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  • Hanmer & Partners bags a slew of new accounts

    Mumbai, February 9, 2006: Hanmer & Partners Communications Pvt. Ltd. (Hanmer & Partners) has bagged the Public Relations mandates for a slew of top corporate clients over the past three months.

    In all, Hanmer Public Relations has won 40 new mandates in the quarter, which went by. Some of the notable wins including those accounts won in multi-agency pitches include Aviva Offshore Services, Breadtalk Group Ltd., Emirates Airlines, Enam Securities Pvt. Ltd., General Motors India Pvt. Ltd., Global Broadcast News Ltd. (CNN-IBN), Indian Institute of Management (IIM – Lucknow), LG’s IT & GSM Business, LifeCell, Optimix Asset Management Company (An ING Company), Sahara Aamby Valley Lake City & Starcom MediaVest.

    Hanmer & Partners is already working as the public relations agency for prestigious clients such as Nirma, Kinetic Motor Company, CNBC-TV18, LG Electronics, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company Ltd, Gujarat Ambuja Cements Limited, Goodlass Nerolac, Mudra Communications, Western Union Money Transfer, HDFC Mutual Fund, Baume & Mercier, Discovery Network, Star Gold, Star Utsav and SpiceJet Ltd, amongst others.

    Over the part few years, Hanmer & Partners has set up several strategic initiatives thereby bringing together, on a single platter, a range of services being a first in the country for a Public Relations Consultancy. In addition to Hanmer Public Relations which continues to be the core business and will remain so, Hanmer Interactive, the Digital communication division was launched in 2004. Hanmer Reach, India’s first regional PR network (also in 2004), which is now active in 20 cities and adds to the already existing 11-city network. Hanmer Events, which today is a profitable events & promotions division conceptualizing and delivering events across the length and breadth of India and soon overseas, came into existence in 2002. And finally Hanmer Advertising, a full service, fully accredited Advertising Agency which was run under a different name until recently when the Hanmer & Partners Management team decided to “dub” all brands Hanmer and bring them under a common umbrella which finally happened in the autumn of 2005.

    Speaking about this meteoric rise, Sunil Gautam, Managing Director, Hanmer & Partners evinces “Within a short span of six years, we have notched up an impressive list of clients across various practices. Today, we work with some of the world’s best and India’s leading corporate entities. It is to the team’s credit that Hanmer & Partners is among the fastest growing Public Relations Consultancies in India today.”

    Hanmer & Partners, with a presence in 31 cities in India, offers a bouquet of services including strategic counseling, corporate image management, brand support, financial public relations, events and promotions, and crisis communications, apart from media relations.

    The company is also the sole affiliate of Manning, Selvage & Lee, US, (part of the Publicis Group) which is one of the leading global public relation firms, and has an alliance with advertising firms Saatchi & Saatchi, Ambience Publicis, Publicis India, Mudra Communications and Network Advertising.

    For further information on the services offered by Hanmer & Partners Communications Private Limited please log onto www.hanmerpr.com, www.hanmeradvertising.com, www.hanmerevents.com or contact

    Sunil Gautam
    Hanmer & Partners Communications Pvt. Ltd.
    Cell Phone: 098200-33755
    E-mail: sunilgautam@hanmerpr.com

    Jaideep Shergill
    Hanmer & Partners Communications Pvt. Ltd.
    Cell Phone: 098210-42514
    E-mail: jaideep@hanmerpr.com

  • Spielberg, Burnett, Fox team for film themed reality show

    Spielberg, Burnett, Fox team for film themed reality show

    MUMBAI: Aspiring directors/filmmakers from across the US will get the opportunity of a lifetime.

    Reality TV guru Mark Burnett, director Steven Spielberg Munich, DreamWorks Television and Fox will join forces on a new reality show On The Lot.

    The competition will air over two nights weekly, with an hour Film Premiere episode, followed the next night by a half-hour Box Office results show. Ultimately, one filmmaker will rise above the rest and will be rewarded with a studio development deal. The show will kick off on Fox later this year.

    Burnett says, “For me, like any person who wants to be a filmmaker, the opportunity to work hand in hand with Steven Spielberg is a dream come true. With the help of our partners at Fox, Peter Liguori and reality maestro Mike Darnell, we are going to make an incredible show about looking for the next great filmmaker by mining the growing segment of the public making their own content, and giving them the chance of a lifetime.”

