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  • BBC’s new campaign features network’s achievements

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC is launching a brand new television marketing campaign in the UK. This will demonstrate the extreme lengths its staff experience daily to produce quality programming for its audience.

    The campaign – the first of its kind since 1997’s Perfect Day – will feature real life examples of BBC achievements, large and small. Each trail will feature a different story demonstrating the passion and commitment of individuals working for the organisation – punctuated by the simple endline – This is what we do.

    Four trails will launch tomorrow 25 March. Kabul tells the story of John Simpson and his news team’s struggle to broadcast the fall of the Afghan capital when a lorry carrying satellite equipment broke down in the mountains.

    Instead of assuming defeat the team dismantled the satellites and put them on donkeys – enabling them to arrive in Kabul 20 minutes before they were due to go live on air. The Office asks the audience: “Who would commission a sitcom from someone who had never written, directed or acted in one before?”, before showing a clip from the hit BBC Two sitcom.

    Wall shows a BBC cameraman in action during a conflict between Iraqi and British troops. Snow Leopard tells the story of the search for an animal rarely caught on camera – and the efforts that were made to get it on film for BBC ONE’s Planet Earth.

    BBC head brand and planning Helen Kellie said, “What truly sets the BBC apart is the extraordinary lengths our people go to to get great content for our audience. This campaign shows the public some of that magic.”

    The campaign, which was developed for the BBC by Fallon, uses existing behind-the-scenes footage – no director or production company was required or involved.

  • Nick announces first-ever Japanese development deals

    Nick announces first-ever Japanese development deals

    MUMBAI: US kids channel Nickelodeon has announced its first-ever Japanese development projects for original content.

    The new projects include a development and acquisitions deal with the Domo Production Committee, affiliates of Japan’s largest broadcaster NHK, as well as a development deal with Polygon Pictures, a Japanese 3-D animation house.

    Nickelodeon and NHK’s affiliate, Domo Production Committee, will co-develop and produce, a 26 episode, two-minute short series. This will be based on NHK’s popular Domo-kun character.

    The deal also includes an advance acquisition of the series by Nicktoons in the US, marking the first time a Japanese produced series will air on a Nickelodeon Network in the US. The series premiere on Nicktoons Network US will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile Nickelodeon and Polygon Pictures have agreed to co-develop a new animated series based on the Japanese graphic novel, Akihabara@Deep.

    Nick Intl senior VP Steve Grieder says, “We a’re excited to be announcing these critical developments and will continue to work with local producers, both as creative and syndication partners, to establish Nickelodeon as a global platform for Japanese animation.

    “We have a long-term commitment to invest in new creative content from Japan like Domo-kun and Akihabara, two stunningly original projects, and we look forward to helping expand the influence Japan has in the kids’ entertainment arena even further around the world.”

    NHK senior corporate officer Tetsuo Kamemura says, “Domo-kun has been NHK’s very popular mascot since 1998 when he was born and now Domo-kun will be a new television series. The Domo-kun Production Committee is extremely proud and happy to be the first Japanese animation to air on Nicktoons Network in the US and we look forward to bringing Domo-kun, together with Nickelodeon, to the rest of the world”.

    Nicktoons GM Keith Dawkins says, “Domo Kun is a cultural phenomenon in Japan. The animation is exquisite. We’re excited to partner with NHK to bring this property to a whole new audience in the states”.

    Domo-kun features Domo, a strange creature born from an egg who lives in an underground cave with Usajii, a wise old rabbit, who loves to watch TV and drink tea. Domo is short, fuzzy and brown with black eyes and a large mouth with very pointy teeth. Domo also loves to watch television and listen to grunge music and Rock and Roll. He is gentle and strong and when he is nervous or in a bad mood, he breaks wind. Domo’s favourite food is seasoned beef with potatoes and he has a strong dislike for apples (an unexplained mystery in his DNA). Domo-kun has been an icon for Japanese kids, tweens and families for nearly a decade since his first appearance as NHK’s BS2 mascot.

    Akihabara@Deep from Polygon Pictures is an edgy, colorful and fast-paced cyber-detective comedy/action/drama based in Akihabara, the Electric Town of Tokyo. Polygon’s Polygon Family is currently featured on Flux, MTV Networks’ mobile download service.

  • Despite technology, content will continue to remain king: McCann

    Despite technology, content will continue to remain king: McCann

    MUMBAI: “Television remains a strong, growth oriented business and despite fragmentation, rising internet interest and many gloomy forecasts, television viewership around the world is on the rise,” said Nielsen Media Research, International chairman Robert L McCann.

    McCann was speaking at the third day of Ficci Frames 2006 in Mumbai. “PVRs and DVRs seem threatening but the focus should be on these infernal time shifting machines,” he added.

    Throwing in some figures from the US, McCann said that more than $ 130 billion was spent in the US on television advertising. “The emerging truth is that the consumer is the boss. With the coming in of PVRs and DVRs, time shifting viewing, instant replay of live television, commercial zapping are all becoming a reality,” McCann said.

