ITV

Tag: Asia

  • MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MUMBAI: Asia’s film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content in the past year. Singapore’s newly-formed Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    This year, IMDA brings fresh content from Asia for the global market to MIPCOM 2016, leading a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies and presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. Launched on 1 October 2016 following the restructuring of the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), IMDA will create a robust ecosystem to support innovation, transformation, and creation of content for business and for the community.

    Some key announcements include:

    Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced a licensing agreement with Epigram Books to adapt internationally-acclaimed children’s book series Sherlock Sam for television and film, with the TV programme currently scheduled for 2018. The Adventures of Sherlock Sam will be available at the MIPCOM trade market.

    One Animation (Oddbods, Insectibles) announced that it is continuing its rapid expansion with the hiring of animation industry heavyweight and producer, John McKenna, as studio head. McKenna, whose career has seen him set up and lead studios for Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, will oversee current productions as well as the development of new multiplatform properties.

    International trade partners at MIPCOM can network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place today, 17 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15).

    This year, Singapore’s IMDA lead a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2016, presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. The companies represented range from animation and factual content producers such as One Animation, Monstrou Studio and ActiveTV Asia; to content distributors like Sunrise Entertainment and Ying Group.

    Over the past year, the Asian film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content. The newly-formed IMDA was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    Capturing the Asian voice; fresh Asian-themed content

    Barangay 143 is an original animated series about a lost youngster in search of a father, and how he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits. Set against the action-packed world of street basketball, this story on love and family is co-produced by August Media Holdings (Singapore) and Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc (Philippines), and is slated to be completed in 2017. Barangay 143 will be available for distribution in both English and Tagalog.

    Two coastlines, two visions, one big adventure! An iconic race across the Land of the Morning Calm, Going Koastal features two adventurous hosts as they trek 2,413km along the coastline of South Korea, discovering the diverse cultures, foods, festivals and geography along the peninsula. This travel series is being developed by IO Creative (Singapore) and Mountain TV (Korea), and has already gained interest from international broadcasters around the world.

    Anticipated titles to look forward to in 2017 and beyond; gearing up for exciting content & formats

    The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving, 10-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock – Singapore’s greatest kid (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam). Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced last week a licensing agreement with Singapore publisher Epigram Books to adapt the award-winning children’s book for TV and Film, and the series will be available in 2018, starting with three languages – English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia.

    Look at My Wedding is a fresh lifestyle programme looking at everything it takes to make a good wedding memorable. Look at My Wedding features exotic destinations include Bali, Byron Bay, Perth, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Jakarta, and is slated to be completed in 2017 by TVS Asia and Sunrise Entertainment.

    Salam Ramadhan UK & Salam Ramadhan Korea follows the lives of Muslims living in the United Kingdom and Korea, and how they observe Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The brand new info-edutainment series presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Both series are produced by Monstrou Studio, in association with Clover Sky.

    Exciting Genres & Formats; offering refreshing perspective & innovative storytelling

    The Big Idea is a feature documentary with a focus on the new innovations and advances in science and technology happening at breakneck speed. Distributed by Singapore’s national broadcaster, Mediacorp, it attempts to distil the very technologies we believe have the potential to impact our lives.

    Combining motoring insights with charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, Celebrity Car Wars is a new highly-entertaining reality series by ActiveTV Asia. Each hour-long episode follows the journeys of the guest celebrities as they are coached and cajoled by experts and put through challenges – while leaving viewers with motoring knowledge in an animated and entertaining manner.

    In Big Food, host Greta Georges discovers what it takes to make, manage and move massive amounts of food. This larger-than-life television series, produced by The Moving Visuals Co., will see her travelling the globe in search of the giants of the catering world – from a paella competition in Spain, a free kitchen feeding 80,000 people a day in Punjab, to a wedding for 1,400 guests in Singapore!

  • MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MUMBAI: Asia’s film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content in the past year. Singapore’s newly-formed Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    This year, IMDA brings fresh content from Asia for the global market to MIPCOM 2016, leading a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies and presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. Launched on 1 October 2016 following the restructuring of the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), IMDA will create a robust ecosystem to support innovation, transformation, and creation of content for business and for the community.

