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MTV2 plans to launch in India

MUMBAI: MTV Networks India is expanding its bouquet of channels. The latest to plan an entry into India is MTV2, a channel from the Viacom stable which has a mix of music videos, long form music programmes and a line-up of irreverent, lifestyle and cross platform programming focused on youth and pop culture.

MTV2 has registered for downlink licence. The other channels in the family which are already operating in India are MTV, Nick and Vh1.

“We have applied for downlink licence for MTV2. This is in line with our plans to increase the MTV Networks franchise in India,” says MTV Networks India spokesperson.

As for whether MTV2 would be specifically for direct-to-home (DTH) or be made available on cable TV networks as well, the spokesperson declined to provide further details. “It is too pre-mature to elaborate on our plans at this juncture,” he said.

That the company was looking at expanding its operations in India was stated earlier by former MTV Networks Asia Pacific president Frank Brown.

In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, he had said, “We are looking at a lot of ideas, including some potential channels for DTH. We are eyeing the launch of new genres of channels. We would like to explore some original channels in India and then probably use it as a test case for launching in other markets.”

May 12, 2006
Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

MUMBAI: After 12 gruelling weeks battling it out against Britain’s brightest business hopefuls, Michelle Dewberry, a 26-year-old telecoms consultant from Hull, has been named as Sir Alan Sugar’s Apprentice and walks away with the prize of a six-figure salaried job with the self-made multi-millionaire. In the UK, the show airs on BBC Two.

In the final episode, Michelle beat off stiff competition from 28-year-old sales manager Ruth Badger by project managing a team of fired apprentices and staging a lavish party on London’s Tower Bridge. The series finale is the first all-female final in the show’s history, which had more than 10,000 applicants this year.

These applications were whittled down to the final 14 who all bravely quit their jobs to face the biggest challenge of their lives, a 12-week job interview with the self-confessed “most belligerent person you’ll ever come across” – Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar.

Each week ambition, business flair and wit were tested to the full as the wannabe tycoons competed in tasks set by Sir Alan. These weekly challenges included working on the sales floor at Top Shop, selling new innovations to the trade, letting flats and designing a charity calendar for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This series saw some of the most explosive boardroom scenes, when each week an apprentice was singled out for the sack with Sir Alan’s terminal catchphrase – “You’re Fired”.

Michelle’s cool, calm and collected approach to each task earned her the nickname ‘The Silent Assassin’. She proved to be one of the best project managers and found herself on the winning team seven times during the series. She narrowly escaped getting the chop in week seven after making a critical mistake during the selling task in Top Shop.

“For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It wasn’t until right at the very end when he said I’d won that I believed it. It shows you don’t need to be cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life.”

Michelle will head up Sir Alan’s Xenon Green company – a new business that will environmentally dispose of companies’ unwanted computer equipment. Michelle will mastermind the whole business from launch through to its marketing.

Sir Alan said, “All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever. I found her very focussed, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills. She’s young and willing to learn. I think I’ve got the right girl.”

May 12, 2006
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products appoints Brian Offutt as SVP entertainment products

MUMBAI: Brian Offutt, the former head of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products’ (NVCP) Los Angeles office, has relocated to New York to oversee the NVCP home entertainment, publishing, and record business. The announcement was made by NVCP president, Leigh Anne Brodsky, to whom he will continue to report.

Offutt replaces Stephen Youngwood, who last month became executive vice president, digital media, at Nickelodeon.

In his new role as senior vice president, entertainment products, Offutt has been charged with managing the home video/DVD, publishing and music businesses for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin, and The N, as well as the home video/DVD, book publishing and videogame businesses for Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land and the book publishing business for Paramount — all networks and the movie studio within the Viacom family that are handled for licensing and merchandising by NVCP.

Specifically, he will oversee a staff that manages relationships with Paramount Home Entertainment that distributes all NVCP home videos; Nick Records, which has been in partnership with Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group since 2004; and the publishing group, with partners including Simon & Schuster and Random House.

“Brian Offutt has been an integral part of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products for the past year, setting up our licensing and merchandising team within Paramount Pictures and bringing to market such successful product as the Godfather videogame. He brings to his new position a keen understanding of both the entertainment and merchandising businesses to further develop our content-driven businesses,” said Brodsky.

Before joining NVCP in January 2005, Offutt was chief operating officer of Broadway Video Entertainment, a leading independent television and film production company founded by Lorne Michaels. In that position, he was directly responsible for the company’s post-production business unit, whose clients included CBS Sports, Showtime and MTV Networks.

