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  • UAE acquires rights to 225 digital channels

    UAE acquires rights to 225 digital channels

    MUMBAI: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE, has acquired rights to 225 digital channels at the recently concluded ITU Regional Radio Communication Conference (RRC) held in Geneva from 15 May 15th – 16 June 2006.

    The month-long conference was aimed at facilitating the transition from analogue media broadcasting to digital. The conference organised channel allocation among participating countries, based on a newly formulated digital terrestrial TV broadcasting plan.

    TRA DG Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim said, “The UAE team has acquired 225 digital terrestrial TV channels out of the 236 present in the UHF and VHF bands. The TRA has authority on these channels, and we will soon issue regulatory lists to start giving licenses for channels use.”

    “The UAE will undergo tremendous change and growth in the field of TV and radio transmission in the coming few years so that people can watch the terrestrial channels’ TV programmes either at home or through their PDAs . In order to accelerate and facilitate the change, TRA is putting in place regulations that are in line with international guidelines in the field”.

    At the conference, the UAE acquired several leading positions in the conference, and assumed responsibility for chairing one of the negotiating teams, vice-chairing the special team for a new regional treaty and also vice-chairing a special team dedicated to revising the previous agreement.

    Prior to the conference, the TRA had organised several local preparatory meetings to reschedule UAE’s digital broadcasting channels in the 174-230 MHZ and 470-862 MHZ frequency bands through advanced software programs used for regulating the broadcasting spectrum according to digital maps of the country. The TRA also organised regional congresses with neighboring countries (GCC, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, and the Republic of Yemen) to ensure a united front on broadcasting.

    The UAE is expected to transit to digital terrestrial broadcasting system within two years as part of an overall strategy to enhance the telecommunications sector in the country, and the TRA will be in charge of ensuring a smooth and successful transition to the new broadcasting paradigm.

    A key issue at the conference was the protection of analogue terrestrial broadcasting from digital interference until the year 2015 to ease the transition between the technologies. All conference participants signed a new treaty outlining terrestrial TV channels provision.

  • Hallmark comes up with a new look and feel

    Hallmark comes up with a new look and feel

    MUMBAI: It has been a period of transition for Hallmark. The international division was sold to a group of investors by Crown Media last year for $242 million.

    Now the channel has gone in for a new look and programming line-up. The new look signifies the broadcaster’s commitment to offering high quality movies, mini-series and drama series in an attractive and engaging channel environment that is relevant to Asian audiences.

    Sparrowhawk Media Group (which operates Hallmark) MD Asia Pacific Andrew Hanna said, “Hallmark Channel’s new look is designed to present our programming in the most contemporary and compelling way to our audiences. We will continue to provide our audiences with the same quality production values and premium entertainment shows they have come to know and love. Now, Hallmark Channel will do it better.”

    Hallmark’s Asia Pacific creative director Cameron Craig said, “So often we see that everyday events in life are a wellspring for dramatic storytelling. Hallmark Channel offers people great drama entertainment that draws upon the full range of human emotion. Creatively, we have set out to reflect that great stories often exist in the drama that surrounds us in each person’s life, everyday.

    The new on-air look features landscapes and captures scenes that aim to reflect the daily drama of people’s lives. These images were filmed in India, Malaysia and Thailand. Superimposed over these images are close-ups of what are typical Hallmark viewers reacting to the drama inherent in the scenes. The addition of the line ‘in every life, there is drama’ reflects, in a subtle but engaging way, the emotional connection audiences feel for the Hallmark Channel brand and its drama based programming.”

    As far as the programming template is concerned Hallmark will continue to offer mini-series based on world famous novels, classic tales of mythology, great people in history and inspiring true stories. In 2006, the mini-series that will air include an adaptation of Jules Verne novel Mysterious Island which deals with a group of prisoners who have escaped from a Confederate prisoner of war camp during the American Civil War by a hot air balloon, William Golding’s tale To the Ends of the Earth which is about a young man’s coming of age at sea, action adventure Supernova and the classic Greek tale of Hercules.

