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  • Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    MUMBAI: Canadian media firm Alliance Atlantis Communications has announced the licensing of certain international second window rights for the CSI franchise including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

    In India, the show airs on AXN.
    The license fees generated for these international second window rights total approximately $250 million. Alliance Atlantis executive MD of international content distribution Ted Riley says, “We have now secured second window licensing agreements in a number of countries including France, Spain, Australia and, most recently, Germany and the UK. These agreements with international broadcasters demonstrate the strong interest in the re-licensing of CSI around the world.”

    Alliance Atlantis Communications CEO Phyllis Yaffe says, “We are exceptionally pleased with the performance of the CSI franchise in the international marketplace. As we have previously stated, the franchise has outperformed our original expectations in international first window and DVD sales. With this announcement, we can confirm that the trend continues. International second window rights are worth significantly more than we had originally anticipated. We continue to have active discussions with broadcasters in other territories regarding further second window licensing opportunities.”

    International broadcasters that have acquired second window rights to the franchise include RTL in Germany, Five in the UK, TF1 in France, Telecinco in Spain, Nine Network in Australia and CTV in Canada. These sales include both produced and future episodes of CSI. To date, the CSI franchise has produced 287 hours of programming inventory.

    Alliance Atlantis also announced video-on-demand (VOD) partnering agreements for the CSI franchise in certain European territories including Germany and the UK, to take advantage of emerging opportunities in cable and online distribution.

  • US public TV stations association is testing an alert system

    MUMBAI: The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) in the US and the Department of Homeland Security‘s Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) have tested the second phase of its Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS).


    This project demonstrates how the Department of Homeland Security can improve and disseminate public alerts and warnings during times of national crisis through the use of local public television‘s digital television broadcasts.


    APTS president and CEO John Lawson said, “This project demonstrates how the capabilities of America‘s public broadcasters can be utilised to dramatically enhance the ability of the President of the United States to communicate with the American public during a national crisis.


    “The partnership between APTS and the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA is a major step forward in laying the foundation for a new generation alert and warning system. The current EAS has it roots in the Cold War, and still relies on technology from that era. You had to be watching one of the major networks or listening to a radio station to have a chance of receiving the alert.


    Fema director David Paulison says, “What we are announcing is an alert system for the mobile, networked, and digital America of the 21st Century. Digital capabilities will improve the reliability, flexibility and security of the emergency alert system.


    “This more efficient system will better serve first responders and government officials, as well as provide the American public timely information so they can safeguard themselves and loved ones in times of emergencies.”


    APTS demonstrated the capabilities of digital broadcasting through a two- year project in the National Capital Region. The initial phases of this project included PBS, Wetas, 25 other public television stations across the US and the FCC.


    APTS and Fema were also joined by partners in the commercial television, cable, cellular, paging and radio industries. SpectraRep, a professional services firm, provides technology and anagement consulting services to the television stations.


    Lawson adds, “Public television is dedicated to public service. Our stations and the communities that support them, as well as state legislatures, foundations and the federal government, have raised over one billion for digital conversion. Our stations are using the powerful digital technology to bring new services to those they serve, including HDTV, new standard definition channels and rich media content delivered directly to PC‘s.


    “Now we take a major step forward in using this same digital infrastructure to enhance public safety. The public will be safer because of this project. Public service is in the DNA of public television. Digital television is allowing us to roll out a new generation of content and services for the American people. We have always been about enhancing lives. Now we can help save lives as well.”

  • MetLife launches Met Smart Plus, Met Smart Premier

    New Delhi, July 19, 2006: MetLife announced that it has launched Met Smart Plus and Met Smart Premier – new and improved variants of their unit-linked Permanent Insurance plan – Met Smart, which was included in their product portfolio last year. Designed in accordance with the recently issued IRDA’s ULIP guidelines both Met Smart Plus and Premier retain their previous quality of transparency while providing life cover up to the age of 100. These products also offer the flexibility of choosing one’s cover as well as the amount of premium paid. With a “never-before” choice of six investment fund options to suit one’s risk/return profile Met Smart Plus and Met Smart Premier allows the flexibility to switch between funds to suit ones risk profile.