    Spielberg says, “All through my career I’ve done what I can to discover new talent and give them a start. This opportunity with Mark Burnett, DreamWorks and Fox allows all of us to reach out directly to open a much wider door.”
    Fox Entertainment president Peter Liguori says, “When you have the opportunity to work with people like Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg, artists who have redefined this business, you jump at the chance. In this age of digital cameras, cell phones with cameras and the Internet – with hundreds of thousands of people creating their own movies at home every day – the concept of this series is completely relevant, tapping into a cultural phenomenon as it happens.”

    Fox executive VP alternative programming Mike Darnell says, “Movie-making is completely relatable to the American public. Everyone enjoys going to the movies, reading about the movies and learning about the movies. Most Americans consider themselves amateur film critics and this will give viewers the opportunity to create the next big filmmaker.”

    After a search, applicants will be winnowed to a group of 16 undiscovered talents. The finalists will be brought to Hollywood, where they will be divided into several teams and will begin the hopeful journey toward their ‘big break’. As the competition begins, each team will produce a short film from that week’s genre, running the gamut from comedies to thrillers, personal dramas to romance, sci-fi to horror. With one member selected as the team’s director and other members helping produce, they’ll have access to the best resources the industry has to offer.

    A pool of professional writers, cast and crew will be made available, and if the contestants are resourceful enough, they may even be able to land Hollywood celebrities to star in their films. With the clock ticking, however, and other teams working with the same genre, premise or unique challenge, they’ll all need to match their vision with decisiveness, execution and flexibility.

    Each week, after the teams have battled time frames, budgets and all the usual chaos that goes along with filmmaking, their films will be shown and critiqued in front of a live audience during the “Film Premiere” episode. Judges will include a high-ranking motion picture executive, a prominent film critic and a succession of well-respected guest judges, such as directors who are experts in the week’s featured genre. But they’ll also be subjected to perhaps the harshest judge of all … the public.

    It will be Fox viewers whose votes ultimately determine which film should be left on the cutting-room floor. But, just as in Hollywood, where the director’s work and vision have an enormous impact on the success or failure of a film, not all team members will pay the price. On the next night’s Box Office results show, only the director of the losing feature will be sent home, leaving that team with fewer contestants to help produce the next week’s film.

    As the competition continues and directors are eliminated, eventually the remaining filmmakers will have to work individually, creating a new short film every week until only the most talented individual is anointed the winner, whisked away to the DreamWorks studio, met by Steven Spielberg and shown a new office … On The Lot.

  • NGC to unveil ‘The Gospel of Judas’ on 9 April

    NGC to unveil ‘The Gospel of Judas’ on 9 April

    MUMBAI: What if an ancient gospel were rediscovered that offered a radically different perspective on a man that history has painted as the ultimate villain? What if this account turned Jesus’ betrayal on its head, and in it the villain became a hero?

    On 9 April, National Geographic Channel (NGC) presents the world premiere of The Gospel of Judas at 8 pm .

    This is a two-hour global event that traces the incredible story of what has happened to the Gospel of Judas since it was found, the recent authentication process and analysis, and key insight gleaned from its laborious translation and interpretation. The ancient document, the only known surviving copy of the Gospel of Judas, was introduced to the public today at a press conference at the National Geographic Society in Washington. The timing is apr what with Holy Week nearly upon us.

    The New Testament says that Judas Iscariot is the disciple who betrayed Jesus. For centuries his name has been synonymous with treachery and deceit. This gospel tells a different story. Discovered by chance in the 1970s, sold twice and stolen once, the gospel’s condition had deteriorated severely. The race is now on to preserve its pages before they turn to dust. But, when was this gospel written, and by whom?

    The research and documentary reveal details contained within the document as well as key sections translated from its ancient Coptic script. A dream team of biblical scholars and scientists verifies its authenticity. The authentication process, involving radiocarbon dating, ink analysis, multispectral imaging, contextual evidence and more – is covered in depth. The special also examines the modern history of the document since it was found, including the exhaustive conservation process.

    The Gospel of Judas presents a lost version of the last days of Jesus, using dramatic recreations to portray and clarify the complex story of intrigue and politics of the earliest days of Christianity and to portray the contents of the gospel itself. The gospel reframes Judas as the disciple closest to Jesus, who committed his act of betrayal at Jesus’ behest.

