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  • Toon channels hit the ground running

    Toons have smashed through the TV screens and have come out in the flesh, ummm… fur more likely.

    As more and more kids‘ channels resort to ground events to lure kids; the kids are having a field day and are actually getting to touch and feel their favourite toons.

    Toons come looking for kids

    This touch and feel factor is increasingly becoming important for channels to have a direct connect with their target audience.

    Indian kids have never had it better and the excitement and promise is only going to get bigger from here on. With seven kids‘ channels in the country, there is a wide array of entertainment options available to a child. And it‘s not just the programming on the channels that we‘re talking about here. Ground events and live shows have started featuring on the ‘must have‘ lists of almost all kids‘ channels.
     

     

    Cartoon Network has Toon Cricket and Toon Yatra, Pogo has Pogo Amazing Kids Awards, Pogo Funtakshri, M.A.D Workshops and Hungama TV has Hungamathon, Hungama Express, Hungama Captain‘s Hunt and the latest to join on the field is Disney Magic. Rest assured there‘s more to come as Nick too is planning to launch ground events this year.

    The investment that goes in organizing these events is no child‘s play for sure. Sample this: According to industry estimates, Walt Disney Television International (India) spent close to Rs 23 million – Rs 25 million (approximately $550,000) for their six city Disney Magic event that was held in India earlier this year. Out of this, Rs 5 million was spent on advertising the event through various media across the country. An event like Toon Cricket would also entail a budget of approximately Rs 25-odd million.

    Doremon thronged by kids at the Hungamathon in Mumbai

    On the other hand, industry analysts informed that for the Hungamathon event in Mumbai and Delhi, Hungama TV would have spent in the region of Rs 15 million (Rs 7.5 million per city). However, the actual cost of organizing just the ground event would be somewhere between Rs 7-8 million; the rest comprise marketing and advertising costs.

    On completing one year of operations in the country, Walt Disney Television International (India) kicked off a huge scale on-ground event – Disney Magic – in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. For the first time ever in India, Disney Channel presented the Disney stars in a musical extravaganza that took Indian kids on a magical journey packed with song and dance. What‘s more, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy along with Chip and Dale even danced on a couple of popular Bollywood songs like ‘Just Chill‘ and ‘Dus Bahaney‘ from the movies Maine Pyaar Kyon Kiya and Dus respectively.

    The channel took three to four months just to put the event together. The show was held in various cities over a period of three months. The result: over 100,000 people witnessed the Disney Magic show and approximately Rs 250 million ($5.5 million) worth of ad equivalent coverage in the print and electronic media spanning close to 25 hours in four weeks.

    Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing Tushar Shah says, “Events are a key ingredient to build a brand as these allows consumer interactivity and connect. This in turn strengthens the bond between the consumer and the brand. While the events‘ space is cluttered in India, there is a huge need-gap for kids‘ events as it is an undeserved category. Kids are exposed to other events, which are targeted at adults. It is difficult to put together a niche event, which will cater to kids as well as their parents. With Disney Magic, our aim was to build loyalty among our target audience.”

    It‘s time to play Toon Cricket with Mark Waugh and the toons!

    Cartoon Network has been organising a unique sporting event Toon Cricket since 1999. Last year, more than 45,000 toon and cricket lovers in Mumbai gathered for Toon Cricket 2005. Toons like Scooby Doo, Johnny Bravo, Dee Dee, Jerry, Fred, Bob the Builder, Mojo Jojo, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Tom, Dexter and Noddy had a field day playing cricket.

    “Events are a window for consumer interaction with the network. They enable children and their families to experience the brands in a different environment and to become a part of their lives and culture. With Toon Cricket, we have established an inimitable and indelible association with India‘s national passion and hence extended the appeal of the brand beyond television,” explained Cartoon Network and Pogo India director marketing Vivek Krishnani.

    Apart from this, channels also look at promoting “family time” with such events, wherein kids and parents alike can experience the excitement and fun together. “Events are an extremely important brand extension for Cartoon Network and Pogo. They are organised with dual objectives of increasing current viewer involvement with the network by enabling them to actively participate across multiple platforms – on-air, online, and on-ground, by telephone and SMS,” added Krishnani.