    Met Smart (Plus & Premier) have a minimum sum assured of Rs. 60,000 with no upper limit. It has another unique feature of flexible premium paying option after the third policy year. A policy holder also has the option of increasing or skipping premium payments as and if the situation so demands .There is the option to withdraw from funds anytime after the third policy year to meet one’s financial requirements. The first two partial withdrawals in each policy year are free of charge. Met Smart (Plus & Premier) premiums also qualify for tax deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and its benefits – including Partial Withdrawals and Maturity Proceeds qualify for deduction under section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

    According to MetLife, these two products cater to people who range from the absolute risk averse to the ones who are willing to take risks. Met Smart Plus and Met Smart Premier have been designed keeping IRDA’s recent stipulations in mind. There has been a perceived increase in awareness of Unit-linked plans and most customers today are aware of the options available.

    MetLife has voluntarily formulated a unique internal accreditation programme for their financial advisors in view of the fact that any unit-linked product requires an in-depth knowledge of the risks involved which needs to be put forth to the customers. After sales are made, the company also has a call-out programme to ascertain whether the customers have been appropriately briefed about the product by the advisor. MetLife also has a dedicated committee with international expertise, which looks into the appropriate investments of funds, he said.

    About MetLife

    MetLife India Insurance Company Private Limited (MetLife) is an affiliate of MetLife, Inc. and was incorporated as a joint venture between MetLife International Holdings, Inc., The Jammu and Kashmir Bank, M. Pallonji and Co. Private Limited and other private investors.

    With over 138 years of experience, the MetLife companies serve millions of customers in the Americas and Asia with one goal in mind – to build financial freedom for everyone. The MetLife companies are a leader in group benefits that serve 88 of the top one hundred Fortune 500® companies, and provide benefits to 37 million employees and family members through its plans sponsors in the U.S. The MetLife companies are also ranked #1 in group life and #1 in commercial dental in the U.S. The MetLife companies are the number one life insurer in the U.S. with approximately US$3.3 trillion of life insurance in force. In India, MetLife was incorporated in 2001, and aims to differentiate itself through customized need based selling, simple and innovative products, and technology-backed service experience, to tread its path to build financial freedom for everyone.

  • Star TV makes fun of Zee Cinema

    Star TV makes fun of Zee Cinema

    Star TV is taking potshots at its former ally Zee Telefilms. It has been airing an interstitial on its Star Movies channel which takes a dig at Zee TV’s pay TV Hindi movie channel channel Zee Cinema.

    The interstitial starts with a shot of an office building with a neon sign similar in all respects to the logo used by Zee Cinema except for a small change: the brand it is advertising ‘Bee Cinema’. An executive in the Bee Cinema office is shown throwing darts at a dartboard blindfolded.

    A voiceover tells the viewer that unlike other channels (Bee Cinema), Star Movies does not show its viewers movies they would not like to see. The interstitial goes on to tell viewers to log on to the startv.com website and vote for their favourite movies in the pick of the week section. Star promises that it will will then show these movies according to the viewer’s preferences and in order of their popularity.

    While the introduction of this scheme is commendable, Star’s swipe at Zee at this juncture seems surprising. For one, we all thought that the trench warfare between Star TV and Zee TV was a thing of the past. But apparently it does not seem to be.

    According to some inside sources Star’s move stems from a desire by the Star Network to get back at Zee for what many insiders believe was Zee’s hand in the controversial Channel [V] obscenity case.

    Others say that the mocking interstitial is just a teaser for the to-be-launched Star TV Hindi movie channel Star Box Office. The ground is being prepared for the launch of the classic-movies-cum new-movies channel. It is to be seen how and whether Zee will react and if we are in for another war between two industry partners-turned-rivals.

  • Access Only!! Sunsilk Gang Of Girls

    There are places in the webosphere like the dumb jock paradise Axeland, where the guys supposedly go to exercise their goofy fantasies about (what else but) girls. Then there are the places where the girls hang out… lining up for makeovers, landing themselves in great jobs, showcasing their talents, winning fantastic prizes and even able to freely voice their opinions on any issue under the sun! This is no utopian planet inhabited by women but Sunsilk’s new all girl online community ‘Gang Of Girls’.

