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Tag: AXN

  • Watch out for the 2006 Emmy Award winning drama series “24” & “The Amazing Race” only on AXN

    Mumbai, 29th August, 2006: The red carpet was rolled and television’s hottest stars strutted around and blew kisses to their fans, some with their better halves and some with the much desired “2006 Emmy Award”. AXN, the action and adventure channel as always showcases the best in entertainment as has on its prime time 2 of the award winning series “24” & “Amazing Race”.

    The action drama 24 won the Best Drama Series, Best lead Actor- Kiefer Sutherland & Best Director. Each one-hour episode covers an hour in a single day that unfolds over the course of a season. Kiefer Sutherland stars as über-hero Jack Bauer, a daring and seemingly indestructible agent for the fictitious U.S.-intelligence body the Counter Terrorist Unit. Come September and AXN will launch the 4th season of 24.

    Known for its reality programmes, “The Amazing Race” won the Best Reality Competition programme. The Amazing Race is the most popular reality television shows in which teams of two or four race around the world in competition with other teams. Being the fourth consecutive year, ever since 2003,The Amazing Race has been awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program.

    Gaining popularity from all over, The Amazing Race will soon be launching an Asia version, wherein participants from India too will be selected and featured on the show.

    So stay tuned to the best in award winning entertainment only on your favourite channel – AXN

    AXN India Backgrounder
    AXN is the first 24-hour cable and satellite TV channel in Asia exclusively dedicated to action and adventure programming. Launched on 21 September 1997, AXN now reaches over 77 million households across Asia. Featuring the best in action and adventure lifestyle programming, AXN is the exclusive home of fast-paced, dynamic entertainment from around the world. Backed by the powerhouse of Sony Pictures Entertainment, AXN delivers young adult viewers, Sec15-44 AB, a round-the-clock fix of blockbuster features, blue-chip action and reality series and specials, first-run alternative sporting events and the latest in cult CGI animation. AXN’s programming speaks the international language of action and adventure, delivering B! G Buzz, B! G Thrills, B!G Action and B!G Adventure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    For further information please contact:
    Deepa Vaidyanathan/ Kehkashan Merchant
    LinOpinion
    9820453418/ 9821131138

  • HC seeks undertaking that only U, U/A movies will be aired

    HC seeks undertaking that only U, U/A movies will be aired

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has asked for an undertaking from broadcasters and cable service providers declaring that they will only be transmitting U and U/A films.

    The High Court bench, headed by Justice Lodha, also clarified that its 23 August order against the broadcast of adult movies did not restrain channels and cable service providers from airing movies with U and U/A certificates.

    The bench gave the clarification in response to an application made by a cable subscriber, the Press Trust of India news service reported.

    The court also directed cable service providers to remove the scrolls many of them were carrying which said movie channels were off the air because of the High Court order. The court termed such scrolls as a misinterpretation of its original ruling.

    The High Court said it had not stopped the channels which were currently off air in Mumbai from operating but had only restrained them from showing adult content.

    The nine channels — Hindi and English movie channels (Zee Cinema, Star Movies, HBO, Filmy, Star Gold, AXN and Max), and Hindi entertainment channels Star One and Sahara One — had originally been blacked out after the Mumbai police confiscated the decoders of major cable networks and beaming equipment of channels on the charge that they had violated the law by telecasting uncertified movies. This followed orders from the Bombay High Court that channels showing adult movie content should be taken off air.

    When the matter of the seized decoders was brought up, the bench told the broadcasters to arrange for replacements. Multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway and In Cable (who hold sizeable chunk of connections in Mumbai) as well as Zee Group controlled Siticable were among those that had their equipment confiscated in the police raids.

    The court’s ban order on adult movies had come on a PIL filed by a Mumbai college professor.

  • ‘Banned’ channels allowed to go on air; some operators await decoders

    ‘Banned’ channels allowed to go on air; some operators await decoders

    MUMBAI: After Sahara One and Filmy, the weekend saw the return of the remaining seven “banned” channels to most cable TV networks in Maharashtra.

    However, these channels were still off air on networks of major multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway and In Cable (who hold sizeable chunk of connections in Mumbai) as well as Zee Group controlled Siticable, among those that had their equipment confiscated by the police in raids on 21 August, when reports last came in. These cable networks were expected to start beaming all the channels again once their decoders were in place.