    To throw in some figures, over 65,000 people enjoyed Toon Cricket; over 5,000 entries were received for the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards and Pogo Funtakshri received 90,000 entries within the first three weeks itself.

    Thousands of kids run at the Hungamathon

    Hungama TV senior vice president marketing and communications Siddhartha Roy Kapur points out the objectives with which ground events are launched. “The touch and feel factor with the viewer is of immense importance in order to create a brand experience with them and also to put across what we embody. We are the only homegrown kids‘ channel in the country and that is our USP. With these ground events, we get to interact with our audience, learn from these experiences and put them to use,” he says.

    Buoyed by the response that Hungamathon received in Mumbai and Delhi, the channel also launched the event in Kolkata last month.

    Look at that smile! Time for a “real” handshake with the toons

    Moreover, it‘s also the “awe factor” that channels look to capitalise on by bringing the toons face to face with kids. Watching toons on TV is surely different from watching them live in action… at least from the kids‘ perspective. We, adults, would probably want to watch a film award function in the sanctity of our drawing rooms far way from the madding crowd. But we‘re talking kids here. Krishnani says, “The aim for all events and initiatives is to extend the magic of our brands beyond the confines of the TV set. It‘s a platform that offers fantastic active and non-passive interaction opportunities to involve fans in a unique and fun way.”

    Also, most ground events have a contest tied around it and therein comes the “fame factor.” Kids can win goodies and also have a chance of being featured on television and in print. Moreover, these days most parents encourage their children to be active in extra curricular activities and even more if these activities are related to the media.

    But do these live ground events actually help in raking in eyeballs for the channels and strengthening the brand? While, ground events may not have a direct correlation to the increase in ratings or viewership on the channel, they do help in increasing the reach of the channel in the cities where they are being held.

    “Cartoon Network and Pogo‘s channel shares grew in January – December 2005 over January – December 2004 and was responsible for 22 per cent of the overall growth of the kids‘ channels in this period. Over 97 per cent of all transmissions that delivered 1.0 TVR or more in the whole of 2005 on all kids‘ channels were aired on Cartoon Network or Pogo,” says Krishnani.

    Hungama TV has an annual event Captain‘s Hunt through which the channel selects the board of directors of the channel. The channel gives kids across the country the chance to be a part of selecting what‘s right and what‘s not for the channel. “Empower them” is the buzz word!

    Disney India MD Rajat Jain welcomes the stars at Mumbai airport

    Apart from these factors, there is this entire “dreamland proposition” that channels promise the kids. It‘s all about childhood being a carefree and happy-go-lucky stage in one‘s life (try telling that to kids in the big metros with their dawn to dusk schedules though). “We want to create the Disney Magic hype to bring Disney Channel and Toon Disney top of mind and to rub off on the overarching Disney brand in India. The classic Disney characters were presented as contemporary and treated like stars. This created a desire to be a part of it – ‘let the magic touch everyone‘ proposition of Disney,” says Shah.

    Disney India VoluntEARS say cheese!

    At the same time, ground events can also be used for a worthy cause. Disney used the Disney Magic event as a platform to launch its VoluntEARS, where every Disney employee works towards fulfilling kids‘ wishes across the country. In the four weeks that the Disney stars were here in India, Disney employees put in close to 500 hours of service. The company has a long standing association internationally with Make-A-Wish Foundation. In India, Walt Disney‘s social service arm ‘Disney Outreach‘ became active with Disney Magic. More than 100 children from various hospitals in Mumbai gathered at the Tata Memorial Hospital for a special visit from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald.

    Make-A-Wish Foundation India CEO Sharmistha Adyanthaya says, “We are delighted to be associating our foundation with the ‘Disney Magic‘ Outreach initiative that has brought the first ever magical experience in India to our wish children. The number of these children in India is rapidly growing and the long-term association with various Outreach initiatives of the Disney Worldwide Outreach in India will allow us to reach many more of them. A wish fulfillment makes a sick child believe that anything is possible – even the future, making the impact of this association immeasurable.”

    Apollo Hospitals Group executive director (operations) and Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad managing director Sangita Reddy says, “Walt Disney created their legendary and endearing characters to bring magic into the lives of children and adults. They have shared this magic with children at a time when they needed it the most – Apollo Hospitals thanks them for this. It is our common endeavor to improve the quality of life for all and therefore this partnership is meaningful.”

