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  • MGM to launch new media division

    MGM to launch new media division

    MUMBAI: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) has launched a new media division. Douglas A. Lee will oversee the new unit as executive VP.

    Lee will oversee MGM’s digital distribution strategy. He will also spearhead the studio’s broadband and wireless efforts and shepherd new digital media growth.

    MGM chairman, CEO Harry E. Sloan said, “MGM will be making significant moves in terms of new platforms, ranging from TV and the Internet to wireless, mobile and more. Doug has a wealth of senior management experience culled from several major media companies including Fox, HBO and Universal. This and his proven track record in new media will be a great benefit and addition to MGM’s already outstanding team. I am thrilled to have him at the helm as we capitalise on the myriad opportunities in the digital space.”

    MGM COO Rick Sands says, “Doug is an expert at navigating the new media space and identifying key opportunities. He will also be working closely with our strategic partner, Sony Corporation of America, which is at the forefront of Blu-ray and major electronic and digital initiatives.”

    Lee says, “There are numerous opportunities to grow and extend the MGM brand in the new media age. We will look to mine the library for new opportunities and also create new productions and initiatives for the plethora of new media opportunities that currently exist, as well as plan for new and emerging possibilities.”

    With over 20 years experience as a senior executive in the global entertainment business, Lee’s career highlights include the launch of HD Cinema 10 for Voom, the creation of Noggin, the first educational children’s network and a joint venture between Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon; a founder of Crime, a broadband platform that was sold to USA Cable; and he was instrumental in spearheading News Corp.’s acquisition of Star-TV.

  • BBC viewers can download tardisodes of ‘Dr. Who’

    BBC viewers can download tardisodes of ‘Dr. Who’

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that Doctor Who viewers are in for an extra treat when the new series launches next month.

    In addition to watching 13 new adventures – with David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose – viewers in the UK will be given the opportunity to download thirteen 60-second mini-episodes via their mobile phones, or stream them on broadband as part of the BBC’s TV Plus trials.

    The Tardisodes, which are part of the BBC’s trials exploring ways of broadening the output of leading brands, offer the audience an insight into what’s going on in the Doctor Who universe that week. These downloads will be available on Saturdays after the main show has gone out.

    They will include footage that won’t be seen on TV, and show the characters and adventures coming up in the next episode – from meeting the Cat Women who can cure all illnesses, joining Mickey as he discovers some alien activity in a local school, to witnessing the Cybermen upgrade process.

    BBC director of television Jana Bennett says, “What better way of travelling with the Time Lord than to have a Tardisode come to you on your phone or PC? The Tardisodes are an exciting development, delivering mini-episodes which will let viewers access the vortex and explore new worlds before the Doctor arrives himself.

    “We know that there is a huge appetite for Doctor Who and we want to make the whole experience bigger and better for viewers. These TV Plus trials will continue to help us understand more about the different ways in which viewers want to enjoy Doctor Who.”

    Created by the team behind Attack of the Graske, the Christmas interactive mission, the mini-episodes will have the same high quality elements as the main show.

    Tardisodes co-producer Jo Pearce says, “Our aim, when planning the development of all these projects, is to make the interactive content around Doctor Who series two compelling, exciting and intriguing as well as enticing a broader audience to Doctor Who by positioning it on different platforms.”

    The Tardisodes are part of the BBC’s TV Plus pilots, offering audiences a new way of engaging with BBC TV programmes to enhance their viewing experience. The pilots include preview clips on mobile phones, programme premieres on broadband a week ahead of their TV transmission, and a rich interactive experience on-demand through broadband and digital TV.

    From 1 April 2006, the audience can text the word Tardis to 81010 to subscribe to the service. The user will then be sent a text message with a link to the download (this text will cost between 12 and 15p). They will then be asked to bookmark the link and to come back every Saturday at the end of the Doctor Who programme to see the new Tardisode.

