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  • CBS and RealNetworks team to stream video of ‘Big Brother: All Stars’

    CBS and RealNetworks team to stream video of ‘Big Brother: All Stars’

    MUMBAI: CBS reality show Big Brother: All Stars will premiere on 6 July with a strong online backing. With its seventh season, CBS has teamed up with RealNetworks to stream 24/7 video from the Big Brother house along with Big Brother blog and Big Brother talk show House Calls, which will stream daily for free on CBS.com.

    The series will also be streamed on CBS.com’s new broadband channel Innertube beginning the day after the episode airs on the channel. The webcast on RealNetwork will also premiere on 6 July, immediately following the East coast broadcast of the show at 8 pm ET.

    According to an official release, subscribers to the 24/7 video stream can watch any one of four live camera feeds from the Big Brother: All Stars house or catch all of the action at once with the special quad-cam view, which allows fans to simultaneously see four different video feeds.

    In addition, Real and CBS are enhancing the Big Brother 24/7 experience with the introduction of new interactive features that bring together the fan community. Fans can interact with one another in Big Brother-focused blogs, chat rooms, message boards and weekly polls and get much more information on the show and houseguests. The entire three-month season of Big Brother: All Stars will be available through SuperPass. Subcribers who want to see everything that happens in the house, including things they won’t show on TV, can sign up for the webcast via the official Big Brother: All Stars website at www.CBS.com and through Real’s SuperPass website at www.real.com/bigbrother, adds the release.

    They can have an access with $14.99 monthly or $39.99 for a discounted three-month subscription, with a free trial for everyone who signs up.

    “Together, CBS and Real are delivering TV on the Web in an entirely new way,” said RealNetworks senior vice president of media software and services Harold Zeitz. “Real’s ‘Big Brother’ offering begins where reality TV leaves off, blending around-the-clock streaming video with blogs, chat and other fan-friendly features that allow fans to stay immersed in the Big Brother experience.”

    “The Big Brother web offering is even better this year, with the addition of new ways for fans to interact with each other and stay engaged with the show 24/7,” said CBS.com VP and GM Brinley Turner. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Real to enhance the ‘Big Brother’ experience by enabling fans to check in on houseguests at anytime and watch as the action unfolds.”

  • Times Now in ‘reporting’ deal with ‘Corporate’

    MUMBAI: Bollywood is increasingly turning to news channels for in-film placement. The latest in line is Times Now. The English news channel has joined hands with Madhur Bhandarkar’s much awaited film Corporate. As part of the storyline, Times Now correspondents will be spotted in the movie, reporting news stories.

    Says Times Now VP and business head Partho Dasgupta, “Through the association with the movie Corporate, Times Now will be able to reach out to it’s ‘urbane viewers’, who enjoy Madhur Bhandarkar’s brand of real-life entertaining modern cinema. In-film placements such as this, provides a platform for both the brands to leverage mutual strengths and credibility. We are delighted to be a part of this innovative marketing alliance and are confident that our viewers will also appreciate the same.”

    Adds Sahara One Motion Pictures head -marketing Priti Shahani, “Times Now’s partnership is perfectly synergistic with the film, since the film depicts a lot of the real life journalism as seen in recent times. Times Now, being a part of the Times network, stands for the highest benchmarks in the level of professional and contemporary journalism, and thus lends a lot of authenticity to the realism that is usually expected in a Madhur Bhandarkar film.”

    Corporate is an expose, that highlights the constant murky ‘behind-the-scenes’ maneuvers that take place in the corporate world, and the film reflects all that goes on behind the glitzy and glossy exterior of corporate world.

  • Disney taps former P&G’s John E. Pepper as chairman

    Disney taps former P&G’s John E. Pepper as chairman

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has elected independent Disney director and former Procter & Gamble chairman and CEO John E. Pepper, Jr., to serve as non-executive chairman of the board with effect from 1 January 2007.

    Pepper will succeed Senator George J. Mitchell, who has served as Disney chairman since March 2004.