    Ground events no doubt help in building reach and helps channels interact with their target audience and vice versa. It‘s a medium that helps building brands unlike passive media like print and radio.

    There are new ground initiatives that are also in the pipeline from Hungama TV and Nick. Kapur informs that Hungama TV is planning to launch a new on-air property this summer, which will have a grand on-ground component.

    The time is right to hit the grounds!
  • Murdoch stresses need for media firms adapting to technological change

    Murdoch stresses need for media firms adapting to technological change

    MUMBAI: “Societies or companies that expect a glorious past to shield them from the forces of change driven by advancing technology will fail and fall. That applies as much to my own, the media industry, as to every other business on the planet.”

    These remarks were made by News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch at the annual Livery Lecture at The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers. The speech was called ‘The Dawn of A New Age of Discovery: Media 2006’.

    Murdoch issued a note of caution saying that it is difficult, indeed dangerous, to underestimate the huge changes the technological revolution will bring or the power of developing technologies to build and to destroy – not just companies but whole countries. “For instance, we probably haven’t heard the name of what will be the world’s largest company in 2020. Indeed that company may not even exist yet — although I hope that it does, and that I know its name.

    “Power is moving away from the old elite in our industry – the editors, the chief executives and, let’s face it, the proprietors. A new generation of media consumers has risen demanding content delivered when they want it, how they want it, and very much as they want it. This new media audience – and we are talking here of tens of millions of young people around the world – is already using technology, especially the web, to inform, entertain and above all to educate themselves.”

    He noted that this knowledge revolution empowers the reader, the student, the cancer patient, the victim of injustice, anyone with a vital need for the right information. It is part of wider changes that reach far beyond the media industry.

    “The challenge for us in the traditional media is how to engage with this new audience. There is only one way. That is by using our skills to create and distribute dynamic, exciting content.

    King Content, the Economist called it recently. But – and this is a very big BUT – newspapers will have to adapt as their readers demand news and sport on a variety of platforms: websites, ipods, mobile phones or laptops. I believe that traditional newspapers have many years of life left but, equally, I think in the future that newsprint and ink will be just one of many channels to our readers.

    “As we all know, newspapers have already created large audiences for their content online and have provided readers with added value features such as email alerts, blogs, interactive debate, and podcasts.

    Content is being repurposed to suit the needs of a contemporary audience. This divergence from the traditional platform of newsprint will continue, indeed accelerate for a while. The same is true of television. Sky has already started putting programmes onto PCs and mobile phones.

    “That old square television box in the corner of the room may soon be dead but the television industry is seizing the opportunities thrown up by the technology revolution. PVRs – personal video recorders – streaming live TV onto mobile phones – beaming programmes onto computers via IPTV – internet broadcasts – this wave of innovation gives the consumer huge choice at relatively low cost.”

    In this way Murdoch says media becomes like fast food – people will consume it on the go, watching news, sport and film clips as they travel to and from work on mobiles or handheld wireless devices like Sony’s PSP, or others already in test by News Corp’s satellite companies.

    At the same time though this does not mean that television and newspapers need lose their historic role of keeping people informed about what is happening in the world around them. Given the speed of change that role has never been more important he argues.

    He said that the reason why industry people find the change unsettling is that to them, this is the age of anxiety, an age in which technology and science seem to pose huge threats, rather than present great opportunities. And it is perfectly true that the industry does face some daunting challenges.

    “My argument this evening is that, whatever our fears, we actually live in a second great age of discovery. I believe that the fusion of technology and science allied to the natural creativity embedded in the human spirit will enable us to surmount the dangers we undoubtedly face, and forge a better world for all of us. And equally I believe that what is loosely called the media will play a crucial role in shaping that destiny by facilitating the flow of ideas and the interaction of creative minds.

    “Never has the flow of information and ideas, of hard news and reasoned comment, been more important. The force of our democratic beliefs is a key weapon in the war against religious fanaticism and the terrorism that it breeds. Remember, it was ideas – the ideals of democracy allied to the free market – as much as the economic collapse of the Soviet Union that brought the West victory in the cold war. The free flow of information is not just a building block of our democratic system; it is also the fuel of the technological revolution.”