    On weekdays, Hallmark will air movies and drama series, including courtroom drama’s Judging Amy and Family Law, spy thriller Spooks, murder mystery’s Midsomer Murder’s and Wire in the Blood and contemporary drama’s Doc Martin and Hustle.

    Hanna adds, “Our new look and branding is part of our constant mission aimed to entertain the drama-watching and drama-loving audiences everywhere.”

  • Discovery to launch DMax channel in Germany

    Discovery to launch DMax channel in Germany

    MUMBAI: Discovery will launch DMax in Germany in September 2006 in place of XXP, a free-to-air channel that the company acquired earlier this year.

    The fact-based entertainment channel, DMax will focus on the lifestyles and interests of male viewers aged 20 – 49 and offers frank opinions, revealing insights and a fresh, thought-provoking perspective on contemporary life and the way we live today.

    The channel will deliver the inside track on everything that is important to a predominantly male audience and will offer a broad range of locally and internationally produced content encompassing investigative documentaries, popular science, lifestyle, talk shows, real-life human interest stories, motoring and outdoor activities. DMax will occupy a unique position within the German media landscape as the only mainstream free-to-air fact- based entertainment channel.

    Discovery Germany VP country manager Dr. Patrick Höerl said, “The launch of DMax represents a significant investment by Discovery to build a compelling free-to-air brand that serves an important and growing segment of the German television market. DMax will benefit from investment in content produced in Germany, a fortified technical infrastructure that extends the reach of the channel and increased marketing and programming staff.”

    A significant investment will be made in programming for DMax consisting of both local German commissions and local and international acquisitions. It is expected that approximately 70 per cent of 2006 programming budgets will be invested in local commissions. DMax currently has over 1,000 new programming hours scheduled from launch in September until the end of 2006.

    Discovery Germany VP ad sales Magnus Kastner says, “DMax has a unique and compelling channel proposition designed specifically to attract the young male audience advertisers want to reach. The fact-based programming provides advertisers with a contemporary and high-quality environment for their commercial messages.”

    At launch, DMax will reach approximately 27 million households. The channel can be viewed on both analogue and digital satellite 24 hours a day and has extensive reach across Germany’s cable networks. DMax will be managed out of Discovery’s German offices in Munich by a growing team of media professionals.

    Kastner joined Discovery Germany in May 2006 and is currently building a full-service advertising sales function for DMax, which will be comprised of more than 20 employees operating out of Munich.

  • UAE acquires rights to 225 digital channels

    MUMBAI: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE, has acquired rights to 225 digital channels at the recently concluded ITU Regional Radio Communication Conference (RRC) held in Geneva from 15 May 15th – 16 June 2006.


    The month-long conference was aimed at facilitating the transition from analogue media broadcasting to digital. The conference organised channel allocation among participating countries, based on a newly formulated digital terrestrial TV broadcasting plan.


    TRA DG Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim said, “The UAE team has acquired 225 digital terrestrial TV channels out of the 236 present in the UHF and VHF bands. The TRA has authority on these channels, and we will soon issue regulatory lists to start giving licenses for channels use.”


    “The UAE will undergo tremendous change and growth in the field of TV and radio transmission in the coming few years so that people can watch the terrestrial channels‘ TV programmes either at home or through their PDAs . In order to accelerate and facilitate the change, TRA is putting in place regulations that are in line with international guidelines in the field”.


    At the conference, the UAE acquired several leading positions in the conference, and assumed responsibility for chairing one of the negotiating teams, vice-chairing the special team for a new regional treaty and also vice-chairing a special team dedicated to revising the previous agreement.


    Prior to the conference, the TRA had organised several local preparatory meetings to reschedule UAE‘s digital broadcasting channels in the 174-230 MHZ and 470-862 MHZ frequency bands through advanced software programs used for regulating the broadcasting spectrum according to digital maps of the country. The TRA also organised regional congresses with neighboring countries (GCC, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, and the Republic of Yemen) to ensure a united front on broadcasting.