    Last December, the Disney Board of Directors requested that Senator Mitchell postpone his planned retirement at the 2006 annual meeting of shareholders and stand for re-election to facilitate an orderly chairman succession process. With the selection of his successor as chairman now in place, Senator Mitchell will step down and retire from the board on 31 December 2006.

    “Since joining the Disney Board, John has quickly immersed himself in our business and shared his broad and deep expertise in corporate management, global brand building and leadership development. In John’s leadership of the board, Disney’s shareholders will benefit from his notable record of success in leading and growing one of the world’s largest consumer products companies. He is a man of great integrity and we all look forward to working with him in his new role,” said The Walt Disney Company president and CEO c.

    “I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely with Senator Mitchell for many years, both as a director and as chairman. He is an extraordinary leader with numerous and significant accomplishments both nationally and internationally. The Walt Disney Company has benefited greatly from George’s wisdom and leadership, and I am deeply appreciative of having him as our chairman during my first year as CEO,” he added.

    Senator Mitchell stated, “During the past year, the board undertook a very thoughtful and deliberative approach to the chairman succession process. With the election of John as chairman, Disney will benefit from his outstanding leadership skills and unique experience in cultivating global brands. It has been a true privilege for me to serve the shareholders of Disney and we will now begin a smooth transition with John.”

    Pepper said, “I am incredibly honoured to be elected the next chairman of the world’s preeminent entertainment company. The board recognises the trust investors have placed in us with respect to corporate governance and long term shareholder value creation. I look forward to continuing my close collaboration with the directors and senior management as the company takes full advantage of the significant and exciting opportunities before us to grow and build our brands and businesses worldwide.”

  • Disney taps former P&G’s John E. Pepper as chairman

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has elected independent Disney director and former Procter & Gamble chairman and CEO John E. Pepper, Jr., to serve as non-executive chairman of the board with effect from 1 January 2007.


    Pepper will succeed Senator George J. Mitchell, who has served as Disney chairman since March 2004.


    Last December, the Disney Board of Directors requested that Senator Mitchell postpone his planned retirement at the 2006 annual meeting of shareholders and stand for re-election to facilitate an orderly chairman succession process. With the selection of his successor as chairman now in place, Senator Mitchell will step down and retire from the board on 31 December 2006.


    “Since joining the Disney Board, John has quickly immersed himself in our business and shared his broad and deep expertise in corporate management, global brand building and leadership development. In John‘s leadership of the board, Disney‘s shareholders will benefit from his notable record of success in leading and growing one of the world‘s largest consumer products companies. He is a man of great integrity and we all look forward to working with him in his new role,” said The Walt Disney Company president and CEO Robert A. Iger.


    “I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely with Senator Mitchell for many years, both as a director and as chairman. He is an extraordinary leader with numerous and significant accomplishments both nationally and internationally. The Walt Disney Company has benefited greatly from George‘s wisdom and leadership, and I am deeply appreciative of having him as our chairman during my first year as CEO,” he added.


    Senator Mitchell stated, “During the past year, the board undertook a very thoughtful and deliberative approach to the chairman succession process. With the election of John as chairman, Disney will benefit from his outstanding leadership skills and unique experience in cultivating global brands. It has been a true privilege for me to serve the shareholders of Disney and we will now begin a smooth transition with John.”


    Pepper said, “I am incredibly honoured to be elected the next chairman of the world‘s preeminent entertainment company. The board recognises the trust investors have placed in us with respect to corporate governance and long term shareholder value creation. I look forward to continuing my close collaboration with the directors and senior management as the company takes full advantage of the significant and exciting opportunities before us to grow and build our brands and businesses worldwide.”

  • Ten Sports launches new, racy WWE brand

    Ten Sports launches new, racy WWE brand

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports will launch its third original World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) show of the week with the start of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).

    The other two shows are Raw and SmackDown!

    ECW will debut on Ten Sports on 29 June at 11:30 pm. The late night wrestling show will settle into a regular Friday night 10:30 pm slot once the Indian cricket tour of the West Indies has ended.

    The new roster of wrestling stars is designed to create a more extreme form of the sport. Ten Sports has decided against showing ECW to a daytime audience. The action will be the raciest by far and will be restricted to a new late night slot. The show replaces Velocity.