    He noted that information on new discoveries across the spectrum of science is carried via print, newspapers, magazines and books. It is carried on television, laptops, personal organisers, cell phones and, of course, the web. The media use all these platforms to give the public access to this waterfall of information. This is how public opinion is shaped.

    Net’s importance to continue growing: Murdoch expressed confidence that the web will continue its rapid development as the prime media channel for information, entertainment, business and social contact. “One of the reasons I say that is the success of a company we bought last year called MySpace.com.

    This is a networking site in which millions of people, aged mainly between 16 and 34, talk online to each other about music, film, dating, travel, whatever interests them. They share pictures, videos and blogs, forming virtual communities.

    “Since launch just two years ago, the site has acquired sixty million registered users, thirty five million of whom are regular users. This is a generation, now popularly referred to as the “myspace generation”, talking to itself in a world without frontiers. It is just one example of how the media, with its ability to reach millions with information, entertainment and education can use the achievements of technology to create better and more interesting lives for a great many people. And it is one reason why I believe we are at the dawn of a golden age of information – an empire of new knowledge.”

    The web he noted is a creative, destructive, technology that is still in its Infancy, yet breaking and remaking everything it its path. The web is changing the way we do business, the way we talk to each other and the way we enjoy ourselves. As old and new technologies merge, the questions multiply:Will the internet kill fixed-line telephony? It is already happening via VOIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol.

    When high-speed broadband pipes TV and film onto enhanced computer screens at home, what happens to the television companies, the film studios and indeed newspapers?

    “There are about one billion people in the world who have access to computers, although only about 10% to broadband. In 20 or 30 years there will be six billion such people, or two-thirds of the human race. We know the $100 laptop is on the way. In a few years, there could be a $50 laptop.

    “It would be folly for me to stand here and pretend I know what this really means in any detail for future generations. But I will answer a question I suspect is forming in your minds. What happens to print journalism in an age where consumers are increasingly being offered on-demand, interactive, news, entertainment, sport and classifieds via broadband on their computer screens, TV screens, mobile phones and handsets?

    “The answer is that great journalism will always attract readers. The words, pictures and graphics that are the stuff of journalism have to be brilliantly packaged; they must feed the mind and move the heart.
    “And, crucially, newspapers must give readers a choice of accessing their journalism in the pages of the paper or on websites such as Times Online or – and this is important – on any platform that appeals to them, mobile phones, hand-held devices, ipods, whatever.

    “As I have said newspapers may become news-sites. As long as news organisations create must-read, must-have content, and deliver it in the medium that suits the reader, they will endure. Great content always has been, and I think always will be, king of the media castle.

    “Caxton’s printing press marked a revolution that is with us 500 years later. But the history of that revolution is not one in which the new wipes out the old. Radio did not destroy newspapers, television did not destroy radio and neither eliminated the printing of books.

    “And whatever you think about Hollywood, the film industry is very much alive. Each wave of new technology in our industry forced an improvement in the old. Each new medium forced its predecessor to become more creative and more relevant to the consumer.”

    He also pointed out that knowledge alone is not a magic wand which can be waved to banish poverty and produce riches. Life is not like that. “We are creating a world in which it will be imperative for each individual to have sufficient scientific literacy to understand the new riches of knowledge so that he can use them wisely. Those people, those companies, those nations which understand and use this new knowledge will be the ones to prosper and grow strong in our age of discovery.”

  • BBC Magazines to launch girls’ lifestyle magazine ‘Amy’

    BBC Magazines to launch girls’ lifestyle magazine ‘Amy’

    MUMBAI: BBC Magazines in the UK will add to its pre-teen portfolio of titles when it launches Amy, a lifestyle magazine for 5-8 year old girls next month.

    With lots to read and do, Amy will feature many popular CBBC brands including Tracey Beaker, Blue Peter, Smart and Really Wild Show and will be designed to provide interactive activities and entertainment for young girls.

    With CBBC content at it core, Amy will also feature a range of other topics, including film, arts and crafts, stories, puzzles, dancing and quizzes. The 32-page magazine will be published every three weeks, with each issue carrying a high quality cover mounted gift as well as featuring competitions with prizes.

    BBC further says that a strong colour palette with familiar icons and fonts will give the magazine a distinct identity. Extensive research with parents and children in the pre-teen age group showed there was a strong opportunity to develop a magazine for 5-8 year olds, with a different positioning to existing magazines in the market. Amy has been designed to combine the world of young childhood play, whilst acknowledging the needs of maturing pre-teens.