    The first to get back on air was Zee Cinema, while the other six channels – Star Gold, Star One, Star Movies, HBO, AXN and Max – came back soon after.

    Zee Cinema, like Sahara One and Filmy, had claimed that it was telecasting U/A certified movies.

    Broadcasters of other channels also got the clearance to get back on air soon after with the Mumbai police social service branch granting permission to the channels to resume transmission late on Saturday.

    The permission came with a rider though: that the channels would follow the Mumbai High Court directives that they would not air uncertified as well as adult movies.

    The nine channels had originally been blacked from 21 August after the Mumbai Police confiscated the decoders of major cable networks and beaming equipment of channels on the charge that they had violated the law by telecasting uncertified movies. This followed orders from the Bombay High Court that channels showing adult movie content should be taken off off air.

    Meanwhile, the Cable Operators and Distributors Association (Coda) have decided to meet the information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi to express their protest against the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)’s support to direct-to-home (DTH) service providers for using multi-dwelling unit (MDU) technology.

    “We are planning to meet the I&B minister for placing our case against MDU. DTH is to home and not direct-to-building,” says CODA president Ganesh Naidu.

  • HC includes DTH operators, channels in adult movie ban ambit; slams cable blackout

    HC includes DTH operators, channels in adult movie ban ambit; slams cable blackout

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today ruled that broadcasters, including direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, were bound by the 21 December, 2005 order banning the telecast of movies with ‘A’ certificates.

    The High Court bench, headed by Justice Lodha, pulled up the cable operators for their action of discontinuing transmission of all channels in the city. “The act was irresponsible,” the bench decreed, adding that cable operators could not charge subscribers for the two days when services was not available.

    The court also specified that the broadcasters have to obtain certificate from the censor board before they air any movies. Justice Lodha pointed out that the December 2005 order holds applicable to foreign channels.

    What this means is that the nine channels charged with showing adult content — Hindi and English movie channels (Zee Cinema, Star Movies, HBO, Filmy, Star Gold, AXN and Max), and Hindi entertainment channels Star One and Sahara One — will continue to remain off air at least till the next hearing of the case.

    Cable services were stalled on Monday evening after the Mumbai police raided cable TV control rooms and seized decoder boxes of the nine channels.

    It was in the December 2005 that the High Court had ordered the police to take action against cable operators and cable service providers who beamed movies without ‘A’ or ‘U/A’ certificates. This was in response to a public interest litigation filed by social activist Pratibha Nathani.

    However, today’s order made an important modification to the original order delivered last December. The court pointed out that movies with U/A (universal/adult) certification cannot be banned. These would be allowed to be screened but would have to run a cautionary scroll highlighting that the movies can be watched under parental guidance, the court ruled.
    The court also said that with this modification, if police have taken action against anybody for showing U/A movie in the past few days, such an action will have to be discharged, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

  • Cable blackout in Mumbai ends

    Cable blackout in Mumbai ends

    MUMBAI: Cable television is finally back in Mumbai after almost two days. However, movie channels, as well as Hindi entertainment channels Star One and Sahara One, remain on the blink.

    A compromise was reached late this evening after the Cable Operators and Distributors Association (Coda), which represents local cable ops, as well as representatives of the various multi-system operators, met Maharashtra home minister RR Patil.

    The cable fraternity’s contention has been that since they are only service providers, and not content producers, they require “clear cut regulation from the government for the telecast of movie channels.”

    According to a cable operator who preferred to remain anonymous, all the networks were restoring cable services barring those of the nine channels that triggered the imbroglio in the first place. “We will wait for the verdict, which will be heard tomorrow (Wednesday) by Justice Lohda (before deciding on the next course of action),” he said.
    Cable operators have filed an intervention petition in the Bombay High Court asking why broadcasters and direct-to-home operators were not being taken to task by the authorities. The petition is scheduled to come up for hearing tomorrow.

    Earlier in the day, cable operators were running a scroll informing viewers of the reasons behind the suspension of services. “Due to unprecedented raids on cable operators for carrying satellite movie and entertainment channels having adult content, all Maharashtra cable operators have shut down these channels till further directions from the High Court and commissioners. Kindly bear with us.” — Cable Operators and Distributors Association.

    The channel blackout was not total all over Maharastra though. Besides Mumbai, other parts of the state – such as Nasik, Pune, Thane and New Mumbai – were affected to varying degrees by the channel blackout. In Pune, for instance, the cable networks only discontinued the transmission of movie and music channels.