    Sunsilkgangofgirls.com homepage

    Launched on 17 June 2006, the membership on sunsilkgangofgirls.com is growing by leaps and bounds and currently boasts over 100,000 members in a time span of 36 days. The content on the site goes beyond hair care and styling information to blogs, job offers, games and contests. It has all the qualities of a very girlie fun filled space for online interaction, thus catering to the average young urban female.

    What’s interesting is that it attempts to propagate its brand proposition through a community building exercise among its target group. Among several brands in India that are now opting to go viral through interactive brand portals, Sunsilk has leaped ahead of the rest to create a really involved community.

    Commenting on the ideation that went into this project, HLL category head Vipul Chawla said, “This initiative comes from an effort by Sunsilk to develop a greater understanding and connect between the consumer and the brand by building another interface with them. The brand stands for togetherness, fun and expertise and that’s what the site seeks to propagate.”

    A brand tie up with job site Monster.com enables members to paste their CV’s online. Girls can even showcase their talents to win a hefty prize, currently iPod Shuffles are up for grabs. Beyond beauty, fitness, fashion, relationships, astrology and expert advice from celebrity hair stylist Jawed Habib, the gang blogs and message boards entertain discussions ranging from names for your baby to patriotic themes saluting the ‘Spirit of Mumbai.’

    ‘Gang Of Girls’ had its roots in the previously launched product site Sunsilknaturals.com with 100,000 registered users. This too offered hair suggestions and had an active message board where members took discussions beyond hair care. The activity of these members gave an impetus to the brand to take the bold step of establishing a community led website.

    B C Web Wise, the creative team behind Sunsilkgangofgirls.com, supported the proposition of an online community, with a background of research via a test site targeting the existing members of the Sunsilk Naturals website. In addition, offline consumer research spread across multiple centres was conducted on the brand front.

    B C Web Wise CEO & MD Chaya Brian Carvalho said, “We have tried and tested tools that work online, and are constantly researching consumer behaviour online, trends that are catching up, popularity of various offerings etc. Backed by these learnings, we also conducted focus group research amongst the TG to find out what would get them all kicked up. Every idea that has been expressed online (Gang Wars, Makeover machine, etc.) are based on what we felt would work, and the feedback we got from our research.”

    In its attempts to restrict the membership to “the ladies”, the site has a separate section for “Desperate Guys”. Still, these so-called desperadoes are also making their presence felt with a growing membership that currently stands at around 4,000. The site also claims to have basic and content filters that can be automatically or manually operated for security purposes to block out personal information like phone numbers and email ID’s and censor foul language that appears to be a common feature.

    With proliferation of media, here’s a classic example of a brand that has been willing to experiment with a non-traditional medium and the reach of the internet has allowed Sunsilk to interact with each ‘girl’ on a personal basis. However, in stating that it is an ‘all girl’ product, it does in fact isolate that segment of male consumers that pay a good deal of attention to their tresses.

    The brand has adopted a 360 degree approach to take this huge Gang Of Girls forward through various on air and on ground activities. With a 30 second commercial aired specifically on news and English entertainment channels, the campaign has also been profiled and supported with an interview by HLL’s Chawla which has been featured on the channels including CNBC’s Ad of the Day, NDTV 24×7 Your Day Today, NDTV Profit’s All About Ads and Awaaz’s Storyboard.

    Radio promotion was also carried out through Radio Mirchi’s programme Khubsurat which had singer Mehnaz come on air with two of her oldest friends promoting the website and the innovative concept of having an online gang.

    Mehnaz was also featured in DNA, not to endorse the brand but to spread the campaign. The TVC and print campaigns were handled by JWT. In addition, online promotions were also rolled out on Rediff, Yahoo! and MSN.

    But that’s not all, the brand still has great plans in the pipeline with a calendar of activities for 2007. More immediately however, they plan to add new features to the website, including new tools like gang scopes (horoscopes), new hair styles to the makeover machine and content updates. They also plan to roll out a game show called Crack the Code, road shows and more locally to partake in college activities by setting up kiosks at college festivals like St Xavier’s ‘Malhar’ in Mumbai.