    BBC Magazines youth and children MD Toni Round says: “With only one other title in the market for this age group, our research showed there was a real need for a new magazine for this transitional group. During this period, 5-8 year old girls are discovering more about the world around them and learning new skills, particularly reading.

    “Amy will help them develop these skills, with content that is designed specifically for them. We know that they have grown out of the pre-school titles in the market but are still very much little girls who are not yet ready for older magazines like Girl Talk. Amy will give them ‘their own’ magazine that reflects their world.

    “During research, a magazine concept fulfilling these needs received an incredibly positive response and was heavily endorsed by mums, as well as girls. As with all our Youth and Children’s magazines, we will ensure that readers get the most out of Amy in terms of fun, learning, and stimulating activities to sustain their interest and also satisfy mum’s needs.”

  • Pix to focus on 8, 10 pm time bands

    Pix to focus on 8, 10 pm time bands

    MUMBAI: We tell stories! That is the tagline of Pix – Sony’s new English movie channel, which launches on 1 April 2006.

    The channel will in the course of the year roll out 100 films, a mix of old and more recent titles, which have not been previously aired on Indian television.

    Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that Pix will focus on two key time bands – 8 pm and 10 pm. This is where its strongest properties will air. A big premiere in April for the channel is The Indian Runner.

    This was the directorial debut of actor Sean Penn. The film stars Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as two brothers who cannot overcome their opposite perceptions of life. One brother sees and feels bad in everyone and everything. Subsequently he is violent, antisocial and unable to appreciate or enjoy the good things which his brother desperately tries to point out to him.

    One brother understands the atrocities of life as a big picture, The other does not, He is content to enjoy smaller pleasures -children, family, routine. Morse mistakenly believes he can straighten his little brother Mortensen out and convince him that life is good.

    The channel will also have a Goldie Hawn festival. Three films Cactus Flower, Butterflies are Free and It Seems Like Old Times will air.

    Stay tuned for more information on Pix.

  • Navstar Media to acquire Beijing Broadcasting and Television Media Co

    Navstar Media to acquire Beijing Broadcasting and Television Media Co

    MUMBAI: Chinese television content provider Navstar Media Holdings, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire operational control and 70 per cent ownership interest of content and production company Beijing Broadcasting and Television Media Co., Ltd.

    Navstar also announced the appointment of Yang Wenquan to its board of directors.
    During the past five years, Beijing Media has produced approximately 10,000 hours of television programming, including TV series, movies and specials. The company currently produces approximately 500 hours of programming per year for CCTV.

    “This acquisition is another step in our strategy to further build upon our content development capabilities to take advantage of the growth of China’s media market. Through this transaction, we will strengthen our operating management team, improve our production facilities, expand our distribution footprint and unlock new opportunities to drive our business. We welcome Yang Wenquan to our Board and look forward to working with him and the Beijing Media team as we seek to unlock the full potential of our resources,” said Navstar CEO Don B. Lee.

  • Discovery US launches broadband educational video service

    Discovery US launches broadband educational video service

    MUMBAI: Discovery Education a division of Discovery US has announced the launch of Cosmeo. This is a new homework help tool. Designed for a generation that lives online, Cosmeo harnesses the power of broadband and media to help kids achieve academic breakthroughs. Discovery says that Cosmeo is the only comprehensive digital library that includes easy to digest homework help, interactive learning games and more than 30,000 video clips that are correlated to grade level and state curriculum standards. The intuitive interface allows kids in grades K through 12 across the 50 states to instantly reference video clips and other learning tools for any required assignment in all key subject areas.

    Discovery founder John Hendricks says, “For more than 20 years, Discovery has been committed to providing knowledge that satisfies human curiosity across any platform. Cosmeo is the latest extension of this commitment and we believe has the potential to revolutionise how our children learn and process information today. Cosmeo will bring the world to students at the click of a mouse and will allow them to continue their learning experience at home and improve their performance at school.”

    Cosmeo is built on the success of Discovery’s united streaming service, the most widely used educational video streaming resource for schools, reaching more than 70,000 schools and teaching more than 30 million students. The award-winning service has been scientifically proven to increase student achievement. Cosmeo builds upon united streaming’s proven technology and content and engages students in a way that makes learning fun.