    The Gospel of Judas turns Judas’s act of betrayal into an act of obedience. And so for that reason, Judas emerges as the champion and he ends up being envied and even cursed and resented by the other disciples.

    This surviving Gospel of Judas manuscript was likely written down sometime around A.D. 300, but the first known reference to a Gospel of Judas was around A.D. 180, when the influential early Christian bishop Irenaeus denounced it as heretical. By then there were many accounts of Jesus’ life and times written by various early Christians in the 150 years after his death, in more than 30 gospels. Irenaeus helped clarify the Christian message by arguing that there should be just four approved Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. All others, including the Gospel of Judas, were branded as off-limits by early Church fathers.

    NGC India senior VP programming Joy Bhattacharjya said, “The Gospel of Judas on National Geographic Channel is the television event of the year as it has already created excitement worldwide and brings to light information that will make us rethink our beliefs. The Gospel of Judas along with other films from the Secret Bible Week reveal facts, beliefs, conspiracies, secrecies and a lot more about Christianity, which our viewers will get to witness for the first time.”

    Pages from the document will be exhibited at the National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall in Washington. Once the conservation process is complete, the document will be delivered to its country of origin, Egypt, and housed in Cairo’s Coptic Museum.

    The Society is sharing information about the Gospel of Judas in a feature article in the May issue of National Geographic magazine, a web site at nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel, a lecture at the Society on April 10, and two books that will be published on 6 April. National Geographic Books also will publish an illustrated, critical edition of the codex in the coming year.

  • BBC News website wins graphics awards

    BBC News website wins graphics awards

    MUMBAI: The BBC News website in the UK has won prizes at an awards ceremony a few days ago celebrating the world’s best visual journalism. A range of election and politics content was awarded a ‘best in show’ prize and gold medal at the Society for News Design’s annual Malofiej awards.

    BBC News Interactive editor Steve Herrmann said, “The online resources we created for the election coverage were, I believe, second to none. It means a lot to have won against such stiff competition.”

    The winning package of content included the general election results map, swingometer, results index and poll tracker. Also included was the site’s unique Thatcher years in statistics feature and the Born Abroad special on British immigration. Herrmann said that both “showed quite simply that some stories can be told better by graphics than words”.

  • Sydus teams up with Bacardi for radio mobile service

    Sydus teams up with Bacardi for radio mobile service

    MUMBAI: The spirits company Bacardi has launched Bacardi B-Live Radio for mobile. This is being done through a tie up with Sydus, which works in creating audio-to-mobile lifestyle expressions.

    The service goes live next month and will take Bacardi’s spirit out of the bottle and onto mobile phones around the world. B-Live Radio is the world’s first brand-funded global digital music service, and will also be delivered via the web.

    While traditional marketing strategies have been ‘push’, going from the brand out to the consumer, with Sydus’ BrandedRadio solution, consumers can ‘pull’ the Bacardi experience onto their mobile phones and enjoy the Baqcardi spirit and lifestyle, wherever they are.

    Bacardi B-Live Radio combines two elements – the emotional connection of music, with the ubiquitous and extremely personal usage of mobile phones – to build a stickiness that is declining in traditional delivery mechanisms.

    Sydus president Saumil Nanavati says, “Bacardi B-Live Radio is an innovative way to market to audiences globally, using new media to attract and engage today’s savvy consumer. Sydus is delighted to be a part of Bacardi’s innovative approach to reach out to its users, and we believe this is the start of the next big shift in lifestyle marketing, whereby brands can connect to a global audience in a cost-effective manner.”

    Mobile marketing is rapidly emerging as an effective medium as brands target their customers via mobile phones. Bacardi, using Sydus’ technology solution, has taken a lead in demonstrating how a brand can reach out to its target consumers across the globe effectively, as compared with other marketing options, including the Internet.

    Bacardi global brand director John Burke says, “We are happy to partner with Sydus to enable the Bacardi B-Live Radio service. This is a music service that extends Bacardi’s existing music properties and long standing experience in events. Being available both online and via mobile, we are investing in new mediums that have a real relevance to our consumer’s lives. Sydus’ technology will service strengthen our association with music by creating further opportunities for us to connect with our target consumer in a way that reflects our brand values”.

