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  • Indiagames launches marketing initiative on mobile

    MUMBAI: Indiagames Ltd. has come-up the “Dubai Mat Jao…Indiagames Aao Festival” offer hosted exclusively on Airtel Live. Subscribers can log on to Airtel Live on their cell phones and download content from the ‘Dubai Mat Jao…’ section.

    Indiagames has made available a wide variety of top of the line mobile games and a host of other content for this festival. These include titles like Asterix, Batman Begins, Bruce Lee, Chicken Little, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, MotoGP 2, Munnabhai MBBS, Rambo, XXX and more. The collection also includes the latest ring tones, wallpapers, screensavers among other exclusive content.
    The offer is open to Airtel subscribers across India. Downloads from the Dubai Mat Jao…Indiagames Aao Festival section entitles the subscriber to win a host of prizes that one would usually associate with Dubai. The prizes include Gold Biscuits, Perfume bottles, shopping gift vouchers, the latest cell phones…to name a few. Standard per unit download tariffs apply.

    Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal said, “This is a unique one of a kind marketing related property for mobile subscribers. We will continuously introduce many new & exciting concepts. The concept of Dubai Mat Jao…Indiagames Aao, is to sprinkle a festive spirit by giving people a greater opportunity to win prizes, thus making the whole downloading experience an exciting one. We are positive that it will create a lot of buzz and excitement. We are giving away a host of prizes and will also have a lucky raffle draw, giving the participants a chance to win a Desert Safari in Rajasthan, a shopping trip to Singapore and a high-end motorcycle, in addition to all the other prizes. We plan to make this an annual event.”

  • Charter Communications, TNS Media Research partner for audience measurement services

    MUMBAI: American firm Charter Communications, which works in the area of broadband communications and offers digital entertainment and advanced services and TNS Media Research, which works in the field of video audience measurement have entered into an agreement to launch video audience measurement services in Los Angeles.
     
     
    Charter will utilise TNS audience measurement services to maximise efficiencies when building custom television advertising campaigns and promotional schedules internally and externally. The service will also provide additional information for programming services as well as offering added revenue opportunities.

    Charter senior VP, ad sales Jim Heneghan says, “We are pleased about our partnership and the fact that it will afford cable networks and advertisers valuable insight about the digital cable environment” .
     
     
    Charter will provide aggregated and anonymous viewing data from 55,000 households in the Los Angeles Area. TNS will process the aggregated data and allow for next-day analysis through InfoSys, the media analysis and planning system

    InfoSys allows end-users to analyze media data in depth including day part and program studies, target group studies, lead in/lead out studies, duplication analyses, minute-by-minute flow studies and competitive reports.
     
     
    Charter’s cable service provides its customers with an array of video programming options, including services in which customers choose to interact with Charter or others through Charter’s broadband technology. Charter values its customers’ privacy and considers personally identifiable information and viewing preferences contained in Charter’s business records to be strictly confidential.

    Unless customers provide consent through an express opt-in process, Charter only provides aggregated and/or anonymized information to Audience Measurement services, such as TNS.

    TNS says that the new deal further solidifies its entry into the US marketplace for digital TV audience measurement services. Additionally, TNS has been providing media research in the US for many years; including ad spend tracking as well as ad copy and TV pilot testing.

    TNS Media Research COO George Shababb says, “The increased popularity of digital services, DVR, VOD and iTV has compromised traditional methods of measuring TV audiences. TNS is at the forefront of the digital revolution in video and radio measurement and is pleased to be partnering with Charter Communications to explore the new opportunities presented by digital set-top box data.”
     
     

     

  • Winter Olympics exceeds expectations on European broadcaster Globosport

    Winter Olympics exceeds expectations on European broadcaster Globosport

    MUMBAI: The XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin has become the single largest event ever screened on British Eurosport.

    The Games, which were broadcast from 10 to26 February 2006 reached over 8.4 million viewers to out-perform even the Summer Olympics from Athens in 2004 and Sydney in 2000. British Eurosport broadcast over 361 hours of coverage from Italy, with 51 per cent live, over the 17 days of the Games.

    The success of the event was matched across Europe where Turin scored the best Olympic Games’ ratings on Eurosport with 140 million different viewers following the Olympic competition.

    With 367 hours of broadcast, the Olympic Games drew twice as many viewers as the regular average for the channel.

    Figure skating, alpine skiing and biathlon are amongst the best programmes. Exclusive live coverage of the preliminary ski jumping before the main competition broadcast on Eurosport on 12 February peaked at 5.2 million viewers.