    Discovery US president and CEO Judith McHale says, “Cosmeo is the first educational tool to teach today’s kids in the way they learn best. This online product meets them where they’re spending most of their time and is helping to define how they learn today. Cosmeo also gives parents a terrific window into their kids’ education and the ability to participate in their progress at school like never before. We sense families across the United States will find a real benefit in, for example, the WebMath section, which offers a full spectrum of math learning — from third-grade multiplication tables to advanced calculus — with easy-to understand, step-by-step solutions.”

    The product features include:

    30,000 educational videos that make complex topics easier to understand and retain;
    Search tools that instantly locate information by subject, grade level, and keyword – something no other search engine can do;
    Over 15,000 interactive quizzes and 200 subject-related Brain Games, all supported by videos;
    20,000 high-resolution digital photos and 2,300 clip art images available for school projects;
    Digital encyclopedia with access to over 27,000 research articles, soon to be expanded;
    WebMath equation solver detailing step-by-step explanations to most math problems; and much more.

  • Shemaroo anti-piracy raids yields Rs 3 million booty

    Shemaroo anti-piracy raids yields Rs 3 million booty

    MUMBAI: Home video major Shemaroo continues its fight against the biggest threat to its business – piracy. In two separate anti-piracy raids conducted at Mira Road and Bandra a few days ago, the vigilance team of Shemaroo Video seized pirated VCDs and DVDs worth over Rs 3.1 million.

    The first raid at Vajreshwari Music Center in Mira Road yielded a haul of 2000 pirated VCDs / DVDs, DVD players, DVD Writers and a television. This also included 23 master copies of various films – these being the copies from which “replication” is possible. Replication is the act of making copies without loss of data and quality. Generally, pirated master copies already have a bad quality, resulting in poor copies that could damage players.

    The second raid was conducted at the three stalls outside Bandra Railway station. Stalls outside railway stations in Mumbai are notorious for pirated Audio and Video CDs and this comes as an effort from Shemaroo to curb piracy at the point of sale.

    Rs 2.2 million worth pirated goods were seized from these stalls, which included over 4000 DVDs. Senior PI Kadri, PSI Pednekar conducted the raid and were instrumental in making the raid possible because of their timely action. One Aftab Alam Ansari was arrested.

    Shemaroo VP Hiren Gada said, “Piracy is taking up almost 90 per cent of the market in home video sales. It is very important that the Industry joins hands to curb this menace so that everyone in the movie business can reap true benefits of their efforts.”

    The Shemaroo anti-piracy team carries out various vigilance activities gathering information, surveillance and warning the pirates. The team also gives information about dealing in legitimate products and educates on the consequences of dealing in pirated video products. Only when they cease to heed to all the warnings that Shemaroo raids the outlet and takes action against the pirates.

    Having an end-to-end objective in mind, Shemaroo says that it believes that fighting anti-piracy will gradually increase the legitimate home video market. Increased revenues can be shared with other people involved in the entertainment industry, which will also help the government get more taxes bringing a decrease in the black economy.

  • GRB Worldwide signs deal with BSkyB

    GRB Worldwide signs deal with BSkyB

    MUMBAI: Marking its first time to distribute product for a UK broadcaster, GRB Worldwide, the international acquisition, development, and financing wing of GRB Entertainment, has announced that it has signed an agreement.

    GRB Worldwide will have worldwide distribution rights (excluding the UK) to 14 hours of programming which originally aired on BSkyB¹s entertainment channel Sky One.

    GRB Worldwide president Gavin Reardon says, “The profile of BSkyB and its Sky One programming is commercially sound and exactly the kind of product that will work on channels all around the world. We are delighted with these new associations and look forward to a long-term relationship.”

    The titles in the initial agreement include Secret World Of Magic. Top magicians and mates Pete Firman and Alistair Cook embark upon a magical mystery tour of the globe, traveling from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York City to Spain, France and Argentina. They meet heroes of magic, reveal secrets behind the world¹s best tricks, and wow the locals with their unique brand of entertainment and distinctive, anarchic style.