    Some key announcements include:

    Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced a licensing agreement with Epigram Books to adapt internationally-acclaimed children’s book series Sherlock Sam for television and film, with the TV programme currently scheduled for 2018. The Adventures of Sherlock Sam will be available at the MIPCOM trade market.

    One Animation (Oddbods, Insectibles) announced that it is continuing its rapid expansion with the hiring of animation industry heavyweight and producer, John McKenna, as studio head. McKenna, whose career has seen him set up and lead studios for Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, will oversee current productions as well as the development of new multiplatform properties.

    International trade partners at MIPCOM can network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place today, 17 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15).

    This year, Singapore’s IMDA lead a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2016, presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. The companies represented range from animation and factual content producers such as One Animation, Monstrou Studio and ActiveTV Asia; to content distributors like Sunrise Entertainment and Ying Group.

    Over the past year, the Asian film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content. The newly-formed IMDA was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    Capturing the Asian voice; fresh Asian-themed content

    Barangay 143 is an original animated series about a lost youngster in search of a father, and how he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits. Set against the action-packed world of street basketball, this story on love and family is co-produced by August Media Holdings (Singapore) and Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc (Philippines), and is slated to be completed in 2017. Barangay 143 will be available for distribution in both English and Tagalog.

    Two coastlines, two visions, one big adventure! An iconic race across the Land of the Morning Calm, Going Koastal features two adventurous hosts as they trek 2,413km along the coastline of South Korea, discovering the diverse cultures, foods, festivals and geography along the peninsula. This travel series is being developed by IO Creative (Singapore) and Mountain TV (Korea), and has already gained interest from international broadcasters around the world.

    Anticipated titles to look forward to in 2017 and beyond; gearing up for exciting content & formats

    The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving, 10-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock – Singapore’s greatest kid (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam). Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced last week a licensing agreement with Singapore publisher Epigram Books to adapt the award-winning children’s book for TV and Film, and the series will be available in 2018, starting with three languages – English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia.

    Look at My Wedding is a fresh lifestyle programme looking at everything it takes to make a good wedding memorable. Look at My Wedding features exotic destinations include Bali, Byron Bay, Perth, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Jakarta, and is slated to be completed in 2017 by TVS Asia and Sunrise Entertainment.

    Salam Ramadhan UK & Salam Ramadhan Korea follows the lives of Muslims living in the United Kingdom and Korea, and how they observe Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The brand new info-edutainment series presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Both series are produced by Monstrou Studio, in association with Clover Sky.

    Exciting Genres & Formats; offering refreshing perspective & innovative storytelling

    The Big Idea is a feature documentary with a focus on the new innovations and advances in science and technology happening at breakneck speed. Distributed by Singapore’s national broadcaster, Mediacorp, it attempts to distil the very technologies we believe have the potential to impact our lives.

    Combining motoring insights with charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, Celebrity Car Wars is a new highly-entertaining reality series by ActiveTV Asia. Each hour-long episode follows the journeys of the guest celebrities as they are coached and cajoled by experts and put through challenges – while leaving viewers with motoring knowledge in an animated and entertaining manner.

    In Big Food, host Greta Georges discovers what it takes to make, manage and move massive amounts of food. This larger-than-life television series, produced by The Moving Visuals Co., will see her travelling the globe in search of the giants of the catering world – from a paella competition in Spain, a free kitchen feeding 80,000 people a day in Punjab, to a wedding for 1,400 guests in Singapore!

  • China, India world’s largest Internet markets

    China, India world’s largest Internet markets

    NEW DELHI: India has overtaken the United States to become the world’s second largest Internet market, with 333 million users, trailing China’s 721 million.

    A new report released by the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development also confirms that just six nations – including China and India – together account for 55% of the total global population still offline.

    While Internet access is approaching saturation in richer nations, connectivity is still not advancing fast enough to help bridge development gaps in areas like education and health care for those in poorer parts of the world, according to the 2016 edition of The State of Broadband report.

    Globally, an estimated 3.9 billion people are not using the Internet. But, the report estimates that, between them, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria account for 55% of all unconnected people, while 20 countries – including the US – account for a full 75% of those not using the Internet.

    These findings suggest that targeted efforts in just a few key markets could help enormously in redressing the gaping ‘digital divide’ between those who are online and those still offline.