    Cable services were halted last evening after the Mumbai police raided cable TV control rooms and seized the decoder boxes of nine channels charged with showing adult content. Among these were Hindi and English movie channels (Zee Cinema, Star Movies, HBO, Filmy, Star Gold, AXN and Max), and Hindi entertainment channels Star One and Sahara One.

    Police said the operators were raided because they were showing adult films, despite there being a ban on them. At least three million homes were affected by the blackout.

  • Catch the premiere of the World’s most Amazing Video’s – Season 3 only on AXN

    Catch the premiere of the World’s most Amazing Video’s – Season 3 only on AXN

    Mumbai 4th August 2006: AXN – The action and adventure channel will be premiering the 3rd season of the World’s most Amazing Video’s that have been caught live that will air every Monday’s on AXN starting with an exclusive premiere on the 7th of August @ 9 pm

    World’s Most Amazing Videos brings you real life stories of unparalleled courage and survival miraculously caught on tape, and features heroes who make the critical difference.
    The World’s Most Amazing Videos is hosted by stage, screen and television veteran, Stacy Keach. Every week, the star of screen gems such as American History X, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and Fat City will deliver a combination of real and rare footage of some of the most heart-pounding and unbelievable moments ever captured on film.

    Keach will bring you dramas and interviews with the people who find themselves facing the scariest moments of their lives.

    An exploding plane housing 24 sky-divers, high-speed chases, near-death at the jaws of a killer shark, or a daring ‘roof rope’ rescue to save a man who is trapped on the 13th floor window sill of a burning building – watch the World’s Most Amazing Videos on AXN – India’s only action & adventure channel!
    Starting from every Monday’s at 11:00 pm only on AXN

    For further information, please contact:
    Kehkashan Merchant/ Deepa Vaidyanathan
    9821131138/ 9820453418

  • AXN looks at paranormal phenomenon with ‘Supernatural’

    AXN looks at paranormal phenomenon with ‘Supernatural’

    MUMBAI: The action oriented AXN will be a new show Supernatural. It will air every Thursday from 3 August at 11 pm

    The show blends action, drama, mystery with a dash of science-fiction. Supernatural is a tale of two brothers, bound by destiny and disaster to battle the evil forces of the paranormal. Poles apart, the Winchester brothers are compelled to travel all around the country to hunt out the eerie creatures of urban legends and folklore that you thought were all just made-up.

    When their mother, Mary, was taken from the family 20 years ago by unseen evil forces, the brothers’ father John embarked on a mission against the supernatural to avenge his wife’s death. Bringing the two young boys with him on his strange missions, John brought them up to hunt and fight the unexplained – whether they wanted to or not.

    Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) is the younger brother – the “normal” one. A law student trying to escape the eccentric lifestyle his father mapped out, Sam gladly traded his ghost-hunting for college and a perfect girlfriend, and hasn’t seen his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) for 4 years. When the latter turns up suddenly on Sam’s doorstep with the news that their father has vanished, he has little choice but to join Dean in a search for their father.

    Supernatural is about fate, family and the choices we make – taking viewers into the dark and twisted world of phantom-hunting. In between the undercurrents of rivalry, the estranged brothers learn more about themselves and their family, and face up to a journey in which anything can happen – and does.

    The younger Winchester brother, Sam never fully understood the path his father and brother have taken, and consequently has tried to separate himself from them by leaving for college straight from high school. With an affectionate and caring girlfriend and a potential law career, Sam almost has the perfect life he yearns for, until his estranged older brother turns up at his door with news that their father has disappeared.

    Despite the dislike for his family’s strange lifestyle, Sam is obliged to leave his peaceful life, and return to his tumultuous destiny in a search for his missing father. Armed with heavy reluctance and grounded practicality, Sam is thrown into the sinister world he tried so hard to avoid – and while chasing bogeymen, phantom legends and angry child spirits, comes to relearn more about his brother and himself, and begins to accept the fate and father he rejected.

    Worlds apart from his brother Sam, Dean has taken his father’s mission on himself – pursuing all things supernatural and evil. Arrogant, brash and impulsive, the older Winchester brother’s fearlessness and indifference to the law in the face of his quest belie the emotional scars his mother’s death left on him, as well as an unexpected softer side.