    The UAE is expected to transit to digital terrestrial broadcasting system within two years as part of an overall strategy to enhance the telecommunications sector in the country, and the TRA will be in charge of ensuring a smooth and successful transition to the new broadcasting paradigm.


    A key issue at the conference was the protection of analogue terrestrial broadcasting from digital interference until the year 2015 to ease the transition between the technologies. All conference participants signed a new treaty outlining terrestrial TV channels provision.

  • Nick US’ education network Noggin celebrates 10 years of ‘Blues Clues’

    MUMBAI: US kids channel Nickelodeon has announced that Noggin its commercial-free, educational network for preschoolers goes ‘Blue‘ this month.


    The network invites American kids and their families to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Blue’s Clues a show that the broadcaster says changed the way preschoolers watch television.


    Throughout this month Noggin will pay tribute to the blue puppy with Blue’s Clues-themed activities at Club Noggin in General Growth (GGP) malls across the US. In addition to appearances by series host ‘Joe‘ (Donovan Patton) in select malls. Noggin will also kick off a month-long on-air celebration of Blue’s Clues with a ‘Red, White and Blue‘ marathon on independence Day 4 July 2006.


    The Club Noggin celebration will lead up to the August anniversary of Blue’s Clues, when Nick Jr. and Noggins will introduce viewers to a new character — Blue’s new brother — on the hour-long movie Meet Blue’s Baby Brother on 6 August on Nickelodeon.


    For the first time, the special melds the two worlds of Joe and the classic animated world of Blue’s Clues with the puppets on Blue’s Room. Meet Blue’s Baby Brother will feature a game of Gold Clues as preschoolers help search for Blue’s baby brother and share another milestone with their favourite blue puppy.


    Blue’s Clues will take over Club Noggin, the network’s interactive educational in-mall experience for preschoolers and their parents. Participating malls will present special Blue’s Clues-themed activities throughout the month of July. Club Noggin reaches consumers in 78 GGP malls across the US. Blue’s Clues host Donovan Patton is scheduled to appear for “meet and greets” and book readings in New York, Chicago, San Jose, Houston and Dallas. Throughout July, GGP and NOGGIN will also launch “Club NOGGIN On the Go!” a take-away extension of Club NOGGIN’s in-mall experience for parents to help entertain and educate their kids wherever they are.


    Club Noggin’s Blue’s Clues educational curriculum will focus on themes from the hit series including:


    Letters: Activity to feature the Blue’s Clues book “Alphabet Power”


    Numbers: Activity to feature a Blue’s Clues video clip with a corresponding lesson


    Shapes: Activity to feature an arts and crafts project — build a sailboat — which mirrors a lesson on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother


    Colors: Coloring activity based on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother


    The earlier mentioned Red, White and Blue on-air marathon will feature the following Blue’s Clues milestones: the three-part special Meet Joe where Steve goes to college and viewers are introduced to new host Joe, the half-hour special Legend of the Blue Puppy where Blue talks for the very first time; Blue’s 100th Episode Celebration a retrospective look at the first five seasons with Steve, Joe and Blue; and the 90-minute movie Blue’s Big Musical.

  • Nick US’ education network Noggin celebrates 10 years of ‘Blues Clues’

    Nick US’ education network Noggin celebrates 10 years of ‘Blues Clues’

    MUMBAI: US kids channel Nickelodeon has announced that Noggin its commercial-free, educational network for preschoolers goes ‘Blue’ this month.

    The network invites American kids and their families to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Blue’s Clues a show that the broadcaster says changed the way preschoolers watch television.

    Throughout this month Noggin will pay tribute to the blue puppy with Blue’s Clues-themed activities at Club Noggin in General Growth (GGP) malls across the US. In addition to appearances by series host ‘Joe’ (Donovan Patton) in select malls. Noggin will also kick off a month-long on-air celebration of Blue’s Clues with a ‘Red, White and Blue’ marathon on independence Day 4 July 2006.

