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  • ‘Dus’ wins award for action film at AXN Action Awards

    ‘Dus’ wins award for action film at AXN Action Awards

    MUMBAI: The action packed Dus won the award for best action film at the AXN Action Awards which were presented by Dino Morea.

    Dus also won awards for action sequence and action director. Amitabh Bachchan won the lifetime achievement award. Best Action Actor went to Akshay Kumar while Best Action Actor in a negative role went to Rahul Dev for Insan.

    SPE South Asia director marketing and sales Rohit Bhandari says, “The Thums Up and AXN Action Awards was conceptualised purely to felicitate our Bollywood superstars for their action extravaganza on the big screen. Our viewers have truly chosen the right action stars and we are exhilarated and thankful to all our viewers and action heroes for making this show a success. AXN looks forward in delivering the best in original entertainment hope to make the action awards an annual event”

    The AXN Action Awards was presented by Thums Up with associate sponsorship by Mahindra Scorpio and Sony Ericsson K750i. The Promotion Partner for the event was the multiplex Inox.

    Those who missed the show can catch it on 15 July at 5 pm and on 16 July at 11 am.

  • AXN to roll out Sci-Fi, Crime Networks in Central Europe

    AXN to roll out Sci-Fi, Crime Networks in Central Europe

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has announced plans to launch two new thematic channels in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary: AXN Sci-Fi and AXN Crime.

    The ad-supported channels will be dubbed into local languages in their markets and will also feature locally produced interstitial material. Both will deliver series on weekdays and movies on weekends, and both new networks will be overseen by AXN Central Europe GM Stephen White.

    White says, “These new thematic channels build on the success story of AXN in Central Europe since its launch in 2003 and the move is supported by research and feedback from AXN’s viewers which shows that there is a great demand for high quality sci-fi and crime programming. AXN is the first in the Central European region to dedicate channels to these popular genres.”

    AXN Crime will offer up the SPTI series The Shield and the David Caruso police detective drama Michael Hayes, among others, while AXN SCI-FI’s key offerings will include Star Trek: Enterprise, Andromeda, Sliders, Charlie Jade, Battlestar Galactica and Trucks.

  • Online players cash-in on Fifa World cup & score goals with web content: IAMAI

    BANGALORE: The Football world cup, which concluded last week, attracted sports lovers across the globe to the Internet. All major portals and mobile content providers in India had specially redesigned their content for the World Cup to feed the demand of football fans.


    Online add-ons such as mobile download of wallpapers of some of the popular football players and online and mobile games attracted the maximum number of fans to the internet, according to an official release from the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).


    Says IAMAI president Dr Subho Ray, “The World Cup bonanza shows that the Internet has emerged not only as an alternative medium but as a parallel medium to a large section of the people in India. With the advent of broadband as well as mobile phones, it is possible to keep a track of the matches even on the go. Websites and mobile content companies are gradually realising the potential of both these mediums and hence are increasingly beefing up their content for such mega events and in the process successfully attracting more and more users and advertisers”.


    HT Media, for example, recorded a 5 per cent to 7 per cent increase in the online revenues, claims Hindustan Times GM Business Development Salil Kumar. Kumar also mentioned that the number of hits during the prime time period at 9 30 pm reached an average of 15,00,000, at post-midnight averaged 20,00,000 and evening 6 30 pm reached an average 5,00,000.


    According to Kumar, in terms of city-wise access to World Cup related activities, Delhi/Chandigarh topped with 40 per cent, followed by Mumbai 30 per cent, Pune 5 per cent, Ahmedabad 5 per cent, Bangalore 10 per cent, Hyderabad 5 per cent and others 5 per cent.


    States Sify Ltd VP Interactive Services Surya Mantha, “Thousands of clips of World Cup football related content were viewed on Sify‘s broadband portal Sify Max in the first two weeks of the tournament”. He added that the most watched clip was related to the Brazil v/s France match on 2 July, which was viewed 25,000 times.


    Soccer fans around the world treat their favourite sport as a religion and hence increasingly want to know more and more about their favourite players. This has resulted in an offbeat category on websites, which provides other such information to the football fans. In the offbeat category, Mantha says, “A video featuring the wives/girlfriends of star football players was the most popular”.


    Online advertisers took full advantage of the World Cup fever. MSN India had advertisers such as Lenovo and LIC Housing, informs MSN India Sales and Marketing head R. Rajnish. He also mentioned that netizens mostly in the age group of 18-35 years visited their website for World Cup related activities, the release adds.


