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  • BBC World Service’s annual review indicates trust on a high

    BBC World Service’s annual review indicates trust on a high

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service has published its annual review. It notes that it managed to enhance its reputation as the world’s leading international broadcaster throughout a “year of change, achievement and innovation.”

    Independent research evidence published in the Review indicates that BBC World Service’s reputation for trust and objectivity is higher than for any other international broadcasters in virtually all markets surveyed – including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and USA.

    BBC World Service director Nigel Chapman says, “It was a year of major achievements and innovation: a record-breaking audience figure; a step change in our interactive services; and the biggest strategic shift in priorities in BBC World Service’s 70-year history. These welcome developments took place against a backdrop of ever more rapid technological change and the emergence of powerful and often divisive global forces.”

    “It is particularly pleasing to see how our programmes command the highest scores for reputation, trust, and objectivity in most markets when compared to our international competitors.”

    The new weekly audience figure of 163 million, compiled from independent surveys around the globe, is an increase of 14 million on last year’s figure of 149 million. This new figure breaks the previous BBC World Service record audience of 153 million in 2001. The new figure equates to around 50 per cent more listeners than any comparable international broadcaster.

    BBC World Service is now available on high quality FM sound in a record 150 capital cities out of a total of around 190 – up from 145 last year. This higher quality of audibility is vital to retain audiences.

    Online audiences to the BBC’s international facing news sites have also shown significant rises. The sites attracted around 500 million page impressions a month in March 2006 compared to 324 million page impressions in March 2005.

    This is a rise of over 50 per cent over the year. The site now attracts around 33 million unique users each month; up from around 21 million unique users a year ago. BBC World Service achieved efficiency savings of £7.1 million in 2005/06.

  • China Telecom, Utstarcom to expand commercial IPTV coverage in Shanghai

    China Telecom, Utstarcom to expand commercial IPTV coverage in Shanghai

    MUMBAI: The IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services provider Utstarcom has announced that it has signed a follow-on contract to deploy its RollingStream end-to-end IPTV solution to China Telecom, the largest fixed-line telecom operator in China.

    The commercial IPTV network is initially designed to support 51,000 users in Shanghai, which is also the largest city in China with a population of approximately 18 million. The number of broadband users in Shanghai continues to grow at a rapid rate approaching two million subscribers at the end of first quarter of 2006. UTStarcom believes these factors provide a solid foundation for the IPTV market in both Shanghai and China.

    “We believe the opportunity to deploy a commercial IPTV network with China Telecom for a large number of additional subscribers in Shanghai will lay a solid foundation for UTStarcom’s future market development of IPTV in China,” says UTStarcom China chairman & CEO . “We believe that RollingStream is the best-in-class IPTV solution in the market. It is a mature, IP-based platform that is designed to provide carrier-class, end-to- end triple-play services to carriers worldwide.”

    Prior to this deployment, China Telecom Shanghai selected UTStarcom to deploy an initial 5,000-user IPTV network in November 2005. During the first stage of deployment, UTStarcom’s RollingStream solution was put through a rigorous series of technology tests, states an official release.

    Partnering with Shanghai Media Group (SMG), China Telecom Shanghai plans to offer subscribers a service package of live broadcast television and videos-on-demand. Additionally, the service is designed to offer subscribers “time-shift” capabilities — the ability to pause and rewind live television, as well as an expansive amount of storage to record any program and watch on each subscriber’s own schedule. Shanghai is the largest city of China with a total population of approximately 18 million.

    The number of broadband users in Shanghai approached two million at the end of first quarter of 2006. UTStarcom believes these factors provide a solid foundation for the addressable market of IPTV in China, adds the release.

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














    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.

  • Fox Sports, Major League Baseball ink seven year rights agreement

    Fox Sports, Major League Baseball ink seven year rights agreement

    MUMBAI: Fox Sports and Major League Baseball have inked an extensive seven-year national television rights agreement that keeps the World Series and All-Star Game exclusively on Fox through 2013.

    In addition to the Fall and Mid-Summer Classics, the network continues as the exclusive home of the Fox Saturday Afternoon Baseball Game of the Week as well as the American or National League Championship Series on a rotating basis for the contract’s duration.

    Fox Sports’ new agreement with MLB gives the network the rights to:

    • Up to 26 Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week regionalised single-header broadcasts, an increase from 18 previously;
    • Exclusive coverage of the American League Championship Series in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013;
    • Exclusive coverage of the National League Championship Series in 2008, 2010 and 2012;
    • Exclusive prime-time coverage of the World Series from 2007 through 2013 with Game 1 scheduled for the first Tuesday after completion of the LCS;
    • Exclusive prime-time coverage of the All-Star Game from 2007 through 2013;
    • This Week in Baseball, MLB’s award-winning, youth-oriented magazine show which precedes the Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week.