    If the user does not have a compatible handset they will be told before they download the content and asked to go to the Doctor Who website to watch the Tardisode. The BBC does not charge for its mobile content. However, the operators charge for using the internet on your phone and for the text messages to access the service will apply.

    Costs vary from operator to operator. Operators may charge for time spent browsing or amount of data downloaded. Registering for the service is simple, participants will be asked to subscribe via text message and then will receive a weekly alert to inform them that new content is available.

  • CAS: MSOs propose a rollout plan to govt.

    CAS: MSOs propose a rollout plan to govt.

    NEW DELHI: The CAS story limps along with an early solution not in sight, as industry stakeholders are yet to find a common ground. This was evident in today’s meting on the issue called by the government.

    Though the MSOs did make a proposal on sequence of CAS implementation and one particular MSO provided some additional data relating to the Chennai market where CAS has been implemented, lack of data from others, notably the broadcasters and local cable operators, didn’t help matters much.

    The government, which is also under pressure due to a Delhi court direction on CAS rollout by the first week of April, could use the data provided by the MSOs to force the pace, a government official said, adding this could include mandating individual prices of TV channels.

    The official did admit that at the two meetings on CAS held till now, there has been a sense of “resistance” from the pay broadcasters to come out with a la carte pricing of channels, which is “complicating the matters a bit.”

    According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, some of the MSOs have proposed a plan, which envisages a phased preparation for CAS with a blackout of TV channels — not going through a set-top box — after 5 July.

    The MSOs today said that for CAS rollout, 5 April should be taken as the zero hour. The preparatory phase should last till 20 May. The time between 21 May and 21 June should be treated as transition phase, while the final implementation of CAS should start from 5 July onward when all TV channels would have to go through boxes on a mandatory basis or face the threat of a blackout.

    The MSOs also suggested that the government should mandate the maximum retail price (MRP) for individual channels as also bouquets — a proposal that did not go down very well with broadcasters — if a consensus is not arrived on this.

    While the MRP issue is being pushed by consumer bodies too, the MSO said that if a consensus on this is elusive, then the sector regulator (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) could be asked to address the issue.

    What is making matters difficult for the government is that some pay broadcasters have raised valid doubts on piracy of signals and the technology that would be used for conditional access. Country’s biggest broadcaster in terms of revenue has raised 16 issues that should be addressed before CAS is rolled out.

    According to some people who attended today’s meeting, a suggestion relating to revenue share for subscription money in the ratio of 50:25:25 (broadcasters: local cable operators: CAS operators and independent ops) was also made.

    A demand that all commercial contracts amongst broadcasters and MSOs and MSOs and cable ops be standardized was echoed today again.

    In the wake of divergent views on CAS still persisting, the information and broadcasting ministry made it clear to industry stakeholders that
    ambiguities would only lead to more confusion and wastage of time.

    With today’s meeting ending relatively inconclusive, the government has scheduled another one on Monday (3 April) to get down to serious sequencing of CAS rollout

  • Make blogging safe for kids

    Make blogging safe for kids

    MUMBAI: Kids with their endless curiosity have taken to the internet like fish to water, and they may be getting in way over their heads. This virtual world — just like its physical counterpart — has things that are good, things that are a waste of time, and things that are downright dangerous.

    “Take blogging, an internet activity that has become all the rage with kids. There is a very good chance that your child has a blog, and that it may contain some fairly shocking personal or made-up content. For example, we are seeing some children creating seductive adult personas, and these fictitious alter egos are matched by predators passing themselves off as kids. It’s time to make blogging and online communities safe for kids,” said Industrious Kid founder and CEO Jeanette Symons.

    Lacking such places, kids eagerly seize free space and blog-building tools and publish their online diaries — web logs, or “blogs” — on sites such as MySpace.com and LiveJournal. These sites are intended for adults and are full of adult content, but that just adds to their attraction. Kids can simply lie to get around the age restrictions, and studies show that many do.

    There are already millions of kid-authored blogs today as baby bloggers try to one-up each other and make their individual creations stand out from the crowd. The password protection feature makes it seem like access to their blogs is quite limited, but in reality the kids are baring their souls and personal information to the world.