    Bacardi B-Live Radio will play a mix of uplifting party classics from the world’s hottest dance floors with guest DJs selected from a global talent portfolio to produce exclusive mixes. At weekends, the content features the ‘best of the week’ and live recordings of Bacardi events across the globe. Bacardi has worked with independent experts to ensure content is selected with the correct audience in mind. All tracks must be socially responsible, avoiding any that feature foul language, incite racism or drug taking and excessive drinking.

    B-Live Radio will stream Bacardi mixes 24×7 through the Internet, and via Sydus’ BrandedRadio solution, directly onto GPRS/Edge/3G-compatible mobile handsets, estimated at 85 million handsets worldwide. This spans 189 mobile phone handset models and variants that are compatible with Sydus technology. Listeners can download the radio player free of charge onto their phones from www.bacardibliveradio.com to tune in to the service, and share the application with family and friends using Bluetooth or infrared. Alternatively, the radio service can be accessed via the site wap.bliveradio.com.

  • Star World to kick off medical soap ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ on 12 April

    Star World to kick off medical soap ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ on 12 April

    MUMBAI: English general entertainment channel Star World will start airing the medical soap Grey’s Anatomy every Wednesday at 9 pm from 12 April.

    Nominated for three Emmy awards and winner of a Golden Globe Award for Sandra Oh as supporting actress, the medical drama following the lives of first year surgical interns Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers).It is the sexual tensions and relationship foibles in the hospital that’s making this one of the most exciting series to hit TV screens in recent years.

    Also adding to the eye candy and star power is Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd – the flirtatious but very capable surgeon who shares a forbidden but undeniable sexual attraction with Meredith. The channel says that 16 million viewers tuned into the debut in the US.

    The first episode is called A Hard Day’s Night. The interns are guided by an established team of doctors who are determined to shape them into skilled surgeons or break them: Miranda Bailey, a senior resident responsible for training them, is so tough that she’s nicknamed “The Nazi” and Preston Burke’s arrogance is second only to his skill with a scalpel. Overseeing them all is Dr. Richard Webber, Seattle Grace’s paternal, but no-nonsense chief of surgery.

    On the next episode called The First Cut is the Deepest, the surgical staff tries to be optimistic as a young woman clings to life after a brutal attack. Meanwhile, Meredith puts her career on the line to save a newborn in the hospital nursery, and the other interns learn that it takes more than just medical knowledge to be good at their jobs.

  • Zee to file Rs 500 million defamation suit against BCCI VP Lallit Modi

    Zee to file Rs 500 million defamation suit against BCCI VP Lallit Modi

    MUMBAI: There is a Zee-BCCI face off in the offing as the former has decided to sue BCCI VP Lalit Modi for using “abusive and unparliamentary language” against its sports channel Zee Sports business head Himanshu Modi.

    A PTI report has quoted Zee Telefilms EVP Ashish Kaul as saying that, it would file a defamation suit against Modi for Rs. 500 million for using filthy and abusive langaugage against our Zee Sports CEO Modi.

    Kaul said, “We are going to send legal notice immediately for use of such language against a top official of Zee Sports.”

    Reportedly, the alleged incident happened on 6 April when Himanshu Modi protested against a violation by a competitor in the bidding for BCCI’s global media rights for matches at neutral venues in the next five years. Zee won the rights after emerging as the highest bidder quoting a figure of $219.15 million.

    Responding to the charges, Lalit Modi said he only protested against leakage of information to media and did not use any abusive language against Zee official. “Zee officials were protesting against Sahara’s bid for overseas telecast rights, but I told them not to leak it to media,” Modi has been quoted in the report.

  • Hindi GECs in summer overdrive

    “We will have to speak to our competitors and see how they are placed before scheduling our press conference,” says a PR executive who works for one of the leading Hindi general entertainment channels.The interesting comment came when we told her about the big day ‘24 April‘ that would witness the launch of about five programmes across the channels.

    Yes, this summer is about to witness a programming bonanza in the general entertainment channel (GEC) space, with not less than eight prime time shows being lined up for launch during this April-May phase. Both the weekday and weekend prime time bands will witness a flurry of activity and the shows gearing up for launch include some big budget projects as well. Star Plus, Sony, Zee, Sahara One and Sab, all will be launching an array of soaps during this time.