    India also recently overtook the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with an estimated 260 million mobile broadband subscriptions.165 countries have deployed ‘4G’ high-speed mobile networks. As smartphone penetration reaches near-saturation in the US, Europe and mature markets in Asia like Japan and Korea, India and Indonesia in particular are expected to drive future growth.

    According to latest ITU figures, by end 2016 3.5 billion people will be using the Internet, up from 3.2 billion last year and equating to 47% of the global population. The top ten developing countries for household Internet penetration are all located in Asia or the Middle East.

  • China, India world’s largest Internet markets

    China, India world’s largest Internet markets

    NEW DELHI: India has overtaken the United States to become the world’s second largest Internet market, with 333 million users, trailing China’s 721 million.

    A new report released by the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development also confirms that just six nations – including China and India – together account for 55% of the total global population still offline.

    While Internet access is approaching saturation in richer nations, connectivity is still not advancing fast enough to help bridge development gaps in areas like education and health care for those in poorer parts of the world, according to the 2016 edition of The State of Broadband report.

    Globally, an estimated 3.9 billion people are not using the Internet. But, the report estimates that, between them, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria account for 55% of all unconnected people, while 20 countries – including the US – account for a full 75% of those not using the Internet.

    These findings suggest that targeted efforts in just a few key markets could help enormously in redressing the gaping ‘digital divide’ between those who are online and those still offline.

    India also recently overtook the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with an estimated 260 million mobile broadband subscriptions.165 countries have deployed ‘4G’ high-speed mobile networks. As smartphone penetration reaches near-saturation in the US, Europe and mature markets in Asia like Japan and Korea, India and Indonesia in particular are expected to drive future growth.

    According to latest ITU figures, by end 2016 3.5 billion people will be using the Internet, up from 3.2 billion last year and equating to 47% of the global population. The top ten developing countries for household Internet penetration are all located in Asia or the Middle East.

  • TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

    TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

    New Delhi: Noting the need for inter-operability of set top boxes as the country races towards completion of the final phase of digital addressable systems, the Telecom Regulatory Authority asked stakeholders for their opinion on the best methods for such inter-operability.

    In a scenario where the government itself admits that Indian-made STBs are a mere ten per cent, it is even more imperative to find ways of smoother inter-operability since most of the STBs will be of foreign make.

    In a pre-consultation paper on set top box interoperability issued today, TRAI has related the methods of inter-operability followed in Europe, Asia and the United States and asked the stakeholders to give their views by 29 April. Views have been invited from various organizations, industry bodies, standardization bodies,
    STB manufacturers, chip vendors, conditional access system providers, software providers, stakeholders, experts, individuals etc

    Answers have been sought to just three questions: what are the concerns that should be takencare of at the time of development of framework of interoperable of STBs; what are the techno-commercial reasons for non-interoperability of STBs; and the plausible solutions for technical interoperability of STBs and their impact on the sector’s growth.

    After giving examples from around the world, the paper said there can be various possible solutions. But the views of stakeholders are necessary before starting any discussion on the possible solutions and to arrive at a common minimum agreement ofadoption of any specific standards and the way forward.

    The paper also says stakeholders are free to give any relevant feedback for thedevelopment of technical inter-operability both within specific segment (cable TV and DTH) and across the segments (among cable TV and DTH operators).

    The paper also lists the steps already taken by TRAI.

    Based on the recommendations of TRAI for technical interoperability of STBs, theGovernment has mandated the provision of CI slot in the STBs deployed by DTH serviceproviders. The CI slot exists in the already deployed DTH STBs.

    However TRAI said this effort has not been fruitful in meeting the objective of interoperabilityin India due to various reasons. These are: the availability of CI slot alone is not sufficient toachieve effective technical interoperability as other modules of STB like tuner, middleware, operating system; EPG etc. also require updation on change of service provider; DTHoperators are following different versions of standards for compression, and transmission; most of the DTH operators have not offered to customers the option of CAM card in place ofSTB; and the cost of CAM card is more or less equal to the new STB. It may be due to non-availability of economies of scale.

    TRAI said it has notified tariff order prescribing standard tariff package for STBs, which provide an easy exit option to the consumers, who want to change their service providers due to one reason or the other. But the tariff order applicable for DTH is sub-judice as it is pending adjudication.