    Technology entrepreneurs like Symons are working with educators to make blogging safe for kids. They are creating blogging domains that combine strong protective measures and controls with the kind of content, applications, and dynamics that make the environment compelling and exciting to kids.

    The details for such kid-friendly, parent-approved blogging environments are still being hammered out, but experts have identified three key ingredients:

    Strongly authenticated access that creates a controlled ecosystem through identification of users, which weeds out the undesirable elements and limits the scope of publishing.

    Powerful tools for parental monitoring and control of the “who, what’s and how often’s” of their children’s activities.

    Dynamic age-appropriate content and applications to interest and stimulate the audience.

    Many people simply want to ban blogging for kids, but it actually has many positive aspects. Instead of yakking on the phone or meeting at the mall, children online are creating something, expressing themselves in new ways, communicating with the written word, and becoming computer- and Internet-savvy — all important skills that have much broader applications.

    “We can’t stuff the online Genie back in the bottle,” said Symons. “The digital landscape with all its faults is a permanent backdrop to our kids’ lives. We need to engage this new reality and create on online environment that is not only safe and constructive, but a place where our children simply want to be.”

  • CCTV to air its version of “The Apprentice” in May

    CCTV to air its version of “The Apprentice” in May

    MUMBAI: China is offering another version of the reality show The Apprentice – minus Donald Trump. The show Win in China is being produced by China Central Television (CCTV). It is a show where would-be entrepreneurs compete to win positions as CEOs of new businesses.

    The executive producer of the new version, Wang Lifen, said the show shares some similarities with the popular US series, but there are essential differences as well. Win in China will debut in May, and viewers will take on the New York businessman’s role of deciding who gets fired by voting electronically for their favourite, according to producers.

    Lifen said, “I think The Apprentice show is driven by money, which is hard to accept in Chinese culture. What we’re looking for is the talent of self-management and entrepreneurship.The program matches very well with the country’s current situation.”

    The American show has contestants vying for a job as apprentice to millionaire businessman Trump. Contestants are given tasks that test their skills in sales, marketing, advertising and finance. They compete against each other, often to see who can make the most money. At the end of each show, Trump whittles down the applicant pool by declaring “You’re fired!”

    Win in China will be a much more dramatic and interactive program since the audience will participate. Chinese participants will also endure rigorous business tasks that test their tenacity to withstand hardship. Viewers will vote for the winner, and some will even become shareholders in the new company, according to CCTV.

    In the Chinese version, the top winner is given the reins of a new business with a registered capital of no less than 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million), while the other four winners will get to run smaller firms. The startups are being funded by Asian and international venture capital firms.

  • ‘Lord of the Rings’ producer Barrie Osborne to float visual effects JV company in Chennai

    ‘Lord of the Rings’ producer Barrie Osborne to float visual effects JV company in Chennai

    MUMBAI: Noted Hollywood filmmakers Barrie Osborne and Michael Peyser have ambitious plans in India. Along with Indian VFX producer Madhu Sudhanan, they are going to partner with a local visual effects studio to float a company, Vayu Digital.

    The company plans to pump in $20 million to create a visual effects facility in Chennai. “We are in negotiations with a domestic visual effects studio to become a joint venture partner. The company aims to go operational by May-June,” Madhu Sudhanan said.

    Vayu Digital will have an outsourcing business model, tapping Hollywood clients for carrying out the visual effects work in India. The facility initially will house 50 artists with a mix of western and local talent. It aims to ramp up the capacity to 250-300 seaters over two years.

    “We will create an international pipeline to attract outsourcing work from Hollywood. Vayu would serve as second in line to the VFX majors. We are not going to compete but create a complementary facility to the Hollywood visual effects major studios with cost-effective solutions,” said Madhu Sudhanan.

    Said Peyser,”To begin with, we are going to provide our services in VFX, mobile repurposing and animation to some of the best film makers worldwide. Long term, we also plan to produce our own content at Vayu.”