    “For Rediff.com”, says chief media revenue officer Arvindra Kanwal, “increased page views resulted in more ad inventory which in turn resulted in better revenue”. He adds, “Football as a platform brought a set of advertisers like Ranbaxy, Maruti Swift, Gillette, Microsoft, Apollo Tyres and others. Our response in page views and sponsor interest mirrored cricket and largely caught the interest of Sec A & B urban audiences in eight metros. Smaller towns were slow to respond”.


    Airtel on the other hand was one of the presenting sponsors of the Fifa World Cup on ESPN, which had the exclusive telecast rights. It provided soccer fans World Cup updates, sourced from ESPN Mobile. It also offered the official song of the FIFA World Cup as a Hello Tune & Ringtone for all Airtel customers.


    Says Bharti Airtel Ltd joint president (Mobility), “Football and World cup related content were among the most popular downloads on Airtel Live, the multi-access entertainment portal of Airtel. As per data available over the last 30 days, the official Fifa World Cup game is among the four most downloaded games. In this visually engaging game, gamers experienced the 12 official stadiums as they took one of their 32 national teams from qualification to glory. ‘Time of Our Lives‘, ballad by Il Divo & Toni Braxton, which was the official Fifa World Cup song, has been among the top 10 downloaded songs in the non-film category on Airtel. Football related images were among the top five downloaded wallpapers.”

  • Indiagames partners with Airtel to launch ‘Games on Demand’ service

    MUMBAI: Indiagames has launched its new service ‘Games on Demand‘ with Airtel Broadband and telephone services. The service was launched with cricketing maestro Sachin Tendulkar playing an online rally game.


    This service offers legal games at a bare minimum monthly subscription fee of just Rs. 199. Indiagames has partnered with a number of leading games publishers like Microsoft, Atari, Playfirst, Alawar, Merscomm, Cenega, Meridian, Techland, amongst others, to be able to bring a variety of premium single and multiplayer games, which include popular titles such as Age of Empires, Driv3R and Flight Simulator to this service, states an official release.


    Commenting on the launch of its Games on Demand service (G.o.D), Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal said, “With over 85 per cent of games in India being sold illegally, we believe that with our unparalleled price offering we will significantly expand the segment of legitimate sales and bring the experience of high quality online gaming to millions of gamers in India. Our online gaming service would give consumers a legitimate reason to opt for a broadband service, thus accelerating the growth of the broadband user base in India”


    “Today, customers are looking for rich content to enhance the overall broadband experience. As a leading service provider, we aim to offer the hottest on-demand content through as many channels as possible,” says Airtel Broadband & Telephone Services CMO Akshay Kumar. He added, “Online gaming is fast gaining popularity across the world and with the Games on Demand service on Airtel, we are gearing up to give our customers a cool and enhanced gaming experience with the power of a high-speed network.”


    The G.o.D. service offers advantages like high speed downloads without additionally charging for data transfer during download, multiplayer compatible games, automatic patching and security. To further enhance the value proposition Airtel and Indiagames will be offering the service with all its features on a free trial basis for the first fifteen days. To experience this service, consumers can log on to http://www.airtelbroadband.in/games.

  • Primetime in JV with South African firm for radio services

    Primetime in JV with South African firm for radio services

    MUMBAI: Radio can turn out to be a game for the big boys. Radio Mirchi, Radio City, Sun TV group and Anil Ambani-controlled Adlabs have aggressive rollout plans and are willing to loosen the purse strings.

    Small and regional FM radio operators are toying with the idea of forming a consortium to sell advertising and buy equipment in bulk to match the size of the national players.

    Foreign companies are eyeing this as an opportunity to offer their management and technical expertise. One such company has announced its entry into India.
    Kagiso Media, a leading radio company in South Africa, has floated a 50:50 joint venture with Mumbai-based Primetime International Services, an independent media sales firm.

    The new entity, Primetime Kagiso, will offer comprehensive services to radio stations and advertisers. “Our aim is to assemble a group of radio stations and handle their ad sales. We are close to signing an agreement with Malar Publications and a Delhi-based firm. We also plan to provide management consultancy and training facilities,” says Kagiso Media executive director Omar Essack.

    Malar plans to operate in six cities including Chennai, Madurai and Pondicherry. Primetime Kagiso is scouting for other regional operators so that it can form a big consortium.
    Primetime has been an active player since 1985 in marketing time and space across media including TV, Out-of-Home and are now venturing into the radio domain.

    B.A.G Infotainment Ltd is also planning to lead a 40-member consortium which will give it a national footprint to present before advertisers. Speaking at the India Radio Forum 2006 on “The challenges before regional/local FM radio broadcasters,” BAG Infotainment COO Rajiv Mishra said, “Through the consortium, it will offer more number of stations and volume discounts to the national advertisers.”