    The newly re-launched Eurosport.com website, with its enhanced live scoring and editorial content, also recorded good figures with more than 13 million visits over the 16 days of the Turin Games, double the volume of traffic as registered during the Athens Games.

    Eurosport has attributed its success to its international editorial line. Expert commentaries, with consultants such as Alberto Tomba, and innovative shows such as Daring Girls contributed to reinforce Eurosport as the reference channel for the Games’ coverage.

    Eurosport was also involved on-site in Turin. As Official Olympic Broadcaster and partner of TOROC (Organising Committee of the XX Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games), Eurosport became the first broadcaster to be present in the Olympic Sponsor Village with the Eurosport Pavilion. Over 400, 000 people visited the Olympic Sponsor Village in Turin and had the opportunity to be entertained in Eurosport’s Multimedia space.

  • Shemaroo releases Lara’s epic 400 innings on DVD, VCD

    Shemaroo releases Lara’s epic 400 innings on DVD, VCD

    MUMBAI: Home video firm Shemaroo has released Brian Lara’s epic innings 400 Not Out.

    West Indian batsman Brian Lara made the highest score in a test innings. The DVD and VCD of the fourth Test innings of West Indies versus England in Antigua 2004 contains the record setting moments and captures history in the making.

    The DVD also includes snapshots of former test players speaking about the epic innings. The digitally mastered all region DVD comes with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound and has interactive menus for easy access to scenes.

    Also.just three weeks after the theatrical release, Shemaroo has released the VCDs and DVDs of the Sushmita Sen and Mithun Chakraborty starrer Chingaari. Director Kalpana Lajmi’s women-oriented films like Daman have made a sound statement in the society and Chingaari too reverberates on a similar theme bringing forth the plight of a prostitute in a distant Indian village.

    Sen plays Basanti, a prostitute, who when mauled, revolts against the evil village priest Bhuvan Panda, played by Chakraborty.

  • Murdoch on India visit this weekend?

    Murdoch on India visit this weekend?

    Is global media baron Rupert Murdoch coming to town? If reports are to be believed a visit is being planned for the News Corp chief to visit Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, (if possible) over this weekend. Murdoch last visited India, if reports are to be believed in a hush-hush meeting with the then Congress (I) strongman, Sharad Pawar in 1996 at an army base in Pune.

    His earlier visit to India was in 1993-94 which was much hyped up when he was seen with various politicians, dignitaries and businessmen. He was feted wherever he went. Since 1996 he has been unable to fly into India because of a flimsy obscenity case that was pending against him for the airing of a bit of skin on Star Movies. The case apparently took an ugly turn when summons were sent to his residences/offices in Australia and the US, and an arrest warrant issued against him. The situation was so bad that he was not permitted to enter the country and declared a criminal because he did not attend court when he was summoned. He would have been arrested had he landed in the country. Since then, however, the case has been set aside and Murdoch can visit India.

    During his current visit – if it takes place over the weekend – he is expected to meet the Prime Minister, information technology minister, Pramod Mahajan. His focus is expected to be on the information technology sector, in which he has suddenly begun to see lots of promise. He is also expected to give a direction to Star TV India CEO Peter Mukerjea as to how much he is willing to commit to India and in which areas. And obviously, he is going to be tomtomming Star TV’s forays into the information technology and convergence sector.

    Currently, hectic preparations are on within Star TV and his once Indian partner in Star TV’s Indian DTH project Pramod Mittal who is trying to smoothen his visit out here. Obviously, a meeting with his old mate Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra is planned. For sure, he is going to thank him, Chandra has helped Murdoch make more money on his investment in Zee Telefilms than he has made through his entire Star TV operations in the past six years, thanks to an appreciation in Zee’s share price over the past six months.

    Meanwhile, the media can expect to have a rollicking time. Murdoch is eminently quotable as we have known him to be.

  • T-Mobile acquires rights for 2006 football World Cup for seven European firms

    T-Mobile acquires rights for 2006 football World Cup for seven European firms

    MUMBAI: Football’s governing body Fifa’s marketing agency Infront Sports and Media has signed an extensive agreement with mobile phone operator T-Mobile International for mobile broadcast rights covering all 64 matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup

    The deal covers seven European territories including host country Germany, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

    T-Mobile acquired the rights for the non-exclusive transmission of near-live and/or delayed video clips of key match footage such as goals via mobile networks to mobile phones. Additionally the rights package includes access to archive video material of the 2002 Fifa World Cup.

    In Germany, T-Mobile is entitled to offer live streaming transmissions of 20 selected 2006 FIFA World Cup matches to its customers. The transmission is possible over telecommunications networks (GPRS/UMTS) on a pay basis.