Prior to Broadway Video, Offutt was president and COO of Interdimensions, an online technology and interactive solutions company. He also served as senior vice president of Golden Books, an executive recruiter at Spencer Stuart and an investment banking analyst at JP Morgan.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world and such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

May 12, 2006

Dish TV appeals to govt against MTV, Nick

MUMBAI: Subhash Chandra’s DTH service Dish TV has upped the ante by invoking government help in getting those TV channels on board who have refused to do so till now.

Dish TV’s wrath has been particularly directed at MTV and Nick with which the former has been fighting a legal battle since last year.

In a letter to the information and broadcasting ministry, Dish TV has petitioned that despite sector regulator’s directive on making available content to all platforms and a favourable judgement from disputes tribunal TDSAT, the “conduct of MTV” has been “clearly in violation” of the interconnection regulation of 2004.

Dish TV’s parent ASC Enterprises has contended despite carrying on commercial negotiations with MTV Networks India for several months, the content provider and its distributors in India (One Alliance) have stalled any fruitful conclusion of such talks.

The Dish TV letter to the government states, “We would request you to take cognizance of the consistent refusal of MTV Networks to provide the channels, MTV and Nick, on our DTH platform and non-compliance of the interconnect regulation of Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)
and the order of TDSAT before the registration certificate for downlinking of (the) channels is granted to the broadcaster.”

The government while acknowledging the letter from Dish said it hasn’t taken a view on the issue yet.

In a related development, an executive of Dish TV said it will be “placing the execution appeal” at the TDSAT within few days.

Contacted by Indiantelevision.com, MTV senior vice-president, network development South Asia (licensing and merchandising) Sanjeev Hiremath, refused to comment saying the matter relating to Dish TV was subjudice.

A spokesperson for Discovery-Sony joint venture One Alliance today said that negotiations with Dish TV have been continuing fruitfully and are “likely to be concluded in a few days time.”

ASC Enterprises, the DTH licence holder for Dish TV, had moved TDSAT in 2005 against MTV’s refusal to provide its channels for the DTH platform.

Early this year, TDSAT directed MTV to make available its channels to Dish TV on a commercial basis within 30 days by 10 March, 2006.

MTV Networks appealed against the TDSAT order in the Supreme Court, which admitted the appeal, but did not stay the disputes tribunal’s order.

During the last hearing on 9 May, the apex court said the case would be taken up again on 12 July after the summer recess.

Dish TV has also moved the TDSAT against Star India on similar grounds of noncompliance of interconnect regulations.

May 12, 2006

Mumbai to host Digital Cinema Show

MUMBAI: A Digital Cinema Show is being organised by Saicom Trade Fairs & Exhibitions from 26 May to 28 May at Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai from 11 am to 7.00 pm. The show consists of an exhibition, conferences and film screenings.

The show as well as the conference will have exhibits and speakers from all over the world and India and is sponsored by JVC and Panasonic of Japan, Quantel and Western Digital of UK, Digital Film Systems of Ireland and AGIV India, states an official release.

The purpose behind the event is to make the producers, directors and technicians of the film industry aware of the digital technology and the method of making films from script to screen using this latest trend. It is a free entry show for the technicians as well as producers and directors of the film and television industry, adds the release.

There are at least two dozen films being made in India using high definition digital format out of which 16 are being made in Mumbai itself and rest of them in Hyderabad and Chennai.

May 12, 2006

Radio City 91 FM to air Raveena and Asha Bhosale innermost experiences of motherhood

Salute the spirit of motherhood with Radio City 91 FM ~ Catch the ravishing Raveena and the Queen of Indian Music, Asha Bhosale as they share their innermost experiences of motherhood only on Radio City 91 FM~

Mumbai, May 12, 2006: She is an epitome of unconditional love. She is a friend, a confidant, a guide and most important of all she is your pillar of strength.

Mother’s Day is a time of commemoration and celebration in honour of all mothers. To make the day more memorable, Radio City 91 FM, Mumbai’s favorite radio station, will celebrate the spirit of motherhood by giving listeners a chance to pay tribute to their mothers and express their love for them. On the occasion, kids will get a chance to call-in and leave messages like “My mother is the best because….” on-air for their mothers. The best messages will win exciting prizes from Radio City.

Listeners can catch up with none other than the Queen of Indian Music, Asha Bhosale and young mother Raveena Tandon, as they share their views on the significance of mother’s day, give insights on parenthood and narrate their experiences of being a ‘mother’.

Listeners can cook a special meal for their mothers with celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor as he shares his delicious and mouth-watering recipes on-air.
Mother’s will also get an opportunity to interact with a well-known pediatrician and get tips on baby nurturing, adding to the special feeling of motherhood, a feeling which makes a woman feel complete!