    “Fox has enjoyed 11 terrific years as the broadcast home of Major League Baseball, having covered some of the game’s most memorable moments. Major League Baseball is as popular today as ever… with new young stars and veteran players performing before hundreds of millions of fans in-person and on TV each year. The schedule this agreement provides enables Fox to combine the most-watched games of the year with the No. 1 prime-time lineup in America,” said Fox Networks group president and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.

    “For some time now, Major League Baseball has been a key component of Fox’s programming strategy. The games are an invaluable promotional platform – for both our new series and returning hits such as House, 24, Prison Break, Bones, The Simpsons, and Family Guy. We look forward to many more successful years with Major League Baseball, and are eager to see who will be on top come October,” said Fox Sports entertainment president Peter Liguori.

    The expanded Fox Saturday Baseball schedule gives baseball an over-the-air, April-through-September, “Game of the Week” for the first time since 1989, and Fox also retains exclusive rights to the MLB All-Star Game, annually the highest-rated All-Star event in sports. In 2005, the MLB All-Star Game out-rated the NBA All-Star Game in households by +65 per cent (8.1 vs. 4.9), and the NFL Pro Bowl by +98 per cent (vs. 4.1). In its history, the MLB All-Star Game has never been beaten by any other All-Star event on a same-year basis.

    MLB on Fox postseason coverage has been a significant contributor to the network’s prime time ratings success among adults 18-49. Fox research calculates that over the last five years, the World Series added a tenth of a ratings point on average to Fox’s Adults 18-49 season total, which is significant given that in each of the last three seasons the difference between first and second place has been just a tenth of a point.

    By renewing its rights as the national broadcast home of Major League Baseball, Fox Sports is positioned as home to more of America’s most-watched sports events than any other network. In the last two years, Fox Sports has retained broadcast rights to the NFL through 2011, NASCAR through 2014 and now MLB through 2013, while adding coverage of college football’s prestigious Bowl Championship Series through 2010.

    Fox Sports, already on its way to a tenth year as America’s top-rated network for sports, now boasts long-term agreements with each of America’s four highest-rated sports. No other network boasts a more robust, year-round schedule.

    A look at the Fox Sports event lineup over the next four years in particular reveals just how full its schedule is from January through December:

    Cotton Bowl (January 1)
    Bowl Championship Series (January)
    Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
    FedEx Orange Bowl
    Allstate Sugar Bowl
    BCS National Championship Game (2007-2009)
    NFC Playoffs (January)
    NFC Wild Card Game
    NFC Divisional Playoffs (2)
    NFC Championship Game (January)
    Super Bowl XLII (February 2008)
    Pro Bowl (February 2008)
    Daytona 500 (February)
    NASCAR regular- season coverage (February-May)
    MLB regular-season coverage (April-September)
    MLB All-Star Game (July)
    NFL regular-season (September-December)
    American or National League Championship Series (October)
    World Series (October)

    “Looking out over the next several years, Fox Sports has one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, year-long schedules of any single outlet in the Big Four network era. Marquee sporting events have been, and will remain, among the best vehicles to corral mass audiences, especially hard-to-reach young males, and this schedule is about as DVR-proof as a sports schedule can be,” said Fox Sports chairman David Hill.

  • Turner to launch Cartoon Network in Korea

    Turner to launch Cartoon Network in Korea

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) has teamed up with South Korea’s media group JoongAng Ilbo (JAI) to launch Cartoon Network Korea.

    The agreement was signed by TBS Korea vice president Ron Lee and JoongAng Broadcasting Corporation (JBC)- a JAI media group company- president and CEO Mun-Yeon Kim.

    In keeping with the Korean broadcast regulations, the majority stake in the joint venture will be held by JAI’s JBC, with Turner holding a 49 per cent stake in the partnership. Cartoon Network Korea will be languaged in Korean.

    To debut later this year, Cartoon Network Korea will showcase the best in animation, offering both Korean and international animation. Predominantly an animation channel, it will bring together a unique mix of new as well as recognised programming to Korean kids.

    Kim said, “The launch of Cartoon Network Korea is a very significant event for us and for the Korean television industry as the launch of the Network officially kicks off. Cartoon Network Korea will combine the unique strengths of both partners, and will build on our unrivalled knowledge and expertise to create a kids’ channel that will raise the bar and set new standards of excellence in the kids’ entertainment genre. Cartoon Network Korea will offer a variety of multi-genre animation titles from its world-renowned library, and will provide more than just Japanese titles or a single style of animation genre.”