    Taking online advertising to another dimension, the Gang Of Girls URL is finding its way as forwards in many-a-girl’s inbox, thus illustrating the magnitude its seems to have acquired. “Community-building as opposed to plain info about brands is catching on. A lot of brand sites blatantly push their products even in a designated ‘fun zone’ or space on the web, which puts off the youth of today. Community-building attempts to reach out to this audience by appealing to what they like most and entwining it with their brand communication,” adds Carvalho.

    Besides facilitating the collection of data through registrations from users and instant feedback, the extensive participation in the campaign Carvalho suggests has “set global benchmarks for online marketing.”

    The brand hopes to strengthen its proposition through this initiative and a natural outcome of which could possibly be reflected in higher sales. However, Chawla opines, “Too early to say… We have a long term perspective for this and are not looking for any short term gains.”

    Either ways, the responses it has been able to garner speaks for itself and indeed marketers across the country could well follow suite exploring the varied options “non-traditional” mediums have to offer.

  • English entertainment channel ad revenue could rise by 25-30% should Tam introduce Elite Panel

    The lack of adequate measurement of SEC A! That is seen among media buyers as a big stumbling block for ad revenue growth in the niche English entertainment genre.This article analyses how media buyers view the genre (movies, infotainment and general entertainment) and the possibilities for more growth

    At the outset it is worth noting that the ad pie for the English entertainment genre is around Rs 2.2 billion. This represents a five to seven per cent growth from last year. Overall, growth is expected to be around eight per cent in the coming couple of years. If however Tam does introduce the elite panel these channels might see a growth of as high as 25-30 per cent.

    What will drive these numbers? According to OMS regional director Madan Mohapatra one will then be able to see more numbers among SEC A. It will thus make it easier to justify ad spends to clients who might be skeptical. Also, one will be able to slice and dice SEC A itself in different cities. Right now viewership for this genre comes mainly from Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. The TG mostly is C&S SEC A,B 15+.

    In the overall media plan, the niche English channels get into it to build incremental reach. Also, the affinity that a channel has with a TG that a channel has is also looked at.

    Media planner Rahul Panchal adds that the elite panel will see consolidation happening in the market. This means that not all channels will see a similar increase. Those channels that are able to show better numbers will be in a better negotiating position. Revenue will shift from one channel to its competitor. Now though, everything is a matter of perception. There is a clear segmentation of genre among the media community. This means that a Star Movies will not compete with a Zee Café. This situation will not change.

    Top 10 Advertisers in English Movie channels
    HLL
    L‘Oreal
    Pepsi
    Coca Cola
    Nestle
    Nokia
    Samsung
    Brooke Bond
    Tata Motors
    Paras Pharmaceuticals

    How the different channels are perceived: HBO and Star Movies are more or less on an even keel. The English film genre takes out around 50 per cent of the earlier mentioned Rs 2.2 billion pie. Depending on previous experience a client‘s view will favour one or the other.

    The reason why English movie channels fare better is that they are seen to be more mass compared to the infotainment and English general entertainment genres. They also offer better reach. One advantage that Star Movies and HBO have is that there are not many choices in this genre. Zee Studio is still confronting distribution issues while Pix, which recently commenced airing, has not gone to the media market as yet with this new offering. In fact planners feel that Pix should mature a bit before it can consider itself a serious player. Therefore there is less price elasticity happening in the English film genre.


    Properties like The Lord Of The Rings have helped boost HBO‘s library

    In terms of spot rates, on a comparison scale if English film channels charge Rs 100 for 10 seconds then general entertainment and infotainment charge Rs 50-60. As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, HBO has hiked its rates by 25 per cent.

    Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that this was possible because HBO‘s ad rates were much lower than Star Movies. When HBO moved to Turner last year the existing contracts that clients had thanks to deals negotiated by the One Alliance were cancelled. When deals were renegotiated sometime in June 2005 rates were reduced by seven to eight per cent. So the increase that HBO is now looking for is effectively around 16 per cent compared to what it was when it was with the One Alliance. Post the increase, HBO‘s effect rate per 10 seconds will stand at around Rs 85, still lower though than Star Movies price of Rs 100.