This and much more!! So tune into Radio City 91 FM on 14 May 2006 for some special moments that you can cherish throughout your life!

May 12, 2006
HBO to kick off final seasons of ‘Sex and the City’ on 14 May

MUMBAI: HBO will air the final two seasons of its show Sex And The City from 14 May. Two episodes will air every Sunday after the 8 pm movie.

HBO says that Sex And The City has spawned into a pop-culture phenomenon, amassing fans the world over with its candid yet honest take on the issues women face. The last two seasons won three Emmy Awards and 24 Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe awards and 10 Golden Globe nominations.

The show’s four heroines represent a contrasting mix of archetypes. For the uninitiated, there’s columnist Carrie Bradshaw, who is in search of “butterflies-in-the-stomach” true love; Miranda Hobbes, a single mother who is trying to juggle the pressures of work, motherhood and dating; Charlotte York who comes to realize that her world need not be so perfect and Samantha Jones, a public relations executive who lives life on her own terms without regrets.

By focussing on issues women face, from the good to the bad, the ugly and the fun, the fifth and the sixth season of the show sees Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda – return: older and wiser, but no less hopeful.

Carrie played by Sarah Jessica Parker finds success in her professional life when she publishes a new book. Later in the season, Carrie meets a new love interest in the form of Jack Berger– but will she be lucky in love?

We see the ‘softer’ side of Samantha played by Kim Cattrall as she discovers that she too, is capable of not only loving someone but also being in a monogamous relationship. That is until, her boyfriend’s roving eyes prove too much of a handful for even a tough cookie like Samantha.

The usually acerbic-tongued and fiercely independent Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) turns vulnerable following the birth of Baby Brady as she learns to cope with motherhood while Charlotte (Kristin Davis) realizes that the “perfect man” can come in a less-than-perfect package, in the form of her divorce attorney.

HBO Asia country manager Shruti Bajpai says, “HBO’s Sex And The City has proven itself to be a phenomenon in television entertainment, which is exemplified by the laurels it has won as well as the overwhelming response that the past seasons have received from its patron viewers in India. With Season 5 and 6, HBO’s Sex And the City is all set, once again, to touch the hearts of women and men alike with its engaging storyline and relatable content.“

In this final season of HBO’s Sex And The City, the ladies come full circle, with each of them experiencing the panacea of friendships, the pain of heartbreaks and the pleasures of relationships.

May 12, 2006
Michelle Dewberry triumphs on BBC’s version of ‘the Apprentice’

MUMBAI: After 12 gruelling weeks battling it out against Britain‘s brightest business hopefuls, Michelle Dewberry, a 26-year-old telecoms consultant from Hull, has been named as Sir Alan Sugar‘s Apprentice and walks away with the prize of a six-figure salaried job with the self-made multi-millionaire. In the UK, the show airs on BBC Two.

In the final episode, Michelle beat off stiff competition from 28-year-old sales manager Ruth Badger by project managing a team of fired apprentices and staging a lavish party on London‘s Tower Bridge. The series finale is the first all-female final in the show‘s history, which had more than 10,000 applicants this year.

These applications were whittled down to the final 14 who all bravely quit their jobs to face the biggest challenge of their lives, a 12-week job interview with the self-confessed “most belligerent person you‘ll ever come across” – Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar.

Each week ambition, business flair and wit were tested to the full as the wannabe tycoons competed in tasks set by Sir Alan. These weekly challenges included working on the sales floor at Top Shop, selling new innovations to the trade, letting flats and designing a charity calendar for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This series saw some of the most explosive boardroom scenes, when each week an apprentice was singled out for the sack with Sir Alan‘s terminal catchphrase – “You‘re Fired”.

Michelle‘s cool, calm and collected approach to each task earned her the nickname ‘The Silent Assassin‘. She proved to be one of the best project managers and found herself on the winning team seven times during the series. She narrowly escaped getting the chop in week seven after making a critical mistake during the selling task in Top Shop.

“For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It wasn‘t until right at the very end when he said I‘d won that I believed it. It shows you don‘t need to be cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life.”

Michelle will head up Sir Alan‘s Xenon Green company – a new business that will environmentally dispose of companies‘ unwanted computer equipment. Michelle will mastermind the whole business from launch through to its marketing.

Sir Alan said, “All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever. I found her very focussed, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills. She‘s young and willing to learn. I think I‘ve got the right girl.”

May 12, 2006
Endemol announces good results in US, UK & Italy for Q1

MUMBAI: Television format creator Endemol has announced a sound performance in the first quarter of 2006.