    Agreed Gwalior Farms promoter Manmeet Gulzar: “Radio Mirchi is already an invisible competitor in the Gwalior radio space. Though it does not exist in the city, it still has a high recall value here. The advertisers may take to the big players.”

  • Hurray! enters wireless service pact with MTV China

    Hurray! enters wireless service pact with MTV China

    MUMBAI: Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese firm in wireless music distribution and other wireless value-added services has announced its decision to enter into a partnership agreement on wireless value-added services with MTV China.

    Under this agreement, Hurray! will become the official partner for MTV China to deliver wireless value added services to MTV audience interactive with MTV programs, states an official release.

    Commenting on the development, Hurray!’s chairman and chief executive officer QD Wang said, ”We are pleased to establish this important partnership with MTV China. Our wireless value-added services users have remarkably similar demographics with MTV audience. This partnership will not only give both companies a new way to better service its customers, but also further strengthen Hurray!’s leadership in music related wireless products and services. We look forward to bringing best wireless music experience to MTV audience in China.”

    Hurray! offers music and music-related products such as ringtones, ringbacktones and truetones to mobile users in China through SMS, IVR, RBT, WAP, MMS and Java wireless value-added services platforms over mobile networks and through the Internet. The company also provides a range of other wireless value-added services to mobile users in China, including games, pictures and animation, community and other media and entertainment services.

  • I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    NEW DELHI: You can kiss the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill 2006 – a draft of which is doing the rounds of various ministries and industry stakeholders these days – goodbye, Well, almost.

    “Whenever I bring a Bill to Parliament, it’d be the most media-friendly legislation in the whole world,” information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today said, hinting that the draft is likely to go undergo major revamp.

    Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Cabinet briefing, Dasmunsi added that proper consultation with various stake holders would be held before draft legislation is taken to the Union Cabinet or Parliament.

    Asked by indiantelevision.com whether the Broadcast Bill 2006 would be tabled in Parliament during the forthcoming monsoon session, the minister said the endeavour be so “after holding discussions with everybody.”

    “Our effort and endeavour would be to do so during this session and if that does not happen, then we’ll see in the next session. We would not do anything to gag the media,” Dasmunsi explained, making it clear that the government has taken serious view of the all round stringent criticism of a draft media legislation.

    The monsoon session of Parliament begins on 24 July and there seems little time left to hold proper discussions with the industry on the Bill, which has been drafted surreptiously and left the players stumped when unraveled by a section of the media.

    Making an overt bid to keep in good humour the media, which came in for praise from the Cabinet today for its sensitive coverage of the serial Mumbai blasts earlier this week, Dasmunsi said, “All fears (of broadcast industry) will be removed.”

    Proposals on cross media restrictions, powers bestowed on authorities to take action against the media and TV channels on the flimsiest of grounds, content censorship (which is being drafted separately, but could be made part of this Bill or legislation at a later stage) are aimed at strangling the media and cripple business models in the name of safety against monopolistic trends.

    The proposed autonomous Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai) has been given powers in the Bill that permit it to run amok if interpreted incorrectly by it. What’s more, Brai’s chief executive would be a serving government official of additional secretary’s rank, drawing a salary from the government.

  • HBO Mobile and Cingular Wireless bring ‘Entourage’ to wireless p

    HBO Mobile and Cingular Wireless bring ‘Entourage’ to wireless p

    MUMBAI: Cingular and HBO have launched mini-episodes of the Entourage series available only to Cingular Video customers who subscribe to HBO Mobile. In an industry first, the Entourage made-for-mobile episodes are true extensions of the program fans enjoy on HBO. They are written by the same writers and producers, and have the same characters and actors.

    “Our relationship with HBO is all about learning how to take successful programs from television and bring them to the mobile phone. We’re excited to launch these episodes as an important first step in the creation of true broadcast quality entertainment for the mobile phone. Along with the highlights we provide from the TV broadcast each week, these episodes give Entourage fans a rich experience they can get nowhere else,” said Cingular Wireless vice president marketing John Burbank.

    The premise of the made-for-mobile Entourage story is: Johnny Drama makes a “cellivision” show. Customers can view a series of short vignettes based on this premise as they continue to enjoy the adventures of the friends from Queens on the Hollywood road to fame and fortune. “The episodes are short and funny — just the kind of entertainment mobile customers want,” said Burbank.