    The Oscars are high impact property for Star Movies

    As already pointed out, HBO and Star Movies are at an advantage here due to there not being many choices available. Of course, it is also true that English movie channels also need to charge more as their acquisition costs are higher and they have operated on a higher bargaining level for a longer period of time, opine industry observers.

    Star Movies‘ cause has been helped by high profile properties like the Oscar Awards. HBO, industry observers though note, has improved the quality of its library.

    For the third player Zee Studio, the biggest hurdle continues to lie in its distribution. This does not mean that cable operators are not carrying it. It is just that the band placement is poor and so too by extension the reception. The number of viewers, therefore, who are able to sample its properties like a few foreign films that one normally catches at film festivals are fewer. Not surprinsgly its rates are around 45 per cent less than what Star Movies charges.

    Top 10 Advertisers in English General Entertainment channels
    HLL
    L‘Oreal
    Coca Cola
    Nestle
    Nokia
    Pepsi
    Brooke Bond Lipton
    Titan Industries
    Tata Motors
    Ponds

    The English general entertainment segment takes out around 30 per cent of the Rs 2.2 billion ad pie. Star World is still seen as having a more upmarket image compared to Zee Café. Its rates are also around 30 per cent more. Panchal though was appreciative of Zee Café‘s efforts like its new look and feel which was done to make it appear more youthful. The fact though is that Star World is at an advantage because it, of the three channels (including AXN), has done the most to improve the variety of content it offers.


    Shows like Desperate Housewives make Star World attractive for advertisers targetting women

    This means that there will always be a trial audience for new shows which offers good visibility for advertisers. Star World is also unique in that of all the channels in the niche English entertainment space it is the only channel besides Zoom which is seen as having a few shows that will mainly appeal to women.

    A case in point is Desperate Housewives. Of course that is not say that women do not tune in to the other English channels as well. It is just that if you look at the programming skew it is slightly more towards men points out Panchal. So advertisers on the niche English channels usually target the male first.


    Local shows like Simply Style have Zee Cafe differentiate itself

    While Zee Café‘s local initiatives work both as a differentiator and a revenue generator Panchal feels that the channel needs to bear in mind the cost factor. Local shows help build a stronger identity for any channel. Of course, it is easier for Zee TV to do local stuff as its revenues are that much more. Both Zee Café and Star World are used in some measure to target the upwardly mobile youth. So its TG would mainly be 15-45. For AXN though, the perception is that men 25+ comprise its main audience. Here the reality shows like Fear Factor are perceived as being a strong draw.

    On the infotainment front, while Discovery was at one time much ahead, that gap has come down to some extent as NGC did a lot of things. Its Think Again repositioning last year helped in this regard. Discovery‘s rates though are still higher to go with their better viewership. It also started selling Animal Planet separately from last year.


    TV films like Hitler are key in history Channel‘s repositioning

    One channel that has improved perception wise is The History Channel. Observers note that previously it was a touch monotonous. However in April it shifted its positioning to being an entertainment channel. Products like Hitler, Nero mean that it can show quality films, series while sticking to its basic positioning of history. The opinion is that in the near future it could go ahead of NGC in terms of the cost of spot rates. In the near future it can also position itself as an alternative to the likes of Star World for ad revenue. October should be a good period to see the progress made since the revamp.

    Not much fluctuation: Planners feel that the English entertainment channels are not as badly affected by events like cricket to the extent that mass channels are. That gives them confidence to put money on them even during October – November 2006 when the ICC tourney is on. If a person wants to see an English film he will more likely do so compared to a Hindi soap when the Indian cricket side is playing.

    Another trend in this genre is that while the share of the English genre in the overall landscape has gone down, their ad revenue has gone up. Clients like Nokia have stayed loyal.


    MythBusters on Discovery. The channel has managed to keep itself in front of archrival NGC

    It may be that a client will shift from one channel to another. However, the number of clients available for English channels will never go down. Clients are also encouraged by the fact that appointment viewing generally is increasing. However, there is still room for improvement in this area.

