ITV

Tag: ABC

  • It is CBS’ turn to dance to iTunes

    It is CBS’ turn to dance to iTunes

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS and Apple have announced that prime time programming from the network is now available on the iTunes Music Store at www.itunes.com.

    This means that some shows from all the four major American networks – CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox are available at iTunes.

    CBS shows that will be available for purchase and download include the reality show Survivor, the dramas Numb3rs, NCIS and the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) franchise CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami CSI: NY.

    iTunes now offers over 100 TV shows for $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod, and claims to be the world’s most popular online video store with over 30 million videos sold.

    CBS Digital Media president Larry Kramer said, “We are bringing popular and acclaimed programmes from the most watched television network — including CSI and Survivor — to iTunes. iTunes has proven that people enjoy viewing shows on their computer or iPod, which provides an opportunity to reach new audiences with our hit shows and gives our existing viewers a chance to catch up on missed episodes.”

  • BVITV concludes deal with Australian pay TV platform Foxtel

    BVITV concludes deal with Australian pay TV platform Foxtel

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP), which distributes television shows of Disney, ABC has concluded a multi-year multi-genre volume agreement with Australian pay TV provider Foxtel for subscription TV rights to live action and reality series, ABC News documentaries, daytime programming and TV specials.

    Foxtel channels will access shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, My Wife and Kids, Hope and Faith and Extreme Makeover, and renewals of comedies like Home Improvement and Scrubs.

    This agreement also continues to provide Foxtel’s channels rights to 19 time Emmy award-winning talk show The View, which recently announced the addition of new co-host Rosie O’Donnell, as well as a portfolio of ABC News documentaries such as Haunted Town and Toughest Jail.

    BVITV-AP senior vice president and managing director Steve Macallister said, “Commitment to our clients drives BVITV’s business and the conclusion of this agreement, which builds on an already successful decade-long relationship with Foxtel is a prime example of that commitment. BVITV programming continues to have strong international appeal and we are delighted to be providing some of the hottest programs on television, including Lost and Desperate Housewives to pay TV viewers in Australia.”

  • Comcast launches HD ESPN 2 on 9 June

    Comcast launches HD ESPN 2 on 9 June

    MUMBAI: Just in time with the Fifa World Cup, Comcast, the country’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services launches ESPN2 HD, the high-definition simulcast of ESPN2.

    ESPN HD, ABC HD and ESPN2 HD will combine to present live coverage of all 64 matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup in high definition from 9 June. In addition, the high- definition services will feature the 2006 World Cup studio programmes including the pre-match, halftime and post-match segments, states an official release.

    “We’re thrilled to expand our leading HDTV lineup with the addition of ESPN2 HD,” said Comcast executive VP content acquisitions Matt Bond. “Watching events like the World Cup and the NCAA College World Series in crystal-clear HD is the next best thing to being in the stadium for all of the action.”

    “We look forward to ESPN2 HD joining ESPN HD on Comcast’s lineup to enhance viewing for high-definition subscribers and sports fans across the country,” said Disney and ESPN Networks affiliate sales and marketing president Ben Pyne. “Comcast has a proven focus on high-definition television with its robust package of compelling high-definition content.”

    Comcast now offers an average of 15-17 HD channels per market, including ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, Discovery HD, TNT HD, HBO HD, Cinemax HD, Showtime HD, Starz HD, INHD, INHD2, regional sports networks and local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN and PBS.

  • ABC puts viewers through ‘The Con Test’

    ABC puts viewers through ‘The Con Test’

    MUMBAI: The UK game show The Con Test is coming to the US in a production deal between FremantleMedia North America and ABC.
    The Con Test is a game show where one person could walk away with over one million dollars without ever having to answer a single question right.

    The Con Test is a game for those who have the wit, nerves and guile to bluff their way to an exorbitant amount of cash. Dont understand the questions? Fake it. Dont know the answers? Lie. All that matters is that the opponent thinks you do.
    Each episode wil be in a question-and-answer format, with the contestants unaware of how they are faring against their opponents. This allows those who are trailing to advantageously bluff their way to victory.

    ABC says that the show is a unique and fresh game show concept and sees this series as a fun outlet for viewers who want to sit back, be entertained and scream at the TV set as if the contestants can hear them.

    FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz says, “We’ve seen tremendous success with a variety of game shows that have come over from the UK to America. We believe that The Con Test has all the elements of a hit and are extremely enthusiastic about introducing it to the US audience.”

  • Channel7 re-launches with new on-air look

    Channel7 re-launches with new on-air look

    MUMBAI: Starting 5 June, Hindi news channel Channel7 will relaunch donning a new on-air look.