    The paper says broadcasting of TV signals over distribution networks involves various steps like compression, encryption, transmission etc. For each purpose, different technologies andtheir versions have evolved over a period of time. The rules and regulations prescribed bythe government and the regulator provide freedom of choosing technology to serviceproviders. Accordingly, according to their business plans, individual service provider havechosen and implemented different technologies and their versions. The adoption of different versions of technical standards by service providers is one of the reasons for non–interoperability of STBs.

    The issue relating to technical interoperability mainly hover around the question ofinteroperability of STBs, between two platforms viz DTH and cable; and question of inter-operability of STBs within the same platform i.e. with in cable or DTH systems. Further, withina platform, there could be a question of inter-operability of STBs across the different serviceproviders using the same make of CAS. Presently, STB inter-operability is not functional atany level.

    The main technical reasons of STB non inter-operability are: different methods of EMM andECM encryption: ECM and EMM messages are carried in an encrypted form. Whereas DVBhas standardized the scrambling algorithm for scrambling of a channel (DVB-CSA), algorithms used for ECM/ EMM encryption are not standardized.

    Different Modulation standards: using DVB-C standard whereas the signal is modulatedusing DVB-S standard in DTH. For a STB to be able to receive signal both from DTH andcable, there will be a requirement of switchable demodulator unit. Further, efficient versions namely DVB-C2 and DVB-S2 have been deployed by the operators. While the later versionsare backward compatible, earlier versions are not forward compatible. Therefore, it restrictsthe STB interoperability across the platforms as well as within the same platform using differentversions of standards.

    In digital TV transmission, compression plays a very important role. There are two prominent compression standards in use today. In India, most of the operators have used, either MPEG2or MPEG4 standard for compression. In cable TV sector, due to cost advantage andavailability of sufficient bandwidth in the network, most of the STBs deployed till now are ofMPEG2 standard. While the MPEG4 standard is backward compatible, MPEG2 standard is not forward compatible. Therefore, MPEG2 compliant STBs cannot work in the MPEG4 networks.

    Operating system/ middleware and EPG (Electronic Program Guide) boot loaders are specificto chip vendors and it allows the updating of STB software by specific operators afterproper verification. There is no standard operating system for STBs. DVB hasdeveloped multimedia home platform (MHP) as a standard for middleware. However the sameis not popular. Proprietary middleware, with non-standard APIs, are in use. It ensures that, theapplication software can be updated by specific operators only. Special end user applicationslike EPG installed over middleware are also unique for each operator.

    The pay TV service providers are concerned about the piracy of content. They have expressedtheir apprehension about fake STBs that may be used to capture information from a validsmart card and that information may be misused to produce fake/clone smart cards. Further,the stakeholders have raised their concern about the common scrambling algorithm (DVB-CSA) which is a 48 bit scrambling mechanism, and can be broken with the help of highcapacity processors.

    Therefore, the service providers are reluctant to use DVB-CSA. Operators due to theconcerns of piracy make the STB tightly coupled by integrating the Conditional Access Sub System into the chip.

    All these become an impediment when a subscriber wishes to migrate to a different serviceprovider while attempting to use the same STB, and leads to concerns relating to technical inter operability.

  • TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

    TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

    New Delhi: Noting the need for inter-operability of set top boxes as the country races towards completion of the final phase of digital addressable systems, the Telecom Regulatory Authority asked stakeholders for their opinion on the best methods for such inter-operability.

    In a scenario where the government itself admits that Indian-made STBs are a mere ten per cent, it is even more imperative to find ways of smoother inter-operability since most of the STBs will be of foreign make.

    In a pre-consultation paper on set top box interoperability issued today, TRAI has related the methods of inter-operability followed in Europe, Asia and the United States and asked the stakeholders to give their views by 29 April. Views have been invited from various organizations, industry bodies, standardization bodies,
    STB manufacturers, chip vendors, conditional access system providers, software providers, stakeholders, experts, individuals etc

    Answers have been sought to just three questions: what are the concerns that should be takencare of at the time of development of framework of interoperable of STBs; what are the techno-commercial reasons for non-interoperability of STBs; and the plausible solutions for technical interoperability of STBs and their impact on the sector’s growth.

    After giving examples from around the world, the paper said there can be various possible solutions. But the views of stakeholders are necessary before starting any discussion on the possible solutions and to arrive at a common minimum agreement ofadoption of any specific standards and the way forward.