    By outsourcing visual effects from India, Hollywood studios save 30-40 per cent of their costs. “Hollywood requires communications, deliverables and quality. The biggest problem in India is the limited talent pool that we have as all of us are digging into the same well,” said Madhu Sudhanan.

    Osborne, producer of Lord of the Rings, is planning to co-produce films in India which will be targeted at the international market. Peyser, producer of Speed 2, is also eyeing at outsourcing visual effects work from India.

    Madhu Sudhanan has produced domestic movie visual effects for more than 60 motion pictures and three Hollywood films. Currently he is heading the FrameFlow facility in Chennai.

  • Murdoch mayhem hits India

    Murdoch mayhem hits India

    News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch seems to have made a lot out of his Mumbai visit. The media baron held a series of meetings in Mumbai. He touched base with his old friends, colleagues, to-be business partners, ex-partners, and important local political heavyweights.

    On Tuesday morning, he had a meeting with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, wherein he reiterated his commitment to further his investments in Maharashtra, and also voiced his interest in taking part in the information technology revolution that the new NCP government is trying to bring into the state. The meeting was followed by an impromptu press conference.

    The previous day he had meetings with petrochemical and telecom baron Dhirubhai Ambani, his old partner turned rival Subhash Chandra, and the Baramati badshah and leader of the National Congress Party Sharad Pawar, apart from the Star TV staff.

    Reportedly, the meeting with Subhash Chandra was a courtesy call and no business was discussed. A large part of his day was spent at the Star TV office in Andheri. He is also seriously considering Sam Pitroda’s WorldTel venture of spreading cyber cafes all over the country at par with the STD booths.

    He is expected to meet Ratan Tata who recently announced his Infotech plans. Discussions could cover a Joint venture whereby Murdoch would provide content for Tata’s IT network. Murdoch’s agenda also includes meetings with Ashok Hinduja, Remi Hinduja and his old friend Nusli Wadia. The Hinduja-run cable network IN CableNet could do business with News Corp as IN Cablenet needs content and News Corp needs distribution. This can tackle the threat from the Zee group which owns SitiCable and which also has the content power.

    The media giant, earlier, was pretty impressed with Bangalore city. He had held preliminary talks with some portals and he is expected to fund a couple of ventures. One on the list includes a portal by the Pradip Kar owned Microland Group and the other is a Bangalore-centric portal Explocity.com. Murdoch also announced that Bangalore might be the second city to have a production studio apart from Mumbai.

    Murdoch will fly to Delhi from Mumbai and is slated to meet the Prime Minister, the Infotech Minister Pramod Mahajan apart from attending the “Janata Ki Adalat” bash in the capital.

    The shrewd businessman has made sure to make the most out of his India trip and he is expected to make big announcements within a few

  • BBC Worldwide plans to launch bbc.com for users outside UK

    BBC Worldwide plans to launch bbc.com for users outside UK

    MUMBAI: Online medium is growing to be a powerful mode of communication, providing unlimited opportunities to extend interactions. BBC Worldwide is proposing to launch bbc.com to capitalise on the popularity of BBC content abroad.

    The BBC website for users outside the UK is likely to have advertisements, according to the corporation’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The corporation is looking at launching bbc.com in spring 2007.

    According to information posted on the bbc.co.uk, a spokesperson said a ‘limited level’ of ads would be ‘a very viable option’. TV shows could be sold to international users on the new site.

    It must first be approved by the BBC Trust, which will replace the corporation’s governors. Before that, proposals will go through the BBC’s internal journalism board and executive direction group. But it will not be subject to the public value test, which will ensure the BBC’s non-commercial ventures do not adversely affect commercial markets in the UK.

    “Our hope would be to have the site fully up and running in a year’s time,” the spokesperson continued. The site is also proposing to offer ‘video on demand’. According to BBC Worldwide, the bbc.com site will not feature pop-up promos, animated commercials or the sort of ads that “give the web a bad name”.