    In terms of the yield per unit, the infotainment channels fare worse than movie and English general entertainment, say observers. Be that as it may, the quality of the audience is the USP of niche english entertainment channels. A Star Plus may give reach but quite a few of those viewers might not be relevant for example to an advertiser selling an expensive PDA phone. On the niche English entertainment genre there is a certain amount of passion involved and around 80 per cent of those viewers are likely to buy high end products. There is therefore a high amount of relevance translating into a good quality rating point.

    The more expensive a product is, the more likely a client will be to choose a niche English channel. Also, the fact is that while these channels may not contribute much revenue to the network kitty, they help augment the mother brand. They help the broadcaster offer a complete solution to clients, which is why Sony launched Pix after HBO moved to Turner.

    Top 10 advertisers in infotainment channels
    Nokia
    Coca Cola
    Pepsi
    HLL
    L‘Oreal
    Tata Motors
    Parle
    Lenovo
    Motorola
    Paras Pharmaceuticals

    A stronger focus: Media buyers also feel that the niche English channel sellers are more evolved and mature. There is a better focus on how their property fits in with a client‘s needs. This is imperative as these channels are selling an intangible space. They also do not have the ratings.

    So a certain amount of street smartness is key, especially when one considers the fact that clients and channels have opposite goals. The channel wants to get as much revenue as possible while the buyer wants the best (though not always the cheapest) price. The infotainment channels are clearly at a disadvantage in terms of revenue potential. There are six of them (three from the Discovery stable, two from Nat Geo and Zoom) fighting for 20 per cent of the Rs 2.2 billion pie.

    Revenues the channels will get going forward rest on four factors – how seriously they take their content, how well they time the launch of new shows and initiatives to get the most impact (it is not just a matter of quantity), how competitive the rates being offered are and how well they are promoted at both a client and consumer level.

    If a channel is not perceived to be as good as its competition then it needs to offer more customised packages. A case in point is what Zee Café did with Asian Paints on the sitcom Friends. A Friends makeover was done to emphasise the fact that red is the colour of love and friendship. Since Star World is perceived to be better in the market it does not have to go that extra mile if it chooses not to.

    It is also worth pointing out that a niche channel focusses more on chasing those clients who spend a lot of money on this genre rather than merely trying to increase the number of clients. That is because if the number of clients increase beyond a certain point they run the risk of spreading themselves too thin. So while a Sony will have around 230 clients, a niche channel will have far fewer clients, often by choice.

    At the end of the day skill and the level of negotiation are what count. Therefore, the head of the ad sales team is a crucial pivot. His/her attitude and strategy dictates to a large degree the performance and how successful a channel is in meeting targets. Zee Café and Zee Studio have benefitted from recently getting a separate sales team. Panchal notes that the need for sales people with strong persuasion skills is why there is so much poaching happening.

    Buying for the English channels is a mix of round on daypart (RODP) and key properties. However, most of them insist on a client not just paying a premium for a key property but also on increasing their outlay on the channel. Competition for ad revenue among niche English channels, Mohapatra notes, is at both a genre level and a channel level. However, usually the client first chooses the genre and then looks at the channel.

    There are times though when channels from different segments reflect the same values. For instance, AXN has a good duplication with the infotainment audience as it is aspirational. So now if a brand does not have Discovery or NGC in its plan then AXN can add value by giving incremental reach. On the other hand, if one advertises on Star World it does not necessarily mean that one can ignore AXN as the TG is different though they are in the same genre.

    Conclusion: In the months to come, this genre will see competition growing more fierce. It will get a boost should Tam introduce an Elite Panel. At the same time, better strategising both on air and on ground will be key.

  • FremantleMedia to make shows available for net download

    FremantleMedia to make shows available for net download

    MUMBAI: Format creator and distributor FremantleMedia and Arts Alliance Media have signed a deal for users to download episodes to their PCs and certain portable devices and view them either on a rental basis or keep them on their hard drives to watch whenever they want.

    Fremantlemedia has granted rights to Arts Alliance Media-which provides digital film distribution services in Europe – to make up to 200 hours of classic comedy available to UK broadband internet users. Programming will be sourced from the FremantleMedia and talkbackThames catalogues and will include hit programmes such as Men Behaving Badly, Goodnight Sweetheart and Tommy Cooper.