    “Another reality is that emerging technologies may alter traditional advertising supported television business model. However, despite all these changes, content remains the king. Those who will embrace these changes will win and those who will ignore them may suffer,” McCann concluded.

  • Mobile phone entertainment is about making dead time alive: Sandip Das

    Mobile phone entertainment is about making dead time alive: Sandip Das

    MUMBAI: One of the special addresses on the final day of Frames – The convention for the business of entertainment was made by Hutchison Essar MD Sandip Das.

    He pointed out that the mobile is an effective entertainment tool as it makes dead time alive. It could be while one is travelling in a bus, car or sitting on a beach watching the waves.

    “The mobile does not compete nor threaten other media.

    It complements them. Its portability and unobtrusiveness provide opportunities for engagement. At the same time it cannot match the scale of Imax. Yet, one cannot carry an Imax or a movie theatre as one does a mobile.”

    He praised Ericsson’s 0,1,2,3 phase of developing the mobile. 0 means that no user manual is needed. It is self explanatory. One means one button to remove the complications of different controls. Two refers to the two seconds it takes for a screen to appear. Three refers to getting to an online destination within three clicks. “It is important that the mobile service providers think in this manner. The mobile is all about customised and personalised entertainment. The more mass it becomes the more important it is for mobile operators to provide distinctive services.”

    He said that for content providers looking to tap the mobile it is important to think of the mobile first and not see it as an appendage. “Unique content needs to be created for the mobile that does not involve merely shortening the length of a film. Mobisodes are a step in the right direction. The good news is that data is getting compressed into smaller formats.”

    He stressed that no other media had as much user capability as the mobile. Location based services will help make the mobile more timely. He quoted Bill Gates who once said that knowledge was more profound than information. The reason why some channels consistently get excellent viewership even though there are more choices available is because those few channels understand their viewers.

    He went on to state that the jury is out on the mobile entertainment eco system. There is land grabbing going on. For instance Apple is selling music, Sony has bought a bank, HP sells TVs. There are also challenges that the mobile entertainment industry is facing. “The first is that we need more data friendly mobile phones. There is no point in buying a Ferrari if you drive it on pot holed roads. More bandwith is necessary for the mobile. It is important for more spectrum to be freed up. There also needs to be a change in terms of how our filmmakers and television serial makers view the mobile. Their antennas go up when the word mobile is mentioned.

    “M Night Shyamalan for one has said that he would not like to make a film which can be viewed by someone in a toilet who has a mobile. I think that with our stories there is scope to make great content for the mobile.”

    He noted that open source software is enabling collaboration and content is increasingly being created by users in the form of blogs and communities. It is becoming less and less the privilege of technology geeks. He mentioned that revenue sharing is one area that needs to be sorted out. That is why Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVB-H) is facing a problem. It is not that the technology is not upto speed. He praised Nokia who through the N Series has revolutionised MP3 and e-mail among other functions.

    The consumer experience is key. If one develops services but does not allow the experience to be as good as it should, then one is doomed. In mobile as in other media, content is king. There are four sectors – video, imagery, gaming and music. While music has 70 per cent revenue share this will change in the coming years.

    “The challenge for providers of mobile entertainment will be to bridge the gap between the early adopters who saw the potential in the medium and the huge mainstream market that wants to enjoy its benefits but does not want to get caught up in the gory technological details.

    “Seamlessness in mobile technology will enable us to move seamlessly from one media to another. For instance, you watch a football match at home. In the middle of the match you have to leave for the office.

    When you leave home, the mobile picks up the signal and the match gets switched on the mobile. When you reach the office, the PC has the match on. I got a demonstration of this from Motorola yesterday.”

  • MTV, Rolling Stone team for reality series

    MTV, Rolling Stone team for reality series

    MUMBAI: Amateur journalists will vie for a year long position at Rolling Stone magazine in a new reality series for MTV US.

    Contestants will work with the veteran music magazine’s senior editors to develop their writing skills and secure interviews with artists, actors and politicians.

    Rolling Stone founder and publish Jann Wenner says, “Throughout our history we have seen the careers of some of the nation’s most notable journalists flourish, including Cameron Crowe and the late Hunter S. Thompson. We are anxious to meet the candidates and welcome them into the Rolling Stone family as they embark on their professional careers.”

    MTV executive VP programming Lois Curren says, “The series will capture the drama and excitement of the fast-paced world of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone has long been an incubator for top journalists, which makes this an amazing opportunity for aspiring writers.”

    The show will be taped in New York from June through August and is expected to premiere later this year.

  • Coca Cola, Hungama TV team up with Adidas for football challenge event

     MUMBAI: With the football World Cup less than two months away one of Fifa’s global partners Adidas has launched the Adidas+ Challenge.

    The event is being rolled out across seven cities in the course of the next few weeks including Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. The initiative invites young Indian football enthusiasts to celebrate football in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup.
     

    Partnering Adidas for the event are ESPN Star Sports, which will air the Fifa World Cup in India, beverage conglomerate Coca Cola, kids channel Hungama and mobile content provider Phoney Tunes, The event will culminate in a grand finale in Kolkata on 28 May, 2006.
     