    The television news channel BBC World, which is broadcast outside the UK, carries advertisement and could be used as a model.

    The corportion is also hoping that in due course, the site will offer direct consumer downloads via the proposed Integrated Media Player, or iMP. “At a later date it might become a portal for video on demand for international users,” the BBC Worldwide spokesperson said.

    iMP is an application in development offering UK viewers the chance to download TV and radio programmes they may have missed for up to seven days after they have been broadcast.

  • Mobile to dominate on day 4 of MIPTV

    Mobile to dominate on day 4 of MIPTV

    MUMBAI: Sessions on mobile TV takes center stage on day four of MIPTV featuring MILIA, kicking off with Convergence of Mobile & TV: What’s Happening in Japan?

    Set to take place at 9 15 pm., the session will see NTT DoCoMo’s senior VP and managing director of multimedia services Takeshi Natsuno, discussing the company’s plans for mobile television, including business models and relationships with content providers.

    That session is followed at 10 am by Mobi Wars!: Mobile TV Business Models & Value Chain Evolution, exploring the various models that content companies can utilize in the mobile space. Moderated by freelance journalist Mark Halper, the session will feature MediaCorp Studios’ MD Melvin Ang; Walt Disney Internet Group VP and MD Attila Gazdag, Jamba VP of marketing and COO Martin Ott, Virgin Mobile head of corporate development Gwyn Roberts, Ericsson Mobility World VP Kurt Sillen, SFR EVP of marketing and mass-market customers Jean-Marc Tassetto and ITN Multimedia MD Nicholas Wheeler.

    At 1130 am, Jessica Sandin, a senior consultant at Fathom Partners in the U.K., will moderate Mobility & Content: Entertainment Everywhere!, exploring new distribution platforms. Panelists include TV Norge’s head of new media Thomas Houge; Google Video EMEA’s head of content partnerships Patrick Walker and Nokia SVP of multimedia experiences Ilkka Raiskinen

    Afternoon sessions include Interactive Mobile TV, The Next Frontier? at 2 30 pm, to be moderated by Endemol U.K.’s MD of digital media Peter Cowley, and featuring 3 Italia’s director of digital content Massimiliano de Carolis; 3’s director of content partnerships Mark Nichols and NRK’s director of mobile content and services Bjarne Andre Myklebust, among others.

    At the same time, Brian Seth Hurst, the CEO of The Opportunity Management Company, will moderate User Generated Content: The Next Big Thing in Media. Panelists include Channel 4’s new media managing editor Andy Grumbridge and Extreme Sports’ MD Phil Jones, among others.

    Asia, in particular India, takes center stage in the 4 pm panel Mobile Content Distribution & Revenue Opportunities, moderated by Ferhan Cook, the president of MediaPlay International. The second panel at 4 pm, Developing & Delivering Content Across Platforms, What Does it Take? will be moderated by the American Film Institute’s SVP of media and technology Nick Demartino. Panelists include the chairman and founder of The Interactive Channel Robert Chua and Enteraction TV’s business development director James Penfold.

    At 5 15 pm, Headway International partner Serge Schick will moderate Information & News At The Forefront of Broadband Content Genres: What Are The New Deals, And How Are They Shaking Up The Broadband Content Value Chain? Panelists are APTN’s MD Nigel Baker; Yahoo! Europe’s VP of media and communications Jon Gisby and France Televisions Interactive’s GM Laurent Souloumiac.

    Also taking place are the Content 360° pitching sessions for multimedia content. The BBC is hosting its sessions at 115 pm (Rich Media-Made for Mobile); 2 30 pm (Web 2.0-Next Generation Collaborative Web Concepts); and 5 15 pm (Total Mobile & User Generated Content). KBC will host its session, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Mobile Content and Applications, at 4 pm The pitch sessions culminate with the Content 360° Zapping Show at 7 pm, when the winning projects selected by the BBC, KBS and NFB will be announced.