    The paper also says stakeholders are free to give any relevant feedback for thedevelopment of technical inter-operability both within specific segment (cable TV and DTH) and across the segments (among cable TV and DTH operators).

    The paper also lists the steps already taken by TRAI.

    Based on the recommendations of TRAI for technical interoperability of STBs, theGovernment has mandated the provision of CI slot in the STBs deployed by DTH serviceproviders. The CI slot exists in the already deployed DTH STBs.

    However TRAI said this effort has not been fruitful in meeting the objective of interoperabilityin India due to various reasons. These are: the availability of CI slot alone is not sufficient toachieve effective technical interoperability as other modules of STB like tuner, middleware, operating system; EPG etc. also require updation on change of service provider; DTHoperators are following different versions of standards for compression, and transmission; most of the DTH operators have not offered to customers the option of CAM card in place ofSTB; and the cost of CAM card is more or less equal to the new STB. It may be due to non-availability of economies of scale.

    TRAI said it has notified tariff order prescribing standard tariff package for STBs, which provide an easy exit option to the consumers, who want to change their service providers due to one reason or the other. But the tariff order applicable for DTH is sub-judice as it is pending adjudication.

    The paper says broadcasting of TV signals over distribution networks involves various steps like compression, encryption, transmission etc. For each purpose, different technologies andtheir versions have evolved over a period of time. The rules and regulations prescribed bythe government and the regulator provide freedom of choosing technology to serviceproviders. Accordingly, according to their business plans, individual service provider havechosen and implemented different technologies and their versions. The adoption of different versions of technical standards by service providers is one of the reasons for non–interoperability of STBs.

    The issue relating to technical interoperability mainly hover around the question ofinteroperability of STBs, between two platforms viz DTH and cable; and question of inter-operability of STBs within the same platform i.e. with in cable or DTH systems. Further, withina platform, there could be a question of inter-operability of STBs across the different serviceproviders using the same make of CAS. Presently, STB inter-operability is not functional atany level.

    The main technical reasons of STB non inter-operability are: different methods of EMM andECM encryption: ECM and EMM messages are carried in an encrypted form. Whereas DVBhas standardized the scrambling algorithm for scrambling of a channel (DVB-CSA), algorithms used for ECM/ EMM encryption are not standardized.

    Different Modulation standards: using DVB-C standard whereas the signal is modulatedusing DVB-S standard in DTH. For a STB to be able to receive signal both from DTH andcable, there will be a requirement of switchable demodulator unit. Further, efficient versions namely DVB-C2 and DVB-S2 have been deployed by the operators. While the later versionsare backward compatible, earlier versions are not forward compatible. Therefore, it restrictsthe STB interoperability across the platforms as well as within the same platform using differentversions of standards.

    In digital TV transmission, compression plays a very important role. There are two prominent compression standards in use today. In India, most of the operators have used, either MPEG2or MPEG4 standard for compression. In cable TV sector, due to cost advantage andavailability of sufficient bandwidth in the network, most of the STBs deployed till now are ofMPEG2 standard. While the MPEG4 standard is backward compatible, MPEG2 standard is not forward compatible. Therefore, MPEG2 compliant STBs cannot work in the MPEG4 networks.

    Operating system/ middleware and EPG (Electronic Program Guide) boot loaders are specificto chip vendors and it allows the updating of STB software by specific operators afterproper verification. There is no standard operating system for STBs. DVB hasdeveloped multimedia home platform (MHP) as a standard for middleware. However the sameis not popular. Proprietary middleware, with non-standard APIs, are in use. It ensures that, theapplication software can be updated by specific operators only. Special end user applicationslike EPG installed over middleware are also unique for each operator.

    The pay TV service providers are concerned about the piracy of content. They have expressedtheir apprehension about fake STBs that may be used to capture information from a validsmart card and that information may be misused to produce fake/clone smart cards. Further,the stakeholders have raised their concern about the common scrambling algorithm (DVB-CSA) which is a 48 bit scrambling mechanism, and can be broken with the help of highcapacity processors.

    Therefore, the service providers are reluctant to use DVB-CSA. Operators due to theconcerns of piracy make the STB tightly coupled by integrating the Conditional Access Sub System into the chip.