    Unsolved Crimes follows British journalist Sam Kiley hot on the trail of America¹s most high profile unsolved cases: The Black Dahlia, The Thief Who Escaped by Parachute, The Exploding Pizza Man, and the Atlanta Murders. Each multilayered story is loaded with fascinating characters and grand intrigue as Kiley aims for results where law enforcement failed.

    Myths And Monsters is hosted by Lawrence
    Blair an adventurer, explorer and anthropologist, It delves into the connection between our most cherished myths and legends. He reveals that the ordinary everyday world we inhabit is but a thin layer over a deeper, hidden, supernatural & mythical world.

  • IBN deal part of CNN’s strategy in English language segment: Cramer

    IBN deal part of CNN’s strategy in English language segment: Cramer

    NEW DELHI: The Indian news market with its diverse products is a bonanza for viewers in terms of choice, according to CNN International MD Chris Cramer.

    “It’s an extraordinary news market , which was starting to explode in 2004 when I last came, and is still doing so. It’s also a very good thing for consumers in terms of choice,” Cramer told Indiantelevision.com.

    On a visit to India, Cramer is touching base with various constituents of the broadcast and cable industry, including CNN’s partner, Global Broadcast Network (GBN), which runs the CNN IBN news channel.

    Pointing out that CNN IBN has shaped up extremely well, Cramer said, “After seeing the news channels here, one can say that they are world class products offering consumers a variety of choice.”

    Along with some new local level and India-wide news channel launching over the last six months to add to the over 25 existing such products, India, probably, is the only country in the world where so many news channel have mushroomed and have managed to survive in a market that is estimated to be wroth slightly over Rs. 5 billion.

    Though a hint of uncertainty did creep in with Jagran TV-promoted Channel7 selling management control to Television Eighteen-led GBN and talks of India TV in early stages of negotiations with another media company in the air, Cramer refused to hazard a prediction on the consolidation phase . “I have no predictions on consolidation as I am not very well acquainted with the ground situation and other details. But this is a very energetic market,” he said.

    Cramer is responsible for the CNN International directorate, which is comprised of the five flagship CNN International services in English, CNN en Espa’Pol and CNNj (Japan), together with joint ventures such as CNN IBN, CNN+ and CNN Turk, in addition to the international newsgathering operation outside of the US.

    Though Cramer has ruled out any immediate introduction of a Hindi language version of CNN, he did admit that as a policy the company is always on the look out for opportunities to extend the CNN brand in as many market segments as possible.

    “The CNN IBN deal is part of CNN’s strategy to look for opportunities in the English language segment and vernacular languages with or without local partners. But if you are asking me whether we have any definite plans for Hindi, there’s nothing in the horizon,” Cramer said.

    According to him, for a CNN IBN type of deal to be replicated in other Indian languages, it is a matter of exploring the market to find the “right deal.”

    CNN International’s English language service, which completed 20 last year, continues to be the No. 1 product in most market places without getting complacent about its leadership position.

    “We continue to reinvent ourselves as we have done recently with a new look and feel in a crowded (global) news market place. We found that increasingly the business of consuming news was becoming difficult. So we have de-cluttered the screen (for the viewer),” Cramer said, giving a glimpse of the thinking that goes on in CNN International, a Time Warner company.

    India is one of the rare instances where CNN lags behind BBC because of “legacy issues” involving the Mark Tully effect. Tully had been the head of BBC radio operations in India for many decades and helped in spread awareness about brand BBC.

    “CNN reaches out to about 10 million (C&S) homes in India, compared to BBC’s 14 million, “Cramer said, adding, “But I am comfortable with the loyalty of the audience here.”

    Even though CNN’s new service CNN Pipeline broadband service has received “overwhelming and enthusiastic response in the US,” Cramer feels such a service will take some time to take off in India.

    Pointing out that the company has been profitable every year since 1989 in the expensive business of news dissemination, Cramer said global advertising revenue has been “pretty good” last year too.

    Globally CNN International has three broad revenue steams: advertising, subscription and content sale.. While advertising and subscription contribute 45 per cent each, the remaining 10 per cent comes from selling content.

    Cramer is based in CNN’s world headquarters in Atlanta and is a member of the CNN executive committee. He also sits on the board of directors for the German news channel n-tv and the Spanish network CNN +.