    Florida-based VDO has developed the new look for the channel where the management control was recently taken over by the Television Eighteen Group from Jagran TV.

    The new logo, look and packaging are designed to contemporize the network, informs an official release from Channel7.

    The entire on-air environment, which includes the channel identity, show openers and on-air graphic packages, has been created keeping in consideration the changing preferences of the viewers, the channel claimed.

    The channel’s director marketing Dilip Venkatraman said in a statement, “The idea behind the new logo is to give it a contemporary look. The new logo is also aimed at communicating the core brand values of the channel and its
    philosophy.”

    According to VDO senior producer Dianne Streyer, “The idea behind changing the on-air look of the channel was to make it more modern and connect with the viewers. The Indian market is cluttered with plethora of news channels and it was important to give it a distinctive look to create a unique identity for Channel 7.”

    VDO was also instrumental in developing the on-air look for CNN-IBN. The company designs brand packaging solutions for networks, broadcast groups, stations and cable channels. Its client portfolio boasts of well known
    broadcasters such as NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.

  • ABC, Fox up on Upfront, CBS flat, NBC to drop: Merrill Lynch report

    ABC, Fox up on Upfront, CBS flat, NBC to drop: Merrill Lynch report

    MUMBAI: Will it stay flat or will there be another fall? And how much longer will the annual highpoint event for television networks in the US – the broadcast upfront presentations – even matter to executives taking the call on where to put their advertising buck?

    As new digital media options open up, these are issues that TV execs in the US are having to grapple with increasingly in the upfront season but a report just out from investment firm Merrill Lynch does offer a window into what the future could hold. At least in the near to medium term. And contrary to the doomsayers, it is not all gloom for the networks in an age where a new generation of consumers are increasingly getting their entertainment fix outside of the TV screen.

    To quote from the report: “Generally speaking, we believe that traditional broadcasters may be better positioned for this market than credited given their multiple touch points with consumers, experience in content production, already large inventory of much sought after video content and strong relationships with advertisers.”

    The report further said that if advertisers opted to shift their spends to new digital platforms like broadband or mobile, “broadcasters are primed to attract a significant share of that spending with their offerings in the new arenas”.

    On the dollars gained front, the report predicts the major networks should wind up about flat or slightly lower than the $9.1 billion booked in 2005, when upfront spending fell 2 percent from the previous year. Among the networks, ABC again leads its rivals on the continued momentum delivered by its three big hit shows – Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. Upfront commitments are predicted to increase 7 per cent to $2.23 billion. News Corp’s Fox meanwhile, shows the biggest projected growth of 12 per cent to reach $1.78 billion.

    Though CBS will only be up 1 per cent this year, by virtue of its having the largest ad pie share among the top four US networks means it will rack up $2.63 billion from the upfront.

    NBC continues the slide after seeing its prime-time ratings drop 14 per cent over the last year. Merrill Lynch predicts that NBC will decline 3 per cent this year, to touch $1.84 billion. Some consolation for the ratings challenged former numero uno network is that it has somewhat bottomed out from the disastrous 33 percent free fall it suffered last year.

  • ABC online shows record 3mn viewers

    ABC online shows record 3mn viewers

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney Co. Networks, ABC today claimed that over three million viewers have watched their online television shows, launched in May 2006. As part of a two month internet trial, the company offered full episode streaming of four of its most popular shows Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias and Commander in Chief.

    Reuters reports that the numbers provide an early sign of demand for television content on the Web and challenge the “ad-free”, but paid content available via Apple’s iTunes.

    “The evolution of ABC.com is just one piece of our comprehensive, digital media multi-platform business initiative,” said Disney Media Networks co-chair and Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney.

    These episodes are available online the day after they are broadcast on TV and only the last aired episode is currently available for streaming. Each online episode includes a 10-second sponsorship message from a single advertiser, followed by three commercials that air during breaks in the program.

    This allows users to rewind, fast-forward and pause shows, however, they can not skip advertisements, which automatically play at certain segments. The same shows are also available to download through iTunes for $1.99 an episode without commercials.

  • ABC introduces new series to its Fall 2006-07 schedule

    ABC introduces new series to its Fall 2006-07 schedule

    MUMBAI: ABC has announced a host of new series to be included in its Fall TV schedule. Said ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson. “We want viewers making appointments with ABC Television every night of the week.”

    Mondays nights kicked off with new editions of Wife Swap at 8 pm, followed by The Bachelor and What About Brian. However, The Bachelor will be replaced by a new edition of Supernanny in the 9 pm slot, later in the season.