    All these become an impediment when a subscriber wishes to migrate to a different serviceprovider while attempting to use the same STB, and leads to concerns relating to technical inter operability.

  • CNNMoney expands globally; Richard Quest named editor-at-large

    CNNMoney expands globally; Richard Quest named editor-at-large

    MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has expanded its CNNMoney brand internationally, across both TV and digital, to provide consumers with business and financial news and analysis. With the addition of staff in Hong Kong, New Delhi, London, and Dubai, CNNMoney will launch new franchises, series, features and reporting tailored directly to the regions and audiences it covers. 

    “By uniting our portfolio of US and international business reporting under the CNNMoney brand, we now offer an even more compelling product to globally-minded consumers hungry for a smart, accessible business and financial news experience – everywhere in the world,” said CNN International general manager and senior vice president Mike McCarthy.

    The venture will tap the talents like Richard Quest, Nina dos Santos and Maggie Lake whose programs will represent CNNMoney on television. Quest will now serve as  editor-at-large for CNNMoney and will pen a global daily newsletter “CNNMoney Presents: Quest Means Business,” timed to the open of the Asia markets.

    “CNNMoney is an important and unique business offering for the Asia-Pacific market that already resonates with a core premium audience,” said CNN International advertising sales Asia Pacific VP Sunita Rajan. “This global expansion will amplify that engagement and attract a wider audience who want business at their fingertips. The synergy between the influential CNNMoney brand and journalistic excellence creates a compelling advertising proposition and something our clients are genuinely excited about.”  

    Coverage from CNNMoney will span Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It will focus on global markets and the economy, business strategy, corporate leadership, global brands, business travel, lifestyle and luxury, as well as industries such as auto, energy and technology.

    Also joining the CNNMoney roster are Andrew Stevens, Asia Pacific editor based in Hong Kong; John Defterios, Emerging Markets editor based in Abu Dhabi; Eleni Giokos, Africa business correspondent based in Johannesburg; and Samuel Burke, CNNMoney business correspondent based in New York. The multi-platform editorial teams will be led by Penny Manis, director of global business news programming based in New York, and CNNMoney International managing editor Mark Thompson, who is based in London.

    The global initiative will also expand CNNMoney’s data-driven storytelling and digital war rooms to international bureau, arming reporters with the most advanced tools and analytics available to drive and react to stories in the global marketplace.

  • CNNMoney expands globally; Richard Quest named editor-at-large

    CNNMoney expands globally; Richard Quest named editor-at-large

    MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has expanded its CNNMoney brand internationally, across both TV and digital, to provide consumers with business and financial news and analysis. With the addition of staff in Hong Kong, New Delhi, London, and Dubai, CNNMoney will launch new franchises, series, features and reporting tailored directly to the regions and audiences it covers. 

    “By uniting our portfolio of US and international business reporting under the CNNMoney brand, we now offer an even more compelling product to globally-minded consumers hungry for a smart, accessible business and financial news experience – everywhere in the world,” said CNN International general manager and senior vice president Mike McCarthy.

    The venture will tap the talents like Richard Quest, Nina dos Santos and Maggie Lake whose programs will represent CNNMoney on television. Quest will now serve as  editor-at-large for CNNMoney and will pen a global daily newsletter “CNNMoney Presents: Quest Means Business,” timed to the open of the Asia markets.

    “CNNMoney is an important and unique business offering for the Asia-Pacific market that already resonates with a core premium audience,” said CNN International advertising sales Asia Pacific VP Sunita Rajan. “This global expansion will amplify that engagement and attract a wider audience who want business at their fingertips. The synergy between the influential CNNMoney brand and journalistic excellence creates a compelling advertising proposition and something our clients are genuinely excited about.”  

    Coverage from CNNMoney will span Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It will focus on global markets and the economy, business strategy, corporate leadership, global brands, business travel, lifestyle and luxury, as well as industries such as auto, energy and technology.

    Also joining the CNNMoney roster are Andrew Stevens, Asia Pacific editor based in Hong Kong; John Defterios, Emerging Markets editor based in Abu Dhabi; Eleni Giokos, Africa business correspondent based in Johannesburg; and Samuel Burke, CNNMoney business correspondent based in New York. The multi-platform editorial teams will be led by Penny Manis, director of global business news programming based in New York, and CNNMoney International managing editor Mark Thompson, who is based in London.