    Lee added, “To successfully operate in a highly developed market such as Korea, it is imperative to enter into an alliance with a local partner. In JoongAng Ilbo, we are partnering with an acknowledged leader in the Korean media business. The partnership is a natural extension of our long standing relationship with JAI and is further strengthened by JAI’s deep understanding of our brand philosophy. By making this strategic investment to create a unique kids’ entertainment channel in Korea, we are demonstrating our commitment to cater to the specific viewing preferences of the young Korean audience.”

    “As a leading player in the kids’ entertainment genre in Asia-Pacific, we understand that effective localisation is key for a network to resonate with the audience. Given our experience in successfully delivering specialised Cartoon Network services across the Asia-Pacific, we are confident that our compelling and diverse array of content, specially engineered for kids in Korea, will open up a whole new viewing experience for them,” said Turner Entertainment Networks Asia senior vice president and general manager Ian Diamond.

    Cartoon Network Korea will provide a diverse mix of content drawn from production companies from around the world including Japan, Korea and Cartoon Network’s own library – comprising more than 14,000 Warner Bros., MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Originals series and shorts. Cartoon Network Korea will also work closely with JAI to examine opportunities for the development of animation in Korea.

  • Ex Disney hand Montgomery to join DreamWorks Animation board

    Ex Disney hand Montgomery to join DreamWorks Animation board

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. has elected Michael J. Montgomery to its board of directors.

    Montgomery currently serves as president of Montgomery & Co., a leading investment bank for growth companies in the information technology, communications, healthcare and media sectors, where he is responsible for leading the firm’s media and entertainment practice.

    Before joining Montgomery & Co., he was CEO of Sega Gameworks, a joint venture between Sega, Universal Studios, and DreamWorks SKG. In 1995, Montgomery joined DreamWorks and was instrumental in raising $1 billion in private equity financing.

    Prior to his experience with DreamWorks, he was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of EuroDisney. Before assuming his role at EuroDisney, Montgomery was the vice president and treasurer of the Walt Disney Company where he was actively involved in the IPO of EuroDisney in 1989.

    “I am pleased to welcome Michael to our board of directors. I believe that his wealth of financial and industry experience with some of the largest names in entertainment coupled with his history at DreamWorks makes him an ideal addition to our world-class board,” said DreamWorks Animation SKG chairman Roger Enrico.

  • China Telecom, Utstarcom to expand commercial IPTV coverage in Shanghai

    MUMBAI: The IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services provider Utstarcom has announced that it has signed a follow-on contract to deploy its RollingStream end-to-end IPTV solution to China Telecom, the largest fixed-line telecom operator in China.


    The commercial IPTV network is initially designed to support 51,000 users in Shanghai, which is also the largest city in China with a population of approximately 18 million. The number of broadband users in Shanghai continues to grow at a rapid rate approaching two million subscribers at the end of first quarter of 2006. UTStarcom believes these factors provide a solid foundation for the IPTV market in both Shanghai and China.


    “We believe the opportunity to deploy a commercial IPTV network with China Telecom for a large number of additional subscribers in Shanghai will lay a solid foundation for UTStarcom‘s future market development of IPTV in China,” says UTStarcom China chairman & CEO . “We believe that RollingStream is the best-in-class IPTV solution in the market. It is a mature, IP-based platform that is designed to provide carrier-class, end-to- end triple-play services to carriers worldwide.”
     
    Prior to this deployment, China Telecom Shanghai selected UTStarcom to deploy an initial 5,000-user IPTV network in November 2005. During the first stage of deployment, UTStarcom‘s RollingStream solution was put through a rigorous series of technology tests, states an official release.


    Partnering with Shanghai Media Group (SMG), China Telecom Shanghai plans to offer subscribers a service package of live broadcast television and videos-on-demand. Additionally, the service is designed to offer subscribers “time-shift” capabilities — the ability to pause and rewind live television, as well as an expansive amount of storage to record any program and watch on each subscriber‘s own schedule. Shanghai is the largest city of China with a total population of approximately 18 million.


    The number of broadband users in Shanghai approached two million at the end of first quarter of 2006. UTStarcom believes these factors provide a solid foundation for the addressable market of IPTV in China, adds the release.

  • Comedy Central celebrates comic icons with a new show

    Comedy Central celebrates comic icons with a new show

    MUMBAI: PUS media conglomerate Viacom’s comedy channel Comedy Central is kicking a documentary show Legends later this year in September.

    The channel says that Legends is a new type of documentary series that takes an inside look at the legends of comedy as told through the voices of comedy insiders and those who worked with them and knew them intimately.

    It is a modern tribute that focusses on each legend’s on-stage persona and off-stage personality, while examining how and why they ascended to the ranks of comic royalty and their influence on the modern-day comedy scene.