    Infront executive director Oliver Seibert said, “We are delighted about this extensive agreement with T-Mobile as the mobile arm of Deutsche Telekom, one of the official partners of the 2006 Fifa World Cup. In Europe, mobile broadcast rights agreements have now been signed covering most of the important football markets. This guarantees a strong mobile coverage during the 2006 Fifa World Cup reaching millions of fans.”

  • Asianet announces film award winners

    Asianet announces film award winners

    MUMBAI: Asianet announced the winners of its annual Malayalam film awards today in Thiruvananthapuram.

    The film Thanmatra, which portrayed the plights of an alzheimer’s patient, bagged eight awards, including best actor (Mohanlal), best director (Blessy) and best character actor (Nedumudi Venu).

    The award for the best film went to Achuvintey Amma, directed by Satyan Antikkad. The film also brought Meera Jasmin the best actress award.

    Srinivasan won the best scriptwriter for the film Udayananu Thaaram. M G Sreekumar and K S Chitra won the top honours for the singers, while the lifetime achievement award went to veteran actress Sukumari.

    The on-ground event to felicitate the winners will be held on 19 March in Thiruvananthapuram. Asianet will telecast the awards in April.

  • FremantleMedia signs seven deals for ‘Man Stroke Woman’

    FremantleMedia signs seven deals for ‘Man Stroke Woman’

    MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID) has agreed major deals with seven countries for the sale of series one of the sketch show Man Stroke Woman.

    A talkbackTHAMES production from Ash Atalla producer of The Office, Man Stroke Woman was first shown on BBC3 last year and will be screened on BBC2 on 13 March.

    The show is proving a success around the globe with deals secured with TVNZ New Zealand, RTE Ireland, TV2 Denmark, MTV OY Finland, Talpa TV Netherlands, IBC Iceland and IBA Israel.

    Man Stroke Woman stars an ensemble cast of actors including Nick Frost, Nick Burns, Daisy Haggard and Amanda Abbington. talkbackTHAMES has also picked up a commission for a second series for BBC3 and BBC2.

    FID head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy said, “The reaction to the show around the world has been phenomenal and proves yet again the strength of home grown comedy talent.”

    FID will also be launching the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, also produced by talkbackTHAMES’s Ash Atalla, at MipTV 2006.

  • Fremantle Media signs deal for ‘Project Runway’ with Discovery Asia

    Fremantle Media signs deal for ‘Project Runway’ with Discovery Asia

    MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID), the distribution arm of global production outfit FremantleMedia, has announced that the hit US reality series Project Runway, has been sold in 21 territories worldwide.

    The Asian channels that picked it up include Discovery Asia, Austalian channel Lifestyle, TVB in Hong Kong and Jak TV in Indonesia.

    For the uninitiated the Emmy-nominated Project Runway gives talented and hungry fashion designers the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to have their designs shown in front of the global fashion community in New York and displayed in the pages of Elle magazine.

    To earn this honour they have to compete against each other in a series of challenges that will determine who has what it takes to be the next “It” designer. Through each challenge, a designer is eliminated, ultimately leaving one to claim their rightful place in fashion’s spotlight.

  • ESS launches Hindi feed for English Premier League

    ESS launches Hindi feed for English Premier League

    MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced special Hindi commentary for the English Premier League with an eye to promoting soccer across India.

    The channel had earlier introduced Hindi commentary during Euro 2004 and the Fifa Confederation Cup 2005.

    ESS VP sales and marketing Sricharan Iyengar said, “Localisation of content has helped us increase our penetration in traditional markets of India. The Hindi telecast also enabled us to open up several non-traditional markets for soccer like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

    “The viewership numbers of Confederation Cup 2005 as well as Euro 2004 testifies this. The localisation adds a lot of value to our telecast especially for viewers who find it difficult to understand the heavily accented English or for viewers who are not familiar with English at all.

    “Soccer is gaining popularity as one of the most viewed sport in Indian homes and we find that EPL is particularly well liked by viewers in metros. ESPN Star Sports has been making special efforts to further grow EPL’s popularity nationally. Live screenings, building viewer affinity for EPL clubs and growing knowledge among Indian viewers are some of the steps we have taken to enhance the passion associated with the game and in turn grow the league. The introduction of Hindi commentary will further help in growing the popularity of English Premier League across the country,” added Iyengar.

    Sunil Taneja and Puneet Pal Singh will do the Hindi commentary for English Premier League on a rotational basis. Both will be based in the broadcaster’s headquarters in Singapore.