    In another first, Cingular Video subscribers can also enjoy full-length episodes from the first season of Entourage, plus episodes from Sex And The City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Dane Cook’s Tourgasm. These episodes have been segmented into chapters so Cingular subscribers can relive their favourite moments and share them with their friends. Cingular Video uses the power of 3G phones as well as Cingular’s new high- speed 3G wireless broadband network, which is currently available in 18 major markets encompassing 54 communities. The company expects service to be available in most major markets by the end of the year. To access Cingular Video, consumers need to purchase a 3G phone and sign up for the Media Net Unlimited package, which includes Cingular Video. Premium content, such as HBO, is optional and customers are charged an additional subscription fee for access.

    Some HBO Mobile content on Cingular Video is for mature audiences only. Cingular’s recently launched Parental Controls feature provides content and purchase blockers on phones so parents can restrict access to content that may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

  • FremantleMedia to launch ‘Prehistoric Park’ on DVD

    FremantleMedia to launch ‘Prehistoric Park’ on DVD

    MUMBAI: Fremantle Home Entertainment will be handling the worldwide DVD sales and distribution of the TV series, Prehistoric Park.

    Scheduled to be unleashed in UK from late summer, the DVD will contain 6 x 48 minute episodes and is fully enhanced with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound to give CD quality audio. The DVD is also packed with mammoth features including a ‘Making Of’ featurette, which has been produced specifically for this release.

    Additional interactive DVD content includes features such as ‘Husbandry’, which shows the procedures for looking after and caring for prehistoric animals, ‘Environments’, which details the conditions and surroundings in which the prehistoric animals live and ‘Animal Status’, which provides information on each of the animals featured in Prehistoric Park.

    FremantleMedia senior vice president, home entertainment and archive sales Pete Kalhan said, “By capitalising on what is sure to be an extremely successful broadcast on ITV1, the DVD of Prehistoric Park has very strong potential. The success of previous CGI productions such as Walking with Dinosaurs, which sold 180,000 units in its first four months, shows that consumers are fascinated by this prehistoric era and we are confident that Prehistoric Park will be an equally massive hit.”

    FHE, which is a part of FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), has also secured home entertainment sales and distribution deals in Australia with MRA Entertainment and Japan with SPO Inc.

    Last month, Fremantle International Distribution (FID), also a part of FME, announced a raft of sales with broadcasters from around the globe to license Prehistoric Park. Territories that have been quick to snap up Prehistoric Park are: Denmark (TV2), Finland (Channel 4), Holland (Ned Channel 3), Norway (TV Norge), Portugal (RTP), Spain (La Sexta), Sweden (TV4), Ukraine (STB), Australia (Nine), Malaysia (RTM), Belgium (VTM), Russia (TV Kultura), Indonesia (Trans TV) and New Zealand (TV3).

    FremantleMedia Enterprises CEO David Ellender said, “We are extremely pleased with the international sale of Prehistoric Park so far. To have become an internationally sought after property clearly shows Prehistoric Park has succeeded within its key demographic of family entertainment. The programme is set to be a great success for FremantleMedia and Impossible Pictures in the UK, and is sure to capture the imagination of its audiences around the globe.”

  • BBC’s new show to focus on the miracles of Jesus

    BBC’s new show to focus on the miracles of Jesus

    MUMBAI: Bringing the dead back to life, walking on water and calming storms with a single word! UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that Jesus’ acts will be recreated in a new series, The Miracles of Jesus presented by Rageh Omaar. The show kicks off on BBC One 30 July 2006.

    Whether or not people today believe in miracles, 2,000 years ago, friend and foe alike believed that Jesus could work miracles. This series reveals that the miracles were seen as subversive signs giving vital clues to Jesus’ identity.

    Many of the miracles would have prompted Jesus’ followers to hail Him as the great prophet foretold by the scriptures. But, surprisingly, many other miracles would have encouraged some Jews to hail Jesus as a leader in the mould of Moses and Joshua.

    In this three-part series, Rageh Omaar embarks on a journey to find out what the miracles reveal about Jesus and who people at the time believed Jesus really was. Omaar travels around the Sea of Galilee to visit places linked with the miracles of Jesus.

    In the first episode the raising of the widow’s son, the feeding of the 5,000, walking on water and turning water into wine are recreated to bring the miracles to life. Omaar explores the similarities between Jesus’ miracles and similar feats performed by the prophet Elijah; Moses, the hero of the Exodus, and Joshua the general who led the Jews to the Promised Land. The series draws on evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Jewish writings in existence, to get inside the minds of Jesus’ contemporaries.

    In many of His miracles, Jesus seemed to be making the dangerous claim that He possessed divine authority. His actions would have astonished first-century Jews.