    As has already been reported by Indiantelevision.com, as is the case in each global tournament venue, participating teams under 16 years of age will play against each other in order to represent India for the global Adidas +Challenge final in Berlin, Germany from 1-4 July 2006.

    Adidas India marketing director Hartwin Feddersen says, “We are the world’s No.1 football brand. We constantly challenge ourselves to excite the youth through innovative products and extraordinary experiences. We hope that the Adidas +Challenge will allow Indian football enthusiasts to enjoy the spirit of team work and will challenge them to deliver their personal best at the same time through this innovative football initiative.”

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com Hungama TV marketing head Siddhartha Kapur says the channel is on on ground sponsor for the event. “We saw value in partnering as kids aged 4-14 are becoming increasingly interested in the game. We therefore did not want to lose out on the opportunity to gain good visibility across the country. Later on we will be airing vignettes from the event.”

    Coca Cola India GM G. Srinivas Krishna says,, “Coca-Cola is one of the longest-standing corporate partners of the Fifa World Cup since 1950. To energise this heritage with football and Fifa, we are proud to be associated with the Challenge event. The innovative initiative provides us with the ideal opportunity to bring the people of India closer together through football.”

    As the official partner, supplier and licensee of the 2006 Fifa World Cup, Adidas will supply hundreds of thousands of products for referees, ball boys, stewards, volunteers and flag bearers. In addition, the host Germany, Argentina, France, Japan, Spain and Trinidad & Tobago will be wearing adidas apparel. Some of the world’s top players such as David Beckham, Michael Ballack, Steven Gerrard, Kaká, Juninho, Nigel de Jong, Zinédine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Raúl, Juan Román Riquelme, Alessandro Nesta and many more will play in Adidas footwear.

    Coca-Cola on the other hand has had a long formal association with Fifa. The firm was the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup that began in 1978. To its credit, the company has had stadium advertising rights at every World Cup since 1950. This partnership in November 2005 was extended for another 16 years until 2022.

    To find out more details and register for the event, enthusiasts will need to rush to their nearest Adidas Exclusive store, fill out a registration form, get it signed by a guardian and put it into a collection box at an Adidas store. Acceptance of entries closes four days before the start of the event in that city. The short-listed teams will be informed about their selection two days prior to the event. They will be sent a detailed kit on the rules and regulations along with the tournament match schedule.

     

  • Group M announces increased commitment to search in Asia Pacific

    MUMBAI: Owing to the growth of paid search market across the Asia Pacific region, Group M has made three new appointments in Singapore, Australia and India.

    Group M has made significant additions to its capability to provide service to clients of Mindshare, Maxus, Mediaedge:cia and Mediacom.

    Rosemary Lising joins Group M in Singapore and will combine the role of leading search for the region with leadership of the MEC Interaction team within Mediaedge:CIA Reporting to Group M Interaction regional CEO Ruth Stubbs, Rosemary will work with US based Chris Copeland, global head of search for Group M, to bring the latest tools, strategy and process to search in the region.
    Rosemary will be supported by Sanchit Sanga in Mindshare Interaction India, a unit which is showing rapid growth in search and by Susan Zabeti who joins Mindshare Interaction Australia from our UK search operations.

    Sanga will be reporting to Interaction India national director Tushar Vyas in India and will work with Rosemary to capitalise on the rapid growth in the search market in India and the region. The team will assist all Group M clients in extracting the best return on investment from this emerging channel.

    Stubbs said, “The time is right for this kind of investment in search. Group M is a real leader in paid search and search engine optimisation in the US and Europe and we believe that we can bring that learning to our clients in the region. Rosemary, Sanchit and Susan are all top class professionals who understand the dynamics of the market and we are delighted that they are in place.”

  • Fun Technologies signs online gaming agreement with BSkyB

    MUMBAI: Fun Technologies Inc’s wholly owned subsidiary, Fanball UK Limited has signed an agreement with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) Limited to provide fantasy sports games and content for the Sky sports portal – http://www.skysports.com.
     
     
    Under the terms of the agreement, Fanball will build, host, operate and maintain an online fantasy sports website that will be accessible via links from the Sky website, and tailored to the look and feel of skysports.com. The site is scheduled to be launched this spring, ahead of football’s World Cup Finals.
     
     
    Skysports.com is the UK’s commercial sports website and attracts over seven million unique users per month. It has recently launched a dedicated World Cup site.
     
     
    Fanball creates league-hosting software, content, real-time sports statistics, and interactive games for the web and other convergent media platforms. It is the premier provider of online fantasy sports contests, content, strategy and insight, and has exclusive, white-label distribution agreements with leading organizations such as AOL and Nascar.com.

    Fun Technologies CEO Lorne Abony said, “This is a terrific step forward in our drive to extend our leading fantasy platform into the UK and Europe, and is aligned with our overarching goal of expanding the distribution of our games into new geographic markets. We are thrilled to be partnering with Sky and look forward to a successful relationship.”