    The global initiative will also expand CNNMoney’s data-driven storytelling and digital war rooms to international bureau, arming reporters with the most advanced tools and analytics available to drive and react to stories in the global marketplace.

  • Sony LIV launches movie subscription service at Rs 149 per month

    Sony LIV launches movie subscription service at Rs 149 per month

    MUMBAI: Along with having original digital content, catch-up content, sports and music, Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) over the top (OTT) platform Sony LIV has now expanded its offerings portfolio with the launch of a movie subscription service.

     

    The monthly subscription service pack has been priced at Rs 149, whereas the daily subscription package has been priced at Rs 9. 

     

    Taking advantage of the fact that India is among the countries with the fastest smartphone growth in Asia, Sony LIV is seeking to bolster its foothold in the online video space. 

     

    While globally, SVOD (subscription based video on demand) is poised to become the largest revenue source in 2020, overtaking OTT advertising, in India the market is at a nascent stage with a huge growth potential in the future. With mobile video traffic in India expected to be on a growth trajectory over the next three years, Sony LIV’s new initiative will let consumers stream movies at a nominal price.

     

    Sony LIV’s movie subscription service will be accessible to consumers through its website www.sonyliv.com or via the Sony LIV app available on Google Playstore (for Android users) and App Store for (iOS users).

     

    MSM executive vice president head – digital business Uday Sodhi said, “The movie subscription service is a convenient and affordable way for film lovers to enjoy their favorite blockbuster hits on their preferred digital devices. We have a wide assortment of cinematic treats on offer that users can access in a single click. The different subscription models ensure that they pay as per their consumption levels. The move is targeted towards making the digital platform the only destination that consumers need to turn to in order to fulfil the entire spectrum of their entertainment needs.” 

     

    With a range of movies from across genres, users can pay for the subscription through multiple e-payment options such as credit card, debit card, Internet banking and direct billing services. Within the subscription period, members can watch unlimited movies.

     

    The OTT platform is currently building on its catalogue with an aim to have a diverse range of movies for consumers. The platform is working towards delivering a comprehensive movie catalogue. “We are starting with building our Hindi movie catalogue and will later expand to English and other language movies too. The idea is to offer a range of movies for the consumers to consume in that subscription period. We are aiming to offer at least 1000 movies to our consumers,” Sodhi tells Indiantelevision.com.
     

    Talking about the voyage of the OTT platform since its inception, Sodhi informs that the main idea behind Sony LIV is to make it a complete entertainment destination. The OTT platform recently added sports to its content portfolio and is currently offering the Pro Wrestling League to its subscribers.

  • Turner commissions documentary on Singapore Botanic Gardens

    Turner commissions documentary on Singapore Botanic Gardens

    MUMBAI: Turner has commissioned a documentary called A World Icon: Singapore Botanic Gardens. The program will premiere on the recently launched World Heritage Channel in Asia. The documentary is expected to air in late 2015 or early 2016.

     

    The documentary is produced in 4K by Beach House Pictures and uses the state of the art drone technology to film an inspiring aerial cinematography. It also features epic time lapses coupled with slow motion sequences to paint a mesmerizing and unforgettable picture of this botanic masterpiece.

     

    The documentary will also feature expert historians, botanists and taxonomists who will be seen telling the story of the revered garden from its historical and cultural heritage to the oldest tree, largest orchid collection in the world, colonial buildings and new scientific breakthroughs, whilst shedding light on what future lies in store for this national treasure.

     

    “The Botanic Gardens of Singapore is not just a green oasis in the heart of one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan metropolis. This is a garden like no other with fascinating stories of history, heritage, culture and science, hidden in each petal, leaf and brick. The project is perfect for World Heritage Channel, which is home to some of the most awe-inspiring history, culture, travel and nature programming. And I cannot think of a more exciting start to the first in a series of original productions for our newest brand, World Heritage Channel, as well as a more fitting way to commemorate Singapore’s golden jubilee anniversary,” said Turner Asia Pacific president Ricky Ow.

     

    The 150-year-old Singapore botanic garden was inscribed in July 2015 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39 session of the World Heritage committee in Germany, Bonn. It is the first tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List and is the first in Asia. The 74 hectare garden holds a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region.