    Ten Sports says that ECW has already proved a ratings success in North America where the ECW team of wrestlers has begun taking on the existing teams of Raw and SmackDown!.

  • Nokia trials Mobile TV in Sweden using DVB-H technology with Teracom

    Nokia trials Mobile TV in Sweden using DVB-H technology with Teracom

    MUMBAI: Nokia has announced a new commercial DVB-H pilot in Stockholm with Teracom in Sweden, wherein it will be supplying the Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices to the pilot, which will last from October to December 2006 and includes 400 consumers.

    The project is a co-operation between ATG, Boxer, Nokia, Sveriges Radio, Sveriges Television/UR, Telenor and Teracom.

    The pilot participants will be able to watch 14 TV channels and listen to four radio channels in the Stockholm city region, where a network has been built for high quality indoor and outdoor coverage. The objective is to evaluate what Swedish consumers think about commercial broadcast mobile TV.

    ATG, Boxer, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Television will provide content for the pilot. The test will be delivered using Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution 3.0, and the pilot participants will use mobile devices from Nokia, the Nokia N92. Teracom will be responsible for the network, the broadcast and operating of the platform.

    “We strongly believe in the capability of the DVB-H technology as well as in the mobile TV service, and we are looking forward to presenting the full potential and interest of broadcast mobile TV in Sweden,” said Nokia Nordic multimedia director Sigurd Leth.

    This is the second mobile TV pilot in Sweden where Nokia is one of the main suppliers of DVB-H technology. Last week, Nokia announced a new contract with TeliaSonera Sweden for a complete DVB-H pilot system, including Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices, underpinned by Nokia’s hosting and systems integration know-how.

    DVB-H technology complements existing operator networks, optimising capacity and quality. It offers consumers the chance to enjoy high quality terrestrial digital broadcasts along with voice telephony and internet access all in a single device. Broadcast mobile TV will offer new business opportunities for mobile service providers, content and broadcast companies, infrastructure and handset manufacturers as well as technology providers.

    The feedback from different mobile TV pilots has been promising. Results from pilots on broadcast (DVB-H) mobile TV services amongst consumers in Finland, the UK, Spain and France have revealed clear consumer demand for such services as well as important indications over future business models for commercial mobile TV services.

  • Nokia trials Mobile TV in Sweden using DVB-H technology with Teracom













    MUMBAI: Nokia has announced a new commercial DVB-H pilot in Stockholm with Teracom in Sweden, wherein it will be supplying the Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices to the pilot, which will last from October to December 2006 and includes 400 consumers.


    The project is a co-operation between ATG, Boxer, Nokia, Sveriges Radio, Sveriges Television/UR, Telenor and Teracom.

     

    The pilot participants will be able to watch 14 TV channels and listen to four radio channels in the Stockholm city region, where a network has been built for high quality indoor and outdoor coverage. The objective is to evaluate what Swedish consumers think about commercial broadcast mobile TV.

     

    ATG, Boxer, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Television will provide content for the pilot. The test will be delivered using Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution 3.0, and the pilot participants will use mobile devices from Nokia, the Nokia N92. Teracom will be responsible for the network, the broadcast and operating of the platform.


    “We strongly believe in the capability of the DVB-H technology as well as in the mobile TV service, and we are looking forward to presenting the full potential and interest of broadcast mobile TV in Sweden,” said Nokia Nordic multimedia director Sigurd Leth.


    This is the second mobile TV pilot in Sweden where Nokia is one of the main suppliers of DVB-H technology. Last week, Nokia announced a new contract with TeliaSonera Sweden for a complete DVB-H pilot system, including Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices, underpinned by Nokia‘s hosting and systems integration know-how.


    DVB-H technology complements existing operator networks, optimising capacity and quality. It offers consumers the chance to enjoy high quality terrestrial digital broadcasts along with voice telephony and internet access all in a single device. Broadcast mobile TV will offer new business opportunities for mobile service providers, content and broadcast companies, infrastructure and handset manufacturers as well as technology providers.