    The content will be available later this year via a dedicated website as well as via Arts Alliance Media’s download partners which currently includes download and DVD rental site, Lovefilm and AOL, which has over 2.2 million members in the UK, of which more than 1.3 million are broadband members. Additional partners for download distribution will be announced over the coming months.

    FremantleMedia Enterprises CEO David Ellender, says, “This deal represents a central part of our new media strategy which involves us engaging with the consumer across a number of new platforms that are being opened up at present. Arts Alliance Media is the leading download company for the studios and has a reputation and track record second to none in this field. We are very excited about establishing a relationship with them as they move into the TV sector.”

    Arts Alliance Media president Mark Livingstone, said, “We are pleased to be the first to partner with FremantleMedia in a deal which further establishes Arts Alliance Media’s reputation as the premier content provider for download services. FremantleMedia’s content of classic TV comedy adds to our extensive library of feature titles which we look forward to rolling out to our existing and future partners.”

  • Nat Geo Intl, Singapore EDB invite entries for documentary fund

    Nat Geo Intl, Singapore EDB invite entries for documentary fund

    MUMBAI: Asian stories for a global audience! National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) together with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) invite Asia’s filmmakers to submit programme proposals for the fifth season of the NGCI-EDB Documentary Fund 2006.

    The objective of the NGCI-EDB Documentary Fund is to seek out and groom production talent the region has to offer, as well as facilitate the production of global quality documentaries made in Asia.

    NGCI is primarily looking for one-hour, one-off documentaries but will consider short series of up to three episodes. This documentary fund is open to Asia-based companies and filmmakers and proposal submissions guidelines are available on www.ngcasia.com/asiafilmmaker.

    Previous seasons have received entries from countries like India and Bhutan. It has also inspired Asian films such as Body Snatchers of Thailand. This film won Best Documentary at the Asian Television Awards 2004. In that same year, Kung Fu Dragons of Wudang won World Bronze Medal at the New York Film Festivals. More recently, Hiss of Death was a finalist at the prestigious Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

    This year, NGCI will commission 11 hours of programming. Filmmakers intending to participate and receive support from the NGCI-EDB Documentary Fund are required to submit programme proposal ideas that challenge, surprise as well as compel viewers to re-think the way we view the modern world. These works have to be dramatic stories with strong central characters and portrayed through innovative storytelling.

    NGCI executive VP, poduction Bryan Smith, said, “We have definitely noticed a flourishing of productions dealing with Asian themes and topics since we embarked on this project four years ago. With greater proficiency in filmmaking, we see more sophisticated storytelling and well-crafted documentaries.

    “We are confident that the NGCI-EDB Documentary Fund, showcased as ShowReal Asia has aided in boosting the region’s filmmaking industry and we certainly hope that its continued success will pave the way for more filmmakers in Asia to showcase their talents on a global platform in the years to come.”

    Economic Development Board director, Infocomms and Media, Quek Swee Kuan says, “Over the past four seasons, we have seen Asia’s best filmmakers produce award-winning documentaries that captured the global audience. EDB is proud to be part of this partnership with NGCI that has helped cultivate and grow the creative talent base in Singapore. This initiative will continue to push the standards of documentary filmmaking here, and bring us closer to our strategic intent of developing Singapore into a media hub.”

    Submissions have to reach NGCI by 4 September. Following the announcement of the shortlisted candidates on 20 September, a producer’s master workshop will be organised from 4 to 6 October. NGCI and EDB will announce the winning commissioned projects on 6 October.

    Selected grantees can showcase their works through National Geographic Channel’s global reach of up to 290 million viewers in 164 countries as well as of a long-term creative opportunity with the Channel.

    As with previous years, this year’s selected talents from ShowReal Asia will be mentored by National Geographic Channel’s producers.

  • Lionsgate expands into television syndication business

    Lionsgate expands into television syndication business

    MUMBAI: US independent film studio Lionsgate has acquired television distributor Debmar-Mercury.

    Helmed by Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, the company will continue to operate under the Debmar-Mercury banner as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

    Debmar-Mercury recently completed a successful test of Tyler Perry’s TV shows (Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion and the upcoming Daddy’s Little Girl), the comedy series House Of Payne with select major market stations representing a cross section of key station groups. Lionsgate’s acquisition of Debmar-Mercury extends the company’s relationship with Tyler Perry across not only feature film and video product but original television programming, as well.