    Before taking on the role of overseeing international newsgathering and becoming managing director of CNN International, he was previously president of CNN International Networks. He was CNN International’s executive vice president from August 1997 to January 1998, and senior vice president and managing editor from February 1996 to July 1997.

    Since joining CNN International, Cramer has led the introduction of 80 hours of new programming each week and, in September 1997, launched “regionalisation,” an initiative that led to the creation of five separately scheduled English language international CNN channels that serve Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia, Latin America and North America.

  • Worldspace subscription revenues up 160 % in Q4

    Worldspace subscription revenues up 160 % in Q4

    MUMBAI: Radio satellite service provider Worldspace has reported its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31 December, 2005.

    It finished the year with 115,306 subscribers. The company added 40,235 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2005, an increase of approximately 160 per cent over the 15,545 subscribers added in fourth quarter of 2004.

    In India, the company had 74,574 subscribers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2005, up over 100 per cent from 35,670 at the end of the third quarter of 2005 and up nearly 800 per cent from 8,335 at the start of the year.

    At the end of the fourth quarter of 2005, WorldSpace had rolled out its satellite radio services in nine cities in India — Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.

    Service in Kolkata, India’s second largest city, was launched in February 2006. Worldspace’s market distribution is now available to a population of nearly 63 million, including nearly 35 million people in the top three economic segments targeted by the company.

    Worldspace chairman and CEO Noah Samara says, “Worldspace made important progress against all of our key operational metrics during the fourth quarter of 2005, especially in delivering strong subscriber growth. We believe we have gained significant traction in our efforts to acquire new subscribers, and will continue to do so as our visibility and brand awareness grow with the roll-out of our service to additional metropolitan areas, supported by targeted marketing campaigns. We also have made great strides in building our senior management teams, internationally and at the corporate level, by adding quality people with key areas of expertise that will be critical to our forward momentum.”

    The firm introduced 19 new programming channels, including the first India sports talk radio channel and many regional language channels in India, as well as the world’s first global hip hop channel, bringing the total number of channels broadcast on WorldSpace’s global system to 220 by the end of the year.

    It also completed an initial public offering (IPO) in August 2005, raising net proceeds of approximately $221 million; It raised strategic capital from and formed a technology sharing partnership with XM Satellite Radio in July 2005, including an investment of $25 million by XM Satellite Radio.

    Also, three-year warrants valued at $37.5 million were issued to XM Satellite Radio exercisable at the IPO price provided XM has made substantial technological contributions to WorldSpace, including in the areas of products, chipsets and terrestrial repeater development and deployment;

    The firm continued the expansion of the distribution and geographic presence in India, with over 650 retail points of presence in nine cities at the end of the year covering approximately 30 million people in Worldspace’s target market segment of the India population; It managed to obtain terrestrial repeater licenses in United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the first L-band terrestrial repeater licenses for satellite radio.

    Samara adds, “2006 is a pivotal year for WorldSpace.
    We are working hard to gain key regulatory approvals for the delivery of mobile services in certain of our markets, and to increase the variety of our receivers.

    We are moving into more cities in India and we are gaining strength in other countries where subscribers can be added at little incremental cost. We started the year well with the FCC’s approval of our license application for our Afristar-2 satellite, which when launched, will enable us to broaden our offerings in Europe and the Middle East.”

    For the fourth quarter of 2005, WorldSpace reported quarterly revenues of approximately $4.4 million, representing a 95 per cent increase compared with revenues of approximately $2.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2004. Subscription revenue increased approximately 160 per cent to approximately $1.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2005 compared with subscription revenue of approximately $0.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2004. On an annual basis, total revenues for 2005 were $11.7 million in 2005, a 36 per cent increase over 2004 total revenues of $8.6 million. Subscription revenue in 2005 was $3.7 million, a 255 per cent increase over $1.0 million in 2004.

    Worldspace recorded a net loss for the fourth quarter 2005 of $33.2 million compared with a net loss of $418.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2004, a period that included stock compensation expenses and other costs associated with an inter-company consolidation and subsequent debt restructuring.

    For the year, the company’s net loss was $79.9 million compared to a net loss of $577.4 million in 2004. In the fourth quarter of 2005, WorldSpace spent approximately $9.6 million on sales, marketing and subscriber acquisition expenses globally, including $8 million in India compared with $4.9 million and $4.1 million respectively in the third quarter of 2005.