Compared to the first quarter of 2005, Endemol says that it enjoyed a strong increase in business across all genres and most of its markets, especially the US, the UK and Italy. The overall financial outlook for 2006 remains good. Given the lumpy nature of Endemol’s business (project-based), performance in the first quarter cannot be automatically extrapolated to the rest of the year.

Endemol will publish its half year results on 26 July 2006, with more detailed financial information. Endemol says that its top format in terms of turnover, Big Brother, remains strong. The format was on air in more countries than in the same period of last year, returning to screens in Italy and Belgium after an absence in 2005. The success Endemol has enjoyed worldwide with Deal or no Deal during the first quarter, in particular in the UK and the USA, has resulted in an increasing appetite for game shows (a core element of Endemol’s portfolio), which Endemol is capitalising on.

In the US, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition continues to do well. After being successfully introduced in the US market in December 2005, Deal or No Deal again had promising ratings for the second series, which aired on NBC in March. Specific examples of the resurgence of game shows can be seen in the US where newly created formats Show Me The Money and For The Rest of Your Life were sold to Fox and ABC respectively and the rejuvenated version of Endemol’s existing format One versus 100 was sold to NBC – all in the same week.

In the scripted field, Endemol enjoyed a sound performance with several continuing and new soap operas and drama series in its main scripted territories including the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, but also with drama productions in countries such as South Africa and Russia. In April, Endemol increased its stake in the Dutch production company NL Film & TV to 51 per cent, which focuses exclusively on television drama, comedy and feature films.

In line with the company’s continuing search for expansion in New Territories, the first Asian subsidiary, Endemol India, opened for business at the beginning of the year and enjoyed a successful start in the first three months. In addition, Endemol Polska officially kicked off in Poland as a fully independent production company headed by a newly appointed MD.

In the digital media field, next to Participation TV, the success of formats like Deal or no Deal and Big Brother is generating substantial revenues on calls and SMSs. Furthermore, Endemol is exploring new sustainable revenue streams through cooperation with companies such as KPN in the Netherlands and BT in the UK, further exploiting Endemol’s library and developing new specific content for their IPTV concepts. This particular broadband and mobile opportunity for exploitation of content is still in its early days and revenues are currently embryonic.

Endemol CEO Joaquim Agut says, “In the first quarter we have continued to perform strongly across the group. We saw earlier initiated strategic actions taking effect. In addition, several new steps towards the further development and implementation of our strategic priorities were made. We are confident that we will realise the targets given in our financial guidance as provided earlier this year.”

May 12, 2006
Peace Arch Entertainment & Genius Products reach US distribution deal for Archetype Genre Films

MUMBAI: North America’s Arch Entertainment Group Inc. and Genius Products, Inc. have entered into an exclusive agreement for Genius to distribute a new slate of cutting edge horror and thriller films from Peace Arch’s Archetype Films division. The announcement was made by Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater and Peace Arch president John Flock.

Under the agreement, Genius has acquired exclusive US DVD distribution rights to five new films from Peace Arch’s Archetype Films label, which focuses on the horror, thriller and action and science fiction genres:

* “Warriors of Terra” stars Edward Furlong (“Terminator 2”) as a member of an animal rights group that penetrates a biotech facility and mistakenly releases a monster within.

* “5ive Girls” stars Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”) as a Catholic school priest who helps five teenage girls with supernatural powers battle the ancient demon Legion.

* “The Last Sect” starring David Carradine (“Kill Bill”) as a vampire hunter tracking a group of female vampires who use an Internet dating service to line up their victims.

* “Ultimate Killing Machine” starring Michael Madsen (“Sin City”) as the head of a top-secret U.S. military operation that turns misfits and wash-outs into genetically engineered ultimate soldiers.

* “Troubled Waters” starring Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) as a determined detective with psychic powers investigating the suspicious kidnapping of a rich man’s daughter.

“We are very excited to be getting into business with Genius just as they are emerging as one of the best independent home entertainment distributors in the country,” says Flock. “We believe that these five films will be excellent additions to their growing lineup of top quality productions, and we expect to continue supplying Genius with additional productions from our growing pipeline, whether first run productions from our film and television divisions, family and children’s product from our kaBOOM! Entertainment subsidiary or desirable catalogue content from the Castle Hill/Dream Library, which we recently agreed to acquire.”

“We are thrilled to be in business with Peace Arch Entertainment and John Flock, who in a very short time established his company as a premiere producer of quality films with high commercial value. This is a terrific deal for both companies and hopefully, the start of a long and successful relationship as Genius Products continues to build its library with top quality titles in the horror and thriller genres,” adds Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater.

May 12, 2006