    It will have clips of memorable performances and interviews with peers and acolytes, each individual, hour-long episode of Legends will retain its own style and unique flavour, just like the legends themselves. The first comedian who will be profiled is the late comic icon Rodney Dangerfield.

    The other comic personalities that will be profiled include talk show host Jay Leno, actor Ben Stiller and Jerry Seinfeld.

  • Turner to launch Cartoon Network in Korea

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) has teamed up with South Korea‘s media group JoongAng Ilbo (JAI) to launch Cartoon Network Korea.


    The agreement was signed by TBS Korea vice president Ron Lee and JoongAng Broadcasting Corporation (JBC)- a JAI media group company- president and CEO Mun-Yeon Kim.


    In keeping with the Korean broadcast regulations, the majority stake in the joint venture will be held by JAI‘s JBC, with Turner holding a 49 per cent stake in the partnership. Cartoon Network Korea will be languaged in Korean.


    To debut later this year, Cartoon Network Korea will showcase the best in animation, offering both Korean and international animation. Predominantly an animation channel, it will bring together a unique mix of new as well as recognised programming to Korean kids.


    Kim said, “The launch of Cartoon Network Korea is a very significant event for us and for the Korean television industry as the launch of the Network officially kicks off. Cartoon Network Korea will combine the unique strengths of both partners, and will build on our unrivalled knowledge and expertise to create a kids‘ channel that will raise the bar and set new standards of excellence in the kids‘ entertainment genre. Cartoon Network Korea will offer a variety of multi-genre animation titles from its world-renowned library, and will provide more than just Japanese titles or a single style of animation genre.”


    Lee added, “To successfully operate in a highly developed market such as Korea, it is imperative to enter into an alliance with a local partner. In JoongAng Ilbo, we are partnering with an acknowledged leader in the Korean media business. The partnership is a natural extension of our long standing relationship with JAI and is further strengthened by JAI‘s deep understanding of our brand philosophy. By making this strategic investment to create a unique kids‘ entertainment channel in Korea, we are demonstrating our commitment to cater to the specific viewing preferences of the young Korean audience.”


    “As a leading player in the kids‘ entertainment genre in Asia-Pacific, we understand that effective localisation is key for a network to resonate with the audience. Given our experience in successfully delivering specialised Cartoon Network services across the Asia-Pacific, we are confident that our compelling and diverse array of content, specially engineered for kids in Korea, will open up a whole new viewing experience for them,” said Turner Entertainment Networks Asia senior vice president and general manager Ian Diamond.


    Cartoon Network Korea will provide a diverse mix of content drawn from production companies from around the world including Japan, Korea and Cartoon Network‘s own library – comprising more than 14,000 Warner Bros., MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Originals series and shorts. Cartoon Network Korea will also work closely with JAI to examine opportunities for the development of animation in Korea.

  • Internet TV ‘Speaking Channel’ debuts in the US

     MUMBAI: The US-based TVWorldwide.com, in cooperation with Media Training Worldwide, has announced the details for the formal launch of The Speaking Channel, www.speakingchannel.tv, an internet TV channel featuring live and on-demand content for people who want to learn from great speakers and improve on their own speaking skills.


    The companies stated the channel would feature a free video webcast during today‘s launch party, live from The Speaking Channel studios near Times Square in New York City, beginning at 6:30 pm, ET. The Speaking Channel was soft-launched during TV Worldwide‘s webcast of Streaming Media East in New York City, on the 23 and 24 May.


    Since that time, this internet TV channel has leveraged compelling new content to attract strong audience participation from those interested in honing their presentation skills, whether they are speaking to large or small audiences, the news media or in civic or social arenas, states an official release.


    The channel features content that addresses speaking excellence to build individual presentation skills in the following areas. 1. Business (large and small group presentations). 2. Public life (civic affairs and politics). 3. Work life (employee communication/job interviews). 4. Family/social communication (parties/networking events). The Channel will continue to feature television programming that celebrates outstanding spoken communication and gives viewers learning tools on how to build and improve their own speaking skills, the release adds.


    “This Internet TV Channel has attracted healthy audiences since we soft-launched it in May and we‘re excited about the prospects of working with Media Training Worldwide on The Speaking Channel as we launch with the webcast from the Channel‘s Times Square Studios,” states TVWorldwide.com CEO Dave Gardy. “By creating and deploying global/local, ‘lean-in‘ interactive content for speaking enthusiasts as we‘ve done for our other Internet TV channels, we believe we can effectively present a whole new forum for the community of those interested in speaking excellence and improvement. Most important, we know The Speaking Channel will offer our industry partners a unique innovative avenue for communicating with their target demographic audiences through viral on-line distribution as we build the channel‘s community.”