New Media‘s success over the last few years. With more than 84 million U.S. homes expected to have broadband Internet access by 2008, and Cartoon Network‘s reach and creative vision, we‘re excited to enter the fast-growing world of massively multiplayer online gaming.


    “In Grigon Entertainment, we have found a partner who understands how to build a successful MMOG for the casual marketplace. With our characters and creative direction, along with Grigon‘s experience and technical know-how, we think Cartoon Network‘s MMOG will have great success and longevity.”


    Massively multiplayer online gaming has expanded in the US in recent years, with games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest achieving large and loyal followings. Most MMOGs have been driven by high-intensity fighting and action with fantasy elements and have attracted an older, adult audience. To date, few games have targeted younger audiences. In Asia and Europe, where broadband penetration is ahead of that in the United States, MMOGs have been developed for all audiences, from kids to teens and adults.


    Cartoon Network‘s games will feature a persistent and expanding world, which will allow players to develop their own characters, attributes and possessions over the course of many months and even years. Players may also meet and interact with other players online, forming virtual friendships and communities. Cartoon Network‘s MMOG will be compliant with the Children‘s Online Privacy and Protection Act (Coppa) and will offer a safe gaming environment for players.

  • Manorama News launch deferred to 17 August

    Manorama News launch deferred to 17 August

    MUMBAI: Print major Malayala Manorama’s television venture Manorama News is now looking for an August launch. According to channel sources, the news channel will be unveiled on 17 August. The channel was earlier targeting a mid-July launch.

    Malayala Manorama is launching Manorama News under the banner of its recently launched television initiative MM TV. The channel is headed by Anil George in the capacity of chief operating officer. Manorama News will be headquartered in Aroor, near Kochi, where the company has set up its news studio. Two smaller studios have been set up in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode as well.

    Manorama News will be locking horns with the existing Malayalam news channels Asianet News (Asianet), Indiavision and People TV (Kairali TV). The total market offers an advertising pie of Rs 2 billion and the news channels command approximately 25 per cent (on the upper side) of the total ad pie, according to industry estimates.

  • Cartoon Network US to develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game with Grigon Entertainment

    Cartoon Network US to develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game with Grigon Entertainment

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Cartoon Network has announced that it is developing its first massively multi-player online game (MMOG) in a partnership with a leading MMOG developer, Seoul-based Grigon Entertainment.

    Cartoon Network New Media will debut the game in the US. This is the first-ever partnership between a US entertainment company and a Korean developer to create an MMOG for the global marketplace.

    The Cartoon Network MMOG will launch in 2008 and target the growing and sophisticated kids’ interactive gaming market. The game will be free to download, with subscription and micro-transactions available to players to enhance the gaming experience. New areas for exploration and play are planned and will be added regularly over a span of several years.

    The game brings Cartoon Network’s characters and sensibility to the online gaming realm with an “East-meets-West” creative approach. Grigon Entertainment is best known for successfully developing and launching several online games in Asia, including Seal Online, a light-hearted role-playing game (RPG) that took the online gaming world by surprise. Localized versions are available in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Thailand.

    Cartoon Network executive VP, GM Jim Samples says, “Cartoon Network is an immersive experience for our fans, and this MMOG will allow our fans to interact with their favorite characters like never before. Not only will kids be able to play with their favorite characters like Mac and Bloo, Ben 10 and the Kids Next Door, but they will also be able to develop their own online gaming personalities and interact, virtually, with other players in a safe way.

    “This MMOG is a key part of Cartoon Network’s growth strategy, and is an important complement to our mobile, broadband and existing online business. With the MMOG, mobile content, our Web sites and, of course, our linear network, Cartoon Network is always on for kids.”

    Cartoon Network new media senior VP, GM Paul Condolora says, “Online games have been the most important driver of Cartoon Network New Media’s success over the last few years. With more than 84 million U.S. homes expected to have broadband Internet access by 2008, and Cartoon Network’s reach and creative vision, we’re excited to enter the fast-growing world of massively multiplayer online gaming.

    “In Grigon Entertainment, we have found a partner who understands how to build a successful MMOG for the casual marketplace. With our characters and creative direction, along with Grigon’s experience and technical know-how, we think Cartoon Network’s MMOG will have great success and longevity.”

    Massively multiplayer online gaming has expanded in the US in recent years, with games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest achieving large and loyal followings. Most MMOGs have been driven by high-intensity fighting and action with fantasy elements and have attracted an older, adult audience. To date, few games have targeted younger audiences. In Asia and Europe, where broadband penetration is ahead of that in the United States, MMOGs have been developed for all audiences, from kids to teens and adults.

    Cartoon Network’s games will feature a persistent and expanding world, which will allow players to develop their own characters, attributes and possessions over the course of many months and even years. Players may also meet and interact with other players online, forming virtual friendships and communities. Cartoon Network’s MMOG will be compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (Coppa) and will offer a safe gaming environment for players.

  • Zee Sports to move to Zee Turner 2nd bouquet

    Zee Sports to move to Zee Turner 2nd bouquet

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports, which till now has been sold as an a la carte pay channel, is being bundled as part of Zee Turner’s second bouquet of channels. The bouquet comprises five channels – HBO, Pogo, Zee Business, Vh1 and Awaaz.

    The price of the second package will increase from Rs 25 to Rs 30 per subscriber a month with effect from 1 August. Zee Sports as a standalone channel was priced at Rs 10. “The second bouquet will now include Zee Sports and the price will increase by Rs 5 per subscriber,” Zee Turner CEO Arun Poddar says.

    Zee Turner’s first bundle consists of channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Cartoon Network and CNBC. The regional channels of Zee are also in this pack. The bouquet is priced at Rs 58.85 a month per subscriber. The combined rate of the two bouquets after the inclusion of Zee Sports will now be Rs 88.85.

    The strength of Zee Turner’s second bouquet is led by the two Turner channels, HBO and Pogo. With Zee Sports lacking driver content, the bundling is expected to give the sports channel a boost in connectivity while allowing a rate increase for the second bouquet. Though Zee Sports was priced at Rs 10 and sold in Zee-Turner’s third bouquet, cable operators in effect were asking for a carriage fee to distribute the channel.