    Star Plus will replace its daily soap Milee with the much-awaited Ravi Chopra production Viraasat. The show will run Monday to Thursday in the 9 pm slot, starting 24 April. The channel has also lined up two shows — Prithviraj Chauhan, Dharti Ka Ek Veer Yodha and Ek Chaabi Pados Mein — for launch in May.

    According to Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal, Prithviraj Chauhan will run Friday to Sunday, while Ek Chaabi Pados Mein is yet to be scheduled. “Prithviraj Chauhan will run Friday through Sunday. Internal discussions are going on to decide the time slot for this show, as well as the exact schedule for Ek Chaabi Pados Mein,” says Kejriwal.

    The channel has been working on these three projects since a long time as it required strong properties to fill the void left by its weekend driver show KBC 2. With the launch of these three big projects — two in the weekend band and one in the weekday band — Star Plus‘ attempt will be to bring in some significant improvement as well as consistency to its performance in the prime time band across the week.

    Sony, on the other hand, is now eyeing weekdays and is introducing two new shows on 24 April, after strengthening its Friday band with its Shukra Hai Shukravaar Hai package. Aisa Des Hai Mera will be aired at 9 pm and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham at 9.30 pm from 24 April. The shows will run from Monday to Thursday.

    On Monday and Tuesday, these two new shows will replace the second season of Indian Idol, which is coming to its end. Whereas, on Wednesday and Thursday, the two shows will substitute Deal Ya No Deal, which is now being made into a weekly and will air only on Friday at 8 pm.

    The channel is unveiling its programming strategy gradually. While the first one was to strengthen the Friday line up, the second is to ramp up the 9 to10 pm band on weekdays.

    In the next couple of months, Sony will also be revamping the 10 to 11 pm band as well as the afternoon band, where the latter at present comprises re-runs of old shows and repeats of prime time shows. Also, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, which airs from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm will end its run in May and new shows are likely to be introduced then.

    Says Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India chief operating officer NP Singh, “We will be rolling out our new programming strategy step by step in the coming months. The beginning was made with the Friday lineup. By July, the programming schedule of Sony will be completely transformed.”

    Sony‘s move to strengthen its weekday programming with fiction will also see the channel taking a deliberate retreat from the reality terrain. Once Indian Idol 2 bids adieu, the channel will have its reality dose further scaled down with only Fear Factor there to represent the genre.

    Sab TV will be also be launching a new show – Twinkle Beauty Parlour in May in the 9 pm slot. However Sab business head Vikas Bhal declined to comment whether it would be a weekday or weekend show.

    While Sony is making some calculated moves to regain lost glory in prime time, the Zee camp is not sitting on its laurels but banking on some big launches. After launching its biggest project of the year Business Baazigar on 31 March, Zee TV will flag off another key property on 24 April. The soap Jab Love Hua will replace Rubba Ishq Na Hove and Sarrkkar in the 8:30 pm slot to run Monday through Friday. Then viewers can also expect some fireworks from the latest Sa Re Ga Ma Pa version Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu. It is learnt that the channel has ensured a high doze of reality-oriented excitement in the forthcoming episodes of the talent hunt show.

    Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu along with Zee TV‘s soap brigade have their task cut out: block any resurgence by Sony and make the viewers thank Zee TV as well – be it a Monday or a Friday.

    On Monday, 10 April, Sahara One will be launching a new fiction show – Suno… Harr Dill Kuchh Kehtaa Hai in the 10 pm slot. This show will run from Monday to Friday and will replace the re-runs of Virasaat on the channel. Once Buniyaad gets over in May, Sahara One will be launching another show – Sati to replace it.

    Reshuffle in Prime time rankings; Sony & Star One push Zee to fourth spot

    Interestingly, since the re-launch of Shukra Hai Shukravaar Hai on 10 March, Sony‘s prime time performance has seen a radical jump. Last month, the channel strengthened its Friday lineup, which included Deal Ya No Deal (8 pm), Fear Factor (9 pm), CID (10 pm) and Kandy Floss (11 pm). While Fear Factor has been the top rated show on Sony for three consecutive weeks; the new format CID has also been rating well consistently for the channel.