    The acquisition follows on the heels of Lionsgate’s successful move into international feature film and library self-distribution, through the October 2005 acquisition of UK-based distributor Redbus, which was renamed Lionsgate UK. It also creates a major new distribution portal for Lionsgate by giving it the capacity to syndicate its own television programming and feature film packages as well as creating a new television distribution revenue stream from third-party franchise properties.

    Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer says, “We again have the opportunity to combine our resources with a culturally similar, entrepreneurial company that is a leader in its market segment and whose principals we know well.

    “Debmar-Mercury has become one of the leading independent distributors in the industry. With our fiscal 2007 slate of nine prime time television series, the acquisition of Debmar-Mercury’s television distribution capabilities across new and traditional media outlets is a natural growth opportunity for our content business.”

    Feltheimer noted that the acquisition continues to further Lionsgate’s game plan of broadening its distribution footprint and aggregating rights to important content and properties.

  • Zee TV to defend turf with ‘Cinestar ki Khoj’, ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge’

    Zee TV to defend turf with ‘Cinestar ki Khoj’, ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge’

    MUMBAI: Zee TV is planning to launch the second season of its reality talent hunt show Zee Cinestar Ki Khoj in September-October 2006. The channel also has plans to bring back the 2006-2007 edition of its landmark property, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, this year itself.

    “Zee TV will be launching the second edition of its reality talent hunt Cine Star Ki Khoj. The channel is targeting September-October for the launch of the new season. Zee will be taking the property to the market very soon. Also, inspired by the success of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa series, the channel will be bringing back the flagship property Challenge this year,” says a source close to Zee.

    When contacted for confirmation of the developments, Zee TV marketing head Tarun Mehra agreed that plans were on to bring back Cine Star Ki Khoj and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge. However, he was quick to add that no time frame had been fixed as yet on the launch.

    “We have plans to launch Cine Star Ki Khoj’s second season this year. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge may also come back in 2006. But, we are yet to finalise the details,” says Mehra.

    According to reliable sources, Zee has awarded the production duties of Cinestar Ki Khoj 2 to Optimystix Entertainment. The production house has earlier produced the Manoj Bajpai-anchored gameshow Kam Ya Zyaada for Zee TV. The winning couple of the contest will be awarded title roles in a movie.

    Race, the movie which stars the winners of the first season, is presently nearing completion, according to a Zee TV executive. Zee has associated with Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts for the film. Zee owns the world rights for the film while Mukta owns the India theatrical rights.

    THE STRATEGY
    Why would Zee TV exhaust all its key properties in the last quarter of the calendar year? Though settled comfortably in the second spot behind Star Plus in the Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) space, the channel is in no mood to rest on its laurels. Reason? Competitors are gearing up to launch some key prime time properties in order to set off a fight-back.

    Sony Entertainment Television will be launching the Indian version of the popular international reality show Big Brother in November this year. The upcoming Champions Trophy, to be telecast on Max and Sab, will also be there in the running for the prime time stakes as the matches will be played Day/Night.

    Star One, on the other hand, has already announced its intention to launch the second seasons of two of its most successful properties Naach Baliye and Remix. However, the immediate priority for Zee TV would be to beef up its 8 pm slot, which is presently occupied by the long running soap Tumhari Disha. The channel will wind up Tumhari Disha in the first half of August with a new prime time property Dulhan.

    The latest Tam data for C&S 4+, HSM, shows that, the rest of the Zee TV properties have already established in their respective time bands. As per the Tam figures provided by the channel for the period of 3 July to 10 July, Saath Phere has recorded a rating of 6.54 TVR in the Zee TV charts, followed by Kasamh Se at 6.11 TVR. In the 8:30 pm slot, the soap Jab Love Hua has recorded a rating of 2.4 TVR. Shabaash India, at 10:30 pm, has delivered a rating of 2.7 TVR, while the 10 pm show Johny Aala Re scored 2.4 TVR. The Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’iL Champs is averaging at 2.7 TVR.