    The Club Noggin celebration will lead up to the August anniversary of Blue’s Clues, when Nick Jr. and Noggins will introduce viewers to a new character — Blue’s new brother — on the hour-long movie Meet Blue’s Baby Brother on 6 August on Nickelodeon.

    For the first time, the special melds the two worlds of Joe and the classic animated world of Blue’s Clues with the puppets on Blue’s Room. Meet Blue’s Baby Brother will feature a game of Gold Clues as preschoolers help search for Blue’s baby brother and share another milestone with their favourite blue puppy.

    Blue’s Clues will take over Club Noggin, the network’s interactive educational in-mall experience for preschoolers and their parents. Participating malls will present special Blue’s Clues-themed activities throughout the month of July. Club Noggin reaches consumers in 78 GGP malls across the US. Blue’s Clues host Donovan Patton is scheduled to appear for “meet and greets” and book readings in New York, Chicago, San Jose, Houston and Dallas. Throughout July, GGP and NOGGIN will also launch “Club NOGGIN On the Go!” a take-away extension of Club NOGGIN’s in-mall experience for parents to help entertain and educate their kids wherever they are.

    Club Noggin’s Blue’s Clues educational curriculum will focus on themes from the hit series including:

    Letters: Activity to feature the Blue’s Clues book “Alphabet Power”

    Numbers: Activity to feature a Blue’s Clues video clip with a corresponding lesson

    Shapes: Activity to feature an arts and crafts project — build a sailboat — which mirrors a lesson on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother

    Colors: Coloring activity based on Meet Blue’s Baby Brother

    The earlier mentioned Red, White and Blue on-air marathon will feature the following Blue’s Clues milestones: the three-part special Meet Joe where Steve goes to college and viewers are introduced to new host Joe, the half-hour special Legend of the Blue Puppy where Blue talks for the very first time; Blue’s 100th Episode Celebration a retrospective look at the first five seasons with Steve, Joe and Blue; and the 90-minute movie Blue’s Big Musical.

  • AXN gets over 200,000 votes for its Action Awards initiative

    AXN gets over 200,000 votes for its Action Awards initiative

    MUMBAI: Looks like AXN’s decision to do an initiative around Bollywood is paying dividends. The channel has announced that it received with over 200,000 votes for different action categories in the first ever Indian Action Awards.

    From biker stunts and enthralling on-ground activities to responses on SMS and on the AXN website fans have voted for their stars who they want to see get an award.

    As had been reported by indiantelevision.com earlier AXN had introduced the first ever Action Awards in India last month. These awards will felicitate the tough guys of Bollywood. Dino Morea will present these awards to the much deserving action stars of Bollywood who have come a long way from the ‘dishoom dishoom’ to international quality special effects, high speed action sequences and the finest editing.

    Voting was via SMS, ballot paper and logging on to www.axnactionawards.com. AXN and and main sponsor Thums Up also co-ordinated on ground activities in eight cities in India. At each of the events, on-ground paper ballot voting was conducted where a form was filled by the audience to cast their vote for their favourite action hero.

    The AXN Action Awards is presented by Thums Up with Associate Sponsorship by Mahindra Scorpio and Sony Ericsson K750i. The promotion partner for the event is Inox.

  • FIPB clears Adhikari Brothers’ Broadcast Initiatives plans to induct foreign equity partner

    FIPB clears Adhikari Brothers’ Broadcast Initiatives plans to induct foreign equity partner

    MUMBAI: The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has formally cleared the application filed by Sri Adhikari Brothers News and Television Network Limited (the name has changed to Broadcast Initiatives Ltd).

    The approval is part of the procedure for news channels planning to raise funds through an initial public offer (IPO) to induct investments from non-resident Indians (NRIs) or foreign institutional investors (FIIs). The company has filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus for an IPO.

    Broadcast Initiatives Ltd, the Sri Adhikari Brothers promoted company through which Janmat news and views channel was launched, proposes to issue 8,550,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each for cash at a premium to be decided through the book building process. The issue would constitute 44.27 per cent of the fully diluted post issue equity capital of the company. Post-issue, the promoter holding would be 55.73 per cent.