    The feedback from different mobile TV pilots has been promising. Results from pilots on broadcast (DVB-H) mobile TV services amongst consumers in Finland, the UK, Spain and France have revealed clear consumer demand for such services as well as important indications over future business models for commercial mobile TV services.

  • Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    Sony firms up 10 pm slot with new thriller ‘Akela’, 2 more shows to follow

    MUMBAI: After launching the one-hour weekly drama Vaidehi in the 10 pm slot on Mondays, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India will now launch a thriller cum drama – Akela – on Tuesday at 10 pm.Akela, which will launch on 4 July as an hourly show, will soon be followed by two new shows at 10 pm slotted for Wednesday and Thursday. With these, the new programme launches at Sony, which began with the Friday lineup revamp, will culminate.

    SET India COO NP Singh said, “We have always taken pride in giving our viewers very distinctive and innovative programming that makes for wholesome family entertainment. With Akela, we are dealing with supernatural along with drama, an entire new genre that will throw new insights on the topic that has never been dealt with on television. The show comes from Fireworks and BP Singh, who have given successful thrillers like CID and Aahat, only reiterates our faith and confidence in the project. With Akela, we plan to take suspense dramas and thrillers to a different level.”

    Producer director BP Singh added, “Akela will be a soap with a difference. We are trying to break new grounds with a combination of soap and supernatural element. We have done popular thrillers in the past, but with Akela we are attempting to move into other areas.”

    Sony has tied up with cinema halls where Akela trailers will run along with movie trailers like Krissh. The channel has unleashed a 360 degree multimedia campaign comprising print, television, outdoor and internet. “The print campaign for Akela will begin on 4 July. The campaign will also have an extensive outdoor presence via railway stations, bus backs, bus shelters and malls. We have also tied up with radio and cable channels for cross promotion,” said SET India senior vice president and programming head Anupama Mondloi.

    Akela stars Sudhanshu Pandey, Sumeet Raghvan, Ashka Goradia, Pankaj Dheer, Mihir Misra, MAhii Vij, Nandita Puri, Navni Parihar and Viju Khote amongst others.

  • Kerala cable operators protest luxury tax; go on token strike

    Kerala cable operators protest luxury tax; go on token strike

    MUMBAI: Cable operators in Kerala went on a ‘6 am to 6 pm’ strike demanding rollback of the five per cent luxury tax proposed in the state budget for 2006-07.

    “The strike paralysed the television viewing in Kerala during the day time. This was a token strike, and it is learnt that the Cable Operators’ Association is planning to meet the minister before planning its next move,” an executive of a leading Malayalam channel told indiantelevision.com.

    News agency PTI reports that cable operators in all towns joined the strike, making it a dull and dreary day for television viewers. A spokesman of the Cable Operators’ Association has been quoted as saying that, the strike was a major success as big and small service providers joined in the protest.

  • Star, MediaCorp Studios to co-produce romance drama series ‘Angel Lover’

    Star, MediaCorp Studios to co-produce romance drama series ‘Angel Lover’

    MUMBAI: Star and MediaCorp Studios, the production arm of MediaCorp TV Holdings, have announced the joint production of Angel Lover, a multi-million dollar high-definition modern romance drama series.

    The 40-episode series will debut on Star Chinese Channel in Taiwan later this year and on MediaCorp TV’s Chinese Channel in Singapore. Star will handle the international distribution of the series outside of Singapore, while the distribution in Singapore will be handled by MediaCorp Studios, as per an official release.

    Directed by award-winning Taiwanese TV veteran Danny Deng, Angel Lover features a talented cast from across Asia, including Hong Kong-born seasoned actor Alex To Tak-wai, supermodel Coco Chiang Yi, popular Taiwanese artists Ming Dao and Bai Hsing-Huei, Ix Shen and Phyllis Quek from Singapore and Thai actor Tae, the release adds.

    The series tells the story of Angelina (Coco Chiang), a career driven yet lovelorn beauty, who finds herself destined to help others find comfort in their hearts. To do that, she enlists help from five eligible bachelors, headed by Thai (Alex To), who guide various heart-broken ladies through their heartaches each and every episode. The series will be filmed on location in Taiwan.