    Dean is older and thus remembers more of his mother’s death, and understands why his father was driven obsessively to avenge himself on the paranormal. This bad-boy carries his fierce aggression into his work, and is wild enough to do just about anything, especially taking on the terrifying path he has chosen for himself. His father’s sudden vanishing however leaves him unsettled, and forces him to come out of his strange life to reunite with his younger brother for a quest unlike any they have ever experienced before.

  • AXN turns on the heat with ‘Fight Night’

    AXN turns on the heat with ‘Fight Night’

    MUMBAI: The action oriented AXN has launched a block Fight Night, every Wednesday from 9 pm to 11 pm. This will feature reality martial arts and boxing.

    The two shows that will air are the boxing based reality show The Contender Season 2 which will air the same day as it does in the US and the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

    AXN country manager Sunder Aaron says, “What Indian viewers will appreciate about these two new shows is that they are as real as the Zidane head butt! These are not trained actors, but real fighters and boxers competing in real combat for the ultimate prize!

    “Watching sports with friends is the new lifestyle trend in India, and AXN will be meeting viewers’ needs with two great shows on Fight Night. All on one night, starting 19 July, we are proud to bring our viewers the Contender Season 2, followed by the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter, an extreme sport reality series not for the faint-hearted!”

    On The Contender, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard plays mentor to 16 boxers handpicked from all over America. They will fight for a dream career and a million dollars. The show takes viewers into each of the boxer’s personal victories and trials, exposes their ambition and drive while still touching hearts and making the competition about more than just boxing.

    The Ultimate Fighter is a reality series-extreme sports genre. In Las Vegas,16 young men from all over America to compete for a highly coveted Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

    The fighters are trained by UFC legends Randy “The Natural” Couture and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in a wide array of diverse martial arts, including wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, judo and karate,. The show separates the men from the boys with all the blood, sweat and tears televised for all to see. The Ultimate Fighter represents the true spirit of the sport with all the real fights and real action unlike other shows on Indian television.

  • Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    Alliance Atlantis announces licensing of intl second window rights for ‘CSI’

    MUMBAI: Canadian media firm Alliance Atlantis Communications has announced the licensing of certain international second window rights for the CSI franchise including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

    In India, the show airs on AXN.
    The license fees generated for these international second window rights total approximately $250 million. Alliance Atlantis executive MD of international content distribution Ted Riley says, “We have now secured second window licensing agreements in a number of countries including France, Spain, Australia and, most recently, Germany and the UK. These agreements with international broadcasters demonstrate the strong interest in the re-licensing of CSI around the world.”

    Alliance Atlantis Communications CEO Phyllis Yaffe says, “We are exceptionally pleased with the performance of the CSI franchise in the international marketplace. As we have previously stated, the franchise has outperformed our original expectations in international first window and DVD sales. With this announcement, we can confirm that the trend continues. International second window rights are worth significantly more than we had originally anticipated. We continue to have active discussions with broadcasters in other territories regarding further second window licensing opportunities.”

    International broadcasters that have acquired second window rights to the franchise include RTL in Germany, Five in the UK, TF1 in France, Telecinco in Spain, Nine Network in Australia and CTV in Canada. These sales include both produced and future episodes of CSI. To date, the CSI franchise has produced 287 hours of programming inventory.

    Alliance Atlantis also announced video-on-demand (VOD) partnering agreements for the CSI franchise in certain European territories including Germany and the UK, to take advantage of emerging opportunities in cable and online distribution.

  • AXN to roll out Sci-Fi, Crime Networks in Central Europe

    AXN to roll out Sci-Fi, Crime Networks in Central Europe

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has announced plans to launch two new thematic channels in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary: AXN Sci-Fi and AXN Crime.

    The ad-supported channels will be dubbed into local languages in their markets and will also feature locally produced interstitial material. Both will deliver series on weekdays and movies on weekends, and both new networks will be overseen by AXN Central Europe GM Stephen White.

    White says, “These new thematic channels build on the success story of AXN in Central Europe since its launch in 2003 and the move is supported by research and feedback from AXN’s viewers which shows that there is a great demand for high quality sci-fi and crime programming. AXN is the first in the Central European region to dedicate channels to these popular genres.”

    AXN Crime will offer up the SPTI series The Shield and the David Caruso police detective drama Michael Hayes, among others, while AXN SCI-FI’s key offerings will include Star Trek: Enterprise, Andromeda, Sliders, Charlie Jade, Battlestar Galactica and Trucks.