    “We set out to develop a diverse group of shows that will continue in that vein and also to grow our audience. Our success has been driven by great storytelling and memorable characters that audiences have fallen in love with,”said McPherson.

    Dancing With the Stars is aired on Tuesdays at 8 pm, leading into two new comedy shows Let’s Rob Mick Jagger and Help Me Help You. Boston Legal returns to the 10 pm slot, and after Dancing With the Stars goes off, it will be replaced by a new game show Set For the Rest of Your Life.

    On Wednesdays the results of Dancing With the Stars are announced at 8, but will be replaced by George Lopez and According To Jim, at the end of its season. A Warner Brothers Television drama series The Nine, with Tim Daly and John Billingsley, will follow at 10 pm.

    ABC plans to air consecutive episodes of Lost scheduled for the 9 pm slot, followed by the new thriller Daybreak, starring Taye Diggs, with Lost reappearing in the new year for another uninterrupted run.

    Following Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, are two new comedies starting at 8 pm. Big Day, which takes a look at a couple’s wedding day from the view point of those involved, and Notes From The Underbelly, about a couple expecting their first baby. At 10 pm J.J.Abrams drama, Six Degrees will be telecast, which focuses on six different New Yorkers whose lives are somehow interconnected.

    On Fridays, Betty The Ugly, set at a fashion magazine, is an adaptation of a telenovela starring America Ferrera and Eric Mabius, with executive producer Salma Hayek. While, Alaska-set comedy Men In Trees follows at 9 and the newsmagazine 20/20 will air at 10 pm.

    Saturday nights will broadcast the national security thriller Traveler, followed by Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call, an unscripted series that offers relationship advice and the hidden-camera half- hour series Just For Laughs.

    Finally on Sunday nights, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives are joined by a new drama, Brothers And Sisters, a family soap, starring Calista Flockhart and Ron Rifkin.

    Other midseason replacements include, American Inventor and the Jon Favreau-directed comedy In Case of Emergency, as part of the fall 2006-2007 schedule.

  • Endemol USA secures game show deals with ABC, NBC, Fox

    Endemol USA secures game show deals with ABC, NBC, Fox

    MUMBAI: Format owner Endemol USA has sold three game shows to ABC, Fox and NBC.

    Two of the shows, For The Rest of Your Life for ABC and Show Me The Money for Fox, are new formats from Dick de Rijk. He created Deal Or No Deal.

    1 versus 100 for NBC is from the Endemol catalogue. The shows are expected to air in the second half of this year initially in short runs of between five and 10 shows.

    Endemol USA president and CEO David Goldberg said, “There is undoubtedly a resurgence of game shows in the US and Endemol is leading the charge.”

  • ABC to roll out ‘Lost Experience’ game in UK, U.S. & Australia

    ABC to roll out ‘Lost Experience’ game in UK, U.S. & Australia

    MUMBAI: ABC is teaming with many networks around the world to launch a global interactive web-based game inspired by the hit TV series Lost. ABC announced the creation of an interactive multiplatform treasure hunt game called Lost Experience that will introduce a new story line but stay true to Lost’s signature mix of supernatural and psychological mystery.

    The Lost Experience will feature a parallel story line to the show. Clues will be provided either during the broadcast of the episode itself, or during a commercial break. Not all clues will be given in the U.S, according to media reports.

    ABC is teaming up with 19 other media outlets to bring the The Lost Experience to continents the world over. Each part of the world will be receiving different clues.The network also hopes that the game will appeal to both fans and non-fans of the TV show.

    Rollout is expected to begin 2 May in the U.K., 3 May in the U.S. and 6 May in Australia. There is no winning prize to the game, but it is expected to provide some extra information to fans of the series. The Lost Experience will require players to trade e-mail messages and phone calls and check out billboards, TV commercials and websites to gather all the necessary clues.

    “It’s like a giant, worldwide mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve,” ABC Entertainment senior VP of marketing Mike Benson is quoted as saying. “The game reaches back into Lost history and looks forward to future episodes. We wanted to make it so that if you watched Lost from the beginning or if you’ve never watched the show before you can get into this.”

    The storyline of the game will be different from the one seen in the show but users will have to watch the show to collect clues and other information for the game. The game will also feature new characters and background on the Hanso Foundation, the mysterious group behind the Dharma Initiative.

    ABC also announced earlier this month that it is making new episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief, available in May for free online viewing, although fans will have to sit through ads that they can avoid if they download commercial-free shows for $1.99 per episode from Apple’s iTunes Music Store.

    Lost, which has averaged 15.4 million viewers this season and is one of iTune’s most popular TV downloads to date, will leave viewers staring into the dark hatch of summer hiatus with a two-hour season finale on 24 May.