    As per the prescribed government norms, the FIIs can invest in news and current affairs channel and companies managing them, but the total foreign investment component is capped at 26 per cent, whereby the FII investment has to be part of the total foreign investment allowed, including foreign direct investment.

    For any such induction, the news broadcaster has to obtain a no objection certificate from information and broadcasting ministry as well as the FIPB approval for the shares issued to the NRIs/FIIs.

    In its application last month, the Adhikari Brothers had said that it “proposes to induct foreign equity partner up to 26 per cent through the IPO/Public issues.”

    On the same day, the FIPB had also approved a proposal of Reuters Group Plc to invest in the Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd’s, which manages the six month old English news and current affairs channel Times Now. The ministry has approved an investment of Rs 221 million by the Reuters in the Times Global Broadcasting for uplinking and broadcasting news and current affairs television channels from India.

    The clearances are part of a package okayed by finance minister P Chidambaram based on the recommendations of the FIPB in its meeting held on 29 June 2006. The total package approved by the FM amounts to Rs 7.62 billion.

  • Broadband gets animated as Cartoon Network hires Premium TV

    Broadband gets animated as Cartoon Network hires Premium TV

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting Systems has hired digital rights company Premium TV to provide a broadband TV service in the UK for its flagship kids’ channel Cartoon Network, with the service due to launch in Q4.

    The broadband site will be Cartoon Network’s first foray into broadband content tailored to the PC, and follows hot on the heels of the recent roll out of Cartoon Network’s new look website to all European territories.

    CartoonNetwork.co.uk is gaining more hits than ever before, with over 30 million page impressions per month, and the broadband site SuperCartoonNetwork.co.uk will reinforce this success in the sector.

    Subscribers to the site will be able to watch hours of regularly updated Cartoon Network shows, such as Ben 10 and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. They will also be able to watch archived episodes of the cartoons on the site.

    Under the terms of the two year deal, Premium TV will provide the broadband platform for Turner which will see Super Cartoon Network broadcast within the EMEA region.

    Premium TV has a track record of handling digital rights for major sports organisations, such as FLi (Football League Interactive) and World Rally Championship (WRC). The company’s expertise in managing digital rights, coupled with its DRM technology, will enable Turner Broadcasting Systems to take advantage of the growing digital market.

  • Vh1 lines-up special shows for July

    Vh1 lines-up special shows for July

    MUMBAI: Vh1, the international music and lifestyle channel has line-up with the celebreality show Hogan Knows Best and Cribs as well as two Vh1 specials Live8: What A Difference A Day Made and Rock Honors for July.

    Starting 2 July, Vh1 will premiere Live8: What A Difference A Day Made at 10 pm. It will highlight the performances including U2, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Madonna, Youssou N’Dour and Dido, Robbie Williams, Pink Floyd, R.E.M. and Paul McCartney who rallied the crowds and viewers to fight against poverty in Africa and to lobby the G8 leaders to makes promises on debt relief, AIDS drugs, trade tariffs and education. The show will repeat on 15 July at 10 pm, the day the G8 summit begins in Russia. 

    Hogan Knows Best, the celebreality show on Hulk Hogan and his family premieres on 18 July at 9 pm. The show exposes the inside story on Hulk Hogan who is not only the world’s most famous wrestler but also a very traditional suburban dad with a teenage daughter who wants to be a pop star and a teenage son Nick who wants to be a race car driver.

    Cribs will premier on 26 July. The show will showcase an exclusive and in-depth access into the comfy dwellings of the favourite celebrities. 

    The lifestyle channel will also showcase Vh1 Rock Honors, hosted by Jamie Pressly, celebrating the great music and influence of KISS, Queen, Def Leppard and Judas Priest in Las Vegas with performances Foo Fighters, Godsmack, All American Rejects and the awesome KISS Tribute All Star Band (including Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee and Slash) on 21 July at 10 pm.