    In the week beginning 26 February, Sony‘s prime time (8 pm to 11 pm) channel share was 12.9 per cent in the C&S 4+ Hindi speaking market according to Tam. Whereas, in the week beginning 5 March (when the new Friday lineup was introduced), the channel‘s prime time share jumped to 20.3 per cent. In the corresponding week (12 March), the share further increased to 22.1 per cent. However, in the week beginning 19 March, the prime time channel share fell to 17.2 per cent.

    The latest prime time picture is as follows:

    Star Plus‘ share in the prime time fell from 56.9 per cent in the week beginning 26 February to 46.8 per cent in the week beginning 5 March and further to 43.4 per cent in the week beginning 12 March, according to Tam. In the week beginning 19 March, Star Plus‘ prime time channel share rose to 49.1 per cent.

    Star One meanwhile has overtaken Zee TV in prime time to claim the third position with 14.8 per cent channel share as opposed to Zee‘s 11.6 per cent in the week beginning 19 March. The shows which have triggered the good performance for Star One include Saarabhai Vs Saarabhai, Remix, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge 2, Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka and Mano Ya Na Mano.

    On the other hand, Sahara One, which has claimed to be the number three channel in the week ending 25 March, is still way behind Sony as far as prime time channel share is concerned. Sahara One‘s prime time channel share in the week beginning 19 March was 5.3 per cent. Star One has overtaken Zee TV in prime time to claim the third position with 14.8 per cent channel share as opposed to Zee‘s was 11.6 per cent in the week beginning 19 March.

    As the prime time action heats up across the networks, expect to see an ongoing jostling for leadership positions over the next two months. Behind Star Plus of course.

     

  • Patni Computers inks deal with Disney Mobile

    Patni Computers inks deal with Disney Mobile

    MUMBAI: Patni Computer Systems Ltd has entered into an IT services agreement with Disney Mobile. This multi-service contract is for Disney’s new mobile phone service, which has been designed just for families.

    The company will be responsible for development of consumer, retail and operational portals and end-to-end system testing across multiple vendors and technologies utilised by Disney Mobile.

    Patni Computers Systems is an IT services major for the telecom industry. The company brings a deep knowledge of wireless technology and processes, especially about MVNOs, where it continue to extend its worldwide market leadership position.

    “Disney Mobile’s selection of Patni for their MVNO launch is further validation of our capability to deliver quality IT services in complex telecom environments under aggressive deadlines to a globally recognised brand such as Disney,” said Patni Computers vice president telecom and digital media Rohit Bedi.

  • David Ellender is FremantleMedia Enterprises CEO

    David Ellender is FremantleMedia Enterprises CEO

    MUMBAI: Television format crestor and distributor Fremantle has announced that David Ellender who is currently Fremantle International Distribution (FID) MD, has been promoted.

    He is now FremantleMedia Enterprises CEO. He also joins the company’s operating board. Ellender will now oversee both FID and FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) – the two commercial divisions that report into FremantleMedia Enterprises. FID has a global network of sales offices and licenses over 19,000 hours of programming including American Idol, The Apprentice: Donald Trump, Project Runway and Jamie Oliver series to 150 countries worldwide as well as handling DVD exploitation through Fremantle Home Entertainment.

    FLW exploits the company’s brands including Idols, The X Factor and The Apprentice across multiple off-screen platforms including merchandising campaigns, interactive and wireless support and music publishing.
    Under Ellender’s leadership FremantleMedia Enterprises will continue to build on its position and its ability to exploit brands in partnership with FremantleMedia’s international network of 25 production companies around the world. FremantleMedia Enterprises is already a substantial contributor to FremantleMedia’s overall profitability.

    FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen, said: “David has led FID superbly over the last few years, turning it into a distinctive and very profitable distributor of a huge range of factual, entertainment and scripted programming, representing both leading independent producers as well as our own extensive catalogue. He has been responsible for a great turnaround in the division’s operations and his promotion is highly deserved. FLW has also been one of the great success stories of our company in the last few years, both commercially and in the great scope of its activities, from traditional licensing through to telephony and interactive. FLW has an outstanding management team and is now one of the world leaders in its field.”

    Ellender says, “I am very proud of my achievements strengthening FID’s portfolio of programming over the last few years and building up a superb team of sales executives. We have worked very hard to establish FID as a leading international distribution company. I am grateful for the opportunity to oversee FLW and look forward to increasing Enterprises contribution to the company going forward.”